This month you come to the end of a 1,000-mile journey. Ever since Saturn entered Leo in July 2005, you have had a long and gradual process of reinventing yourself. You took on lots of new responsibilities, including ones you thought were beyond your ability to handle. Much to your surprise, you found that you could master the seemingly impossible, and soon others were coming to you for advice and inspiration. Indeed, you impressed everyone around you with your passionate sense of purpose and your willingness to stay true to yourself, even when the road got rough.

You may feel as though you've just completed an important rite of passage, and chances are that you did. Whenever we enter a realm where everything seems new and a bit overwhelming, it takes time to ease into the new role. We feel that way when we do something that's life changing for the first time. Good examples would be when you first attend college, rent your first apartment, buy your first house, get married, have a first child, get a big promotion, or start a business - these and many other possibilities would qualify as rites of passage.

Now, as you gaze back over the past two years, your old life likely seems almost laughably easy. You grew into your new responsibilities, and although life may have seemed exhausting because you had so much to learn, now it probably seems as it should - normal.

You assumed your life would continue as it has so far, but Saturn is moving on to another sign, so actually, life is about to get a bit easier for you by next month. By September 2, Saturn will be bidding adieu to Leo and moving on to Virgo. Stop for a moment and consider if you would ever want to go back to the life you had before July 2005. I bet you'll say that the answer is no. You old life seems too simple and even juvenile, doesn't it? That's because you have grown so much as a person in that time, dear Leo. Your old life is no longer the life you want.

August will have a strong weighty feel to it. You will have decisions and commitments to make and people to see. This is because it's the last month - Saturn will not return to your sign for many years, not until 2034. To be sure, Saturn will leave a lasting impression - Saturn will meet with a large number of planets in the constellation of Leo this month: Venus, Mercury, and the Sun this month, as well as the new moon. Since Saturn is known to be the planet of long-term, practical thinking, it looks like you'll have a few important long-range decisions to announce. You and I will talk about this, but we are getting ahead of ourselves, for that trend doesn't start right away but later, after the new moon, August 12. Before that, you have a few very bright, fun days to look forward to!

Indeed, the very start of August will offer you your best chance to relax, kickback, and have fun with friends or with your spouse or sweetheart. August 2 should turn out to be a jewel of a day. The strong buildup of planets in Leo will protect your interests and allow you to take time to celebrate your birthday, no matter when it happens to fall. Better yet, if you can take a little time off from your job for a sexy long weekend away, by all means, take it and make your first travel day August 2. Even if you can't get a way, you'll love this day because you'll feel lucky and adored.

The next day you should circle in red is August 6, the day Jupiter, the Great Benefic planet, will turn direct orbit. Jupiter has been in your house of true love, but has been retrograde since April 5. Over the past four months, you may have felt that life probably was a bit too Spartan and no frills for your taste. That all will change now, for Jupiter is about to wake up on August 6 and romance will bloom again. Truly things have been a bit serious, dear Leo, and you do deserve to experience the softer side of life. The universe agrees, so watch to see how things change in the days ahead.

When any planet turns direct, you always should see an immediate burst of energy in the days surrounding that planet's turn to direct. You'll see progress in the very area that planet happens to be traveling in - in your case, that's your house of true love! Jupiter will stay in direct orbit through to the end of the year, adding extra razzle-dazzle to your love life, and also to your creativity and matters related to children and pregnancy. All these areas will glow!

If you are single and hoping to meet someone new, from August 6 onward, never will you have better chances to have that fateful introduction. If you are attached and hoping to conceive or adopt a baby, the same fabulous forecast is true for you, too. These areas are not mutually exclusive either - you may fall in love and sell a client on a grand, risky, creative idea. Or, conceive a baby! What a month!

Adding to this lovely increased emphasis on romance and more fun, a shift in Mars' orbit at about the same time of the month, on August 7, will put an extra emphasis on friends, fun, and an extra feeling of footloose freedom. Over the past two months, Mars has been lighting your career zone, putting your accomplishments in the spotlight. If you want to get a new job, present a big idea, or go after awesome publicity, go after what you want in August's first six days. The past two months required that you push hard on all your professional ventures, and if you did, you now have built up enough momentum to step back a bit and allow others to respond to your ideas.

As soon as Mars goes into Gemini on August 7, your social life will take flight. Your house of friendship will blaze brilliantly, so you have every reason to expect a lighter, more relaxed lifestyle. Many more friends will call and move in and out of your life, and you'll have a busy social schedule through the end of September.

Having both Jupiter and Mars working hard for you is a lovely double dip of luck. Then, when Saturn moves his little black cloud out of Leo to another part of the universe on September 2, you will see an additional brightening effect! Wow, dear Leo, you are on your way!

Your very best romantic evenings include: August 2 - 4, 8 - 9, 11, 15 and 17.

Wait, though, for there's more! This month will really get going once the new moon, August 12, appears and that will be your green light to go, go, go. Planets will push you into a leadership role, and others will be expecting you to provide direction. Yet this new moon is not about one part of life or another, but more about what YOU want to happen next. You can direct this energy any way you please, and that only happens once a year, in the new moon in your sign. It's happening now, so you will want to take full advantage.

The new moon that will occur on August 12 is sure to usher in an important decision-making time. With a slew of planets in Leo - Sun, new moon, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - you'll "have the floor," so this would be no time to be shy. Take the microphone, state your intentions, and set them on course.

Saturn's presence near the new moon suggests you are mulling over a very serious announcement. Once you make your decision, it is clear you will live with your decision for a very long time. If your birthday falls on August 12, or within five days of this date, you will feel the benefits and the weight of this new moon more than your Leo friends born at other times.

All month your creativity will be strongly emphasized. You may notice, however, that your output will be uneven - brilliant one day, lackluster the next. That is natural, although just a bit more pronounced this month. Don't try to make sense of it, but rather, go with the flow. Social scientists say that our creativity runs in 90-minute cycles. We don't know precisely where in that cycle we've entered when we start a project, so it's important to continue to concentrate hard for at least 90 minutes. You should see a breakthrough if you do.

Money matters will be the headline news and likely take on nightmarish proportions at month's end, due to a very emotional full moon lunar eclipse, August 28. The money I am addressing here would not be money you earn, but money you share or receive from other people, such as from a venture capitalist for your business, or a bank loan you'd get from your banker. This money also would cover a scholarship, a settlement from an insurance company, or the division of property in a divorce. Commissions, royalties, and other such funds are also included in this part of your chart.

The news is problematic, for you will be confronted with an unexpected outcome that will quickly stir up your emotions. I say this because Uranus will directly oppose Mercury, and Saturn will orbit very close to the moon. This all suggests that you will need to face up to an obligation, promise, or agreement, even if conditions have changed and completing your agreement seems unfair. If this turns out not to be the case, you may find the other party will act in an outrageously unfair way, leaving you feeling you got the short end of the stick.

No matter what, you will need to be very realistic and practical about a certain financial situation, and may become painfully aware that you cannot change the final result, even if the whole episode seems outrageous. In this case, just cut your losses and bail out. Your health and your future will be worth much more than the sum you are talking about, dear Leo.

Ever since this family of eclipses began falling in Pisces and Virgo starting in March 2006, you've had a series of financial shocks. You must be very tired of this sort of thing happening, and I am so sorry to have to deliver this news.

Next month Saturn will enter a different financial sector, namely, your second house, which rules your earned income. Saturn will take off where the eclipses have left off and will continue to teach you a certain lesson about the value of money. Saturn will come for a two-year stay, so you won't be ending your focus on money when the eclipses in the family of Virgo-Pisces finally end in February 2008.

Your best bet is to remain very conservative in all your financial deals and agreements from now on. Realize that the only person you can truly depend on is yourself at the end of the day - once you begin thinking this way, you will naturally make decisions that will protect you.

Make lots of contingency plans. For example, if you depend on money from your ex for child support, ask yourself: What if my ex loses his job and he is unable to send a check for several months? Do I have a plan in place? Or, let's say you depend on a certain supplier for your business. Ask yourself: What if this supplier can't deliver my orders for whatever reason? Do I have backup suppliers? Having contingency plans will help you financially over the coming months.

I hope I have not caused you undue anxiety with all this talk about finances. Realize that there will be a positive, flip side to all this. Saturn's mission will be to help you to materialize your dreams. In fact, over the coming two years you may amass a great deal of money! You might decide to save up to buy a house, go back to college, or choose another important life goal to fund. Don't fear Saturn's stay - you will benefit from his presence.

One more thought: If this month's eclipse on August 28 brings to an end a long dispute about money, you'll be free to make other more profitable deals in the future.

Sometimes an eclipse in the eighth house emphasizes not money but surgery. You may have a sudden operation or dental procedure, and if so, be glad you live in a city where you can find plenty of qualified medical or dental professionals to choose from who can help you. Once you attend to the matter, you'll be on your way to feeling like new again. This is a full moon, so news would come on rapidly, but would require your decision, and before you know it, the episode is done. There is nothing to fear and when you feel well again you'll have so much to look forward to in the future.

You may hear of someone leaving your immediate environment in the second half of August, as this is a weighty part of the month. If so, you will be sad to see them go. Say adieu and vow to remember forever the warm and wonderful moments you shared together. That person gave you certain insights and gifts, but all that this person was to give you is now perfect and complete. Accept what you cannot change, even though you may feel sad or frustrated at the situation. Lunar eclipses are often hard because they mark endings. But life is not only about endings but continual beginnings, too - your beginnings will come next month. Have faith, dear Leo.

You have faced the very hardest challenges over the past two years and only became stronger and wiser. For you, the very best is yet to come. Keep this ever in the front of your mind as you move thorough the second half of August.

Summary:

The beginning of the month will find you feeling best, so get set to enjoy it to the fullest. Jupiter will send a beam to the Sun on August 2, an aspect that augurs well for happiness in general and romance in particular. If you were single and not dating, this would be a four-star day for meeting an attractive new person.

By the time Venus enters Leo on August 8, your social life will move into full swing. Invitations to parties, shows, and concerts, along with fabulous opportunities for indulgent restaurant outings and chances to travel, all will come up.

The first half of August will be important in another way - with five planets in Leo, you'll have the upper hand. Those planets will fiercely protect your interests, so even if you find at times you are out-maneuvered and out-numbered by the competition (not saying you will, but if you do), you can gain control. Find the strength within, for you can win if you set your mind to it.

Watch the new moon in Leo, August 12, your very best time to gain control over events. A new moon in one's own sign only comes once a year and it will remain powerful for ten days. Act in that timeframe. With Neptune in your partnership house, partners may sound vague or suddenly be missing in action, but you don't really need their approvals now. You can easily move things foreword yourself. In a short time your partner(s) will offer support, so venture forth.

Creatively, your flow of ideas and artistic expressions will be strong but a bit uneven. Inspiration will be remarkably strong one day, but unusually low on others. There are two days this month that will clearly illustrate this point. On August 2, your imagination will burst open as beautifully as a bright hibiscus. On August 21, criticism from a VIP whose opinion you respect may be so harsh that you may temporarily lose your confidence. Take this person's feedback but don't become crushed by it, dear Leo. You have what it takes to be a winner. Press forward! No one can stop you now!

Mercury will be in Leo from August 4 to 19, ensuring you'll communicate lucidly and effectively during that phase. One day stands out - August 9 - for this is when you will be at your most forceful and effective. If you need to sign a document, this same day would be ideal to do so. If you want to create an agreement that will stand the test of time, then have the mutual signing on August 18.

You may have a major career decision to make on or near August 13, due to a pairing of Venus and Saturn.

This mood of seriousness will intensify further during the following week, and especially on August 21, when the Sun and Saturn will conjoin. If your birthday falls on this day, you will be doubly sensitive to the vibes operating on this day. You will be deeply meditative, maybe even somber, but also able to take on more responsibility. No doubt about it, you will have plenty on your mind. Don't let doubts or fleeting feelings of depression enter your mind - this is all very temporary!

Radical financial news will likely consume you at month's end. The full moon on August 28 is a lunar eclipse, giving it double power and punch. Falling in your house of other people's money, such things as the division of property in a divorce, scholarship, commission, inheritance, insurance payouts, or other money due you from others is likely to be the source of a disagreement or dismay. Uranus will oppose Mercury, and Saturn will come very close to the Sun, so you may have to simply accept what "is" and close the door on a highly emotional financial situation. There seem to be surprises that you don't appreciate, but what happens will give you an accurate view of the character of the person you are dealing with, if that is any comfort.

Decisions that were made some time ago behind closed doors will now come to light now. At long last, you will have the whole picture. Your secret ace will be your resourcefulness and ability to find creative solutions. Although at times you may feel overwhelmed by events, break down problems into smaller pieces. You can solve them if you stay confident and calm. It's a sign you may have to be more conservative with money in the future and to have more contingency plans in place, but whatever comes up, you can handle it.

If money is not on the agenda, it may be that you learn you need an operation or dental procedure. Eclipses work on a different timeframe from normal full moons; sometimes one feels things one month to the day earlier plus or minus five days, or one month to the day later, plus or minus five days. Think back to last month - the eclipse may have already brought news near July 28. If not, and if you fly through August 28 with not much on tap, then keep your antenna up near September 28.

It may help to think back to August 28, 1988 - you had a similar eclipse at that time. While other planets were in very different positions, the Sun and moon were at the same mathematical degree precisely 19 years ago. See if a theme emerges, dear Leo, so that you can be ready.

Remember, when Saturn leaves Leo next month, you will have officially ended a once-in-29-year tour of duty that this taskmaster planet has put you though. You are done! No matter what, life will improve from now on!