The Sun enters Leo III The Banner (as Austin Coppock named it) on August 12, 2025, at 7:02 am EDT. Remaining here for ten days, nine hours and thirty-two minutes, it’s a decan associated with the syncretic (or synthetic) deity Serapis, a hybrid god of Hellenistic Egypt: the ancient Egyptian god Ammon in the guise or appearance of Zeus. T. Susan Chang called this decan No Guts No Glory, based on its associations with the Seven of Wands in the Tarot. Pamela Colman Smith, in designing the pips cards for the Rider-Waite deck, depicted this card as a man with a quarterstaff on the hillside, with six other staffs being thrust up at him in challenge from below — although he holds the advantageous position, he’s still outnumbered. By Chaldean order, the decan is administered by Mars under the Sun’s rulership — implying a form of scientific warfare, an organized and planned violence justified and managed by rationality. Leo III lasts until Virgo I begins on 22 August 2025 at 4:34 pm.
In a recent episode of the podcast RuneSoup hosted by Gordon White, Austin noted this decan’s associations with the power to cause armies to be brought together and assembled in one place. At the time of recording, Mars was in this decan, and it was the week of the United States’ military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue — fulfilling the President’s own natal placement of Mars in this decan. He may not have been happy with the lackluster crowds and the casualness of the military’s presentation, but he certainly gathered together armies and directed them to his purpose.
There was something of the original shape of the worship of Serapis in all of that, too; and it carries the reminder of Mars’ role as an agricultural god — driving the furrows into the ground with his plow and harvesting the grain with strong back, muscular arms, sweat, and the sickle. Statuary of this deity show a muscular and bearded man with long hair, and a grain measuring basket atop his head — the very picture of some modern iron-pumping models intent on being almost hyper-masculine caricatures of the perfect man. But why the grain-measure for a hat? Serapis was the deity adopted by the Ptolemaic Dynasty, the Greek rulers of Egypt from the 3rd through 1st centuries BCE. They were the longest-ruling family in Egypt’s long history, and the last before Roman annexation in 30 BCE. Serapis, as a nominally Egyptian deity with a Greek face, represented both the abundance of Egyptian agriculture — and obedience to foreign rulers. Accept these long-haired, bearded alpha males as your rulers, the cult statues seemed to say, or you won’t eat. There was a strong connection between the worship of Serapis on the one hand, combined with obedience to the Ptolemies and their dynastic rulership on the other. When these two things were combined with sacks of grain distributed from temple-controlled warehouses (food grown in temple-controlled fields), it’s hard not to associate submission to Serapis with submission to the state, in exchange for the necessities of life and health.
It’s also no accident that when the Romans took over, they continued the worship of Serapis unabated in Egypt… and extended it to Rome itself, and to other parts of the Empire that dependent on shipments of Egyptian grain… or that they placed statues of the Emperor next to the image of the Ptolemies’ favorite god: the submissive and the obedient get to eat. The message could not have been clearer, really, especially when we consider that the period between roughly 150 BCE and 30 BCE had been one of nearly constant strife around the Mediterranean littoral: the official Roman Civil War and its many antecedents, military contests between Ptolemaic siblings and cousins, and long-running feuds and raids between North African kingdoms and the Roman provinces of southern Europe. Serapis promised peace, and a full belly, if you only bowed down — and the image of the Emperor in armor, sword at his hip, reminded you of the consequences of failing to kneel.
Gatherer of armies, indeed.
The dodeks of Leo III are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer, emblematic of the way that grapes and other fruit ripens on the vine or tree — there is the first fire as the tree blooms with the flowers that are at once energetic and sensual but also transient. Then comes the long greening, as the tree or vine puts forth leaves and fills them with chlorophyll to gather energy from the Sun. For a long time, there is uncertainty — will the fruit come forth, or will it wither? The weather conditions of the Air have a lot to tell us about whether this food will come into being or not. Finally, in Cancer, the fruit fills with the watery nectar of its juices, enticing and aromatic, almost begging to be eaten — and yet this is the moment when the farmer and the vintner and the orchardist are most watchful and wary of their fields or vines, ready to claw or pinch those who would steal the product of their labors like a crab.
Dates to Watch
Saturn and Neptune, both retrograde, will be conjunct or nearly so at about 1° Aries for all ten days, and sextile Uranus at 1° Gemini on one side, and closely sextile Pluto retrograde at 2° Aquarius on the other (Uranus and Pluto are trine to one another).
The Moon enters this configuration on two dates: August 12, 2025 she’s besieged between Saturn and Neptune around 9:30 am; and August 16, 2025 at around 1:30 pm EDT she conjuncts Uranus.
The Moon also snuggles between Jupiter and Venus for a long while on 19 August from about 6:00 pm to 8:27 am EDT on 20 August. As she does so, the Moon will be in her Ninth Mansion The Lion’s Eye, a position strongly associated with powerful protective magics and defense against enemies — but also to destroy crops, make travel difficult, and set up rivalies between friends. She’ll be moving
Mercury retrograde ends at 4° Leo 14′ on 11 August 2025 at 3:29 am EDT — but won’t clear the shadow degrees that it’s already passed through until 25 August 2025. For east coast US residents (and for Washington DC) it occurs in the second house of wealth and moveable property: be on the lookout for “about-faces” on the roles of financial experts and economists.
Mars opposes Saturn for all ten days as well, and each is in a place of limitation and relative weakness — Mars in Libra behaves much like the shopping mall’s peace officer, unarmed but officious, a bit of security theater but not much use in a real fight; Saturn in Aries is either the old man without the wisdom of age or the cunning of experience, or the youth who refuses to be guided by elders. It’s a good idea to double-check your ideas and confirm that you’re not leaving yourself unprotected on the one hand, or making rash decisions on the other.
House Delineations
The First House of self and self-presentation is Virgo, ruled by inconjunct Mercury and hosting the South Node. Self-analysis is challenging and difficult to carry out; there are numerous personal issues that have to be hammered home, and personality dents that could be corrected with a little careful work. At the same time, encouraging your own organic growth is important, even as the time for new growth (in the Northern Hemisphere) nears its end. How are you trying to be fruitful?
The Second House of money and possessions is Libra, ruled by squaring Venus in Cancer and hosting Mars and the Lunar Apogee (often called Black Moon Lilith). Triplicity ruler Saturn opposes, while Jupiter squares; only Mercury is favorably placed, at the sextile. Personal money issues are likely to take a hit, especially if you decide to support friends in need. Give mutual aid in services or physical effort rather than cash, but don’t overdo it and injure yourself either. Some of your usual rules around hustle need breaking; everyone needs downtime.
The Third House of extended family and intimate friends is Scorpio, ruled by inconjunct Mars and hosting the Imum Coeli. Triplicity rulers Venus and the Moon are at the trines. There’s an old ethnic joke (which I won’t repeat here) that claims that there’s at least one nationality that doesn’t know what it wants, but is willing to die for it. There are passions and desires which are difficult to achieve in the current social milieu of cherished relatives and constant friends, but perpetually avoiding those topics or suppressing them is not helping, either. Welcome informal but confidential dialogue on taboo subjects.
The Fourth House of home, household, and parents is Sagittarius, ruled by inconjunct Jupiter. The triplicity rulers Saturn and the Sun are at the trines, although Saturn is in exile. A period is emerging in which you’ll be on your own and perhaps away from home on retreat, but you may have to continue to fulfill obligations (sometimes with great difficulty) at a distance. Connect with friends and associates through online means.
The Fifth House of pleasures and pastimes is Capricorn, ruled by squaring Saturn, retrograde and in exile. Chores, to-do lists, bureaucratic nightmares, and tasks, have a tendency to get in the way and ruin your fun — pushing entertainments to the bottom of the pile. Triplicity ruler Venus is in opposition, though, and Mars and the Moon are both square. Say “yes” to all occasions that involve hanging out with your friends, but request care in selecting activities for minimum expense: play at home with your existing library of games, or experiment with homemade cocktails rather than going out; watch movies on streaming services or DVDs you already own.
The Sixth House of daily routines, pets, and injuries is Aquarius, ruled by sextile Saturn (who is exiled and retrograde), and hosting Pluto, also retrograde. The triplicity ruler Mercury is opposed, while Jupiter is inconjunct. Daily tasks seem objectionable or unsavory; some appear to me not merely unpalatable but risk creating noxious or frightful conditions for friends and allies. You don’t have to tell them— but it’s hard to work against colleagues in base and ghastly ways during the day, and then be charming with them over drinks and dinner, you know?
The Seventh House of spouse, peer partners, and rivals is Pisces, ruled by Jupiter exalted in Cancer at the trine, and hosting the North Node; triplicity ruler Venus is also at the trine, while Mars and the Moon are inconjunct. Favorable and loving conditions are likely to abound in the next ten days, but you may need to ‘give more’ than you’re comfortable giving, and financial matters are perhaps a source of unexplained or unexpressed resentment. Your emotional patterns around a spouse’s personal habits or expectations may be a source of both hardship, and new vision.
The Eighth House of obligation, duty and legacy is Aries, ruled by opposing Mars detrimented in Libra, and hosting the Lunar Perigee (sometimes called White Moon Priapus), and hosting the stellium of the Moon, Saturn, and Neptune. The next ten days are going to be full of customary duties and chores, but there are ways you can limit their effects on your routines. It may also be worth planning some longer-term conversations about what you want this to look like over the next decade, and figure out some better time management, as well as divisions of labor, with spouse or significant other.
The Ninth House of higher learning and long-distance travel is Taurus, ruled by sextile Venus and hosting the Midheaven. The triplicity rulers Mars and the Moon are both inconjunct. Travel is likely to be a source of delight when done with friends, but alone is more likely to turn into an exercise in minimalism or austerity. Learning should focus on practical and hands-on skills, with ornamentation or elaboration for the sake of exuberance should be minimized. Focus on quality materials in study, and excellence of destinations in tourism.
The Tenth House of career and professional reputation is Gemini, ruled by sextile Mercury in Leo and hosting Uranus. Triplicity ruler Saturn is sextile, but in exile and retrograde. Career matters are likely to be disrupted in unexpected ways; a focus on long-term thinking about your personal career (rather than your supervisor’s objectives or your company mission) may be more useful than sticking to the official website screed. You may not have to change jobs for six months or more — but developing an exit plan is worth your time.
The Eleventh House of friends, associates, and allies is Cancer, ruled by the squaring Moon and hosting exalted Jupiter, and Venus. Triplicity ruler Mars is square and in detriment. My father was fond of saying “you’re only as good as your next deal, and your current network” — by which he meant that you should always be thinking about what the next value-added result will be that you create (either for your boss or yourself). This requires that you develop connections and contacts with other folks that aren’t yet in your orbit. Don’t sleep on widening your circle these next ten days — your boss is wondering if you’re a good value for your cost, and you have to be chasing the relationships that benefit you. It’s a good time to focus on that widening circle, rather than on what the Big Guy® might want you to do.
The Twelfth House of both obstacles and opportunities is Leo, ruled by the present Sun and hosting Mercury. Triplicity ruler Saturn is square, but retrograde and in exile. It’s a time when you’ll have to marshal your forces, and develop both the strategic mindset for the future you want, and the logistical framework that delivers the materials you need to the front line. Operationalize your worldview, and do your best to shine at those moments when you’re planning for a better future.
Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.
I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.
Virgo: It may be a good idea to shut up about your self-identity for a while; don’t reveal more than you absolutely have to, and expect that no good will come of it. Remember the advice of dealing with the cops — ‘shut the fck up’? That’s unfortunately the attitude to adopt. At the same time, get by with a little help from your friends… and help them get by. Trade your time for resources you need; trade resources for the expertise of others. Expect that you won’t always be able to see the good that comes from these trades right away, but make the safety of participants in the network of paramount importance: people don’t show up to make trades at all if they feel like the experience is sketchy — but make it friendly and inviting, and they’ll be back for more.
Libra: Spending time with friends seems to involve spending money, and the financial costs of these little jaunts seem to be unequally distributed — especially if your resources seem constrained by the difficulties your partner, spouse, or significant other may be experiencing. It’s tempting to break all sorts of rules for the sake of helping your friends, but it can also be important to lock away resources for “family and household first” even when you’re in a position to give generously to allies and friends — hoping for professional rewards later. At the same time, there will be temptation to spend big on an old hobby that you haven’t engaged with in a while. But ask yourself — do you really have the space or time to work with this big investment? or if you should wait for evidence that you really want to re-engage with this hobby first?
Scorpio: Get chummy and personal with the people that you know can hold your confidences private, and be prepared to open up your inner worlds. Recognize, though, that you may be blind to some risks until September 21 — Mars in Libra will lure you into being more trusting and more relaxed, but also more inclined to shut down suddenly when Mars enters Scorpio that day. Try to break your rules around sharing and presenting your work consciously, and resist the urge to snap shut the doors and opportunities you open this week. Similarly, you may find it helpful to share your stage-time with a friend or colleague, and present your endeavors together, or to collaborate on a joint project. It’s the act of being friendly, collaborative, and in partnership that you most need to practice this week, rather than the skills that go into whatever you work on together.
Sagittarius: Household matters hold significant priority in the next ten days, and you’ll find that you have responsibility to the second-tier friends and third-tier acquaintances that form a significant part of your social milieu. The difficulty may arise from the fact that you’re on your own, and in a place distant from your usual familiar haunts and connections. You may also be in a position where people are expecting you to be relaxed and happy — and you’ll find it hard to be so, even if you’re having fun in the sun (or the shade) or relaxing by a pool somewhere. Try to let the emotional turbulence settle from time to time, and ask yourself what you really desire — allow the turbulence to fall on others, and ask to be paid for your time and energy even with close family members.
Capricorn: Pleasure and entertainment — or the lack of it — may be an important focus of the next ten days, especially as it relates to the industry and labor that you’re supposed to be slogging through around the house. There’s almost always a honey-do list in everyone’s house, whether you’re the only person who lives there, or you’ve got a partner, or a crowded polycule. It’s reasonable to block off time in your schedule to complete certain tasks, and to do them — but it’s unreasonable and unrealistic to give up all your playtime for the sake of fixing something that hasn’t worked right for three years… especially if fixing it involves at least two trips to the hardware store. There’s also the financial risks that seem to be cropping up in your workplace: is your job secure? Do you have to work more hours? Show generosity and love and kindness to your partner, but be diplomatic about the constraints on your time and the real austerities you’d have to impose on yourself in order to complete the tasks they set you.
Aquarius: The next ten days may seem like a bit of a plodding rehash of the last ten days, where (for the sake of financial accountability) you have to go through the last few weeks of activity to understand what might be coming. There’s an emotional detachment from the work, which is likely to be both wearying and visionary — you’ll see the new possibilities, while also being unsure how to get from there to here. Asking your spouse or business partner (or romantic interest) the right questions may help them shine some light on what your long-range plans should be. Yet there’s also a need to engage and lead your subordinates: they’re not going to tell you where y’all are going together, but there’s a big difference between dragging them toward the future, and having them rowing together toward that new world. Some of your hobbies aren’t hands-on enough: what can you do, for fun that puts your hands on real things and helps you think about the world differently?
Pisces: A spouse or significant other or peer may be asking a lot of you these days, and you’re probably willing to give to that particular cause. Yet you may be asking if it’s worth it? Things don’t seem to be going well for you — just you — in your workplace, and the self-reflective investigation may not reveal immediate causes or consequences. My grandfather used to say that your job should provide three things: compensation that allows you to save money for the future, ongoing education in skills and mindset that you need for the future, and fun. Two out of three isn’t good enough, either. Now, you live in different times than he did — but he quit a job a year into the Great Depression because it wasn’t enjoyable and wasn’t teaching him anything he didn’t already know. Are the obligations you’re facing, worth the rewards? Or is it time to start lock picking these financial handcuffs?
Aries: The next ten days probably have either a very crowded calendar where you don’t seem to have time to think, only react — or, almost worse, a very empty calendar with nothing to do except ruminate on all the things you’re not able to do. There’s something traditional about wallowing when there’s no spark in your life except the tedium of an endless round of chores… and it may feel like there’s a never-ending need to divide what must be done from what should be done (but you don’t want to). Additionally, everything seems to be taking longer “than it should.” Bear in mind that you are not the only person on this particular struggle bus, and all those around you are fighting similar battles. Do your best to motivate people with kindness — and use your own household and home as a place where those who are also struggling can gather. If you make your home with others, now is the time to delight in communing together — in both the sense of communication, and community. Accept that your spouse or significant other has legitimate boundaries right now, too — but so do you.
Taurus: Have you ever noticed how low-budget travel often requires some big-ticket expenses? It’s hard to travel cheap from campground to campground if you also need a tow package on a very expensive truck for a very expensive camper — and propane for heat and cooling and cooking and washing, campsite hook-ups, and summertime surge pricing can all add up. But is the goal to get away from it all? Or to create opportunities for new friendships? So many would be willing to follow your lead, but you may not have clarity yet on where you’d like to lead them. Use some of your vacation time this week to go on a mini-retreat. Figure out what’s hiding your light under a basket, or why you feel trapped between existing constraints, and a new higher vision? What are your professional goals, and who will help you achieve them? Yes, you should have fun during your current adventures (whether the inner-planes experiences of new learning, or the outer-planes experience of going to a new museum or site of natural wonder)… but you also ought to be thinking about what patterns you’d like to rip down in your daily life, and replace with new, rule-breaking potentialities.
Gemini: Career matters may be in for a bit of an upset over the next few months, but it starts very quietly, with issues that likely seem six months to a year away. All the same, it may be time to shine a light on some dark and upsetting information, and identify some ways that expertise is either being shut off, or weaponized, in the current climate. Your financial situation is likely to improve in the near future, though it would be worth checking in to see if you’re the friend who helps your other friends get by. The same holds true for your extended family. If your own household can afford a little belt-tightening, now might be the time to reach out a helping hand. At the same time, recognize you can’t help everyone. A family friend used to put $20 in single bills in his wallet every month, and give them out one at a time to panhandlers and beggars. When the money was gone, he’d shrug. “All gone. Try again next month.” Be generous, but know your generosity’s boundaries.
Cancer: Your ability to lead friends and professional colleagues these next ten days is unmatched, but a great deal of it requires that you be transparent about costs and expenses, and help channel the resources and labor of others into appropriate channels. There will be so much work to do for what you plan, and so much of that work requires that you give short shrift to your own household (and shovel some of the household labor onto people who don’t normally do any of it) — unless you recognize and study and learn the key elements of delegation and management. Thrust others into positions of potential greatness, give them the necessary tools and authority to do the work, and coach them through what they don’t know how to do. You’ll make mistakes in assigning people to jobs, of course… and you’ll have to do more hand-holding than you’d like — but great things come from these small beginnings.
Leo: The next ten days should be a season of planning your next big moves — but recognize that your ability to explain what you want to do comes before you understand what you want to do. Be generous in your explanations to others, voluminous even, and share the story and the plan with anyone who will listen. But … keep a pen and paper handy, and jot down what you say that feels important. You don’t know when the next big idea is going to strike you. You also don’t know when your boon companions are going to offer solid arguments against pursuing this plan or that one — and you need to pay attention to that, too. In all this work, you need to keep the financials in mind. Having a great plan for an awesome new business is nice — having paying customers is better, and pre-paid customers better still. If you must travel, figure out why it’s a work-related trip rather than an ordinary pleasure-jaunt; then do the work that you feel the trip is associated with, even if it’s hard.
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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.
I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.
I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.
