COSMIC ALERT! THE WHEEL IS TURNING

And we start with THREE cosmic events on August 12^th!
Triple sky event: August 12 will feature a six-planet alignment, a solar eclipse, and the Perseid meteor shower peak within 24 hours.
Rare coincidence: This is the first time this century that a total solar eclipse and Perseid peak occur on the same date.
Viewing tips: Best views depend on location; dark, clear skies away from light pollution are ideal for the meteor shower.

The Leo Solar Eclipse — August 12, 2026

Something NEW is being born in the heavens this week.
On Wednesday, August 12th, we experience the first Solar Eclipse in Leo in 19 years, arriving just as the lunar nodes have begun their journey through the Leo/Aquarius axis after their passage through Pisces and Virgo.

The wheel has turned.

For the past year and a half, the Pisces/Virgo nodal cycle has asked us to examine themes of surrender and control, faith and worry, intuition and analysis, healing and service. Now the cosmic emphasis shifts dramatically.

We move from WATER and EARTH into FIRE and AIR.
The North Node in Aquarius calls us toward the future: community, innovation, new ideas, new alliances and a greater awareness of our connection to the collective.

The South Node in Leo asks us to examine what we have already created through our individual identity. What old dramas, pride, need for recognition or outdated versions of ourselves are ready to be released? And what is genuinely magnificent within us that deserves to be reclaimed?

Then comes the eclipse.

A FIRE ECLIPSE: LIGHT YOUR INNER FIRE!

A Solar Eclipse is an extraordinary New Moon—a moment when the Moon temporarily obscures the light of the Sun.
Symbolically, the light disappears…and then RETURNS.
That is one of the great spiritual messages of an eclipse.
We enter the shadow temporarily. We may not be able to see exactly where we’re going. Something familiar may disappear or change. But the light returns—and we can emerge with a new understanding of who we are and where we are headed.
And because this eclipse occurs in LEO, this is no timid new beginning!

Leo rules the heart, courage, creativity, joy, children, leadership, self-expression and the willingness to SHINE.
Solar eclipses initiate themes that can unfold for approximately six months, making this a powerful time to plant a seed for the future.
Set a new motivation.
Set a new goal.
Set a new intention.
VISUALIZE it.
Fire responds to inspiration, imagination and positive expectation. See yourself already walking toward the life you want to create.

THE SABIAN SYMBOL: ARE WE READY TO FLY?
And then we come to the wonderfully peculiar Sabian Symbol for this Leo eclipse:
“Chickens intoxicated by the wind, flapping their wings trying to fly.”

What an image for a FIRE eclipse!

The chickens feel the wind. Something has awakened within them. Excited—even intoxicated by possibility—they flap their wings and attempt to rise beyond what they have previously believed possible.
But chickens aren’t exactly eagles!

And perhaps that is precisely the message.
This eclipse can fill us with enthusiasm, confidence, inspiration and the desire to SOAR—all wonderful expressions of Leo. But the symbol also gently warns us against becoming so intoxicated by our own enthusiasm that we mistake excitement for readiness.

Dream BIG—but stay grounded.
Feel the wind—but know your wings.
Take the leap—but don’t confuse confidence with invincibility.

There is another beautiful possibility hidden within this symbol: perhaps we will never discover how high we CAN fly unless we are willing to flap our wings in the first place!

The old Pisces/Virgo nodal cycle asked us to discern, heal, surrender and prepare. Now, as the wheel turns toward Aquarius and Leo, something wants to MOVE.

The North Node in Aquarius asks: Where is the future calling us?
The South Node in Leo asks: Which old ideas about who we are must be released so that something more authentic can emerge?

And the eclipse seems to whisper:
Feel the wind.
Open your wings.
Try.
You may not know yet exactly where you are going.
But perhaps you were never meant to remain safely on the ground.

FAITH OVER FEAR

Perhaps the deeper invitation of this eclipse is beautifully simple:
Have faith in what comes next.

During an eclipse, the Sun appears to disappear—but we KNOW it hasn’t gone anywhere.
What a wonderful metaphor for those times in our own lives when we temporarily cannot see the light.
The eclipse reminds us to cultivate faith, hope and positive expectation as we journey to the other side.

Here in Buffalo, we will experience only a partial eclipse, beginning around 12:58 PM, reaching maximum eclipse around 1:42 PM, and ending around 2:24 PM. The spectacular path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.

But astrologically, you don’t have to stand beneath totality to participate in the symbolism of this celestial reset.
The wheel has turned.
The old light disappears.
A new light emerges.
And Leo asks one final question:
What would you create if you truly believed that YOUR LIGHT mattered?
Welcome to the Leo/Aquarius eclipse cycle.
It’s time to light the fire.

AND of course, I am celebrating BOTH the turning of the WHEEL and ECLIPSE season!
Join me Tuesday, August 11^th at 7:00 pm EDT to learn about the ECLIPSES this month….
The one the 12^th AND the one on August 28^th, lunar, in Pisces!
Details follow:


Cosmic Alert! Leo Solar eclipse
ZOOM- Tuesday August 11th 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Welcome the warmth, creativity. and passion of Leo! Where it falls in your chart you will be activating a reboot of your heart’s desire. The first Leo eclipse in 19 years opens new doors on Wednesday the 12th. Our time to share about this exciting new chapter in your life occurs the night before to help you maximize the Leo opportunity. During the workshop you will:

1) Learn about how your sun and the sign of Leo relates to each other.
2) Learn about the potentialities and perils of Leo energy.
3) Explore the unfolding of the month’s energy, plus. the potential of the next six months.
4) Understand how this energy will be influencing the USA chart for the next two years.
5) We will ALSO discuss the ‘answering lunar eclipse’ of August 28^th!
Everyone receives a copy of the recording, plus a mini reading of your chart.

$25
Register here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/catalog.php?owner=12260175&action=addCart&clear=1&id=2257995
SUBSTACK members will be sent a discount link for this class!

At Lily Dale Assembly! The turning of the Wheel: Nodes Turn into Aquarius/Leo and the Pluto Affect
2026-Turning of the Wheel

2026 marks a rare turning point as the eclipses shift into the signs of Leo and Aquarius, opening a powerful portal of change that occurs only once every 19 years. This polarity calls us to integrate Leo’s creative sovereignty with Aquarius’ collective vision and the power of humanity. In this workshop, Cassandra will reveal how these eclipses—amplified by Pluto in Aquarius and Jupiter in Leo—will influence you personally and shape the world at large.

Everyone will understand HOW these eclipses affect YOUR chart and will receive a copy of their charts.

Everyone will receive a recording of the workshop.

ZOOM option available but you MUST text me to let me know to receive the link.
716-812-5766
$55

Payment through this link at Lily Dale Assembly:

https://www.lilydaleassembly.org/event-details/cassandra-joan-butler-turning-of-the-wheel-pluto-and-the-shift-into-aquarius

EVERYONE who attends receives a’ thank you’ gift certificate of $20 towards my services!
((Make sure to text me if you are registered with your BIRTH DATE BIRTH YEAR city of birth and time of birth: 716-812-5766))

And please TEXT me if you are expecting to attend virtually! 716-812-5766

Being created on our plane-(planet)-on Sunday the 19^th at 10 am EDT ! Time to accept the inspiration, imagination and innovation of a configuration of the outer planets, and the moon, at the 4^th degree! Welcome the ‘ Barbault Basket’…..

The Barbault Basket, also known as the Angel Sextile, is one of astrology’s most graceful and uncommon planetary patterns. It is created when six planets form a nearly perfect hexagon in the zodiac, linked by six harmonious sextiles and two flowing grand trines. French astrologer André Barbault described this configuration as a “basket,” symbolizing a vessel capable of gathering and distributing energy with remarkable balance and purpose.

Unlike more challenging planetary formations that demand crisis before growth, the Angel Sextile represents opportunity. It does not promise effortless success, but it offers open doors, inspired connections, and the ability to weave diverse talents into a meaningful whole. The pattern suggests that cooperation, creativity, and conscious participation with life’s unfolding events can produce results greater than any single effort alone.

Many astrologers view this configuration as a symbol of integration. The grand trines provide natural gifts, stability, and inner resources, while the sextiles encourage action, choice, and collaboration. The geometry itself evokes harmony, echoing the six-pointed star found in sacred traditions throughout history—a symbol often associated with the union of heaven and earth, spirit and matter.

Because of its elegant symmetry, some modern astrologers affectionately call this formation the Angel Sextile. The name reflects the sense that unseen assistance, fortunate timing, and synchronistic events often accompany periods when this rare pattern appears. Whether interpreted psychologically or spiritually, it reminds us that the universe offers moments when the currents are flowing in our favor.

Ultimately, the Barbault Basket is an invitation rather than a guarantee. Its blessings become most visible when we consciously participate—building bridges instead of walls, choosing cooperation over conflict, and recognizing opportunities that may quietly arrive disguised as ordinary moments. Like a woven basket waiting to be filled, this celestial pattern encourages us to gather wisdom, extend compassion, and become active participants in creating a more balanced and hopeful future.

When working with it, observe YOUR personal planets around the 4-degree mark. That’s where the invitation is the ‘loudest’ for opportunity.

Another aspect of this configuration includes the non-direct involvement of the planet Saturn, the grand manifesto. Perhaps this ‘Angel Sextile’ is mostly a theoretical exercise within the mind. It’s up to each of us to carry out the materializing muscle of the potential!

In any case, make room for inviting opportunities on Sunday morning and beyond….

1. The four outer planets all reaching essentially the same degree

This is the rarest feature.

On July 19–21, 2026:

• Neptune ≈ 4° Aries

• Uranus ≈ 4° Gemini

• Pluto ≈ 4° Aquarius

• Jupiter ≈ 4° Leo

Four major planets simultaneously occupying virtually the same degree while creating a precise web of sextiles, trines, and one opposition is exceptionally uncommon. Many astrologers have described it as one of the most unusual outer-planet geometries of the modern era.

2. The Uranus–Pluto trine

This alone is historically significant.

Uranus and Pluto only form a trine about every 125–140 years.

The last one occurred during 1921–1922.

The next won’t occur until well into the next century.

Many mundane astrologers consider this the backbone of the entire configuration because Uranus and Pluto describe civilization-wide innovation and transformation.

3. The complete “Barbault Basket”

This is where the rarity becomes extraordinary.

Not only do you have:

• Uranus trine Pluto

• Neptune sextile Pluto

• Neptune sextile Uranus

• Jupiter trine Neptune

• Jupiter sextile Uranus

but all of them are synchronized while Jupiter simultaneously opposes Pluto.

That entire geometry lasts only a few days in exact form.

Several astrologers have commented that they could not identify another comparable configuration in the current millennium.

Open up to the POSSIBILITIES through in the moment OPPORTUNITIES!

Of Peace Deals, AI expansion, and Sewage: Reflections on the Mars Pluto Square

Okay friends, take a breath. I know the internet is screaming World War III right now and honestly? I get it — this week’s astrology looks terrifying on the surface. On Tuesday, May 26th at 12:02am EDT, Pluto and Mars perfect at the square aspect. That’s the 90-degree aspect w…

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I have two amazing children, a beautiful grandson, sisters, family, friends, clients, doggies, kitties… and meaningful work that I truly love. I’m mothering my `work’ today as I plan for the summer of special events.

But I also deeply…

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Mine has been….’interesting!’

Sorry! I’ve been away from my usual daily posting of the Sabian symbols. But there’s a GREAT reason for this! I was readying myself for a little surgery: POSSIBLE kidney stone ‘blasting’, and at the LAST minute the surgery was canceled due to a paperwork snafu.

A little aggravating….yet I assign no …

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Let’s start with the Sabian symbol.

The Sabian symbol for 1° Gemini, “A glass-bottomed boat reveals undersea wonde…

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But did you know that astrologers KNEW that something momentous would be happening that year because of the pivotal Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn?

A conj…

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A poem to Honor St. Brigid!

Saint Brigid, Abbess of the Flame

Not fire of stone nor spark of field,

But Light that bowed to infant hands,

You …

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On February 20, 2026, Saturn and Neptune will merge at 0° Aries — the primal spark of the zodiac, the cosmic ignition point where the eternal sea of imagination (Neptune) meets the solid form of manifestation (Saturn). When the dreamer and the builder join forces on the first …

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Does astrology have answers?  View the natal chart of the USA and observe the 'opposition’, or 180-degree angle made between asteroids Juno (in the 10th house) and Chiron (in the 4th house). Both celestial bodies are positioned at 20 degrees, meaning they are exactly opposite, creating a stronger sense of conflict. And when that conflict is healed, a deeper sense of intimacy prevails

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We speak of American justice. Within the psyche of the USA is the jewel of this opposition: turning around conflict into understanding.

Planets opposite have the wonderful potential of transmuting difficulty into balanced understanding.  You personally know how that feels. It’s very satisfying to work out differences of opinion with a loved one. When the dust clears, a closer connection is realized. 

Juno is the energy of the partner and Chiron represents the wounded healer. These two bodies in opposition suggest that the character of the USA evolves through the action of conflict. Two forces face off and are forced to `get along' and learn by transforming conflict into cooperation.

And this is how 'transits work.' When another moving planet, or transit connects with one of the two planets in the opposition, a chain reaction takes place. 2024 is one of those years when a MAJOR transit is happening as we speak.

The USA is having its Chiron Return, a once every 50-year cycle which triggers the healing of an entities’ deepest wound

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 Recall the horrific challenges the country experienced in 1964. A deep divide. The Viet Nam war protests began in 1964. Civil Rights protests. Women’s Rights protests. And the murders of JFK, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Robert Kennedy.

To heal anything, you must experience it first, acknowledge it and then work towards resolution. The USA Chiron is in the sign of Aries. Aries, like every sign, has a dark side, impatience, self-absorption, anger, violence. The best way to heal Aries is to turn to the opposite sign, Libra, representing balance, harmony, relationship, through sharing. And in the USA chart, Juno, 'the partner' is in the sign of relationship, Libra.

 It’s notable that Harris has a Libra Sun. Trump’s Mars on his rising sign suggests that his energy represents the active Aries Chiron of the USA.

Chiron stirs up ‘shame & judgement.’ The way to heal the USA chironic wound is through acceptance of your choices and understanding of another’s. Expect shame and judgement to rear its ugly head. One gift of astrology is detachment. Each of us can anticipate what may come up during this `collective Chiron return,’ and choose kindness, balance, and harmony.

2024 is notable BECAUSE the solar eclipse of April 8^th, (it seems so long ago) emphasized Chiron because the eclipse was the same degree as Chiron! The celestial imperative, this year, is to collectively work on balancing discord.

Many people are saying many things about the reelection of DJT. I say that this election will trigger an opportunity to heal the soul of America, if, somehow, we can personally and collectively transmute the shadow side of Aries, impatience, self-absorption anger and violence. I know I am trying to be as objective as possible in this process.

No matter how big the rift may seem, post-election, I firmly believe we 'will' heal as a nation. It’s in the spiritual ‘DNA’ of the USA chart; turning conflict into balanced understanding.

That's why I've been saying over and over during this election season, we will be ok. Allow the wounded healer energy to work its' balancing magic. It’s an opportunity which comes only once every 50 years.

Want to dive deeper into your astrological understanding?

Then consider joining the intermediate module of my series in ‘ Learn Astrology!’.((( But act Quickly)) We are only two people away from being full for this series….and it begins THIS Tuesday, November 12^th, via zoom at 7:00 pm.  Details at my website:website

Today is much more than a super full moon. Much more! The full moon EXACTLY aligns with the moon of the USA chart, AND the exact square between Saturn and Jupiter occurs today, signaling a return to the issues of late 2020.

Yah, that 2020 year. Let’s start with the moon…

The full moon peaks at 2:26 pm EDT, at the 27^th degree of Aquarius. After this magic …

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Welcome to the New Moon in Leo! It occurred at 12 degrees of Leo at 7:13 am EDT today. The sabian symbol is the `Old Sea Captain rocking in a chair on his cottage’s porch.’ This image suggests the sweetness of recollection of past emotional experiences. Emotions are targeted here because the water imagery hints at emotions. Are you the captain of your e…

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President Joe Biden, with all his fixity, Taurus (stubborn) Moon and Scorpio (intense) Sun has agreed to step down from the election race, as I predicted, on the day of the SECOUND full moon in Capricorn of this year (a rarity).

And so…. The universe made it’s point today, as the full moon at 29 Capricorn: ‘A secret meeting of men responsible for executi…

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(Image Credit 1: Evan Vucci/AP)

Incredibly….Donald J. Trump survived an assassination attempt today as the moon and sun made a perfect 90 degree angle to each other at 6:14 pm EDT. This astrological moment, a square, is THE moment of the whole year which triggers the action necessary to balance the forces which threaten security.

And it happened today, d…

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Each lunar month is divided into four segments, four weeks, reflecting a theme for each week. The cycle begins at the new moon. The week following the new moon is the ideal time to craft our hopes, wishes and goals. We set goals consciously if we are tuned into the lunar shifts, or more likely unconsciously if we are not.

We are still in the first week o…

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