David Plotz, editor of Slate, wants to get rid of August.

Who in their right mind wants to get rid of a month of summer vacation?

Plotz lists some mighty-fine reasons for getting rid of August including lots of wars starting in the month of “Augustus.” It’s true – folks in the cold north often wait for spring to launch an attack. Winter should be considered a season of peace by those above the 40th degree of latitude.

Good point. Yet . . .

You’re reading an astrology blog so you know what’s coming – the real reason that Plotz dislikes August.

Grand Square

Plotz probably dislikes square dancing as much as he dislikes August. Here’s why.

Plotz has sun and Venus in fixed air Aquarius, Jupiter and moon in fixed water Scorpio and Saturn in fixed earth Taurus.

That’s three of the four fixed signs. Three fixed signs (within similar degree of longitude) create a fixed T-square. Squares in general are considered an angle of tension. It’s not full opposition – no one is against you. It’s a frustration, the kind where you 50 percent understand your lover but still can’t make the relationship 100 percent right.

The fixed T-square creates a strong, determined, controlling and obsessive personality. It’s a “lead, follow or get-out-of-the-way” placement where the preference is that you get out of the way.

August, a bright and sunny month filled with Leo birthday parties containing ostentatious displays of love and warmth, is difficult for those born in northern climate winter months (like February-born Aquarians). When you’re born in February, people don’t come over to play sand volleyball on your birthday. Often they don’t come to your birthday party at all because February is flu season and they are home with a sore throat and runny nose.

August, as you see, is ruled by the fixed sign Leo which is opposite Plotz’ fixed air Aquarius and makes Plotz’ natal T-square into a transiting grand square.

That’s a lot of tension. And now there’s an opposition of Leo/Aquarius-people do truly oppose you.

More than heat and war, this is a month where others of a more optimistic nature are prone to challenge the seriously-intense Plotz.

August is difficult for Plotz because it’s time to lie on the beach and put away that Dostoyevsky novel and instead read some light fiction, a beach book that stimulates the humorous or romantic portions of the brain allowing room in the brain to hear the lapping of the waves.

Others are doing just this and probably are commenting on Plotz’ reading material and serious nature.

That’s what OHA thinks is going on here. August is a month where people are on vacation and Plotz is probably never on vacation. Leo-time is also a bit too emotionally expressive for this Aquarius sun wants to share radical ideas, not personal experiences.

It’s interesting to note one’s favorite and least favorite months to see where the sun is in the horoscope at that time. It can lend insight into tensions in the horoscope or times when we should take it easy, even if we don’t want to.

December

If Plotz hates August, I’m guessing he likes its opposite winter, especially the time from Thanksgiving to the end of February.

Around Thanksgiving, the sun is conjunct his natal moon then soon moves into Sagittarius conjuncting his natal Neptune. Early December is probably when most of his ideas form. Early December is positively magical. It’s when good and unusual things happen.

Then in January when the sun conjuncts his serious Mercury in Capricorn people start to listen. That is when the skies are gray, we are back to work and the beach is closed. People finally get serious again with resolutions to lose weight and save money. And they resume their reading of serious articles in serious journals.

Then in February the sun conjuncts Plotz’ natal sun (called “birthday”) and also his natal Venus in Aquarius. February is when people meet indoors for those long wine-laden dinners and even-longer late night conversations about life on other planets. Now that’s interesting!

April isn’t too bad a month either for Plotz, with natal Mars in Aries. That’s a good placement suggesting healthy competitive energy.

But May’s a bit of a downer with natal Saturn in Taurus – makes sense – that’s when people go back outdoors. May through the end of September are a little rough for Plotz then the beginning of October gets intellectually interesting again as the sun conjuncts Plotz’ natal Uranus in Libra.

The Beach

OHA recommends that the August-hating Plotz take the entire August off and go to the beach. While there, engage in some Leo leisure which can often involve doing nothing. Sleep. Lie around. Find a TV and a remote and change channels for an entire day. Become one with August.

Better yet, find some silly, frivolous book to while away the time, like Linda Goodman’s sun signs.

That’s a fun one.