The weather had been great—a little too consistent, in fact. Things had gotten a little boring. Lots of sun, waves that were clear and perfect, a social life that reminded you of why you’d come to the warmer climes. To be honest, you’d gotten a little lazy.

But just as you thought to yourself that you’d rather relax than finish that novel, came the phone call you’d been waiting for. The agent said, “Good news! We want the book. It’ll be great, high visibility. But we’ve got a specific timeline we’re looking at for the promo campaign. Can you get the completed manuscript to us in a month?”

Well, you’d stopped listening after you heard the phrase “We want the book.” You’d embraced your significant other and were crushing lips when you realized you had only half the book written and the agent was saying, “We want it in thirty days.” So you just said, “Of course!”

Then you dropped the phone and panicked. You put your protesting partner on a plane and promised another vacation after you’d put this novel to bed. Then, with a sigh but with determination and a Red Bull in hand, you confronted your unfinished manuscript.

And that’s the energy of this week. With the Sun entering Virgo, a sign which loves things to be “just so,” and Mars, the planet of action, moving into Scorpio, a sign of extremes, THE KEYNOTE THIS WEEK IS MOTIVATION! It’s a big shift of energy that can take us from creative conceptualizing into actual implementation.

On Wednesday, August 22^nd, at 9:07 am PDT (12:07 pm EDT), the Sun moves from “living large” Leo into “let me analyze it all” Virgo. This is a more cerebral energy which supports narrowing down big ideas and getting down to the details of how it’s all going to work out. Creative energy made useful is the hallmark of Virgo.

Three keywords to describe Virgo energy: perfectionistic, practical and serviceful. Virgo natives are idealists at heart, but it is more of a mental construct than an actual reality. (Virgo, after all, is ruled by Mercury, also the ruler of Gemini and given to pure intellect.)

To understand Virgo energy you must understand the concept of purity. Something or someone without a perceivable flaw appeals to Virgo natives. Virgo doesn’t mean “virgin” in Latin for nothing. Virgo’s strength is the ability to see the perfection of system, and there may be some neurosis in those who have prominent Virgo aspects in their charts as they strive to attain their cherished ideal.

Virgo natives have an innate comprehension of how things fit together, so if one figure on a spreadsheet or one hair on your head is out of place—oh my God! Their whole day is destroyed. Virgo’s world is orderly, precise and usually very clean! Something that is out of place does not contribute to the perfection of the whole, and Virgos notice this. That’s why they worry so much! They are idealists in an imperfect and disorderly world, often so concerned with details that they overthink and miss the bigger picture.

But there is a positive side to all this emphasis on perfection. For creative artists, the month of Virgo is the time to fine-tune the details of your work. A scene in your screenplay may not be working, or perhaps that one perfect dance step still eludes you. Used well, Virgo energy can be your friend and help you attain your goal of a flawless creative work.

And it’s also brought along its muscle. On Thursday, August 23rd, Mars (Mr. “Go Get ‘Em!” himself) sprints into the power-oriented sign of Scorpio. Mars was considered the ruler of Scorpio until 1930, when Pluto was discovered and astrologers felt it better fit Scorpio’s known qualities. For some astrologers it still is, and in any case Mars is very strong here.

Scorpio is renowned (or notorious, take your pick) for its intensity. Passionate, brooding and not satisfied until the core issues are revealed, Scorpio energy is insight, determination and personal power made manifest. This is a sexy and compelling time, fraught on the darker side with the possibility of terrible violence, but on the more noble side with a phoenix-like dose of transformational energy. People (and planets) who embody Scorpio tend to partake of its compelling qualities: there is an innate intrigue about them. The femme fatale and the Tantric sex therapist are both likely to be Scorpios. So are the vengeance-blinded terrorists and the secretive bankers.

So expect the news, sadly, to be full of sex and violence, or just violent sex. The controversy over Rep. Todd Akin’s remark about “legitimate rape” has erupted just before Mars (in astrology, the ruler of sex) goes into the sign most often associated with sex. Coincidence? I think not! Power issues. Sex. 50 Shades of Grey, anyone? Mars moving from romantic Libra into raw Scorpio is like the difference between a dozen roses and a dozen condoms.

Exuding sexual charisma and entering, detective-like, into the unknown and perhaps forbidden, are Scorpio’s favorite hobbies. The higher element of Scorpio is the ability to grasp the Unseen and hold onto it until a personal resurrection occurs. The very mysteries of life belong here. Mars in Scorpio—in effect until October 7^th—will trigger much personal transformation.

So this is a time period that can be used for positive purposes by creative artists to enhance their personal charisma and status in life. It’s about going deep and pulling out the word, image or physical move that imprints that power onto the art and the audience.

Find your creative power now, fill in all the details until the work is flawless, and you will have fulfilled the promise inherent in this month-long energy cycle.

Weekly forecasts for the 12 Sun Signs, dates approximate for convenience:

ARIES (March 20-April 19): The doctor is calling you into the office for a checkup and you’re resisting. Why don’t you just let the doc do what the doc does best? This week for you is like sitting in the waiting room reading old magazines and then finally standing up to be counted. (Or lying down.) So stop it. If you’d just listen to the inner doctor now, your life would be easier.

TAURUS (April 20-May 19): Sometimes a tussle is good for you, like when the coach calls you names just so you’ll be motivated. This week is one of those times. It’s not certain that you’ll outperform your usual efforts, but the odds are you’ll be more motivated by what is wrong in your life than what is right. And you know, right now that just seems right.

GEMINI (May 20-June 19): The picture frame seemed level a minute ago, but now you’re not sure. So you go back to it, straightening it again. No one else does it, and no one else seems to care. But for you, it must be done. This is a week with a lot of picture straightening in it, a time when your efforts to balance things so they appear perfect preoccupies your mind. To the wall!

CANCER (June 20-July 19): The cherry pie in the oven is about done, and so are your efforts at delaying hunger. You’ve already had an appetizer, and now, halfway through the main course, you’re ready for dessert. This week is about you savoring that pie with a dollop of ice cream and not worrying much about the pounds. Enjoyment calls now. The Weight Gods will help.

LEO (July 20-August 19): Careful on the home front—you don’t want to walk into or cause any wars there. It’s actually not your fault that the pipes in the bathroom burst, but don’t take any unnecessary showers in the meantime. Tone down the bombast this week and your reward is getting what you want without having to raise your voice. Or the shower head.

VIRGO (August  20-September 19): Who takes such delight in working out a personal equation that only you know the answer to? You do! This week, your inner calculator is set on high, as things conspire to hand you a perfect package of fulfilled desires…provided you don’t let others in on how you gamed it all out in your head beforehand. Just smile sweetly and say thanks.

LIBRA (September 20-October 19): You just found that book that spoke to you in childhood of finding buried treasure. Now you’re rereading it and deciding whether you should actually quit your job and go searching for it. The answer is yes—provided you know where to look. This week is about setting goals that have a reasonable chance of success and then hitting it!

SCORPIO (October 20-November 19): You just opened the door and flames struck you in the face. They aren’t coming from anything visible, though, so it must be something within you. To say you’re on fire is a cliché but true this week. The outpouring energy sweeps you away from your stagnant past, putting spring in your step even if it’s summertime. Look! A burning bush!

SAGITTARIUS (November 20-December 19): What was old is new again. A sense of familiarity overcomes you this week as the closet overflows with old projects you abandoned long ago and have just now found again. Completion of unfinished things benefits you now. Make it fun and you won’t resent it. Maybe you should play that “Operation” game again.

CAPRICORN (December 20-January 19): The answer is yes! It’s always yes, but it’s particularly true this week for you. With the fairies sprinkling magic dust on you, you may feel like running into the woods. Go ahead! The worst that can happen? Maybe you end up covered with glitter and have a dreamy time before coming back to reality. Or maybe THAT’S real reality!

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 19): The annoying thing is that you know better than anyone right now what’s really going on, but no one will listen. So you decide to put out a notice that you will be unavailable for consultation until further notice. Your fit of pique actually works and people start phoning you incessantly. Happy now? Just be cool this week.

PISCES (February 20-March 19): Nice that your old philosophy teacher is in town; maybe he’s worth a visit. Or maybe you should just exercise those parts of your brain that make you swim in delirious delight because your thoughts are so original. Who cares if everyone else is confused about you? This week, even your own mind likes surprises. Feed it! Then share.

NEXT WEEK: The North Node changes signs (a bit like changing lanes on the 405 at rush hour), and Mercury tangos harmoniously with Saturn. Learn how their May-December romance is actually good news, next time, right here in STAR PRESENCE!