Note: more specifics for the rising signs here. If you want to know how this energy impacts you individually based on your chart, purchase a guide to the month here. <3
There are periods of our lives where we are on, energy is flowing, and it feels like things are going our way. There are also periods of our lives where we are off; every decision we make is met with a roadblock, and it feels as though we’re stuck, sinking in quick sand, unable to get ahead. Both of these time periods are important, and without one, we wouldn’t value the other. It’s easy to idealize the periods of time where we are ‘on’ and fight against the periods of time where we are 'off', but the reality is that if we didn’t have time for rest, time to pause, and time to recover, we wouldn’t have such a wonderful ‘on’ period. Astrology reflects much of these cycles, and even within the astrological language, these periods of struggle, heightened emotions, and things going awry are villainized. But the reality is that without these much-needed periods of time to step back, we would struggle significantly. If we constantly have our foot on the gas, pressing it all the way down to the floor, but we never stop for gas, our car will break down, and this is also true for our minds and bodies.
Much of the astrology for this month reflects these themes. We are met with a lot of energy in certain parts of the month, but we also see transits taking place at the same time that are asking us to slow down, rest, and recuperate. Let’s break down some of these energies.
August 4 - Leo New Moon at 12º Leo and Venus enters Virgo
August 5 - Mercury stations retrograde at 4º Virgo
August 14 - Mercury retrogrades back into Leo and Mars / Jupiter conjunction in Gemini at 17º
August 16 - Mars / Saturn square at 17º
August 19 - Aquarius Full Moon at 27º Aquarius, Jupiter / Saturn square at 17º, and Venus / Saturn square at 17º
August 22 - Sun enters VirgoAugust 28 - Mercury stations direct at 21º Leo
August 29 - Venus enters Libra
The talk of the town this month is Mercury retrograde. This retrograde will last from August 5th to August 28th and span from 4° Virgo back to 21° Leo. If you want a more detailed idea of what a Mercury Retrograde is and exactly the opportunities that arise within it, check that out here. But, for the sake of this forecast, I want to emphasize that the purpose of Mercury Retrograde (or any retrograde for that matter) is to sloooow down, process what is coming up, not make hasty decisions, and to be intentional with your time and energy. A planet is literally going backwards, and so are we in some ways. We are revisiting themes from our past, possibly the relationships we thought we had moved past or old thought patterns and behaviors that kept us small and kept life predictable. This time period is meant to bring up our old baggage, and it’s an opportunity for us to honestly acknowledge where we are with some of these themes. As with any Mercury retrograde, communication issues will likely arise, as will issues with technology. Things might feel fuzzy and confusing. Now is not the time to assume someone understands you or that you understand them; now is the time to be intentional and overcommunicate; express what you mean clearly and confidently. If you find yourself in a position where you’re needing to make a big life shift or commitment, please be intentional and read every bit of the fine print. Signing contracts right now isn’t advised, but sometimes life happens and we have no choice. What is in your control is not hastily jumping into things without mulling it over and understanding very clearly what you’re signing. It will also be important to look to the house that Mercury will be transiting throughout this retrograde, which you can find more details on in the subscribers-only post on the monthly forecast, as this will absolutely flavor how you experience the retrograde.
Mars / Jupiter conjunction square Saturn
Mars and Jupiter met up in Gemini this month, which brings a lot of energy and excitement. This energy peaks right around August 14–16 but will be present a few days before and after. Mars brings passion, willpower, energy, and fire, and Jupiter amplifies that. Jupiter has a tendency to be big, loud, and amplify anything that it touches. These two in Gemini bring an influx of ideas, curiosities, and chatter and can often feel like squirrel energy. This time period will likely bring in impulsive thoughts and ideas that feel immediately exciting, and with that comes an impatience that the ideas and wishes weren’t immediately fulfilled. All of this energy can feel exciting, especially if you’ve been in a lull and have found it hard to feel inspired, but it can also be exhausting and overwhelming in its own way. Because there is such an immediacy that comes with these new ideas, there is also a level of exhaustion that can manifest from running yourself like a hamster on its wheel. Interestingly, Saturn also makes itself known within this transit, as it is making a square to these two from Pisces. Saturn is often associated with the strict grandparent who barks orders at you and does everything in their power to maintain a sense of responsibility and tradition. Saturn can also be restricting, tight, cold, and frugal. The tension between these planets will be palpable, and it will likely manifest as road blocks and speed bumps that hinder your ability to have and get what you want. I spoke about the impatience and sense of immediacy that come with Mars and Jupiter — Saturn is like a wet blanket to that inspiration and excitement. This type of thwarting is often very frustrating, and as with any Mars transit, there is an excess of energy here to manifest and express that frustration. This is where we tend to see emotional outbursts, temper tantrums, and overall fussy attitudes. It will be really important to check your energy this month and regulate your emotions. You will not be able to control everything, but you do have control over how you respond when things get tough. It’s up to you to manage your emotions and expectations accordingly, and if you don’t, you’ll likely find yourself lashing out at the ones you love and burning bridges. A couple of things to pay attention to here: it will be important to look and see if you have any planets in mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces), especially if those planets fall in the middle degrees of those signs (anywhere from 10º to 25º). These planets will also be at odds with this transit and likely create more tension for you throughout the month. If you’re struggling to conceptualize this, consider purchasing a guide to the month or my guide to understanding your chart. Both will offer further resources on understanding how this fits into your chart!
Leo New Moon
This new moon takes place on August 4th at 12º 33’ Leo at 7:11am EDT. This new moon invites us to invest in the places and relationships within our lives where we feel comfortable being our authentic selves. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the arts of our lives that might be holding us back—areas where we feel we have to hide some of ourselves and aren’t comfortable fully taking up space—and leave them in the past. This new moon is making a sextile to Mars and Jupiter in Gemini, which is giving us the energy and motivation necessary to make these changes and shifts. I will share more on this new moon, specifically how you can work with it for your rising sign, in the subscribers-only post, so make sure you’re subscribed!
Venus in Virgo
Venus spends most of the month in Virgo, which adds to the already ample amount of mutable energy we have going on this month. Venus, the planet of love, romance, and aesthetics, isn’t super comfortable in the sign of Virgo, but this typically manifests as wanting to spend more quality time with others, checking things off your to-do lists, tidying up your home and safe space, and enjoying intellectual conversations. This transit is ruled by a Mercury that is retrograde, but it will still highlight more mercurial things this month. This could be reading, researching, sharing ideas with those around you, connecting over intellectually stimulating topics, or running errands with loved ones. It will be important to look to where Virgo falls in your chart, as this is where Venus will be activating her energies, and this will give you insight on what areas of life are put on display by her. Again, this will also be covered in the forecast, specifically for the rising signs!
Aquarius Full Moon
This full moon is wild-looking, and not to instill fear into your minds (because I hate to do so just for views or engagement), but this is a very intense full moon! The moon sits conjunct Mercury Retrograde and tightly square Uranus in Taurus. There is lots of room for unpredictability here, and there is a risk of flying off the handle and saying something you don’t mean. This is a full moon where it's best to let go of control and trust that the universe is in charge and has your best interests in mind. I will write more on this full moon on the subscribers-only post, so make sure you’re subscribed to receive that!
Xoxo,
Lauren
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