The Sun shines in Leo until August 23, giving us all a little extra impetus to be powerfully self-expressed and step into what makes us happy. We’ve definitely been on a bit of a circuitous route lately, what with all the retrogrades (Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Pluto, oh my!) but like Winston Churchill reminds, “if you’re going through hell, keep going.”
The retrogrades (and eclipses) have been whipping us around but there is method to their apparent madness, so stay present as things are just getting cleared to create space. Whenever we are betwixt eclipses (now), a portal is being opened that stirs up our excitement and fear. We have more openings for growth in August, having survived the ride of July, and the good news is that Mercury goes direct August 19 and Mars follows suit on August 27.
For the full skinny, be sure to read your Sun and Rising sign!
- Leo (July 23 – August 22)
- Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
- Libra (September 23 – October 22)
- Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
- Sagittarius (November 22 – December 20)
- Capricorn (December 21 – January 19)
- Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
- Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
- Aries (March 21 – April 19)
- Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
- Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
- Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Happy Birthday, Leo! This is your time. You may be feeling asked to believe in the impossible and step into things that rely on your incredible confidence. Of course, fear is being triggered with the pull of the South Node (conjunct Mars) reminding you of old contracts with people and ways of asserting yourself (or not), that don’t feel satisfying. The real power here is in engagement and being willing to stir things up. Leos can get very wrapped up in how they’re perceived by others, but they have to be willing to break some eggs in relationships to make a delicious omelet.
With a ton of energy (the Sun, North Node, and Mercury) in your 1st House of self-expression, your persona is getting a makeover and you’re in the process of telling the Universal hairdresser what you want. With all the retrogrades, it won’t be a perfect process but this is your time to reflect on what you want and put in your order. Just keep betting on yourself and lean into what feels energizing, even if it’s scary and you feel like you’re going out on the tiny branches. The New Moon/Eclipse of August 11 is especially powerful for you. Plant a seed, watch it grow, next thing you know…(fill in the blank).
The Sun is headed your way, Virgo, entering your incredibly capable sign on August 23. In the meantime, the Sun and pesky Mercury retrograde float in the 12th House of your chart, suspending some of the action so you can practice surrendering and enjoying the juicy mystery of life. Being in neutral isn’t your favorite gear but it has its benefits, namely to laugh at how little control we have over some things. Also, the luscious magnetism of Venus gives you a good ribbon-cutting for August so enjoy her for that first week until she floats into your 2nd House of income on August 6. The South Node and Mars in your House of Work is giving off some heat, getting you in touch with your frustrations around what feels like a burdensome responsibility but also opening reminding you to envision future possibilities. All change requires some faith and magical thinking and leaning into that may curry just the favor you need to get clear on next steps.
The real pull this month is towards your 12th House (Sun, Mercury, North Node, and that New Moon Eclipse), putting you in the unknown a bit and asking where you can let go. Jupiter, the lucky planet, is being energized in your 3rd House, which means following your curiosity with digging and research will likely turn up gems. Getting in touch with your subconscious through writing or anything creative is incredibly transportive. You’re washing off the dirt before the more focused Virgo phase of next month. Keep the faith and know where to drop the act so the Universe can fill you.
Venus heads your way, entering her home turf on August 6, boosting not only your hunger for sweetness and harmony (not to mention money) but also your abilities to generate it. And thankfully so since this month is no cakewalk. Mercury is in retrograde, joining the pack of other retrograde planets, making it just about inevitable that we’ll have to face up to whatever we’ve been avoiding so we can move forward with more clarity and ease. Venus in your sign will do some of this work for you, making your efforts at diplomacy well-received.
With some volatile cosmic weather that first week (Mars square Uranus), don’t be surprised if you’re thrown off balance. Libra is not about keeping peace at all costs but has an ability to see things from different angles and be willing to be a bridge in conflict. You’re being given a powerful opportunity to step into new circles of influence and network, although the gravity of the past to re-ignite arguments or create drama for drama’s sake (unless you’re getting paid), will be on the table as a choice (South Node conjunct Mars retrograde in the 5th House). You’ll be able to see where you over-do it in the 5th arena of appetites and how to more positively seek attention and connect to the larger world. Get out there and mingle around the New Moon of August 11where the confluence of an eclipse magnetizes a new chapter in the life.
Your 10th House of Career and Status is lit up this month by the Sun’s transit through confident Leo and a powerful New Moon eclipse (August 11). The Universe is giving you a sort of reset in the public eye so make the most of it. Chances are you’ll be heard and seen on a larger scale. Mercury in retrograde floats in this powerhouse as well, so keep an eye out for how to capitalize on past relationships and you may hear from groups and organizations you long thought dead if you haven’t already.
Jupiter direct in your First House of persona has been inviting in an entirely new cycle of energy and giving you a chance to show up in a totally new way. If others find you unrecognizable or if you find yourself laughing at old versions of yourself, congratulations! You’re peeling away surface layers to exhibit more of your badassery. This month, even through the confusion and intensity of these crazy retrogrades, your courage and expansiveness are showing through your professional status and offering to the world. Have some fun.
Your 9th House of Travel and Adventure is lit up this month by the Sun’s passage through Leo. You may feel like taking all of August for a holiday, but be aware that with Mercury, Mars, Pluto, and Mars in retrograde, you’ll have to be flexible and let a trip take you where it needs. Uranus joins the team of other retrograde planets on August 7, stirring up some surprises and angst around side gigs, routines, and health.
You’re being prodded to bring change, and remain open to alternative forms of self-care and it also looks as if you might need a little more space. Whatever it is, it seems as if you don’t want to be under the thumb of anyone but yourself. It’s helpful to get into action this month, especially around asking questions, informational interviews, and seeing what options are available. A change of scenery may be just the kick you need to get some answers and meet helpful people. Be patient while the big pieces change; with so many planets in retrograde, August may be best spent reviewing, reframing, and releasing old burdens to make space for more permanent changes next month.
First things first: Mars, planet of action, initiative, and sex will retrograde back into your sign on August 12. This is a key transit for you as it will show you where any lack of assertiveness or courage has been stifling breakthroughs. You’re getting a chance to review where anything is in knots and then when the fiery planet turns direct on August 27, take some bold and decisive actions that set you on a powerful new Mars cycle around the Zodiac. While Capricorns hate confusion and blurry lines, you’ll have to comfortable in some grey area with this months’ heaps of retrogrades.
This can be especially hard-hitting around your 2nd House of Finances (where Mars travels retrograde until August 12). Retrogrades are necessary pauses where the Universe gives us a chance to review what we’ve learned and make sure we’ve really had time to absorb its gravity of the lesson. We can feel a little stuck but ultimately, it’s liberating and helps launch us into the next phase. With the Sun and Mercury retrograde in your 8th House of Intimacy and Transformation, you’re doing some inner reconnaissance. Take time to check in with yourself. Although the world may tell you otherwise, a lot of your power is in your silence and inner knowing so it’s time to revisit the parts of yourself that need no one else’s approval beyond your own.
AQUARIUS
You get a reprieve from a prodding, hamstrung retrograde Mars in your sign starting August 12. Of course, every other planet is retrograde this month, but you’ll feel a release from pressure mid-month. Mars comes in for the final act, re-entering your sign on September 10 with the road to your dreams leveled of speed bumps and cleared of wonky obstructions. This time has been infinitely valuable, if frustrating, and you’re getting really clear on what you can and cannot fix.
Social Aquarians may not be the best at taking a step out of the limelight but with three planets in your 12th House, you’ll want to marshal your spiritual and creative forces by connecting with something beyond the mundane. This would be a great time for a retreat, vision quest, or staycation with some star gazing.
Your 7th House of Partnership is lit up this month, suggesting that closest loved ones or a business partner may be a big source of the action. Relationships may need some attention with the Sun and that Mercury retrograde shining a spotlight on intimates. The delicate balance of “you time” and “couple time” may come up, but ultimately, you’re in the mood to absorb the glow of partnering. Set intentions around partnership and receiving the support you need on the August 11 New Moon Eclipse, and surrender to the twists and turns of all these retrogrades, setting your sight after September 10 for the denouement.
With the Sun, Mercury retrograde, and the guiding North Node in your House of Work and Health most of the month, you’ll be in a refreshingly practical mood. You’re exuding the confidence to get your act together and are willing to do the reps to get there. While it doesn’t sound glamorous, this is the month to look at the nuts and bolts of relationships, your health, and any role as a student or apprentice you may be playing.
Since long-term security is on the mind, it’s affecting the kind of groups you run with and you may be eclipsing communities that don’t reflect this focused vision you’re working on for your life. Pisces are so good at looking like they’re enjoying themselves that people may be confused on where they stand with you. Make sure that everyone gets a clear no or yes. You’re wanting to break free of something and this month is helping you get clear on what that is. In the meantime, pour all that Leo sunshine into work, self-care, and routines that make you feel good. A juicy Full Moon in your sign on August 26 will provide the deliverance or at least some epiphanies that have been elusive lately.
ARIES
August’s cosmic weather is the kind that Aries are made for: unpredictable and volatile. Of course, it can be difficult to keep your eye on the prize when it feels like things are constantly shifting, but your optimism and spirit will carry you through. Creative opportunities abound and you’d do well to focus your best energy there. Where you may be feeling the tug backward is where Mars and the South Node spin retrograde, which is in the area of friends, communities, and the five-year plan. It’s actually best to keep your attention in the moment and focus on what you can do now and do with a joyful heart.
You feel pressure to mature in the eyes of society or even play the stoic, self-reliant leader on the mountain top who wants to show how far they’ve come. The best vehicle for positive publicity is authentic performance and playing, even if it feels for the moment like it’s not going anywhere. Playfully join with others and you’ll see how your inner state brings positive if subtle changes to your persona in the wider world. August 11 (the New Moon) and 19 (when Mercury goes direct) are key dates to focus on love and creativity. Rely on your strengths of being in the moment and trying things for the sake of just-doing-it.
TAURUS
Just when you thought unpredictable, electric Uranus was getting comfortable in your stabilizing earth sign, the planet that seeks liberation from routine turns retrograde on August 7 and gives you a pause to get clear on what changes are brewing. This is a huge reset month for Tauruses who are getting hit with some tense and transformative angles from other retrograde planets. You’re getting a chance to re-consider your energy investments and plug the leaks.
Close relationships have been and will continue to provide a mirror to give you a sort of personal progress report. It could be possible that too much attention has be focused outward, and you need to do a little huddle with yourself and loved ones. Uranus in your sign tends to bring some out-of-the-blue set changes so the best advice is to stay open. August may not be as simple as straight-talking Taurus would prefer, but it will save you wasting time in the future. When Mars turns direct on August 27, you’ll likely get some sort of greenlight to move ahead. In the meantime, beautifying home projects and anything celebratory in your own space brings the needed sparkle to August.
This Mars retrograde has been sending all of us on a bit of a scavenger hunt, keeping us busy if not cerebrally overwhelmed. The assertive planet re-enters your 8th House of Intimacy on August 12 and asks you to be bold in your conversations and negotiations. For the sign that wants to understand everything, August can pull us back into the past but also unearth helpful people and experiences we may have overlooked. The light of Leo (as well as Mercury retrograde) is sending energy to your 3rd House of commerce and communication, which amplify business, messaging, meetings and the like, but can also be a source of overwhelming and mix-ups, at least until Mercury goes direct on August 19.
Venus, planet of love and beauty, comes into a supportive trine angle to your Sun on August 6 and helps soften relationships and usher some positive attention and admiration your way. Trust your communicative gifts and if anything is bothering you in intimate relationships, this is a great time to just be curious and ask about someone else’s experience. It may be totally different than yours! You’re especially open to new information! Include someone else in the conversation—or at the very least a journal—if you find you’re getting lost in your own head.
As a Moon-ruled Cancer, you’re very much affected by the lunar phases. This month, the Moon is especially influential as we’re being hit by eclipses, signaling fundamental openings and closings. You’re building or rebuilding toward the New Moon of August 11 in your 2nd House of finances and stability. This is also the house where the bright Leo Sun and Mercury retrograde animate this month, meaning there’s a whole lot of energy available in the money department for you. Money, of course, can translate as a drive toward embodying our self-worth and committing to confidence that means financial and personal security.
Getting out of any drama and staying present are your best allies. Sure, you may have to review some financial decisions or even confidently communicate anywhere the ball may have been dropped, but a new day is dawning in this most security-oriented of houses. The Full Moon Eclipse of August 26 in your fellow-water sign Pisces in your 9th House of Travel, the Higher Truth, and Lofty Experiences will be an expansive one. In the meantime, stay grounded and let self-confidence magnetize what you deserve: love, work, and otherwise.
Ready to see what else August has in store for you? Check out our film audition listings!
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
