From an astrological point of view, planets often move in groups. As much is inevitable since Mercury and Venus never stray far from the Sun from our sight line on planet Earth. Their orbits are inside Earth’s, closer to the Sun. In August the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars all occupy Leo’s stretch of the heavens, a line-up that dominates until later in the month, when all four planets move into Virgo.
That lends the next six weeks two contrasting moods – school holidays and new term if you like – with fiery Leo aligned with Jupiter in Sagittarius, and earthy Virgo aligned with Saturn in Capricorn. Both these planets are reaching their end of their slumbering retrograde cycles. Jupiter moves forwards on August 12, Saturn on September 18.
Another distant planet, Prometheus, does the opposite, turning to (apparent) backwards motion on August 12. Astrology reckons planets signify strongly when stationary, making Prometheus a forceful presence in August, especially for individuals with planets or other tender points (ascendants for example) at six degrees of a sign. Some relevant birthdays are highlighted in the Sun sign forecasts below.
Other days of consequence:
New Moon in Leo – August 2 at 1.03 GMT
Full Moon in Aquarius – August 15 at 12.29 GMT
Sun into Virgo – August 21 at 12.26 GMT
New Moon in Virgo – August 30 at 10.47 GMT
Happy holidays (if you can get ‘em) to all my readers.
Leo
Oo La La! It’s your birthday month. Your Sun ruler is in full blaze in your skies along with Venus and Mars – a pair to spark up your romantic mojo – while ‘lucky’ Jupiter in fiery Sagittarius reawakens from months of slumber. With the planets set up so sweetly, what can possibly go wrong?
Before answering that question, some dates. Venus is in Leo until the 21st, Mars until the 18th, Mercury dashes through your sign between the 12th and 24th. You have a new Moon on the 1st (2019’s Bingo Birthday), and on the 15th a full Moon, an invitation to get a little bit crazy for a couple of days.
That line-up puts the ball firmly in your court. You can bask in leisurely glory if you choose – Venus certainly demands plenty of Tigger playtime and, if you’re in the mood, a role as sultry seducer – but early to mid-August is also prime time to implement professional plans and get weaving on that ‘project’ you keep talking about. Jupiter on your side until the end of November favours lush creativity, sporting glory and romantic passion; reach out for the big prizes.
The wild card that’s Prometheus may help you land one. The maverick planet remains in a provocative position, and for the last five months has been working on July birthdays in particular, handing out a jolt of inspiration, an unexpected work offer or an unequally unexpected end of a contract or relationship. The planet at standstill all month reiterates the need for change, perhaps of a drastic kind.
So: what can possibly go wrong? The season’s deadliest sin is sloth. From the 23rd, the month of Virgo (where many Leos have planets) proceeds at a clip. It’s time to do battle with your finances, finish up your accounts and, yes, show off a bit. You’re good at that. Happy Birthday.
A Pride of Lions: Barrack Obama, JK Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, Helen Mirren, Robert Plant, Emily Thornberry, Bill Clinton, Madonna, Sean Penn, Andy Warhol, Emily Bronte, Philip Larkin.
Virgo
With your ruling planet, Mercury, in retrograde for the last three weeks, even the most diligent Virgo has likely had their precious schedule shredded, or at least in need of a Plan ‘B’. Though your astrologer can’t account for the conduct of airports and the like, the brakes come off, at least metaphorically, once Mercury moves forward on August 2nd. The little planet of communications and cognition spends the first half of August catching up with itself, revisiting people and events from as far back as late June. Perhaps any delays allow you a second, more considered bite at the cherry. Mercury finally reaches Virgo’s skies on August 28th, just in time for the new Virgo Moon on the 30th. More of that anon.
The first three weeks of August are, however, drenched in Leo – more so than usual for this time of year. Many Virgos have planets in Leo, and for some of you the Leo lunation (new Moon on the 2nd, full Moon on the 15th) should prove an energising ride. The Sun behind the scenes in your twelfth house nonetheless requires down-time. Recharge your batteries ready for your birthday month.
There is an element of intrigue in these stars, as well, a portion of secrets being made and/or spilled. Best not get too wrapped up in other people’s schemes – as uber-Virgo Chrissie Hynde put it, ‘Your private life drama, baby leave me out’.
The new Virgo term begins promptly on August 23, with the Sun ‘s arrival, alongside Venus and Mars, plus Mercury from the 29th, all making the Corn Maiden’s new Moon on the 30th, a power point in your calendar (and a fabulously starred birthday). Going into September, you look formidable. Yes, little ol’ you.
Libra
Three weeks when the fire sign of Leo is ablaze with planets is good news for airy Libra, especially as your totem planet, Venus, features strongly in the mix. No matter your mood – and the Scales are known for their volatility – there is safety in numbers. The message is simple; be among those whose company you most enjoy, and if you can mix pleasure with business, so much the better. August 5 and 6 see a waxing Libran Moon join the party, while the weekend of the 10th likewise looks ripe for pleasant uproar. Those of you in the dating game look well served. Those you in partnerships may find your wandering attention and, uh, conviviality land you in hot water.
Not without reason the media call this the silly season but you can forge important alliances during these three weeks, with a re-awakened Jupiter underscoring the point.
The mood shifts come August 23, when Virgo takes over as the sign of the (short term) times, after which many of you are on a countdown to mid-September, when Venus arrives in your skies. Until then, put downtime and detailed preparation for the autumn on your schedule. Said preparation centres on the mainstays of career and capital, areas you can consolidate across wintertime if you can summon the steeliness that Saturn demands.
Scorpio
July’s disruptive Mercury retrograde means there’s plenty of catching up to do over August’s first couple of weeks; a long, detailed list calling for you to cross out your tasks can be a source of satisfaction. International links – more likely business than pleasure – deserve special attention.
The season of Leo looks pretty demanding in other respects. The Sun, Venus and ruler Mars all squaring your own sign spell obstacles, challenges to your authority, and folks who take pleasure in needling or goading you. Most of this is humdrum stuff rather than life-changing moments (which for different planetary reasons nonetheless remain on offer for some Scorps…more in a moment).
You get an easier ride from the month of Virgo (earth for your water), kicking off on August 23, when Sun, Venus and Mars march in happy alignment through to the autumn solstice. Your strategy should be co-operation, be it personal or political; there is power in collective action, in groups, teams, committees and, yes, co-operatives. You can play the lone warrior later, in autumn.
Unless you are over 84 you have never experienced a prolonged opposition by planet Prometheus, such as you have had these last six months. The maverick planet of the solar system draws to an apparent halt in August, when astrology reckons its message is strongest. October birthdays in particular might like to consider how deep they are prepared to go to effect a necessary change.
Sagittarius
The interminable grind of Mercury retrograde – though it’s only been three weeks – ends on August 2, after which your wheels should find traction. The refund from your cancelled ticket, the bill for your phone upgrade, the missed call from a hot date – such matters can now be straightened out. You have a strong wind at your back in August, thanks to some intense but joyful planetary activity in your fellow fire sign Leo. Sun, Venus, Mars and Mercury here until August 23 call for speed of thought an action, the application of your skills and the acquisition of new ones. Good time for travel.
That Jupiter, the Centaur’s undisputed ruler, now returns to action in your skies adds momentum. The days around August 7 and 8 are cannily starred and are followed by the weekend of August 8/9 when a waxing Moon passes through your sign. Even if you are not in an exotic spot (hollow laughter among the crowd), see and be seen. And if you are feeling restless…well, when a Centaur gets an itch, it scratches.
Jupiter cruises through your sign until the end of November; a once-every-dozen-years transit that grants you a knack for being in the right place at the right time…providing you are showing sufficient purpose. As Pablo Picasso put it, ‘When inspiration comes, it expects to find you at work’.
Capricorn
So how was it for you? Did July’s eclipses shake your world? It’s worth taking note of events last month, firstly because you’ll be revisiting them in some form at your next birthday, and secondly because with a tiresome Mercury Retrograde opposite you until August 2, there’s catch-up and air-clearing to be done.
August is principally about Leo, a fire sign not greatly akin to your own earthy outlook, though some of you will have planets and other tender spots in the Lion. In solar shorthand (i.e. media astrology), Leo occupies your eighth house of capital, shared resources and hot sex (not such an odd mixture as it might first appear). With the Sun and attendant planets aflame there, acquisition and spending tend to go hand in hand – it’s not a transit for the steady saver. Between you and your partner disputes about finances may arise, as may compensatory bursts of passion (you can hope).
The month of Virgo, from the 23rd, is a different brew of herbal tea, a good season for knowledge-stretching travel and for those of you in the creative or educational line of work.
With planets in Virgo, Capricorn (Saturn and Pluto) and Taurus (Prometheus), the zodiac’s trilogy of earth signs is lit up in late August through to the autumn equinox; good news for industrious Capricorns, for growers and for nourishment (The Corn Maiden’s thing). Consolidate, ready for Autumn’s shift under hardman Saturn (just sayin’).
Then there’s Prometheus, currently powerful in its newly won domain of Taurus, another sign concerned with the natural world and nourishment, and concentrated on birthdays December 21-18. This is a planet of liberty, and for some of you the Promethean call may be to righteous ecological activism. For others a personal bond may arrive (or has already done so) or be broken.
Aquarius
Previous summers should serve as a guide to your mood during the month of Leo, your opposite yet complementary sign. Whether you usually find it agreeable, exciting even, or testing (the Sun in opposition signals an energy drop), August’s transits turn up the volume to eleven. The Sun is accompanied by Venus, Mars, Mercury and, of course a lunation, with a new Moon on August 2 and a full Moon in your own skies on August 15, a potentially giddy moment..
As last month’s forecast suggested, the principal issues in play concern relationships. Existing partnerships get tested, and may get bad-tempered – beware Mars’ red mist – while the singletons among you have a few weeks to run amok in dating frenzy. Under these transits, you might as well live it up, especially since Jupiter is now lending a hand from Sagittarius (fire for your air).
The maverick in the mix is planet Prometheus, stationary near the root of your solar ‘scope and closely aligned to the new Moon. Prometheus is a disruptor, stirring up feelings of rebellion and a hunger for independence, making August a time of potential crisis, especially for birthdays circa January 24-27. Promethean transits are often bolt-from-the-blue, but this is a distant, slow-moving planet, and one that will stay on your case across winter and beyond.
Planets moving into Virgo, where the Sun arrives on August 23, are far less in your face. Something like business as usual can be instigated, though recent stormy emotional scenes may simply transmute into quarrels about money. Even if you are in fiscal accord with your main squeeze, diligent planning is in order.
Pisces
As suggested last month, July’s eclipses may have seen you shuttled back and forth, whether by events or people. A piggy in the middle/ fair-minded arbitrator role may have been involved. And there may be a little mopping up to do in the first stretch of August, when Mercury finally ends its annoying retrograde phase – on the 2nd – and revisits last month’s events, especially words that were exchanged.
August has more mundane pursuits in mind. The group of planets moving through Leo until the 23rd emphasise your working life, ticking the tasks from the never-ending list and tidying up the place.
At least, that’s the plan – you can probably bunk off a little and blame your celestial ruler, Jupiter. The giant planet resumes forward motion in mid-month, and will be encouraging you, with a mixture of stick and carrot, to likewise advance your professional or creative cause. You deserve, and at this point, need a public, preferably an adoring one. Here, your supposed modern ruler, Neptune (though your astrologer remains unconvinced of its case), may come in handy in early Autumn, when the two rulers align. The big-time calls, Jupiter insists.
Your opposite sign, Virgo, moves into hyper-activity from the 18th onwards, when Mars arrives, with Venus, Sun and Mercury following in short order, signalling intense activity in your partnership zone. Whether than involves working side by side with a fellow artiste/entrepreneur, chasing a romantic liaison or declaring open warfare on your ex is another matter. All your one-on-ones are involved and you’ll likely get a few brickbats alongside assurances of how much you are loved. C’est la vie, non?
The Virgo new Moon on the 30th is full of passion, as is the full Moon in Pisces on September 14, more of which next month.
Aries
Having warrior Mars as your ruling planet has its advantages – the bravery and passion, the ‘just do it’ attitude – although the sudden arrival of Mars’ ‘red mist’ can be a drawback. An astroscape in which Mars is prominent in a fellow fire sign, Leo, alongside the Sun, Venus and Mercury should work wildly in your favour. If you are not being the very essence of summer – cliff-diving, salsa dancing, scoring centuries, the usual – you can use these stars to hyperdrive a creative project.
The same consortium of planets can also deliver a summer romance worthy of Hollywood – lots of sunlight, crashing waves, writhing bodies in the surf, the usual. All is possible as long as the red mists are kept at bay.
You can likely find reasons to feel antsy – July’s retrograde of Mercury (ends August 2) may have provided a ‘say one thing do another’ scenario by a friend – but you’re better off channelling annoyance into adventure.
Mars moves on at the 18th, and the season of Virgo proper starts on the 23rd. This is a ‘back to school’ transit par excellence, when the partying may have to pause as you reintegrate into a semblance of routine. For the demands that arrive from mid-September onwards, courtesy Saturn, you’ll need to be running a lean, mean operation.
Jupiter is the antidote to too much Saturn, and the high-minded, freedom-loving energies it symbolises return from mid August, and make the next three and a half months’ a time for expansion and, if you can handle any more, adventure (it doesn’t have to be the geographical variety).
Taurus
The Bull’s intransigence (steadfastness if you prefer) is legendary, questioning how you might respond to the prodding and encouragement coming at you in August. Four planets in Leo, including your Venus godmother, are something of a goad, if only to further enhance your beautiful home. The emphasis is on family and domestic arrangements through to August 23, but with both Venus and Mars involved, it’s a moot point whether you will be burying the hatchet with your flatmate and/or getting into a scrap with your grandma. People just as stubborn as you (Leos for example) may be involved. The full Moon of the 15th looks highly charged. What’s more, money or assets may be involved.
Once Mars is out the way (from the 18th), an even keel is easier to find. Sun, Venus and Mercury in earthy Virgo make the final week of the month (and beyond) ideal for work, play and a touch of l’amour (ladle it on). Actual Virgoans and their birthday parties may also prove useful to your cause, which you should promote with vigour across autumn. Mars has its uses.
The standstill of Prometheus – exact on the 12th though the planet hardly budges all month – is significant, most of all for April birthdays. Promethean energies have a forceful, alluring quality that even the Bull can find hard to resist. Major decisions and people arrive, often out of the blue. Prometheus spends the next eight months going backwards and forwards over the same patch of your skies, just to ensure that you are getting the message, which is simple enough; it’s time for a change.
Gemini
You begin August with your quicksilver ruler, Mercury, still dragging its feet – until the 2nd – and the planet of communications doesn’t resolve its retrograde phase until mid-month. Time for a catch-up, not least with financial irregularities and changes.
The season of fiery Leo is a good fit for airy Gemini, and favours a showcase of your no-doubt considerable skills, be they techy, arty, talkative or as fixer. Labouring on other people’s behalf may well be part of the deal. Siblings are prominent in this phase, with the more extended family coming into play as the month wears on.
The Sun crossing the root of your solar ‘scope on the 23rd, and the subsequent Virgo new Moon of the 30th signal a rebirth of your domestic life, be it ever so humble, making this a good time to spruce up Gemini Villas, even if it involves hammers ringing.
Jupiter, which has been in opposition since last December, but retrograde since April, comes back to life in August, entering the final four months of its stay in Sagittarius, your opposite and complimentary sign. Indeed, you might like to consider this autumn as a time to access your inner Centaur, whether to turn philosopher, gypsy, teacher, preacher or firebrand.
Planets in opposition are also about significant others, about relationships, partnerships and enmities. A reawakening of interest in or from someone special – benefactor, potential lover – may now come into play, with birthdays circa June 5 facing a moment of enlightenment about others’ intentions. You are, of course, at liberty to question what other people can do, or are doing for you, but across autumn, the answer looks like quite a lot.
Cancer
Among the sparkling soundtrack for George Clooney’s Catch 22 is a 1940s hit called ‘Straighten Up and Fly Right’, a course of action your astrologer commends for Cancerians over the first stretch of August. A retrograde Mercury in your skies in July has likely shredded a few schedules and with the communications planet back on course from the 2nd, delays, missed calls and missed opportunities can now be addressed. Be punctilious.
Most of the month’s planetary action is in Leo, representing your zone of ready cash, and with a lunation there alongside Mars, Venus and (from the 12th) Mercury, there should be ample opportunity to both earn and spend. There are worse times to splash some cash.
The month of Virgo brings a more purposeful spell, when your abilities as deal maker and horse-trader are rewarded. The new Moon of the 30th, together with Jupiter resuming forward motion, is an ideal cue for fresh ventures. Time to take care of business, not least because more arduous conditions lie just up the road, when Saturn in Capricorn renews its opposition to planets in Cancer (that’ll be your Sun at the least) in mid-September.
Preparation is everything with Saturn; use the next several weeks to contemplate your progress in 2019 – especially from January to April inclusive – and ensure that what didn’t get done is back atop your agenda. As previous forecasts have pointed out, the old devil in opposition takes many forms; job insecurity, old folks in plight, a monstrous dentist’s bill. Relationships need something of a cold eye, a streak of realism to go with the emotions. Commit or quit is a common pattern under these stars.