August is one of the most important months to pay attention to astrologically speaking. We begin the month under the triple conjunction of Mars, Uranus, and the Lunar North Node. (You can read by blog post about that here.) While this conjunction concerning due to the volatile influence of both Uranus and Mars, it can also be read as a huge opportunity to move in new directions. Planets and placements in Leo’s three fellow fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius) will apply pressure to sensitive areas of our lives. This pressure will force us to make real changes. Uranus and the North Node connected since 2007, much less interacting with Mars. We’ll feel the intensity of this trio as they are in Taurus creating an extra layer of tension.
Here’s why this threesome is so unsettling: Taurus is the sign that likes consistency and stability, a clear plan for everything. However, Mars wants speed and action, and while Uranus is creative, the energy is also chaotic. And the North Node just takes us further down the abyss with wanting to release the past and all move toward our collective karma at once. Given the state of the world, it doesn’t take an astrologer to point out the turmoil all over this planet. (The Drone strike in Afghanistan is not a coincidence with this energy swirling around.) But…as above, so below. So, August zooms in ready to add to the madness until we can no longer ignore the demand for some kind of “systemic change.”
This month’s full moon happens in Aquarius, bringing to a climax some of the themes that have been prevalent since the beginning of 2021. Happening on August 11, this lunation highlights the ongoing square between Saturn and Uranus that has greatly changed the foundations of our lives. Imminent change will happen, as some of the strongest forces in our solar system collide with one another, releasing pent-up energy that has been remaining under the surface. Additionally, Venus enters Leo the same day. Love is magnificent and grand while Venus is in Leo. We take pride in love, and we are generous with our money as well. This is a warmhearted, teasing, expressive, proud, and extravagant placement for Venus. Love is a bit of a game, one that is perpetual, as Venus in Leo is forever stuck in the romance stage of a relationship. We feed on attention, acknowledgement, validation, and adoration. Venus in Leo loves to be adored, pampered, and admired. Pride and passion are hallmarks of this cycle. We have a strong ego investment in our love lives during this period. The negative expression of this placement is overstating our feelings simply for the effect, as well as extravagance.
While August starts on a rocky note due to the Mars/Uranus/North Node connection, the good news is that Mars’ entrance into Gemini gives us the flexibility to move forward even though we are still adjusting to the sudden changes at hand. On August 20 Mars enters Gemini, where it will stay for the rest of the year. While Mars tends to stay in each zodiac sign for six weeks, it will stay in Gemini until March of 2023, due to its upcoming retrograde motion in the Fall. This planetary ingress is a big deal as Mars rules the way we show our masculine energy and the way we go after our desires. As it enters Gemini, Mars will activate our ability to change our minds, something that will be crucial to making the best of this month’s transits. Instead of digging our heels, we will be able to compromise and see the many truths surrounding any issue or situation that comes up for us now.
A huge energetic shift occurs on August 22 as the Sun enters Virgo. Virgo season is always a time of the year in which we search to create balance between mind, body, and spirit. Over the next four weeks, we will put our lives under the microscope to evaluate what are the changes that need to take place in our daily routine so that our lives can work as best as possible.
On August 24, Uranus backs down into retrograde, which could actually calm a bit of the volatility. This could allow us to pursue change with cooler, cleared heads. But do be careful near this date, as Uranus orbital change can bring out unstable behavior and dormant anger, especially in crowds.
Mercury enters Libra on August 25 and communications are gracious, fair, balanced and diplomatic. Whether we apply this focus to the world-at-large or upon the inequalities in our relationships, the lens of our perceptual field will now focus on where things are out of proportion. Reciprocity is key, the give-and-take in all commerce, conversation and exchange. This phase can also generate loads of indecision and confusion as we try to achieve that ever-elusive balancing of the scales in our minds.
The month ends with the Virgo New Moon on August 27. This New Moon is different in that we don’t necessarily plant new seeds; instead, we try to figure out what to do with what we’ve harvested. You’ll find yourself asking, "Where do I go from here?" The key is figuring out how to use what you’ve been working on to create a different kind of new beginning. Now that you’ve plucked the wheat that Virgo is known for holding, how are you going to use it? This is the time to attend to the little details, to take care of the earthy, practical phases of life.
Read your August horoscopes here.