A potently aspected Mercury retrograde highlights the second half of August. We also have Uranus turning retrograde, a Uranian Leo New Moon, and a Pisces Blue Moon. This forecast also includes several powerful aspect patterns, Mars aspecting two outer planets, and the Sun entering Virgo!

This forecast covers this half-month’s most important astrological events. Also check out my award-winning This Week in Astrology audio podcast and YouTube video forecasts!

Click astrology graphics to see larger images. Some resource links may occur more than once. This is because many people link to a specific day’s forecast from social media, and might not see an important resource link elsewhere on this page.

As of August 16 …

The Moon is waning (there was an Aquarius Full Moon on 8/1).

Venus is retrograde thru 9/3.
Pluto is retrograde thru 10/10.
Saturn is retrograde thru 11/4.
Neptune is retrograde thru 12/6.
Chiron is retrograde thru 12/26.

A Cradle with Juno, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto continues through 8/17.
A Grand Cross with Juno, Pluto, and the Lunar Nodes continues through 8/27.
A Kite with Mars, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto peaks on 8/21 and continues through 9/1
A T-Square with Mars, Vesta, and Neptune peaks on 8/19 and ends on 9/6.

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8/16 (Wed)

Uranian Leo New Moon

A New Moon lines up at 5:38 am EDT (23°17′ Leo), energized most powerfully by aspects from Uranus, Venus, and Chiron.

Any Leo New Moon is great for new starts or fresh energy in your roles as a leader or entertainer. Playfulness, rest, and interacting with children (including your inner child) are also juiced.

Aspects

Aspects from five planets add layers of meaning to this lunation.

Most potent is Uranus, which squares the luminaries almost exactly. This encourages you to lead or entertain in your own unique way, guided by your intuitive hits. Uranus encourages you to serve others using your special gifts and talents you most love to use. Dare to try something new and unusual!

Venus, who rules artistry, conjoins the Sun and Moon. Not only can this fire up your creativity, but encourages you to share it with others. And Venus rules relationships, so get out and have some fun with your friends and loved ones!

Venus also rules money, so keep an eye out for exciting new financial opportunities. And always exercise due diligence before making a significant purchase or investment.

Chiron trines the luminaries. This can make it easier for you to act as a healer or wisdom giver. It can also help your personal healing unfold more smoothly.

A Vesta-luminaries sextile can energize your selfless service to a higher cause. Finally, a tight semi-sextile with Mars can add energy and passion to your New Moon activities!

Mars Trine Uranus

It’s easier to act on your intuitive hits right away as Mars trines Uranus (23°0′ Virgo-Taurus). You can also be more innovative with your assertiveness, experimental with your sexuality, and unorthodox in any area as you break new ground.

With Mars in Virgo, you also have extra energy for service, health, and detail work.

8/17 (Thu)

Six-Week Shadow Work T-Square

Shadow work is potently energized by a six-week T-Square that starts today, peaks on 8/31 and ends on 9/27.

Almost every major planet and point associated with psychological healing is part of this hard aspect pattern. It includes Ceres, Chiron, Pluto, and the North and South Lunar Nodes. Only the North Node isn’t associated with this healing theme.

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This is a powerful time to heal old traumas that are blocking your life purpose. This T-Square can also tremendously empower your service to others as a healer or wisdom giver! The presence of Pluto and Ceres also open the door to enhanced abundance and prosperity – which could be anything you value.

8/19 (Sat)

Warrior Goddess Energized by Outer Planets Kite

You have a full month to empower your warrior goddess energy as Pallas Athena forms a Kite with the three outer planets. This soft aspect pattern with Pallas, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto starts today (8/19), peaks on 9/4, and ends on 9/19.

Pallas Athena has inspired comic book heroes such as Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Xena the Warrior Princess. In Greek mythology, Pallas sprang fully armored from Zeus’ forehead.

Pallas Athena can duke it out when she has to, but uses gentler forms of persuasion when possible. Will negotiation, diplomacy, or mediation get the job done? She prefers those to fisticuffs. If stronger assertiveness is needed, she’ll only use the amount of force that’s absolutely necessary. 

Sound good? This harmonious, easy-flowing Kite makes it easier for you to nurture these positive Pallas Athena qualities for the next month!

Peaking T-Square Energizes Compassionate Service to a Worthy Cause

A Mars-Vesta-Neptune T-Square that started on 8/7 peaks today (8/19) and ends on 9/6.

Vesta represents selfless service to a higher cause. Neptune (and Pisces, the sign it’s in) facilitate compassion and identification with others. Mars boosts energy and initiation. And Mars is in Virgo, the sign of service to others.

That’s why this T-Square energizes compassionate service to a worthy cause. If you already have one, consider giving it more time, energy, or support. If you don’t, is there a noble cause you’d feel good about selflessly supporting?

If you’re not sure about any of this, Neptune offers the flow of intuitive wisdom. This makes it easier to check in with your inner guidance!

8/21 (Mon)

Enjoy Inspired, Energized Action as Mars-Outer Planet Kite Peaks

The three outer planets are boosting Mars, thanks to a Mars-Uranus-Neptune-Pluto Kite that started on 8/9, peaks today (8/21), and ends on 9/1.

Mars supports your actions as a leader, warrior, pioneer, and sexual being. His placement in Virgo can energize anything relating to health, service to others, and detail work.

Pluto empowers your actions, and can shower you with wealth. This could be money, as well as anything of value – tangible or intangible. The divine intelligence of Neptune can inspire your actions and help you do them in flow state. And Uranus can send intuitive hits to guide you, help you act in alignment with your unique human nature, and serve others with your special gifts and talents you most love to use!

8/22 (Tue)

Venus Square Jupiter & Mars Opposite Neptune

A Venus-Jupiter square (15°18′ Leo-Taurus) can amplify your opportunities in the areas of relationship, creativity, and finance. With Venus in Leo, it’s a great time to share your artistic creations with others.

A Mars-Neptune opposition (26°59′ Virgo-Pisces) can help you take action in flow state, exercise inspired assertiveness, and enjoy soul-blended sexual connection. Mars’ placement in Virgo adds opportunities for sacred service and spiritual healing.

8/23 (Wed)

The Sun enters Virgo at 5:01 am EDT. For the next month, more energy is available for service, health, and detail work. Be careful not to be excessively critical of others or yourself.

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury turns retrograde today (8/23) at 3:59 pm EDT (21°51′ Virgo). The winged messenger will turn direct again on 9/15 at 4:21 pm EDT (8°0′ Virgo).

As always, Mercury retrograde is better used for reflection than new action – although it’s a great time for repairs and completing what you’ve already started. If possible, delay major purchases and contract signings until Mercury is direct.

Travel and communication may be more challenging than usual, so double check your arrangements. Take care that you clearly understand what you’re being told and are being properly understood. Back up important data.

As a reminder, Venus turned retrograde on 7/22 and will turn direct on 9/3. So, for eleven days, we’ll be feeling the combined effects of two personal planet retrogrades! This is all the more reason to favor reflection over action when doing so serves your highest good.

Virgo

This Mercury retrograde takes place entirely within Virgo, so its themes are ripe for reflection.

One of Virgo’s key themes is service. Ideally, the service you give should take advantage of your natural abilities and bring you joy. Are there any areas where this isn’t true? if so, how could you release that situation or transform it to be more satisfying?

Virgo can also be health-focused. What are the most important things you could do to improve your overall well-being? If you’re supporting the health of others, what’s one thing you could do to serve them more effectively?

Virgo loves the little details that take things to the highest level. What things in your life could benefit from these nuanced levels of improvement? Are there areas where your drive for perfection has gone overboard, and you should relax your standards to “good enough”?

Aspects

As Mercury reverses, it aspects about two-thirds of the planets I use in my astrology work! So, this Mercury retrograde is unusually impactful.

Outer Planets Kite

Most importantly, Mercury forms a Kite aspect pattern with the three outer planets. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are known as the gods of change, and add tremendous power to this Mercury retrograde. They also add new themes for your possible contemplation.

With Pluto, what roles are wealth and power playing in your life? Are you using effective shadow work techniques to heal your trauma? And how skillfully are you releasing everything that’s outgrown its usefulness, so you can transform into a more wonderful version of yourself?

Neptune would like to know how your spiritual awakening process is going. Is embodied awakening a routine part of your daily experience? (If not, my free Embodied Awakening Invocation has helped thousands make this exquisite consciousness their “new normal.”)

How much divine inspiration are you receiving, and how much of it are you manifesting into physical reality? And how much of your day do you spend in flow state?

Uranus makes the tightest aspect to Mercury of the three outer planets. Its trine has an orb (exactness) of just over one degree. Uranus is the higher octave of Mercury: it represents divine mind, while Mercury represents human cognition.

Uranus’ intuitive hits come direct from your higher self, and are the most accurate guidance a human can get. When people get these, they often say that they “feel it in their bones” or have a “gut feeling.”

How consistently do you follow this guidance from your divine intelligence? Looking back, do you get better outcomes when you do?

Uranus also wants you to be your authentic self. Letting your true light shine can be much more joyful than suppressing your uniqueness to fit into the mainstream, or avoid judgment from others.

Conjunctions

Mercury conjoins two Virgo planets as it turns retrograde. The tightest conjunction, with an orb of one and a half degrees, is with the warrior goddess Pallas Athena. On Mercury’s other side is Mars, about six degrees away.

Mars and Pallas Athena share the theme of assertiveness, while Virgo can tend toward meekness. Are you taking definitive action to fulfill your needs and desires? Or are you meekly accepting whatever crumbs remain once the bold have assertively claimed their share?

To what degree are you playing the Martian roles of warrior, pioneer, entrepreneur, and sexual being? How skillfully are you employing Pallas Athena’s gifts of strategy, diplomacy, and negotiation?

Other Aspects

Mercury also makes four other aspects as it turns retrograde. A sextile with the Moon invites you to check in on your happiness, and how skillfully you’re working with your emotions. A Chiron quincunx beckons you to do effective shadow work to heal old traumas.

With a Vesta square, reflect on the selfless support you’re giving to worthy causes. Finally, a Jupiter trine can help you feel more expansive and joyful!

8/24 (Thu)

Mars Trine Pluto

A Mars-Pluto trine makes it easier to take assertive, impactful action. Abundant power is available for any action you take as a warrior, pioneer, entrepreneur, or sexual being. With Mars in Virgo, you get special support in the areas of health, detail work, and service to others.

8/28 (Mon)

Uranus Retrograde

Uranus turns retrograde at 10:39 pm EDT (23°4′ Taurus). He’ll turn direct again on 1/27 at 19°5′ Taurus.

Some retrogrades matter more than others. Personal planet retrogrades, such as the current ones with Mercury and Venus, have the greatest earthly impact. Jupiter and Saturn retrogrades have second-tier importance, while outer planet retrogrades last about five months and have the subtlest long-term effects.

Still, it’s useful to contemplate an outer planet’s key themes when it reverses course. With Uranus, to what degree are you embracing your authentic human self and expressing it into the world? How faithfully are you following your intuitive hits? Finally, to what degree are you serving with your special abilities, and receiving joyful satisfaction by doing so?

Planets have extra power when they change direction. I recommend that you check your horoscope for sensitive natal placements between 20° and 26° in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius). These will get an extra hit of Uranus’ revolutionary energy!

8/30 (Wed)

Pisces Blue Moon

When a month has two Full Moons, the second is called a “Blue Moon.” Blue Moons occur about every 2.7 years, and are considered to have extra power. We had an Aquarius Full Moon on 8/1, and now have a Pisces Full Moon on 8/30 at 9:36 pm EDT (7°25′ Pisces).

Any Pisces Full Moon is great for release or adjustment in your spiritual practices, inspired creativity, and maintenance of flow state. Pisces’ more challenging expressions can also be important to examine. What changes would serve you regarding substance abuse, excessive escapism, or any perpetrator/victim dynamics in your relationships?

Aspects

This Full Moon’s most important aspect is a moderately strong Saturn conjunction.

How fully do you embody Saturn’s positive qualities? Are you mature, responsible, and reliable? Do you use time efficiently? Can you “plan the work and work the plan”?

When Saturn brings challenge, he’s pointing your attention to structures that would benefit from change. Which structures in your life, whether they’re physical or energetic, would it be best for you to release? Which need repair or adjustment? Finally, which structures are doing great and are ripe for expansion?

Saturn’s placement in Pisces empowers Law of Attraction work and embodied awakening, as well as the conscious dissolution of whatever’s ready for release.

The Moon makes a tight quincunx with Juno, the asteroid goddess of committed partnership. These can involve romance, family, friendship, or business. What adjustments would serve highest good here?

This Full Moon’s final aspect is a 135° Ceres sesquare. What can you do to receive more abundance from the grain goddess? Ceres also rules shadow work, and invites you to use effective healing techniques to heal your old traumas. (Thousands have experienced quick and easy healing with my free Healing Invocation.)

8/31 (Thu)

T-Square Peaks

The Ceres-Chiron-Pluto-Lunar Nodes T-Square that started on 8/17 peaks today (8/31) and ends on 9/27.

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Whatever your Sun Sign, my forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.

All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least a week before and after.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart. Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me.

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