Mercury retrograde and a Leo New Moon are the easiest headlines for the first half of August. 

But the real juice is in the extraordinary aspect patterns. We start with a Venus/slower planets lovefest, then build to overlapping patterns that share Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. These offer you many more amazing opportunities than I can summarize here!

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 1 …

The Moon is waning (there was a Capricorn New Moon on 7/21).

Pluto is retrograde thru 10/11.
Saturn is retrograde thru 11/15.
Neptune is retrograde thru 12/7.
Chiron is retrograde thru 12/29.

A Juno-Pallas Athena-Chiron Yod continues thru 8/4.
A Ceres-Uranus-South Node Thor’s Hammer continues through 8/19.
Great Energy for Committed Partnerships (Kite w/ Juno, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) continues thru 8/30.

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8/1 (Thu) & 8/2 (Fri)

Venus/Slower Planets Lovefest

Venus connects with most of the slower planets in early August, including Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. This auspicious alignment supercharges opportunities in Venus’ core themes: relationships, creativity, and finances.

Let’s start with the one aspect pattern created by these Venus connections.

“Finger of God” Points to Venus

Relationships, creativity, and finances are emphasized by a week-long “Finger of God” (Yod). It starts today, peaks on 8/5, and ends on 8/8. Venus is at the focal point, backed up by Neptune and Pluto.

With the right adjustments, you can boost any and all Venusian opportunities. You can take solid relationships to the next level, and release or de-emphasize those that don’t merit your attention right now.

Your creative inspiration can be magnified, especially with the support of Neptune’s divine inspiration. You can also receive inspiration in money matters, with additional help from Pluto’s rulership of wealth.

During the part of this Yod with Venus in Leo (thru 8/4), you can enjoy an enhanced ability to relate with others as a leader, or put your creativity into the spotlight.

Starting on 8/5, with Venus in meticulous Virgo, you can more skillfully scrutinize details. Virgo can also help you refine or put the finishing touches on your creative projects.

Jupiter and Uranus

On 8/2, Venus makes two aspects to slower planets.

The first, a Venus-Jupiter quintile (26°38′ Leo-14°38′ Gemini), is lucky for two reasons: Jupiter is the planet most associated with good fortune and celebration, and the quintile is astrology’s fairy dust aspect. All sorts of magical things can happen with this 72° aspect!

There’s also a Venus-Uranus square (26°52′ Leo-Taurus) on 8/2. Uranus loves to pop down intuitive hits, so keep an eye out for these sudden and trustworthy insights. Uranus can also help you think and act unconventionally and be more true to your authentic self.

We’ve already covered the main potentials offered by Venus and her sign placements. (Venus is in Leo when these two aspects are exact, but the aspects will still be in effect for many days after Venus moves into Virgo.) Combining these potentials with the specific opportunities offered by these four slower planets could help you enjoy extraordinary Venusian abundance!

8/4 (Sun)

Leo New Moon

A New Moon lines up at 7:13 am EDT (12°34′ Leo). Any Leo New Moon is great for new beginnings or fresh energy in playing your role as a leader or entertainer. Leo energy also supports connecting with kids or your inner child, and taking time for rest and relaxation.

Aspects

This New Moon is flavored by five aspects.

Sextiles with Mars and Jupiter add fire, expansion, and the potential for enhanced good fortune. With both planets in Gemini, these sextiles can also boost learning, writing, and communication.

A Neptune sesquare can stimulate you to deepen your spiritual awakening. (My free Embodied Awakening Invocation has helped thousands do this quickly and easily.)

Neptune can also give you divine inspiration and enhanced creativity, and can help you enjoy flow state more consistently. Neptune can also help you work with your dreams, and experience more unconditional love and compassion.

A sesquare is a minor hard aspect, so stay alert for Neptune’s more challenging manifestations. These can include substance abuse, addictions, aimless drifting, or playing the victim.

With a Juno semi-square, watch for friction in your committed partnerships. (If challenge arises, I recommend Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication system to work through your issues.)

Finally, the Sun and Moon loosely conjoin Vesta. Is it time to put fresh energy into selfless service that supports a worthy cause?

8/5 (Mon)

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury turns retrograde at 12:56 am EDT (4°6′ Virgo). It will turn direct again on 8/28 at 5:14 pm (21°24′ Leo).

The Usual Advice

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. And back up important data.

Signs

Mercury spends roughly the first 10 days of its retrograde in Virgo, until 8/14 at 8:16 pm EDT.

This is a great time to reflect on your health, and how you’re supporting the health of others. Are you serving others in ways that bring you joy, and which make the best use of your talents? And are your systems and procedures optimized and running smoothly?

Mercury spends the final two weeks of its retrograde in Leo. Are there reflections that might help you improve your skills as a leader or entertainer? How are things going with rest and relaxation, and how well you relate with kids or your inner child?

Aspects

Mercury makes three noteworthy aspects as it turns retrograde.

A Mercury-Venus conjunction invites you to reflect on your relationships, creativity, and finances. This aspect also supports harmonious communication and creative writing.

With Mercury square Mars, consider how you’re doing as a warrior, pioneer, sexual being, or entrepreneur.

Finally, a Mercury-Ceres trine can make it easier to receive abundance. This can be anything of value, material or energetic.

8/5 (Mon) continued

Great Energy for Committed Partnerships (Kite)

Committed partnerships get powerful and positive support, thanks to a Kite featuring Juno, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. This harmonious aspect pattern started on 7/12, peaks today (8/5), and ends on 8/30.

Juno represents committed partnerships. Uranus supports breakthroughs, paradigm shifts, and surprises. Neptune supports soul blending and creative inspiration to guide how you relate with others.

If a relationship is sexual, Pluto supports the ecstasy of tantric soul blending. In any kind of relationship, Pluto supports honest, vulnerable interactions. He also can shower you with wealth and power, which can have show up many different ways depending on your relationship.

Even with mostly harmonious aspects, this Kite could also bring up some challenges. All three “gods of change” are focused on Juno, the goddess of committed partnership. If a relationship can be improved by some kind of release or transformation, these potent energies are likely to bring it to light.

Release relationships that have outlived their usefulness, transform those that are worth continuing, and take the ones that are already great to the next level!

Yod Peaks

The Venus-Neptune-Pluto Yod that started on 8/1 peaks today (8/5) and ends on 8/8.

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8/7 (Wed)

Amplified Wealth with Jupiter Sesquare Pluto

Enhanced abundance is one of the juiciest opportunities offered by a Jupiter-Pluto sesquare (15°30′ Gemini-0°30′ Aquarius). Pluto is the lord of wealth, while Jupiter offers expansion and good fortune.

This aspect started warming up on 7/18 and remains in effect thru 8/31.

Jupiter can also amplify other Plutonian potentials. These include power, occult practices, sacred sex, and profound personal transformation.

Pluto can also juice up Jupiter’s archetypal meanings. These include adventurousness, higher education, wisdom teachings, and life-changing foreign influences.

A sesquare is a minor hard aspect, so there might be some challenge in the air. Stay clear of self-serving power trips, inappropriate sexual activity, and potential powder kegs of violence or rage. Finally, don’t spread yourself too thin or hold the false belief that you have the One True Way.

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8/8 (Thu) & 8/10 (Sat)

Neptune and Pluto Supercharge Committed Partnerships

Juno, the asteroid goddess of committed partnerships, is supercharged by major aspects from the two outermost planets. First is a Neptune-Juno opposition on 8/8 (29°34′ Pisces-Virgo), followed by a Pluto-Juno trine (0°26′ Aquarius-Libra) on 8/10.

These aspects put your committed partnerships front and center. These critical relationships might be romantic, platonic, or business related.

Whatever their nature, keep a close eye on them. The potent transpersonal energy of these outer planets can lift great relationships to a whole new level. Neptune can help you enjoy deeper soul blending, while Pluto can encourage deeper honesty and authenticity.

These aspects can also trigger challenge in relationships that need healing or release. As always, I recommend Nonviolent Communication to help you work through difficult issues together.

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8/11 (Sun) & 8/13 (Tue)

Overlapping Aspect Patterns Amplify Diverse Opportunities

What do Venus, Mars, and Jupiter have in common in August? They’re the common elements of two overlapping aspect patterns!

First they partner with Saturn to form a T-Square. Two days later, they form a Thor’s Hammer with Pluto.

Let’s take this a step at a time, starting with the T-Square.

The T-Square

There’s so much you can do with the tight two-week T-Square that starts on 8/11, peaks on 8/20, and ends on 8/26! It includes Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

If you’re reading this entire two-week forecast from the top, you already know about Venus’ possibilities: relationships, creativity, and money. Her placement in Virgo supports health, service, and detail work.

Mars can energize your actions as a warrior, initiator, sexual being, or entrepreneur. His (and Jupiter’s) placement in Gemini amps up your ability to learn, write, teach, and communicate.

Jupiter invites you to learn or share higher wisdom and open to expansive foreign influences. Live your life as an adventurous quest, and embrace your full measure of enthusiasm, joy, and celebration!

Finally, Saturn can keep all this focused. He can help you be mature, responsible, and productive. He’d like you to take enough time for yourself (the hermit) and share what you’ve learned with others (the wise elder).

Whatever you choose to create, you can manifest it more quickly and efficiently by using the Law of Attraction. This is supported by Saturn in Pisces: Pisces rules visualization, while Saturn excels at physical crystallization.

The Thor’s Hammer

The other aspect pattern, a Thor’s Hammer, includes Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Pluto. It starts on 8/13, peaks on 8/17, and ends on 8/21.

Fortunately, most of what I said about the T-Square is also true for the Thor’s Hammer. The only exceptions are the two paragraphs about Saturn.

Instead of Saturn, the Thor’s Hammer includes Pluto. This adds tremendous power to all the possibilities of the other planets and signs. Pluto’s presence also makes it easier to release or transform what doesn’t serve you in these areas.

He can help you do the shadow work needed for healing old traumas, and enable you to be more honest, vulnerable, and authentic. And, as the lord of wealth, he can bless you with abundance!

Putting Them Together

The Thor’s Hammer comes and goes within the longer time frame of the T-Square. So it might be easiest to think of the T-Square as the main event, which enjoys a temporary boost from the Thor’s Hammer.

These two aspect patterns are definitely working as a team – and a mighty team it is!

8/12 (Mon)

Mars Sesquare Pluto

You can act potently and effectively with Mars sesquare Pluto (15°23′ Gemini-0°23′ Aquarius). Mars’ archetypal energy especially enjoys expressing as a warrior, sexual being, initiator, and entrepreneur. With Mars in Gemini, all mental input and output can be energized.

Mars-Pluto aspects have tremendous power and should be handled carefully. Do your best to steer clear of situations where anger, violence, or harmful sexual activity might occur.

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8/14 (Wed)

Mars Conjunct Jupiter

A Mars-Jupiter conjunction (16°40′ Gemini) is a significant astrological event, and would normally merit its own interpretation. However, since this conjunction is woven into two overlapping aspect patterns, it is best interpreted within that larger context. Click here for that big-picture perspective!

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Your Good-Vibes Consciousness Boost

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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