MONTH OF August
Wax on, wax off, Cancer! After a birthday month that packed a punch, you’re ready to settle into a productive groove as Leo season activates your slow and steady second house until August 22. Instead of chasing novelty, bask in the sensual beauty of the present moment. Sure, the pace might feel a little “boring” in comparison to your birthday season, but on the flip side, it’s an ideal time for a more measured and mindful approach to everything.
Besides, August is hardly uneventful. With Mercury turning retrograde on August 5, a major midmonth mashup of Mars and Jupiter, and a two-way T-square traffic jam that will make August 19 a cosmic head spinner. The takeaway: You’d be wise to take any anchoring downtime you can get!
Less is more for the first three weeks of August, so aim for quality over quantity. You don’t have to be at every family barbecue or accept that bridal party invite for someone who’s not an absolute ride-or-die friend. Who matters most to YOU? What makes your life feel meaningful? Save the lion’s share of Leo season for these people and projects. When you feel stressed, simply slow down! Reconnect to your body. Go out in nature. Getting back to basics will soothe your spirits the most now.
Since the second house rules resources, money matters could be on your mind—especially if you’re feeling the pinch of a diminishing bank account this summer. We know your nest egg is a sensitive subject for you, Crab. So here’s some great news: Bold money moves are in the cosmic forecast. A new financial opportunity could arrive at the Leo new moon on August 4, kicking off a six-month cycle in your money and security zone. With Venus moving into Virgo and your communication house on the same day as the new moon, voicing your ideas could pay dividends.
Ready to circulate your online portfolio to prospective clients or put feelers out for a job offer? Keep your eyes open for revenue-generating ideas and a chance to turn one into a tangible success. This is a great day to review and reset your budget for the rest of the year. You could also use this as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a salary negotiation at your current job early next year.
Money matters aside, look to bring more stability into your life through a new practice like morning Pilates, a commitment to eat more healthfully or doing daily Law of Attraction journaling. For the next six months, plan to take small steps each day to create more consistency in your life. Prioritizing and doing less can bring you a whole lot more, from financial stability to a sense of inner peace.
As inspired as you may be to leap into greener pastures, you’ll also need to pace yourself. From August 5 to 28, Mercury, the galactic guardian of communication, technology and travel, will be retrograde. Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow, which began July 16, already witnessed Crowdstrikes’ IT outage that disrupted flights worldwide AND a historic data breach of 10 billion passwords—yikes!
Until August 14, Mercury is in Virgo and your interactive third house, essentially doubling the odds that you’ll be misunderstood or will have to navigate some interpersonal and electronic chaos. Read over that email response one more time before you hit send.
Silver lining: Retrogrades rule the past, and this one can be ideal for reconnecting with old friends and colleagues. Dust off a writing or media project, get your hands dirty with one of your back-burnered hobbies or pick up an instrument you used to play (the recorder totally counts!). You could finally resolve a conversation that was left dangling. Is there a relationship with a kindred spirit worth revisiting?
From August 14 to 28, Mercury will back through Leo and your chart’s financial district, which could add some complications to your budgeting. An ounce (or maybe a liter) or prevention is worth a metric ton of cure. Take all Mercury-retrograde precautions as soon as possible. Back up your data, confirm all appointments and reservations, make sure you’re crystal-clear about every expectation or directive. Hitting the road for the summer? Download an extra audiobook (or two)—like Whoopi Goldberg’s family-focused memoir Bits and Pieces—in case you find yourself stuck in annoying traffic or a protracted flight reroute. Don’t forget to pack your chargers!
In the second half of the month especially, look over your finances with a keen eye, making sure there are no erroneous charges on your statements. Hold off starting any ambitious new work projects and finish the ones you’ve already begun. If you’re considering a job change, a lead could come through an old colleague or employer. Mercury’s reversal might have you second-guessing your existing skill set—consider additional training or coursework from an online academy like Udemy or Skillshare that can help you gain the confidence to finally make the switch.
Confidence is a touchy subject for you, Crab. So here’s more great news: Bold moves could feel a lot more comfortable when assertive Mars and faith-driven Jupiter unite in Gemini and your twelfth house of surrender on August 14. These two driven, can-do planets don’t connect often, so buckle up for some rapid-fire realizations! The twelfth house governs the subconscious, and your dreams can be especially potent. If you’re feeling sleepier than usual, grab a siesta and don’t be surprised if you receive intriguing intel as you snooze. While you may first resist the information overload of Jupiter in Gemini, the new perspectives can better inform your core beliefs—a sentiment shared by Joy, the lead character (or emotion) in Disney Pixar’s latest Inside Out 2 release.
The key phrase for the twelfth house is “letting go”—and well, that’s not easy for ANY mortal to pull off, least of all a Cancer who remembers everything (your memory really is a superpower, Crab!). Allow the universe to step in to offer a little divine guidance. Miracles and magic will guide you when you follow these cosmic clues.
The twelfth house rules all things hidden, and that includes agendas. You may find out exactly who is—and isn’t—on Team Crab since people’s true colors are clearly revealed by truth-teller Jupiter. It might be best to think of this cycle as a long artist’s retreat or sabbatical—and to keep your calendar loose. With Mars spending the whole month in your spiritual twelfth house, you’ll be drawn to solitude and time away from the crowds, giving you a leisurely opportunity to recharge. Don’t worry: On September 4, the red planet will blaze into your sign, rebooting your drive in time for the new season!
Craving deep privacy? Reserve August 19, when the year’s only Aquarius full moon spotlights your eighth house of intimacy, secrets and shared finances. One special person could figure into events under these merger-minded moonbeams. With your erotic eighth house on fire, a sizzling connection could consummate. Some Crabs might decide to make things officially official with an engagement, plans to move in together or a joint property purchase. But careful about getting locked into anything you’re not 1000 percent on since the full moon will be opposite Mercury retrograde today. You could read the signals wrong, much to your surprise.
This full moon also spotlights wealth and joint ventures. With a conclusive full moon here, you might hear word on a real estate transaction, a legal settlement or an investment. If you’ve been dealing with debt, a tax bill or looming credit card costs, this lunation can help you regain control.
As the zodiac’s moon child, you’re always impacted by its changing phases. This one invites you to take a deep dive into your emotions, especially since the sky will also feature not one but TWO rare T-squares, a three-way tug of war between planets that can pull you in polarizing directions! Expect temperatures to rise (and we don’t just mean in the bedroom).
The first T-square involves the heavy lifters of the zodiac—antagonistic Mars, expansive Jupiter, authoritative Saturn (retrograde) and charming Venus duking it out in adaptable mutable signs—while the second features the full moon, Mercury retrograde and volatile Uranus in stubborn fixed signs.
This T-square mashup serves aclass="body-el-link standard-body-el-link" s an inflection point stemming from the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in December 2020. Many astrologers believer that the seeds of the Age of Aquarius were planted when Jupiter and Saturn appeared from our vantage point on Earth as a single, extra-bright star (some even dubbed it the “Christmas Star”). Great conjunctions happen every 20 years, which means we’re at the first-quarter mark. This Jupiter-Saturn conjunction injected a fresh dose of Aquarian values (community, togetherness, and authenticity) into your psychological eighth house. Jupiter and Saturn have opposite agendas: Jupiter wants us to take risks and explore, Saturn is consensual and conservative. This is your chance to strike a balance.
How might this play out? Jupiter in social Gemini and your metaphysical twelfth house offers a “spiritual awakening” while Saturn in passive Pisces and your expansive ninth house suggests a decisive moment to get real about your personal beliefs (and who’s coming along for the ride). With Venus in discerning Virgo and your third house of perspective and kinfolk, could an inner circle shakeup be on the agenda? You’ve been looking for more space in your friendships ever since Uranus first entered your eleventh house of strategic alliances back in 2018, and this could be a moment when that hits harder.
And speaking of changemaker Uranus..the cosmic disruptor is at the heart of the second T-square of the day on August 19, which features an opposition between the emotional full moon, communicator Mercury (still retrograde) and the dramatic Leo Sun. Talk about a celestial pressure cooker! With the full moon in Aquarius’ involvement, matters of communication, self-worth, and letting go of the past are at the forefront.
Since this second T-square involves the stabilizers of the zodiac, the full moon illuminates where you might have stubbornly resisted change out of fear, offering a burst of clarity to help you release old insecurities and relationships that no longer fit your more evolved sense of self-worth. This energy rush can be galvanizing, but don’t rush to sever any ties or make any proclamations just yet! With Mercury still in its backspin through August 28, use any epiphanies to better understand how you’d like to proceed with your relationships.
Your social side bubbles right back up a week later, when the Sun starts its monthlong visit to Virgo, energizing your third house of communication and local events on August 22. After a revelatory few weeks, you’re ready to commune with your crew again. In fact, you’ll probably get more done if you step away from your workspace and go mingle. During Virgo season, it’s all about who you know and where conversations can lead.
Can we talk about it? Virtually no subject is off limits for you this August as Venus sweetens the pot in Virgo and your third house of communication from August 4 to 29. But enter those hard dialogues with the utmost care, Crab (not that you wouldn’t!). Right as Venus hands you the mic, vocal Mercury will turn retrograde from August 5 to 28. If you plan to poke any bears in your relationship, use a velvet glove.
More than anything, this curious energy could be used to discover more about your “person of interest.” Bantering will be fun, but don’t get stuck in superficial small talk. Along the way, try prompts like, “Say a little more about that” or “I’m wondering what you think about X.” The added bonus? You’ll find out where a prospective or current partner stands on issues that are important to you—and if need be, how to navigate those values that don’t align. You might even approach your long-term love with what the Buddhists call beginner’s mind, treating them with the same open-ended inquisitiveness you’d offer an intriguing stranger.
The other half of the love equation is Mars, lounging in Gemini and your introspective twelfth house all month. Silence isn’t merely comfortable, it’s charged with erotic energy. See what happens if you enjoy a little parallel play with your partner. One minute you’re reading side by side, the next, you’re ravaging each other like sexy beasts.
For Cancers healing from a loss or breakup, Mars in this conclusive corner can expedite your grieving. Use August to heal your heart by bravely facing any painful emotions. When Venus enters Libra and your domestic fourth house on August 29, you’ll likely feel the call to convene with your inner circle. The way out of any anguish is to go through it with loving support.
With Venus immediately in conversation with Pluto in Aquarius and your intimate eighth house, you’ll be ready to alchemize your pain, making room to deal more honestly and directly with relationship issues. This Venus-Pluto meetup at the end of August could bring anything from erotically charged communing to pregnancy or engagement news.
A profitable and productive month is in store, Cancer, so roll up your sleeves! With the Sun in Leo heating up your financial sector until August 22, you’re ready to get down to business. Ready for a new position, project or path? The August 4 Leo new moon opens a window to make that change or start exploring your options—especially with sweet Venus switching into progress-motivated Virgo and your communicative third house against the backdrop of the new moon. If you’ve been thinking of raising your rates or you’re up for a salary review, begin the process. Actions you take today can really pay dividends by the Leo full moon in six months.
Warning: Mercury will be retrograde from August 5 to 28 across your communication and money zones, potentially drawing out negotiations longer than you’d like. Use the retrograde to review terms with a fine-tooth comb instead of settling for the first offer presented—even though it can be tempting. We know money matters are a sensitive subject for you, Crab. Well, here’s some great news: Bold money moves are in the cosmic forecast!
A windfall could land in your lap when the August 19 Aquarius full moon illuminates your eighth house of investments, joint ventures and shared finances. Could you pool your resources and superpowers with someone else’s for mutual gain? You might also send out a large lump sum to complete a series of payments or close out a debt. Although your bank account might feel a little lighter, unburdening yourself of this obligation will feel like sweet relief. If you’re considering buying or selling a home, this powerful full moon could bring exciting news of a closing or dream property.
This is no ordinary full moon, however, as the skies feature not one but TWO T-squares involving heavy hitters of the zodiac: mature Saturn, lucky Jupiter, shocking Uranus, ambitious Mars and relationship-driven Venus. Expect dream-come-true collaborative opportunities that can help take your career to the next level. The sky’s the limit, Crab! If you can dream it, you can build it with the support of the right team.
Love Days: 12, 16
Money Days: 22, 4
Luck Days: 29, 20
Off Days: 26, 14, 18
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