MONTH OF August
August is your yearly “personal time,” at least on the cosmic calendar. The Sun spends all month traveling through the bottom of your chart, emphasizing family and fun. Lucky Taurus! But this year’s Leo season, which lasts until August 22, might not be quite as restful as you’re hoping for. Thanks to a few transits, your restorative getaways might take a little extra planning to pull off without a hitch.
For starters, Mercury will be retrograde from August 5 to 28, crossing the communication wires and causing technology breakdowns. (The key is to get ahead of them with plenty of precautions, like backing up your data and devices). On the plus side, a galvanizing Mars-Jupiter conjunction could bring a midmonth moneymaking moment! The day to watch is August 19, when a double dose of cosmically confounding T-squares—a tug of war involving multiple planets—arrives along with the Aquarius full moon. This date also happens to be the kickoff of the Democratic National Convention in the U.S. The planetary plot twists could leave the world feeling topsy-turvy, but it might also be the recalibration we so badly need.
Need an excuse to hunker at home? Not anymore! Chateau Toro is where your Bullish heart is for most of this month as the Sun makes its annual visit to Leo, spotlighting your fourth house of family, domesticity and emotional foundations. Whether you’re traveling to a cozy cottage on the lake or hunkering down at home base, Leo season puts you in nostalgic and sensitive spirits until August 22.
The fourth house is the most personal part of the zodiac. It’s where we find our roots and where we retreat to when we need to recharge. With the Sun nestled in this cozy nook, you may find yourself wanting to stay in a lot or spend more time with family and close friends. Use these reflective days to nurture yourself with good food, ample sleep and plenty of downtime. Enjoy some sweet solitude curled up with a good book like Kristy Greenwood’s recent romcom The Love of My Afterlife or sneaking in a summer siesta at the beach house. If you don’t have at least one “nap dress” in your closet, add to cart now!
The August 4 Leo new moon adds a special, heartfelt glow to this nostalgic month. You may find yourself thinking about your childhood or trailing back through your family history—maybe even paying your hometown a visit. From house-hunting to doctoring your decor to enriching your bonds, your natural creativity is sparked at the start of the month. With Venus lingering in Leo until August 4, too, honor your urge to beautify and nurture by inviting a small group over for a home-cooked meal or a night of crafts (and, if you feel like it, craft cocktails). Break out the art supplies and fun projects! Make a fresh start with any home-related endeavors and work toward manifesting them by the February 12, 2025, Leo full moon.
If you need to repair a relationship with a relative or a member of your inner circle, particularly a parent-child bond, the August 4 Leo new moon is ideal for extending an olive branch. This new moon can also offer an opportunity to speak from your heart and advocate for your needs—especially with love planet Venus moving into Virgo and your expressive, romantic fifth house today, against the backdrop of the new moon.
Get it all out in the open early though, Taurus. From August 5 to 28, communicator Mercury will turn retrograde, scrambling signals with technology, travel and your interactions. The messenger planet will start its backspin in Virgo and your passionate fifth house, undoing some of Venus’ goodwill efforts. Then it will reverse through Leo and your domestic fourth house from August 14 until September 9, upping some friction under your roof.
When Mercury turns retrograde, your basic attempts to get a message across can turn into a comedy of errors. But get TOO frustrated, Bull! You’ll be able to skillfully navigate this period by understanding which disagreements warrant a further conversation and which need a good old-fashioned timeout. Don’t you have a nap to take, Bull? Sometimes that’s the best solution.
During Mercury retrograde, electronic data and devices, if not entire computing networks, can break or have inexplicable outages. (Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow, which began July 16, witnessed Crowdstrikes’ global IT outage that disrupted flights worldwide, a historic data breach of 10 billion passwords—as well as insurance company fears of AI meddling at the Paris Olympics.) Travel plans can go haywire, so confirm all reservations and passport expiration dates before your summer vacay—and then reconfirm just as you’re leaving.
The silver lining? Retrogrades are ideal for revising, reflecting and slowing down. Finish up all those lingering projects, reconnect with cherished loved ones and schedule more time to tend to your body (even if it’s just a five-minute morning stretch).
Since retrogrades can stir up the past, an old flame could re-emerge while Mercury back-spins through your romance sector until August 14. You might start to wonder if you should reach out with a text or leave a cute comment on their latest Instagram post. Tread carefully. Was it a timing issue or are other deal breakers still in play? The key is to calmly observe while not ignoring any red flags. When in doubt, trust your earthy animal instincts, Taurus!
Mercury’s backpedal through your creative fifth house could inspire you to dust off an old project or return to a hobby you used to get excited about. Just be careful to not let your inner critic hog the mic. You don’t have to come up with perfection right off the bat. Take it one paragraph or brushstroke at a time—let your progress be your joy. Since the fifth house also rules children, Mercury’s retrograde could find you in a standoff with your little ones who are home on summer break. (Could popsicles count as a major food group…just for tonight?)
From August 14 to September, Mercury will return to Leo and your private fourth house, which could serve up unexpected (and possibly expensive) issues at home, like faulty electrical wiring or a leaky air conditioning unit amidst the summer heatwave. Home renovation projects initiated at the new moon could get hit with a revised timeline of completion. Keep cool and calm, Taurus! With the fourth house getting activated this second leg of the retrograde, you might feel moodier and more sensitive than usual.
We know resources are a sensitive subject for your sign. Well, here’s some great news: Bold money moves are in the cosmic forecast when accelerator Mars and bountiful Jupiter unite in Gemini and your financial zone on August 14. These two driven, can-do planets don’t connect often, so buckle up for some fast action!
The Mars-Jupiter conjunction could open the floodgates for a revenue-boosting venture. Bring your A-game to every pitch, project meeting or interview. You could receive an exciting job or lucrative offer or be tapped to lead a big project. Flattered and excited as you may be, get all the facts before you say yes. Not only is Mercury retrograde for a couple more weeks, but the hasty energy of these two planets can tempt you to rush in first and ask questions later. Whether or not it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, you’ve got nothing to lose by proceeding with your due diligence.
A professional victory could be in the works on August 19, when the year’s only Aquarius full moon arrives in your tenth house of work and leadership. It’s a decisive moment for a goal you’ve been working toward since early 2024. Looking to change careers or move up to the next level? The Aquarius full moon could highlight a long-awaited offer or opportunity. Since the tenth house rules fathers, authority figures and male-identified people, your relationship with someone who fits this description could take on special significance.
Caution: This is no ordinary full moon! On August 19, the skies will feature not one but TWO rare T-squares, a three-way tug o’ war between planets that can pull you in polarizing directions! Expect temperatures to rise, and we don’t just mean the weather (2024 is poised to be the hottest year on record, after all).
The first T-square involves the heavy lifters of the zodiac—antagonistic Mars, expansive Jupiter, restrictive Saturn (retrograde) and harmonious Venus playing tug of war in adaptable mutable signs—while the second features the full moon, Mercury retrograde and volatile Uranus in stubborn fixed signs.
The Jupiter-Saturn-Venus 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 on December 21, 2020. Many astrologers suggest 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. Great conjunctions happen every 20 years, which means we’re at the first-quarter mark of this one. This Jupiter-Saturn conjunction injected a fresh dose of Aquarian values (community, justice, and togetherness) into your mission-driven tenth house then—a progress report is incoming, and your homework will be delivered today. Jupiter and Saturn have opposite agendas: Jupiter wants us to take risks and explore; Saturn is cautious and conservative.
Jupiter in clever Gemini and your financial second house fosters confidence in your voice (maybe even your bank account) while Saturn in passive Pisces and your eleventh house of friendships and strategic alliances offers a reality check on your long-term priorities. With value-oriented Venus in discerning Virgo and your expressive fifth house involved, aligning passion with purpose is on the agenda. Are you overly attached to the comfortable (but potentially stagnant) pace of an existing crowd you’ve outgrown? Look at where you’re holding on out of insecurity or fear. Take a calculated risk and leap!
The Aquarius full moon T-square features an opposition between the emotional moon, communicator Mercury (still retrograde) and the dramatic Leo Sun, with changemaker Uranus (in Taurus!) wedged in the middle. Talk about a celestial pressure cooker. This could bring on edginess, stress and potentially a breakthrough (or a breakdown) in existing friendships or career pathways. Uranus in your first house of self gives you the impulse to break free of restrictions while the other cosmic players jockey for MORE structure, both at home and work.
The full moon also illuminates where you might have stubbornly resisted change in the past and offers clarity around inherited family patterns and rigid attachments. How might those old beliefs inhibit your true desires and purpose? Could you balance a secure job AND a passion project you’re ready to finally take to the next level? This energy rush could motivate you to dive in—but pace yourself, Taurus. With Mercury still in its retrograde backspin until August 28, take a couple weeks to research and explore options.
Once the initial excitement (and tension) from this August 19 moment simmers down a little you get planetary permission to play! On August 22, the Sun shifts into Virgo, heating up your fifth house of passion and pleasure for a full month. Take a lyrical cue from your fellow Taurus Sabrina Carpenter: “I can’t relate to desperation/my give a f***s are on vacation.” From a sizzling late-summer romance to a burst of creative inspiration, Virgo season could deliver heart-opening moments aplenty—and best of all, a lot more fun.
Leisurely and luxurious—that’s how you want romance served this August thanks to Venus spending most of the month in Virgo (August 4 to 29) and your fifth house of passion, glamour and PDAs. Meantime, Mars holds down the fort in Gemini and your sensible-but-sensual second house. Cue up a soulful R&B playlist, heavy on Kehlani and Kali Uchis. Give your bedding and “intimates drawer” an update or splurge on luxurious matching bathrobes.
Level up your dating game or just pull out all the stops with sweet gestures: homemade meals, long massages and thoughtful gifts. You want to be treated like royalty now, but careful not to tread into diva terrain. Keep your eyes peeled, however, for a case of the “ex-files” when Mercury (planet of communication and perspective) retrogrades through your romantic sector from August 5 through 14. Have they really changed, or are you repeating a toxic (and indulgent) love affair? We’re not telling you what to do here, Bull—except to go in with your eyes wide open.
When Venus rolls into Libra and your seventh house of relationships on August 29, you’ll be focused on the long-term. Venus immediately forms a harmonious 120-degree trine to transformative Pluto, which is currently in your tenth house of status. Whether you’re single or partnered, the end of the month serves a commitment level-up moment. Hello, power couple!
August is a mix of business and personal activity, with opportunities to balance these two key areas. The Sun is in Leo until August 22, energizing your domestic fourth house. It’s a great time to set up a beautiful and inspiring home office or just book some restorative downtime. But don’t expect to have any total off-the-grid vacations. Your career could be ablaze with ambitious Mars in intellectual Gemini and your money-minded second house all month.
If you’ve been hoping to get a raise or land a new job, this is the perfect time to put your best sandaled foot forward. Be decisive and bring your A-game to every pitch, project meeting or interview this month! Just be mindful to watch your budget and workload because Mars can add stress AND excitement in equal measure—especially when it links up with bountiful Jupiter on August 14. If you play your cards right, this midmonth moment could deliver a jackpot!
Circle August 19 for another professional turning point. The Aquarius full moon beams into your career zone, bringing a burst of clarity or long-awaited promotion or celebration. But it won’t happen without changing a few stagnant patterns, Bull. This once-a-year lunar light happens to feature a combustible cosmic T-square mashup with changemaker Uranus (in your sign), the Sun and mental Mercury. If you’re ready to pivot onto a new path or make a big ask, get ready for a power surge…and some eye-opening insights.
Before you take the leap, however, conduct your diligence since trickster Mercury will be retrograde for most of the month (August 4 to 28), potentially throwing a wrench into any work project or opportunity you have lined up. Be sure to read the fine print on contracts or collaborations that come your way. Research before signing on the dotted line!
Love Days: 6, 12
Money Days: 26, 18
Luck Days: 24, 16
Off Days: 22, 9, 14
