Good news, stargazers: Mercury retrograde’s chaotic time is finally coming to an end as the tiny nearby planet returns direct on Saturday, August 31. The likelihood of interpersonal tension, technology mishaps, and other bumps in the road dramatically decreases by the weekend, just in time for full-swing Virgo season as the Sun exits Leo on Thursday.
An assertive Mars and waning crescent Moon conjunction around this same time promises to provide much-needed vigor in our emotional endeavors, which will become especially handy as a subsequent opposition between Neptune retrograde and Venus calls us to consider the ways in which matters of the heart, home, or wallet are standing in the way of our true happiness and fulfillment.
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How will your sign fare this week?
Aries: March 21 – April 19
The ongoing challenges presented by a potent Venus-Mars square ease this week as the planets fall out of alignment. This subtle shift occurs just in time for a notable conjunction between Mars and a waning crescent Moon, during which the former provides some much-needed energy as the latter pushes us to let go of emotions that aren’t serving us.
Now that problems in love, finance, or home are starting to settle down, this is the perfect opportunity to analyze the experiences you’ve had in the past few weeks. What’s the point of going through hardship if you won’t glean lessons from it that will help you avoid similar strife in the future, Aries?
Taurus: April 20 – May 20
A conjunction between a last-quarter Moon and Uranus, the latter of which is under your sign, indicates the possibility for unexpected emotional reactions. Be careful not to brush these internal cues off, Taurus. Sometimes, our most chaotic internal responses are the ones that tell us the most about our subconscious feelings—the feelings we’re often too afraid to say out loud.
This celestial alignment sets the stage for an opposition between Venus and Neptune retrograde by the week’s end, emphasizing the need to nip problems in the bud. As the stars demand radical vulnerability and honesty, try to avoid sweeping conflicts under the rug. Dealing with it might not be comfortable, but it’s certainly better than letting it fester into something worse.
Gemini: May 21 – June 20
Your celestial alignment indicates emotions will run hotter than normal early in the week as Mercury retrograde forms a challenging square with a Uranus-Moon conjunction under Taurus. Taurus’ grounded Earth energy directly conflicts with your natural ruling element, Air, and the fiery energy of Leo, where Mercury has been flying for weeks.
As the final days of Mercury retrograde mix with Leo’s dominating influence, you might feel especially tempted to let your emotions guide you as you navigate communicative or technical errors. Let the Uranus-Moon conjunction under Taurus plant you firmly in reality. Letting our minds run wild is the fastest way to make problems form out of thin air, Gemini.
Cancer: June 21 – July 22
The Moon flies through multiple potent conjunctions this week, starting with Uranus on Tuesday and Jupiter and Mars on Wednesday. By the time it reaches your sign, the sliver of a waning crescent Moon will be fast approaching its darkest phase, signaling a time to rest, recharge, and regroup. And after all those planetary conjunctions, rest is exactly what you’ll need by the weekend.
The actions you take under the Uranus-Moon conjunction early in the week will affect your ability to reap the potential rewards expansive Jupiter and passionate Mars have to offer. Use the upcoming opposition between the Moon and Ceres (turning direct this week) to guide you. In the face of uncertainty, how will you ensure your wants and needs are protected?
Leo: July 23 – August 22
As Mercury retrograde returns direct under your sign, the stars encourage you to take some time for yourself to reflect and analyze what you’ve learned in the past few weeks. This introspective energy comes to a head by the weekend when a tiny sliver of the waning crescent Moon enters your sign. Meanwhile, the Sun, now in Virgo, locks into a trine with Ceres direct under Capricorn.
We often consider working toward our goals to be a form of self-care, and while this is true, in a sense, it can also be the opposite of self-nurturing. Your celestial alignment indicates a need to slow down, assess where you are on your life path, and give yourself a chance to rest.
Virgo: August 23 – September 22
Venus faces a tense stand-off with Neptune retrograde just before our planetary neighbor slips out of your sign into Libra’s. During this opposition, which you can expect to feel most strongly around Thursday and Friday, situations that test our limits of love, finances, and emotional energy are most likely to arise. You mustn’t let these challenges overwhelm you.
As we enter the first full week of Virgo season, the celestial ball is in your court. Despite how it might feel at the moment, you have the power to change direction if you wish. You are beholden to no one but you. Any situation or relationship that convinces you otherwise deserves a second consideration.
Libra: September 23 – October 22
As your ruling planet, Venus, forms an opposition to Neptune retrograde, your ruling planet also locks into a fortuitous trine with Uranus. Venus’ domain over love and finances, directly clashing with Neptune’s imaginative, escapist tendencies, indicates a need to find a balance between our wildest dreams and what’s feasible within the realm of our realistic resources.
Uranus’ presence suggests that while the revelations you find might be unexpected, they’re worth exploring. Now would be a good time to try a new communication technique in a relationship or budgeting strategy for your finances. The success we seek is rarely inside our comfort zone, Libra. You’ll need to get uncomfortable before you see any significant change.
Scorpio: October 23 – November 21
Your ruling planet, Pluto, is in the middle of two significant celestial alignments this week. First, Pluto retrograde and a barely-there sliver of waning crescent Moon stand-off with one another on Friday. Simultaneously, Pluto locks into a harmonious trine with Venus on the cusp of Virgo and Libra. (Pluto, meanwhile, remains fixed between Capricorn and Aquarius.)
All signs point to a need to do a bit of internal clean-up, Scorpio. It’s time to drag those skeletons out of the closet, lift the rug you’ve been sweeping conflicts and troubles under, and start clearing things out. Allow your loved ones—or even previous versions of yourself who have prepared for this moment—to assist in this arduous but worthwhile process.
Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21
Mercury returns direct as it forms a favorable sextile with your ruling planet, Jupiter. This weekend is a great opportunity to pursue travel, technological, or communicative plans now that the Mercurian reign of chaos is coming to a close. Revisit those vacation plans, take another swing at figuring out a new hobby or work project, or strike up a conversation you had to put on hold for a while.
A conjunction between Jupiter and a waning crescent Moon earlier in the week suggests that when you revisit these plans, you might find that they no longer interest you the same way they did before. That’s okay, too. Changing your mind is nothing to be ashamed of, Sag.
Capricorn: December 22 – January 19
Ideas and beliefs can become comforting principles even after overstaying their welcome in our lives. As the waning crescent Moon conjoins with Jupiter and forms a tense square with your ruling planet, Saturn retrograde, under Pisces, situations that highlight the dissonance between previously held values and the reality of your life as it stands today might arise.
As tempting as it might be to hold onto these feelings for a little while longer, the stars urge you to approach this pragmatically. This conflict won’t go away just because you ignore it. On the contrary, Cap, it’s liable to get worse the longer you avoid it. Take solace in the fact that you’re replacing these ideas with more positive, beneficial ones—and that’s a good thing.
Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
Your sign’s most powerful celestial alignments occur early in the week as a last-quarter Moon conjoins with Uranus in trine with Venus under Virgo. Virgo’s logical, problem-solving energy is a much-needed addition to matters of the heart and home this week, particularly as Uranus promises to amp up the unpredictability and potential for stress.
Events this week might not be what you originally planned for, but who else is better suited to deal with navigating uncharted waters than you, Aquarius? Although it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees, you’ve been in similar situations in the past. Don’t let your pride convince you this problem is so wholly unrelatable and novel that it’s unsolvable. That’s just not true.
Pisces: February 19 – March 20
Neptune retrograde forms a challenging square with a Jupiter-Moon conjunction just in time for Venus to lock into direct opposition with your blue ruling planet. The square indicates conflict within areas of your life that require discipline and responsibility. Instead of adding more to your plate this week, perhaps now would be a good time to start paring off your responsibilities wherever possible.
The subsequent Venus-Neptune retrograde opposition reinforces the idea that something—perhaps multiple somethings—is standing between you and your goals. Whether romantic, professional, or otherwise, reaching the next stage of growth becomes nearly impossible when undue stress, fears, or obligations constantly burden us. The longer you hold onto these anchors, the more stagnant this situation will become, Pisces.
