Astrologers Say August Is Going To Be One For The Books — Here's Your Horoscope

Well, this is gonna be a month, friends. If you're thinking about taking August off, give it your best shot. August begins in the middle of Leo season and a Mercury retrograde shadow period. When Mercury turns retrograde from August 5 to 28, expect delays if you're trying to get a straight answer or clear direction on next steps. 

When Mercury hits the cosmic pause button, it can be a valuable time to step back, reflect, and course-correct. Did you miss key details in your haste to close the deal? If only the quicksilver planet didn't also like to complicate things by foiling technology, travel, and communication in its retrograde wake. 

This August 14, the two most impatient planets, Mars and Jupiter, will make an exact conjunction (meetup) in talkative Gemini. It will be almost impossible to keep our thoughts to ourselves, so prepare for the misunderstandings (and rumors) to fly. We're already bracing ourselves for some spicy election clips.

Speaking of which, August 19 is the start of the Democratic National Convention. And it just so happens to coincide with one of the most intense days we've seen in the stars for a while, with a full moon double T-square crisscrossing the skies. (That's saying a lot, if you still have your protective paper glasses from a certain solar eclipse on April 8!) 

For starters, there's a full moon in Aquarius, the sign that rules politics and society. Well timed, except it just so happens to be opposing Mercury retrograde in dramatic Leo and in a harsh 90-degree square to disrupter Uranus in staunch Taurus. Will there be tough questions, hard lines, and strong opinions—at the very least? You bet your ballot there will. With all of these planets in rigid fixed signs, nobody's backing down easily.

Part of this second T-square involves an important 90-degree square between Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Pisces. It's significant because it's what's called the "opening square" between these two planets, a key moment in the 20-year dance that Jupiter and Saturn do. Every two decades, we have what's called a Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, where they arrive at the same point in the sky and appear as a single, bright star from our vantage point on earth.

On December 21, 2020, a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius (dubbed "the Christmas star" by the media) was believed to be an important moment that moved humanity deeper into the Age of Aquarius, a time when community, technology, and togetherness would become the presiding values over material wealth, property, and accumulation. 

The August 19 Jupiter-Saturn square serves as a checkpoint, as we're a quarter of the way through this cycle. The timing, and the pattern in the stars today, is eerie to us.

The annual Leo new moon turns a page on your creative (and romantic) endeavors. Try to do one thing to put your talents on display or draw attention to your gifts, especially if your work-to-play ratio has tipped too heavily toward responsibilities. Can you commit to having more fun, even if you're busy? Productivity might just ramp up when you're taking breaks to relax your mind and enjoy downtime with friends.

Decadent Venus leaves hedonistic Leo for healthy Virgo on August 4, and suddenly, self-care is sexy.

Give your love life a healthy makeunder and reboot the routines that restore your glow. It's an ideal time to adopt a regimen you look forward to, from dance class to kickboxing. Then, revel in the endorphins post-workout.

Communication planet Mercury first backs up through its home sign of Virgo until August 14. While the finicky planet is retrograde in Virgo for about 10 days, you know the drill: Review everything. If you don't know the drill, here's a guide to Mercury retrograde to get you started.

There's power in numbers when the year's only full moon in collaborative, progressive Aquarius stokes camaraderie. 

On a personal level, champion a cause you care about. Speak up if you see an injustice. Find the people who share your vision and values, and see how you can stir up change for the greater good.

Back to the simpler things! The Sun shifts out of high-wattage Leo and moves into Virgo on August 22. Collectively, it's time to scale back, prioritize, and bring efficiency to our lives, after four weeks of excess.

With el Sol in this nature-loving earth sign, squeeze some alfresco moments into these last four weeks of summer: bike rides to the beach, yoga in the park, lap swims in the saltwater pool. Then, bring some order to your court.

From your storage systems to your project-management software, give everything a proper review. With earthy Virgo ruling the skies, enjoy the harvest of fresh produce. Skip the fast-fashion specials, and support brands with eco-conscious practices and production models.