MONTH OF August
Ready to roar, Leo? The Sun visits your sign until August 22 and puts your personal agenda front and center. After an emotional and even reclusive July, you’re ready to pull things together and make a big endeavor happen. However, August’s forecast features unexpected lightning bolts and thunderstorms that could rain on your parade if you’re not careful (trickster Mercury is retrograde for most of the month, after all). The date to watch? August 19—when two massive traffic jams known as T-squares cause a major breakthrough moment at the Aquarius full moon.
Give your best ideas some serious thought all the same. This year’s Leo season provides extra oomph to support your efforts with leadership and ambitious goals—despite some stormy cosmic weather.
The first few days of the month offer fruit that’s ripe for the picking. Magnetic and attractive Venus is in Leo until August 4. And that day, the skies serve up a Leo new moon—an additional fresh start that’s all about you and your desires. Where would you like to be six months from now? This new moon sets into motion a long, productive growth cycle that continues until the Leo full moon on February 12, 2025. If you’ve been keeping a low profile, ask yourself: What’s the primary message you want to put out into the world?
With Venus moving into organized Virgo and your second house of money and self-worth the same day as the new moon, you’ll be geared up to think about your most cherished personal goals and passion projects—and how you can prioritize them more intentionally. Use la luna’s moonbeams to get inspired about your ideas and intentions.
But don’t be too quick to commit to an action plan! Right after the Leo new moon boost, the tides turn. Communication planet Mercury will go retrograde from August 5 to 28, and from August 14 onward, it will back through YOUR sign. Mercury retrograde is a time when technology, interactions and decision-making can go infamously awry. And Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow, which began July 16, already witnessed Crowdstrikes’ global IT outage that disrupted flights worldwide, a historic data breach of 10 billion passwords AND insurance company fears of AI meddling at the Paris Olympics.
From August 5 to 14, Mercury will back through Virgo and your financial sector. Keep a close eye on your expenditures, checking those receipts and statements twice. Heed the caution lights of Mercury retrograde if you’re thinking of upgrading your laptop or buying new office equipment. Wait out the retrograde if possible since Mercury’s backspin can mess with electronics. Career-minded Leos could find themselves rethinking their (Lion’s) share of responsibilities at their current place of employment. Is your paycheck commensurate with the effort you’re putting forth?
Since the second house also rules routines and stability, Mercury’s retrograde could have you reassessing your priorities. Aim for quality over quantity. While you pride yourself on loyalty and showing up for your friends, you don’t have to attend every group gathering or say yes to one more former co-worker’s wedding. What (or who) matters most to you and what makes your life feel meaningful?
From August 14 to 28, Mercury will retrograde through Leo and your first house of selfhood, which could leave you feeling misunderstood or outright invisible at moments. As much of a bummer as this may sound like, take it as an opportunity to step back and evaluate your passions and priorities. On a deeper level, Mercury’s backspin through your sign gives you a chance to review your personal priorities and lens on life. Your metaphorical Warby Parkers are smudged and in need of a cleaning. Consider other perspectives to help fine-tune your own understanding. Remember, Lion, while your recollection of events can be quite compelling, truth is subjective, and your reality reflects your psyche.
Thinking about a new look for the season ahead? Collect ideas, but hold off on any radical changes to your appearance—or really, any extreme changes at all. Eager for some new ink? A flash tattoo or henna might be the more prudent choice before you commit to the real deal in September, when the cosmic weather clears up. Fly under the radar and use the time to finish personal projects you’ve been putting off. It could be hard to make a decision, so when in doubt, wait it out. Bring the focus back on yourself and detach from other people’s urgency.
Easier said than done, however. On August 14, right as Mercury backs into your sign, assertive Mars and inspiring Jupiter team up in Gemini and your eleventh house of friendships and strategic alliances, giving you the clout and charisma to sway the crowds. You’re a fireball online too, but thanks to Mercury, you could regret blasting off that viral post. Loud Mars in verbal Gemini can be argumentative, inviting trolls to your corner of the internet. Stay above the fray, Leo! You’ll catch more followers with kindness than with snark.
Although you may be feeling quite self-assured, stay open to input from a few wise friends and colleagues. Working on a team project? Careful not to overtake the whole agenda and accidentally steamroll your cohorts with your enthusiasm. There’s enough room on the stage for everyone to shine. If you have something big to debut, today could be favorable. But consider doing a “soft launch” (Mercury is still retrograde, after all).
On August 19, the annual Aquarius full moon beams into your seventh house of committed partnerships. Are you ready to seal the deal on an important relationship? This full moon could bring talk of engagements, moving in together or taking a more official step for couples. In business, you could move an offer to contract phase, reel in a plum client or solidify an exciting brand partnership.
If you’re ready to say “yes” to anything long-term and mutually beneficial, this full moon can be illuminating. As for the things that don’t resonate or feel fair? Use these moonbeams to negotiate a better arrangement. If you can’t find a way to make it work for both of you, the Aquarius full moon can help you part ways or shift to a different relationship structure—one where nobody feels held back.
Alert: This is no ordinary full moon —it’s spicy and dramatic, which would normally sound like just your speed, Leo. The August 19 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 current political landscape). The first T-square involves the heavy lifters of the zodiac—assertive Mars, confident Jupiter, conservative Saturn (retrograde) and harmonious Venus duking it out in adaptable signs—while the second features the full moon, Mercury retrograde and volatile Uranus in stubborn fixed signs.
This T-square mash-up 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 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 (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 (belonging, togetherness, and authenticity) into your partnership-oriented seventh house then—a progress report is incoming, and your homework will be delivered today. Jupiter and Saturn have opposite agendas: Jupiter is idealistic and wants us to take risks, Saturn is pragmatic and restrictive. At best, they work together to establish a better foundation that supports our long-term goals.
Jupiter in social Gemini and your future-oriented eleventh house encourages you to spread your wings while Saturn in passive Pisces and your merger-minded eight house offers a reality check around your shared resources and intimacy. With Venus in Virgo and your second house of confidence, compatibility is top of mind. Is the relationship worth another conversation, or have you reached an insurmountable impasse? All eyes on Leo golden couple J.Lo and Ben Affleck amidst the current media frenzy around their marriage. (Fun fact: Their relationship rekindling took place mere months after the aforementioned Great Conjunction!)
Liberator Uranus is at the heart of the second T-square, which features an opposition between the emotional full moon, communicator Mercury (still retrograde) and the dramatic Leo Sun. Talk about a celestial pressure cooker! Matters around relationships, self-worth and your future plans are at the forefront. Since this second T-square involves the stabilizers of the zodiac, the full moon illuminates where you might be stubbornly resisting change out of fear and guide you to release old insecurities (and even relationships) that no longer fit your evolving needs. This energy rush can be galvanizing, but don’t race to sever ties or make any announcements just yet! With Mercury still in its backspin through August 28, work with this newfound realization to better understand how you’d like to move forward.
Once the Sun moves into Virgo on August 22, things will feel a little more grounded over the next four weeks. Think “practical luxury” for the rest of summer and be selective about where you spend your time and money. Quality will definitely beat out quantity during this pragmatic phase.
With the Sun in your second house of security and finances, you’re eager to tick off tasks and get that sense of accomplishment. However, you don’t want to be controlled by your to-do list, Leo (or your anxiety). What’s the bigger vision here? Think about what you’re building and work on that one incremental step at a time. When you feel stressed, simply slow down! Reconnect to your body. Get out in nature—nothing like yoga or a walk on the beach to put you back in touch with the elements. The simple things will soothe your spirits now.
Swipe and ye shall find? Your clickthrough rate on the apps is peaking as passionate Mars spends the entire month logged into Gemini and your tech-savvy, futuristic eleventh house. This sapiosexual cycle can attract single Leos to someone’s beautiful mind. Who knew an all-night conversation could get you that hot and bothered? During this electrifying Venus cycle, you might experiment with new toys, pleasure-intensifying breathwork and anything that charges up your life force energy.
It doesn’t hurt that seductive Venus heads into Virgo and your sensual second house from August 4 to 29, slowing down your pace and inviting you to be powerfully present for every encounter. Even if you can envision ecstasy-ever-after, what’s the rush, really? Trade those dopamine hits of future-tripping for the rush of oxytocin, endorphins and serotonin that come from “the power of now.”
The spicy Aquarius full moon on August 19 beams its sexy moon magic into your seventh house of partnerships, shining a spotlight on a major relationship turning point. Regardless of your status, you’ll arrive at a more satisfactory and mutually beneficial arrangement. Could an engagement be in the works for some Lions in the room? (Or the long-awaited Bennifer conclusion?) If you can’t find a way around the current structural impasse, la luna can help illuminate a path forward. By the time Venus moves into Libra on August 29, you’ll arrive at a more empowered (and balanced) place in your relationships—especially with tender Venus forming a harmonious 120 degree trine to transformative Pluto shortly after switching signs.
Head’s up: Mercury is retrograde this month (August 5 to 28) and from August 14 on, it’s backing up through YOUR sign. There’s a fine line between advocating for your relationship needs and exhibiting diva-like behavior that can steamroll helpful perspectives. Choose your words with care and dial back any bratty behavior—unless it’s the type championed by Leo pop star Charli XCX and infused with authentic self-expression. (While you’re at it, weed out the “bad apples” during Mercury retrograde too!)
Current mood: In it to win it! Not only is the Sun in Leo until August 22, heating up your assertive first house, but go-getter Mars and bountiful Jupiter are hanging out in social Gemini all month—although their most potent mashup moment is August 14—setting off a whirlwind of ideas and engagements around your long-term priorities and future plans.
Is it time to put your personal stamp on something in a totally unique way? The August 4 Leo new moon is the perfect day to plant seeds for a whole new path set to unfold between now and mid-February 2025.
Ready or not, there could be a swift change in your career focus (and your strategic networks). This August 19, the annual Aquarius full moon pings your partnership and contracts sector. You might officially join forces or get a major offer out of the blue. An alliance that’s been building over the past six months could come full-circle now. You may also part ways with a key collaborator you’ve outgrown or have an air-clearing conversation that makes you love your job again.
Don’t be so eager to sign on the dotted line or commit to an arrangement as trickster Mercury will be retrograde from August 5 to 28. Mercury spends the first leg of its retrograde in organized Virgo and your second house of money, then backs into Leo on August 14, where it will spend the rest of the retrograde, lingering in your sign until September 9.
Careful to not let your ego grab the wheel, Lion! With Mercury’s retrograde through your assertive first house, your personal filter might not be operating at its best. Is your overconfidence (or underconfidence, for that matter) blinding you to necessary feedback that can help you shine brighter than you already do?
When the Sun enters Virgo and your productive second house for a month this August 22, you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and start making things happen. Translate your conversations into tangible action steps—or at least prioritize one or two that can go the distance. Use the last two weeks of summer to get a better handle on your schedule and routines before “back-to-school” mode is activated.
Love Days: 14, 18
Money Days: 24, 6
Luck Days: 22, 4
Off Days: 29, 16, 20
