‘What Planet Can I Blame for This?’ Your Guide to Astrology & the Vibes for August 2023
August is the last official full month of summer, and it begins with the sizzling high drama season of Leo
before we head into the organized discipline that Virgo season offers – which is the perfect way to end
summer and to kick off the school year. But before we get into all of that, can we take a deep breath for
all the cosmic shifts that July brought? If you’re feeling like change is afoot, you’re definitely not alone.
And if August’s astro forecast is any indication, the wild ride isn’t over yet. According to Narayana
Montúfar, senior astrologer at Astrology.com, we have a few major transits this month, including Mars
entering Libra, Uranus going retrograde, and the ever-annoying Mercury retrograde (doesn’t it feel like
we just got over Mercury retrograde?).
For more on the cosmos next month, read below on what we can expect and how we can make the
most out of this super powerful time.
How can you help out in your community?
On August 1, there is a Full Moon in Aquarius, which Montúfar says will be a good opportunity to
donate your time or energy to a cause that speaks to you.
“As the luminaries oppose each other in the skies of Leo and Aquarius now, we are being asked to look
at the energy we invest in yourselves (Leo) and the efforts we invest in our community (Aquarius),” she
says. “If there is an unbalance now, external events in our environment will ask us to make adjustments.
Since Aquarius is the sign of humanitarian influence, there are themes of social justice. Now, more than ever, we will become aware that our contributions are necessary if there will ever be real change.”
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On a personal level, Montúfar says this full moon will have us notice if we need to scale back our efforts.
“The luminaries are forming a square with Jupiter, so if we’ve grown in the wrong direction in the past
few months, what we must course-correct will become obvious now,” she explains.
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How do you want to transform your relationships?
A few weeks later, we have a New Moon in Leo, and, according to Montúfar, this is a “fiery” one that
will feel super intense especially when it comes to our relationships.
“[This new moon is] getting sandwiched between retrograde Venus and Black Moon Lilith, so it is a crucial moment along our Venus retrograde journey,” she says. “Since July 22, our relationships have been experiencing a deep transformation, with some of them ending and others changing. Luckily, we are now receiving messages about how to move forward not only in the specific relationships that are coming up for review. We are now getting a better idea of the changes we need and what we need to seek to, once again, feel inspired.”
Due to the Black Moon Lilith influence, Montúfar says we will be feeling rebellious, “so while we need to
make room for it, we must also move with care.”
As a new moon ritual, she recommends organizing an outside fire ceremony in which everyone gets to
share what they are experiencing in their closest relationships and support each other. “The intention-etting comes afterward, and should be focused on making space for healthier connections down the
road,” she says.
Time to tackle forgotten projects
On August 23rd, the third Mercury retrograde of 2023 takes place in Virgo, and before you freak out,
Montúfar says this retrograde is actually trying to help us fix whatever needs attention in our lives.
“Virgo is Mercury’s favorite sign to be in, so it can be one of the most positive retrogrades of 2023, if we
make use of it,” she explains. “As it always does, this retrograde will bring setbacks and technology
snafus, so it will be crucial to cultivate patience. As you should always do during Mercury retrogrades,
think before hitting ‘send,’ triple-check important emails, and pick up the phone instead of texting for
important conversations.”
Another positive aspect about this Mercury retrograde, says Montúfar, is that it’s perfect for tackling
projects that have been on hold or on the back burner. “Since retrograde Mercury will form a trine with
Jupiter in Taurus, meaning that the setbacks we experience will, later on, help us grow.”
Lastly, since Virgo is the sign of purification, this retrograde is also the perfect time to take a break from
social media, do a home deep-cleaning, or do a juice cleanse.
Things are about to feel stuck and more diplomatic
On August 27, Mars, the planet of aggression and power, moves into Libra, a sign known for its
indecision and diplomacy. So you can expect to feel a little stuck when it comes to moving forward on
our dreams over the next six weeks.
“The six weeks that Mars will be in Libra will be a wild ride, but the learnings will be many and
necessary,” Montúfar says. “Libra is the least favorite sign for Mars to be in, which means that it will be
harder for us all, regardless of our sign, to express anger, desire, and ambition. On the flip side, for those
who are normally really intense in our delivery, we can find a more diplomatic attitude in our business
and even personal dealings.”
Don’t be surprised if taking action will be hard because, says Montúfar, we’re more prone to analysis
paralysis under this planet-sign combination. “Libra cares too much about taking into consideration all
opinions and everyone involved, which could dampen Mars’ energy if we are not careful.”
Another challenge that can turn into a gift will be the clash that Mars will experience with the planetary
body known as Chiron later in the year, from September 17 to October 2. When this happens,
“repressed anger will bubble up to the surface and we will be invited to deal with it diplomatically,
instead of sweeping it under the rug,” Montúfar explains.
We will receive message of our brilliance when we’re still
Uranus goes retrograde in Taurus on August 28, an event, says Montúfar, that will actually feel good and
breed more time to connect to our ideas.
“Seen by some as the Ambassador of the Future, Uranus’ job is to instigate change in our lives,” she
says. “This is the planet whose job is to shake and sometimes disrupt our lives in the case they have
been too repetitive or restrictive. Uranus has been quite active in the past few months as retrograde
Venus has requested its help in removing from our lives the relationships that have become stale and
boring.”
So, as Uranus goes retrograde in Taurus, the sign of stability and groundedness, Montúfar says we will
get a break from experiencing so much disruption and so much change, until mid-January of 2025!
“Since the energy of Uranus is erratic, during the time it goes retrograde, we can actually attune to its
brilliance, as it is also the planet of genius and breakthroughs,” she describes. “For the rest of the year,
Uranus will send us messages when we connect with and listen to our bodies.”
Time to release the old for the new
We have a Full Moon in Pisces on August 30th – a blue moon, since it’s the second full moon in the
month.
According to Montúfar, what’s different about this full moon from the first one this month is that it has
a stronger attachment to themes of the past. “With a total of seven planetary bodies in retrograde
motion, this full moon will have us revisiting old themes so we can release any pent-up emotions that
might be preventing our growth,” she says.
Additionally, this blue moon is aligning with retrograde Saturn, meaning that karmic adjustments will be
taking place. “At this time, we must remember that karma is not necessarily good or bad, so the results
could be just as positive as negative,” Montúfar explains. “Since full moons bring important endings and
culminations, we could receive praise and even rewards for a job well done in the past, for example.”
For this new moon, Montúfar recommends doing a bath ritual since Pisces is a water sign. “Clearing the
space with sage is important as this is an herb Pisces loves, and I also recommend writing a list of the
blessings that already exist in our lives. This will help us attract even more things in the future.”
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