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Your August 2019 Horoscopes

August begins with an optimism bender. The month kicks off with not only the sun at home in Leo, but the moon, Venus and Mars also proudly taking up space in the lion’s den. This means it’s time to get in touch with our most innovative ideas. Mark your calendar especially for August 11th when Jupiter finally stations direct, and we can move forward on projects that probably slowed down, if not came to a startling halt, in April. We have until December to make the most of this expansive energy, so let’s not waste it. On the same day, Uranus stations retrograde until January 2020, reminding us to review the results of our recent experimentation. 

If the new moon in Leo on July 31st asked, “What is our passion?” the full moon in Aquarius on August 15th responds with, “How can we share that passion?” Full moons are a time of needed culmination, and Aquarius is an especially social and altruistic sign, so it’s a great time to engage in both the most pleasurable and the most difficult parts of bringing people together. Each of our sparks of brilliance is needed in the wider community.

On the 18th, Mars enters meticulous Earth sign Virgo, followed by Venus on the 21st, the sun on the 23rd (happy birthday, Virgos!), and Mercury on the 29th. While planets in Leo express themselves flamboyantly, planets in Virgo express themselves fastidiously. With a new moon in Virgo on the 30th, this month that began in an inflated whirlwind ends on a note of confident care. Let’s use this lunation to set intentions for fall with practical creativity and uncompromising standards. Bless.


4 leo

Oh Leo, it’s your birthday, and with so many planets hanging in your sign at the top of the month, the spotlight is especially on you. If all the attention and self-reflection is running you ragged, just keep hydrated and prioritize your beauty rest. The simplest maintenance will keep you glowing. On the 11th, when Jupiter stations direct in your fifth house of creativity, take the self-care one step further and carve out extra time to get back to a just-for-you creative project, abandoned back in April for something more “legit.” Even if no one sees the collage or hears you play guitar, the practice alone is worth the pursuit.

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th ushers in a new phase for your relationship. Whether you are getting engaged, calling it quits or deciding that you do in fact want kids with your partner, remember that whatever is happening is not about you or about the person you’re with, but about how you thrive (or don’t) together. Whether you’re ringing in a new era or going out with a bang, be sure to mark this occasion with a spectacle (it’s what you do best).

After all the full moon hoopla, the second half of the month finds you monitoring your finances with a scrupulous attention to detail. As the planets pile up in Virgo, and your second house of earned income, there is literally no transaction left unseen or unconsidered. Being your own personal budgeting app could save you from paying for something you didn’t purchase. For the new moon in Virgo on the 30th, make a budget focused not on what you spend, but on what you want to earn. If you are specific, the cash will come.

5 virgo

As the sun, Venus and Mars travel through your 12th house of the unconscious at the top of the month, get intimate with what’s out of your control. Keep a diary of your extremely vivid dreams and practice patience rather than rushing to fix what feels out of place. On the 11th, Jupiter stations direct in your fourth house of origins and family foundation, and you are inspired to continue your research into your family tree. It turns out your grandmother had psychic abilities, too! Discovering where and who you come from can only help you heal.

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th is the moment to finally get involved with a local charity or an activist group. Your diligence is an asset to any organization, so don’t waste this culminating moment by working hard where you’re not appreciated. Follow your passion: email a grassroots politician’s team or ask your Instagram-crush on a coffee date. They want you on their team.

As you enter your birthday season in the second half of the month, celebrate yourself through investing in some über-functional self-care tools: an expensive electric toothbrush, those Diptyque candles that have been sitting in your Amazon cart since early 2017 and a fresh set of Rhodia notebooks and Uni-ball pens for collecting your thoughts. With the new moon in your sign on the 30th, stop wasting your top-of-the-line advice on your friends who never listen to you anyway. Flip the narrative and save the sagest advice for yourself.

6 libra

The invitations keep rolling in at the top of the month as the planets in Leo bring all of the action to your 11th house of social connection. You are curious about everything, but to avoid burnout, get clear on what it is you really want from community. Go to only those parties and politely decline the rest. On the 11th, Jupiter stations direct and something that has been majorly bothering you in your immediate environment for months is finally resolved. Whether it’s smoothing out that bumper damage on your car or getting in touch with a childhood friend who ghosted on plans back in April, that tiny stress is no longer distracting you from things much more deserving of your attention. 

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th is a time for you to give birth, literally or figuratively. This lunation falls in your fifth house of will, and if what you have willed into being is not a literal human baby (this is also an ideal time to conceive for you, though), it marks the release of a long-gestating artistic project, or a memorable date at the start of a new relationship. How do you want to leave your mark on the world? Nothing is only frivolous; you leave a bit of yourself in everything you create.

As the planets pile up in Virgo, the social pressure releases, and you are finally allowed to take a break from the scene. Spend the end of the month discovering the most optimal conditions for your rest: Do you like your mattress soft or firm? Do you prefer your essential oils lavender or peppermint? Silk robe or linen sheets? Take note of it all. Ideally, the new moon in Virgo on the 30th is spent completely off the grid, meticulously counting sheep.

7 scorpio

Yes, it would of course be nice to be proud of your actual job, but it’s your reputation you’re concerned with, as all of the planets sounding off in Leo remind you not only of all the clout you have but of all the clout you have lost. You are constantly surrounded by people of great importance, so when is it your turn? As Jupiter stations direct on the 11th, you finally get a handle on self-esteem that has felt elusive since April. If you’re a freelancer, you will finally be clear on which clients aren’t worth your time, and if you’re employed, you have the confidence to seek work elsewhere if your boss dares to deny you a raise. 

As Uranus stations retrograde, your dating life or growing pains in your committed relationship slow down, and the full moon in Aquarius on the 15th brings the focus back to your entire family and the home you are building together (or alternatively, that you are building yourself with your stunner of a cat). You are feeling settled in your private life for the first time in years, so invite others into your process. Combine a housewarming party with your end-of-summer cleaning and send your friends home with new clothes, or niche items from your pantry (pomegranate molasses, anyone?). You don’t need more than what makes you feel comfortable.

From the 18th, as the planets one by one move into Virgo, it’s time to get extremely practical about the reality of your dreams. Use your friends as a sounding board as you revise your vision while simultaneously trusting that you haven’t lost the skills and networks you’ve been building for the last decade or more. Even if you want to be a part of a completely separate community, you never know who you know who knows someone else you need to know, you know? On the 30th for the new moon in Virgo, make your intentions clear and watch as the tangled web you’ve built magically delivers.

8 sagittarius

How much knowledge is too much knowledge? How many trips are too many trips? These are questions you never thought you’d ask yourself, but as the sun, Venus and Mars, all in Leo, conjure opportunities for studies and travel, you realize all of this spelunking is affecting your health. Jupiter starts moving forward in your first house of self, and you finally feel centered after struggling to get grounded since April. Spend some mornings in meditation and evenings in alone time considering which desires fulfill not only a wish but a need.

On the 15th, the full moon in Aquarius further pulls your head out of the stars. Months ago, you agreed to prepare a gourmet dinner for your best friend’s Kickstarter donors while high on the euphoria of learning proper knife skills in France, or promised a local herbalist you’d clean up her website before her fall product launch while in the thick of a coding academy bootcamp you signed up for on a whim. This lunation puts the theories you have studied to a practical test. Were you actually paying attention, or was it all about a feeling?

Much to your relief, things get less conceptual as the planets shift into Virgo in the second half of the month. It’s time to finally take yourself seriously and make a plan of attack for getting on track with your Capital-C Career. Your mind will always wander to a cheap flight, or an intellectual inquiry, but it’s time to take responsibility for how you’re actually seen. On the 30th, use the energy of the new moon to set some cliché #career #goals; you can switch things up while staying on track.

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The personal planets making a scene in Leo at the start of the month bring major attention to what is and isn’t yours as they light up your eighth house of shared resources. If you have been living on borrowed money—student debt, a loan from your parents, or your partner working to support your dreams—stop worrying so much about how you will ever pay it all back, and refocus your attention on what you are currently able to give. On the 11th, Jupiter stations direct in the area of your chart that governs what’s beyond your control, and it feels like the universe is teasing you. Everyone else seems to be having a major growth spurt while you remain the same. Continue to do what you can.

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th further emphasizes your relationship with personal contribution and self-esteem. If this lunation arrives with an imperfect job offer that doesn’t pay quite enough, or an unexpected gift that makes you feel even more in debt, remember that when you learn to value yourself, you will attract abundance in reflection. Don’t accept less than what you’re worth just to end a period of uncertainty.

On the 18th through the end of the month, as the planets make their way into Virgo, there is finally relief from all the money talk, as you set your sights on the bigger picture. Where do you see yourself next year? In the next five years? Will you travel abroad? Go back to school? How can you get even more in tune with your spirituality? On the 30th for the new moon in Virgo, make a detailed map of where you want to go, and commit to taking notes along your journey.

10 aquarius

At the top of the month, as the planets in Leo collect in your seventh house of other people, you are very caught up in the success of a joint business venture, or on meeting your partner’s needs. As long as this focus is coming from genuine love and care, it’s OK to let go of some of your own desires (the more expensive graphic designer, or the trip to Paris rather than to see your husband’s family in St. Louis) to satisfy a mutual need. On the 11th, Jupiter’s forward momentum eases your tunnel-vision as you are inspired to spread your enthusiastic support and committed energy in the greater community. Watch as all of your relationships flourish even without your constant attention.

Despite existing as a unit these days, the full moon in Aquarius on the 15th puts the spotlight fully on you. Whether asked to rate your beloved coworker’s recent haircut over Slack or share your critique of your local CSA’s wasteful ethos at the town hall meeting, it’s your words that will be heard. Let your strong sense of self guide the integrity of what you have to say, and trust that your criticism has heart and will be received as care.

The second half of the month brings less pure adoration and more precise assessment of resources as the planets move into Virgo, your 8th house of losses, debts and money that is shared. Proving you are part of a power couple means nothing if you lack resources. Get on the same page with your partner and consult a finance guru if necessary. On the new moon in Virgo on the 30th, make your strongest power couple move yet by opening a joint bank account. Nothing screams vulnerability quite like giving someone unfiltered access to your complete history of debit transactions.

11 pisces

As the month begins, you are never not working. With the three planets in Leo together in your sixth house of the daily grind, you find yourself on a hamster wheel of chores, or with five-part time jobs when perhaps you only needed four? You have taken on each responsibility with an admirable willingness, though. On the 11th, you get more than a fleeting recognition for your work as Jupiter stations direct in the part of your chart that represents both your career and your legacy. You are finally promoted to a deserved leadership role, and you keep it real as a fantastic boss because you took the time to understand how the entire system functions.

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th allows you to take a break by letting someone else take the lead. Someone as generous as you can only relax when you know that everyone else’s needs are met, so if you’ve scheduled a vacation, let someone else plan the itinerary, and simply go along for the ride. Revel in the utopia that is using your energy only to be present and accept that this kind of power move makes you an actual rock star.

As the planets move into Virgo in the second half of the month, you look up from your now masterful workflow to get focused on how you can improve your sustainability…in relationships. Hint: Focus on the details. You often get lost in the otherworldliness of romance (total Pisces move), but what about the things that aren’t so dreamy? Pay careful attention to the tiny things about your partner that you love, and the even tinier things about your partner that drive you crazy.  By the new moon in Virgo on the 30th, you discover that by knowing what’s ugly, you have become only more intimate. Make a plan to go deeper.

12 aries

Really indulge your creature comforts at the top of the month, dear Aries. With all of the personal planets passing through your fifth house of love affairs and creativity, your time is definitely best spent in bed with a lover, perfecting your french toast recipe or, if you’re feeling intellectual, working your way through critical films of the French New Wave. On the 11th, Jupiter stations direct in your ninth house of higher learning and foreign travel, and you get an email saying that library book you’ve been coveting is finally off hold, or a reminder from Hopper about a cheap flight to Copenhagen, or encouragement from your yoga teacher to start a 200-hour training program. It’s time to refocus your passion on the big picture, or at least get out of bed.

For the full moon in Aquarius on the 15th, be sure to finally make it out of the house. It’s the perfect time to organize a group outing with friends so make a plan to volunteer at a community shelter, host a screening of that must-see environmental documentary or invite everyone you know to your favorite band’s album release. Share a cause close to your heart, not for the photo op but to benefit the collective.

The new moon in Virgo on the 30th falls in your sixth house of problem solving, and is a reminder that life isn’t all good fortune and high spirit; the ever-growing to-do list must be tended to as well. Your next pleasure vacation will be even sweeter with freshly folded socks, newly washed sheets and your license renewed at the DMV; so make a long list, and revel in the feeling of crossing out each item. I promise there’s magic in the mundane.

1 taurus

Whether you are attending an overwhelming family wedding, moving to a new apartment in the same city or adjusting to the work-from-home lifestyle, the top of the month sets a tone of productive chaos in your private life. Make sure that you can sneak away from the drunk cousins, the endless cardboard boxes or makeshift work desk to have some moments completely to yourself. On the 11th, Jupiter stations direct, and a debt that has long been haunting you vanishes from your credit history, leaving you with an improved score and a sense of bewildered relief. Take this as a hint to address some other financial woes and invest in better foundations.

On the 15th, the full moon in Aquarius is an opportunity to flex your leadership muscles. Take the reins of the spiraling reply-all email chain for your boss’s going away party, treat the shy intern at your office to lunch or settle a dispute between two well-meaning mutual friends on Twitter. You know what you like, and you’re skilled at getting things your way, but try to practice grace in a less-than-ideal situation, just this once. There is great power in sacrifice.

As literally all of the planets shift into Virgo toward month’s end, it’s time to get practical and strategize your next fling. What do you need to support you in your next romantic venture? Have your deeply organized and purely sex-positive BFF restructure the info on your Tinder profile; spend a weekend fastidiously researching sex toys; and make sure every romantic bar with excellent ambiance and five-star bar snacks within a three-mile radius is starred on Google Maps for easy access. Even if you are monogamously taken, by the new moon in Virgo on the 30th, you are beyond prepped for the perfect date.

2 gemini

All of the personal planets making their way through Leo at the start of the month have you experience the feels about the special friends who have drifted away. Dig yourself out of the spiral by journaling about these memories to let them go. The future is so much more interesting! As Jupiter starts moving forward on the 11th, a long distance (or recently out of a relationship) lover drops back into your life, making a visit to your town and continuing the romance where it left off in April. Making fresh memories with this person who has become a fixture in your present life further tames the nostalgia demon.

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th is your big chance to make your breadth of knowledge available to the community. You always thrive in the role of the curious child at the party, but what happens when the tables are turned and you’re the one who must answer all the questions? Be the professor you wish to see in the world. At the very least, take all those travel tips you have for Berlin, Portugal or Santa Fe and write them down for once. Get them into a Google Doc to share with your first-time traveling friends. Remembering these eye-opening excursions will inspire you to book another trip. So pack your bags.

Starting on the 18th and through the end of the month, every fast-moving planet in the sky enters fellow Mercury-ruled sign Virgo, lighting up your fourth house of home. It’s time to make some serious upgrades to the functionality in your living situation, and things may get even more chaotic as you put everything in its right place. By the time the new moon arrives on the 30th, you have enforced a chore wheel with your messy roommates, installed a life-giving home audio system and taught yourself color theory to rearrange the display of the bookshelf. With all the clutter filed away, appreciate the calm after the storm.

3 cancer

The pileup of planets in Leo at the top of the month has you contemplating what really matters to you, in a material sense. You are leveling up: getting your books off the floor and consigning those designer pieces you never wear to make room for what’s next. Remember back in April how you and your partner were getting ready for the next step in your relationship? Getting a puppy? Moving in together? Whatever it was, at the last second, someone (hint: it was you) got cold feet. As Jupiter begins his forward motion on the 11th, keep your eyes peeled for sweet faces up for adoption or local shelters in search of responsible foster parents. As you continue to build your stamina for hard work and your capacity for care, there’s no better responsibility to bring into your life than a furry friend.

The full moon in Aquarius on the 15th in your house of shared resources further hints that if you must commit to a debt, it might as well be something cuddly. In all seriousness, though, watch your spending around this time. Make a date with yourself each morning with a homemade golden milk latte (if that’s what it takes) to actually open that “Balance Update” email from Chase. It’s OK to give in to some impulsive purchases, but remember that you can’t donate to everyone’s cause (even that cute bartender’s short film). You need some of the abundance for yourself.

The new moon in Virgo on the 30th finds you calmly handling a problem for your sister. She has so often bailed you out of sticky situations, but now it’s your turn to be her rock in the stormy sea. Let your expert maneuvering of her crisis give you confidence the next time you wonder if your way is the right way. You know exactly what to do.



jwright

Astrologer

Jaime Wright is an astrologer and writer based in NYC. She has been writing PureWow’s weekly and monthly horoscope columns since 2019, and also authors the cult favorite...