August 2026 Astrology Overview
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The Overview
To set the stage for August, let’s begin with some context. Entering into the month, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron are all retrograde.
As a gentle reminder, Saturn’s retrograde in Aries will end on December 10, 2026; Neptune’s retrograde in Aries will end on December 12, 2026; Pluto’s retrograde in Aquarius will end on October 15, 2026, and Chrion’s retrograde in Taurus and Aries will end on January 6, 2027 and will Chrion will move back into Taurus where it will remain until 2033-2034.
I am calling August a month of multiples as there are several days which feature at least three transits happening in succession. For this month’s overview, we’ll start by diving into the core transits and ingresses of the month. Followed by an exploration of the days that contain multiple tranists. Let us begin.
As always, I’ve included a list of all the transits happening in August, should you want to see what is happening in the sky at a glance.
August 3: Chiron Retrograde in Taurus 0° (enters Aries on September 17th; re-enters Taurus on January 6th)
August 6: Venus enters Libra; Sun in Leo trine Saturn in Aries 14°
August 9: Mercury enters Leo
August 10: Mercury in Leo square Chiron Retrograde in Taurus 0°; Venus in Libra trine Pluto in Aquarius 3°; Venus in Libra opposes Neptune Retrograde in Aries 4°
August 11: Mars enters Cancer; Mercury in Leo opposes Pluto in Aquarius 3°; Mercury in Leo trine Neptune in Aries 4°; Venus in Libra trine Uranus in Gemini 5°
August 12: Mars in Cancer sextile Chiron in Taurus 0°; New Moon in Leo 20°; Mercury in Leo sextile Uranus in Gemini 5°
August 13: Mercury in Leo sextile Venus in Libra 6°
August 15: Mercury conjoins Jupiter in Leo 10°
August 17: Mars in Cancer square Neptune Retrograde in Aries 3°; Mercury in Leo trine Saturn Retrograde in Aries 14°; Venus in Libra sextile Jupiter in Leo 10°
August 21: Venus in Libra opposes Saturn Retrograde in Aries 14°
August 22: Sun enters Virgo
August 23: Sun in Virgo trine Chiron Retrograde in Taurus 0°
August 25: Mercury enters Virgo; Mercury in Virgo trine Chiron in Taurus 0°
August 27: Mercury cazimi 4° in Virgo
August 28: Full Moon in Pisces 4° (Partial Lunar Eclipse); Mercury in Virgo square Uranus in Gemini 5°; Sun in Virgo square Uranus in Gemini 5°
August 31: Jupiter in Leo trine Saturn Retrograde in Aries 13°
August 3:
At the beginning of the month, on August 3rd, Chiron will station retrograde at 0 degrees of Taurus. It will move back into Aries on September 17th, and will then re-enter Taurus on January 6, 2027 where (again) it will remain until 2033-2034. When Chiron moved into Taurus last month on June 19th, also a day of celebration for the emancipation of slavery known as Juneteenth, we talked through the major themes that this transit will likely have in store.
Chiron is commonly referred to as the “Wounded Healer” in astrology. This association is, in part, due to its multiplicity, which includes its classification as a minor planet, asteroid, and comet, as well as its orbit, which scratches the outer banks between Saturn and Uranus. Additionally, the mythology of Chiron is one that addresses the spectrum between duality; between pain and pleasure, and the experiences that exist between them.
In many ways, the archetype of Chiron speaks to one’s capacity to hold multiple things at the same time, and its fundamental nature will be an important touchstone as we move through August.
August 6
On August 6th, Venus will enter Libra, the sign of her diurnal domicile. In Libra, Venus (the planet of love, attraction, beauty, and pleasure) is comfortable and is fully resourced. She rests here for a few weeks before beginning her retrograde cycle, which is happening in Scorpio and Libra this year.
Venus in Libra is the pursuit of beauty and sweetness. Libra is the sign of the scales. It symbolizes balance and justice, and can equally attune the senses to matters of injustice.
August 9
Mercury, having wrapped up its retrograde cycle in Cancer, will move into Leo on August 9th. Mercury, the messenger and communicator, in Leo, is interested foremost in speaking from the heart. The shadow side to this placement is arrogance or boastfulness in manners of speech. There is no need to brag with Mercury in Leo. The practice is to express yourself with integrity and compassion.
August 11
On August 11th, Mars will enter the sign of Cancer, where it is said to be in its fall. The logic behind this is related to the “Essential Dignities” and “Traditional Rulership” schema in Hellenistic astrology. Essentially, each planet has a sign where it is said to be either in domicile, in detriment, exalted, or fallen. Both schemas help us understand how planets and signs relate to each other, and show how the qualities of each planet tend to manifest in each sign.
With that understanding, we can infer that Mars is in fall in Cancer because it is exalted in Capricorn.
The last time Mars was in the sign of Cancer was in September 2024. That year, there was a Mars retrograde happening in Leo and Cancer, which spanned several months from the end of 2024 to the beginning of 2025. In early January 2025, there were several major wildfire events, including the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, as Mars re-entered Cancer during its retrograde cycle.
Cancer is a cardinal Water sign, and is moist and cold in temperament. Mars is a malefic planet; hot in temperament, and in its fall it tends to produce an inflammatory response. This transit may manifest similarly to its 2024 and 2025 transit through Leo and Cancer, involving heat, pressure, and potentially erratic or chaotic behavior and action, either in people or the environment, or both.
August 12
The New Moon in Leo indicates a conjunction between the Sun and the Moon. New Moons are generally considered as a time to plant seeds and set intentions. Look to where you have Leo in your chart to know exactly what this pertains to. For example, if you have Leo in the first House, the New Moon might invite you to set new intentions for your life’s direction, or shifting how you see yourself.
August 15
By the middle of the month, Mercury will meet up with Jupiter in Leo on August 15th. The planet of communication, thinking, and language will be in deep conversation with Jupiter, the planet of higher knowledge, expansion, and spiritual development. With this transit, Leo will be host to Jupiter, Mercury, the Sun, and the South Node.
August 22
On August 22, the Sun enters Virgo. This transit kicks off Virgo season, shifting the energy from the fiery and fixed heat of Leo season, to the mutable and transformative earthly qualities of Virgo.
August 25
A few days later, right on cue, Mercury enters Virgo, the sign of its nocturnal domicile. Again, we move from the fixed Fire of Leo, to the mutable Earth of Virgo, where communication and thinking are beginning to pivot in preparation for the slower-paced seasons ahead.
August 27
On August 27, just a few days after it enters Virgo, Mercury will be cazimi, in the heart of the all-seeing eyes of our great luminary, the Sun. This is a moment to pause and reflect, and, most importantly, to listen to the energy that comes through on this day—whether subtle or grand. When the planet of messages conjoins the Sun, taking time to witness their meeting, and see how it lands within you, can lead to great insight.
August 28
This brings us to the end of the month, with the Full Moon in Pisces on August 28th. This is also a partial Lunar Eclipse—the last to occur in this sign as the Nodes of the Moon have now shifted into the Leo and Aquarius axis. Here we are wrapping up a chapter that began in January 2025, when the Nodes shifted into the Pisces and Virgo axis.
The Nodes of the Moon, or Lunar nodes, are the two intersecting points where the Moon’s orbital plane and the Earth’s orbital plane cross each other. These crossing points are where eclipses happen, during either a New or Full Moon.
If you journal, or keep track of daily occurrences, this Full Moon would be a wonderful way to reflect on what has come to fruition over the past 18 months, especially as it relates to the Houses where you have Pisces and Virgo. You can also look to the rulers of these signs, Jupiter and Mercury respectively, to get a sense of additional themes that may have also been at play since January 2025.
Now we move into an overview on days that feature multiple transits. There are five in total that we will discuss. As per my usual style, I’m not going to share any hard predictions for the dates that follow. Instead, we’ll talk through the general energy of the transits and how they might take shape more broadly. If you’d like to dive more deeply into how this month is influencing your chart specifically, I’d love to work with you one-to-one in consultation or in an on-going partnership.
Before we dive in, I’ll share a quick reminder on aspects. As we’ve talked about before, squares are of the nature of Mars. They tend to build tension, and can often lead us toward action, progress, or productivity. Sextiles are of the nature of Venus, and they are often described as a warm handshake. Trines are of the nature of Jupiter, they promote a free flow of energy, and an easefulness. Oppositions are of the nature of Saturn, and they have a tendency to lead to a sense of remoteness or polarization.
August 10
The aspects featured on this day include a square, a trine, and an opposition. In other words, tension, ease, and pulling in either direction.
Mercury in Leo squaring Chiron retrograde in Taurus might look like finally saying the thing that’s been building pressure, perhaps over weeks, months or years.
Venus in Libra trine Pluto in Aquarius might look like feeling empowered to explore the depths of a relationship, either with yourself or another person.
Venus in Libra opposing Neptune retrograde in Aries might feel like recognizing that something about a relationship feels immovable, so instead of pulling and pushing, you accept that there is an impasse.
August 11
Aspects that are highlighted today include an opposition and two trines. Or we might say the dynamic between opposing sides and a free flow of energy between them.
Mars enters Cancer on this day, which we discussed previously.
Mercury in Leo opposing Pluto in Aquarius might manifest as an important message coming through regarding power, wealth, or secrets. You might detect something that you previously were not aware of. This might be a good day to attune your spidey-senses.
Mercury in Leo will also trine Neptune in Aries, and this might indicate that the fog is being lifted if there was a situation that was previously hard to see or discern. This might also manifest as communication regarding something related to leadership, or a call for clear decision-making.
Venus in Libra trine Uranus in Gemini might feel like a wild date night, or a chance meeting that shakes things up.
August 12
Here we have two sextiles and conjunction featured on this day. Another way to think about this is supportive and mergenign energy.
Mars in Cancer sextile Chiron in Taurus will likely stir up or aggravate something that happened in the past. There might be a sense of feeling triggered, or feeling on the defense.
The New Moon in Leo indicates a conjunction between the Sun and the Moon. New Moons are generally considered as a time to plant seeds and set intentions. Look to where you have Leo in your chart to know exactly what this pertains to. For example, if you have Leo in the first House, the New Moon might invite you to set new intentions for your life’s direction, or shifting how you see yourself.
Mercury in Leo sextile Uranus in Gemini might look like forming new partnerships or friendships, or a chance meeting with someone who becomes a quick confidant.
August 17
This day features a square, a trine, and a sextile. Or, we might look at this as tension, ease, and support.
Mars in Cancer square Neptune retrograde in Aries might speak to very heated confrontations. There might be a dynamic of tension between family and home and your needs and desires. The ruler of Aries is Mars, and is in Cancer here where it is in its fall. So there may be a sense of feeling defeated.
Mercury in Leo trine Saturn retrograde in Aries could speak to needing to review or reconstruct something you’re trying to build. You might check in with yourself around ambition, and whether you can accomplish what you set out to do. Try not to discourage yourself, but be honest and compassionate as you reassess.
Venus in Libra sextile Jupiter in Leo might manifest as a romantic and adventurous rendezvous with your beloved. If you are unpartnered, utilize this day to do something lovely for yourself that helps you remember the awe and significance of life.
August 28
We come to the end of the month featuring an opposition and two squares. Both of these aspects are referred to as “hard” aspects due to their nature and connection with the malefic planets Mars and Saturn.
The Full Moon in Pisces is a Partial Lunar Eclipse. This means that the Sun and Moon are in opposition to each other. We discussed this transit previously, but to highlight the opposition, there may be polarity felt between the spirit and body. You might feel tired or invigorated, depending on what happened leading up to this point.
My suggestion is to spend some time reviewing two time frames: The New Moon in Pisces, which occurred on March 18th, and January 11, 2025 when the North Node moved into Pisces. You might take note of any themes related to moving toward dreams, creativity, and the subconscious, as well as releasing perfectionism, criticism, and control.
Mercury in Virgo square Uranus in Gemini features the ruler of Gemini in Virgo; recall both signs are ruled by Mercury. There is a possibility with this transit that there is development happening regarding ideas and intellect. Perhaps you are pursuing an advanced degree, or another course of serious study. Whether it is related to your current field, or completely different from it, there is a sense of rigor which helps you level up or upgrade in some way.
The Sun in Virgo square Uranus in Gemini, begets another form of tension. This is a day to soothe the nervous system and the mind. Meditation and other contemplative practices would be helpful. If you start over thinking or feeling overwhelmed, take a pause to breathe and be still. If you have time, give yourself a scalp massage with your favorite hair oil. Give yourself moments of relaxation and peace.
Self cultivation is an essential element of being human, and there are multiple ways to engage in this important inner work. The month of August is a good reminder of this, as it begins with the multi-dimensional Chiron retrograde. August also asks that we leave perfectionism at the door, to embrace a more compassionate way of easing our own suffering, and living life with greater awareness.
You can book a personal reading with me to explore the nature of your natal chart through multi-session astrological coaching.