Monthly Horoscope: Virgo, August 2023

Sleep is also a big theme for you during Leo season, but the astrology at the start of the month is still very busy: There’s a full moon in Aquarius, Mars in Virgo connects with Jupiter in Taurus, and Mercury in Virgo opposes Saturn in Pisces, all on August 1! The sun in luxurious Leo encourages you to carve out extra time for rest and relaxation, but the full moon in Aquarius brings your attention to your day job and chores. A project could finally be completed! A big reorganization may be taking place. In your personal life, this full moon can find you kicking an old habit or reworking your routine or schedule in some way. 

Mars’s alignment with lucky Jupiter could bring you an exciting opportunity, too. Astrologers often describe Virgos as cautious and shy, but your extroverted and adventurous side is on full display now. Your ruling planet Mercury’s opposition with Saturn can add gravity to discussions—patience may be tested, and immaturity might bring setbacks. Important conversations about future plans with partners may come to a head. Saturn’s favorite word is no, so you may find yourself sending or receiving messages of rejection! However, this is a powerful time to set boundaries, and saying or hearing no might bring the relief you need.

Mercury retrograde begins later this month on August 23, and it enters its pre-retrograde shadow on August 3, which means that during this time, you may see some foreshadowing of the conversations and plans that will be reworked during the retrograde. Mercury will be retrograde in your sign, which could mean that you’ll rethink decisions you make during this period, or that you’ll revisit the past in some significant way.

An energy of extravagance and drama is in the air as the sun in Leo squares off with Jupiter on August 6! Juicy information may be shared. A fantastic adventure could take place—but be careful not to overindulge. Venus retrograde in Leo squares off with Uranus in Taurus on August 9, which may bring you exciting and novel pleasures, but unexpected feelings and desires could also arrive! Doing your own thing and having time alone may be very important to you right now. Feeling beholden to other people’s schedules or expectations can be quite overwhelming. Relationships where there is mistrust or a controlling behavior can be severely tested. Partnerships where space is respected can thrive. You might plan a sudden and unexpected getaway with a lover during this time. Also on August 9, Mercury aligns with Jupiter, creating an easygoing atmosphere for communication. Good news may come your way! If you’re in school, publishing something, or traveling, this alignment can bode well for those endeavors. 

An important realization about your needs and desires takes place as the sun meets Venus retrograde on August 13. Virgos are famously neat, but life gets messy sometimes: Venus retrograde is no exception, especially in Leo, where people tend to react in a dramatic way. As messy as things might be, you could be gaining inner clarity and renewing your connection with your inner voice, guiding you forward.

You may be ready to make a radical and surprising change as the sun squares off with Uranus on August 15, and the new moon in Leo on August 16 marks the start of a new cycle in your life, especially regarding the rest and relaxation you need in order to feel happy, healthy, and productive. Mars also connects with Uranus on this day, perhaps bringing unexpected and surprising opportunities. You may visit a place or learn an idea that radically alters your perspective, and re-energizes and inspires you.

Venus retrograde squares off with Jupiter and Mars opposes Neptune in Pisces on August 22, which can make for an emotional and even sappy atmosphere! Venus’s square with Jupiter could bring simmering feelings to the surface to finally be acknowledged. Sometimes, saying what we want can be frightening! But Venus retrograde in Leo asks us to connect with our heart’s desires and be bold about asking for what we want. There are no guarantees that things will work out the way we wish they would, but there’s something to be said for giving it a try.

Mars’s opposition with Neptune can find us coming up with plenty of excuses about why we shouldn't go after our dreams, and people might be throwing pity parties or indulging in laziness. But Jupiter is the planet of growth and opportunity, and its square with Venus invites us to shoot our shot. Will you shoot yours, or will you indulge in negativity? If we shoot and miss, we’ll know it’s not for us. But if we make it, we can gain something wonderful. 

The sun enters Virgo and Mercury begins its retrograde in Virgo on August 23, which can inspire and reinvigorate you—or find you looking backward instead of forward. Mercury retrograde is famous for delays and miscommunications, but this could actually be an excellent time to pick up projects that had been left on the back burner. You may be reconnecting with a part of yourself that you associate with the past. You might also run into people from your past. Mercury retrograde ends on September 15, and its post-retrograde shadow ends on September 30, when the themes of this Mercury retrograde may conclude.

Mars aligns with Pluto in Capricorn on August 24, inspiring a passionate atmosphere. A powerful romantic connection may form or a bond can deepen! A creative breakthrough might also take place. Pluto is the planet of transformation, and when it’s in helpful alignment with Mars, change can happen with speed and courage! However, we may be asked to slow down as the sun opposes Saturn on August 27, urging us to focus on our responsibilities and putting people in a curmudgeonly mood. Also on August 27, Mars enters Libra, which can bring your focus to finances; this could be an exciting time for negotiations, and you may be reorganizing how you manage your wealth and belongings.

Uranus retrograde begins in Taurus on August 28, which can find you making abrupt changes to travel or educational plans, sharing a surprising message, or learning something unexpected as Uranus is the planet of invention.

The full moon, a blue moon, takes place in your opposite sign Pisces on August 30, marking an important shift in your relationships. Blue moons are the second full moon of the month, which means it’s another opportunity for release and change. You may be letting go of relationships you’ve outgrown, or you and your partners could be growing out of old ways of relating to each other, exploring new paradigms of connection. Pisces is an intensely emotional zodiac sign, so this full moon can find you and the people in your life sharing your feelings in a deep and profound way. 

Good luck this month, Virgo, and see you in September!