Astrological Forecast: August 2020 Horoscope

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.” ― Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

Of all the books from my childhood, the story Tuck Everlasting left an enduring impression on my psyche. It was one of those rare stories which immersed me within the first paragraph, whose few lines always manage to haunt my mind at the turn of August each year. I find the whimsy, mystery, contemplation, and sense of foreboding in these enchanting words especially poignant to this month in particular. As we find ourselves perched on top of time itself while the breaking heat sighs the first breath of Autumn, our thoughts easily slip into the existential. Perhaps the advice given to Winne by Angus Tuck holds wisdom for our own lives as well, “Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.” Of all the signs, Leo truly represents the spice of life or joie de vivre, and presides over joy, creativity, and our inner child or youthfulness. Leo is dramatic, expressive, and life-giving. While to my knowledge author Natalie Babbit didn’t follow astrology, I find it uncanny that Tuck Everlasting with its spring of eternal youth is set in Leo season. A magnificent creature which is associated with pride, the month of the lion will be a great time to bolster confidence and esteem. The New Moon on August 19th, is an especially opportune time to reignite our zest and passion. Leo rules over the heart, and Venus in Cancer has us longing for family and home in every sense of the word. While nights out may not be so viable for this time, this transit is very conducive to intimate nights in. A strong desire to relate on the heart-level underlies our interactions, which could result in conflict or tension if this connection cannot be achieved. Some emotional conversations may boil to the surface as Mercury transits from the naturally ruminative Cancer to the occasionally histrionic Leo on August 5th, especially after following the Full Moon and opposition between Mercury in Cancer and Saturn in Capricorn on August 3rd. Yet the Aquarian Full Moon can allow us to peer from above and really understand where our emotions and beliefs are really coming from—especially in regards to social networks and friendships. Change overall is a big theme with this lunation as it also squared with Uranus, the ruling planet of Aquarius, which might feel sudden or even uncomfortable at first. New information and revelations may present itself that completely rocks your world or causes you to question your beliefs of social issues. Mercury in Leo can prove quite productive in creative pursuits, really help shine your light in the performing arts, perhaps most especially around August 17th when this planet of communication conjuncts the Sun.

While all the mirth of Leo season is overflowing, the prideful air can easily turn destructive if breathed in excess. Of the seven deadly sins, pride is considered the greatest of all—a gateway sin in which one believes they are above common virtue or divine order. Mars is currently in its native sign Aries, which raises our drive, even to the point of aggression or hostility. Mars is further amplified as it forms several trines with the luminaries in Leo throughout the month, possibly loaning itself to spectacular displays of emotion and drama. Regrets may linger from such emotive instances. While Mars does not go retrograde in Aries until September 9th, we actually entered the pre-shadow phase on July 25th. During this phase of a retrograde a planet will appear as if it is slowing down in its orbital trajectory, before it finally starts trailing behind when it stations retrograde. While this shift in apparent movement is just an optical illusion, a retrograde none-the-less impacts our lives and perspectives on Earth. With the energy of Mars slowing down, you might find yourself losing steam or getting agitated that things are not progressing quickly enough. Conflict, tension, and anger begins to build up. When the God of War actually goes retrograde in September, it is very easy to turn a spear towards oneself if not stowed away or wielded with great care. The asteroid Chiron is also retrograde in Aries, adding heightened sensitivity to our sense of self as it also touches on wounds for the sake of our healing. Uranus joins the rest of the retrograde outer planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto) on August 15th and won’t station direct until January 14th. While the influence of the slower moving outer planets is more diffuse, I tend to notice their impact most strongly when they enter a new sign or when they station retrograde or direct. Uranus is referred to as the great awakener and creates massive shifts wherever he goes. Uranus is passing through Taurus until 2024 where he will keep shaking up our stability and financial security. While some of the shelves have restocked and supply has gradually returned in some ways over the Summer, scarcity and shortages are likely to begin resurfacing over the next several months. While this limitations can feel frightening, necessity is the birth of innovation, especially as we turn into 2021 when Jupiter and Saturn enter Aquarius.

Given the current state of the world, I must admit the upcoming few months have troubled me for some time, and this post has been especially difficult to write. As a clairvoyant I often find myself in the difficult position of mediating between the most likely and desired outcomes. After some deliberation, I feel that I can no longer speak in veiled terms as we teeter closer towards these frightening prospects. At this point it does not take a psychic to tell you that we are treading dangerous waters. Before there was even a global pandemic, I’ve made repeated references that massive shifts in power throughout the year will result in powerful figures resorting to desperate measures to maintain their hold with Pluto, Jupiter, and now Saturn in the sign of Capricorn. I have actually done so with the intention of priming you for the months and even years ahead. At the beginning of this year, I foresaw a global conflict simultaneous to a national conflict in the US. At the start of this year I told a family member that the division between people was going to interrupt our lives to a precedent we have never known before, even though I couldn’t fully grasp how exactly it would manifest. I saw images and scenes of unrest, fires, looting, poverty, border patrol, government facilities and camps, military vehicles, missiles, and bombs. I assumed there would be a World War which would incite a Civil War within the US, and that it would eventually lead to dissolution of the fifty states. While these scenes may have been from the pandemic and protests, time often spirals until its cycle is complete, and I don’t believe we have seen it all yet. The US president has shown a tendency to act rashly when backed into a corner, such as his assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani during his impeachment trial. Months later he hailed himself a war time president as the pandemic shut down the world, again trying to wear the mantle of a war hero. A couple months more, after threatening martial law, he dispatched federal police on protesters that were framed as “violent anarchists” by him and the media. Despite making himself look worse, he repeatedly tries to gain his lead through conquest. We should not underestimate what he may do in some miserable attempt for redemption. I don’t even say this to infantilize him but in reference to a wounded child aspect within him—he is a tantruming five year old throwing his train across the room. We have also seen the growing division between people, as well as different parts of the country. Governor Newsome made reference to California being a “nation-state” in April, meanwhile the Northeast states formed a consortium of medical supplies, while Governor Cuomo became a leader and voice of reason for many while federal response was perceived as slow and lackluster. At this moment, the country is largely being held together by fear and coercion. Many people cling to the constitution, as if it were some impervious document, and assert that the president will not be able to do something like delay the election or maintain power should he lose. Just because the game has rules does not mean all the players will follow them, or that they won’t try to find ways to work around or bend them in their favor. The president has also taken no issue with threatening military force against US citizens, and has largely been reined in by allies he is currently losing. As he continues to lose the rapport of those closest to him, it becomes more likely that he will not take the counsel by others, and perhaps even align with other dangerous individuals. While he could still his cards down in surrender, it would be very uncharacteristic of him. We are not dealing with a man who handles his losses or setbacks with grace, and won’t go down without kicking and screaming in some way. While I don’t suspect all of these things to necessarily unfold this month, I definitely believe there feathers will get ruffled in August.

While there is an intersection of possibilities within each moment, we are currently sitting in an avalanche that began falling many years ago. It is not about changing what is fast coming down. Focusing your energy on trying to stop this collective current would be like trying to stop a mountain slide after it has already began. Our tangential timelines are not found in trying to stop these events, but in our response to them. Your power does not exist in your circumstance, but as the ember burning in your own heart. In 2016 I heard echoes that borders would close on us during this presidency whenever The Wall was mentioned—that we would be trapped in this country as its descent began. I spent years seeking intentional community, scrambling to find my way out or find allies, while seeing visions of tending to wounded civilians in alleyways. While I wasn’t sure if I was seeing through my eyes of myself or another, I shared with a few friends that my sense that I was going to be in the US during “the fall.” Perhaps these visions have already come to pass with the protests, but in others I saw scenes of military camps, helicopters, missiles and bombs. At the beginning of this year I was wretched by a terrible anxiety, especially in the moments before and after my friend El’li and I did our New Years live stream. Despite being haunted by these visions and consumed with anxiety then, I have since felt an unusual peace fall over me as the events of this year unraveled. When I understood the context behind my visions and stopped judging these situations as “wrong,” I finally saw them as contractions of something new being born. As a revolutionary soul, there are many things about this world that pain me, yet I find myself standing on the ship I know has to sink. Even though this plight is not comfortable or even desirable, I’ve had the sense I’m exactly where I need to be and serving the real work of this time. Should you similarly find yourself naming a challenging time or situation as “wrong” or “shouldn’t be happening,” ask yourself, “how do I respond?” Reality is accurate, regardless of whether or not we see it accurately, and doesn’t always reflect what we would like to see.

On a personally challenging day during quarantine, I stepped out of my apartment and went for a long hike in the woods. I had my breath taken away by the sunset, the golden treetops, the chittering wildlife, and the caress of the gentle wind. I left marveling over how many different moments are happening on this Earth all at once. Wonder about and search for these moments when the world around you seems grim. Throughout all the wars, plagues, and natural disasters in history, there were also reunions, weddings, lovemaking, and creations. Life doesn’t stop happening. Even if these celebrations didn’t assume their typical revelry, they were perhaps even more important to the people living through these trying times than they would have been otherwise. I would like to leave you with a reflection on the tarot card The Sun, which is incidentally associated with Leo. Many readers interpret this card the happily ever after ending of a fairy tale, yet as a Virgo, I appreciate a more pragmatic and realistic perspective. While our moment in The Sun is certainly glorious and life-bearing, it is also fleeting. Yet even in the darkest reaches, where his glow cannot touch our face, he never stops shining. While we may not always perceive his radiance, he has never truly left us, and is sure to reveal himself again. Our search for happiness will be in vain if we only can find it in the things that last forever. Bask in your sunny days and let them nurture life that will spring forth into another.

Wishing you a blessed Lughnasadh and Leo season! Virgo season commences on August 23rd.

- Mercury in Cancer opposite Pluto in Capricorn on August 1st.

- Sun in Leo square Uranus in Taurus on August 2nd.

- Full Moon in Aquarius on August 3rd.

- Mercury in Cancer opposite Saturn in Capricorn on August 3rd.

- Mars in Aries square Jupiter in Capricorn on August 4th.

- Mercury enters Leo on August 5th.

- Venus enters Cancer on August 7th.

- Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus on August 10th.

- Mars in Aries square Pluto in Capicorn on August 13th.

- Uranus retrograde in Taurus on August 15th.

- Sun in Leo trine Mars in Aries on August 16th.

- Mercury in Leo trine Mars in Aries on August 17th.

- Sun conjunct Mercury in Leo on August 17th.

- Venus in Cancer sextile Uranus in Taurus on August 18th.

- New Moon in Leo on August 19th.

- Mercury enters Virgo on August 20th.

- Sun enters Virgo on August 22nd.

- Mars in Aries square Saturn in Capricorn on August 24th.

- Mercury in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus on August 25th.

- Venus in Cancer opposite Jupiter in Capricorn on August 25th.

- Venus in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces on August 27th.

- Mercury in Virgo trine Jupiter in Capricorn on August 29th.

- Venus in Cancer opposite Pluto in Capricorn on August 30th.

- Mercury in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces on August 30th.