Blame Mercury Retrograde for the Chaos Coming for Your August 2024 Horoscopes
(Well+Good's resident monthly astrologer, Stefanie Iris Weiss, has a brand new book! Sex and Your Stars: A Sexologist’s Guide to the Erotic Energy of the Zodiac, is available right now.)
The bad news: I’m sorry to report that August is hella messy. Mercury stations retrograde in Virgo on August 5 (or very late in the day on August 4 if you’re on the West Coast). When Mercury appears to move backward through the sky in either of the signs it rules—Virgo and Gemini—technology, communication, and travel tend to go even more haywire than they do during retrogrades in other signs.
This is all to say: not everyone can arrange to be on vacay all August long, but if that’s a possibility for you, get it booked ASAP. Or at least make this your WFH month, because even a short commute could be ensnared in delays and mishaps. This might slightly improve after Mercury moves back into Leo on August 15, but it’s the general rule for the whole month, until the communication planet stations direct on August 28.
Going out with your besties and dancing wildly under the full moon in Aquarius on August 19 could be exactly the medicine you need as this rather chaotic month winds down.
It’s not all anarchy: the new moon in Leo arrives on August 4, and it’s playful, sweet, and full of possibility. This is the moment to create your masterpiece in the Leo region of your chart—what do you want to seed during the next six months? Even if you can’t make major progress on your plans during this mega-messy month, you can brainstorm, sketch, and meditate on your wildest dreams.
Mars owns the middle of the month, first with a conjunction with Jupiter on August 14that feels way over-the-top, and next, in a square with Saturn on August 15 that brings a sudden and aggressive halt to forward momentum. It feels very much like a train screeching to a halt because of something unexpected blocking the track.
The full moon in Aquarius on August 19 comes with a side order of wild astrology, including Venus squaring both Uranus and Jupiter and Jupiter squaring Saturn. It also arrives on the heels of Mercury Cazimi (when Mercury is super close to the sun, brightening the mind and improving communication). It’s a WTF moment, but embrace the “anything goes” vibe. Going out with your besties and dancing wildly under this full moon could be exactly the medicine you need as this rather chaotic month winds down—just make sure you’ve got a designated driver and at least one sober den mom to make sure you all stay safe.
The Sun moves into Virgo on August 22, and we start to feel that back-to-school vibe—the need to get organized and plan out your next few months could be overwhelming, but resist the urge to fill up your calendar until after Mercury stations direct in Leo on August 28. The month ends on a much-needed sweet note as Venus moves into Libra, her own sign.
August 2024 monthly horoscope for each zodiac sign
To get a fuller understanding of what you can expect from the above cosmic transits this month, keep reading for your zodiac sign’s August 2024 monthly horoscope. Read for both your sun sign and your rising sign, the latter of which can offer an even more accurate horoscope, as it sets the order of the astrological houses in your birth chart.
Looking for even more astrology insights? Read your full 2024 yearly horoscope here.
Aries
Love heats up while work slows down this month, Aries—why not just go with it? With a sizzlingly sexy new moon in your pleasure zone late night on August 4, it’s time to honor your need to play. The very next day the communication planet stations retrograde in your daily activities’ zone, creating potential chaos in your schedule. Your best bet? Take it all down a notch, especially when your ruler Mars is conjunct with bombastic Jupiter—lest you say (or yell) something you haven’t thought through. If there’s an obligation you can easily shift to September, just do it. Sit back, watch the waves, and review what you may have missed earlier this summer.
Career and money:
Things may be slightly off at your job in August, requiring you to review the work you’ve done this summer and calling for a re-do of sorts. The awkward mid-month astrology can throw you off your game a bit, but even if you’re unclear on your goals, your creativity could be unleashed in a wild and wonderful way.
Love and relationships:
Leo season is your love season. The solar energy flooding through your fifth house of romance can set the tone for dating, mating, and relating for the first three weeks of August. The first few days of the month are even flirtier and sexier, leading up to a delicious new moon in the same part of your chart on August 4. The Mercury Cazimi on August 18 could bring a profound revelation about your love life—but not necessarily something you were expecting.
Taurus
Your home can be both your love-nest and your workspace this month, Taurus. Leo season brings hot solar energy to your fourth house of family and domestic affairs, bringing loads of attention to your humble abode. This can look like cleaning, organizing, and decorating, but it can also look like giving a key to a new(ish) lover, shacking up with a long-term partner, or renewing vows with your spouse.
Pay special attention to anything you want to manifest in this life arena during the first few days of the month, because the new moon highlights it all on August 4. Mercury’s retrograde through your romance zone for the first two weeks of August could bring past lovers sneaking back into your life, or at least trying to sneak back—it’s up to you whether they’re welcome or not.
Career and money:
Mars and Jupiter align in your financial zone on August 14, and this conjunction is loud and potentially aggressive. It may feel like anything is possible when it comes to money, but going for broke on a big purchase is not advised during Mercury retrograde, so read all the reviews and consider waiting until September to hit that buy button.
Love and relationships:
Mercury’s retrograde station in your love zone can bring some backtracking and confusion in dating scenarios from August 5 to 28, but by month’s end, you should have all the clarity you need to make important decisions about swiping right, sealing the deal, or… breaking up.
Gemini
Leo season brings endless energy to your communication zone, Gemini, but this particular August is mired in a Mercury retrograde that can turn it all on its head. Consider going into revision mode on past projects rather than starting anything new. The new moon on August 4 is excellent for daydreaming about any future writing projects or important conversations you need to have. But put the official plans off for just a few weeks—Mercury stations direct in your communication zone on August 28, and things get better from there.
The Mars-Jupiter conjunction in your sign can pump you up and make you feel like anything is possible at mid-month–but it can also inflate your ego and make people perceive you as aggressive even when you don’t mean to be.
Career and money:
Since conversations are fairly wonky all month, it’s not the greatest time to apply for new jobs, ask for a promotion, or send out job inquiries. But it is a good time to revise, review, and retool your resume and research positions you might want to go for this fall.
Love and relationships:
Motivated Mars and bold Jupiter join forces in your own sign mid-month, giving you almost superhuman powers of persuasion—but this energy could be overwhelming to lovers and others. If you have a difference of opinion with a partner, don’t let it escalate into a full-fledged fight. Listen as deeply as you express and emote.
Cancer
The Sun’s presence in your realm of resources brings your attention to your natural need for security, Cancer. Yet this Leo season could feel so chaotic that you’re not quite sure which way to turn. Use the new moon to set positive intentions around self-worth and financial stability on August 4, but note that taking any concrete steps might have to wait until September.
With Mercury stationing retrograde in your communication zone and reentering your financial sector on August 15, there may be a lot of conversations around money, earning, and spending—but with no real resolution until after the messenger planet turns direct at the end of the month. Venus will be in your communication zone for most of the month, sweetening up important conversations with lovers and others, even when the truths you need to deliver are a bit uncomfortable.
Career and money:
The middle of the month is tense and destabilizing. Don’t make any major financial decisions between August 14 and 19. There could be some resolution in the arena of shared resources after the full moon later in the month—you might get some clarity on ongoing issues around taxes or investments.
Love and relationships:
If you want your relationships to thrive, tend to your sensitive center this month. The volatile aspects might make you want to retreat directly back into your shell for protection, but sometimes showing your emotional underbelly to a trusted lover is exactly the right move.
Leo
It’s time for your solar return, sweet kitty—but this is one Leo season you won’t soon forget. With the new moon in your warm and glowing stars on August 4 (just before Mercury stations retrograde in your money zone), everything feels a bit haphazard. The first few days of the month offer your best chance to make things happen in all life arenas: love, money, and success. As you build toward the annual lunation in your sign, think about what you want to manifest in the next six months, but know that you may have to wait until September to get down to business.
The rocky mid-month aspects don’t affect you directly, but once Mercury retrograde returns to your sign on August 15, you’re back in the spotlight, and you may want to stay offstage for the first time ever.
Career and money:
Because Mercury stations retrograde in your money zone early in the month, finances could be pretty wonky; you may have to review any contracts you’ve forged since mid-July. You’re best off not making any solid financial plans (or purchases) until after Mercury’s shadow clears in mid-September.
Love and relationships:
The full moon in Aquarius lands in your relationship zone on August 19, and it might feel like a real chance for renewal—perhaps of commitments, perhaps of your own sovereign state of joyous singlehood. Letting go of toxic attachments and relationship resentments can clear your slate for bigger, bolder, more beautiful love to come through.
Virgo
Your birthday season officially begins on August 22, Virgo, but the three weeks leading up to it could feel like an entire year. This is because your planetary ruler, Mercury, stations retrograde in your sign early in the month, taking you on a reverse ride through the previous weeks. The good news is that you can use this to attend to one of your favorite rituals: revision. Even if something you thought was perfect goes pear-shaped, try to see it as an opportunity to get it right this time.
Use the new moon on August 4 to figure out what you want in your heart of hearts. The upshot of all of this turmoil is that Venus enters Virgo the same day that the Mercury retrograde begins, softening the sharpest edges of the month. Yes, it’s glow-up time, so break out the sheet masks and book those salon visits.
Career and money:
The full moon in your work zone could be super stressful, so you may want to already be on a pre-birthday vacay by August 19. This is one of those moments (especially the days leading up to it) when you might drive yourself batty about getting all the details right, but there truly is nothing to do but your best—but not the kind of best where you burn yourself out.
Love and relationships:
This intense retrograde in your own sign could have you constantly questioning whether you’ve made the right relationship choices in recent months. It can also make you say something you don’t really mean or hear something from a lover in a way that it was not intended. If there was ever a month for slow, attentive, active listening, this is it. Making rash decisions about your love life isn’t a good call right now. Wait until mid-September for the whole truth to shake out.
Libra
August isn’t kidding, Libra! Mercury retrograde begins in your subconscious sector on August 5, making this an excellent time to keep a journal by your bedside and see what’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours. Venus also enters Virgo on August 5 and comes within kissing distance of retrograde Mercury, potentially making us ache for past loves. This could bring either a breakthrough or a breakdown in a relationship.
After Mercury retreats back into your social zone on August 15, your group chat could get a bit catty—make sure not to be reactive if someone says something off-putting. The Mars-Jupiter conjunction in your travel and philosophy zone could make you long for some deep learning, and it can also bring a sudden surprise, especially if you find yourself on a trip abroad. (Hopefully this is not a lost passport!) Your planetary ruler Venus enters your own stars on August 29, ending this very strange month on an extra sweet and very pretty note.
Career and money:
When Jupiter squares Saturn in your work zone on August 19, you might feel pushed to your limit with the sheer amount of work that’s been expected of you as of late–or finally realize you’re the one who’s been putting all that pressure on yourself. Either way, if you sense that it’s untenable, now is the time to start thinking about a change. Just don’t make any sudden moves, because Mercury is still retrograde and the shadow lasts through mid-September.
Love and relationships:
Romance is wild this month, especially after August 15, when Mercury moves back into your social sector. Former flames could suddenly show up and start liking your old Insta posts, or be very direct and ask if you’re still available. The truth is, right now, you should be more available to your own self than anyone else, Libra. If you do invite an ex back into your life, you may just want to dump them again come September.
Scorpio
Your social world is a whirlwind this month, Scorpio. But part of you just wants to focus on your career thanks to the Sun’s presence in your professional zone through August 22. This is also where the powerful new moon lands on August 4, but it’s with a loud caveat: Mercury stations retrograde in your social zone the next day. So just as you’re racing toward a major accomplishment or two, you may have to backtrack and review certain networking decisions you’ve recently made.
By the time the most intense aspects of the mid-month astrological insanity are finished on August 19, the full moon in your home zone gives you the chance to release it all. Yes, it’s a messy month, but it’s also full of catalyzing power to help you purge any burdens that have held you back from true greatness.
Career and money:
Use the new moon on August 4 to set professional intentions, but you may not be able to take any action on them right away. Instead, pinpoint what you want to accomplish during the next six months, think about the steps you can take to make this happen, and then set dates and meetings after Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow in mid-September.
Love and relationships:
When your planetary ruler Mars (currently in your sexuality sector) squares somber Saturn in your romance zone on August 16, you might find yourself getting serious about a casual relationship—or feeling frustrated that it’s not going in the direction you want it to. Note that Mercury retrograde could be making normal social cues seem like they’re coming at you in a different language, so you may want to delay making any dating decisions until September.
Sagittarius
It’s your sister fire sign’s astro-season, Sagittarius, and that’s usually a major sign for you to take off and see the world. But there’s a planetary proviso this month in the form of Mercury retrograde on August 5. With the Sun in your vacay zone and the messenger planet in reverse, communication, travel, and technology are apt to go awry in unexpected ways. If you’ve booked a trip, make sure to give yourself more time to get where you’re going, and to pack more carefully than usual. This is no time to fly by the seat of your pants.
Mid-month is even more of a mess. Because your ruler Jupiter is currently in your relationship zone and involved in multiple aspects, mind your partnerships more than usual—they might bear the brunt of the chaos during the second half of August. The full moon in your communication zone could bring major truths to light on August 19.
Career and money:
Mercury retrograde begins in your career zone on August 5, bringing potential slowdowns and confusion around professional matters. The upside: You can use this time to focus on what you want to revise, retool, and recharge. It wouldn’t be advisable to launch anything until after Mercury clears the retrograde shadow in mid-September, but do feel free to daydream—and take notes. You might even find that a job from your past is beckoning you to return, but with a larger (and better paid) role.
Love and relationships:
Jupiter is in your relationship zone, and boy oh boy is your planetary ruler loud this month. When the luck planet conjuncts Mars on August 14, you might feel incredibly energetic, passionate, and possibly irritated about partnership. And when Jupiter squares Saturn on August 19, the same day as the full moon, the intensity is way off the charts. Walls may come down around your love life, but you need to be ready for some resistance.
Capricorn
Mercury retrograde doesn’t officially begin until August 5, but the pre-retro shadow might already be affecting your travel plans, Capricorn. Even if everything seems perfectly fine, do your due diligence and call hotels ahead of time to make sure they got your booking right, and reconfirm any other important details as far in advance of your trip as you can —even if you’re just driving to a friend’s summer house.
The new moon lands in your eighth house of change on August 4—shaking awake a part of you that’s truly ready to transform. Yes, your inner caterpillar is about to become a butterfly, but not immediately, thanks to the aforementioned Mercury retrograde. Take it slow and see what happens. Your ruler Saturn is in your communication zone, active at mid-month and not in the most pleasant way, as a square from Jupiter makes things a bit uncomfortable. If you have to give or receive less-than-pleasant news, just know that not all is as it seems, and the rest of the story will shake out in September.
Career and money:
Jupiter has been in your work zone since last May, but this month the lucky planet is clashing first with Mars, then with Venus, then with Saturn all within the course of a few days at mid-month. You may feel pretty annoyed and even defensive at your job or with coworkers, but do your best to let off steam. The full moon in your money zone on August 19 suggests that letting go of one source of income can bring another source—one that’s bigger and better.
Love and relationships:
Even if everything feels crazy and chaotic this month, one part of your life could be just right: your sex life. A close bond with a lover could be exactly where you can best unwind and release all the stress of work and the world at large. The new moon on August 4 is a beautiful moment to pour some energy into intimacy and ecstasy.
Aquarius
It’s a strange month, but no one knows better how to make the best of strangeness than you do, Aquarius! Just take it slow, because the Sun is in your opposite sign and that solar opposition can be a little exhausting. The new moon is in your relationship zone on August 4, highlighting all of your one-to-one alliances, including romantic and professional partnerships. If you need to bring some fresh energy into this life area, now is the time to set those intentions, knowing that Mercury stations retrograde early on August 5 (bringing a “be careful what you wish for” vibe to this lunation).
Even though your modern ruler Uranus is quiet this month, your traditional ruler Saturn has something to say about your financial resources at mid-month, so be careful of overspending on things you don’t necessarily need. The annual full moon in Aquarius rounds out the month on August 19, encouraging you to take space to release, relax, and let go of any unnecessary burdens you’ve been carrying.
Career and money:
This area of your life is simultaneously full of possibility and under stress. There is immense creativity being unleashed into your mind via Jupiter’s sharp connections with other planets at mid-month. The stress comes from Mercury retrograde in your shared resources zone through August 15. You know you need to make a change, but you also know that you might regret it if you do it too soon, so bide your time and know that the answers will arrive after Mercury stations direct on August 28.
Love and relationships:
With Jupiter in your pleasure zone while the Sun is in your relationship zone, it could be a pretty blissful August in the romance department…if it weren’t for all the other stressors out in the universe. Make the best of it early in the month. Venus remains in your partnership zone through August 5, and you can capture the loveliness of the new moon in this part of your chart if you focus on it from the first moment of August. After August 5, Mercury retrograde could bring your exes out of the woodwork.
Pisces
August hits every sign hard, but as a sweet, sensitive Pisces, you tend to feel all your own feels in addition to everyone else’s. This month, you should put your own proverbial oxygen mask on first, because the stress levels are likely to be high. The new moon on August 4 opens doors in your work and wellness zone and stirs your longing to have an everyday life of meaning. It’s an excellent moment to start thinking about a new, healthy routine to implement in September. Start thinking about new dream jobs, but if possible, wait to accept any offers until Mercury is one again direct on August 28. This retrograde comes within 24 hours of the new moon and they’re pretty linked, so there is certainly a sensation of two steps forward, five steps back at the moment.
With Saturn in your sign, you’ve already learned the art of waiting in the last year, and the remainder of this month is likely to show you once again why rash decisions are not your friends. With the full moon in your dream zone on August 19, you may feel like checking out and staying in fantasy-land at mid-month.
Career and money:
This is one area of major opportunity early this month, thanks to a sweet lunation in your zone of daily activities. Plus, the Sun warms up your work zone until August 22, making job conditions pleasant and favorable. You may find that you have to correct errors (yours or a co-worker’s) that date back to mid-July after Mercury returns to this part of your chart on August 15.
Love and relationships:
So much energy is in this part of your chart this month, but it’s a little bit confusing. Your relationship zone gets a lovely dose of energy from Venus starting on August 5, sweetening up your one-to-one partnership (if you’re involved), and/or helping you to hone in on the kind of partner you’d like to attract (if you’re looking for one). Yet Mercury retrograde moves through this same part of your chart until August 15, so you may simply be unsure of who or what you want around you.
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