Astrology of August 2021: Monthly Overview

The rough skies of July are behind us now, blessedly, and I’m hoping we’ll start to see more progress being made in all the areas of life that were subjected to the tense and opposing forces of the recent T-square between Uranus, Saturn and Mars. On a recent episode of The Astrology Podcast, Austin Coppock used a metaphor to describe these recent transits that has proven extremely apt for me: one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. That T-square hit my stakes, and during the period that it was within a close orb, I came very close to changing jobs and buying a new house, only to have both opportunities abruptly end as fast as they appeared. I’m happy to be moving past this, because the whiplash is maddening.

But first, August! August offers an astrological mixed bag with no major challenges. It starts off with the Sun and Mercury conjunct at 9 Leo on the first of the month. This is almost exactly opposite Saturn in Aquarius. The Sun-Mercury cazimi shines a piercing spotlight of insight onto Saturn’s structures and governance, particularly around social (dis)order.

Venus in Virgo trines Uranus in Taurus on August 3rd. On that same day, Mercury in Leo squares Uranus. Then the Sun in Leo squares Uranus on the 6th. These various aspects with Uranus will deliver different sorts of rebellions to the overall disruptive Uranian quality of 2021. With the Venus trine, maybe something more supportive for women’s health in particular. With the Mercury square, a vital but uncomfortable piece of information, perhaps about individual rights. With the Sun square, a creative outpouring, or perhaps a spotlight on the relationship between individual vitality (or lack thereof) and the ongoing disruption to our personal lives during this pandemic.  

The New Moon on August 8th is at 16 Leo, within three degrees of the Mars-Venus conjunction that happened in July, so it might act as a sort of birth for whatever will arise out of that union. Watch for things that start during this period and look back to what was going on in your life around the middle of July – you might notice some similarities, or perhaps the seeds of things that began back then. Then pay attention to what happens at the Full Moon on August 18th, as that may be a culmination of these things that have been growing.

Mercury changes signs on August 11, moving from Leo into Virgo. Mercury is well dignified in his own domicile in Virgo and on its own I would think this position great for clearing up some communication and easing travel restrictions. However, as Mercury moves across Virgo, it moves closer to an exact opposition with Neptune in Pisces – going exact on August 24th. Neptune in Pisces has the exact opposite effect as Mercury in Virgo: it seeks to blur the lines between illusion and reality, muddy up communication, and generally make things more ephemeral, dreamy and insubstantial.

So, this means that as August progresses, things are going to get more confusing. The truth of Mercury in Virgo will be blocked or impeded by the whispered dreams of Neptune in Pisces. Expect more censorship, more conspiracies, more two-sided conversations where you feel like you’re not even talking about the same thing at all. This is a time to trust the wisdom and knowledge that you receive through your dreams, much more than information from any other source. Say a prayer for revelation each night before bed.

On a societal level, Mercury in Virgo will likely accelerate the pushes for vaccine passports – with Virgo being associated with hygiene and Mercury being associated with travel. The Neptune in Pisces opposition may show up in the form of the arguments being made in favour of the passports; arguments made out of faith, ideology, illusion. It won’t be the first time that such a major decision was made for such intangible reasons. At the same time, Neptune in Pisces may show up as the exact opposite: as the arguments made against the passports, again based on faith, ideology and illusion. 

The second half of the month should be more relaxed. Venus changes signs on August 15th, moving into her domicile of Libra. I’m hoping this will bring improvements to relationships on all levels. This also puts Venus into a trine relationship with Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius, which will strengthen over the next few weeks as she progresses through Libra. Venus trine Saturn is exact on August 22nd, at 8 Libra/Aquarius. This is a supportive aspect that may soften up some of Saturn’s hard edges.

Given that Saturn in Aquarius presides over the ongoing social controls being enacted in different ways across the globe, the trine to Venus may see some diplomacy brought into these processes. Maybe there will be more negotiation between the rules being dictated from on high, and the people whom these rules are impacting. I hope.

There’s a Mercury-Mars conjunction at 12 Virgo on August 18th, which would be good for delivering precise arguments and winning debates. There might be a verdict delivered in a prominent court case at this time, or some other type of significant legal action in the public sphere. Or, it might be a good time to get into a really nitpicky argument…conduct yourselves accordingly. 

The Full Moon at 29 Aquarius on August 22nd happens just a few hours after a trine between Mars and Uranus at 14 Virgo/Taurus. Mercury is making a separating conjunction with Mars at the same time, and Venus in Libra is applying to a trine with Saturn in Aquarius. This is an interesting and supportive set of transits that seeks harmony between the disparate elements of the world. However, given that this Full Moon happens at the very end of their signs, and both change signs within a few hours of the exact time of the lunation, there may be an abrupt tone shift in the things that are culminating at this time.

Aquarius Full Moons can make us consider how we as individuals fit within the collective. It’s a slightly plodding, fixed energy that has us reflecting on how we fit into our personal lives – with our friends and families – and also how we fit within the greater community and society as a whole. This Full Moon, occurring at the very end of the sign, marks an even bigger culmination than normal. Perhaps it’s a time for reflection on where we are at, but with some mounting nervous tension that something may need to change soon.

I feel like there’s a sense of loss with this Full Moon. It’s the sensation of having climbed to the top of a mountain and then, surveying all the world around you, realizing there’s nowhere left to go but back down. The high of achievement is replaced by the stoic necessity of continuing ever onwards. As the Sun and Moon immediately move from fixed to mutable signs, from Fire and Air to Earth and Water, the path down from the mountain will require you to be more nimble and adaptable than the dogged pace you kept when trudging up to this spot.

Consider this as you gaze at the Full Moon’s silver light: how do you need to change and adapt on your path down from this peak? And what resources do you need to pick up at the bottom before continuing on to the next slope?