Your calendar isn’t the only thing that can give you insights into the month ahead. In our monthly column Workstrology, the expert astrologers at Sanctuary chart the energies, oppositions, and smart moves for your sign.
Aries (March 21–April 19)
Eclipse season defined the steps you need to take to balance work and home life. You won’t see changes overnight, but note this moment and watch how things unfold for the better over the next year. With Mercury out of retrograde, your path is cleared to take action. The Sun, Venus, and Mars are in your creative zone until mid-month, so if you work in entertainment or media, get ready to be busy. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th reminds you that you don’t exist in a vacuum. Although you have the strategy and the vision, you’ll need others’ support to get your great ideas off the ground. There is no success without compromise, Aries. Are you willing to negotiate so that your project can succeed? After the 23rd, the Sun moves into your house of service, giving you the discipline to commit to revisions, even if you’re still a bit skeptical of others’ choices. Whatever you begin on the Virgo new moon on the 30th helps to plant seeds for future success, trickling down to your life and lifestyle.
Taurus (April 20–May 20)
Jupiter has been retrograde in your house of taxes and shared resources since April, making you more thoughtful about your investments and less inclined to share. Jupiter rules excess, and its yearlong trek through Sagittarius provides opportunities for huge returns or equally huge fallout. That’s why its retrograde spin likely served you well, delaying a proposal that you would have hastily rushed into with investors or resources that weren’t the best fit. On the 11th, Jupiter stations direct and gives you a second chance to pursue this project, now that you’ve taken all necessary measures for vetting. At the same time, the Sun and Venus meet in your family zone in Leo, the mascot of the inner child. The plan you’re laying could now benefit from familial participation, or you may gain a boost through inheritance. Social obligations may compete with home life during the Aquarius full moon on the 15th. You might need to set some boundaries if relatives ask for too much creative control, but this aspect will be short-lived. The Virgo new moon on the 30th spotlights your unique aesthetic, giving you branding potential.
Gemini (May 21–June 20)
The Sun, Mars, and Venus are moving through your communication zone for the first part of the month, so you’ll want to keep tabs on text and email correspondence until after Mercury leaves its retrograde shadow on the 14th. By this time, you’re in the clear, Gemini! New customers, clients, and coworkers are on the scene, and creative juices are flowing. You, however, might feel a little too comfortable; as if everything you’re encountering is material you’ve already mastered. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th lands in your travel zone, making you eager for new experiences, and with idealistic Jupiter stationing direct on the 11th, the road is cleared for adventure. Since you’re entrenched in the current happenings of your daily routine, it might not be the right time to disrupt your schedule. Instead, use this perfect timing for planning a future vacation. After the 23rd, your focus shifts to home life. The Virgo new moon on the 30th suggests a dialogue with roommates or family about your living situation. Unspoken grievances need to be aired, but this will be a relatively good time to say what you need to without causing hurt feelings or a permanent rift.
Cancer (June 21–July 22)
Eclipse season aligned you with your leadership potential, Cancer. You may not see an immediate change, but over the next year, you’ll come into your own voice even more, and outgrow your old shell. In August, the Sun, Mars, and Venus are hanging out in your money zone. This arena really has to do with what you perceive as “currency:” anything from a safe home to disposable resources and income to self-esteem. It’s the perfect zone for delineating what luxurious new experiences and opportunities you want to invite in. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th prompts you to invest in your own freedom, mobility, and educational transformation. Consider aiding humanitarian endeavors, like giving to a charity or volunteering. On the 23rd, the Sun enters Virgo and the pace of correspondence quickens. The Virgo new moon on the 30th invites you to bring your reinvigorated sense of curiosity and generosity to help colleagues on team projects and group collaborations. This time is especially ideal for anything that involves getting messages out to the public by unorthodox technology or innovative branding.
Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)
With the Sun, Mars, and Venus in your identity zone, your leadership potential is through the roof this month, Leo! If you’ve taken the helm of a project, that’s great, but don’t forget that to be a real leader, you’ll have to take others into consideration. You can’t lead if no one will follow you. And to that end, the Aquarius full moon on the 15th asks you to compromise with others. Don’t micromanage; if you’ve done your job right, you can trust those you’ve tasked with an assignment without looking over their shoulders. Equally important: Remember to share victories and give credit where credit is due. The Virgo new moon on the 30th makes you a magnet for sudden financial growth as it connects to progressive Uranus. The planet of revolution, Uranus, has been mischievously haunting your career sphere and will station retrograde from the 11th of this month until January 1, 2020, making its presence less seen and more felt. Start to reconsider whether prestige has the same definition for you as it did several months ago. Perhaps success is less about what you own and more about freedom of movement?
Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)
The Sun is traveling through your zone of mystery and hidden happenings, and with Mercury direct, you might use this introspective time to begin a secret project. You’ll thrive at behind-the-scenes work now, forging alliances with others based on discretion. Mercury is still in its shadow until the 14th, so use your intuition wisely when it comes to any joint agreements or contracts signed in the shadows. Are all parties getting what they’re after? It’s an ideal time to work on anything that requires minimal face time, such as writing or studying. If you’re in a field like counseling, nursing, or therapy, you’ll feel assured you’re doing good in the world. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th suggests picking up a new skill or polishing the skills you already have. Remember, it’s always smart to reconnect to practical application if you’ve been operating in seclusion. On the 23rd, your birthday month begins and the new moon in your sign on the 30th asks you to assume a leadership role. Venus is close by and foreshadows money, creativity, and romance in the year ahead. Lucky you!
Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)
August is all about manifesting a vision through collaboration, Libra. If you can imagine it, it’s possible, and with the Sun, Venus, and Mars traveling through Leo, you’ll have no problem attracting a motivated crew that inspires you. The question is: Will you step into a leadership role, or will you opt for the cheerleader position? The choice is yours. Regardless of your responsibilities, remember that the most effective ventures this month will spotlight individuality. Your audience might share the same broad interest, but they’re connecting to your message from a variety of nuanced background experiences. Further hammering this home, the Aquarius full moon on the 15th says, “Don’t be afraid to let your freak flag fly!” You’re the peacemaker, and your knack for negotiation is certainly an asset, but Chiron retrograde in your partnership zone brings to light how you often settle to the disservice of your own inventive ideas. This month during meetings, take a risk and speak up to effect change. The Virgo new moon on the 30th connects to electric Uranus, helping to shock you out of self-criticism.
Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)
You’re highly visible this month as the Sun, Venus, and Mars move through your house of career. Because this house shows how our reputations precede us, you’re granted the charisma of Venus, the drive of Mars, and the brilliance of the Sun. People want to be in your presence. But if you hog the spotlight, you might attract jealous parties who want to see you taken down a peg for their own satisfaction. Don’t let that stop you from going after what you want, but be aware that your attitude will get you far right now, especially if you stick to the magnanimous nature of Leo and skip the showboating that sometimes comes along with it. Even though Mercury is direct, check your communication until after the 19th, or you risk creating conflict with collaborators who you’ll want on your good side. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th reminds you of the truths you need to share on a larger platform while the Virgo new moon on the 30th sparks an ingenious strategy for sharing your best practices and skill set with your colleagues.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)
I binge-watch Master Chef every summer, and there’s a phrase Gordon Ramsay often uses: “I want to see you on a plate,” meaning he wants to see the contestant’s personality, background, and passion represented in the dish they serve. August is that phrase for you, Sag. Who are you? What do you stand for? How do you bring your self into the work you do? July challenged you to spearhead a project that holds personal meaning and now’s your chance to flesh it out. Make integrity your guiding principle, because, with the Sun, Mars, and Venus in Leo, your actions reveal to your contemporaries how you’re investing in your vision. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th pokes a childhood wound, a reminder of when scrutiny made you doubt your intelligence, making you reticent to carve out your own path. Now you can release the fallacy that your ideas are too weird to succeed! The experience you have under your belt is the cornerstone of any worthwhile enterprise. The Virgo new moon on the 30th foreshadows a career change or, at a minimum, a dramatic evolution in the way you do business.
Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)
Strictly speaking, “work” won’t be your primary focus in August, Capricorn. But on this note, you’ll graduate from last month’s collaborations by determining which partnerships are worth advancing. Think of August as “setting up the chessboard.” The Sun, Mars, and Venus are moving through Leo in your sphere of shared resources, so pooling your time and energy with a few trusted associates ensures that nobody burns out. Leo energy is perfect for creating, but you’ll have to balance your personal fire with that of another, which is not always the easiest for you to do. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th supports altruistic investments, a reminder that you’ll need to take your focus off impressing those at the top of the food chain for your work to truly benefit the world. This awareness might temporarily stall a project launch, right as you’re hit with a last-minute idea on how to better implement a rollout or tweak your messaging. The Virgo new moon on the 30th delivers the much-awaited thumbs-up from the universe, and all the players will be in place to start your venture in earnest.
Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)
With the Sun, Venus, and Mars moving through your relationship sphere in August, you’re primed for collaborative efforts and new business partnerships. Be cautious, Aquarius, because connections forged under the auspice of idealism might become problematic. A little idealism is not a bad thing, but it can cause you to overlook potential red flags in your desire for harmony, especially when it comes to money matters. If anyone is requesting payment to be in their company or to join their enterprise, remove the rose-colored glasses and weigh your options carefully. These people are just seeing what they can get away with, and you’ll lose nothing by requesting visibility. The full moon falls in your sign, bringing to a close a personal initiative. Although endings are hard to navigate, they signify that a new beginning is right around the corner! Consider all you have brought to fruition thus far, and how you can move forward as a leader in a new undertaking. The Virgo new moon on the 30th reveals how to better utilize your time and energy, which particularly impacts those of you who work from home.
Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)
If you spent July pursuing your creative bliss, August has big payoff potential, Pisces. The Sun, Mars, and Venus are traveling through your service zone, giving high visibility to your skillset. If this year has felt slow to start, now you’ll see things ramp up—and fast. The trick is not to let your confidence flounder. As opportunities crop up, your first impulse might be “This is too good to be true,” but it’s not. This is your new normal. Let yourself be in-demand without overanalyzing why you’re being sought out. As you own your abilities, you’ll sink into a comfortable routine around the attention, promoting even more acknowledgment and leading inevitably to job growth. Bonus: Lucky Jupiter moves direct in your career sphere on the 11th, kick-starting whatever might have been lackluster in the job market for the past four months. The Aquarius full moon on the 15th sees you embracing a hidden talent to enhance your work while the Virgo new moon on the 30th triggers productive clashes with collaborators. This process will reveal how to better communicate in order to make headway on your goals.
Nyssa Grazda is a Los Angeles-based astrological consultant, writer, and intuitive. She speaks to planetary transits and personal empowerment at @neongeometryastrology.
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