Ophira and Tali Edut, known as the AstroTwins, are professional astrologers based out of New York and Seattle. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Elle Magazine, Vogue and Good Morning America and they are the authors AstroStyle, Love Zodiac, Shoestrology, and Momstrology.
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August 8, 2023
Will August be a quiet month? Not in the stars! The cosmic calendar is busy. With four retrograde planets all month, tallying six by the end, there’s a whole lot to navigate in your August 2023 horoscope.
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Full moons that are supermoons, and a blue moon!
We’ll have not one, but two, full moons bookending the month, both of them supermoons!
The first full moon, on August 1, is in Aquarius.
The second full moon, on August 30, is in Pisces. And because it’s the second full moon in a single calendar month, it is a blue moon!
Astro fact! A super moon occurs when the moon is at its closest proximity to the earth, no matter what phase it’s in. A supermoon amplifies the astrological traits of the sign that it’s in. And since full moons pull the tides and impact our moods (to name a few things), having an extra full moon/blue moon can bring an extra wave of changes and surprising events.
Themes for August 2023’s full moons
Aquarius:
Collaborations take flight! An activist or community project could make a powerful impact. Seek out kindred spirits and people who think outside the box, then put your heads together for a common cause.
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Pisces:
A rosy glow is cast over all your interactions. Subconscious thoughts are illuminated. Get ready for divine downloads! Capture messages from your higher mind (and possibly a few ancestors and guides) when you’re in a meditative state.
August is retrograde high season, too
By the end of this month, six planets and one comet will be in their powered-down repose, a heavy step on the brakes if there ever was one.
To open your August 2023 horoscope, three of the five outer planets (Saturn, Neptune and Pluto) are retrograde, and inner planet Venus, is retrograde in Leo for the summer. On August 23, communication planet Mercury joins the retrograde brigade, followed by Uranus on August 28.
Wounded healer comet Chiron is also retrograde all month until December 6. Whew! We can do hard things…or at least, we’re gonna learn how.
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Cosmic “bad bitch” Lilith rides with the Leo new moon
Midway through your August 2023 horoscope, a dramatic Leo new moon arrives in an exact 90-degree square with volatile Uranus, dialing up the dramatic antics more than they already are with Leo on stage and Venus retrograde in this sign.
Black moon Lilith, the cosmic “bad bitch” of the asteroid world, is riding shotgun with the new moon.
Spiritual willpower and emotional support will be needed
The cosmic memo? We’ll all be tested this month and will probably need extra support to keep calm and August on. Can we keep our fiery, knee-jerk reactions in check, even when our buttons are pushed? Staying cool in the August heat will take spiritual willpower and discipline—and lots of emotional support.
But with all these retrogrades and illuminating full moons, it’s a great time to dip under the radar and perfect any plans for an autumn debut.
Go off the grid and get out into nature. Deactivate your accounts temporarily (or forever if you’re over the drama of Twitter, or X). Try a digital detox. Head into your personal laboratory to experiment and explore, away from the watchful eye of nosy neighbors, fake friends, and social media pressure.
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Leo season is bold and bawdy ’til tidy Virgo takes over
Don’t hide completely, unless it’s an air conditioned theater for Barbenheimer (a double-feature viewing of the Barbie and Oppenheimer movies). It is still Leo season, after all. All the world’s a Barbie fashion show while the Sun struts through glamorous Leo until August 23.
When it slides into Virgo, though, life becomes four-week efficiency mission. After the glitz and glam of Leo season, Virgo’s “keep it simple” ethos is a breath of Mrs. Meyer’s scented air.
Squeeze some al fresco exercise into these last weeks of summer: bike rides to the beach, yoga in the park, lap swims in the saltwater pool. Then, bring some order to your court. From your storage systems to your project management software, give everything a proper review.
Don’t forget the Lion’s Gate opens 8-8!
A layer of energetic opportunity peaks every year called the Lion’s Gate. This is when the Sun is in Leo and the star Sirius moves closer to Earth and aligns with Orion’s belt. This portal opens every year between July 28 and August 12 but its official activation day is August 8.
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Mercury retrograde in Virgo also begins August 23
Mercury hits its third retrograde of 2023, backing up through its home sign of Virgo, as we mentioned earlier. While the finicky planet is retrograde until September 15, review everything on the finest setting possible.
Enlist a third and fourth pair of eyes to edit documents before you hit send or submit. You know the drill.
Lusty Mars in Libra on August 27 ushers cuffing season
When Mars blazes into Libra, the zodiac’s partnership sign, the urge to merge will be crazy strong! But don’t let the impatient red planet get you locked into a serious situation before you’re truly ready.
It’s almost too easy to romanticize when Mars blasts into this “love and marriage” zone every other year. If it’s longevity you’re after, aim for a balanced view. Can you accept people “for better” and “for worse?” (But please, no rushing to the altar while Venus is retrograde in Leo until September 3!)
Mars in Libra adds a dash of spice, but it can also stir up passive-aggressive bickering, especially if one of you is pulling an unequal share of the load in a relationship.
Mars is in “detriment” in Libra, meaning it’s an uncomfortable place. And it makes sense: Mars is the god of war, while Libra is all about peace, love and harmony. It will take extra effort to keep your emotional equilibrium now.
