Key themes: acknowledging and nurturing your non-negotiable needs, respecting your rhythm, owning your self-expression, aligning with the ones that resonate on a core level, rest and retreat, getting things done behind closed doors

Dear Scorpio, we kick the month of August off with the Full Moon in Aquarius becoming exact at 2:31 pm EST, on the 1st. This happens in your area of home, family and foundation, lighting up your inner realms. What would you like to improve when it comes to the quality of your home base? How much does your space allow for relaxation, nurturing and renewal? What are your needs that aren’t up for negotiation? This Moon is inviting you to settle into yourself. Give yourself more of what grounds you, feeds you, and keeps you feeling connected to your inner world. Connect to the intuition that’s informing you about what helps you find balance between your professional and emotional goals.

Venus will be retrograde throughout all of the month of August and into the first days of September. This is an event that happens once every 18 months, and brings with it a deeper understanding to what we want from our relationships, how our current relationships are flowing and how open we are to intimacy. This 40 day transit is happening in Leo in your area of professional aspirations and long-term goals. Everyone’s road to success is unique. Venus is reminding you about this. Venus wants you to validate your own progress and your own pace. Don’t think you have to move faster or do more in order to fit into a pace that’s unhealthy because you think this is what makes you valid and productive. Capitalism goes against self-care. And I know that it’s easier said than done. But accepting our limits and coming into a nurturing work pace can prove to be a truly radical act.

On the 16th, we have the New Moon in Leo, highlighting this Venus retrograde process. This will be an especially intense Moon, as it will also be conjunct Black Moon Lilith and square Uranus. You’re being reminded that your creative self-expression cannot be separate from your work in the world. No matter the line of work that you’re currently in, you’re putting something out into the world. If you’re feeling depressed with this life path, and how much space you have to bring your passion and your fire into it, it may be time to think how you can begin to do so, or how you can begin to manifest a new path for yourself.

Welcome Virgo season! The Sun will be shining a light on the people that you’re aligning with on a core level. Life’s already too complicated for you to continue to hang out with people that dim your light. You love yourself too much to keep wasting your energy on the connections that don’t offer you space to express your truth. Mercury also goes retrograde here in Virgo on the same day, the 23rd, inviting you to reconsider the goals and expectations you hold yourself to, and to observe the ways in which you compare yourself to your communities.

On the 27th, Mars shifts from Virgo to Libra, entering the deepest area of your chart. You’re tired. Prioritize rest. Real, deep rest, not the kind where you give yourself space but are tormenting yourself about it and thinking about all the things you have to get done. Retreating for a couple of weeks can help you get the pause you need in order to carefully work out your game plan. This won’t be easy. But try and cultivate the patience needed in order to conserve your energy and keep your plans and actions to yourself for now.

On the next day, Uranus will be going into its yearly retrograde phase for the next 5 months. Are you honoring your needs, no matter how unconventional they may seem, especially when it comes to your one-on-one relationships? Honor those new forms of connection that feel right.

We end the month of August with the Full Moon in the sign of Pisces becoming exact at 9:35 pm EST, on the 30th. This happens in your area of creative self-expression, fun and romance, inviting you to deepen your relationship to release. Whether that means putting the finishing touches on a creative project, or just softening, letting go and allowing yourself a good time. Acknowledge and celebrate your creative growth. You’re defying your inner critic by allowing your creative self-expression to shine through. And you’re also defying it by giving into the release of leisure.

The north node in Aries and the south node in Libra have been settling into your area of work and health routines and your area of unconscious patterns, respectively. You can gain the direction you’re looking for by getting things done without working yourself to exhaustion. Be extra aware of not getting so deep into your work and your health routines that it ends up turning into escapism or isolation. Find balance when you feel you’ve gone to an extreme.