Sun sign horoscopes Jul 23 - Aug 22

Aries
Slowing down may be the key to making progress this month. It goes against your usual instincts, but with your ruling planet, Mars, settled in Virgo, a bit of caution and a more meticulous approach will serve you well. On July 23, Chiron retrogrades, and those of you born Apr 3-12 will be encouraged to dive into some self-development, revisiting some deep personal wounding that you’d prefer to gloss over. Remember that fixing weak foundations will always make a structure stronger! 

Taurus
Recent optimism grows this month, as Jupiter continues its saunter through your sign. August brings a series of positive contacts with the personal planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars), highlighting your emotions and bringing fresh insights into the best ways to express your newfound confidence. Utilise this energy and take risks. Start a new class or job. Go on a date with someone a bit different to your usual ‘type’ or resolve issues within existing partnerships by approaching tricky conversations from a new perspective. 

Gemini
As July winds up you may be mulling over relationships. Perhaps you’re seeking validation over decisions you’ve made or just feeling restless to explore how your partnership or friendship could stretch and grow. Try to keep your thinking generous, both towards yourself and others. There’s the possibility of criticism overload around August 2 - this passes quickly, so don’t succumb to the negativity. The Venus retrograde brings you some fresh inspiration - breakthroughs and ‘a-ha’ moments are possible as you seek to rejuvenate any stalled projects.

Cancer
Starting with a bang, you enter Leo season with the mid-July Node/Pluto square still resonating. Recent events concerning control and power plays with others may have left you reeling. Feeling stretched, you may seek emotional security by whatever means possible, but try to keep some distance and perspective. Things settle pretty quickly once August arrives and a much more conciliatory air ensues. Use the positive tone around August 8 to resolve any friction with others.

Leo
Leo season is your time to shine and it kicks off with Venus immediately turning retrograde. Between now and Sept 6 she backtracks from 28-12 degrees of your sign. Those of you born August 4-21 cop the brunt of this energy. It’s a regular 8-year cycle, so look back to events of July/August 2015 to get clues around how it may manifest this time around. Use this retrograde generally to revisit topics around finance and where you’re choosing to spend money. It’s a great time to fix relationship issues and ask questions around what you really value. Use your Leo courage to bravely dig into awkward topics in order to find the gold. 

Virgo
Go hard this month, as Mars and Mercury move through your sign, bringing increased vitality and motivation for exercise, study and general self-assertion. Mercury rules your sign and this month may feel like a real-life mind map - with life full of links and ideas and possibilities, delivered via conversation and research. Make the most of this energised tone before Aug 24 when a Mercury retrograde brings the opportunity to self edit and make more sense of recent information overload.

Libra
Your ruling planet, Venus, spends Leo Season retrograde. It’s a 40-day period where you are urged to ask questions around love, relationships, what you value and how you spend your money. While usually inclined to defer to others, the Leo influence has you putting yourself first, eager to make sure that you get what you need. The South Node has just entered your sign, and it is also a ‘prioritising’ influence - expect to question the relevance of many things over the coming 18 months.

Scorpio
Guess what, Scorpio? You’re in the clear! After a tumultuous time, life looks much smoother from this month. The South Node has shifted, bringing an end to a phase of time that was about saying goodbye and letting things go. Your ruling planet, Mars, sits in Virgo, sensibly plotting a new pathway forward. Use this month to recalibrate and research. What’s next? Where will you pour your energies? Early August is optimistic with a real sense of liberation and possibility. Use that as your North Star.

Sagittarius
Another sign that sits on the periphery this month, Saggies are encouraged to use the helpful trine from retrograding Venus to dig into personal truths around money, purpose and relationships. The energy will be pouring in, gifting you with fresh perspective around how you operate. This is the time to reassess all VENUS things - which is everything from the colours you wear to how you connect to your partner. Find the flaws and recognise areas of dissatisfaction, but don’t try to fix too much until September. 

Capricorn
The big news for Capricorn is Pluto’s return to your sign - for the rest of your year you’re encouraged to revisit some of the problems of recent years. Perhaps you divorced but haven’t finalised your settlement, or a boss has returned from maternity leave and is making you miserable. Whatever it is, it feels sticky and unwelcome. Understand that this part of the story is the FINAL part and that the general tone of your life is more blessed and lucky than it was 6 months ago. Float, don’t flail and you’ll find that issues can be wrapped up surprisingly quickly.

Aquarius
Venus retrogrades opposite your sign. Those of you born Feb 1-18 will feel this energy most intensely and relationships are the likely focus. Perhaps you’re ready to call quits on something (it could be a marriage, business partnership or job). But tread carefully. This really isn’t the best time to make long term decisions. By all means assess the situation and make plans for what your other options are. But leave the call-to-final action for after the retrograde ends in early September.

Pisces
You’re more likely to be on the receiving rather than giving end of this month’s energy. Perhaps a partner is hyperactive, eager to ‘fix’ problems or agitating for you to make change. Without getting flustered, try to assess whether their points are valid and if you should become engaged in their process. You want to separate their problems from yours, but at the same time, you need to humour them by taking their quibbles seriously. This story may play out in stages over the next couple of months.