Weekly Horoscope: August 4-10

As the old adage goes, when it rains, it pours, and this seems especially true of this summer’s busy retrograde season. A whopping six celestial bodies are flying retrograde as of last week, including Saturn, Neptune, Eris, Chiron, Pluto, and Ceres. This week, Mercury retrograde, arguably one of the most notorious planetary retrogrades, joins the club. 

Mercury’s close proximity and governance over communication, technology, and intellect have contributed to its retrograde season’s nasty reputation. During this time, wires are more likely to be crossed, accidents are more likely to happen, and decisions are more likely to fall through. But just like anything else, there are some positives we can glean from these experiences. 

What should your sign expect as Mercury shifts retrograde this week? 

Aries: March 19 – April 19

As Eris and Chiron’s dual retrogrades continue under your sign, they threaten to exacerbate the effects of Mercury retrograde taking place in Virgo. Remember, Eris and Chiron retrogrades draw attention to our inner rebellious and vulnerable sides, respectively. Be wary of Mercury’s communicative disruptions trying to convince you to make mountains out of molehills. 

Fortunately, you have a great deal of prosperity in your cosmic alignment as your ruling planet, Mars, nears a full conjunction with Jupiter under Gemini. This potent combo promises great rewards if you can keep your head and emotions clear and avoid burning bridges unnecessarily. This week is a great time to practice mindful communication. Take a beat before responding, and try to consider every side of the story before jumping to conclusions. 

Taurus: April 20 – May 20

Get ready for potential mishaps in the middle of this week as your ruling planet, Venus, conjoins with Mercury at the exact time the small planet shifts retrograde. Venus governs our finances and love lives, and with Mercury’s chaotic energy added to the mix, things are liable to get a little hairy. While this isn’t a guarantee for disaster, it is a cosmic caution sign. 

If possible, avoid making any major decisions regarding money or relationships this week, especially around Thursday and Friday when Venus and Mercury’s conjunction locks in. If the decision is worth making, then a few extra days of consideration shouldn’t hurt anything too much. A brief delay is far easier to handle than a messy cleanup from a hasty mistake.

Gemini: May 21 – June 20

As one of two star signs ruled by Mercury, you’re bound to feel its retrograde effects more strongly. Luckily, Mars and Jupiter continue to fly under your sign this week, joining forces in a planetary conjunction around the same time that your ruling planet shifts backward. Mars and Jupiter offer a much-needed boost of motivation, good fortune, and energy. 

Nevertheless, Mercury retrograde still has the potential to destabilize even the best-laid plans. Rather than exploring new opportunities, relationships, or otherwise, try capitalizing on the Mars-Jupiter conjunction’s energy and make the best of what you have right now. Strengthen bonds you already have, dive deeper into a project for a current job, etc. There will be time to branch out later on, but this week doesn’t seem to be it. 

Cancer: June 21 – July 22

Your ruling celestial body, the Moon, has several up-close interactions with retrogrades throughout the Zodiac. First, a tiny sliver of a waxing crescent passes by Mercury retrograde early in the week, which might make decision-making a bit more difficult than usual. Shortly after, the waxing crescent Moon faces off with Neptune retrograde in direct opposition. 

Retrogrades are inherently intrinsically minded, and given the Moon’s domain over our inner, emotional selves, things might feel particularly chaotic in matters of the spirit and heart. Still, the show must go on. Proceed as usual, but take careful stock of your emotions while you do so. Let your feelings act as an internal compass when the path forward becomes unclear.

Leo: July 23 – August 22

Your ruling celestial body, the Sun, starts the week in conjunction with a reflective new Moon, offering the perfect opportunity to reacquaint yourself with your values and goals before Mercury’s tumultuous influence starts affecting our communication and insight. When we stand firm in our beliefs and morals, the universe’s unpredictability becomes less jarring. 

A favorable sextile between the Sun and nearby Jupiter will bolster this introspective exercise, encouraging us to dive deeper into why we prioritize the things we do. Keep your mind and heart open to the possibility of new ideas and perspectives. The tighter you cling to any one idea, the more difficult it will be to adapt to life’s natural ebb and flow.

Virgo: August 23 – September 22

While Mercury retrograde affects all signs of the Zodiac, it promises to impact your daily life more directly for two reasons. One, Mercury is your ruling planet. Two, this small, communication-driven planet goes retrograde under your sign toward the end of the week. There will likely be bumps in the road, but fear not, Virgo. You can certainly handle them. 

The sooner you come to terms with the fact that you can’t plan for every single one of life’s unexpected change-ups, the easier this chaotic retrograde season will become. Avoiding making major decisions can help avoid some rough patches, but even if that’s not possible, the best you can do is keep your guard up and have faith in your ability to problem-solve on the fly.

Libra: September 23 – October 22

This week’s Mercury retrograde becomes especially present in your daily life around Thursday and Friday when your ruling planet, Venus, locks into a conjunction with Mercury as the small planet shifts retrograde. This cosmic alignment indicates potential trouble in the romance or finance department, but this isn’t necessarily a promise of disaster. 

Although not always doable, try to avoid making major decisions in either area this week. Mercury’s ability to cloud our communication skills makes it more likely that we’ll make decisions without all the information and nuance we need to move forward. If something is meant to be, then it will be. This certainly isn’t the week for rushing into things haphazardly, Libra.

Scorpio: October 23 – November 21

Just because the door that’s opening before you isn’t the one you expected doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t venture forward anyway. The universe works in mysterious ways, and you’d be wise to listen to its signals when they’re calling out to you loud and clear like this. Your cosmic alignment suggests you ought to pay attention to these signs around Thursday and Friday. 

During this time, your ruling planet, Pluto, forms a harmonious trine with two celestial bodies: a waxing crescent Moon and Uranus. The waxing crescent calls our emotional selves to take action, while Uranus promotes innovation and pushing against the status quo. It might not be the path you anticipated, but it’s the path you’ve been given. Now, it’s time to start walking. 

Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21

There has been an ongoing challenge between your ruling planet, Jupiter, and Saturn retrograde for weeks now, but a silver lining is finally starting to shine through. As Mars locks into a conjunction with Jupiter by midweek, you’ll get some much-needed motivation to tackle the obligations and obstacles you’ve been putting off out of reluctance, burnout, or both. 

Your task from last week continues: handle the loose ends, responsibilities, and chores you have on your plate right now before adding on anything else. You have the tools you need to get through these challenging times, but distracting yourself with something new is not one of them. Stay focused, and you’ll get over this frustrating plateau faster than you think. 

Capricorn: December 22 – January 19

The emotional events of last week come to a head early this week as a waxing crescent Moon faces off with your ruling planet, Saturn, as it flies retrograde under Pisces. With the Moon under Earth-ruled Virgo and your ruling planet under watery Pisces, it’d be wise to anticipate some criss-crossed feelings. Things might seem a bit conflicting or even paradoxical this week. 

Mercury’s topsy-turvy influence on the way we perceive and interact with the outside world will only worsen these feelings. The name of the game this week is clarity. Don’t be afraid to ask for it, and offer as much of it as you can. Misunderstandings are running rampant this week, which will only make dealing with the conflicting emotions inside you more arduous. 

Aquarius: January 20 – February 18

Your cosmic alignment indicates unpredictability in either the finance or romance department — perhaps even a little bit of both. Unfortunately, this doesn’t place you on super stable ground in the days leading up to Mercury retrograde. Prepare for things to feel a little haywire as the influences of Uranus, Venus, and Mercury clash with one another early in the week. 

On the plus side, Uranus forms a favorable sextile with Neptune retrograde throughout the week, suggesting an invitation from the cosmos to follow your dreams a little more closely. Try not to get caught up in the small hiccups, and keep your eyes on the bigger picture. These unexpected change-ups could very well be blessings in disguise, Aquarius. 

Pisces: February 19 – March 20

The most pressing element of your cosmic alignment this week takes place Thursday through Friday when a waxing crescent Moon directly opposes your ruling planet in retrograde, Neptune. While your ruling planet’s retrograde shift calls you to acknowledge places in life you’ve been deceived, accidentally or willingly, the Moon calls your emotional self to take action. 

Simply put, it’s time to address those nagging feelings in the pit of your stomach. Chances are you already know the problems that have been lurking just beneath the surface. Now, the stars are calling you to take action and rectify the issues. This process won’t be easy — in fact, it might be downright uncomfortable. But it will certainly be worth it in the end, Pisces.