The Astrology of AUGUST 2025:
a RENEWAL OF LOVE + truth

by Juliana McCarthy

Agostino Arrivabene

August 1, 2025 — August begins with Mercury retrograde and the Sun, both in Leo, opposing transformative Pluto. At the same time, they’re forming supportive aspects to all the outer planets. To say things are intense would be an understatement. We’re in a profound period of crisis and recalibration, and if we’ve been resisting growth, karmic pressure may now erupt into full-blown reckoning. The liberation underway is not instantaneous. New selves and a new world are pushing through, but pain, vigilance, and sustained effort are still required to bring them into being.

On a personal level, we’re ready to update relationship patterns and speak the truth—first to ourselves, then to each other. A powerful Grand Air Trine forms on August 6, opening a portal of harmony and manifestation, but only if we act with courage and integrity. By month’s end, sobering insights begin to ground the emotional intensity, while Venus in Leo ignites romance, creative rebirth, and deeper intimacy. 

How can we love ourselves and each other more fully, maintaining boundaries while holding space for the parts of us that are still healing?

We may long for the perfect partnership or utopian world, but both dreams need revision. We’re rapidly becoming more mature, whole, and healed—if we’re willing to do the work. Communication is king in August, but the kind that requires us to become radically honest with ourselves—this is what Pluto demands. As Mercury stations direct on August 11, the real dialogue begins.

These times are wild, but we’ve never had such opportunity for breakthrough. The key is to open our hearts wide and surrender to what’s in front of us, no matter how painful or bright. The more we buckle down and lay ourselves bare, the more we will liberate and return to unity, love, and joy.

AUGUST 2025 TRANSITS

SUN + MERCURY RX OPPOSITE PLUTO

August begins with the Sun and Mercury retrograde in Leo opposing volcanic Pluto in Aquarius. We may feel like intense conversations are stalled. It’s time to go inward to first understand our own truth. The planets have yanked off the veils of reality, stripping our perception of ego and illusion. Similarly, dishonesty has revealed itself, profoundly and cathartically. If we’ve been out of alignment with integrity, or playing out addictive patterns—valuing our own fulfillment at the expense of others’ pain—a reckoning is upon us. The beauty of this period is that we now have the chance to become more healed and whole, and to step into more genuine expressions of self, creativity, and love.

MARS IN LIBRA / GRAND AIR TRINE

Mars moves into Libra on August 6, reorienting us toward peace, diplomacy, and the art of meaningful relationships. Upon entering Libra, Mars forms a beautiful Grand Air Trine with Uranus and Pluto. Breakthrough and transformation are imminent as a wave of clarity and integrity support us. While frustration is present, the Grand Trine marks a reprieve from the challenges we’ve faced as we confront our demons and transmute them. Fresh inspiration and volatility are likely as we elevate to higher frequencies within ourselves, our bonds, and the wider world.

AQUARIUS FULL MOON / MARS OPPOSITE SATURN + NEPTUNE

The Aquarius Full Moon arrives on August 9, with a rare Grand Kite forming in the background. Mars’s oppositions to Saturn and Neptune may spark fatigue, confusion, or fear of failure. But they’re also helping us redirect our paths toward more authentic commitments and directions. Breakthroughs continue to abound as we purify abuses of power and egos gone awry, and align more deeply with our values. We can harness Aquarius’s clear-sighted detachment to think outside the box and see the bigger picture. The Aquarius Full Moon asks us: How we can apply our talents to be of benefit to the world?

MERCURY DIRECT IN LEO

On August 11, Mercury stations direct in Leo, shifting our momentum after a challenging retrograde that tested our patience. This period has stirred confusion, delays, and miscommunications, but as Mercury now aligns with the outer planets, we’re receiving the clarity we've been longing for. What direction are we heading in? Are we severing ties or moving forward in a new way? Are we ready to make the decisions that have felt out of reach? This is a threshold moment—one where insights, breakthroughs, necessary cord-cutting, and creative alignments emerge. We are releasing the old and stepping into the next chapter.

VENUS-JUPITER CONJUNCTION IN CANCER

On August 12, Venus conjoins Jupiter in Cancer—an auspicious day for relationships and friendship. This is a gorgeous time for family and intimate connections, when we may feel increased possibility for forgiveness and resolution. Emotional generosity flows more freely now, making it easier to give and receive love and closeness.

SUN IN VIRGO

The Sun moves into Virgo on August 22, offering a shift toward discernment, purification, and repair. After the dramatic rollercoaster of early August, the Virgo Sun arrives to help us realign with simplicity, devotion, and care. It’s time to restore our nervous systems, clear clutter, and apply ourselves to meaningful work. Virgo asks: What matters now? And how can we serve it with more precision and humility?

VIRGO NEW MOON / YOD SQUARE TO URANUS

The Virgo New Moon forms on August 23, falling at the apex of a Yod configuration. This places us at a karmic crossroads that requires effort, clarity, and realignment. This lunation also squares Uranus, stirring restlessness and the urge for sudden change. We may feel wired, anxious, or restless. It’s important to support our bodies now—eating grounding food, hydrating, and exercising. Venus squares Chiron on the same day, drawing tender emotional wounds to the surface for healing. If we’ve been clinging to ego or manipulation, this New Moon pulls us back into honesty and respect.

VENUS IN LEO, TRINE SATURN + NEPTUNE, SEXTILE URANUS, OPPOSITE PLUTO

Venus enters Leo on August 25, then forms a cascade of outer-planetary aspects—trining Saturn and Neptune, sextiling Uranus, and opposing Pluto, all within two days. Love, money, creativity, and values are ready for totally new patterns. Intense dynamics of intimacy and power may rise now, calling for reflection and reevaluation. These transits demand hard work, integrity, commitment, and facing uncomfortable truths for the sake of transformation. This month has been full of surprises and realignments, especially in relationships. Now we are moving into new alliances—within and without—where peace, courage, authenticity, and true love are more possible than ever.

AUGUST 2025 ASPIRATION

In the heat of summer, may we welcome the fires of renewal and embody greater integrity, peace, and elevated love. May we surrender to the hard work that’s necessary, allowing the planets to strip away our fear—and all that isn’t right or true.

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