Your Weekly Horoscope: The World is Opening Back Up to You
Astral & Opal Weekly Horoscope - Week Aug 8-14
ARIES
Work, work, work—you’ve got a busy week ahead of you, Aries, with both Mercury and Virgo camped out in your 6th House of health and wellness forming aspects to planets this week. On Wednesday Mercury forms a trine to power-player Pluto in your professional 10th House, urging you to speak up at the office. Who knows, a little bit of vocal courage could lead to some huge leaps and bounds up the career ladder.
On Saturday, structured Saturn turns direct in your 9th House of wanderlust and foreign cultures, opening the world back up to you after a five-month retrograde cycle that left you feeling like you were surrounded by more walls than the America of Donald Trump’s dreams. Knock down those barriers and get out and explore—there’s a whole world waiting for you!
On Sunday Venus forms an opposition to hazy Pluto in your 12th House of endings and “letting go”. This would be a great day to give a 24-hour detox a go; anything that can purge some of the unnecessary excess from your life will feel like the right path to pursue on this day, so pick up some green juices and drink plenty of water.
TAURUS
You’ve got romance on the brain this week, Taurus, with both Mercury and Venus camped out in your 5th House of love and self-expression. On Wednesday Mercury forms a harmonious trine to transformative Pluto in your 9th House of foreign cultures and wanderlust, encouraging you to look for both love and inspiration beyond your own borders. Who knows—you might swipe right on a hottie from out of town with a sexy accent that leaves you weak in the knees.
On Saturday structured Saturn turns direct in your 8th House of intimacy and shared resources; if your sex life has felt a little bit hampered this year there’s a good chance Saturn retrograde was holding you back from enjoying yourself. Saturn isn’t the most freewheeling planet and can keep you pretty buttoned up, even when it is in direct motion, but compared to these last five months I’ll bet you’ll be seeing more bedroom Olympics in the coming weeks.
On Sunday your ruler Venus opposes Neptune in your 11th House of friendships and large social groups. That day you might have trouble deciding whether to be part of the team or strike out on your own and make the day about you; there’s nothing wrong with either choice, but it’s the decision itself that may leave you feeling shaken and unsure. This only lasts a day so try not to get too stressed!
GEMINI
Talk about an emotional week, Gemini! On Wednesday your ruler Mercury, currently camped out in your 4th House of home and family, will send a harmonious beam to transformative Pluto in your intimate 8th House of emotional depth and shared resources. You might find yourself getting weepy over nothing or even having a bit of an emotional breakdown—don’t worry, the energy between these two planets is positive so even if you do have a bit of a cry-fest it will probably be for the best and feel super emotionally satisfying, so lean into the feels.
On Saturday your relationships get to breathe some fresh air thanks to Saturn turning direct in your 7th House of one-on-one partnerships after spinning backwards for a five-month retrograde cycle. During this time it probably felt nearly impossible to see eye-to-eye with your nearest and dearest, and any budding romances probably had the kibosh put on them real fast, but after this weekend things will begin to progress forward in a way that actually helps you build a stronger and firmer basis for future relationships as opposed to regulated disappointments.
On Sunday Venus in your home sector opposes dreamy Neptune in your professional zone, making it hard to know exactly where your loyalties lie. A push-pull dynamic between these two sides of your life might leave you in the lurch, but don’t worry, this only lasts twenty-four hours so the fog will lift soon enough!
CANCER
This week sees a significant shift in energy thanks to Saturn, the planet of structure and hard work, waking up from a five-month retrograde cycle and moving ahead in a productive fashion once again. Saturn is currently camped out in Sagittarius and your 6th House of daily routine and health. While Saturn was retrograde it might have felt nearly impossible to make yourself more efficient, and there may have been some health issues popping up that you hadn’t foreseen or been prepared to deal with, but now that Saturn is moving forward once again you can be ready to face these issues head on and know that you will be able to make some concrete progress when it comes to being a better, more efficient version of yourself.
On Sunday it might be hard to base your ideas in any true sense of reality. Venus in your 3rd House will be opposing hazy Neptune in your 9th House of boundless opportunity and world travel, making it seem as though the sky is the limit. While it is great to be optimistic (something your sign could stand to work on, tbh) it is important to not let yourself get carried away with your life goals. Of course, if you keep this daydreaming to a creative level who knows what amazing ideas you could come up with? In that sense, daydream away.
LEO
Your finances will be on your mind this week, Leo, starting Wednesday when mental Mercury in your 2nd House of earned income sends a stabilizing trine to transformative Pluto in your 6th House of daily work and routine. How much are you investing in yourself and how much is being “thrown away”? If you don’t have a proper savings plan in place this is a great time to start one, or at least make a proper budget for yourself!
Saturn, planet of structure and hard work, wakes up on Saturday from a five-month retrograde cycle through your 5th House of romance and creativity. If this summer wasn’t exactly full of light-hearted love then there’s a good chance Saturn had something to do with that, but things will start to move forward finally and you’ll be able to engage in relationships and creative pursuits that put your wants and needs first and make you feel like you’re actually getting what you deserve.
The next day be wary of overindulging yourself; Venus is hanging out in your 2nd House of earned income and will form an opposition to foggy Neptune in your 8th House of shared resources. Be careful about splitting bills or buying things when you know you should be more responsible with your money; this is not a good day to go out and have a shopping spree, Leo, but it only lasts about twenty-four hours so just hold on and do your shopping in a few days.
VIRGO
How about a little bit of drama, Virgo? On Wednesday your ruler Mercury, currently camped out in your sign, forms a harmonious trine to transformative Pluto in your 5th House of romance and creativity, urging you to speak your mind and hold nothing back when it comes to putting yourself center stage. You’re not necessarily the most comfortable in the spotlight, but sometimes taking the mic and letting loose a few truths can feel great, especially if you follow it up with a satisfying mic drop.
On Saturday structured Saturn goes direct after spending five months retrograding through your 4th House of home and family. If it’s felt nearly impossible to make any progress on the home front, whether it’s repairs, remodeling, or even a move, those sorts of things will become much, much easier moving forward.
On Sunday Venus in your sign opposes Neptune in Pisces, making it difficult to draw boundaries between you and a significant other—that is, if you even want to draw boundaries. Both of these planets are all about self-indulgence, which isn’t exactly your forte, Virgo, so you might find yourself feeling like a fish out of water. Someone in a close relationship with you might not live up to your expectations, but don’t forget we’re all human—yes, even you.
LIBRA
The big planetary action is happening this weekend, Libra, so keep your eyes on the finish line. On Saturday Saturn turns direct after spending five months in retrograde cycle in your 3rd House of communication and local communities. For a sign such as yourself who puts so much emphasis on keeping things friendly, this retrograde cycle has been pretty tough and taken the fun out of a lot of your friendships, but that stops this weekend and you can once again begin to find productive ways to interact with people. The 3rd House also rules writing projects, so if you’re a writer of any kind use Saturn’s hardworking energy to get ahead with any ideas you may have been percolating.
On Sunday your ruler Venus, currently in your 12th House of endings and letting go, forms a complicated opposition to foggy Neptune in your 6th House of health and routine. Neither of these planets are very good with setting boundaries, and in fact indulging in life’s pleasures is pretty much what these two planets do best—and you’re not too far behind them, Libra. Careful of over indulging yourself on this day, though; one too many mimosas at brunch might leave you with a midday hangover that ruins the rest of your weekend.
SCORPIO
You’re not one to express your deeper feelings very easily, Scorpio, in fact you tend to keep those sorts of emotions to yourself and rarely share what’s going on under the surface with anyone else. This Wednesday, however, your ruler Pluto, currently camped out in your 3rd House of communications, syncs up with mental Mercury in your 11th House of friendships, urging you to let down your walls and confide in your friends. You don’t have to unburden your entire soul to them—lord knows there’s a lot of it—but opening up yourself to your chosen kin will feel great. Besides, they’re your friends for a reason so if you can’t show them the real you then what’s the point?
On Saturday structured Saturn wakes up from a five month retrograde cycle through your 2nd House of earned income. Lately it might have felt nearly impossible to actually improve upon your financial status in any way, and much like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the mountain, every time you thought you were getting somewhere the universe knocked you right back down again. Now that Saturn is turning back on you’ll be able to progress more easily towards your goals of financial stability. It won’t happen overnight but then again you know what they say about Rome.
SAGITTARIUS
This week could see you making some serious progress on the career front, Sagittarius, especially on Wednesday when transformative Pluto in your 2nd House of earned income forms a harmonious trine to communicator Mercury in your professionally ambitions 10th House. A conversation with a superior might go extremely well and they decide you’ve got the chops for a higher position, which will come with a bigger paycheck to boot. This is a great day for any sort of work-related endeavors, so don’t be afraid to speak up.
On Saturday Saturn, the planet of structure and hard work, ends a five-month retrograde cycle that it’s been back-spinning through your sign, Sag. For the last five months expressing yourself might have felt more difficult than winning an Olympic gold medal, but now that Saturn won’t be pushing against your urges of self-expression, it should become much easier to be you in the very best sense.
On Sunday Venus in your career sector forms an opposition to foggy Neptune in your 4th House of home and family, making it difficult to decide who and what you should focus on; where exactly do your loyalties lie? Even if you can’t quite figure that out—Neptune is all about fogging up your vision—don’t worry; this transit only last a day so just go with the flow.
CAPRICORN
This week sees a major shift in the way you express yourself, Capricorn. On Wednesday communicator Mercury forms a harmonious trine to transformative Pluto, currently camped out in your sign. With these two planets blending their energy in a positive way, the universe is encouraging you to let down your walls and give voice to a side of yourself that doesn’t normally get much play. You may prefer to keep things buttoned up and professional, but that doesn’t give a complete representation of your entire personality, so don’t be afraid to give vent to some feelings or thoughts that have been rumbling underneath the surface.
On Saturday your ruling planet Saturn wakes up from a five-month retrograde spell. Saturn is currently in Sagittarius and your 12th House of endings and the subconscious; during this time it might have felt like you’ve had less of a guardian angel and more perhaps a guardian devil keeping watch over you; it’s as though the world only wants to send you more complications. Well, things aren’t exactly about to lighten up but they are going to be more productive now that Saturn is doing what it is actually meant to; try being more conscious about using the structured energy of Saturn blended with the detoxing energy of the 12th House; how will ridding yourself of certain behaviors make you into a better person? Make a flow chart if it’ll help.
AQUARIUS
Wednesday sees you plumbing the depths of your personality, Aquarius, as communicator Mercury in your deeply intimate 8th House forms a stabilizing trine to transformative Pluto in your subconscious and creative 12th House. This is a harmonious angle, and since these sectors of your chart deal with your emotions, might I recommend taking the day to give vent to any underlying issues that have been swirling about your mind? You’re not the most emotional sign, so take this rare opportunity from the universe to dive in and free yourself of anything that’s been holding you back.
On Saturday, planet of structure Saturn turns direct after spending five months in retrograde motion in Sagittarius and your 11th House of social groups and hopes and dreams. Now, Uranus is your sign’s ruler but before that planet was discovered in 1781 Saturn was the traditional ruler of Aquarius (alongside Capricorn) and in a manner of speaking it’s like having two guardian planets keeping watch over you; Uranus inspires the rebellious, non-conformist and even whacky aspects of your personality, while Saturn oversees the side of your personality that still wants to do something useful and productive with yourself. With that in mind, your platonic relationships will start to feel smoother moving forward, and less fraught with tension—you might even begin to meet people that have the ability to help bring more stability into your life; who says friends aren’t family?
PISCES
This weekend is where the action is for you, Pisces. On Saturday Saturn, the planet of structure and hard work, wakes up from a five month retrograde cycle in your 10th House of career ambitions and goals, making it easier to once again proceed toward your professional Zion. Saturn is the natural ruler of the 10th House, so it feels at home here; you’ll be hosting Saturn here through 2017, so use this time to really chug away at your ambitions; if you work hard who knows where you might end up?
On Sunday Venus in Virgo and your 7th House of relationships forms an opposition to your ruler Neptune, which is currently camped out in your sign. On this day it might be difficult to surmise how you feel in relation to a close partner’s attention on you. Perhaps someone professes an attraction to you, but they’re someone you had never really considered and now you don’t know whether or not to take them seriously. There might also be a mix-up with a romantic partner, as Neptune can sometimes act like Mercury in retrograde, fogging up windows and making it difficult to get on the same page. On the other hand, both of these planets encourage you to just go with the flow, so if you let the universe guide you chances are you’ll end up in the right place with the right person at the right time.
About the Contributor:
Patty Phillips is a California Bay Area-based astrologer. He began studying the fascinating secrets of the zodiac as a freshman at Sarah Lawrence College in the fall of 2009, alongside other such topics as Medieval Magic, Historical Espionage, and Royal Court Genealogy. This passion for the esoteric science of the planets & signs was spurred on after realizing that astrology went far beyond one’s sun sign and that there was in fact a roadmap to each person existing within the stars above us, and that many of our own questions could be answered by directing our gaze towards the heavens and interpreting what the planets meant for each individual. Patty has interpreted hundreds of charts for friends and family, and after stints in the NYC-fashion industry and journalism, he decided to start his own business, Wanderlust Astrology, as a way to bring his specific and unusual knowledge to a larger audience. By doing so he hopes to demystify the ways of the zodiac in order to help people better understand and approach the various issues that life—and the planets—may bring their way. Patty is available for one-on-one consultations and private readings, each geared to help his clients best understand how to work with these ancient energies in modern times.
