Pour it on and lay it down, astro babes. August’s cosmic medicine is sweet and made for spreading thick, as a pack of planets in Leo light up the skies. It is a courageous call to raise your threshold for relishing the good stuff and celebrating your own incarnation, as you bolster the emboldened belief that you have every right to lick the plate clean.
With Jupiter and Mercury now rolling direct, there is a wide open, windows-down energy to our collective expansion. And this expansion asks us to inquire where we might have grown small. Where does your life feel dried out and shrunken? What needs to be lubed up? ‘Tis the season to inject any emotional raisins with the pure juice of joy, returning some metaphorical lotion to your life and facing any fears about being, or having “too much.”
So come on strong, astro babes, and believe in your right to second and third helpings of your favorite treats. Whatever lights you up and turns you on is made for loving, without a drop of shame.
Read on for your sign’s indulgence for August, and stage your self-celebration with unabashed, unguilty pleasure …
LEO OR LEO RISING
Happy full-on birth month, you gorgeous glitter kitten! The slip and slides are ready to receive your beautiful body, as you learn to truly “behold” yourself this month. And while this might come complete with ribbons and fancy packaging, it may also look decidedly simpler and cooler. What would it mean to return to yourself right now? To some immutable, core essence that beats in time with your heart? After July’s stick-to-your-guns energy, August asks you to breathe deeply into the feeling that there is nothing to do and nowhere to go. Your capacity to pause is in exact relationship to your belief in how much you are worth.
Cosmic Indulgence: Getting Naked. Whether it is a nude beach, or a few hours alone at home with the curtains drawn, you are encouraged to love up on your own birthday suit this month, Leo. And while this may initially feel a bit confronting, treat it like a chance to receive yourself exactly like you would a new lover. Slide out of your threads softly and sensually. Turn the lights down low if you need to. And remember that you have every right to relish a roll in the sheets.
VIRGO OR VIRGO RISING
July was all about dipping into the inevitable sense of erosion, Virgo, as you began to release an area of your life where you had simply had “enough.” August’s cosmic medicine continues this slough-off cycle, as planetary energies in your zone of allowing teach you to twirl yourself ballerina-style into a brand-new incarnation. Remember your animal-ness in this process. You are an active participant in the natural world that surrounds and evolves around you. What season of your life do you find yourself in right now? What weather patterns are gracing your personal habitat? You are rising from the ash of some old way. Let this threshold crossing be cause for throwing your hands up to the sky and moving them from side to side.
Cosmic Indulgence: Buying Yourself Flowers. As you align yourself with the organic life-death-life cycles of your own existence, it is the perfect month for surrounding yourself with bodacious blooms. You might even delight in some edible petals, sampling a nasturtium salad or a little rose-infused ice cream. Remember that you can relish the art of “dying” to become reborn, as you taste each petal that has been plucked for the purpose of providing you with pure pleasure.
LIBRA OR LIBRA RISING
July was made for acting on instinct and simplifying your strategy, Libra, delighting in the beauty of clear sight lines. August ups the ante on your sense of self trust, as new routes through the forest unfurl at your feet. How can you match the energy of what is arriving right now without worrying about getting it “just right?” With planets entering your zone of zingy future tripping, this is the month to get weird and wild with your approach, learning to believe that whatever serendipitous package arrives on your doorstep is meant for you. Instead of returning to sender, Libra, open it up and build belief in your capacity to use whatever is inside.
Cosmic Indulgence: Karaoke. Play with the concept of matching the moment with a little karaoke sing-along that both responds to existing lyrics and lets you inject your own personal flair. This practice is perfect for reminding you that you can tango with whatever the world serves up. And if you are feeling particularly bold, forgo the private room for a public display of your vocal prowess.
SCORPIO OR SCORPIO RISING
July was fit for sweat-drenched leaps into sweet release, Scorpio, as you let whatever wanted to come ripping through you unleash itself. August finds you settling in after all of these shakes and shimmies, as planetary energies highlight your zone of self-sufficient, mature competence. But this can feel far more easy than flexing your muscle, as you learn to trust deeply in what you already know so that you can open yourself wide to what you do not, apprenticing yourself to whatever is arriving in your life with curiosity rather than clammy fear. Practice preparing less, Scorpio, swapping extended, anxious planning, for the exuberance of showing up with palms up.
Cosmic Indulgence: Blank Schedule. While you may have commitments you simply can’t slough off, August is the month to inquire about what is absolutely necessary, and what is merely fear-based filler. Even if it is just for an afternoon, experiment with deleting items from your calendar, and sitting in the fresh and clean space of literally nothing to do. Let this practice attune you to subtlety, as you savor small moments and the new beginnings that come from blank space.
SAGITTARIUS OR SAGITTARIUS RISING
July was a tucked-in, secret diary month for you Sag, as you plunged into the healing hot tub waters of your inner vision swirls. In August, fellow fire sign Leo amplifies your house of top-down convertibles, invigorating your urge to shake off the past and get on with it already. But before you go broke purchasing impulse plane tickets, learn to trust that you do not have to purge the past to get excited about the future. What is the relationship between all you have experienced and where you long to head? Do not be afraid to get nonlinear about it, Sag, knowing that the greatest adventures unfold when you are not attached to getting “ahead.”
Cosmic Indulgence: Romance Novels. Dig out those old drugstore paperbacks and toss your tough-skinned notions of appropriate emotions out the window, Sag. It is a perfect month to just get lost in a tale that has a happy ending, and to practice believing in possibility rather than interrupting hope with pragmatic reality checks. You may even want to dive into the YA section, delighting in your teen dreams of wildly innocent adventure. Disappear into the bookstacks and trust that your own story is unfolding from all that has come before.
CAPRICORN OR CAPRICORN RISING
July offered you the opportunity for sweet support, Cappy, as you learned to reach out for the soft touch of a helping hand. And with August’s planetary energies plunging you into your underground zone of intimate night moves, you are now asked to fearlessly widen your concept of power. Start by noticing where you feel like you have to keep it all together, tensing your body and calling the shots out of brittle fear rather than sheer joy. There is an easier way, Cappy, and it starts with believing that you are worthy of slipping and sliding rather than always having to sweat it out. Follow the natural course of your own life landscape and float downstream.
Cosmic Indulgence: Blowout. It is a month made for fluffing and plumping, Cappy, as you learn to let things feel softer and shinier, rather than getting caught in the endlessly knotty tangle. Whatever your coiffed preference, find expansion in an aesthetic practice that literally makes some surface of your body easier to deal with, whether it is a new style silhouette that is drapey rather than cinched, or a classic blowout. Commit to the credo that the more manageable the mane, the closer to goddess, Capricorn.
AQUARIUS OR AQUARIUS RISING
July’s medicine was all about the subtle shifts for you, Aquarius, as you learned to embrace micromovements in your daily approach with the fresh innocence of a young student. As August’s planetary energies activate your partnership axis, you are asked to explore the concept of space holding, returning some of the energy you output to your own precious self. You are blessed with some of the keenest “seeing” powers in the zodiac, able to assess what those around you are in need of and electrifying their belief that they can have it. What would it mean to widen your own container, Aquarius? Let radical non-judgment of your every emotion pave the way for vulnerability, as you build faith that you are worthy of human touch, no matter what.
Cosmic Indulgence: Honeymoon Suite. Celebrate all this self-love work with a solo romantic getaway, as you relinquish responsibility of your network and “accommodate” yourself instead. Whether it is an elaborate hotel suite, or a bare bones cabin in the woods, let there be something lavish about your digs, even if it is just a bottle of bubbly you bring along. Let pulling out the stops with some five-star care be a powerful reminder that you have the right to literally make space for yourself.
PISCES OR PISCES RISING
July was all bronzer and sparkle for you, Pisces, as you learned to step beyond comfort and towards the sequined light of your own potential. As August’s energy moves through your house of holism and inner expertise, it is a prime month to explore the concept of “alignment,” as you gently probe what is and is not synced up with your inner credo. This process of clarification asks you to believe that you have something to say about your own life, Pisces. That all of your experience makes you a powerful teacher. Check in with your current credos and commit to listening to the wisdom you have already gleaned from living the life no one else could live for you.
Cosmic Indulgence: Party for No Reason. Gather your closest pals and stage a feast for yourself without having any particular reason. So often, we wait for monumental life moments to celebrate ourselves, and August’s medicine wants to remind you that you always have the opportunity to honor your existence. Treat the experience like an epic graduation or magic milestone. Make photo collages and personal playlists, and let your friends toast and roast all that you have been and all that you are.
ARIES OR ARIES RISING
July’s energies invited you to wash all the way back to your own shores, Aries, as you experienced the “return” of some original part of your fiery essence. And with fellow barbecue babe Leo now lighting up your zone of creation and recreation, it is game on for letting your passions shape every facet of your beauteous existence. This does not mean that you have to fly away into fantasy, avoiding the stickier places that will inevitably arise in life. But it does mean that you can turn anything that comes at you into an opportunity to exercise your artistry, injecting personal flair into even the most mundane moments. Remember that even your heartbeat itself is a magic miracle. Whatever arises, let “bring it on” be your rallying cry.
Cosmic Indulgence: Ice Cream Sundaes. More is more right now, Aries, as you accept, embrace and celebrate whatever comes your way, adding an artful dollop of whipped cream and juicy cherry on top to every moment. Notice where you limit your appetites, believing that you do not deserve to go all out. Let this be the month for seconds and thirds, treating yourself to a buffet-style approach to your very existence.
TAURUS OR TAURUS RISING
July’s offering was all about the boundaries, Taurus, as you learned to come into deeper integrity with your solid “yeses” and “nos.” As August’s planets slide into your zone of lineage and family legacy, the hunkered-down vibes continue, and ask you to deeply consider your “source.” Quite simply put, why are you doing the things you are doing, Taurus? And what is starting to feel more rote memorization than delectably self-chosen living? With Uranus rolling retrograde through your sign, it is prime time to electrify the old, interrupting painful inheritances to repave the future. There is something you have been carrying that is not yours. Commit to softly smoking out some outmoded root systems.
Cosmic Indulgence: Pajama Day. Start with breakfast in bed and build from there, sweet Taurus. August is all about returning to your own origins and considering what lies beneath. Begin this emo excavation with an entire day spent not having to dress up in the societal suits the world requires of you. Draw the shades. Shut the phone. And delight in the sensation that you can solely follow your own motivations for a change.
GEMINI OR GEMINI RISING
July’s energies offered you the opportunity to dive deep into your value system, Gemini, as you powered up with a newfound sense of innate worthiness. With August’s planets illuminating your zone of easy breezy curiosity, the flavor is lighter and airier. You are asked to remember your inherently winged nature, tasting all the nectars in the garden without having to commit. Practice leaving questions unanswered and hard lines undone. You have the right to levity and circulation right now, and with your ruler Mercury rolling direct, you have every right to voice this need. If a situation feels overly sticky, get unstuck honeybee, heading off to sample another flower.
Cosmic Indulgence: Impromptu Getaway. Practice the magical art of literally disappearing, Gemini, as you follow the pull of mysterious threads, even if only for a few hours one day. If you have the time and space, let this be a foray into a land that bears little resemblance to your current reality, heading off to explore a new neighborhood or farther afield to a country where you do not speak the language. Pack only the essentials and curiously collect everything you might need along the way.
CANCER OR CANCER RISING
July was made for treating the world like your oyster, as you plumped up your courage and trusted in your own competence. And August’s energies beckon you even closer to your growing edge, as planets move into your chocolate-box zone of innate worthiness. Let this month be a lesson in the fine art of “staying with.” Whatever sensations arise, Little Mermaid, swim directly towards them rather than away, trusting that embracing the emotion is the key to processing and releasing. If you commit to this artful endurance, you have the chance to see everything as “for” you and your evolution, Cancer. Let each flavor that comes your way be an intriguing opportunity to snack on something new, as you learn to treat your life like a tasting menu that has been specially designed for your own expansion.
Cosmic Indulgence: Binge Watching. Whether it is an epic police procedural or a reality show bender, let yourself power up with the full range of human dramas. August’s energy offers you the chance to embrace it all, dear one, and you can build your tolerance muscle by remembering all of the laughter and the tears that are fit for scripting. Settle in with some buttered popcorn and lose yourself to infinite narratives.
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