Monthly Horoscope for August, 2025 by Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19)
This is one of those times in your life when everything is happening all at once. And if you are able to pace yourself, it could be fun. At the moment, despite living in gnat years in this bizarre new version of the digital world, that pace should be slow — at least for a while. The emphasis of your solar chart is in two places: your home angle, Cancer, where the message is ‘feather your nest and get together with people’. Yes, I am suggesting you give up either an evening (or several evenings) of work or going out to do that thing that was so popular when our parents were little — stay in and hang out with friends and eat good food. If I have to tempt you with the business potential of this, we live in times when the kind of idea that can only be noticed in a relaxed state can be more helpful than making any effort. But I’m not suggesting a business dinner or anything with a focused purpose: I am suggesting good food that you make personally. Also active is retrograde Mercury in Leo, which describes a gold mine of ideas. It also describes something that pretty much anyone can do now, which is to pick up an abandoned creative project and have some fun with it. This is purely for the pleasure of doing, rather than for any end goal. You will feel good, and that is everything.
Check out this year’s Aries Astrology Studio.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
You’re going strong, mostly based on your positive attitude. That will work for you, especially if you know how to stay out of your own way. The most challenging part of being a Taurus is obsessive attention to detail and the voices that will not stop chattering in your mind. Think of this as mental noise. Then there is the mental signal — the ideas, thoughts, and information that you actually want. Put simply, it will help if you learn to spot the difference, and then emphasize the part of your mental flow that is actually relevant. In practical terms, this means getting beyond your own doubts, especially about yourself and your abilities. Then there are the doubts you have about whether you are ‘worthy’ and whether people care about you. And then, when do you actually have the confidence to take action? The answer to all of this is: sometimes you have to go swimming, or take a bath, or make yourself your favorite meal. Most of what I am describing is the noise and not the signal. And while you may be obsessing over endless details of a task or project, in less than two weeks you will have clear information about what you need to do, which will also connect with what you want to do. If you have one core issue, it involves your relationship to desire. You don’t trust it, and you still think there’s such a thing as a guilty pleasure.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
Most art is the result of irritation. Most creativity is driven by a survival response, far more than it’s about inspiration. People wonder about this; the symphony or painting or sculpture all seem to be a celebration of existence. And that is true, though contentment and confidence do not usually drive artistic breakthroughs. (Though they may drive the advertising business.) Mars in Virgo is likely to be provoking some deep moments of insecurity, coming along with the feeling that you actually have something to worry about. If you turn this inward on yourself, the result will be anxiety, guilt and resentment. If you turn your energy around into an expressive channel, you will change yourself and reveal something to the world. This is a confidence building project, which is best embarked upon when you’re not feeling so sure of yourself. Practice expressing anger in a way that is productive and useful. That would not include raging at anyone or anything; you might measure use and productivity in how articulate you are. If you persist in this experiment, you’re likely to discover that what you thought was irritating you was irrelevant or that there is something more significant. So keep going, rethink and revise, and calmly figure out what concerns you. In the meantime, a gentle approach to your relationships with domestic partners of any kind will be productive. Let your curiosity lead, rather than any sense of being right.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You are in one of the most transformational moments in your professional trajectory, ever. Maybe you feel it; however, it could come across as a sense of crisis, or some critical task you must fulfill. I suggest you step back and get a wider perspective. Think in ways that go beyond what you’re doing now, or have ever done. Consider everything that you’ve wanted to do; ask yourself what still interests you. This moment is so rich with potential that you simply must take an all-encompassing view. Then there is the question of what you want to eliminate; and the related question of what you want to change, adjust or adapt to the new environment. A diversity of factors make this kind of self-assessment accessible now, and Mars in particular is encouraging you to do it in writing. Now, here is the catch: Notice where politics is entering your analysis. For example, the thought that you would do something, but it will not be looked on favorably due to some cultural trend. These are likely to be the things you want to explore the most, and which I suggest you emphasize. Even the most creative people can fall for the trap of avoiding taking a chance because of the fear of disapproval. This matter goes deeper than it seems; in many ways it’s the substance that needlessly gums up the progress of humanity.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
Rather than obsess over money, pay attention to what you’re thinking and how you feel; it will be much more productive financially and every other way. The issues that most people have with their finances usually involve connecting with their values. Think of spending money as saying something. The question is, “Do you really mean it?” Then there is what you mean to say, and do not. That’s about valuing something that you don’t invest in. You’re in a moment when you can make some observations and adaptations about these things. You can study your motives for spending and not spending. It’s probably true that women spend their disposable funds more on an emotional basis (what feels good) and men do so using thoughtful planning (what they need or want). There are always exceptions, but how does this shake out for you? All of your astrology is guiding you in the direction of conscious prioritization. It’s also suggesting that you do a kind of self-audit and see where your funds go. There is an issue in that most money is spent using a plastic card of some kind. That interposes a delay between the choice to spend and accounting for the expense (when you see the statement). With cash, you see it go out and you know it’s been spent. There’s also something about recognizing that all expenditures are factors in a business relationship. What are those relationships really about?
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Mars in your sign is about to engage with Chiron (an embodiment of Virgo), and also with chaos-generating Eris. To my ear, this is about healing the profound disembodiment associated with being soaked in the digital realm for somewhere between half and all of your life. Existence may seem to be “just the way it is.” The real situation is imperceptible to most people, except for the looming sense of isolation and longing. If you’re younger — let's say under 40 — you may have no concept that there is another way to live. If you’re over 40, your sense of who you were and how your life was before may have dropped down the memory hole. With Mercury retrograde, I suggest you spend some time searching through the past. This might be anything from digging out old family albums (someone may have them if you do not) to letters, diaries, and notebooks — the kind that exist in physical form. This is not about mere nostalgia. It’s about seeing how much distance has come between you and the person you once were, and at the same time, waking up your inner being. Many people think the past was stupid and that modern times are in every way better, or the only option. However, the action of both Mercury and Mars is suggesting that you turn back the pages and get a sense of what you’ve left behind.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Mars in Virgo (your 12th place of the unknown and unseen) plus retrograde Mercury may be keeping you up at night. However, there’s a cosmic plan, and you’ll find yourself in a new position when Mercury stations direct on the 11th. You're likely to be facing a challenge — one that you welcome and where you can be at your very best. Therefore, bide your time, by which I mean abide in your time. Form a relationship with your anxiety. Remember that it’s a feeling and is unlikely to be prescient; your ability to predict is curtailed by a diversity of blind spots, points of confusion and misunderstandings. Mercury is retrograde in the social angle of your chart. The suggestion is to stick to old friends, and consider what they have to say about life. By consider, I mean hear them out and see if you can get to the bottom of their point of view. This is a crucial time for rethinking the whole project of relationships, of all forms. I’m not talking about dating, romance or marriage. I am talking about the way that “the universe is our relations with each other”, in the words of Thaddeus Golas. Everything is a relationship and every relationship is a representation of your connection to existence. But only if you see it that way. If you take any specific association and ask yourself, “Is this how I relate to the world?” or “What if this person or situation were God?”, what response would you get?
Check out this year’s Libra Astrology Studio, preview above.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Be patient during the forthcoming weeks of Mercury retrograde. You may have a feeling similar to, I really want to accomplish something but I just can’t get any traction. My accomplishments deserve attention but I’m not getting it. Something bigger and better (and more significant) is brewing, and that is the thing that may be making you nervous. The world is changing faster than anyone can keep up with, and I understand if you’re feeling insecure. The digital environment is driving movement in some of the very most personal and private aspects of your life, from your bedroom closet to the dinner table. However, the bottom is not falling out of your existence. Rather, you are being called to leadership. You are being invited to take responsibility for more than your own life and your own happiness. Therefore, if you feel your awareness contracting (fear, guilt, isolation) make an extra effort to get to know some of the people around you in a new way. Listen closely for how they are responding to this strange new life we are all living. Listening seems to be more work than most people care to do, but that’s not the issue. Rather, the issue is being temporarily submissive to another person’s point of view. Don’t worry, you won’t drown. You won’t be conned out of following what you think of as your best interests. You will learn something that you’re going to need in a few weeks, when you least expect it.
Check out this year’s Scorpio Astrology Studio, Preview above.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
If you get a windfall this month, make sure you repay some of the kindness to those who have helped you through leaner times. You may owe some money, or maybe a favor; just remember, your success is not yours alone. People tend to forget the kindnesses done to them by others, or blur them with resentment. Skip all that and give credit where it’s due; offer your support where it’s needed; and pay back at least some of what you owe for financial support you received in the past. At the moment, your values are somewhat cluttered by family hangups. That is to say, you have inherited certain attitudes and beliefs from the past — potentially the distant past — that are unlikely to be working for you now. Yet they are also influential in ways you cannot see or take for granted. You may experience this as orthodoxy or loyalty to your parents or grandparents, however, these are not actual values that help you now. Yes, there are always certain old ways that work better than any new ways. The question comes down to this: how generous can you be with the people you love the most? This is not just about money, though that’s a factor. We live in distinctly ungenerous times, where people do a lot of looking their own way, or expecting others to fend for themselves. If you feel even meekly called to help — especially someone who has been generous to you — that’s your cue.
Check out this year’s Capricorn Astrology Studio
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
As part of Pluto in Capricorn ending (a topic that deserves a more comprehensive review), your ruling planet Saturn has made some unusual moves. These are so rare that we have to go back more than a generation for a precedent. (One is the first Saturn-Neptune conjunction since the pivotal year 1989.) Pluto has left Capricorn in pieces. But unlike Humpty-Dumpty, the elements of which you are made can melt and recombine, and can alchemically transform into new compounds. This is illustrated by Saturn conjunct Neptune in Aries. While this is normally a difficult aspect, it has the property, or perhaps superpower, of synthesis. Like many factors this month, the result is primarily emotional. One potential manifestation is that you’re adjusting to your environment in more flexible ways. The meta theme is security, meaning your sense of safety within your four walls, which translates to within your own psyche. This is an almost mystical state, attained by very few people. In both homeopathy and astrology, it relates to resolving issues around your father. However, something else is working in your favor, which is Jupiter in your opposite sign Cancer. This is holding the space for a world that is materially and emotionally abundant. At least this potential exists, and you can lean into the feeling. Test out your environment, push your luck and see what is possible. If you’re accustomed to emotional paucity, you will need to make a conscious choice to absorb and receive.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Pluto entering Aquarius beginning in 2023 and 2024 (continuing through today) has come with a sea-change that commenced gradually, and will take more time to understand. A transit that goes on for 19 years requires a settling-in process. However, much has developed since that 18-month window — in the world, and in your world. I suggest you do some forensics to get a sense of just how much has shifted. Go back to summer 2023 and read some emails; check your social posts; look at your calendar. More to the point, consider the challenges you were facing and the fears that were in any way vexing you. Consider who was in your life. Consider what you were doing. Besides the specifics, I have some theories. One is that you may be struggling with how digitized your life has become. You may be looking for entry paths back into the physical world. You may have cultivated an ability to articulate your experience and your perceptions. This, in turn, guides a deeper level of comprehension. Please get the order correct: you learn what you think by writing about it or by talking about it (writing is preferable) and then revising. Most of writing is rewriting, which is rethinking, which is how you teach yourself (and herein lies the deadly trap of those who think that using A.I. is helping them in some way). Your learning process — difficult as it may be — is now your best friend.
Check out this year’s Aquarius Astrology Studio.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You’ve had your fill of itchy and scratchy relationship situations and petty confrontations. Mars making its way across Virgo since mid-June has certainly tested your patience with some people. However, with Mars and Chiron now in aspect to one another, you may notice that you’ve been having an effect on someone who did not seem to understand much about where you’re coming from. Do not force the issue; they are feeling the compelling influence of your values. Mostly it is your success and (for our world) relative peace of mind that are compelling their need for some resolution. Meanwhile, for you personally, there are two factors that are developing. First is that with Venus and Jupiter in the most vibrant and creative zone in your chart, access to your talent is running at an all-time high — but it’s a ‘use it or lose it’ moment. Second, you’re not exactly driven to make big strides at whatever you consider work, and so two approaches are called for. One is to siphon off some of that creative mojo and solve problems in unusual and unexpected ways. The other, with Mercury retrograde for two more weeks, is to go back over some tasks you’ve completed the past few months and make sure that all the loose ends are tied together. You may have forgotten a few obvious projects, and going back to them will result in an unexpected discovery or breakthrough.
Check out this year’s Pisces Astrology Studio.