Weekend Astro Forecast 8.2.24: Venus Gets Weird in Leo
The planet of art, femmes, and justice is going to fuck shit up when Uranus squares to her. In a sexy way.
What is happening?!
Summer is winding down in leonine fashion and some recently re-discovered zest has taken hold of large swaths of humanity who wish to get all the swims, trips, and breezy lounging done before dutiful Virgo sends us back to school and what is likely to be a brutal U.S. election season. It’s alright to be preemptively exhausted.
For now, those of us in the PNW have been living our best(ish) lives; the wildfires have yet to reach Western Washington, so my spicy lavender hedges are detectable on the soft breeze buffeting Seattle and I don’t have to squint through smoke to see them waving their little purple heads above the garden boxes. (They are trying to flag down the bees, I think.) Our days are shortening and the expiration date for pleasant weather looms large, prompting many of us to get our clothing optional, extroverted summer ya-yas out in the most ass-shaking, Leo way possible. We are always scurrying to the bottom of our bucket lists right about now, and it probably doesn’t help to see Spirit Halloweens vomited into existence as early as August 1st. (Seriously, capitalism, can you just leave the seasons alone? Are not slutty tank tops, flip-flops, and tans sacrosanct?)
This week, much like last, was sleepier on the aspect front. In lieu of any explosive conjunctions, we’ll climb in slow, subterranean fashion toward a weekend peak of saucy rebelliousness and the opening shots of a huge creative burst, courtesy of Venus and a new moon in Leo. Those with ready and willing partners could wind up getting their freak on in new and interesting ways, and you lucky ducks out there on the market might get a chance to experiment against type. Conversely, if your relationship is stagnant or rocky, this weekend’s energy could dangle infidelity before you in the form of a tempting distraction and is basically guaranteed to cause drama - it is Leo season, after all.
The new moon on Sunday will reinvigorate our creative desire and give us a needed boost of infamous fire sign confidence; suddenly, our ideas may not seem so outlandish as long as we put the work in. If we survive the weekend without getting divorced or getting lost under a flesh mountain at an orgy, we’ll step into a sobering Monday thanks to Mercury going retrograde in Virgo. This backwards transit will whip us into shape by revisiting our work and critiquing everything we missed, which sounds like a bummer, but which actually may help us with these brand new goals the moon has us so jazzed about. Enjoy this relative quietude while it is still possible, though - the rest of August is going to be a doozy.
Why would this affect me?
If you have an ascendant in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces, the energy of the next 5-15 days will be more intense, due to Mercury playing footsie with Venus in the night sky. These two planets go hard in the sign of Virgo, which means many of us will be revising our routines, raising our expectations of partnerships, tightening boundaries, and fretting about our appearance. Mercury will retrograde in their chariot of Virgo, which is a happier spot for this fleet-footed analyst than any other zodiac house. The Virgo influence will make this retrograde a little less harmful and a lot more helpful - like that virginal sign, this Mercury moon walk aims to focus on improvement, not discipline.
Everyone, regardless of natal chart variation, will feel some aspect of the new moon in Leo. New moons inspire us to tighten up goals, like tinier versions of New Year’s Eve resolutions, and Leo is no exception. This sun-ruled feline is most concerned with creativity and attention, so we’ll have good luck starting new art, writing, or dramatic projects that make us feel fulfilled.
Another thing to keep in mind about this new moon is her connection between Leo and his ruler, the sun, i.e. that glittery asshole, Apollo. The sun is an ancient stand-in for illumination, perfection, authority, and leadership, and serves as the archetypal representative for men, fathers, government, and patriarchy. When these qualities are overlaid with the more sensual lunar phases, we can run into conflict with typically institutional, masculine figures or issues. This has been a running theme in 2024 in many ways, and Venus has been boiling about justice and women since the ultra rare Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in late April, which occurred in her house. Now, as we head toward a contentious election in the United States, Venus has emerged as the evening star in the sky, visible just at sunset until she rises slowly throughout August, like a mirror reflecting the increasing tension between women, men, government, and the concept of justice. This is only the beginning of her narrative in 2024…I suspect she will be a major player for months and months to come.
When do I have to deal with this?
FRI 8.2 - SUN 8.4 - Sex On A Platter Weekend With Extra Fixed Square Sauce
Venus in Leo Qualities: Flashy, Daring, Charismatic, Demanding
Uranus in Taurus Qualities: Artsy, Tenacious, Radical, Assertive
Anyone in a healthy relationship can utilize this weekend for experimentation, and couples in the doldrums might find some renewed vigor during naughty time. Be careful, though - Uranus doesn’t care much for rules, and Venus in Leo wants to flirt with everybody, mostly for the attention. Rocky partnerships could experience trust issues, infidelity, and some ego-bruising if the fun is taken too far, and with the sun in Leo, break-ups this month will not be quiet or drama free.
The 5th house, Leo’s crash pad, rules over joy, creativity, and children, so be conscientious spending time between the sheets this weekend; this is an excellent lunation for trying to get pregnant, and for everyone else…maybe use back-up protection. On a purely aesthetic note, Venus in Leo often tempts us toward daring, out-of-character changes to our physical appearance, and Uranus will push that inclination to the most rebellious place possible, so put an S.O.S. plan in place with trusted friends who can talk you out of a tongue stud, face tattoo, mohawk, or baby bangs. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
SUN 8.4 - A Day For Ambitious Planning
Moon in Leo Qualities: Bold, Creative, Direct, Dramatic, Sexy
Mercury in Virgo Qualities: Articulate, Detailed, Smug, Speedy, Dogged
Today is the pinnacle of the vibes that have been building all week - energized focus and renewed commitment to a unique, creative direction, as well as a desire to ‘buckle down’, and revisit any tasks or structural issues we may have missed. The new moon in Leo is roaring at us that we can achieve interesting, vibrant things with our lives, and Mercury simply asks that we double-check our work along the way. We can do that, right? Our new creativity will carry us through to the next new moon, and Mercury will be retrograde from 8.4 until 8.26, so dig deep and utilize this time to your advantage.
Cool, what does the Tarot say about this?
Monday, 7.29 brought the Ace of Swords and a Knight of Cups reversed out to play, which illustrated how zesty everyone is feeling for a new concept or idea, only to meet friction from flaky procrastinators and and others with unrealistic expectations.
6 of Cups gifted us with fond memories and a desire to re-create something of the past on Tuesday, 7.30, and a partner crystal pull of lapis lazuli indicated that communicating our nostalgic desires might actually bring something useful to the present.
On Wednesday, 7.31, Knight of Swords reversed got in on the whole ‘screw up everyone’s momentum’ game by shoving obstacles into the road or simply gumming up the works with disagreement.
The 3 of Cups and turquoise made for a celebratory Thursday, 8.1, as we kicked off August and made harmonious connections with co-workers, friends, and relatives. We felt like part of a harmonious team for the first time in a LONG time, and the collective comfort we’ve built will last into fall.
Friday, 8.2 brings the perfection of our Venus/Uranus square, and the 6 of Cups pops on stage for an encore to Tuesday’s vibe session of memory, love, and nostalgia; this time, though, prosperity and luck could result from an old connection. On Saturday, 8.3, The Chariot reversed and a chunky red amethyst may negatively affect drive and concentration, mostly because hiding in the house will seem far more desirable. Follow your intuition on this day - forward motion in any regard may not be possible until an issue is resolved. On Sunday, 8.4, a new moon in Leo rises and Mercury slows to a standstill as Venus leaves Leo. The Tower shows us how things fall apart, but an accompanying smoky quartz indicates that things needed to fall apart as part of some detoxification process. Destruction is usually out of our control - our reactions are our only means of agency. Never forget that as painful as dismantling old systems can be, it is a process that ultimately fosters creation.
Visit @alectochaos on IG for the full, wordy breakdown and video of each card pull, and to get the jump on the Mon - Wed card pulls. If you are into that sort of thing.