Eclipses Return to the Leo/Aquarius Axis
Dear Friend and Reader:
Today’s horoscope is an extended reading for August, focused on the total solar eclipse on Wednesday, Aug. 12. In another set of readings, I will focus on the Pisces lunar eclipse that takes place Friday, August 28.
These condensed readings address the first solar eclipse in Leo since the summer of 2017. Many social upheavals followed that event (think back to what was going on for you, and in the world). It was a time of significant instability, described mostly by the conjunction of Uranus and Eris (when the digital world started to swallow the physical world). We are now in the full strength reality that astrology predicted.
Think of Leo solar eclipses as being about climate change. They alter long-standing patterns, of both planetary weather and psychic conditions. The Sun and Leo hold a special place at the center of astrology and the center of our solar system.
Leo is therefore the backbone of the fixed cross: of all that is stable and dependable. So with a Leo eclipse, a special kind of deep change is possible.
Eclipses of any kind serve two purposes; your situation will emphasize one or both, and you can work with these properties consciously.
First, they represent a shift of continuity. Choose what you want to change as best you can. Second, they represent the opportunity to ground a new reality. Emphasize what you want and want to be doing during the eclipse season, which is the rest of August and even into early September.
Take your time with these readings; they are condensed astrology and will reveal their secrets in layers.
We are distributing them in PDF format so that you can print your sign’s page, see it on paper and hang or carry it where you can reread it. I highly recommend knowing your ascendant, for which you will need a reasonably accurate birth time. To look that up, go to Astro.com’s chart casting service; and if you’re having difficulty, reach out to Planet Waves.
Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ —
Planet Waves Monthly Horoscope for August 4 , 2026 — By Eric Francis
Click or tap to download horoscope as PDF
Today is horoscope 1,613. Detailed readings for your Sun, Moon and Rising Sign.
Aries (March 20-April 19) — From a spiritual perspective, the human ego presents a vast, illusory barrier to both self-understanding and to witnessing existence truly. Even under ideal conditions, it’s challenging to get past the ego’s defenses of fear, guilt and self-reproach. Neptune in your sign presents the ultimate paradox. It’s an opportunity to fuse with your spirit and your true inner-God nature; and it can be a fountain of endless self-delusion and self-deception. This all students of astrology come around to sooner or later in their study of Neptune. And of all the planetary energies, Neptune (which will be with you until 2039) represents what is the most easily corrupted of all inner human qualities. With training, with discipline and self-awareness, it’s possible to transcend these challenges and pitfalls. The best way to do that on Earth is to get into your creative flow. The ego is a terrible master but it can be a great slave; give it something to do. Another approach is described by Chiron, from whom you’ve just experienced nine years of instruction — not yet fully complete. Chiron will make one last return to your sign later this year before entering Taurus to stay. More than anything, Chiron represents the capacity to be honest with yourself. Conditions this month raise the emotional honesty factor to the level of an urgent priority. Many forces, inner and outer, will be confusing and distracting you. Therefore, stay busy and emphasize what is both fulfilling and productive. If you’re an artist in any form, be grateful for that and use the gift you’ve been given.
Get Your Aries in Motion Solar Return Reading for 2026+
Looking for guidance, reassurance or company? Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Though you may not realize it, it’s difficult for you to tell the difference between what you think and what you feel. You tend to be physically oriented, and strive to be grounded in your body. Or you think you are whether it’s true or not. There’s nothing like the mind of a Taurus when it’s running out of control — and this is usually an emotional phenomenon, not mental. Yes, it sounds like inner chatter, but there is neither reason nor rationality involved. It’s more like drowning in your own flood waters. Such may be your experience as Mars moves though a tense aspect to Neptune in the coming weeks. With Mars entering the picture, you may be more determined than ever to know yourself truly and have some lucid thoughts about your existence. This will be like trying to smooth out the surface of a lake with a canoe paddle. The planetary setup does have some suggestions. Get out of your head and into direct physical experience. That point is emphasized by an eclipse of the Sun in the sign Leo. This will grant a much deeper sense of safety and belonging on the planet. And you will feel a tap into the fiery substance of who you are. One effect of your mind turning on itself is a sense of futility; as my teacher Joe said, the opposite of depression is expression. And your charts are nothing if not expressive right now, with Mercury, the Sun and Jupiter moving through your creative powerhouse sign Leo. Yet to activate the full potential of this astrology, you will need to dare yourself to do something unusual, create your art and your experiences with a kind of vibrancy that may seem totally alien under current digital conditions. But I assure you that it’s still possible.
Get Your Taurus in Motion Solar Return Reading for 2026+
Available for Immediate Access
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You’re still getting accustomed to the legitimately strange conditions of Uranus and Sedna in your energy field — they’re radically shifting your sense of reality. You may be feeling pushed, pulled, stretched and disrupted — as if you cannot think or move fast enough to keep up with the pace of so-called reality. There is a temptation when reading your solar chart to focus on Uranus and his various jolts. Yet Sedna is the more significant feature. The difference is that between figure and background, a distinction rarely made. We’re trained, as good members of the audience, to focus on the actors and their drama and not the director, the stagehands, the lighting and the sound designer — or who is filling the theater. We forget that there’s a script and those people are not really who they appear to be. You might say, what fun is that, except for a nerd? Why can’t you just enjoy the show? You don’t need to be entertained, and you’re curious about how life works. And a total eclipse in your house of local affairs and communication describes an unusual opening or opportunity of some kind, a now-or-never kind of option. Meanwhile, Sedna in your sign is calling on you to take your perception deeper and study life from beneath and behind. The drama is merely a distraction. The truly meaningful information is coming from what is normally unseen and invisible. But first you must admit that such exists and train your awareness to notice your environment. Observe basic facts, even if they seem irrelevant at first. Then you will see who and what is driving the plot forward.
Get Your Gemini in Motion Solar Return Reading for 2026+
Astrology that’s better than therapy. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Available for Immediate Access
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Later this month, Mars and Ceres enter your sign — perhaps the ultimate reminder that you are what you eat and that what you eat influences how you feel. There’s much more, of course. You might say this principle describes your existence: that you must be true to who you are, especially under the influence of a solar eclipse on the 12th. Just ahead of that, Mars first enters your birth sign and will infuse you with energy and motivation. Because Mars will be meeting Neptune at a tense angle (a square), you will need to know what you want to accomplish, and direct your energy consciously toward that. If you’re not careful, the Mars-Neptune pattern could scatter your energy. What I suggest is sticking to the Saturn principle, which you can tap into for guiding your priorities. Saturn says: focus on what you’ve been developing for a while; on what has already withstood the test of time. Avoid novelty value and stick to actual value. Saturn in your 10th place Aries describes something useful, durable and that is really about who you are. Now, as for Ceres. In a few words, when it comes to food, avoid sugar highs and stick to food that you make yourself. Think carefully about what your grandparents ate and how they prepared it. There is also a message about resolving your persistent struggles. Consider your mother, and her mother, and her mother. The deeper pain and true responsibility for life are passed down the maternal line, and it’s likely that your own challenges come from at least three generations behind you.
Get Your Cancer in Motion Solar Return Reading for 2026+
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You prefer to be the master of your own destiny, and you often succeed. But now you know that there are forces outside of your control that you have to contend with. One is represented by Pluto in your opposite sign Aquarius. You will need a whole new basis for figuring out who is your friend and who is not; for determining which of these humans is right, who among them is clueless, and who is aware of what is happening around them. Lots of people believing something is no reference whatsoever, and you have the power to stand up to them and be an individual. In fact you have far more authority over yourself than nearly anyone else around you. If you find yourself at odds with a partner, loved one or associate who is absolutely sure they’re right, you may need to leave them to their folly. Allies and collaborators will arrive from strange quarters and at unexpected moments, sometimes seeming to travel in time. A total eclipse of the Sun in your birth sign on Aug. 12 describes a calling and sense of inner truth that is unique to you alone. Don’t expect anyone to understand. Know that if the choices and actions of others seem to make no sense, that has limited relevance to you except maybe as a social barometer revealing where you stand in the context of the world around you. Though people attempt to tattoo themselves into bold originality, the herd mentality has never been stronger. All that ink is partly born of the desire to never, ever be naked. The solar eclipse will teach you that your greatest freedom comes from spiritual nudity and acting wholly on your instincts.
Get Your Leo in Motion Solar Return Reading for 2026+
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Eric Francis reads your solar chart. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — The Leo solar eclipse of Aug. 12 occurs in the most sensitive angle of your chart, and may summon to life certain ghosts and ancestors of your distant past. They may be your self-concealed fears; they may be your hidden or denied desires; or you may discover the deep quest for life and vitality that you possess and yet often suppress. But the main event will be an eclipse of the Moon in your opposite sign Pisces at the end of the month. Occurrences coinciding with the time of this event will help you unravel your deepest neuroses and self-defeating tendencies. You will be looking right at them, experiencing them directly, and perhaps even wonder how and why you would possibly want to have a self-defeating thought in your life. Let’s just say it’s time to no longer keep peeves as pets. This is true whether you’re annoyed with yourself or with someone else. You have too much to live for to set yourself up for frustration or failure merely because you look at the world through narrow blinders or a pinhole camera. It is true that you had too much responsibility too young. It is probably true that you were neglected, or at least dissuaded from having some experience of joy as a child. Do not mistake the ideal lives that others seem to lead as reality; one lesson of this eclipse will be learning how to distinguish your projections onto others from their reality. Yet the more significant idea will be about seeing in others what is possible for you. You are way too inclined to jealousy and envy and will benefit from learning how to take others as an example of what is possible for you.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Spiritually grounded astrology readings from Eric Francis. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You can have a strange effect on others. This will be redoubled as you move through the weightless, polarized, delusional digital environment that has spilled into the commercial and industrial world. The insanity of what was once known as “the internet” and is now one endless hallucination seems to have infused all of existence, every relationship, and basically everything but cats and dogs. Perhaps your most pressing life situation — it could even be a problem — is not understanding the effect that you have on others. You have two basic modes: you might think of one as broadcasting or emitting. This is you when you’re in your creative flow; you are the idea that you express. The other is absorbing or consuming, where you can draw in the world around you and there seems to be no escape for either of you. There is a third space, which is emitting negativity; you try to minimize this and you will if you can stand back one inch from judging yourself. All of these psychic modes are associated with the galaxy M-87, also called NGC 4486 in your birth sign or ascendant. In early Libra, this is a permanent placement that is a defining feature of our nascent astrological era or what some call the Age of Aquarius. This galaxy consists of trillions of stars with dozens of satellite galaxies; it is so massive that it functions as a “supergalactic center” that exerts gravitational influence over approximately 2,000 nearby full-sized galaxies, including our own. It’s difficult enough (arguably, impossible) to see this for what it is. What complicates matters is that Neptune in Aries is now opposite this point, making it extremely difficult to “read the room” of existence. Therefore, only one thing matters, which is how you feel. Monitor that closely, and learn to make inner adjustments as necessary. You can, and you must.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Scorpio is the sign of the cosmic orgasm, and the personal one. The seeming paradox is that no matter how much one may desire another, or be driven toward them, the only way to have a fulfilling experience is to submit to existence. However, here in our digital universe, the name of the game is control. When you hear words such as “billion” or “trillion,” translate them into control. And after all, only the experience of surrender gets you an experience of truly living. No such thing is possible in a world that has been soaked and seized by the power and influence of digital technology and its seeming masters who are obsessed by the domination of humanity. In this environment, trust verges on impossible. People walk around the world with a shell on them, in defense of the permeable aura they wear in their online experiences. To maintain the illusion of self-control, everything (allegedly) must be scripted and predictable. All of this is why people are slowly going insane. It is why they are depressed, have given up any sense of potential and cannot see the future. Sex plays into this; the gender-neutrality of digital space is washing away the essential elements that humanity needs to grow, prosper and procreate. And deep down at the bottom of this is a state of mind where people are either disgusted by sex or feel that it’s beneath them; that it is degrading; or more than they can offer to their brothers and sisters. Not everyone feels this way, but the eew factor is undeniable. A total eclipse next week in the most ambitious angle of your chart says you want more out of life. But before you decide that it’s fame, money and power, you might think carefully about what “more” really means.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
All Scorpios Love Astrology. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — It has never been easier to present oneself to the world as entirely self-centered and as some kind of spiritual master. One can get paid good money for claiming that existence is all about you and that you deserve to be worshipped. Perhaps this sounds extreme for you personally, but it’s going on in the world around you and showing no sign of stopping. For many it is no more avoidable than getting swept up in a flash flood. You, however, would be wise to avoid this whole dimension of consciousness, action and media consumption. Train yourself to be repelled by those who make the world all about them; and never let yourself go there. With Virgo as the highest sign in your solar chart, the true nature of Sagittarius is about service. With Chiron as the figure depicted in the iconography of your birth sign, your highest calling is service. That means taking the time and the care to ensure that everyone around you is well attended to. There may seem to be competing forces in your psyche, one of which is drawing you away from this. You may think that you only have one life to live, so you’re going to have as much fun as possible. In certain times and places that might be admirable, but not on our burning planet in 2026. The example that we need in the world, and that the world needs from you, is total devotion to the greatest good for all concerned. Let there be no dressing up something else in this garb. You are being called to take a wide perspective and to see over the edge of your own teacup. In doing so, you will find yourself living in a wider world with the satisfaction of knowing you are a very small part of the solution.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Jim Morrison said Sagittarius is the most philosophical sign. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — If it’s true that you’re the wealth manager of the cosmic scheme, you must be pretty busy right now. To make the most of your gifts, it’s essential that you focus on flow and not concentration of resources. Once the flow is gone, you are living in the future and not in the present, where your attention is needed. Aspects over the next three weeks reveal an abundance of available resources and return on past investments. An eclipse of the Sun in your house of shared resources will emphasize that a good use of your financial talent is to assist others when needed. That’s helpful because you’re likely to be more averse to risk than you have been in a long time. Somehow you had a stomach for it when Uranus was in Taurus (2018-2025); what you want now is stability. This will be good for your creativity, even if that is directed at homemaking, gardening and taking care of yourself other ways. One of the most interesting changes of the past few seasons is the strong shift of your identity to the space that you occupy. Improvements in the realm of beautification and comfort are important; but structural integrity and organization are more important. And this would be an excellent time to do a kind of toxicity audit and get every chemical but soap and minimal laundry products out of your space. You would be amazed how little you really need. While time is progressing slowly within your personal space, you need at least one dimension of your life where time moves quickly. You need a fast lane. While it’s your nature to avoid technology for its own sake, make sure that no part of your work setup holds you back; to be happy, what you do on professional time must be exciting and a little weird.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Mature when you’re a child, grows younger as the years go on. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Next week’s eclipse of the Sun in your opposite sign Leo will be a bellwether of your relationships, and represents a significant shift in your environment. Count on change and take advantage of its positive results. The important distinction to make overall is between need and desire. I reckon that most people engage in partnership out of some combination of need and habit. Your best encounters with others will be born of preference, desire and shared happiness. For that to work, you must take pleasure in the things that make other people happy. There are some who would say this comes at the cost of self-neglect. Yet the other side of the equation is that if you take pleasure in the joy of others, you have unlimited potential for happiness. You’re no longer limited by your own needs and preferences; you can have the pleasure of a grandparent or summer camp counselor, which is that of affirming the pleasure of others. This creates a net positive for everyone, also known as synergy, biophilia or, in adult relationships, compersion. And it puts you into receptive mode, which is always a feat of nature for an Aquarian. If the planets have one other bit of wisdom for you over the next few weeks, it’s to limit your energy output. This should happen mostly through efficiency and also by knowing when you’re putting so much energy into something that you reach a point of either exhaustion or diminishing returns. Play a game and see how much you can get done with the minimal expenditure of time and effort. How much includes how well, and quality must be your primary focus over speed and volume. Ask sincerely for others to assist you and you will have the help that you need.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Learn the secrets of Pluto in your sign. Visit the Astrology Boutique.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — A rare combination of factors in Leo, including a total eclipse of the Sun plus the presence of Mercury and Jupiter, is about how productive your work life can be. If you’ve been stuck or struggling to make necessary changes or improvements in your day-to-day work life, now is the time. You can let go of old habits and patterns and rapidly expand into the space and energy they vacate. You must experiment and rapidly pursue anything with promise or where there is mutual interest. There was a lot in that last sentence, so let’s break it down. The South Node moving through your work area is about clearing the space and energy associated with your workflow. Get unnecessary stuff out of the office and out of your schedule. Declutter, which means sort into organized categories, the biggest of which is recycling. Clear up storage, whether analog or digital; whether closets or in the cloud. Then comes opportunity. It is all but certain that you’re already in contact with future partners and/or collaborators on projects that will be mutually beneficial. Then there is the deeply internal and personal element of the equation. An eclipse of the Moon will happen in your birth sign at month end. This is your help letting go of sticky emotional patterns. Think of the eclipse as solvent for your personality — the wholesome kind, like Dr. Bronner’s soap and warm water, or maybe spending some time in a salt water jacuzzi. If you can get to the ocean, do it. Otherwise you might get an extended recording of waves on the shore and leave it playing at a low volume in your environment, which needs to be kept as tidy as a beach house the first night you arrive.
Get your full 2026 reading at this link.
Book of Blue is now a subscriber Substack. Go here to request free registration. I will check in with you by email before approving. It will come from “Blue Studio.”
