The Planet Waves readings below are custom-tailored to Mercury stationing retrograde on Friday. The charts above are for the station-direct, which will be addressed next week in the August monthly horoscope and then the August 7 weekly horoscope. Paid subscribers to Planet Waves on Substack get all horoscopes. If you upgrade to Founding Member — Astrology Pass on Substack — you get all of my readings except the 2026 annual; as well as your chart, a 20 minute call with me and lots of great swag.
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Aries (March 20-April 19) — With all that’s going on in the world and all the cares that you may have, is it responsible to retreat into your inner room for the purpose of indulging your creative aspect? I would say that your responsibility is to be true to yourself and get close to your inward source. This may seem like courting disaster or taking some huge risk; despite these sensations, neither is true. What you would be doing is investing your awareness in your humanity — and not this other thing that the world is rapidly becoming. Experiences of making art, music, or any craft that utilizes your talent, especially writing, are going to become your lifeline in the weeks, months and seasons to come. Do everything to cultivate access to your true inner self.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You are often unaware of how much you’ve got, and recent events seem to have conspired to remind you. While those born under the sign Taurus tend toward frugality no matter how much money they have, you may be shocked by your own generosity in recent weeks, with yourself and with others. Uranus arriving in your financial quarter, Gemini, is compelling you to do a complete reevaluation of your priorities and the meaning of money, perhaps reversing habits that go back decades. And now, Mercury is turning to retrograde movement in Leo, which seems designed to remind you the only true worth that can be found is within yourself. Take this reminder gently, and let it guide your decisions as you contemplate the meaning and the reason for your existence in a way you never have before.
Taurus Astrology Studio 2025-26.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — The things you often want to say are the ones that are not usually or easily said. People are afraid; they expect rejection or alienation, and that runs their life. That leaves a lot of room for something that seems like originality (and it may be) but is really daring to say what is actually on your mind. Your objective here is not to change anyone; it’s not to be someone different. Rather, you would be saying exactly what you know you need to say. This is often not done out of fear of regret. However, the other regret is not saying what you know is true in the moment when the airwaves are open to receive your message. The risks are less than you think and ultimately, they hold no sway over your well-considered perception of the truth.
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Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Mercury retrograde begins overnight Thursday to Friday and takes place in Leo, your 2nd house of financial resources. This is a reminder to keep your money organized, and not take undue risks. Pay down debt steadily, and do not accumulate more. Yet the 2nd is about more than money: it’s about what you hold to be true and valuable. Leo reminds you to honor your Gold Standard. Do not compromise your feelings or your truth. Trust yourself and work with a long-term plan. Who you are is your most valuable asset. Most people never figure this out, and you may have been conned out of this understanding in the past. Catch up with yourself. Stand in the truth of your values and do not let anyone persuade you to offer or accept anything other than the best of yourself.
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Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Mercury moving to retrograde motion in your birth sign seems to be about making contact with old friends. They may just show up, though I suggest you play a game in which if you think of someone, you try to contact them — right then. You will make some discoveries and feel like you are assembling the missing pieces of your soul. That is what friends and old acquaintances are. The world is divisive right now; people are being pushed apart, divided by circumstances and overwhelmed by the false paradigm of online friendship. Therefore, weave your world, trace the path back to people you once cared about, and get together in person. While I’m on the topic of your social reality, this is also the best time in decades to meet new friends — the real thing.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — There’s a you nobody knows — not even you. Or said another way, there’s a side to your nature that is so different from the one you present that you might wonder whether it exists. This has a lot to do with your inner child, and your solar nature rather than your ‘mercurial’ nature as described by your ruling planet Mercury. However, a series of events peaking with Mercury turning to retrograde motion on Thursday describe making friends with your inner kid. You may be a little intimidated by this being, fearing that there may be anger from being so long denied acknowledgement. Start with hello. Introduce yourself as the adult you. Be gentle and ask if there’s anything he or she needs, such as ice cream, a trip to the beach or a fun book to read. And perhaps no responsibilities for one day.
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Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Mercury is stationing retrograde in Leo, which is a reminder of how much you benefit from your friends. I propose that you declare the next three weeks “Friendship Day,” and thank everyone who helps you or provides some form of emotional or material support. You are a magnet for positive attention; you may not know this, though you are likely to experience the benefits. It is said that in the United States, most people claim they have three friends. I would say that’s an over-estimate — though probably not for you. The other theme of this astrology is investigating how loyal and committed you are to the people around you. Make sure you stand up for them and take any opportunity to help. Loyalty is dharma. It holds the world together better than any other factor: better than obligation and much better than money.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — What’s a career these days? What is professional aspiration? Nearly everyone thinks they’re everything, making them masters of nothing. To the extent that ‘mastery’ exists, one contemporary metric is now monetization. Please — forget it. I’m here to remind you that you have a true calling. This is the thing you want to do, the thing you must do, and the challenge to which you want to rise. Related is the thing you want to be known for, though I’m hesitant to count this as a plus. Too often, that value leads to shortcuts and building reputation above competence and quality. Anyway, the next three weeks are a time for focused review of your CV and LinkedIn. Trim them back; present your best assets; edit down any notion that you are or have everything. Emphasize mastery.
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Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — If you find yourself feeling competitive, stop and take a breath. I was going to say “viciously competitive” but do we need the adjective? Venus square Mars cautions about this particularly in sexual, and what I will reluctantly call ‘romantic’ relationships. There is a win-at-all-costs pattern here that could get you to suspend your ethics and go full-on. As A Course in Miracles states explicitly, “There are no victories of love.” That is not the nature of love, and what seeks to win or dominate is not love. But you won’t get far telling that to the internet, nor bringing its pay-per-view values into supposedly real life. All I can say is, give it away for free. Stand up for the happiness of others. Give of yourself freely.
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Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — There are a few possible interpretations of Mercury turning retrograde in Leo, your 8th place. One is to pay special attention to investments and shared assets — and to pause making any major moves prior to Mercury going direct in mid-August. This is a sensitive part of your chart, where historically, fortunes are gained and/or lost. Next is to attend to matters of any financial arrangement that also involves sex (this is my definition of marriage, such as owning property together or a shared bank account). You need a check-in and ideally that would begin with you finding out where other people are (or someone else is) coming from. Listen carefully; you want facts and you also want point of view — and to truly grasp the place where the two meet. Then take your time sorting out what it means — about one month would be ideal.
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Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Notice how people around you respond to Mercury moving to retrograde motion in your opposite sign Leo. You can expect them to be a little flakier than usual; plan for them being a day late and five bucks short for a while. Leave extra time when others are involved. However, on the psychological level, the point of intrigue here is partners and colleagues revealing what they really think and how they really feel. This is the very best that Mercury retrograde has to offer — all kinds of stuff falls out of people’s pockets when they stand on their head. You may discover things you don’t like and you will surely pick up on things you want and need to know. Be patient, and let this play out for a month or so. Reality is organized in layers.
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Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — It will be easy to minimize conflict through communication. I know, you can read this on like a thousand websites, but I mean it — and I mean it now especially. Conduct your conversations like low-key interviews, the kind where it’s not observable what you’re doing. Then let people reveal themselves to you until you have enough information to have an actual, productive conversation. I’m often surprised how reticent people are to share basic information about their life situation and their feelings. The instinct to secrecy can be subverted by your willingness to listen. As much as people hide, they ache to be heard. One useful thing about being a Pisces is that people unravel in your presence. If you can handle their emotions (a little detachment helps) you will know more than enough to keep things moving in meaningful directions.
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