Monthly Horoscope: Capricorn, August 2018

Excitement is in the air—especially in your social life—on August 6, when the Sun squares off with Jupiter. Big shake-ups take place around your creative projects and even your love life on August 7, when Uranus begins its retrograde. Also on August 7, Venus and Mars make a harmonious connection in the sky, which will be good for your bank account. Plenty of ups and downs early this month, Capricorn!

Intensity ramps up as the Sun meets Mercury—which is retrograde in Leo—on August 8, finding you having some very heated conversations. Sweet Venus will clash with Saturn, the planet of fears and limits, on August 9, creating a mood of rejection—don't ask for any favors or plan cute dates at this time!

One of the most crucial days of the month is August 11—the solar eclipse in Leo! This is an important time for you to sit with your grief, Capricorn. It’s time to slow down and rest—the atmosphere is so exhausting that trying to plow forward right now makes no sense. You like to be smart about how you spend your energy, right?! So please, just slow down, because this eclipse—like all eclipses—will get you where you need to go. The point of eclipses is to re-align us and put us on the right path. Mourning, releasing the past, and opening yourself up to a new beginning are huge themes of this eclipse for you, Capricorn, but that’s not all that will come up for you at this time. This eclipse is also major for your sex life, intimacy issues, and debts—emotional and financial debts will be paid off. Complex financial situations, like taxes and inheritances, will also be addressed.

Lots of talk will take place during this solar eclipse, and while none of it is new to you, you're finally seeing everything in a new way, and some secrets may be revealed, too. This is because Jupiter meets with chatty Mercury on August 11. Mercury will end its retrograde on August 19, and as it moves forward through the zodiac, it will meet with Jupiter again, bringing the eclipse conversations back up for further discussion. Some advice? Don’t share secrets now in an attempt to create intimacy with someone…and don’t keep quiet about something people should know just because you’re afraid to rock the boat!

Mars reenters your sign, Capricorn, while on its retrograde journey on August 12. Money (and on a more emotional level, your sense of self-worth) has been the focus of this Mars retrograde for you, but as Mars rolls back into your sign, you're realizing that you need to reconsider how you're expressing your anger and spending your energy. Something that pissed you off this spring is likely to come up again. Mars retrograde ends on August 27, when you'll really begin implementing the lessons you've learned this summer.

Good vibes flow on August 18, when communication planet Mercury connects with Venus to create a social and easygoing energy—this is a fab time to make some negotiations or ask for help. Positive vibes continue to flow as lucky Jupiter and dreamy Neptune connect on August 19, encouraging some deep and powerful heart-to-hearts.

Virgo season starts on August 23, sending you on some exciting trips, studying topics that inspire you, and possibly even publishing some of your work. Exciting shifts in your love life and in your creative endeavors arrive on August 25, when the Sun connects with Uranus, and an anchoring energy is also in the air around all these new opportunities, thanks to the Sun’s connection with Saturn on the same day.

The month wraps up with a full moon in sensitive water sign Pisces on August 26, which will bring a conversation to a climax. If you’ve been holding back from saying something, the highly emotional energy in the air may now find you feeling ready to get it off your chest. Pisces is a very psychic energy, and as the Moon illuminates the sector of your chart that rules your mind, you’ll find that your intuition is especially sharp…as is your imagination! Though this is fab, strange shadows may appear under the light of this full moon. It's important that you stay grounded and don't let your imagination run too wild—paranoia may be in the air during this eclipse! Very emotional conversations are likely to take place.

Tension also arrives as power struggles and manipulation in your relationships come to the fore, due to Venus squaring off with the lord of the underworld, Pluto. During this full moon, dear sea goat, don’t tell anyone anything that you'd be embarrassed if it got out! Good luck this month, Capricorn, and see you in September!