Are you ready for some news that may be a bit of a downer? OK, here it is: August is here, and that means summer is nearly done and dusted. Our final weeks of everyone using up their annual leave and going to pub gardens will speed by faster than your ice cream can melt, and soon enough we’ll be in September.

Now for the good news – if you proceed with care, you can make this August the best it can be. How, you may ask? By learning what to expect via your star sign’s horoscope for the month ahead. This is going to be a month for getting focused – expect plenty of introspective thinking about how to move forward. Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron will all be retrograde, and we’ll have a blue moon (two full moons in one month). That means some unexpected twists and turns, and a need to face these challenges head on.

First up, we’ll have a full moon in Aquarius on 1 August. This might dredge up some memories and emotions, particularly around feeling alienated, alone or misunderstood. Prepare to be in your feelings on this day, basically. Then, mid-month the new moon will be in Leo, which will prompt us to ponder our self-expression: What makes us shine? What do we want to showcase to the world?

On 23 August, two major transits hit: the sun moves out of Leo and into Virgo (meaning a shift in focus to practical, problem-solving thinking), and mercury goes retrograde – brace for roadblocks around the themes of communication and transport. On 27 August, Mars enters Libra, which will bring about a vibe of collaboration and cooperation – it’s a great day to have big meetings and work together on projects that might have been giving you a little trouble.

Two days later, Uranus will go retrograde, adding a feel of spontaneity to the mix, then finally on 31 August we’ll have a full moon in Pisces. Prepare once again for major feelings, but also a nudge to really lean in to our dreams and aspirations. Think big.

That’s our overall look at the month ahead. Now let’s get into the specifics for each star sign…

Your August horoscope is here: get ready for the month ahead with your star sign’s forecast