WEEK OF August 7 - 1 3, 2023
Buckle up, Aquarius! An important relationship could suddenly experience turbulence this week. The vibrant Sun is illuminating your opposite sign of Leo and your seventh house of committed partnerships. But on Wednesday, August 9, loose-cannon Uranus—your ruling planet—in your fundamental fourth house gets it twisted and argues with the magnanimous Sun. This might play out with two VIPs in your life making competing demands. Or maybe a family member or your mate will express ill will toward someone else you’re close to. As a big-picture-seeking sign, you tend to disengage from drama. So your first instinct might be to try in vain to rise above the fray and let people doggy-paddle to shore in their ocean of emotion. But that can send the signal that it’s fine with you if they act like petulant children. This can be a “teachable moment” for you, Water Bearer. Try asking yourself why you’d rather not confront them and decline their unreasonable requests. You’re smart enough to know that their reaction isn’t your responsibility. In mature relationships, people learn to communicate and negotiate. And even when they don’t love the outcome, they grasp the overarching point of it all. If you’re dealing with someone you can’t engage with on that level, you might need to question what you’re getting out of this connection. When you get your hands dirty and say what needs to be said, it can be a decisive game-changer for everyone!
You’re not sure whether you should open your heart or keep it under lock and key. The right answer isn’t obvious this week as the Leo Sun and Venus retrograde inch closer and closer together. Ever since July 22, Venus has been backing through your partnership sector, casting the people around you in a confusing light. Of course you love them, but their inability to pick up on the things that are so OBVIOUS to you can be exasperating. But truth time: Have you been enabling their obtuseness? If you haven’t come out and told them exactly what’s bothering you, the answer is probably an emphatic yes. Maybe you thought you were making life easier by avoiding a showdown, but your laissez-faire M.O. doesn’t convey your true feelings. Only you can do that.
How, you ask? Use this week to get ultra-clear on what belongs to you and what belongs to them. Then, request a meeting to get everyone on the same wavelength. Go slow and allow the emotions to arise and wash over you like a wave. This weekend, Venus and the Sun convene for their inferior conjunction, a planetary pairing that occurs every 18 months when the planet of love and beauty goes totally dark. During this short phase, Venus vanishes from our view and shift from an evening star to a morning star. While you await her reappearance on August 18, take all the space you need to sift through your feelings and then settle back into your cerebral mindset.
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Proceed with caution if you’re looking for love. Until Venus goes direct on September 3, your judgment may not be on point. Before giving your digits to randos or giving an ex another chance, stop and examine the differences between like, love and lust. You may think you have clarity, but in a steamy moment of passion, you can’t always see straight. This week, it’s especially important to take things slow.
Identical twin sisters Ophira and Tali Edut (a.k.a. The AstroTwins) are ELLE.com’s resident astrologers. They have written several astrology books, including Momstrology and Supercouple, and star as the astrological matchmakers for Prime Video’s Cosmic Love. The Eduts have read charts for celebrities the likes of Beyoncé, Karlie Kloss, and Emma Roberts. For their spot-on predictions, books, and online courses, check out our horoscopes coverage or visit astrostyle.com.