“What will the Eclipses Mean?”
I write about eclipses a lot. They’re an astrological passion of mine, because I’ve seen their dramatic cycles play out in my life, the lives of those close to me, and the lives of my clients. I’ve written about eclipses moving through the houses of the horoscope, eclipses in aspect to natal planets, and about how to work with eclipse cycles.
But I rarely write about eclipses in signs. It’s not that I think signs are unimportant. In fact, watch the news in the next couple of weeks and I’m confident you’ll see important stories that relate to the general symbolism of Leo (individual self-expression, hold the ego) and Pisces (compassion, helpfulness, but also – let’s be honest – a bit of dreaminess). Eclipses mean change is coming, that these matters have reached a tipping point and will, over the next couple of years, bring resolution closer.
It’s interesting to watch this play out in society. But I find it a lot more interesting to watch it play out for individuals. And this is where houses, planets, and your personal relationship with a sign come into play.
“What will the eclipses mean, what will they mean?” we cry. And the answer is that they will mean something a little different for each of us. Much in the same way humans are built from the same essential biological building blocks, we all contain the same astrological symbols as well. It’s how they’re arranged that makes us unique.
So while it would be handy for an astrologer to be able to tell you precisely what an eclipse, a transit, or a progression will mean for you, it would be a fool’s errand to try, because these things never mean exactly the same thing for everyone. For astrology to be most helpful, you have to be willing to do some of the work. You have to be curious and creative enough to adapt astrology’s symbolism to what you know about yourself and your life.
What is your relationship with this month’s eclipses? Look at the degrees of the eclipses:
- Aug. 12, 2026 – Solar Eclipse at 20º01′ Leo
- Aug. 27, 2026 – Lunar Eclipse at 4º54 Pisces
Which houses of your birth chart do these degrees fall in? This is where change is happening. Are there planets or angles in your chart near these degrees? They symbolize elements of your personality that are undergoing a shift.
Not every eclipse brings big change to you personally. But taken together, these two mark an important change of focus toward embracing a core, heart-centered philosophy of life while cultivating flexibility, sensitivity, and humility. There’s a little something to get your imagination started. Have fun putting together creative eclipse connections!
Practical Support
The Cancer New Moon on July 14 very much had to do with how are we coping with our families, and perhaps we’ve had more than the usual number of family obligations that we’ve had to deal with during this New Moon cycle so far. And the Last Quarter Moon in Taurus (Aug. 5, 2026, 7:21 pm) says there is a practical resolution to anything that we set into motion at that New Moon. It’s not going to be something esoteric or philosophical or difficult to come to grips with. It will be what is it that you’re having to do for your family or to your home, for example, that needs to be brought to completion or understood in some new way, and it is going to be of a practical nature.
What is it that you can actually do for this family member? Not just listen to their problems or pat them on their back, but what practical show of support can you give? Sometimes the very last thing we want to do for people in our lives who are in need or are suffering is to put ourselves out to make the long drive, to make the visit in the hospital, to help someone move out after a relationship has failed. These are tangible, practical ways of showing support, and if there is something like that that comes your way that you’re called upon to do at this Last Quarter Moon, take that opportunity.
The Way Things Work
Venus enters Libra this week (Aug. 6, 2026, 12:13 pm PDT, until Sep. 10), and here’s a thing we forget about Libra: it’s the only sign of the zodiac that’s symbolized by a machine, the scales. That image is an instructive one. We often think of Libra as though it were Taurus, with its love of the physical world, its songs and its foods and sumptuous fabrics and dancing. But Venus rules two signs, Libra and Taurus, and that is the Taurus side. Libra is in love with the way things work.
Part of the way things work is how they’re put together. Libra is connected with relationships, and good ones begin with putting together the right people; the ones who are complementary pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. You still have to learn from each other; it’s not enough to join up with someone who is good at the things you’re not, and outsource half your life to them. You need to learn from them how to complete yourself.
Another part of the Libra’s genius about the way things work is that they have a gift for figuring out how to fix them. Including relationships that have fallen out of plumb and are no longer bringing pleasure. What is it in each person that’s broken?
While Venus in Libra, take a closer look at the people you’ve chosen to teach you within the realm of an important relationship. Don’t keep repeating the same vexing lessons again and again. Stop trying to fix your partner. You’ve chosen them in order to learn, so learn. If you step on the scales and don’t like the number looking back at you, you know what you need to do to bring them into balance.
A Pageant
The Sabian symbol for the Sun in Leo is 15 Leo, A pageant – and it strikes me as Leo at its most Leonine. It’s like a little kid who gets to march in a pageant, or ride a float, and generally feels incredible about it. Everyone is looking at me! Leo never feels more alive than when it’s the object of attention.
It’s not enough, of course. The Sun’s trine to Saturn (Aug. 6, 2026, 7:44 pm PDT), at 14º38′ Aries on the symbol An Indian weaving a basket, is a reminder of that. I mean, it’s an image of someone creating something, and whatever it’s used for, it could potentially at least be something useful.
Look, pageants are fun. Leo feels great when it’s being noticed. And it’s great that it shines and shows the world that it’s okay to stand out and to be noticed. But you know, we talk about how creative Leo is, but what does that mean? It means that there’s a part of you that’s Leo’s territory, and it knows how to use its skills and talents to make something.
Why the Lion Roars
A lion roars to establish his territory, to communicate with the pride, and to intimidate its rivals. That tells you a lot of what you need to know about Mercury in this sign. It’s about show business. It’s the way we use Mercury to promote ourselves and our ideas.
When Mercury in Leo speaks, people tend to listen. It speaks with utter confidence and real flair. But is it always as right as it thinks it is?
The truth is, when Mercury is in Leo (Aug. 9, 2026, 9:28 am PDT through Aug. 25), it struggles a bit to do its work. On the face of it, that’s counter-intuitive; surely Mercury’s communication would benefit from Leo’s creativity and sense of fun?
And I mean, it does – but self-expression is only part of Mercury’s job. It’s also charged, to the best of its ability, with gathering and processing ALL facts and information – not just the ones that flatter us.
Enjoy Mercury’s brief journey through Leo. Play games. Read entertaining books. Tell stories. Make people laugh. But save research and analysis for Mercury in Virgo; it’s too easy now to see only what we want to see.
