The Sun enters Virgo I on 22 August 2026 at 10:19 pm EDT over my home in western Massachusetts, where he’ll walk for ten days, eight hours and thirty-five minutes until 2 September 2026 at 6:54 am EDT. Austin Coppock named this decan The Tree Bearing Fruit, while T. Susan Chang named this same decan, It’s the Little Things for its associations with the 8 of Pentacles. By the Hellenistic era, the Greeks had come to associate this time period with Themis the goddess of custom and good order, whose role was formalized as “Speaker of the Assembly of all the Gods,” the moderator and mediator of the divine parliament and the keeper of godly procedure.
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Ruled by Mercury but administrated by the Sun, this decan carries a sense of emergent leadership by the proper management of rules, processes and custom. Fruit trees need the right mix of sunlight, soil, weather, and nurturance to produce apples or pears in their proper season; through grafting and cross-pollination, beautiful diversity can emerge from a single rootstock. The tree prospers by having one trunk of origin, but many roots and many branches — each of which may deliver their own harvest and bring forth plenty in their own way. Root and leaf draw together the wealth of sunlight and soil to prosper a common purpose.
In similar manner, the speaker or moderator or chair of any deliberative assembly uses custom and procedure to draw many diverse voices and opinions first toward fact and then toward action. Under ideal circumstances, violent words are tempered, extreme opinions are led toward compromise, and the body as a whole legislates its way toward a common understanding and united purpose. The Greeks — with political experiments city-by-city, in government by democracy, monarchy, tyranny, aristocracy and oligarchy — gradually discovered that at the local level at least, some form of legislative process by a council or assembly (ekklesia in Greek, the word that English speakers later translated as “church”) was far superior to “government” by familial feud and internecine grudge. Small wonder that they eventually saw the gods themselves as participating in parliaments and councils, led by judicious Themis from the speaker’s podium at the center of a horseshoe where representatives’ seats clustered in a semi-circle. Just such an arrangement of seats in just such a political assembly concludes Book I of the Odyssey, in fact — attesting to the antiquity of the idea that speaking in council to arrive at a decision is both ancient, and grown from ancient rootstock, while supporting the value of diverse opinions and ideas. Woe betide the man who takes an axe to such an old and useful tree!
The 8 of Pentacles in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, with its metalworker crafting disks at a Roman-style seated workbench, points to this idea of steady labor toward a reliable goal or desirable result — whether we’re aiming a deliberative assembly at a new policy or statute, or directing our personal labors toward a refinement of product or service to the point of reproducible excellence.
I’ve written about Virgo I in other years, in 2025 – 2024 – 2023 – 2022 – 2021 – 2020 – 2019. The four dodeks or twelfth-parts of Virgo I are Virgo of Virgo, Libra of Virgo, Scorpio of Virgo, and Sagittarius of Virgo.
Dates to Watch
Mercury enters Virgo on August 25, raising the intellectual capacity of the most analytical and thoughtful sign — the scholar and intellectual in the middle of their own well-organized library-office. You’ll have more brainpower to expend on the areas of life that Virgo represents in your chart; but you’ll also find that you need more brainpower in that area of life, as well.
Sun Conjuncts Mercury on August 27. The full force of your intellectual capacity and the facts on the ground seem to be in complete alignment with one another. You are likely to be able to argue your position with both complete sincerity and truthfulness. Unfortunately, “the other dude” has just about the same capacities at the same time.
Jupiter trines Saturn on August 27 to September 1. Consider this a favorable moment where your generosity and your natural capacities to do work come into a delightful alignment, for once. Put your passions to work, and overcome the initial hesitations to achieve a steady flow state on your principal projects.
A Lunar Eclipse occurs on 28 August 2026, perfecting at 12:12 am EDT on 28 August 2026. The eclipse lasts a total of 198 minutes, or 3 hours 18 minutes… thus its effects manifest before Friday 11 September, and persist for three months and nine days until the night of 7-8 December 2026. This eclipse occurs with the full moon in Aquarius, which is associated with the work before the work — ancient texts describe lifting rough stones out of quarries and using wheelbarrows to pull gravel from gravel pits, rough-hewing lumber toward final dimensions, hanging the rigging and sails on the ship, and sharpening tools. In political (or Judicial/Mundane) astrology, the Moon represents that part of the populace that make their opinions known in government. The eclipse will be visible in most but not all of North and South America, Europe and much of Africa. Given that this season includes the lead-up and aftermath of the US midterm elections (where one-third of the US Senate and all Representatives will be up for election), it’s hard not to see this eclipse as a “dimming of the voices of those who do the work.”
Mars squares Saturn on August 31 through September 2. Hot water puts out sparks, but the steam is just as capable of burning you badly — and over a wider area than just a quick ‘fire kiss’ from a burning mote. Be wary of the ways that your carefully-thought-out reasoning why not? can still backfire — and your shoot-from-the-hip hot-take let’s do it! can still generate a cold shoulder from supervisors, managers or bosses.
Mercury sextiles Mars on September 1. Quick thinking and swift speech can generate a forceful emotional appeal that inspires confidence and directed, focused action. But acting without a plan can bring forth a torrent of I told you so’s that reduce the effectiveness of your hold my beer and watch this. Speak the plan, correct any likely miscues, and then take action — for best results.
House Delineations
The First House of self and self-presentation is Taurus, ruled by inconjunct Venus. The other Earth triplicity rulers are sextile (Mars) and trine (Moon). Give yourself permission to lounge around a little, and seek some immediate personal gratification; but recognize that you also need to do some long-term planning around your personal brand: who do you want to be six months from now? Start working toward that goal.
The Second House of money and possessions is Gemini, ruled by sextile Mercury. The other Air triplicity rulers are sextile (Jupiter, Saturn). Uranus and the Lunar Perigee are present. Financial matters are likely to run on autopilot to some degree, but recognize that a bifurcation is imminent between your actual wealth or resources (physical possession of stuff) and cash flow (movement of fungible assets). There’s no way to do anything other than “what’s normal,” but you might want to have some emergency cash in hand nonetheless.
The Third House of extended family and intimate friends is Cancer, ruled by the opposing Moon. The Water triplicity rulers are present (Mars) or square (Venus). The Imum Coeli is also present. A tempest in a teapot may erupt between you and family members or close friends, but it’s likely to be smoothed over in little to no time. Work on de-escalating rather than stepping up to the next level of outrage.
The Fourth House of home, household, and parents is Leo, ruled by the inconjunct Sun. The other Fire triplicity rulers are present (Jupiter) and trine (Saturn). Mercury and the South Node are also present. Your home and family life can be a stage for generosity and kindness, but you should also communicate when you have no bandwidth for visitors or any kind of intrusion.
The Fifth House of pleasures and pastimes is Virgo, ruled by inconjunct Mercury. The Earth triplicity rulers are sextile (Mars), inconjunct (Venus), and trine (Moon). The Sun is present. If you have a garden, substantial focus on its well-being will be needed in the next ten days. Expect that your expertise may pull you away from hobby time in annoying ways, but try to learn one new skill.
The Sixth House of daily routines, pets, and injuries is Libra, ruled by present Venus. The Air triplicity rulers are sextile (Mercury, Jupiter) or opposed (Saturn). Bring together your team in favorable ways to celebrate daily achievements: bring donuts and coffee for your crew first thing in the morning, and do your best to honor the ties that bind you together. Recognize that it’s a terrible week for plotting long-term goals with this group, but share intimacies and express confidence in their abilities in other ways.
The Seventh House of spouse, peer partners, and rivals is Scorpio, ruled by trining but exiled Mars. The other Water triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Venus) or sextile (Moon). Your words could get you into a lot of hot water this week, but they can also soothe old wounds and bury past misdeeds. Choose phrases designed to calm and contain rather than inflame or instigate, and you’ll be heading in the right direction — but recognize that there are limits to how much you can play nice on the daily front while seething inside; vent privately before exploding publicly.
The Eighth House of obligation, duty and legacy is Sagittarius, ruled by trining Jupiter. The other Fire triplicity rulers are trine (Sun, Saturn). You can take some time away from your duties and obligations, as long as you recognize that home and family still deserve your attention and formal acknowledgement of responsibilities. Accept the burdens that come your way but communicate when you can’t live up to expectations at a given time.
The Ninth House of higher learning and long-distance travel is Capricorn, ruled by squaring and exiled Saturn. The Earth triplicity rulers are present (Moon), opposed (Mars), or square (Venus). The Lot of Fortune and the Midheaven are also present. You have considerable freedom about what to learn or where to go, but you may find that there’s an unexpectedly embodied wisdom that you have to access to make yourself feel right. Seek to be the key advisor to the decision-maker, rather than the decision-maker, this week.
The Tenth House of career and professional reputation is Aquarius, ruled by sextile but exiled Saturn. The other Air triplicity rulers are opposed (Jupiter, Mercury). Pluto is present but retrograde. It’s easy but expensive to win recognition at work this week —Being well-known for solving other people’s problems is likely to eat into your own workplace habits, while not earning you the necessary kudos to continue. Expect credit where it’s due, and say so out loud — or do your best to release yourself from other people’s invisible labor.
The Eleventh House of friends, associates, and allies is Pisces, ruled by inconjunct Jupiter. The Water triplicity rulers are sextile (Moon), trine (Mars), and inconjunct (Venus). It’s easy to have fun times with friends, as long as you’re in unfamiliar environments together: an Axe-Throwing Bar or Darts Club when you’re all first-timers is easy, but harder if one of you is already a past master. Plan social events in new scenery for best results, but be prepared to venture out to a new friend’s home, too — although be cautious about revealing secrets in unfamiliar surroundings.
The Twelfth House of both obstacles and opportunities is Aries, ruled by squaring and exiled Mars. The other Water triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Venus) or square (Moon). Neptune and Saturn are both present but retrograde. Long-term planning suffers from a sense of ongoing obstacles and strictures that are unlikely to be cleared immediately; existing rulerships and legal norms make imagining a future difficult but not impossible.
Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.
I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.
Taurus: Focus on what you hope to achieve over the next six months, with ten minutes every day. Admit only a narrow circle of allies to your confidence in this endeavor. Note to one what you plan to learn or where you hope to go; to another how you will nurse your labor to fruition. Expect to do more in your workplace, but be aware that your home life may suffer for a while. Ask a partner to share their secret desires with you more openly.
Gemini: You may try to stick to traditional norms in your financial life but get-rich-quick schemes will offer themselves with surprising regularity. Check in with friends to help you say no to stupid ideas more easily, but yes to more local adventures. Don’t be averse to spending time at home co-working with close allies. Co-workers may not be reliable; spend some time on home projects; ask a partner for temporary relief from some of your personally annoying duties.
Cancer: You may have to pretend to be fierce and fiery this week to avoid landing in hot water; but you may still have to play it cool to soothe a friend’s ruffled feathers. Linking the ideas of home and family to your regular workplace duties this week may be difficult; but your spouse or partner’s emotional need for connection may still have to be addressed while far from home. You may have to say no not right now to a supervisor at work, while holding out hope for a longer-term plan; use tactful diplomacy to bring together your crew in favorable ways.
Leo: It may be a good idea to write down and identify exactly what’s troubling you about house, home and family these days — and to identify what is likely to be temporary, and therefore forgivable; and what is more permanent, and thus either to be endured or forced to change. It’s likely to take a while for what is permanent to adjust to a new routine, though — so be prepared to offer forbearance where effort is made. Not everything will be so clear in the workplace, but if a boss’s decision-making seems suspect, remember that profit is usually the underlying motive for all choices there. Say no to projects that seem to be intended to limit your long-term value to the company.
Virgo: Hobbies and pastimes may be on your mind this week, but the to-do list at home and for family may be governing your daily routine. Financial shackles may also tie up some of the resources you planned on using for having fun; a friend’s challenges and difficulties may prevent the delightful get-together you planned to use your garden harvest or CSA share. Break up the week’s dismays by resolving a challenging situation at work from a return to the policy manual, and go to extra trouble with Saturday’s dinner plans. Coach a partner through a complex situation with their friends by helping them plan farther out than the end of the week.
Libra: Link your daily errands together for greater effectiveness and efficiency, and also to instigate more beautiful moments; tie the grocery store visit, the pharmacy trip, and the café for a snack into one longer break, and relish the discoveries you make along the way. However, bring back donuts or a cappuccino for a staff member or ally for best results. Your spouse or significant other may be saying no to a lot these days, fearing past patterns; hold up a vision of past delights too as a countering agent. Home should be a place of deep emotional security; when in doubt, return to it and make it as comforting as possible. The shouty boss is likely to be shoutier this week than usual, but there’s heartfelt fear and hope under that loud exterior — dig in and ask for a real explanation when things get yelly.
Scorpio: It’s a week to focus on partnership and peers in the workplace, or even to understand your rivals better. What do you learn from them? Where do you want to go together, even in argument? Over time, you tend to become more like your enemies than you’d like, so choosing good opponents is a valuable skill, and is likely to bring you to a place of deeper contentment — as long as you recognize what you admire and are trying to steal from them, rather than resenting and refusing. In romantic relationships, this is particularly important, since it’s likely their restfulness and calm and ease that you find most admirable in them, and most repellent in yourself. Spend more money than you’d like on something that you believe will be genuinely useful and beautiful in your home. Do something worthy of a pay-increase in your workplace, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get it right then and there.
Sagittarius: You have heavy burdens this week, but it may still be worthwhile to play hooky from them and give more honorable attention to a spouse or peer than usual. Travel plans and learning opportunities abound, even at home. You can get yourself into some good trouble by how you choose to interact with familial matters. More time spent on thinking about how you earn money is likely to be reflected in your bank account. Create a vision of how you intend to use your free time, and plan accordingly, even if it can’t yield immediate results.
Capricorn: What you choose to learn and where you choose to go is likely to bring emotional rewards not easily categorized or quantified this week. You’re likely to be able to coach bosses, friends, allies and significant others toward exactly the goals and objectives you believe are best — but your facts and figures had better be in alignment with your confidence, or your hallucinated (or AI-generated) directives will land you in a heap of trouble with people you’d prefer to have in your corner. Diplomacy works well in the workplace, but hard limits and longer-term vision will serve better in the household. No daily plans are likely to survive contact with the actual day.
Aquarius: Professional matters take center stage, and you should be making long-term plans for your company or team with the inner circle. However, a “pre-mortem” should be part of that planning: what are the consequences if you’re wrong about your data, your vision, your objectives, your targets? Put it in stark terms: who gets fired and why? With a spouse or significant other, you should be more generous and honorable, because it will seem like the sky is about to fall on them, hard; make home a place of safety and comfort — especially if you have clarity about how to help them in other ways, but the emotional maturity not to interfere until invited to do so.
Pisces: It will be easy to change both your personal brand and your outlook on yourself every day in the coming week, because it will feel like nobody is noticing or seeing you, for yourself. Whatever — turn that critical attention on others, and help them see how to bring forth the best version of themselves organically: add a pop of color here, an accent or accessory there. You can help them figure out how to root themselves, and thrive — and then reap rewards from how you helped them stand out. Your financial situation may be tight this week because of a sudden surprise at home, but you may be able to excuse yourself from work due to pressing issues elsewhere if you play your cards right.
Aries: Several of your long-term plans or objectives may seem unachievable this week, or ever. Hold onto hope, though — remember that sometimes one needs to backtrack in order to create a trail to new and higher ground. Honor the path you’ve been walking, but recognize that you may need to take the long way around. A fight may be brewing in your home or family that needs both ferocity and compassion to address. You have to choose an emotionally turbulent path in the workplace (or to get work), but you should ask for the power to stand at the key decision-maker’s elbow. Your spouse or significant other deserves considerable autonomy in making decisions this week; remember to link your fate to theirs. See and name the happy accidents in your hobbies this week, in order to be more generous in how they show you what you still need to learn and how far you’ve come.
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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.
I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.
I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.
