Weekly Horoscopes for July 31 to August 6, 2023
Leo Season | July 22 to August 23
“Love is God’s presence in the room.” - Iyanla Vanzant
“We love because it's the only true adventure.” - Nikki Giovanni
“To be loved is a calamity. Love will try to see the words before it's finished.” - Miranda Carroll (a fictional character in Station Eleven)
Last year, when Beyonce, in her glory, dropped RENAISSANCE, the world perked up at full attention. There was a strange and awkward moment when many beloved artists found out at the same time we did that they had been sampled for this decadent celebration of Blackqueer musical traditions. Among these artists was the Leo singer-songwriter and chef Kelis, who was furious with what she characterized as theft because of her well-known torturous and predatory relationship with her production team. The inclusion of her vocals from “Milkshake” on “ENERGY” was without her consent or knowledge. As living in a viral era tends to make everything a trending topic, everybody and their mama had commentary on the appropriateness of her response or her perceived lack of gratitude. But on her birthday, unbothered by the backlash, Kelis posted an IG picture with the caption, “I am my own validation.”
With Leo season officially in full effect (July 22 to August 23), it’s time to be our own validation. When your destiny is to build a life against the grain and when you have survived unsurvivable things, your truth, the reality of the strength of your voice, might offend people. Your responsibility to your heart and art is to validate yourself even in a chorus of people heckling you.
We would like to think of Leo season as a moment to be center stage and bask in the fullness of being recognized, whether creatively or romantically. However, with Venus stationed retrograde since July 22nd (until September 3rd), this is a more reflective season where we are asked to be responsible with our magnetism.
As a society, we’ve placed such a heavy weight on romantic love: the getting, having, and the keeping. In this strange push and pull, I tend to agree with Iyanla Vanzant; I see the rawest form of love as simply “God’s presence in the room.” There are days I think the poet Nikki Giovanni is right when she says, “We love because it's the only true adventure.” On other days, when I watch the HBO miniseries Station Eleven about a traveling theatre troupe in a post-apocalyptic world (based on the novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel), I am haunted by actress Danielle Deadwyler's brilliant portrayal of Miranda Carroll. Carroll creates (a graphic novel) because she must, with a singular and all-consuming focus, but to her: “To be loved is a calamity. Love will try to see the words before it's finished.”
Whatever is true for you, the questions remain: Do you love someone who doesn’t want to be loved? Or maybe you are with someone unable to love you how you need to be loved.
This week as the full moon makes its way into Aquarius on Tuesday, August 1st, we have an opportunity to glimpse how we can act in alignment with our most authentic values about love and sit with those difficult realizations long enough for them to change us. Love demands us to be courageous enough to choose ‘adventure’ or ‘calamity.’ To set others free when we know we want more or different. We must be willing to break our hearts to honor our shared and connected humanity. We must be willing to be our own validation.
Important Transits and Dates:
01 - FULL MOON in Aquarius
01 - Mars trine Jupiter
01 - Mercury opposite Saturn
06 - Sun square Jupiter
READ ME: From my heart to yours, “Horoscopes with Heart” is an offering of cosmically aligned inspiration. I hope these words act as light as you make your way through the week. May you always remember: you are the author of your life, and astrology is not a prescription for what you can and will do but a guidepost that supports you in activating your living creativity. I read my weekly horoscopes for my rising sign, but feel free to read for your sun or rising sign. I welcome you to share these words with friends and credit me @LoveStephGee or by linking this when resharing or quoting. Thank you :)
ARIES & ARIES RISING
Tuesday’s full moon wants you to revisit your childhood dreams: can you remember your why? Your willingness to master your habits and routines can open doors for you to make money moves aligned with your highest values. Risk being meticulous. We know can you can lead, Aries; now, practice diligence. This week commit to your health, routines, and wellness. Use this energy to refine the daily rituals that help you act boldly, clearly, and decisively.
TAURUS & TAURUS RISING
You are changing and becoming a new person altogether. Of course, how you relate to your family will change. Even your home might feel like a relic of who you used to be. The full moon might reveal how these personal shifts might change your career trajectory. The gap is widening between who you were and who you are. Change your world with you. Have patience with yourself but also with the people around you.
CANCER & CANCER RISING
This week, let your entrepreneurship spirit run wild. Use the full moon energy to get clear about whatever entrenched agreements you have made that keep you from going after your dreams and release them. You are responsible for yourself and defining the terms of your own security. Set yourself up to be safe and secure financially by tapping into your full earning power potential. Be aware of how outdated values are shaping your current relationships.
GEMINI & GEMINI RISING
This week, pay attention to your thought processes, not how you do things but why. The details and the stories you tell yourself matter. Try not to be too critical of your people. Affirm the good. With Saturn in your career zone, you are in a masterclass about setting appropriate boundaries between work and home. Perhaps you need a new workstation or a new way to signal to your body that you’re off the clock.
LEO & LEO RISING
It's your birthday month, my dear Leo. You have so much to celebrate. Refuse to hide from the warmth of your own light. You don’t need to match the energy of those who doubt you and your capabilities. Validate yourself, knowing that your authority comes from within. Be careful not to overextend yourself at work. It will take effort to incorporate your creativity in your career aspirations, but remember you are the real deal.
VIRGO & VIRGO RISING
Dear Virgo, unsolicited advice is criticism, no matter how well-intentioned and potentially useful. Take it easy on your loved ones, and use your buzzing mental energy to care for yourself. Your analytic skills are at their sharpest right now. Use that energy to refine your style, perfect your skincare routine, or shift your outlook on life. The upcoming full moon might reveal how your new habits have supported more than you know.
LIBRA & LIBRA RISING
We live in a society obsessed with commodifying beauty and one’s proximity to it. Perhaps the most radical action we take is to validate ourselves outside of that system. With Venus stationed retrograde, your social circle is lit up. Take a break from social media and the comparison game. What boxes are you willing to break out of to be more authentic? Use this tension to lean into new. Find new ways to be yourself.
SCORPIO & SCORPIO RISING
As Mars transits through your house of dreams, hopes, and aspirations, you have the energy to fill in the details of any long-standing plans to make your dreams come true. Iyanla Vanzant says, “When you are a visionary, people come forward to serve you, not spite you.” Trust that you’ve surrounded yourself with people who will support you, not undermine you. Have the courage to accept help. You don’t have to go at it alone.
SAGITTARIUS & SAGITTARIUS RISING
My dear sage, Jupiter has grounded you at your home base and is offering you the opportunity to find God in the daily grind. Use your every day: cleaning, yoga practice, or cooking as a gateway to the divine. I know you are skilled at getting to the why, the big picture in the sky, but perhaps looking down at the details of your daily life more closely can open up a new source of inspiration.
CAPRICORN & CAPRICORN RISING
Jessica Dore, in “Tarot for Change,” suggests that stuckness is a birthright of humans: how we protect ourselves from disappointment until we are ready to move forward. Perhaps the waiting, the not yet knowing, wants you to sit with your ideas a little longer. If this work is to be your legacy, look beyond breakthroughs. Practice staying with an idea long enough for it to gestate fully. Delays are not a measure of your self-worth.
AQUARIUS & AQUARIUS RISING
Waterbearer, you have been standing out your whole life. The Aquarius full moon wants you to learn how to individuate healthily. Look at how you rebel for spite, from a familiar rebellion of being an outsider rather than a true revolution. Saturn Rx has pushed you to confront your intricately woven web of complexes to get free. What outdated programs do you have running about what intimacy requires from you, and how is this impacting your self-esteem?
PISCES & PISCES RISING
Jupiter has been cheering you on, Pisces, resourcing you as you remember and reacquaint yourself with the timbre of your own voice. This energy is an invitation to endure. Sometimes consistency is more important than brilliance. The Aquarius full moon asks you to do some shadow work and confront your escapist habits and patterns. Take inventory of how certain vices are blocking you from giving yourself permission to broadcast your ideas more consistently.