There’s a special kind of quiet that settles over August once the brambles start to burst through and the light begins its slow retreat. Summer hasn’t let go yet — not quite — but if you know where to look, the wheel has already begun its turn once again. This month brings some genuinely potent shifts, both overhead and underfoot, so let’s wander through them together.
August opens with Lammas, or Lughnasadh — the old festival marking the first harvest, when the earliest grains are gathered and gratitude is offered for the season’s first abundance. Even if the date itself has passed by the time you’re reading this, its spirit lingers through the whole month: a quiet thread of harvest and gratitude running underneath everything else August brings.
The Lion’s Gate Portal
Tomorrow, 8 August, marks the Lion’s Gate Portal — a date long associated with personal power, alignment, and manifestation, when the sun sits in fiery Leo and, symbolically, a gateway of amplified energy opens. This year it arrives with extra weight: just days later, on 12 August, we move into a New Moon and total solar eclipse in Leo. Rather than treating Lion’s Gate as a single, isolated moment, think of it this way — as the opening note of a much bigger shift unfolding across the whole month.
A simple ritual for tomorrow: light a candle at dusk, and instead of listing what you want, sit quietly and ask what you’re ready to become. Lion’s Gate favours boldness — but the eclipse just around the corner asks for stillness first.
Moon Cycles This Month
- 6 August — Last Quarter Moon in Taurus. A grounded, practical energy — good for tying up loose ends before the bigger shifts ahead.
- 12 August — New Moon & Total Solar Eclipse in Leo. Eclipse new moons are unusual: rather than the usual “set your intentions” energy of a fresh moon, eclipses tend to remove rather than plant. This is a moment for observing and releasing, not starting something new — save your big intentions for the next ordinary new moon.
- 20 August — First Quarter Moon in Scorpio. Deep, intense, transformative — a good few days for honest reflection.
- 28 August — Full Sturgeon Moon. The month’s culmination, named for the ancient fish once abundant at this time of year. A natural moment for a small closing ritual — release what August has asked you to let go of.
August’s Star Signs
Most of the month belongs to Leo (23 July – 22 August) — warm, expressive, and unapologetically alive, Leo season asks us to shine before the year quietens. As we move toward Virgo (23 August onward), the energy shifts into something more grounded — precision, care, and the quiet work of harvest and preparation. It’s a lovely thing to notice this month: the fire of Leo giving way, gently, to the earthiness of Virgo — much like the land itself, still warm but beginning to ripen toward autumn.
What to Look Out for in Nature
Here in Scotland, there has been a noticeable shift from verdant, lush green growth, to a general deepening of golden hues, the grasses and meadows beginning to wilt slightly, and we begin to turn attention to the hedgerows and hillsides where we see:
- Brambles ripening along hedgerows — perfect for an early foraging walk (and a hint of the kitchen witchery content coming your way soon!)
- Rowan berries deepening to red, a favourite of folklore and a sure sign the year is turning
- Heather blanketing the hills in that unmistakable purple haze
- Swifts beginning their migration south — one of the quiet, easy-to-miss signals that autumn is already stirring beneath the surface of summer
- Late wildflowers like harebells and knapweed still holding on in the verges
A Few Journal Prompts for the Month
- What have I been proud of this summer, and what am I ready to let go of as it turns?
- Where in my life is Leo’s boldness still needed — and where is it time for Virgo’s quieter precision instead?
- What does “harvest” mean for me this year — not just literally, but in terms of what I’ve grown?
However you choose to mark it — a candle, a walk, a page in your journal — I hope August brings you a little magic before the season turns.
Slow down and stay captivated,
Rowan 🍂
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