August 2023 New & Full Moons: Full Moon in Aquarius, New Moon in Leo & Full Moon in Pisces

August 2023 comes with 2 full moons, one in detached Aquarius and one in sensitive Pisces, and a new moon in creative Leo. How do these impact us?

What is a New Moon?

A new moon occurs when the transit (moving) Sun and Moon are in the exact same position in the Zodiac (called a conjunction). New moons are related to beginnings, have high energy, and are enthusiastic. 

What is a Full Moon?

A full moon occurs when the transit (moving) Sun and Moon are in the exact opposite positions in the Zodiac (called an opposition). Full moons are related to endings, culminations, and are emotional energy.

Full Moon in Aquarius: August 1st 2023 (2:32PM ET/11:32AM PT)

​The Aquarius full moon is generally not as emotional as usual since Aquarius is a more detached air sign. This comes after the Capricorn full moon, another detached sign, so we're in a period with the full moons where we're not as caught up in our emotions.

When it comes to Aquarius, where we can get riled up is with our independence and ability to be true to ourselves. Anywhere we feel we're being boxed in, we can push back against hard. This can lead to rebellion, and that can be good if it's focused and controlled; but can be bad if it's impulsive and reckless.

We can also focus more on our future with the Aquarius full moon, and those who have worked hard and smart can make some progress now, and some may even achieve what you've set out to do for so long. Others may experience setbacks if you haven't worked hard and smart, and have to assess your approach and whether or not you're fully in it.

Aquarius governs change, so we may finalize changes we've been working on, finish plans for change, or sort through ideas for changes with this Aquarius full moon. We can see some results, which can help inform what we do next.

Aquarius also rules our friends and the masses, so issues with friends or groups may come to a head, and we have to figure out what to do (solve or cut bait). Friends and groups we have a good connection with can deepen, and we can feel closer. 

The full moon occurs at 9 degrees 16 minutes Aquarius. Aspects to the full moon are:
Conjunction: 7 degrees 16 minutes - 11 degrees 16 minutes Aquarius
Sextile: 7 degrees 16 minutes - 11 degrees 16 minutes Aries or Sagittarius
Square: 7 degrees 16 minutes - 11 degrees 16 minutes Taurus or Scorpio
Trine: 7 degrees 16 minutes - 11 degrees 16 minutes Gemini or Libra
Opposition: 7 degrees 16 minutes - 11 degrees 16 minutes Leo

New Moon in Leo: August 16th 2023 (5:39AM ET/2:39AM PT)

The Leo new moon is often a nice new moon where we're in tune with our hearts, connected to love, and feeling extra creative. We can dedicate more time to our hobbies, to our loved ones, and enjoy getting attention. We can pick up new hobbies, pursue new creative ventures, and generally focus on the positive in our lives.

This Leo new moon is a little complicated though as Venus is retrograde (appearing to move backward) in Leo; it's not outright conjunct the new moon (a little wide for that at 5 degrees), but can still feel connected to it a little. 

Venus retrograde can bring out issues in love relationships, but also bring back old flames, and reconnecting with people from the past may be a goal with this new moon. So can picking back up old hobbies or restarting old creative projects, or redoing a vacation.

The new moon can generally make us feel a little better about the Venus retrograde and help us take a little more action, something that has likely eluded us thus far in the lazy retrograde. We just need to make sure we're being smart about it and not impulsive, and as long as we are, this can be a great time for a do over or second chance.

At large, we may see some news or developments regarding a celebrity or the entertainment industry, children, or involving a women's issue.

The new moon is square (challenging aspect, 3 signs away) transit (moving) Uranus in Taurus, and this actually increases the odds we're impulsive, but it's most likely if we feel like we're being controlled. We don't want that, we want the space to do things our own way. We may fight against norms and the status quo and stuck positions with this new moon. This can be a time to break out of a long-standing rut.

The new moon occurs at 23 degrees 17 minutes Leo. The aspects to the new moon are:
Conjunction: 21 degrees 17 minutes - 25 degrees 17 minutes Leo
Sextile: 21 degrees 17 minutes - 25 degrees 17 minutes Gemini or Libra
Square: 21 degrees 17 minutes - 25 degrees 17 minutes Taurus or Scorpio
Trine: 21 degrees 17 minutes - 25 degrees 17 minutes Aries or Sagittarius
Opposition: 21 degrees 17 minutes - 25 degrees 17 minutes Aquarius

Full Moon in Pisces: August 30th 2023 (9:35PM ET/6:35PM PT)

We have 2 full moons in August, a blue moon (depending on your definition), and this blue moon comes in Pisces, and finally brings some emotion into the mix again. Pisces is a super sensitive sign, and we can be more sensitive to what's happening, what others think, and what we can sense from the world around us as we're more sensitive to subtle energies and shifts.

Pisces is a super intuitive sign and rules spirituality, so the Pisces full moon can be a great time for reconnecting to your intuition and to your spiritual self. If there are blocks, they can be worked on, and there can be some major understanding that occurs.

Pisces is the last Zodiac sign and therefore associated with endings, and full moons also rule endings, so the Pisces full moon is often a time of a major ending or two. We're ready to finish, to release, to let go, and to move on. We can get in tune with our subconscious minds and with the past, and this can help us identify baggage and blocks and patterns that need to be addressed so we can move forward without them holding us back.

Pisces is a sensitive sign, and we can be extra compassionate and empathetic with the Pisces full moon. We may take it quite personally when we see someone being hurt, or something especially cruel happening, especially with Venus still retrograde for this full moon. We can work to be gentler, caring, and more considerate.

Pisces is also a water sign, so we can see water events or developments with the Pisces full moon.

The full moon occurs at 7 degrees 25 minutes Pisces. Aspects to the full moon are:
Conjunction: 5 degrees 25 minutes - 9 degrees 25 minutes Pisces
Sextile: 5 degrees 25 minutes - 9 degrees 25 minutes Taurus or Capricorn
Square: 5 degrees 25 minutes - 9 degrees 25 minutes Gemini or Sagittarius
Trine: 5 degrees 25 minutes - 9 degrees 25 minutes Cancer or Scorpio
Opposition: 5 degrees 25 minutes - 9 degrees 25 minutes Virgo

Suggested Reading: The New & Full Moons page for general interpretations by house and aspect