It’s not you, it’s the planets, and here's everything you should know about it

Chiron, the star, is retrograde in the sign of Taurus

It's already August, and 2026 has been a crazy year. I am feeling it, but so are many others around me. If you believe in tarot, astrology, the sun, moon, eclipse, and all of that, read on. Here's why you have been questioning your life, career, relationships, and just "who you are" and "your place in the world" recently.

First there was mercury retrograde: Mercury went direct on July 23, but August 6 was when it finally left its post-retrograde shadow. If plans were delayed, your laptop broke down, and old and unresolved feelings resurfaced, some clarity may return this week.

Right now three celestial bodies are in retrograde - Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. PICS/ISTOCK

But, Saturn retrograde is still going strong: And so is Neptune retrograde and Pluto retrograde. Saturn questions your identity and asks you to take responsibility for your life and decisions. Neptune asks you to see reality and Pluto governs transformation. All together, they are asking you to take stock of who you are, and who you can become.

Eclipse season is beginning: It begins with a solar eclipse in Leo on August 12 and a lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 27. Eclipses mean sudden beginnings, endings, secrets that come to light, and course correction. Are you seeing a pattern emerge?

Venus enters Libra: This is some good news. It talks of harmony and beauty. Maybe it will smooth down some turbulent weather. There is also Jupiter in Leo: It amplifies confidence, visibility, and self-expression. It's asking you to not play small anymore, it's asking you to not shrink. Step up!

There is another retrograde: The star Chirion is also in retrograde in the sign of Taurus till January 2027, something that's not happened since the 1980s. It's called the Wounded Healer. Chirion was a centaur, who taught some of Greece's greatest heroes healing, medicine, music, and astronomy amongst other things.

Then one day Hercales's arrow, which was dipped in the poisonous blood of Hydra, struck Chirion. So he didn't die, but he couldn't be healed. So when Chirion goes into retrograde, it asks you what lessons have you learnt from your past mistakes. And asks you to build a life where your life worth isn't defined by what happened to you. Now, isn't that beautiful.

In the end, if the last 7 months have felt painful and you have been forced to look at your life without the rose-coloured glasses, August is asking you to step into your new role. It's asking you to choose your new identity and to trust the universe. We got this.