August is a month when dreams come true. There is a lot of positive movement forward, Leo Season is underway, and opportunities for expansion, perspective, and love are apparent.
We begin the month with Mars entering Libra on August 6 until September 22, creating an atmosphere of partnership, peace, and harmony. Mars in Libra is motivated to create justice, understanding, and beauty in the world, and this energy will be inspiring more connection, creativity, and relationship developments this month.
Your August 2025 Monthly Horoscopes: An Overview
The Full Moon of the month happens on August 9 and will occur in Aquarius. This Full Moon is the time to let go of old perspectives or intentions that don’t serve, and to focus on where your inner compass system is guiding you right now. A few days later, Mercury goes direct in Leo after being retrograde since July 17, and it’s time to break free from limitations or self-doubt within communication. With Mercury now direct in Leo, there is more confidence, passion, and charisma within communication matters, and it’s time to put your best foot forward and to bet on yourself.
With Venus in Cancer for most of the month, more sensitivity within relationship matters is apparent now, and it’s about bringing compassion to your intimate world and emotional foundations. Virgo Season officially begins on August 22, and this Virgo Season is all about a new beginning. When the Sun is in Virgo, we have more energy to get organized, take care of responsibilities, and feel more purposeful within the present moment. The following day, there is a New Moon in Virgo, and this is a potent time for setting your intentions for what you want to bring to harvest over the next month.
Your intentions are powerful, as are your words, and it’s time to get clear and write down your vision.
As we close out the month, Venus moves into Leo from August 25 until September 21, and love is loud during this time. While Venus is in Leo, we feel more confident in going after our heart’s desires, and this is a time of courage, strength, and passion in love. Venus in Leo knows the importance of loving yourself just as much as loving others, and it’s about having a good balance here right now.
Overall, real progress is being made this month, and August is about being open to a miracle.
Read for your sun and rising sign below to see what August has in store for you.
What August 2025 Has In Store For Your Zodiac Sign
ARIES
AriesKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is a chance at happiness, Aries. Culminations occur, bringing you closer to your heart and closer to others. With the Sun in your 5th house of romance and inner joy for most of the month, there is a lot to feel confident about right now, and you are moving forward freely. The Full Moon at the beginning of the month happens in an area of your life that has to do with your manifestations, and you are entering August with good luck on your side.
Mars, your ruling planet, moves into your house of love from August 6 until late September, and you are motivated by the dynamics playing out in your partnerships right now. Things are getting spicy for you in August, and your relationships are a source of passion and empowerment. Before the month ends, Venus enters your 5th house as well, even further enhancing the energy of love, support, and compassion in your life this month.
TAURUS
TaurusKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is a month of collaboration, effort, and creativity, Taurus. There is a lot to tend to as you build new foundations in your world, and the main message for you this month is that you don’t have to do it alone. With the Sun in your house of home, family, and inner strength for most of the month, it’s about connecting with the support in your life and setting down the building blocks for your future through gratitude and patience.
On August 23, we have a New Moon in fellow earth sign Virgo, and this New Moon is a new beginning for you in love. A new door opens for your heart to examine, and you are recognizing what you need in order to experience healthy and stable relationships in your world. Before the month ends, Venus, your ruling planet, enters your 9th house of adventure, and love is taking you on a ride. Moving out of August and into September, new plans are made, traveling is likely, and you are keeping an eye out for the options presenting themselves to you.
GEMINI
GeminiKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is all about perspective, and keeping yours, Gemini. Your guidance for the month is to protect your energy and trust your instincts on what is right for you and what doesn’t resonate anymore. Your ruling planet, Mercury, has been retrograde for the past few weeks and finally goes direct on August 11, creating more progress and communication breakthroughs after some time of chaos in your world. With this settling of energy, the fog is lifting, and you can see things more clearly that you may have missed before
The New Moon of the month happens on August 23 and creates a new beginning for you in the home. This New Moon is the perfect opportunity to set intentions for what new foundations you want to build in your world and to get things organized in your safe spaces. Before the month ends, Venus enters Leo and brings harmony to your mind. You are having important conversations, extending an olive branch, and feeling more seen and understood, leaving August.
CANCER
CancerKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is a month of speaking your mind and being confident in your ideas and inspirations, Cancer. The Sun is in your house of income, abundance, and values for most of the month, and you are coming up with the ideas that are going to help you succeed in the long term. On August 9, we have a Full Moon happening in your 8th house of transformation, and you are ready to let go of doing things the hard way. It’s all about opening yourself up to the gifts, connections, and new beginnings you deserve, and letting go of anything that is holding you back from that.
At the end of the month, we have a New Moon occurring in an area of your life having to do with communication, and you are getting your point across right now. Bridges of connection are being built, and this is a good month for networking efforts, publishing your ideas, or having the important conversations that you have been meaning to have. Venus is in Cancer until August 25, and you have the luck of love on your side this month. Focus on moving forward and don’t let any negativity distract you or your progress.
LEO
LeoKyra Jay for xoNecoleLove is a highlight of your life this month, Leo. Leo Season is officially here, the Sun is in your sign for most of the month, and you are thriving in this energy. You begin the month with a Full Moon in your opposite sign, Aquarius, creating a culmination for you in love. You are recognizing the progress you have made within some of your most important connections and relationships, and feeling more harmony in the changes that are unfolding for you here.
Mercury has been retrograde in your sign for the past few weeks, and finally goes direct on August 11, inspiring you towards clarity and remaining in Leo until September 2. With Mercury on your side right now, there is more understanding and support in your world, and this is a good time for getting clearer on your intentions moving forward and to start laying the foundations from your new ideas. Before the month ends, Venus enters your sign until September 19, further enhancing the energy of love in your life this month. August is about valuing your time and energy, and allowing others to reciprocate this love to you.
VIRGO
VirgoKyra Jay for xoNecoleA lot is going on for you this month, but it is nothing you can’t handle, Virgo. August is a busy month for you, as you have a lot of new responsibilities on your plate and are also feeling more inspired by the opportunities presenting themselves. The Full Moon happening at the start of the month is helping you reflect on health matters and what has been weighing you down mentally, and you are beginning the month looking to decompress as much as you have been taking action.
Your ruling planet, Mercury, has been retrograde in an area of your life that deals with closure and healing, and after a few weeks of gathering your strength, you are finally ready to let go. Mercury goes direct on August 11, and you can take a deep breath now. Virgo Season officially begins on August 22, and this is when things really start to pick up for you. With a New Moon in Virgo on the following day, there is something about healing, reflecting, and empowering yourself this month, and you are the one creating your own destiny right now as you move forward.
LIBRA
LibraKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is about opening your heart, Libra. A balance is needed this month, but this is one of your many strengths in life, and you are moving through this time with all the right tools, resources, and support to succeed. The most significant transit for you this month is Mars entering Libra on August 6 until September 22. With Mars, the planet of action, in your sign for the rest of the summer, you have some extra energy at your disposal now and the inspiration to see things through.
The Full Moon of the month occurs in a fellow air sign, highlighting a romantic and supportive area of your chart. This Full Moon is about letting go of old connections or pain that no longer have a place in your present moment or where you are headed in love. Finally, as we close out the month, we have a New Moon in your 12th house of endings, dreams, and healing, and you are closing one chapter of your life and making room for another as we end August.
SCORPIO
ScorpioKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is about opening a new door for your heart, Scorpio. There are some pleasant surprises in store for you this month, and it's time to put yourself out there. With the Sun at the very top of your chart, shining its benevolence on you, you are grabbing the attention of others and creating the opportunities you have been looking for. On August 6, Mars, your ruling planet, enters your 12th house, and you are motivated to create space, heal, and make room for your heart to experience something new.
Mercury goes Direct on August 11, after being Retrograde in your house of career and reputation for the past few weeks, and you are finally being seen and recognized for the good work you have done and the positive intentions you have had. The New Moon happening before the month ends on August 23 is one of the most magical New Moons for you to manifest, and it’s time to believe in a miracle. Anything can happen for you, expect it to be good this month.
SAGITTARIUS
SagittariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleRemember how powerful you are this month, Sagittarius. This month can feel like a lot to handle if you are not valuing yourself, your time, and your energy. The Sun is in your 9th house for most of the month, and you are in a more introspective mood right now. The Full Moon happening on August 9 is closing the door to communication that hasn’t served you, and is helping you gain clarity on the guidance from your soul.
Mercury officially goes direct on August 11, after being retrograde in a fellow fire sign for the past few weeks, and this is helping you execute your plans and see things with a new perspective. You have had to navigate life with a little more caution while Mercury was retrograde, and with this energy moving forward now, so are your plans and adventures. Before the month ends, the Sun enters your 10th house of success and career, and it’s time to practice self-love affirmations, own your confidence, and allow your gifts to shine.
CAPRICORN
CapricornKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust changes everything for you, Capricorn. Transformations are evident, and you are ready to move forward with what you know now. With the Sun in your 8th house of rebirth for most of the month, you are in a space of letting go of the past and creating your future, and you are finding your peace within the middle ground. On August 9, a Full Moon occurs in your 2nd house of abundance, and it’s time to make space for new financial opportunities to enter your world.
On August 23, we have a New Moon in Virgo, highlighting your 9th house of travel, adventure, and inner wisdom. This New Moon is bringing you a new perspective and showing you just how lucky you are, after a few weeks of feeling like you were walking on shaky ground. On August 25, Venus, the planet of love, enters an area chart having to do with intimacy and shared resources, and you move into a time of feeling more commitment and grace within your close partnerships.
AQUARIUS
AquariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleAugust is about moving on and moving forward, Aquarius. You are letting go of a lot this month and are supported in your new beginning. The month begins with a Full Moon in Aquarius on August 9, creating a space of closure for you. You have been through a lot of personal changes this year, and this Full Moon is reflecting how much you have grown in the process of it all. With the Sun in your sister sign, highlighting the love in your life for most of August, emotions are running high, but you are also finding new ways to soothe the waters and make the most of the changes you are moving through.
At the end of the month, the New Moon happens, and this is another aspect that is creating a deep change in your world. Your guidance for the month is to flow with change rather than force or fear it, and to know that when things are meant to be for you, they will feel more stable. As you close out the month, you are in a space of reflection, and you are strengthening your energy for the new opportunities ahead of you.
PISCES
PiscesKyra Jay for xoNecolePatience is key this month, Pisces. You are thinking a lot about your work efforts, finances, and purpose in life, and you are generating some new ideas for it all in the process. This is a good month to get things in order, create a new plan, and take action on your vision. On August 9, there is a Full Moon in your 12th house, and you are ready to let go of the way things have been and old emotional patterns that have been limiting your personal growth. Follow your inner light this month and let it guide you towards happiness.
On August 23, we have a New Moon in Virgo and in an area of your chart that deals with love, creating new opportunities for support, romance, and abundance in your world. This is the perfect New Moon for you to set your intentions for connection and for what relationship developments you want to see take place for you over the next month. Overall, you are leaving August with love on your mind, and this is creating a space for new connections and abundance to bloom.
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Featured image by Kyra Jay/xoNecole
RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Then there were those who gave up their zip code altogether and found a permanent home in the skies. After years spent recruiting students for a university, Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare became a full-time travel influencer and founded her travel company, Shakespeare Agency. And she's not alone.
These stories mirror the experiences of women across the world. For millions, the pandemic induced a seismic shift in priorities and desires. Corporate careers that were once hailed as the ultimate “I made it” moment in one's career were pushed to the back burner as women quit their jobs in search of a more self-fulfilling purpose.
xoNecole spoke to these three Black women who used the pandemic as a springboard to make their wildest dreams a reality, the lessons they learned, and posed the question of whether they’ll ever return to cubicle life.
Answers have been edited for context and length.
xoNecole: How did the pandemic lead to you leaving the cubicle?
Randi: I was becoming stagnant. I was working in mortgage and banking but I felt like my personality was too big for that job! From there, I transitioned to radio but was laid off during the pandemic. That’s what made me go full throttle with entrepreneurship.
Gabrielle: I moved around a lot for work. Five times over a span of seven years. I knew I needed a break because I had experienced so much. So, I just quit one day. Effective immediately. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I just knew I needed a break and to just regroup.
Lisa-Gaye: I was working in recruiting at a university and my dream job just kind of fell into my lap! But, I never got to fully enjoy it before the world shut down in March [2020] and I was laid off. On top of that, I was stuck in Miami because Jamaica had closed its borders due to the pandemic before I was able to return.
Randi O
xoN: Tell us about your journey after leaving Corporate America.
Randi: I do it all now! I have a podcast, I’m an on-air talent, I act, and I own a public relations company that focuses on social media engagement. It’s all from my network. When you go out and start a business, you can’t just say, “Okay I’m done with Corporate America,” and “Let me do my own thing.” If you don’t build community, if you don’t build a network it's going to be very hard to sustain.
Gabrielle: I realized in New York, there was not a lot to do for Black lesbians and queer folks. We don’t really have dedicated bars and spaces so I started doing events and it took off. I started focusing on my brand, Raw Honey. I opened a co-working space, and I was able to host an NYC Pride event in front of 100,000 people. I hit the ground running with Raw Honey. My events were all women coming to find community and come together with other lesbians and queer folks. I found my purpose in that.
Lisa-Gaye: After being laid off, I wrote out all of my passions and that’s how I came up with [my company] Shakespeare Agency. It was all of the things that I loved to do under one umbrella. The pandemic pulled that out of me. I had a very large social media following, so I pitched to hotels that I would feature them on my blog and social media. This reignited my passion for travel. I took the rest of the year to refocus my brand to focus solely on being a content creator within the travel space.
Gabrielle
xoN: What have you learned about yourself during your time as an entrepreneur?
Randi: [I learned] the importance of my network and community that I created. When I was laid off I was still keeping those relationships with people that I used to work with. So it was easy for me to transition into social media management and I didn’t have to start from scratch.
Gabrielle: The biggest thing I learned about myself was my own personal identity as a Black lesbian and how much I had assimilated into straight and corporate culture and not being myself. Now, I feel comfortable and confident being my authentic self. Now, I'm not sacrificing anything else for my career. I have a full life. I have friends. I have a social life. And when you are happy and have a full quality of life, I feel like [I] can have more longevity in my career.
Lisa-Gaye: [I'm doing] the best that I've ever done. The discipline that I’m building within myself. Nobody is saying, ‘Oh you have to be at work at this time.’ There’s no boss saying, ‘Why are you late?’ But, if I’m laying in bed at 10 a.m. then it's me saying [to myself], 'Okay, Lisa, get up, it's time for you to start working!’ That’s all on me.
xoNecole: What mistakes do you want to help people avoid when leaving Corporate America?
Randi: You have to learn about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. You have a fast season and a slow season and I started to learn that when you're self-employed the latter season hits hard. Don't get caught up on the lows, just keep going and don't stop. I’m glad I did.
Gabrielle: I think everyone should quit their job and just figure it out for a second. You will discover so much about yourself when you take a second to just focus on you. Your skill set will always be there. You can’t be afraid of what will happen when you bet on yourself.
Lisa-Gaye: When it comes to being an influencer the field is saturated and a lot of people suffer from imposter syndrome. There is nothing wrong with being an imposter but find out how to make it yours, how to make it better. If you go to the store, you see 10 million different brands of bread! But you are choosing the brand that you like because you like that particular flavor.
So be an imposter, but be the best imposter of yourself and add your own flair, your own flavor. Make the better bread. The bread that you want.
Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
xoNecole: Will you ever return to your 9 to 5?
Randi: I wouldn’t go back to Corporate America. But I don’t mind working under someone. A lot of people try to get into this business saying, “I can't work under anyone.” That’s not necessarily the reason to start a business because you're always going to answer to somebody. Clients, brands, there’s always someone else involved.
Gabrielle: I went back! I really needed a break and I gave myself that. But, I realized I’m a corporate girl, [and] I enjoy the work that I do. I’m good at it and I really missed that side of myself. I have different sides of me and my whole identity is not Raw Honey or my queerness. A big side of me is business and that’s why I love having my career. Now I feel like my best self.
Lisa-Gaye: I really don’t. For right now, I love working for myself. It's gratifying, it's challenging, it's exciting. It’s a big deal for me to say I own my own business. That I am my own boss, and I'm a Black woman doing it.
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Featured image courtesy of Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
Originally published on February 6, 2023