Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas
Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas

The Week of August 31st, 2026: Boundaries and blessings with Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

August 31, 2026

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5 min read

The Week of August 31st, 2026: Boundaries and blessings with Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

"Imagine with me for a moment. You're incredibly late for an appointment. You run into the building, you get on the elevator, the doors close. You know there's somebody else in the elevator with you, but you're not really looking. And all of a sudden, the elevator's stuck. And then you look over to see what the other person is thinking, and you realize it's your nemesis."

This is how Chani Nicholas opens the episode, and it captures the central tension of the week ahead: two major astrological events happening simultaneously — one genuinely helpful, one genuinely hard — both demanding the same skill: discernment.

The hard stuff: Mars square Saturn

Tuesday's difficult aspect is Mars square Saturn. Nicholas explains that both planets are in positions where they struggle. Saturn is in Aries, a sign where it depends on Mars to function. But Mars is in Cancer, a sign where it too is debilitated — "starting from below zero," as Nicholas puts it. Neither planet can help the other. Both are under-resourced, wobbly, and cranky.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Opening Scenario: Stuck in an Elevator** - Chani sets the tone with a metaphor for the week: rushing late, stuck in an elevator with your nemesis.
  • 2 (01:38) **Week's Core: Two Major Events, Same Principle** - Chani outlines the week's structure: one very good event on Monday, one very hard event on Tuesday, both governed by discernment.
  • 3 (02:55) **Tuesday's Hard Aspect: Mars Square Saturn** - Chani explains the mechanics of this frustrating, stuck-in-an-elevator transit.
  • 4 (06:59) **The Core Lesson: Overcommitment and Gut Instinct** - Chani pivots to the personal lesson: this transit exposes where we said "yes" when we shouldn't have.
  • 5 (11:43) **Navigating the Block: Action from a Stuck Place** - The square demands action, but from a position of restriction; the elevator will eventually move.
  • 6 (14:32) **Monday's Good Aspect: Jupiter Trine Saturn** - Chani introduces the "gorgeous" counterpoint to the week's difficulty.
  • 7 (17:52) **The Paradox: Both Irritation and Opportunity** - The area of life with Aries is both "blessed by a trine from Jupiter" and "harshed" by Mars square Saturn.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Chani Nicholas

Show Notes

Episode 298

In this podcast, New York Times best-selling author and astrologer Chani Nicholas discusses the astrology of the week and what it might mean for us all.

The astrology of the week of August 31st, 2026, brings both obstacles and opportunities. When Jupiter (the planet of good fortune) trines Saturn (the planet of structure), it feels like all our hard work is finally paying off and we’re being blessed with the growth and abundance that we’ve cleared space for. But when Mars (the planet of action) squares Saturn, it’s a whole different story. This face-off is sure to spark serious frustration and stuck-in-the-mud energy. Thankfully, Mercury (the planet of communication) also makes a supportive sextile to Mars, encouraging conversations that break the tension and clarify where we need to move next. Now’s the time to tune in to your intuition and trust your gut. Those instincts will not only help you stay true to yourself, but they’ll come in handy when your plans get off track.

This episode covers:

  • Jupiter’s trine to Saturn on Monday, August 31st

  • Mars’ square to Saturn on Tuesday, September 1st

  • Mercury’s sextile to Mars on Tuesday, September 1st

This episode was recorded on 8/5/2026.

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The music featured in the podcast was created by Latashá.

Astrology of the Week Ahead with Chani Nicholas

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