Moon Phase, Crystals & Herbs for August

Late Winter • The First Stirrings • Quiet Momentum

August has always felt like a month of subtle change here in lutruwita Tasmania.

Winter is still very much present. Frost settles across the paddocks, mist hangs in the valleys, and the mountain (kunanyi) can disappear behind grey skies for days at a time. The mornings still have that sharp coldness that reminds you winter isn't finished yet.

But something begins to shift.

I notice it in small things.

The first golden wattle flowers appearing along the roadside. Birds becoming louder before sunrise. The afternoon sun resting on my face for just a little longer than it did a few weeks ago.

Winter hasn't finished with us yet. There are still cold mornings, bare branches and long nights ahead. But the landscape is beginning to soften. Buds swell almost unnoticed, the birds grow louder with each passing week, and the afternoon sun lingers just a little longer. The signs are subtle, but once you start looking for them, they're everywhere.

August sits in that beautiful space between seasons.

Not quite winter.

Not quite spring.

A threshold.

I think this is why I have always loved this time of year. It reminds me that so much of life happens before anyone else can see it. The roots are strengthening underground. Seeds are preparing beneath the soil. The landscape is gathering energy long before the first true signs of spring arrive.

There is wisdom in that.

Not everything needs to be visible to be growing.

Imbolc • The First Breath of Spring

August marks the turning point of Imbolc, an ancient Celtic seasonal festival traditionally associated with the returning light, the first stirrings of spring and the goddess Brigid. In the old lands of Ireland and Scotland, this was a time of tending the hearth, honouring sacred wells and watching closely for the earliest signs that winter was beginning to loosen its grip.

I often think about my ancestors during these seasonal turning points. I honour my northern ancestors and the Celtic traditions they carried, while also remembering my English and Tasmanian ancestors who found their way across oceans and made new lives here in lutruwita/Tasmania. My own years spent in England deepened that connection, allowing me to walk through landscapes that held the footsteps, stories and seasons known by those who came before me. These places are woven together through memory, ancestry and a shared relationship with the natural world.

By early August, lutruwita/Tasmania begins offering its own signs of transition. The wattles bring flashes of gold against the winter landscape. The days slowly stretch longer. The earth begins shifting beneath the surface, even while the cold still remains.

I often think about the people who came before us during these seasonal turning points. They lived with a much closer awareness of the land, understanding that survival depended on noticing the smallest changes. A new flower, or a returning bird, or a shift in the weather.

Imbolc feels like a beautiful reminder of that relationship. A time to clear away what no longer serves us, tend our own inner hearth and pay attention to the quiet signs of renewal already beginning around us.

The Seasonal Shift

The first part of August remains held within Leo season, bringing a little more warmth and brightness after the quieter months of winter.

I notice this shift in myself each year. After months of slowing down, there comes a point where I start wanting to create again. I find myself clearing spaces, making plans, spending longer outside and feeling that familiar pull toward the coming season.

There is always a temptation to rush it.

To see the first signs of spring and immediately try to move at a faster pace.

But the land doesn't work that way.

The trees don't rush because one afternoon feels warmer. The earth doesn't skip the final weeks of winter. There is still a rhythm unfolding, and learning to follow that rhythm has been one of the greatest lessons nature has given me.

On 23 August, the Sun moves into Virgo, bringing attention back to the practical things that support everyday wellbeing.

This is the season of preparation.

Cleaning out neglected corners.

Planting early seeds.

Preparing nourishing meals.

Returning to routines that help us feel grounded after the slower months.

Sometimes the most meaningful changes begin with very ordinary things.

Herbal Medicine of Late Winter

August is a beautiful transition point in the herbal year.

The body is still asking for warmth and nourishment, but there is also a gentle movement toward renewal. After months of supporting ourselves through cold weather, this is a time to begin rebuilding vitality and preparing for the more active months ahead.

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Nettle is one of my favourite late winter herbs.

It feels like a bridge between seasons. Rich in minerals and deeply nourishing, it helps replenish the body after winter while supporting energy and resilience.

There is something fitting about working with nettle at this time of year. A plant that appears with such strength reminds us that life has been preparing beneath the surface all along.

Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Cleavers brings gentle movement after the stillness of winter.

Traditionally used to support the lymphatic system, it is often welcomed during seasonal transitions when the body begins shifting from winter conservation into spring renewal.

Violet Leaf (Viola odorata)

Violet carries a softness that suits this time of year.

Its gentle nature makes it a beautiful ally for supporting the respiratory system and encouraging healthy movement through the body after the dryness and heaviness of winter.

Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

Elderflower remains a favourite seasonal ally, traditionally used to support the immune system and respiratory health.

Its delicate flowers remind me that spring often arrives quietly before we fully recognise it.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

I continue reaching for ginger on cold mornings.

A simple cup of ginger tea can bring warmth back into the body, support digestion and create a small moment of comfort during these final weeks of winter.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Rosemary stays close throughout the year.

I love brushing past it in the garden and releasing its scent between my fingers. It has a way of clearing the mind and bringing me back into the present moment.

Nervous System & Emotional Landscape

Late winter has a way of making us aware of what has been sitting quietly beneath the surface.

With less outward activity, there is often more space to notice our own thoughts, emotions and patterns.

I have found this can be both comforting and challenging.

Sometimes the quiet gives us exactly what we need.

Other times it reveals things we have been avoiding.

This is where gentle practices become important. Not as another task to complete, but as ways of reconnecting with ourselves.

A quiet forest walk.

Sitting with a cup of tea before the day begins.

Writing down thoughts that keep returning.

Spending time outdoors and allowing the nervous system to settle.

Herbs like Milky Oats (Avena sativa), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Rose (Rosa spp.) continue to offer gentle support during this transition.

Crystal companions for this month include (more below):

Labradorite for intuition and transformation.

Moss Agate for steady growth and connection with the natural world.

Smokey Quartz for grounding and releasing winter heaviness.

Sunstone for warmth, creativity and reconnecting with joy.

Fluorite for clarity as energy begins to return.

Seasonal Nourishment

August still calls for warmth.

Although the days are beginning to lengthen, the body often continues craving nourishing, grounding foods.

Slow cooked meals, soups, roasted vegetables, mineral rich broths, medicinal mushrooms, oats and warming spices remain beautiful companions through this season.

I find myself slowly shifting too.

The heavier winter meals begin making way for fresher flavours. More herbs appear in the kitchen. More time is spent outdoors. Small changes begin before the season officially turns.

The kitchen remains one of my favourite places during winter and early spring.

A place where food becomes ritual.

Where simple ingredients become something nourishing.

Where we are reminded to slow down.

Moon Phases • August 2026

Last Quarter Moon in Taurus

Thursday 6 August • 12.21 pm

Taurus brings us back to the physical world.

This is a grounding Moon for reflection, releasing what feels heavy and reconnecting with the simple things that bring stability.

Work with: Smokey Quartz, Moss Agate, Green Aventurine and Black Tourmaline.

Waning Crescent

7 August – 12 August

A quieter lunar phase for rest, dreamwork and reflection.

This is a beautiful time to slow down, journal, spend time outdoors and listen to what needs attention before the New Moon.

Work with: Moonstone, Lepidolite, Selenite and Prehnite.

New Moon in Leo

Thursday 13 August • 3.36 am

The Leo New Moon brings attention to creativity, confidence and authentic expression.

A beautiful time for setting intentions around creative projects, passions and the parts of ourselves waiting to be expressed.

Work with: Sunstone, Carnelian, Citrine and Clear Quartz.

Waxing Crescent

14 August – 19 August

Energy begins to build.

Small actions taken now can become the foundation for the months ahead.

Work with: Green Aventurine, Carnelian, Tiger's Eye and Citrine.

First Quarter Moon in Scorpio

Thursday 20 August • 12.46 pm

Scorpio brings deeper reflection.

This Moon can highlight emotions, patterns or situations that are ready to transform.

Work with: Labradorite, Garnet, Obsidian and Smokey Quartz.

Waxing Gibbous

21 August – 27 August

A time for refining plans and continuing with what has already begun.

The energy of spring may be approaching, but there is still value in moving steadily.

Work with: Fluorite, Tiger's Eye, Clear Quartz and Moss Agate.

Full Moon in Pisces & Partial Lunar Eclipse

Friday 28 August • 2.18 pm

This Full Moon carries the added symbolism of a partial lunar eclipse.

Pisces invites reflection, intuition and emotional awareness. Eclipses have long been associated with moments of change and revelation, often bringing attention to things that have been developing quietly beneath the surface.

Rather than rushing to understand everything immediately, I like to sit with these moments and allow meaning to unfold over time.

Work with: Amethyst, Moonstone, Labradorite, Aquamarine and Clear Quartz.

Crystal Allies for August

Labradorite

A beautiful threshold stone for a month that sits between winter and spring. Labradorite reminds us that much of transformation happens quietly, beneath the surface, before we are able to recognise what is changing.

Moss Agate

A stone of connection with the natural world and the slow rhythms of growth. Moss Agate reflects the quiet beginnings of spring, reminding us that new life often starts long before it becomes visible.

Sunstone

A stone of returning light. Sunstone carries the warmth of the sun's gradual return, encouraging creativity, confidence and a gentle rekindling of inner energy after the stillness of winter.

Green Aventurine

Connected with renewal, growth and fresh beginnings. Green Aventurine supports moving forward with an open heart while staying grounded in the steady rhythms of nature.

Fluorite

A companion for times of transition, helping bring clarity and focus as we move from the inward season of winter toward the more active months ahead.

Smokey Quartz

A grounding stone for late winter, supporting a deeper connection with the body and helping release some of the heaviness that can accumulate during the darker months.

Ritual & Earth Practice

August is a beautiful month for threshold practices.

It is a time to notice the places where one season begins to meet another. The first flowers appearing along winter roadsides, the changing light in the afternoon, the return of birdsong and the subtle movements beneath the soil.

Take time to walk outdoors and observe what is shifting around you. Gather fallen branches, light a candle, prepare herbal tea, or simply sit quietly and acknowledge the returning light.

In the spirit of Imbolc, this is a season for tending the hearth, both the physical spaces we live in and the inner places where creativity, hope and renewal begin.

The earth is beginning to wake, and if we slow down enough to notice, the first whispers of spring are already here.

August is a beautiful month for noticing.

Take a slow walk and look for the first signs of change.

Notice which plants are flowering.

Listen for returning birds.

Spend time beneath trees and observe the subtle movement of the landscape.

Prepare herbal teas.

Light a candle on a cold evening.

Write down the small things that remind you the seasons are turning.

The natural world rarely announces change loudly.

Most of the time, it arrives quietly.

August as Late Winter Medicine

Every August I find myself searching for signs that spring is close.

I expect something obvious.

Instead, it is usually the smallest things that catch my attention.

A splash of yellow along a roadside.

A warmer patch of sunlight.

The sound of birds returning to places that have been quiet for months.

Nature does not move from one season into another overnight.

It shifts slowly.

It gathers energy.

It prepares.

And perhaps that is why this time of year feels so special.

August reminds me that beginnings are often happening long before we recognise them.

The wheel continues turning.

Winter is slowly loosening its hold.

And beneath the surface, the first stirrings of spring are already beginning.