Mercury, the planet of thought and intelligence, is in Ashlesha from August 15th to 22nd, 2026.

Your mind is wrapped up with intuition and emotional insight, and your task is to separate thought from feeling. You may expect moments where you are overwhelmed and at a loss for words, though your knowledge also runs deeper than simple book learning. Ashlesha is ruled by the Nagas, the mythical snakes who acted as guardians of celestial treasure, and this ‘Serpent Nakshatra’ shows your protectiveness and worldly wisdom.

Ashlesha’s Shakti ‘To Inflict Poison’ also shows your defensive, suspicious side, and you may unnerve and hypnotize your rivals to keep up a competitive edge. This transit begins shortly after the Solar Eclipse in Ashlesha, which has created an intense atmosphere and may see you adjusting to a sudden change or desire to move in a new direction. Mercury can be a useful clarifying influence at such a time, where you bring rationality and clear decision-making into a transformative moment.

Psychology is part of your strategy for success, but be mindful of a possible toxic atmosphere in company or at work, where you have to sort out hidden agendas and people who say one thing but do another. Mercury also comes together closely with expansive Jupiter in Ashlesha throughout this whole transit, which gives you a broader vision and the help of a trusted advisor. You have mental confidence and can affirm an idea into existence, but remember to take care of fine details and guard against exaggeration.

Tap into Ashlesha’s intense energy to study healing, medicine, and human behavior, and you have powers of intellect combined with intuition, deep research, and practice of yoga and meditation.