July seems like a roller coaster type of month with ups and downs, but we should be used to that pace by now during these volatile times. The characteristics of July can be seen in a paraphrase of the old nursery rhyme: when it is good, it is very, very good. But when it is bad, it is horrid. The month has swings from irrational exuberance and downright delusions to snags, delays and frustrations that can let the air out of the inflated balloon.
We are at the height of summer, whether we choose to go off on vacation now or wait until next month. Based upon the energies, holiday plans would be better taken this month, for August could have us back on the track, taking a more serious tone and deciding to shorten our vacation plans or, if away, anxious that things may be falling between the cracks back home.
July begins with no planets in Fire Signs, four planets in Earth Signs, four planets in Air Signs and two planets in Water Signs. There are three planets in Cardinal Signs, four planets in Fixed Signs and three planets in Mutable Signs. Four planets are in Positive Signs, six planets are in Negative Signs.
To start the month, there is a Grand Trine in the Air Element and by Sign a Grand Trine in the Earth Element. By Sign, there is a T-Square in Cardinal Signs and a T-Square by Sign in Mutable Signs.
Although we might not have a great deal of fire, drive and passion, whatever we can muster to move our projects ahead we can do so with optimism and with a focused approach. The balance between the two is important for otherwise we could invest in situations that seem great on paper but might be too costly to execute. Our stick-to-itiveness could prove a little lacking and we might find ourselves caroming from one project to another, filled with great expectations only to shuttle off to some other project should we encounter any problems or delays. Our perseverance may not be the greatest and we could easily give way to images, appearances and possibilities without due diligence to see if things are as good as they seem, or as we wish to believe them to be.
The month starts with a bevy of energy, and the first week of the month leading up to the Lunar Eclipse on the 7th can be replete with misinformation, miscues, heated discussions and a lack of objectivity. People will believe what they want to believe and these early days of July could have a number of people lining up for the lemming march to the cliffs.
Entering the second half of the year as we come into July, we may want to assume that the worst is behind us. No matter what the facts and figures might say, we are likely to hear various commentators do their best to mimic a Pollyanna state of mind. And why not? It’s summertime, time for us to enjoy ourselves, bask in the glow of the sun and assume all’s right with the world. It is, but perhaps not according to our perspective or our sentiments.
With Jupiter Neptune conjunct in Aquarius and Uranus in Pisces semi-sextile to them both, the planets transiting through Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo are doing a dance with these three planets, all of which are retrograde this month, with Uranus turning retrograde on the 1st. Consequently, we are likely to feel something of a whipsaw in regard to our emotions, in regard to the state of the world, and in regard to reality. Yes, we might feel that we’ve stepped inside the looking glass and entered a most bizarre, surrealistic world. Reality one moment may seem like fantasy the next. And what might appear fantastic, and even impossible, could suddenly seem pragmatic and practical.
Things can turn on a dime and, thus, it is important for us to have patience, be vigilant, maintain awareness, be mindful and realize that no matter how much we might try to master our world, no matter how diligent we might be in evaluating situations, unexpected situations can still come up out of nowhere and instill variables with which we have to deal.
It would be wise for us to keep in mind that life is too mysterious and not to take it serious.
On the 1st, Uranus turns retrograde. Many of the changes that we have made recently could suddenly stall or be re-evaluated. While we are looking to make radical changes to our lives in keeping with the changing parameters in which we are living, there may be a sense of fits of starts and stops, at times advancing too far too fast, other times feeling like we’re spinning our wheels and getting nowhere.
Again, patience is called for and even more important than taking our time to understand what seems to be going on, it would be wise to remember that we are going through a paradigm shift, a shift into working with the energies as they unfold rather than solely trying to put our imprint upon things and determine the course of action and the consequences of our intentions.
The 1st and 2nd have Venus and Mercury engaging the dance with Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus. On the 1st, the day Uranus retrogrades, Mercury trines Neptune, trines Jupiter and squares Uranus. Venus squares Neptune, followed on the 2nd with Venus square Jupiter and trine Uranus. Our mind may be filled with wonderful possibilities, but we could also be suffering from a case of ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder]. Our attention might wander from one thing to another, from one interest to another. We may see a world of limitless possibilities and find that we are attracted to those things that are outside of our daily routine. The new, the different and the exciting could be enticing and seductive. We do have to watch for computer glitches now and also for travel whereby our minds are racing but our concentration is close to nil.
On the 3rd, Mercury enters Cancer and opposes Pluto on the 4th. While our mind can be sharp and incisive, so too could our discussions. Conversations could become heated, especially if we are feeling under pressure, under the microscope or feeling that we’re not being heard. Flare-ups could be sharp today, so let’s be sure to count to ten before reacting to anything said to us or responding to actions that might seem to offend us. If we take our time, don’t feel under the gun of comparison, then we can use our mind to focus on the specifics and the details, all the while keeping in mind the big picture and the larger perspective.
Venus exits its own Sign of Taurus on the 5th and enters Gemini. We may feel like we want to be more of a social butterfly, engaging friends and acquaintances in short, spirited get-togethers, alighting briefly for pleasantries before flying off to our next engagement. Nothing serious for us right now, we are far more interested in the pleasant superficialities of life, having a good time without the heaviness of seriousness or commitment.
The 6th and 7th have Mars doing the Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus dance, with Mars square Neptune and square Jupiter on the 6th, and Mars trine Uranus on the 7th with the Lunar Eclipse. We could be pushing the envelope, going to extremes, taking on more than would be appropriate and possibly even being somewhat reckless. We can also incorporate changes that we’ve considered and talked about, but it would be essential to take a go-slow attitude. Otherwise, we could rush headlong into making changes, pushing our personal agenda without adapting and being flexible as changing conditions might warrant. Now would be a good time to find balance in our lives, focus on a good health regimen and seek a best practices approach to determine the most streamlined methods, all the while that we allow the process to unfold according to its own natural rhythm without trying to enforce our prejudices.
The 9th through the 13th can have us taking care of home projects, fixing things up and dealing with general maintenance issues. The Sun sextiles Saturn on the 9th, and Mercury sextiles Saturn on the 11th, followed by the Sun conjunct Mercury on the 13th. We also have the retrograding Jupiter and Neptune conjunct on the 10th, and Mars exiting Taurus to enter Gemini on the 11th. Now is a time to straighten things up, take care of outstanding matters and establish the format for home and family concerns. We do have to be wary of irrational exuberance during this time, but we could in fact take various possibilities and give them a framework in which to develop. This is a period when we may have our head in the clouds but our feet on the ground. While we may be making plans to get together with friends or take visits to faraway places, it would be wise for us to be certain that we have attended to our usual responsibilities and mundane concerns. We can do both, take care of business and look at how we can stretch beyond our present parameters.
The 16th has Mercury trine Uranus, then Mercury enters Leo on the 17th, and the Sun trines Uranus on the 18th. We may be looking for adventure, wanting to incorporate sudden changes to our living space, sprucing things up and adding a little spice to our lives. We’re looking for fun, wanting life to be more adventurous and itching to stretch beyond our usual limitations. Now is a time to try something different, whether that difference be as simple as a new restaurant that we have yet to dine in or whether it be far more significant with redecorations or renovations to our home space or whether it be new activities that are fun ways of re-creating ourselves.
The 21st – 22nd has the Solar Eclipse in the last degree of Cancer and on the cusp of Leo, which the Sun enters on the 22nd. Change is not only in the air but our primary priority. While Venus squares Saturn at the time of this New Moon and Solar Eclipse, the pulls of the past can do nothing, except possibly temper the impulse for dramatic change. Freeing up, breaking free, ridding ourselves of the outmoded in order for something new to be born in its place can ring throughout our life’s delineations. We want to be in control of our lives but in a way whereby we are far more in syntony with the natural rhythms. No longer are we trying to be the bull in the china shop, bumbling about, knocking things about. On the contrary, we are far more adept at surfing the shifting currents of these times. No longer feeling victimized by the vagaries of change, we are far more interested in using the dynamic energies now to accomplish change in our day-in, day-out. Now may be a good time to get off the track, get into unfamiliar terrain and consider options and alternatives for our future that we might not have taken into account before.
It is not essential that we know how we are going to make the changes. Like a sailor gauging the wind, we too can gauge the energies of these times and fashion a means by which we can move towards a freer and more satisfying life for ourselves. We may realize that intention is the starting point of change, and by means of clear intention we can move towards a far more self-fulfilling lifestyle that emphasizes our creative self-expression without feeling the need to be in control of every situation.
The last week of the month engages the Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus dance, again. On the 27th, Venus trines Jupiter, followed on the 28th by Venus trining Neptune and squaring Uranus. On the 30th, Mercury opposes Jupiter followed by Mercury opposing Neptune on the 31st. Interactions with other people can be fun. We are looking for the uniqueness, the individuality and the quirkiness of character of each person we encounter. Our interest is peppering our world with different types of people, people with vastly differing experiences, backgrounds and perspectives. Like looking at a diamond from its many facets, we too are interested in looking at other people, at life itself, from the many varied facets and the breadth of perspective. We may go a little overboard as our desire for fun and to put our imprint upon our activities could get us involved in doing too much or skipping over due diligence in order to embrace the broad scope of our lives and those of other people. Now would be a good time to get out of Dodge, to stretch our parameters and see worlds unfamiliar to us.
The month ends with Venus exiting Gemini and moving into Cancer. Like an eagle, we may want the comfort of home and once established, feel that we can fly from our home base, to explore, soar, and travel upon the air currents to far distances, always knowing that we have a comforting nest to come back to.
July can be a tricky month, especially if we allow ourselves to be jostled about by the shifting tides of these times. But it can be an exciting and adventurous month, a month when we lay claim to expressing our creative selves and adapting to changing conditions.
July… like a roller coaster, up and down…
