July begins on the 1st with a Solar Eclipse and the Cancer New Moon. With the Eclipse square to Saturn, we may experience recapitulations, those walks down Memory Lane that remind us of our past and our past discouragements, and might enforce the sense of our responsibilities to other people. This being the July 4th weekend in the US, celebrating Independence Day, we might feel anything but independent. On the contrary, we could feel restricted by our past, our obligations and other people’s whims, especially with the Sun square Saturn on the 2nd. If we could take a ‘time out’ over this weekend, rest and recharge our batteries, then the aggravations of ‘what we should do’ can be lessened and would allow us to enjoy the long holiday weekend.
We have two Sign changes at the beginning of July. Mercury exits Cancer to enter Leo on the 2nd, and Venus exits Gemini to enter Cancer on the 4th. Our focus can turn to fun events, engaging the true sentiments of the Summer season with an emphasis on re-creation and enjoying ourselves. Our safety net may be our home and family, whereby we stretch into new adventures, all the while that we have a base camp of support upon which to draw and recharge our energies.
The 4th can be an exciting time with novel experiences. Venus trines Neptune and Mercury trines Uranus. We might feel in an otherwordly space and this is a day when it would be wise for us to follow our inner voice, be open to wonderful surprises and luxuriate in the realm of possibilities, even if they seem impossible.
What we do have to watch for, and the caveat for this month and for these times, are the wild swings between euphoria and discouragement. There can be some real ‘up’ times when we might feel as though all is right in our world and that pesky matters have resolved themselves. And there can be some real ‘down’ times when issues thought resolved come back up for us to deal with and create high anxiety with the sense that the worst is yet to come.
Let’s always keep in mind the volatility of these times and the likelihood being that things are never as good as we might imagine nor as bad as we might imagine and as a result reinforce the importance of not making snap judgments or impetuous decisions.
On the 5th, Mercury squares Jupiter and our tendency to blow things out of proportion and a desire to enjoy ourselves no matter the cost could be aggravated and might put a huge dent in our pocketbook. This is a time when presentations may be dramatic and enticing but also stronger in the images offered than the reality of the situation.
During this Summer we will be tested regarding our focus and our willingness to let things play out before opining on what is going on. If we will take our time, not be distracted by the hoopla but concentrate on the unfolding, and an unfolding that might be more asequential than sequenced, the less likely we shall be to step into some trap of our own making, a trap created by our impulsive nature and our desire to do something, anything, in order to move our interests forward.
Let’s always bear in mind that we are crossing the threshold into a time when C does not necessarily follow B, nor B follow A. Instead, the new normalcy is abnormalcy where things can occur in any order, by any means and perhaps without any recognizable rhyme or reason.
Welcome to the paradigm shift, the magical mystery tour when we need to maintain awareness and mindfulness in order to see the unfolding and go with the flow of developing events.
The first full week of July, from the 4th through the 9th, seems a high energy time with a great deal of movement and caroming between extremes. Excess can be in full gear, thanks both to a cock-eyed optimism and deep-rooted intensities seeking release.
The mid-part of the week, on the 6th, has Mars trine Saturn. By drawing upon other people’s objective insight and detached counsel, we may devise a best practices approach by which to bob and weave through the kaleidoscopic landscape. Discussions can be to the point, be far less emotionally-charged and can allow us to be both expeditious and productive in getting things done.
We just have to watch that when we do catch the wave and ride the pipeline we just not assume that we can ride the wave to shore. Our greatest success during these times is to know which wave to ride, when to ride the wave and when to get off the wave before crashing into shore.
The potential for excess and indulgence is ratcheted up on the 7th through the 9th. The Jupiter trine Pluto on the 7th increases things exponentially and can either be the very best of times or the very worst of times, depending on how we play it and how events are unfolding. The extreme during this time cannot be downplayed. Things can go on a positive tear and may seem indicative that all problems have been resolved and that we are back on the fast track able to move full speed ahead. Or the depth of problems could become better known and give us a sense that things are more like a house of cards, flimsy and likely to fall at any significant shift or change.
Venus also squares Uranus on the 7th. Issues regarding our home, real estate and troubling interactions with other people can add fuel to the fire of extremism. This is a time to take deep breaths, not react immediately to any situation going on and wait for the dust to settle before considering actions or making important decisions.
The 8th of July has Venus opposed Pluto. We might be going through our contact list and seeing whom we might wish to expunge and what social invites we are likely to accept and those we are likely to defer.
While the 7th and 8th can be off the charts in regard to people’s actions and reactions, with an either or type of mentality and little space for equivocation; the weekend of the 9th and 10th could allow us to make amends for any belligerent actions. Venus sextiles Jupiter and Mercury sextiles Saturn on the 9th. People may come to their senses and recognize that no one is able to move recklessly ahead, stepping on toes and creating consternation without some blowback. We might find people apologizing for their behavior or excusing their actions with the rationale of overload or overwhelm that seem to be symptoms of these changing times.
Uranus turns retrograde on the 9th, and whatever our plans might be at this time, we need to keep in mind that things can change instantly and without a moment’s notice. But people’s self-interest and self-absorption could also be muted as we all come to the realization that none of us are islands unto ourselves. This Uranus retrograde cycle continues on into the Autumn and turns direct on the 10th of December, at the time of the Lunar Eclipse. Change can be in the air but much of it may become more internalized rather than the spontaneous and sporadic actions we might have taken earlier.
The mid-month of July can see things quieting down. Although we are interested in broadening our realm and expanding our interests, we may also have a tendency to fix our attention on home and family matters. Even staycations, whereby we take time off from our daily routine, get off the track but stay around home base with day excursions rather than long trips, could be preferable to extended distant trips.
Mercury sextiles Mars on the 11th, and we are certainly looking for fun events and variety. We want to be on the move, but our arena could be far less than long distance trips and visits.
July 13th has Venus square Saturn followed on the 15th with the Capricorn Full Moon. We may be concerned about home projects and might be looking at maintenance or home repair issues. Renovations and redecorations could be in the works and a greater sense of fixing up that which we have rather than branching out into new directions. This could also be a time when the real estate market takes another hit, whether another wave of foreclosures, tightness in the mortgage market or further devaluation of real property.
The Sun moves into Leo on the 23rd with a shift of gears into Summer at its peak. We may be planning events for August with the idea that we get away, even if for just a few days before Summer ends. We are unwilling to let Summer pass without some significant pleasurable activity. Getting off the track and getting out of Dodge may be requisite for our health and well-being. This desire for spreading our wings, doing our own thing and enjoying the new and the different can be further engaged towards the end of the month as the Leo Sun trines Uranus in Aries on the 27th. If we have been thinking of trying out some new activity or recreational pursuit, this end of July could be a time for us to do so.
The end of July has Mercury and Venus, once again, shifting Signs at virtually the same time, similar to earlier in the month. On the 28th, Venus moves out of Cancer and enters Leo, while Mercury exits Leo to enter its own Sign of Virgo. Social engagements and fun times are calling us, reinforced by the Leo New Moon to end the month. Love is in the air but we are likely to be selective and not merely interested in settling.
Part of the tenor of these times is quality, and being far more interested in the quality of things rather than the quantity of accumulation. All of us are in an alchemical process, a transformation, whereby we are being asked to be resourceful and concentrate on the truly important and the most meaningful. We might assume that the economic realities of these times are forcing us to do more with less. But, in truth, our own process of self-development is honing our desires and making us far more selective in regard to what we bring into our lives and no longer merely accepting whatever comes our way.
While July begins with an upswing in energy, much of the month seems quite pleasant despite some blips on the screen.
July 2011… basking in the sun with occasional storm clouds to dampen our spirits…
