July 2015

July begins with a Full Moon rising and a feel good meeting between Venus and Jupiter in Leo ushering in a time of tremendous love and expansion. This cycle supports romantic atmospheres, having fun, parties and indulging in a more happy and playful view of life. Personal love relationships can blossom and grow. It is also a time when your creativity will soar so be willing to take chances in expressing yourself and letting others see your Light shine!  The Full moon will be in Capricorn and this time, Neptune is in balance with the Sun and the Moon which brings out all of its positive qualities, including creativity, heightened sensitivity and compassion for others.

A mixed bag of powerful, charged energies and personal emotions will descend on us during the second week of July. The Sun arrives at its yearly opposition with transformative Pluto. This is a dress rehearsal for the upcoming battle between Pluto and Mars. On Wednesday, July 8, when Mercury enters Cancer, our ways of thinking and speaking become less rational and more subjective and instinctual. This kind of emotional influence could be a drawback if you need to be cool-headed and rational, but on the other hand it's a perfect time to use your gut instincts.

The middle of the month it like an emotional pressure cooker, with six planets in vulnerable water signs, an emotional New Moon, and a worrisome opposition. Luckily there's also a stabilizing trine and a temporary assignment for Venus that will help to calm the storm. The emotional climax of the week comes on Wednesday, July 15, when six planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Mars in Cancer; Saturn in Scorpio; and Neptune in Pisces) will be in emotional water signs, so watch out for tears and fears.  The New Moon is carrying a lot of baggage. On Wednesday, Mars and Pluto are also involved in a face-off that is guaranteed to weigh down any start-up plan, and Mercury doesn't help things when it gets in on the act on Thursday, July 16. It's already been a hard slog to get up to full aggressive speed with Mars in emotionally defensive Cancer, but this double face-off between Mercury/Mars and Pluto is a huge red flag if you're planning to start something new this month. Thursday also brings a short but balanced trine between the Cancer Moon and Saturn that helps to stabilize the general atmosphere. There's another short but welcome reprieve on Saturday, July 18, when Venus makes a temporary sign change from dramatic Leo to quiet and reasonable Virgo.

During the last week everything seems to come in pairs. There are two planets turning retrograde, two planets changing signs, and two planets that clash in a violent battle. On Wednesday, July 22, the Sun makes its monthly sign change as it exchanges the emotional waters of Cancer for the passionate fires of Leo.  With both planets in Leo, the general focus is on being big-hearted, dramatic, and passionate, with an emphasis on style. Communications are more out going and self-expressive, and talking will be emphasized more than listening. Venus slows down and turns retrograde on Saturday, July 25, which will extend this planet's tour in Leo until October. Venus retrograde is a deal breaker for getting married.  This is a time when relationships or money problems could get dramatic. Later on Saturday, Mars clashes with Uranus, and the volatile energy generated by this pair could be unpredictable or disastrous. Uranus follows suit and turns retrograde on Sunday, July 26, and will stay in this position until the day after Christmas. This gives you a good five-month period to access your inner rebel. Don't be surprised if there’s a general slowdown, because with this latest retrograde, half the planets in the solar system are now moving backward.

The Aquarius Full Moon on Friday, July 31, brings both the calendar month and the lunar month to a close.