Hi Everyone

Fasten your seat belts! July promises a lot of celestial activity including two eclipses and planets changing direction.  I’ll take them in order.

July 10: Jupiter goes direct at 1:04 p.m. EDT at 13⁰ Scorpio

Jupiter, the planet of expansion (great, unless it’s my waistline!), faith, good fortune with a tendency to exaggerate, ends his retrograde motion and starts moving direct (from east to west, as we see it). He will start moving very slowly at first and will remain at 13⁰ Scorpio for the rest of the month. He will square Mars in Aquarius, although the square will be out of orb by the end of the month. Squares are growth opportunities when planets are in signs of the same quality – in this case fixed. Aquarius is air and Scorpio is water, not the happiest combination. Fixed energy sustains, holds and/or gets stuck! Those with planets at from 8 – 18⁰ in any of the fixed signs (Leo and Taurus are the other two) may feel this change of direction more acutely.

July 12: Partial Solar Eclipse at 20⁰ Cancer at 10:48 p.m. EDT

This is the first in a series of eclipses that will occur in July and August. It will not be visible in the US, and because it’s a partial eclipse with the Moon only covering part of the Sun, it will only last about 3 hours. A solar eclipse is a powerful New Moon and it can signal a new beginning depending on how it impacts your chart. Those with planets from 17-23⁰ Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and/or Libra may feel the impact of this eclipse more than others. I think of it as an energetic funnel that remains in place for one month for every hour of the eclipse. As planets transit (i.e. go over 20⁰ Cancer) they pour their specific type of energy into the funnel, which then impacts other planets in your chart connected to that degree and sign. Think of it as a tuning fork that makes the planet vibrate. This eclipse is very close to the Sun and Mercury in the natal US chart (Sibly). It will be interesting to see how this eclipse impacts our thinking (Mercury) and how we express ourselves (Sun) to ourselves and to the world.

July 22: Sun enters Leo at 5:01 p.m. EDT

Leo is a fixed sign in the fire element. He will create a Fixed Grand Cross with Uranus in Taurus, Jupiter in Scorpio and Mars in Aquarius. It looks like a big X with the Sun and Jupiter on opposite ends of one line and Uranus and Mars opposite each other on the other line. This may feel like we’re all stuck in a rut, because fixed energy can be very stubborn, and a Fixed Grand Cross is a closed figure, making it more challenging for the energy of each planet to express itself. Mars, the planet of initiative, the warrior and energy in general is not happy in a fixed sign – too slow for him. And Uranus, the planet of rebellion, is having a very hard time in the slowest moving sign of the zodiac – Taurus. Those with planets in early to mid-degrees of any of the fixed signs may feel somewhat stalled. On the other hand, it provides sustaining energy for any project you might undertake.

July 26: Mercury stations retrograde at 23⁰ Leo at 1:03 a.m. EDT

Everyone’s favorite retrograde – or at least the most talked about! Mercury begins his second retrograde of 2018 during the very active last week of July, and it will last for about three weeks. Mercury retrogrades are great times to re-group and re-think and re-pose, and it goes along nicely with the Fixed Grand Cross unless you’re in a hurry! We tend not to value periods of repose and reflection, but taking time to pull back, slow down and reflect is a very important activity. Of course, Mercury retrograde does have the reputation for snafus, but these also make us slow down and reconsider.

July 27: Total Lunar Eclipse at 4⁰ Aquarius at 4:20 p.m. EDT

Eclipses come in pairs generally about two weeks apart. (Actually, there is a third solar eclipse this time, which will occur on August 11.) This eclipse will not be visible in the US either and will last about six hours. Lunar eclipses occur at a full moon and generally indicate at time to let go of old patterns and this one will have a particular focus on service. Energetically it operates the same way a solar eclipse does. Those with planets from 1-7⁰ of fixed signs may feel this eclipse’s impact more strongly. The Leo-Aquarius axis deals with balancing the needs of the individual (Leo) and the needs of the group (Aquarius), and this eclipse will also be a part of the Fixed Grand Cross until she moves into late degrees Aquarius early on the 29^th.

July has four planets in earth signs: Venus (Virgo), Saturn and Pluto (Capricorn) and Uranus in Taurus. The earth element is generally grounded, detail oriented, and somewhat conservative. There is only one planet in air, the element of ideas: Mars in Aquarius. Jupiter and Neptune are in an easy-flowing relationship in water, the element of emotions and psychic energy. We could either expand (Jupiter) our dreams or be in a bigger fog (Neptune)!

Have a great July!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret