July begins in the throes of eclipse season as Mercury retrogrades through emotional Cancer. We’re in a period of deep transformation and the further unveiling of truth as we make our way toward a new paradigm.

For the past month, we’ve been filled with dreams, visions, and hopes of what could be. With Saturn visiting Aquarius, glimmers of a new age have shone through our pain and grief, as we joined forces to stay safe amidst a pandemic and to create the largest Civil Rights movement in the history of the world. Now, Mars in Aries is triggering our impulsiveness and impatience, rallying us into more courageous action and forward momentum.

However, with many planets in retrograde, we may experience frustration or confusion. If outside forces thwart our momentum, we could take the opportunity to slow down and think carefully about where we’re heading, and how we’re going to get there. Which paths and actions should we take? What karma still needs resolving? What still needs our reconsideration, care, and surrender? Organization, intention, and integrity are key as we lay groundwork for inspired and liberated new frameworks for our lives and society.

Meanwhile, the Sun moves into bold Leo toward the end of the month, reminding us to play and to love each other and the world. We can express our boundless hearts as we continue to reconstruct our surroundings. With vitality, creativity, and courage, we can keep standing up for what is loving and true, without ever forgetting why. Luckily, the Sirius Gateway arrives July 2-7. It’s ready to replenish our souls and life force, sending us messages about our next steps forward.

SATURN RETURNS TO CAPRICORN

The month begins with Saturn retrograding back into Capricorn on July 1, after his initial stint in Aquarius, which started on March 21. Since then, Saturn has been offering us glimpses of the future, showing us what’s possible when we work together for the greater good. During quarantine, we’ve seen a significant decrease in global pollution, as we’ve slowed down and embraced mindfulness, simplicity, family, and human connection. We’ve also established a miraculous and powerful Civil Rights movement—the largest in human history—right on time for the 2020 paradigm shift. Now that Saturn is returning to Capricorn, we’re revisiting the work we’ve done, seeing what still needs dismantling and reconstructing in order to manifest a more inspired future. Heaviness may emerge as we recognize what the Earth and humanity are requiring of us in order to heal.

In our personal lives, we’re breaking out of outworn belief systems, careers, and life structures so we can live more freely, peacefully, and authentically. This lesson will continue until December 17, when Saturn returns to Aquarius, and remains there until 2023. For now, it’s time to buckle down and plan for the future. We can work on rewriting the laws of our lands and re-conceiving what it means to be human, as we care more for ourselves, each other, and our beautiful planet.

SIRIUS GATEWAY

The Sirius Gateway is a magical time of the year when our Spiritual Sun, Sirius, lines up with the Earth’s Sun. This recharges us physically and spiritually, filling us with life-force. We may receive intuitions and important downloads that will guide our next steps forward, granting us the spiritual and physical vitality to carry on.

CAPRICORN LUNAR ECLIPSE
(ECLIPSE VORTEX CLOSES)

A Capricorn Full Moon Lunar Eclipse arrives on July 4, Independence Day in the United States, falling right on the Sun of its birth chart. This closes the eclipse vortex, although eclipse season remains for another two weeks. With three eclipses this summer, we’ve been in a deeply purgative phase. The eclipses have been clearing stagnant energies, revealing the truth, and ripening old karma. This Lunar Eclipse is a final release. The planets are imploring us to stand up to faulty structures and systems in our lives, our society, and even in our thinking. With Mars conjunct Chiron, squaring the Sun and Moon, our inner masculine is entering an acute phase of healing and recalibration. We’re ready to confront our anger and frustration, and to feel their underlying sadness. At the same time, Mars is helping us rally our courage and warriorship, as we stand up to oppressive powers and tired belief systems. With an emphasis on self-care and tender-heartedness, we can continue to step into action without losing steam. Calling on our tenacity, we can move forward in realizing our dreams, ideals, and visions of what could be.

MERCURY STATIONS DIRECT

On July 12, Mercury stations direct after retrograding since June 17. Clarity is ready to emerge after a period of hypersensitivity, emotional recalibration, and possibly confusion. Communication has been touchy, as we’ve felt easily triggered for the duration of Mercury retrograde. It’s time to clear the air and lighten up, which will become even easier later in the month, when the Sun enters playful Leo.

SUN OPPOSITE JUPITER + PLUTO

The Sun crosses Jupiter and Pluto on July 14 and 15, bringing more explosive change. The core of who we are is transforming as we step into new values, identities, and choices. If we cling to the past, this process will not feel easy. We may as well embrace the fact that veils are lifting, revealing who we truly are, imploring us to work through issues of fear, control, and preoccupation with material gain and external expectations. The planets are helping us clear our paths so we can step onto radical new trajectories.

CANCER NEW MOON
(ECLIPSE SEASON ENDS)

The Cancer New Moon arrives on July 20, officially ending eclipse season, while offering us a long-term fresh start. Saturn is opposing the New Moon, making sure we slow down and consider our paths forward with care and intentionality. We’re harnessing our tenderness and emotional maturity to establish new relationships and approaches. With the North Node in Cancer, we’ve been on an eighteen-month journey of questioning our notions of home, friendship, and intimacy, and we’ve learned to care for ourselves with greater tenderness and vulnerability. Now is the time to see how our dreams and desires can take root. 

How do we define family? Home? Work life? Close relationships? Are our basic needs met? What do we truly need to survive, both physically and spiritually?

SUN ENTERS LEO

After a heavy eclipse season, we are ready for Leo season, which begins July 22. It’s time to play, create, and orient toward pleasure, even as we painstakingly rewrite the scripts of our lives and world. Art and romance are ready for our expression, as the regal Lion reminds us to return to our hearts and offer them to the world, with generosity and childlike mirth. It’s time to remember the joys of being human, as we create personal beauty from the intensity of our emotional journeys.

JULY SUMMARY

July is another significant month in a year of immense change and transformation. Tension exists between the past and the future—and between our desire to push forward and our need to slow down, with intention and great care. We’re still in eclipse season and Mercury retrograde, and Saturn is returning to Capricorn after an inspiring initiation in revolutionary Aquarius. We’re now balancing our emotions with practicality, and our heart’s desires with strategy and intellect. If harnessed properly, we can use these axes to lay beautiful foundations for enlightened new paradigms. Meanwhile, Mars in Aries is calling us into action and warriorship. However, his retrograde starts soon. Even the foolhardy God of War is asking us to move forward with careful consideration. The combination of Saturn in Capricorn and Mars in Aries is granting us the determination and will necessary to carry out our visions. The Sirius Gateway is opening July 2-7. If we are in need of energetic replenishment, this will soon be granted. Our spiritual and earthly Suns are ready to align, filling us with life-force and channeled messages that can help us find our footing. The month ends with the Sun in Leo, reminding us that even as we rebuild the world, we can feel our joy and pleasure, offering our creative expressions with beaming hearts and childlike exuberance. As we celebrate the world and delight in being human, we can remember that all of our hard work is meaningful. The world is a beautiful place, worthy of our ingenuity, tears, protection, and celebration.

Amidst the stormy seas of great change, may we rally our strength and perseverance, never giving up on our inspired visions of the future. May we work together to steer the ship toward saner waters, as we dance and sing and play all the while.

My book, The Stars Within You: A Modern Guide to Astrology, is available for purchase!

You can sign up for personal readings here.

I post astrology videos, talks, and classes regularly to my Patreon page. Sign up here to watch.