Welcome to your July forecast!   Click on “read article” and scroll down til you find your sign of the zodiac….

CANCER (JUNE 21- JUL 21) This is an important month on the astrological front, with full moons on both the 1st and 31st (yes, making July the month of the famous “blue moon” !). The July 1^st full moon falls in Capricorn, your opposite sign. If your birthday is between June 30^th and the 2^nd you’ll have the full moon effect in your chart for the year. It will be a year of bringing things to fruition – especially with that gorgeous Venus-Jupiter conjunction we have going on right now. Get out there and live your dream, honey, both in terms of professional fulfillment and relationships.   Mars in Cancer squares the North Lunar Node helping you move your energy outwards towards others, especially those you’re close to. It is not a time to hang back!   The Venus Jupiter conjunction – which has been brewing for a good few days already—actually takes us through July 7^th.   Cancer’s job is to enjoy this first week of July. Then things get chunky around the 12^th, when the Cancer Sun squares Uranus. You’ll be a bit edgy and tense. The July 15^th new moon in Cancer is an explosive one for the globe, and you’ll be picking that up in that watery, I-feel-everything kind of way you have…. Be sure to take yourself out of the fray on that new moon. In addition to the Sun-Uranus tension, Mars in Cancer opposes Pluto, and Venus squares Saturn. Since Pluto and Saturn are in an intense tango all summer it means that these four planets are having their own little train wreck. Fun. Keep your eye out for power struggles, and be careful about walking off your job in a huff or breaking off a relationship at the drop of a hat. Like I said, you’re a tad edgy.   It passes!   Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th and spends a good week slowing way down before it stations-retrograde on the 25^th (hold on, I’m getting to that!) . During the week of the 19^th it sits pretty close to an exact square to Saturn. Commitment is the name of the game, contrasting with a huge desire for freedom that hits between the 22^nd and 28^th. Hold onto your hat though! – because here comes Venus retrograde for six weeks starting on the 25^th. Six weeks of reflection about what’s really important to you. The last week of July brings Jupiter into play with the Saturn-Venus business and you will be sitting in the midst of deep awareness about this fulfillment question, especially as it relates to financial issues. How much is enough?, you will wonder. You’ll be taking stock of your commitments, of where you’re investing energy and resources – psychically as well as emotionally and materially. The July 31 full moon will illuminate all of these issues.

LEO (JUL 22-AUG 21) This is an action-packed month, astrologically speaking! First, it’s a “blue moon” month with two full moons, one on the 1^st and one on the 31^st. Now that can make a girl a bit wigged out! At least the July 1^st full moon in Capricorn occurs against the backdrop of the exquisite Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo.   This conjunction is at its closest on the 1^st but it actually remains in effect til about the 7^th. This is a sweet aspect, all about fulfillment. It’s also about big passion and love, especially since Mars in Cancer squares the North Node for the first few days of July. Enjoy friends and intimates this week…. On July 12^th the Sun in Cancer squares Uranus, and the world gets messy (again). The new moon in Cancer on the 15^th has very chunky aspects of Mars-Pluto-Saturn-Venus, and together with Sun –Uranus, I am afraid the ferocious underbelly of human behavior will be on display (again). You will need to work at staying calm and staying out of power struggles. The strong Saturn-Venus aspects which stick with us for much of the second half of July will put the focus on commitments of all kinds. Just let your ambivalence arise and pass away – you’ll have plenty of time to reevaluate once Venus retrogrades on the 25^th… But first – the Sun enters your own sign late on the 22^nd, and Mercury follows suit on the 23^rd. You’ll be very pensive indeed between the 22^nd and the 25^th. And then, yes, Venus retrograde. This six-week transit begins on the 25^th at 0-degrees Virgo and by the 31^st it backs into Leo where it stays through its retrograde pass.   Needless to say, this will be an important transit for you, since most of it occurs in your sign. Venus retrograde is a time of reflection, not action, during which we become very aware of our values, of what is really important to us. Because Saturn and Jupiter are very involved with Venus during the first couple of weeks of its retrograde, you will be wrestling with issues of where you invest your energy – your money, your emotional currency, and your psychic and creative currency. This is a big transit, only occurring once every 18 months. My advice is to use it to see what you need to see. The full moon in Aquarius on the 31^st will illuminate these issues further…

VIRGO (AUG 22- SEPT 21)  This is a complicated month for us all, astrologically speaking, and Virgo gets its dose of intriguing challenges. First, the good stuff: there is a Capricorn full moon on the 1^st which serves to highlight the delightful Venus-Jupiter conjunction in the sky right now… This planetary aspect has been in effect for a good few days and is at its most exact on the 1^st. It actually stays in effect until about July 7^th — not as strongly felt as on the 1^st but still a nice gift from the universe.   Venus and Jupiter in Leo are about big emotions of fulfillment and completion in all arenas, especially relationships. And with Mars in Cancer squaring the North Node for the first few days of July, intimacy and relationships are emphasized even more. Enjoy! By the 12^th of July the Sun in Cancer catches up to a square with Uranus, and people are edgy. The new moon on the 15^th captures the influences of Mars and Pluto, Saturn and Venus. Yeah, sorry, but the world will likely have another spasm of brutality and everyone will be reeling. Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th and it slows way down for a week before turning retrograde on the 25^th. For really the entire second half of July Venus squares Saturn, and that can be a sobering combination – in any case it is about commitment. Once Venus turns retrograde on the 25^th, it will give you a good 6 weeks of evaluation time during which you will become aware of where you’re putting your time and energy and whether your commitments are in line with your values. This review will be particularly acute at the end of July and into the first week of August, when Jupiter catches up to Venus and Saturn. This will be a very important time for you to be thinking about how you invest your resources—especially if you are an early-early Virgo… The full moon in Aquarius on the 31^st will starkly illuminate some choices you have before you. Remember that you have six weeks to figure things out…

LIBRA (SEPT 22-OCT21) Jeez—what a month! It starts off with a Capricorn full moon that highlights the action of the beautiful Venus-Jupiter conjunction in the sky right now. This conjunction is all about fulfillment and completion, and simply put – it’s about enjoying friends and intimates, especially with the nice Mars square to the North Lunar Node. These delightful aspects take us all the way to about July 7^th, so enjoy! Then people get edgy – yourself included—around the 12^th when the Sun in Cancer catches up to a square to Uranus. The July 15 new moon is a train wreck of drama for the world, sorry to say, and you would do well to lie low and stay out of power struggles. The entire second half of July brings us a Venus-Saturn square, which is an interesting and not exactly cheery combo… It is about commitment and relationship, so something is brewing for you in that department. But it’s interesting – and here’s why. Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th and slows wa-aa-aay down in advance of turning retrograde on the 25^th. Remember – Venus is your ruling planet, so this is an important transit for you. Venus is about relatedness, and especially in the Libran context, it also informs us about the ideals we bring to relationships of all kinds. Venus is also about the values that undergird the choices we make in our lives. When Venus goes retrograde, we become very aware of where our lives are in sync with our values and where they are not… So, to my agonizingly thoughtful Librans out there, get ready for six weeks of evaluation and awareness about what is really important to you. The last week of July and the first week of August bring Jupiter and Saturn into the picture with Venus, so you will grapple with questions of resources and investment and how much is enough….There is also a full moon in Aquarius on the 31^st, which will illuminate your ideals like crazy!

SCORPIO (OCT 22-NOV 21) The month begins with a Capricorn full moon shining its quirky light all over the gorgeous Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo. This beautiful aspect is about fulfillment and completion and quite frankly, it’s about Feeling the Love. So let yourself feel it – especially since Mars in Cancer squares the North Lunar Node at the start of July, meaning there’s a lot of love to be felt right now… Enjoy it, especially if you are a November 14-15 Scorpio, since you’re getting a direct hit

The Eagle is also a symbol of Scorpio…

from Venus and Jupiter. These good feelings last til about July 7… Then we have some chunkiness when The Sun in Cancer squares Uranus and everyone gets all edgy. The July 15^th new moon is a complicated one, with major fireworks on the global front.   You need to stay calm and stay out of power struggles. The entire second half of July is dominated to a greater or lesser extent by a Venus-Saturn square. This isn’t a bad thing but it is a bit serious – and the issue is commitment and relationships.   You’re definitely taking stock of where you’re putting your Scorpionic energy – especially if you are a very late Scorpio. The twist in this one is that Venus goes retrograde on the 25^th, which starts a six-week process of reevaluation. You will become very aware of where you’re putting that Scorpionic passion – or not – and where your life is in sync with your values – or not.   Just let it all bubble to the surface. This is an important transit, one that happens only once every 18 months, so definitely use it. The last week of July and the first week of August bring Jupiter into the Venus-Saturn picture, so questions about money and values will definitely be up for you.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22- DEC 21) The month starts off with a full moon in Capricorn shining on the beautiful Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo – nice!   This gorgeous conjunction is all about completion and fulfillment, and hanging out with friends and loved ones and having a good time. We know you like that! The Venus Jupiter influence sticks around for a good week, so enjoy. Things get a little intense mid –month, when the world is filled with high drama around the new moon on the 15^th. The Sun in Cancer will square Uranus and there is also a pile up of Mars, Pluto, Saturn and Venus. There will be some amount of personal and political crises afoot, and you should lay low and avoid conflict. The most interesting planet this month is Venus, which spends the second half of July making a tight or loose square to Saturn. That is all about commitment – not only relationship-wise, but in every arena. Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th and sits at the 0-degree mark for a good two weeks as it approaches retrograde on the 25th and then right after, so if you are an early-early Sag you will really feel this. When Venus goes retrograde, it gives us all a six-week period of reflection, where we become aware of our core values and where our life is in sync with them and where it isn’t. So get ready for reflection and reevaluation! You don’t need to go flying off on your Sagittarian horse – just observe. During the last week of July when Jupiter approaches the Venus Saturn square, issues will become very crystallized around resources – where you are investing financial, emotional, and psychic resources.   The July 31 full moon in Aquarius is likely to setup a stark contrast between ideals and reality.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21-Jan19)   July is a month of “blue moons” – two full moons, one on the 1^st and one on the 31^st. The full moon on the 1^st is in your own sign of Capricorn, so expect to be feeling things intensely. The important aspect on the full moon is the exact Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo—that’s a nice one!   It’s all about fulfillment and completion, and the Mars square to the North Lunar Node at the start of July will put the emphasis on relationships. So enjoy friends and loved ones for the first week of the month. Then by the 12^th you may feel tension build in your life once the Sun in Cancer squares Uranus. July 15^th brings an intense new moon in Cancer between these Sun-Uranus aspects and the train wreck of Mars, Pluto, Venus and Saturn. Say it ain’t so … but the world will be having one of its spasms of bad human behavior… Your job is to stay calm and focused and not lose your Capricorn cool. The dominant influence for the second half of July is a loose or tight Venus-Saturn square, raising issues for you about commitment on every front. These issues become really acute for you once Venus goes retrograde on the 25^th. This is an important six-week transit that only occurs once every 18^th months during which time we all get to reflect on where our lives are in sync with our values and where they are not . So you will learn a lot about where you really want to put your energy. During the last week of July and first week of August Jupiter gets involved in the Saturn Venus aspects, and these three planets will really focus attention on investment – financial investments as well as investments of time, work, and energy. The July 31^st full moon in Aquarius will make your humanitarian ideals very visible.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19)   Now this is an interesting month – it’s a month of blue moons, for one thing, a full moon on the 1^st and on the 31^st… The full moon on the 1^st is in Capricorn and it shines its light on the gorgeous Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo which is exact in the first couple of days of July.   This is a beautiful combination, all about fulfillment and completion and with a good dose of fun and celebration with loved ones thrown in! So enjoy – at least through the 7^th. Things don’t get

This Akron graffiti is perfect for Aquarius…

chunky til around the 12^th, when the Sun in Cancer catches up to Uranus, your ruling planet.   Everyone will be edgy –especially your Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and Aries friends– and then it gets worse around the new moon on the 15^th when Mars, Pluto, Venus and Saturn all pile up. Oy! There will be high drama on the global front and people will be crazed. You need to lie low and avoid struggle. Then the dominant influence for the rest of the month is a Venus-Saturn square, which has everything to do with commitment. To make matters really interesting, Venus goes retrograde on the 25^th. Venus retrograde is an important transit, one that only happens every 18^th months. It is a time of reflection and growing awareness about where our lives are in sync with our values and where they are not. So with Saturn in the picture – and then Jupiter too — it will be quite a time of reevaluation. During the last week of July you will be looking at where you’re putting your energy and resources – not only financial but emotional, psychic and physical. The Aquarian full moon on the 31^st will really contrast your Aquarian ideals with a more grounded reality….

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 19) What a month! It starts off with a Capricorn full moon that illuminates the gorgeous Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo which has been gracing the evening sky now for a week… This conjunction is all about completion and fulfillment and feeling connected to loved ones. Enjoy it – it is exact around July 1^st and 2^nd but still stays in effect til about July 7^th.   So relax!   Things start getting more intense this month around the 12^th, when the Sun in Cancer catches up to Uranus. The new moon on the 15^th has a pile up of Mars, Pluto, Venus and Saturn. Oy! That’s a bit chunky, and it will be hot mess globally….Stay calm and avoid argument. The rest of the month is dominated by a Venus-Saturn square which sounds grim but isn’t – it’s all about commitment, and it’s actually a perfect opener to Venus retrograde on the 25^th. Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th and hangs out at 0-degrees Virgo for a good two weeks, so if you are a very very early Pisces this will be an important transit for you. It’s important for everyone, though – Venus retrograde only occurs once every 18 months and it is a six-week opportunity for us to look at our lives through the lens of our Venusian values. So get ready! This transit of Venus retrograde will be very interesting because it spends the first two weeks squaring Saturn, half square to Pluto and then conjunct Jupiter. What?!   You will be reexamining all of your commitments, and becoming aware of what’s really important. The full moon on the 31^st will illuminate your ideals.

ARIES (MAR 20-APRIL19) What a month! July is a month of “blue moons”—two full moons, one on the 1^st and one on the 31^st.   The one on the 1^st is in Capricorn, and it shines its light on the beautiful Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo that has been in the evening sky for a week… The conjunction is exact on July 1^st and 2^nd, and it’s a gorgeous one , all about completion and fulfillment and love. Enjoy it at least through the 7^th. Things start getting chunky for you around the 12^th, when the Cancer Sun squares Uranus. You’ll be tense and antsy, eager for change. The new moon in Cancer on the 15^th is a complicated one for the world, since it has a pile up of Mars, Pluto, Venus and Saturn. More like a train wreck. Humans will show our underbelly – again. Stay calm. The most interesting aspect for the rest of July is Venus squaring Saturn. It sounds grim but isn’t really – it is about commitment. Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th but hardly moves as it approaches its station-retrograde on the 25^th. Venus retrograde is a fascinating and fruitful six-week period of reflection and reevaluation. You’ll be reevaluating all of your commitments, taking stock of where you are putting your energy, and becoming acutely aware of where you are being true to your values and where you are not.   It is not a time of action but of reflection and growing awareness.   During the first two weeks of Venus retrograde it will be squaring Saturn while Jupiter plows right towards it. For those two weeks you will be reflecting on resources of all kinds and how you are allocating them. The Aquarian full moon on the 31^st will illuminate your ideals which may be in sharp contrast with reality.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20) This is an astrologically important month for everyone and especially for you. That’s because the month is all about Venus, your ruling planet. July starts off with a beautiful full moon in Capricorn that illuminates the gorgeous Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Leo that has graced the evening sky for a few days already…This conjunction is at its most exact July 1^st and 2^nd but generally stays in effect til the 7^th. Venus and Jupiter in Leo have everything to do with completion and fulfillment and all around great good feeling. Lap it up. Hang out with friends and loved ones and feel happy. Life gets more stressful around July 12^th when the Sun in Cancer catches up to a square with Uranus. You’ll be ansty and busy and feeling stressed, especially around the new moon on the 15^th. This new moon may bring more global awfulness, I hate to say it. There is quite the train wreck of planets on the new moon – Mars, Pluto, Venus, Saturn plus the Sun-Uranus business. You need to lay very low on this new moon. But back to Venus’ importance this month: there is a Venus-Saturn square to a greater or lesser extent for the second half of July. This transit sounds grim but is all about commitment. And then Venus goes retrograde on the 25^th.   This is a really important transit for you –as I said, it’s your ruling planet, baby. When Venus is retrograde – which only happens once every 18^th months – our values become very clear and we become very aware of where our lives are in sync with them and where they are not. This stretch of Venus retrograde is fascinating because its first two weeks pull in strong influences of Saturn and Jupiter and even Pluto. For you, this will put the focus on resources – financial and emotional. If you are in a negotiation or legal struggle, these two weeks from July 25 til August 7^th could bring closure. In any case, they will bring an important reevaluation and tweaking of your goals. The Aquarian full moon on the 31^st will lift up social justice ideals in whatever choice you’re considering.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) This is a big month, astrologically speaking! We have two full moons this month, one on the 1^st and one on the 31^st (the so-called “blue moon”).   The one on the 1^st is in Capricorn, and so even though you may be feeling a tad overwrought about structural things in your life you need to trust in the beautiful Venus-Jupiter conjunction. This gorgeous conjunction in Leo is all about completion and fulfillment, and it is exact July 1^st and 2nd. Kick back and lap up the love; relax with friends and loved ones. Everything will work out. Things don’t start heating up til around the 12^th, when the Sun in Cancer squares Uranus in Aries. You may get all keyed up and edgy. Try to stay calm because the new moon on the 15^th not only captures the Sun-Uranus energy but it also has a train wreck of Mars, Pluto, Venus and Saturn. Oy! The world will be a freakin’ mess, sorry to say. But Venus is doing interesting things… It spends the entire second half of the month squaring Saturn. Don’t panic—this combination is all about commitment, not your strong suit… Take a deep breath—Venus is trying to help you out here! In fact, Venus enters Virgo on the 18^th and spends about two weeks sitting in that first degree of Virgo.   If you were born in the first couple of days of Gemini you will feel this strongly, especially once Venus goes retrograde on the 25^th. Yes, Venus retrograde! This is a six-week stretch that only happens once every 18 months during which time we become acutely aware of our values, where we are in sync with them and where we are not. It is a time of reflection and reevaluation. Because Saturn is so present with Venus at the end of July and beginning of August – along with Jupiter– you will grapple with major questions about resources of all kinds and how you are investing them. The Aquarian full moon on the 31^st will really highlight your humanitarian ideals.