July 4: Appulse Lunar Eclipse 9:44pm (13:37 Capricorn)
July 20: New Moon in Cancer: 10:32 am (28:26 Cancer)
July 1: Saturn retrograde revisits Capricorn (4:36 pm)
July 6: Ceres stations retrograde in Pisces: 9:03 pm (12:49 Pisces)
July 11: Chiron stations retrograde in Aries: 2:08 pm (9:26 Aries)
July 12: Mercury in Cancer ends retrograde: 1:26 am (5:29 Cancer)
July 20: Eris stations retrograde in Aries: 12:37 pm (24:33 Aries)
July 22: Sun enters Leo: 1:36 am
Please note: all dates listed are PDT, please check your local time
Dates to watch: July 1-6, 7-9, 11-16, 19-22, 27, 30, 31
Happy Canada Day!! Happy 4th of July!!
July Overview:
July opens with Mercury continuing in retrograde, Mars freshly into Aries, Saturn on a revisit of Capricorn, and an Appulse Lunar Eclipse on July 4, (which underscores the significance of the year ahead for the USA. That’s not surprising considering all that’s happening in the country!)
Please continue to guard your health, not only for the duration of Mercury retrograde but for the rest of the year.
Looking for more energy and action? Mars, freshly into Aries, is sure to deliver. Due to an upcoming retrograde, Mars is at the start of an extended six-month tour of Aries. Expect to see plenty of fight and might out of this transit. Let’s put passion (not violence!) into action. Mercury meets with Mars on July 7 and 27; with Chiron in Aries on July 1 and 21. Taking aim at a more selective/focused target, Chiron in Aries turns retrograde on July 11 (to December 16). What’s launched at the start of the month is a work in progress for the duration of the month. Watch the middle of the month for a creative surge and/or a turning point peak: Mercury ends retrograde on July 12, and the sun hits a run of oppositions: Pallas Athene (July 13), Jupiter (July 14), Pluto (July 15) and Saturn (July 20). Mars/Chiron (July 14) also set destiny into action.
Saturn has been on a short stint through Aquarius. As of July 1, Saturn will revisit Capricorn, joining Pluto, Jupiter, and Pallas Athene. That’s a total of four planets (all of them) travelling in retrograde in Capricorn. This powerhouse group is at work to break down the structure and systems that have been holding up a reality that no longer serves – i.e. the mortar and cement of old strongholds, the barriers, rationales, and justifications of old and outworn status quos that have shaped the reality base. At the same time, this formidable group are also hard at work on a reformat of the collective consciousness. We are all tired and we all deserve to live it better. There is no justification for elevating one skin colour (a Capricorn archetype), culture, religion (Jupiter & Sagittarius archetype), sex or sexual orientation (Pluto in Capricorn) above another, or for showing disrespect or disregard for any living creature on our beloved/God’s green earth.
July 4 delivers a lunar eclipse in Capricorn, the last of three eclipses over a four-week period. In trine to Uranus in Taurus, this eclipse suggests there is great opportunity to make significant progress regarding getting it under better control, to restructure or reformat and to build it better. It’s a break down process, an evolution, a work in progress. Watch for news, the unexpected, perhaps the overtaking. The eclipse could produce a cash in or a perfect storm moment. An eclipse will always hold an element of surprise.
Ceres travels retrograde in Pisces from July 6 to October 18. It will turn retrograde and station direct (in Aquarius) at the same degrees of Mercury’s retrograde tour from earlier in the year (mid February to mid March)! Can you remember what was seeding/happening for you at that time? This Ceres transit could set you up for a revisit. Note, February/March coincided with the rapid global escalation of Covid-19 outbreak and its official elevation to “pandemic” status. We are all in it together. What serves one, serves each and all. We are learning about humanity in so many new ways. Ceres in Pisces acts as a tuning fork for mass consciousness and collective experience. Since the start of the year, we have witnessed so much outpouring of emotion (especially around loss and grief). There is great potential in this transit to bring something precious back to life (including our respect for each other, for human life, for humanity). This Ceres transit is well used to go in search, to reclaim the parts of yourself that you have lost along the way. Reconnect with nature, with your spiritual roots/practice. Inspiration, peace and greater clarity can be found in the quiet moments. Allow yourself quality time to feel the sounds of your beating heart and the whispers of your soul, to grieve or heal if you need to.
The month ends with Venus surpassing the degree of its station retrograde in the middle of May and Mercury in opposition to Jupiter (July 30) and on its way to an opposition with Pluto (August 1). Start to finish, the month is action packed!
ARIES March 19/20 – April 19
The past six weeks of Mars in Pisces has been quite a drain, hasn’t it? That transit is over now. Mars has just begun a lengthy six-month transit through Aries. Perhaps you are already feeling revitalized by this Mars transit.
The lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 4 can hold significance for you if you are born on or near April 4, otherwise you will witness its influence indirectly. On the one hand, the eclipse can stir up difficult emotions, put you under added pressure, added limitation, or a time constraint. Even so, it is best to take your time and to feel your way through before you act. Watch for events, feelings, or a process to unfold over the immediate few days, to mid month and beyond. This lunar eclipse is the only Capricorn transit to be on the move-ahead. In trine to Uranus, to the plus, the eclipse could set you up for a breakthrough. Something unexpected could hold great opportunity, regarding finances, career, health, home or family. There could be good news. Saturn (revisiting as of July 1), Pallas Athene, Jupiter and Pluto are all currently travelling in retrograde motion. Together, they are working to breakdown a wall, to assist you to surpass whatever has been blocking your progress.
Mercury in Cancer continues in retrograde motion to July 12. July7 to 9, could present added challenge or stress. Mercury/Mars could bring severing of ties, trigger an argument or difference of opinion. Put added attention to physical safety and driving. Despite the retrograde, Mercury/Mars can be a good transit for diving into something new. Give yourself a couple of weeks (to the end of the month) to complete a home renovation, a personal project or to work the kinks out of a relationship matter.
TAURUS April 19 – May 20
Whether obvious to you or not, the lunar eclipse on July 4 checks off another box on the cementing of your future. Know also that an eclipse plays out over a length of time, so watch the following days and the month ahead to move the process along. July 12 to 16, 19, 20 can be notable in this regard.
Back in circulation, back in touch, or on a review; Mercury continues retrograde in Cancer to July 12. Whether it is a conversation, a redo, or a remembrance, the past is on a dial-it-up. Emotional responsiveness (or reactiveness) is up a notch too. In need of added support or know someone who could use a top up? Reach out.
Mars, freshly into Aries, will keep the main action/the new lifeforce inside of you hidden or out of full view until January. It is a stoke the fire, heat it up influence. Despite a few quick starts or fast tracks along the way, this Mars transit will take a length of time to get you up to full steam ahead. Wrestling with your self? You’ll keep pushing yourself around until you find the key/that missing inner accord. On another note, this transit could stir up potentials that will soon be ready for prime-time delivery. Mars in Aries also keeps creativity, passion, and desire well stoked. Use this transit to get your ducks lined up for 2021.
Mercury ends retrograde on July 12 but will continue in Cancer to August 7. Continue to put health and safety to the forefront. The week ahead can keep you on a push come to shove. Having said that, determination is the key to making the turnaround you desire. The last week of the month can move you past whatever was initiated or got jammed up at the start of the month.
GEMINI May 20 – June 20
What’s best? Where/how are you spending your time, money, or heart? Mercury retrograde in Cancer (to July 12) keeps you feeling your way along. The transit can trigger more introspection or pull back that is usual for you. Of course, with Covid-19 continuing to show no signs of abating, extra safety measures are wise.
Saturn has been on a short stint through Aquarius. As of July 1, Saturn will revisit Capricorn, joining Pluto, Jupiter, and Pallas Athene; all are currently travelling retrograde in this sign. This formidable group put concentrated attention toward the break down of rationales, justifications, and stonewalls that serve no useful purpose.
Watch for Mars, newly into Aries, to provide fresh stimulus, insight, opportunity, or challenge. To a large extent, a new norm is something you are ready to adopt. The point is not about isolation, but about welcoming a personal and/or lifestyle upgrade. New goals and independence initiatives are favoured by this transit. You’ll have plenty of time to take a test drive on the reinvention track. Due to a retrograde tour (mid September to mid November) Mars will tenant Aries through January of 2020.
The July 4 eclipse can bring you to a deadline or finish line, and/or set a next stage into play for something that has been long in the works, that is perhaps long overdue. Even so, call the month ahead a work in progress. Mercury begins and ends the month in dynamic aspect to Chiron and Mars. Allow time to get yourself or it sorted out. The start of the month can be a pull back or instigating time. The middle of the month sets up a creative or developmental peak. The end of the month can be wrap up or surpassing time. (Mercury dates: July 1, 7,8, 21, 27; sun at peak: July 13 -15.)
CANCER June 20 – July 22
Mercury ends retrograde on July 12, but it will not leave your sign until August 5. This transit provides an extended time to look inside yourself and to feel your way along those nagging loose ends – of life, of unresolved emotions.
The lunar eclipse on July 4 also puts added emphasis/pressure on long overdue endings and beginnings, especially so if your birthday falls on or near the eclipse. July 7, 8, 14 -16 are also significant in terms of grappling with yourself or more getting a move on with the important stuff.
As of July 1, Saturn backtracks into Capricorn. Bringing the total to four, all planetary bodies touring Capricorn (Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, and Pallas Athene) now travel retrograde and will continue to do so for the next couple of months. Together this group aims to dismantle that which has been held in place by the scotch tape and glue. To the plus, it can help you break through the resistance or the sound barrier (yours or that of another), to reprioritize where it is essential, necessary, and wise. Do not hesitate to break down camp and to search for better ground on which to build!
Also thrusting reality and your personal life onto a faster track, Mars in Aries sets the next six months into motion in some major way. Ready or not, it is off to task or off to battle you go. To the plus, Mars gives you six months to work it out. On the other hand, there is no time to waste. Take a test drive on confidence, courage, and initiative, explore a new career path. Don’t take the old baggage with you, buy yourself a set of shiny new luggage. Don’t hesitate to dive into something brand new or to go it alone if the signs point that way. Independence and freedom initiatives are favoured by this transit. When/if the going gets tough, know you are being forced to strengthen from within. Dynamic Mercury transits bookend the month. July is a work in progress month.
LEO July 22 – August 22
Mercury retrograde operates for you mostly as a background, under the radar, subtle or indirect influence. Still, it pays to stay alert and observant. Don’t discount signals and messages. They are meant to give you a heads up and/or a head start. Mercury ends retrograde on July 12, but it won’t leave Cancer until August 5. That gives you plenty of time to sort yourself out or to explore, create, or develop it before you put it out on show.
Saturn’s return to Capricorn on July 1 and the lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 4 can put you back to work or to task. Along with the rest of the transits travelling retrograde through Capricorn (Jupiter, Pluto and Pallas Athene) the message of the stars is progressively hitting home – that you can’t rely on the old and outworn system, patterns, ways, or formula to make the grade. A change of priorities may be naturally growing or forced on you. Are you staying productive? Better time management or a health regime can only do you good.
If you have recently lost your spark, Mars, fresh at it in Aries, to light you (or it) up again. Although six months is a longer than usual visit to a sign, watch for this Mars transit to set you on a fast track to your future. Mars has a target already lined up (perhaps several). Feel it, know it or not, your destiny is directly in front of you. You can’t miss it. What you do, how you play it once you meet up with it will (of course), be entirely up to you. Don’t hesitate to be a free agent or to test drive something or someone new (yourself included). This Mars transit is good for embarking on new studies and adventures, for getting something new up and running. Where possible, streamline, simplify. If it has merit, there’s no need to dress it up with the unnecessary or distracting extras. (All you need is one good thing to get the ball rolling.) The stars keep the month ahead going strong from start to finish.
VIRGO August 22 – September 22
Continuing in retrograde to July 12, Mercury retrograde takes you on a significant review and regroup. Revisions, repeats, reconnections (planned or not) and trips down memory lane are typical of the cycle.
Saturn on a backtrack to Capricorn (starting July 1) brings the total to 4 planets currently travelling retrograde in Capricorn (Saturn, Pallas Athene, Jupiter, and Pluto). Together they are sanding down the conditioned patterns, removing the barriers and blockages that have held you up or back. They are helping you to reclaim your authentic self, to replenish your instincts with better creative fuel.
The lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 4 sets reality on go in some significant way. You can feel this eclipse subtly, indirectly, or as a trigger for something with recognizable karmic overtones. The entire month ahead keeps this circumstance on an unfolding track. Mercury in dynamic tension to Chiron and Mars at both the start and the end of the month sets a process in motion. The stage is well set for you to make a breakthrough with someone (self or another) or something. July 13 to 16 sets more (a lot more) on go.
Mars in Aries will keep new initiatives or new battles fired up through the start of January, especially those pertaining to the get ahead plan, i.e. finances, health, emotional, personal. You’ll stay driven by passion or provoked by confronting moment. Don’t hesitate to go it alone in order to get your needs and wants better met. If it flares up, don’t dawdle, deal with it right away. Follow through on an instinct, impulse, or instant hit. Mars in Aries can keep you quick on the ball and/or running through it faster than usual. It can make you feel more feisty or frisky too. Whether it is a new relationship, money maker or a new you, if it is meant to be, you’ll see it fire up/get off the ground quick. If it isn’t, it will be short lived.
LIBRA September 22 - October 22
Preoccupied with getting it more secure and under better control? Planet Mercury continues in retrograde through July 12 and extends its tour of Cancer through August 5. Its a work in progress and it needs time. Feel your way along. Experience and the unfolding of time are your allies, do not under-estimate their teachings or their effectiveness.
Saturn retrograde revisits Capricorn from July 1 to December 17. Currently (and for the next couple of months) Pallas Athene, Jupiter, and Pluto in Capricorn are also travelling in retrograde motion. This power group has been working for some time on its demolition and reconstruction mandate for human consciousness, and the reality baselines. The recent stand against authority prompted by outrage of senseless murders and systemic racism, the “black lives matter” protests, etc. There’s something happening here, and it isn’t going to go away anytime soon. For you personally, these formidable transits will continue to reshape your life in a major way, this regarding career, your priorities and commitments, your sense of purpose, your perspective on what is necessary, what’s next, and what it takes for you to be you.
The lunar eclipse on July 4 can make you feel weighted down by added responsibilities, time, financial constraints and such. You could feel forced to make a difficult decision or to say a difficult goodbye. (If that is the case, know that once the deed is done, you’ll hit a faster move along.) On the other hand, you could feel a sense that the time is right, that a block is removed, that the wait is over, that you are finally starting to gain more solid ground, to see results for your effort. The eclipse can hold greater impact for you personally if it makes significant contact to your natal chart, especially if you are born on or near October 6, 7.
Mars spends the next six months in Aries. This transit gives you an extend time to test drive a new and feistier way of showing up, for yourself and in relationship too. Someone or something new can take you by storm/take flight fast. Some things/some relationships are destined for the long haul, some are not. Give your all to the moment but also stay present for yourself. There will be battles to face. Know that no matter how challenging it may seem in the moment, tackle it head-on and aim to make short order of it. The faster you get at it, the faster you’ll get past it. July 13 to 16 can set substantial wheels in motion. It’s a continuous evolution. The last week of the month can be one of surpassing and/or getting on with previously waylaid travel or other plans.
SCORPIO October 22 - November 21
July opens with Mars freshly into Aries, Saturn on a return visit to Capricorn, Mercury retrograde and a the final of three eclipses over a four-week period.
Mercury retrograde (to July 12) is good for reconnections. Yes, test the waters regarding the resuming activities recently interrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown, but also make sure to keep yourself safe and protected. Us this transit to get back to writing projects, to review/reassess get-ahead strategies, plans and goals. Are things shaping up as you expected they would?
The lunar eclipse on July 4 can be staging in some significant way. Just when you think you have run out of options, reached a dead-end or a full stop, something gives way. Watch for wall or a block to be removed, for things to unknot, unfold and evolve over a few days, a few weeks or longer. (The few days after Mercury ends retrograde on July 12 can set significant wheels in motion.) The eclipse can trigger an immediate conclusion, goal post or finish line. It can set a long range one into action too. You can feel a sense of finality, of one door closes, another opens, or that you have arrived at a time has come moment. An eclipse will always incorporate a sense of fate or destiny at work. Endings and beginnings are intertwined.
Mars in Aries will spend the next six months in your work and health sector. One way or another Mars will get you moving. Need to shed a few extra pounds? This transit can keep your days busy and increase your physical activity. Don’t hesitate to try something new (i.e. new job, health regime, training program, solution). It could be a step in the right direction.
As of July 1, Saturn returns to Capricorn, joining Jupiter, Pluto, and Pallas Athene. That’s quite a significant group of planets travelling retrograde in Capricorn! Together they are working on dismantling the mindset and judgement patterns that no longer serve. Once the demolition work has been done and the dust settles, you’ll immediately move onto a build it better phase. Start to finish, July keeps you well occupied with sort it out and getting to the next level up.
SAGITTARIUS November 21 – December 21
Continue to put extra attention to safeguards (health, wealth, emotional, family). While you are at it, make sure to reserve some of your good mothering for yourself. Mercury ends retrograde on July 12 but will extends its tour of Cancer through August 5.
You can ease up somewhat, but you are wise not to drop your guard regarding Covid-19 or anything else that doesn’t feel nailed down well enough.
After a short stint in Aquarius, Saturn returns to Capricorn on July 1. For the next couple of months, all planets touring Capricorn are retrograde (Saturn, Pallas Athene, Jupiter and Pluto). The concentration of retrograde planets in Capricorn are at work to progressively help you or force you to shift the reality regarding financial, personal and family priorities, responsibilities and goals. The lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 4 can be shaping in this regard. Streamline, downsize, take responsibility/hold up your end and let another do the same. Quality over quantity is the better way to go. Perhaps there is less cushion or margin to work with, but don’t let that hold you back! Rely on your intuition/your gut to guide you. When one door closes, another opens right behind it. Someone or something can hold more sway or potential than you have initially assessed. The eclipse happens on July 4, but its effect will extend the start to the finish of the month. Watch for the days just after Mercury ends retrograde on July 12 to set big wheels in motion/kick the action up a great big notch (especially noteworthy dates: July 13 -16, 20).
CAPRICORN December 21 - January 20
Saturn returns to Capricorn on July 1. July 20 marks the midpoint of the retrograde cycle which will extend to the end of September. Saturn will leave Capricorn on December 17. It will not return to your sign for another 29.5 years. This last stretch brings you to a completion threshold of significance and at the same time is also working to cement the foundation for the next thirty-year chapter.
If your birthday falls between January 16 to 20, you’ll now experience the completion segment of your Saturn return. Still you may not feel the let up until Pluto gets done with your sign (the start of 2024). If you are born January 12 -20, or have other significant chart placements in late Capricorn, you’ll also get the full meal deal out of these momentous Capricorn transits. Of course, we all subjected to the reconstruction mandate.
Saturn, Pallas Athene, Jupiter and Pluto are all currently on retrograde tours through Capricorn. Combined they set the stage for the dismantling and restructuring of a mindset, a consciousness, or an actual reality.
You can feel the direct impact of the July 4 eclipse if you are born on or near January 4, or if the eclipse makes a significant contact to your natal chart. The eclipse provides an opportunity to surpass a block, to discover a better solution, to move onto a lucrative or worthwhile track, to turn a negative into a plus, to revive or revitalize it. Synchronicity can set (unexpected) wheels in motion. Where you start and it ends could be vastly different. Watch for matters to domino or unfold and evolve, or for a succession of challenges or thresholds to be crossed in short order. The whole month is a work in progress. Mercury, Mars, and Chiron take what is started at the beginning of the start of the month to the next level up by the end of the month. Mercury ends retrograde on July 12. The days that follow put the action on an escalation curve. July 14, 15 holds ample creative potential. Make your powerplay, seize opportunity.
AQUARIUS January 20 – February 18/19
Saturn has been on a preview of Aquarius since the end of March. The transit coincided with Covid-19 introducing the world to a new everyday norm. As of July 1, Saturn retrograde returns to Capricorn. By July 20, Saturn will reach the midpoint of its retrograde tour. By the end of September, Saturn will complete its retrograde tour and by December 17, it will embark on a 2.5-year stint through Aquarius (joined by Jupiter in Aquarius for 2021).
Pallas Athene, Jupiter, and Pluto are also travelling retrograde in Capricorn. Together, this dynamic group aims to dismantle what is standing in the way of personal and collective progress. At the same time, the group unlocks potentials that now grow ripe and ready to be harvested and put to good use. Use the rest of the year to get yourself sorted out and plan to hit the ground running next year.
The lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 4 can sneak up on you, spotlight something that has previously gone unnoticed, or unlock it in some unexpected way. It can trigger an awakening, a revelation, an insight, or sudden inspiration. Watch for good timing/synchronicity and the opportunity to stay a step ahead. There’s a range of possibilities for how you might experience this eclipse. You could see progress or hit a fast track with something home or health related. An unexpected repair, renovation project, or come clean moment could be ideally timed. You could get it on the first try, or perhaps you’ll get through to someone in a way you haven’t been able to do yet. On the other hand, the eclipse could come and go without significant notice. It all depends on how it aligns with your personal chart.
Mercury ends retrograde to July 12 and continues in Cancer to August 5. This transit keeps the focus on shortfalls and necessities, on safety, security, work and health, on family and personal needs. Continue to play it safe where you can, as best you can. Go gentle on yourself and on others too.
Mars has just begun a lengthy transit through Aries. Over the next six months Mars will take you through a significant self-discovery/living with yourself process. The transit can introduce you to new financial opportunities or a new lifestyle. Don’t hesitate to rip out the carpet and reinvent. Independence, experimentation, and new initiatives are favoured.
There are important conversations to have, important matters that need to be addressed. The month ahead is a work in progress. Mercury/Chiron and Mercury/Mars book end the month. The sun is on a potent creative surge in the middle of the month, forming dynamic aspects with Jupiter (July 14), Pluto (July 15), Eris (July 16) and Saturn (July 20). Watch for major wheels to set in motion. Take advantage of the opportunity of the moment. What is started at the beginning of July moves to a next level up by the end of the month.
PISCES February 18/19 to March 19/20
July opens with Mars freshly into Aries and Saturn on a revisit of Capricorn. Both planets can put you back into action and/or toss something new into the mix.
Mercury retrograde ends on July 12 and continues its travel through Cancer until August 5. The transit keeps emotional sensitivity on the ready dial up. It’s a good transit for looking deeper into your heart. Mom, a child, or someone close to you can need more support or encouragement. Make sure to put yourself on the list or some extra TLC (tender loving care). Whether through memories or through circumstances, the past also remains at the front and center of your attention. Despite the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, you are wise to keep health and safe-guards to the forefront.
The lunar eclipse on July 4 can bring something special to do or to celebrate. On another note, it can prompt a significant change of goals, plans, or circumstance. The eclipse will be of influence if it makes direct contact to your natal chart, otherwise you may witness its workings through others or indirectly through outside circumstances.
Ceres travels retrograde in Pisces from July 6 to October 18, covering the same degrees of Mercury’s retrograde tour from earlier in the year (mid February to mid March). This transit could set you up for another go around. Note, February/March coincided with the rapid global escalation of Covid-19 outbreak and its official elevation to “pandemic” status. For you personally, Ceres is a time to go in search/to reclaim the parts of yourself that you have lost along the way. Reconnect with your spiritual roots/practice. Inspiration, greater peace and clarity can be found in the quiet moments. Allow yourself extra time to grieve or heal if you need to.
Mars has just taken an exit out of your sign, but it will continue to keep stoking the fire/your fire through the start of next year. You’ll embark on self discovery process that will introduce you to a new, feistier side of yourself, to assets and capacities you may or may not have fully recognized you own. The transit can prompt you (or force you) to look for a new source of income or inspiration. When it is right, you’ll get an instant hit on it or them; things can fire up quick. Give it a shot, trust your instincts. The test of time will fill in the rest of the missing blanks. On the other hand, if you keep trying and find yourself simply spinning wheels, don’t hesitate to cut yourself loose or to go it alone. The week following the end of Mercury retrograde (July 12) can produce a surge, a spike, or a power play. The trends are for increase or escalation, for setting substantial wheels in motion. Once something launches or triggers, it can be overtaking. Keep somewhat open-ended and seize opportunity.
Rose on Guiding Stars EA Radio
Audio of Rose’s appearance on Kristin Fontana’s Guiding Stars Evolutionary Astrology radio show, broadcast on the last Friday of every month at 9 AM Pacific, noon PM Eastern on www.healthylife.net