July 2008 Forecast Overview:
Coinciding with both the Canadian and US national birthday celebrations, (July 1 & 4), the month begins with another Super Moon on July 2 (we had one last month too.) A Super Moon is an intensification influence; the moon in close proximity to the earth commonly brings event peaks and weather extremes such as the occurrences witnessed in the previous month.
Temperatures are rising! With this Super New Moon igniting high tides in the emotional sign of Cancer, the changing economic climate translates into a sense of increased vulnerability and anxiety. Mars in Virgo (July 1 to Aug 19) serves not only to underscore this “other shoe about to drop” mentality, but to perpetuate it; fear breeds even more pulling back. The recent stock-market depression-like tumble is certainly reflective of this domino effect. On the catch-up, Vancouver is now witnessing an abrupt cooling of what was (up until yesterday) a hot housing market. Demonstrating what we are all feeling, (namely a greater need to play it safe, to stay closer to home, and to prioritize the family) note the recent US Democratic Party headlines: Unity in Unity (the Obama/Clinton “pulling-the-clan-together” repair job.)
Beyond the Super New Moon intensification, not also that we are drawing from the influence of next month’s eclipses. (Eclipses thrust circumstances into a faster developmental curve; they can also catapult us onto unexpected/alternate routes.)
The days leading up to and around July 11 will be defining; there are several key planetary aspects bunching up. Sun and Jupiter (in opposition on Wed July 9) enlarge, inflate, or exaggerate the scope of whatever is already set in motion, plus or minus. In action under the Mars/Saturn ceiling peak culminating on July 10, we have now arrived at a serious pressure-cooker boil-over point.
Mars conjoining Saturn can place you at a (hard won) goalpost and an achievement of significance, or it can deliver a deadline, an end of the line, or a critical full stop. For most of us, this threshold has been a long wait/long time coming.
Sun/Jupiter (July 9), along with building Mercury/Pluto opposition (July 10) can bring crucial news, major alliances, mergers, or splits, opportunity appearing as just under-the-wire timing, official announcements, milestone ceremonies or celebrations. Even though the going may be tougher than usual, know the now is infused with great promise. Research, explore options, engage in further talks, put in your requests and borrow sooner rather than later. (Sun/Jupiter aspects are usually freeing and buoyant, but relative to the other planetary energies, freedom can feel more like a void or a gap that needs filling.)
The Mars/Saturn aspect can prompt banks, governments, or corporations to make significant provisional moves; we could see interest rates rise or some other about-face re currency, commerce, rules, or policies. Recession fallouts (work shortages, downsizing, lay-offs) along with more controversy, conflict, politics, crisis, and war can keep media folk working even harder. Early on July 10, Mercury makes an oppositional aspect to Pluto; this clue-in aspect is informing, exposing (“outing”), controversy making, contradictory, argumentative, and confrontational; ultimatums or declarations can be hard news to swallow. Hot and dry planets Mars and Saturn can bring things to a standstill or a full stop. (Of course, when things get too hot and dry, fires ignite.)
By the time Mars and Saturn perfect their conjunction aspect in Virgo on July 10, we will finally know where we stand. Transactions, decisions, and contracts can be finalized. We may see that we have enabled/perpetuated a circumstance for too long (weakness, a flaw, a crisis, the sub-standard or less than satisfactory). While it can feel like a substantial sacrifice to sever from this particular feed, know that long-term gain and well being calls for substantial pruning right here, right now. (There isn’t much choice in the matter.)
The eventful Full Moon occurring on July 18 (26 degrees of Capricorn) delivers another achievement or realization peak, or time of finishing off. We can become even more conscious of have and have not, of the need to repackage our ambitions, to tighten up attitudes and budgets, and to hold ourselves more accountable. Venus enters Leo on July 12, the Sun will do so on July 22 and Mercury will follow suit on July 26. As the month advances and new realities sink in, it is time to learn to work more skillfully around the limitations. After all, what is life without reward? Leo is the sign of creativity, pleasure and play – where there is a will, there is always a way!
ARIES (MARCH 20 – APRIL 19)
Work or work shortages can pile on added pressure, especially prior to July 11. Lowered vitality and enthusiasm, or other health issues can also slow you down. On another note, Mars in Virgo can keep you busy with house or equipment repairs, and challenged with downsizing your overhead. (It’s also a helpful aspect for controlling your weight.) Relationship improvement is also on your priority must-fix list. Mars conjunct Saturn on July 10 can bring you to the end of the road with a challenge or crisis that has gone on too long. It can also be time to establish new boundaries with those who have taken chunks out of you.
July 5 to 10 can produce a “getting somewhere” week. This week can also bring visitors, good news, a sneak peak, travel, talks, or more social opportunity. The week of July 14 should see an easing up of pressure. The weekend of the Full Moon (July 18/19) can be especially eventful – for home, family and personal matters, or for business and professional ambitions. Use July to clean up your act and to better your odds; August eclipses are set to catapult you into a new chapter.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
Mars in Virgo is one of your best planetary placements, so stand in your power, make full use of your assets and command the attention you deserve. Saturn adds ripeness to the here and now, and tops your self-confidence with added maturity. Yes, the responsibilities of parenting can be draining, especially in the first two weeks of the month, (congrats to first timers!) – Still, the rewards are matchless.
Start negotiations, marketing, or research around July 5 and watch for contracts, agreements, decisions, or plans to be finalized around July 10/11. Whatever is set in stone around this time has the mark of longevity attached. (It’s a great time to make it official, get hitched, buy property, sign a long lease, open a business, start a career or step into a more professional or responsible role.) If it is goodbye and move on time, both parties are likely to recognize it is the right thing to do (hopefully it will be a smooth parting.) This key Mars/Saturn transition point brings you to an end of the road as far as settling for less. More respect, more positive attention, more control, it’s time to get to the right level – send the message more clearly.
Past July 15, you’ll find more opportunity for travel, pleasure and play. The eventful Full Moon weekend, (July 18) brings a great time to go camping, to hop a plane, or to enjoy the company and festivities right where you are. End of the month aim to stick closer to home and family.
GEMINI (May 20 – July 20)
A lot of added attention goes toward holding on to the things and people who matter to you the most. Of course, income and savings are of added concern; yes, it is getting harder to keep it in the black. Still, anything you can do to invest in your future security is a step in the right direction (no matter how small a step it is.) Home repairs or upgrades will ultimately put money back in your pocket; business, career or image investments are also wise. While work is harder to face when the weather is so nice, if it’s your season to do so, ride it for all it’s worth and sock away as much as you can. The Sun, Venus, and Uranus ignite lucrative potentials and social enjoyment, especially July 2 – 4, 6, 12 – 14.
Mars and Saturn aspect can make you realize that you have outworn a label or a roll play; the aspect can prompt you to put more effort into ditching a habit, a behaviour pattern, an attitude, or wasteful time-filler. You could grow tired of someone or what they represent; perhaps your way of creating attention and business needs to be revamped too.
Mars and Saturn can keep stress levels up; you’ll see a release of significance past mid July. July 10 could put you at the start of your vacation, see the arrival of company, or bring the “take-off” weekend you have been waiting for. It could also be a time when you get answers, news, or confirmation. On a chaffing note, an argument could bring the final blow to a partnership or arrangement. The Full Moon July 18 can be key re inheritances, loans, financial partnerships, or real estate matters. It can be time to make an important relationship commitment or decision, (make it official, state your rules, define your boundaries, etc.).
CANCER (July 20 – July 22)
The Super New Moon should be wonderfully revitalizing, for body, mind, and spirit, especially so if you are born on or near July 2. Give the new moon a chance to energize though, your birthday is always a physical/biorhythm low point. Projects nearing completion, a vacation almost here, or just the summer sun to tap, you can feel an emotional freedom and lightness that may have recently eluded you. Of course, the hedge-your-bets Mars/Saturn pressure ceiling can continue to keep a cautious, sobered and even skeptical twist on your expectations through July 12. Still, you have to admit that you can feel the past is sitting more solidly where it belongs (in the done deal column.)
Whether you have something cooking on the backburner or simply have a sense that the tides are about to shift, July 9 can be a key uncovering or launch date. July 10, Mars and Saturn’s end of the road message for you is that there is no more time for excuse making. Make the dividing line between the way it was and the way it will be from here on in more obvious. These are important dates to solidify your official position or status, to say goodbye, to speak your piece, to make a commitment, or to show up for yourself in some other way. It’s also a good time for banking matters, to hire an agent, sign a lease, see a mechanic, health advisor, etc. Your social life, creativity, and libido are nicely fired up, off and on throughout the month. Venus in Leo (beginning July 12) upgrades your sense of pride, deserving and ability to rise above. As an attraction magnet, the pheromone queen (along with Mercury and the Sun in Leo too) can do greater justice to your love life too.
LEO (July 22 – Aug. 22)
Pool time and escape plans are likely to top your priority list. Cancer month is always your best time to hide out more, unless of course you own/work in a seasonal business, in which case you’ll have little choice but to submerge yourself and work your ass off. Until Mars in Virgo surpasses Saturn (July 10/11) you can feel pressured, burdened, or tapped out. This Mars/Saturn aspect brings that much talked about economic recession into an in-your-face reality. Your financial or emotional resources may not stretch quite as far as you need them too, you’ll need to pace yourself better. Once past mid month, you should start to gain more breathing space and see more avenues open up. In fact, work, workability and opportunity should improve as the month advances. While it is a matter of timing it right, attitude is a major player in getting you to where you need to go. At the time of the Full Moon, July 18 you can find yourself under added physical strain or emotional drain. Things can catch up with you; you may pay a price for being too lax in the past. When safeguards prove to lack effectiveness, ask yourself if you are holding on to something that has already surpassed its expiry date. Also, watch out for expiry dates on food and drug labels, and get repair work done before the warranty runs out. Despite the off and on pressures, Venus in Leo (July 12) followed by the Sun (July 22) and Mercury, (July 26) help you to maintain sunny side up.
VIRGO (Aug 22 – Sept 22)
You could be on a slow down or delayed fresh start until Mars surpasses Saturn (July 10.) Still, it should be heartening to know that you have reached the end of this very long and hard path. You’ll start to see tangible progress and more visible results past mid month. In fact the Full Moon (July 18) has that crowning achievement feel. Recognition and notice is great, but the best reward comes from the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel within yourself. Re the pain, punishment and suffering routine, enough is enough! You are completely dried out; the travails of the past offer you no further nutrients. You may have been stuck up to now, but past mid month, Mars says goodbye to restrictive Saturn and hello to possibilities planet Jupiter. July 22 to 28, enthusiasm, hopefulness, and vitality return. Much different from the start of the month, you’ll find more freedom, choice, opportunity, pleasure and overall wellbeing. You’ll appear more open, hopeful, enthused and relaxed than you have been in awhile. Mars/Jupiter produces lucrative timing July 22 – 30; inspirations should deliver very well for you – and with less than the usual effort too.
LIBRA (Sept.22 – Oct.22)
Wouldn’t it be great to take the month off? With Mars and Saturn coupled in Virgo, that idea is probably top of your wish list. Minimize on the pressure and max on relaxation every chance you get. If you are recuperating, please be especially gentle on yourself, you’ll need the extra time to piece yourself back together, especially through July 11. You can look forward to more energy, enthusiasm, and better avenues to explore in the last two weeks of the month. While it’s good to be with family, the Super New Moon says it’s time balance the books on caretaking – know you can cater to them less and they’ll still be satisfied. The Full Moon July 18 could find you with a house full or stretched between obligations or choices. Positively, the Full Moon could also see fruition on something important and long awaited. Leo stars deliver plenty of social opportunity as the month progresses. Attraction planet Venus in Leo (July 12 to Aug 5) can dish up lucrative new financial or romantic potentials. The Sun in Leo (July 22) followed by Mercury in Leo (July 26), increases social pleasures and keeps you well entertained.
SCORPIO (Oct. 22 – Nov. 21)
The Super New Moon on July 2 falls in one of the most beneficial placements of your chart, so you can expect the month ahead to offer more than the usual. Travel, playtime, self-pampering and the search for emotional gratification are some of the highlights of this new cycle. Be game to take a risk, venture out professionally, relocate, put your creativity out on show (publish, perform), or try it in the key of love. As Mars teams with Saturn in Virgo (building through July 10), life comes tinged with more than the usual serious tone (yes, even play is serious stuff.) July 2 – 6 can be a critical time for hashing out your final decisions or steps. Talk simply doesn’t take you far enough; action is the only way to get things on the road.
The Super New Moon is also set to make you hyper-aware of inflations (and inflationary fallouts) too. Welcome to the future! Mars and Saturn can bring you to the realization that you’ll have to become even more of a headline maker if you want to keep your top dog position generating as well as it has been. What makes you so special? It is important to convey the message every opportunity you get. Travel, entertainment, recreations, and ambitious undertakings can be quite fulfilling in the second half of the month. If you felt that projects, relationships, or life’s rewards were stalled earlier in the month; Mars aligned with Jupiter (by trine July 22 – 28) should make you feel like you are finally getting to somewhere good.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 21 – Dec. 21)
The Super New Moon begins a new cycle of relationship and financial needs. As Mars and Saturn bring the previous chapter to culmination (thank goodness!), you can consider yourself in a renaissance period of sorts. Pluto’s backtrack cycle (into Sagittarius through November) is re-ignited by the Galactic Centre. Sourcing from this potent energy vortex through November, you stand poised to be transformed at multi-levels – key karmic thresholds are ignited now. Mercury in Gemini makes you (even more) conscious of this fact; your new direction becomes more obvious now – in fact, it seems to have a life of its own. July 6 – 9, schedule meetings, key talks, bank negotiations, etc. Mars conjoining Saturn (July 10) can bring you to a pinnacle or end re professional or material matters. You can also come to the end of the road with a long-standing debt or relationship that has run its course. Step by step, you’ll discover more viable ways to repair/heal the mistakes of the past and to find more efficient ways to carry on from here. Be selective when taking on added responsibility, tighten it up, downsize where possible. Make sure everything you need is in close proximity and readily available.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 21 – Jan. 20)
The Super Moon July 2 brings partnership matters and financial comfort zones into primary focus. New relationships can get quite cozy right off the bat. We will see you putting even more serious effort into it making that good thing better yet. “What about me” is sure to play as a feature issue too. Yes, you deserve to get as good as you give. Do you need to voice it more? Off and on, communication channels open wide, there are plenty of opportune moments to lay it on the table (July 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 – 12, 22 – 29.) The first week of the month also sparks your social life (and your flirtatious side) – make plans or let spontaneity deliver.
July 10 onward, Mars and Saturn can break you out of a rut, a slump, a stalemate, or a silence. Watch for your long awaited news or answer. This turning point date could mark an event (the start of a holiday; a wedding, anniversary, etc.) or bring a business association, an official arrangement/agreement to the next level (it can be time to end, review, or renew a contract or lease. An important sale or key financial matter can complete around July 29. Ready for adventure, Mars and Jupiter pick up the pace July 22 – 31; you should find your enthusiasm, creativity, playfulness, luck, and resilience rise past mid month. Travel, special events, visitors, and more lucrative opportunities add more bounce to your step; health, and overall well-being perk up nicely too.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 – Feb. 19)
Health and work (or escaping from work) are the focus of the Super New Moon July 2. Relationships at work can grow quite close knit – and perhaps even incestuous at times. A particular someone could be especially helpful – or conversely, need extra attention from you. That one thing or that one instant that can make all the difference; don’t hold back, give, and, if you need something, ask. You can see more unity and pulling together now, especially when it comes to family matters or the family business. Work can be especially lucrative during the holidays (July 1 – 3), a new job could be quite rewarding. Do whatever you can to make your day run easier, upgrade as necessary, use what is readily available, stay frugal, and take advice to heart.
In the days just prior to July 10, you could see things suddenly kicked into high gear. Even though you may see a desired goal achieved, you could feel quite financially drained or emotionally depleted as Mars and Saturn conjoin. Among the varied ways the planetary energies can be experienced, Mars and Saturn could also bring disappointment (perhaps someone is not supporting you enough), a rejection, or hard news to swallow. If your health needs tending, try to slow it down to a crawl and have patience with your process.
Watch for the Full Moon July 18 to reveal a blind spot, oversight, or vulnerability. Then again, the Full Moon could simply deliver a weekend to pull the plug on work or responsibilities, and to get solid R & R. If things were financially or romantically difficult earlier in the month, watch for Mars and Jupiter bring relief and revitalization July 22 onward.
PISCES (Feb. 19 – March 20)
A new groove comes easily as the month starts. The Super New Moon on July 2 is especially favorable on your chart, so you should find yourself in a good cycle. Watch for Loved ones to put extra attention your way. It can be a sweet time to spend with family, especially your kids. Less is best; Mars and Saturn say it is time to stop the over-activity and to prioritize the projects and people who matter the most. Choose quality over quantity every step of the way. Your social life and catering to the kids can make for very full days through this first week. Visitors come and visitors go – you’ll be happy to see both. Mars and Saturn can be a tight squeeze aspect; your patience can be tested. July 10 can be especially eventful, or bring you to a full stop. Either way, you’ll feel a great energy shift and feel lighter/freer after this date. The Full Moon July 18 can be encouraging, enlightening, or even luck generating (re money or love!) It’s a great weekend to take off somewhere, or to enjoy a wedding, celebration, or outdoor event, etc. Visitors or long distance calls can bright your day too. July 22 through end of the month can be more lucrative for sales and business, and is also a great time for vacationing, play, and romance.