July 2017 Monthly Forecast

Get Ready for Next Month’s Eclipse – Awake and Aware!

July’s astrology is preparation all round for the Total Solar Eclipse in August in Leo when there’s a major shift in energies. So what can you do to be prepared?

In mid-July there’s a converging wave of significant alignments that have us wondering who, what, when, where, why, how? These are eclipse practice energies. Let’s say your boyfriend or other loved one does something odd; it will pay to look deeper. What are their deeper stresses, desires, pressures? What are yours? Is there something to address before life sends the bigger energies in with the 22 August Total Eclipse?

Venus, Mars and Mercury show the way. Assessing what’s happening with each of them gives tips that head us toward the good-sides of the Eclipse-energy in August, not the downsides.

Mercury Enters Shadow-phase Pre-Retro

Mercury goes into Leo on 20 July and will be hanging out in Leo until September, with dips in and out of Virgo due to being Retro most of August. And the Total Eclipse on the 22nd is in Leo too. On 25 July, Mercury goes into the retro shadow phase:

• Start Shadow – 25 Jul 17, Leo
• Start Retro – 13 Aug 17, Virgo
• Start Direct – 5 Sep 17, Leo
• Leaves Shadow – 20 Sep 17, Virgo

For the exact degrees and minutes, check out the table I’ve put together here.

Mercury’s Association with Spirit Guides

Mercury is known as the ‘guide’ planet because Mercury’s role is often to help beings travel safely from one point to the next, which is why Mercury is also known as the connecting and networking planet. Mercury had an important role in protecting and supporting souls who were on their way into the underworld and helped them when they came back out again. Mercury is also the planet of choice-making.

The underworld can be thought of in many ways, both positive and negative, but there might be some underworlds we’d prefer not to get trapped in. It could be the case that Mercury was either a guide trying to trick a soul into the underworld or a guide trying to help stop them ending up there in the first place, or later help them get out.

It’s interesting that Mercury will be in Leo, the same zodiac sign as the 22 August Total Eclipse, and Mercury is in Leo both before and after the Eclipse, either tricking us or helping us in and out of the Eclipse period. Spirit guides come under the theme of Mercury, and I’ve just completed a blog on spirit guides to coincide with these current energies, here.

Venus Rebirthing Now in Gemini

With the up-coming Eclipse in fire-sign Leo, we’re reminded how this is the Year of the Fire Rooster. Plus there are many other fire influences, including how Venus was in fire-sign Aries for most of the first half of 2017; an unusual thing, as Venus normally moves through a zodiac sign about once a month.

Now that Venus is out of Aries, she’s moving away from feeling she has to be the man for her Mars and is beginning to enjoy all the colours of the zodiac again. She spent June in the green earthy hues of Taurus, coming back to earth and noticing what’s going on with her body and routines. On 5 July, Venus moves into the blue airy-white hues of Gemini where she’ll spend the rest of the month.

Venus in Gemini either receives more of the standard cultural information downloads or pays attention to what doesn’t sit well with her gut-heart-head knowing and steps off the run-of-the-mill and onto natural truth energies.

Venus & Mars Mid-July Alignments

Let’s hope Venus stays awake, as she has some challenges mid-month, when on 18 July she squares Neptune, god-of-the-sea-drink-and-drugs (from approx 15 to 21 July). A positive use of Neptune’s energy would be to take free-flowing time wherever needed in your days to stretch, yawn, breathe, dance, relax and be playful to allow life’s natural energies into your heart and soul.

Mars is on red-alert and edgy as he faces thunderbolt-god, Uranus. On 18 July (the same day Venus squares Neptune) Mars squares Uranus (the span of influence is from 9 to 21 July approx). So while Venus is doing her best not to get lured each night into the back corners of nightclubs, Mars is doing his best not to become an irritable success-obsessed robot.

If Mars and Venus are allies to each other during this time, they’ll notice if either gets off track and help the other snap out of it. It’s just as possible for Venus to surrogate for Mars and become the success-obsessed robot and almost electrocute herself with technology, or for Mars to hit the booze.

Inner Zombie Alert! Mid-July Helps Wake Up

But if Venus and Mars become zombified simultaneously by Smart apps and alcohol, for example, it could be a difficult ride through the second half of July, with energies dipping into lower vibrations while heading toward the Eclipse.

A couple more key dates in July help us work out where we are on that scale, as it can be tricky to not fall into zombie-zone as so much about the technology of 21st-century-living seems to encourage it. On 21 July, the Sun squares Uranus (date range approx from 14 to 23 July). There are many squares to Uranus this month. Uranus is the planet most connected with technology, waking up or being shut down.

The Leo Energy Volume Is Turned Up

On 20 July, Mars enters Leo and on the 21st, Mercury and the North Node are conjunct together in Leo. Then on the 23rd, there’s a New Moon in Leo on the very same day the Sun itself enters Leo, plus the Sun is the ruling planet of Leo. Lots going on in Leo! With Leo we are either elegantly on track with dignity toward success and fulfilment, for self and others, or we have become tricked into power games, consciously or unconsciously, with winner/loser, power-over/power-under values.

On 27 July, Mars in Leo is right next to the Sun in Leo (span of dates is approx 23 July to mid-Aug) and this conjunction stays strong all the way until the Total Eclipse in Leo on 22 August. What could fire planets Mars and the Sun united in the Eclipse’s fire zodiac sign be preparing us for? Could this be a call to pay big attention to the personal inner flame and check what value system is fuelling it? Are you happy with that value system? Do you feel proud of yourself deep down inside? In your most honest moments, are you excited about where you’re headed?

Go Deeper with Your Sun, Your Heart, Your Beloved

The whole of July is fantastic for having an adventure into the fires of your own heart, both in terms of personal life-path desires and also love. For Leo rules the heart, the core of the self, the core of the soul, and is our best chance to connect with the beloved. But which heart value system are you following? There are many out there in the cultural and subliminal belief system sets. How is your own inner heart, your own true north faring? This month’s energies might bring some surprising answers to heart questions and inspire fresh vision through fresh eyes.

For a list of all this month’s Key dates, go here.

July’s 1st Quarter Moon

For information on the 1st Quarter Moon in Libra on 1 July, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 1st Quarter Moon four weeks later. The effect of the 1st Quarter Moon lasts a week until the Full Moon, and on a sub-level it lasts the whole month from this 1st Quarter Moon until the next one.

July’s Full Moon

For information on the Full Moon in Capricorn on 9 July, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next Full Moon four weeks later. The effect of the Full Moon lasts a week until the 3rd Quarter Moon, and on a sub-level it lasts the whole month from this Full Moon until the next one.

July’s 3rd Quarter Moon

For information on the 3rd Quarter Moon in Aries on 17 July, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 3rd Quarter Moon four weeks later. The effect of the 3rd Quarter Moon lasts a week until the New Moon, and on a sub-level it lasts the whole month from this 3rd Quarter Moon until the next one.

July’s New Moon

For information on the New Moon in Leo on 23 July, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next New Moon four weeks later. The effect of the New Moon lasts a week until the 1st Quarter Moon, and on a sub-level it lasts the whole month from this New Moon until the next one.