_edited.png)
Monthly Themes
Much of the astrology of the month is leading us up to the Venus retrograde. There are a series of minor and medium transits that will serve as instigations that are building up to something relatively big.
Along the way, shadow work will be bubbling its way to the surface. We may experience some new emotional revelations and some stagnant situations that are no longer tenable (and may demand action from us). Through it all, a surge of Leo transits will be helping us feel an improved sense of self and confidence. Expect to feel in your element... if you do the work! A reminder to us all that confidence and self-worth are not random gifts we receive. They are lifelong processes that we have to opt-in to.
This is a great month to write down everything that smarts, hurts, twinges and tweaks at our intuition and keep that in our pocket to do some thinking, writing, or working on later during a slowdown in Autumn.
1-7 July: Messages from the Depths
We begin our month on 1 July at 00:05 with Mercury Conjunct Sun (Cazimi) in Cancer (chart). "Cazimi" is a Latin transliteration of an Arabic word meaning "in the heart of the sun" and this moment will feature Mercury conjunct with the Sun within 0 degrees. Conjunctions are some of the most powerful transits in Astrology because it is a time when two planets' energies are fully aligned.
The Sun and Mercury will together bring a blending of vitality, consciousness, and a healthy dose of ego together with our intellect, our curiosity, and our ability and excitement around communication. These two will be within three degrees of each other from late evening 28 June through 3 July, but the exact moment of conjunction will be a powerful time for spiritual workings around receiving or dispatching important messages.
Because of the minor transits (Mercury in Cancer sextiling Jupiter in Taurus on 1 July at 2:10 (chart) and Jupiter in Taurus sextiling the Sun in Cancer on 1 July at 5:25 (chart)), this looks especially good—particularly for individuals with a Cancer Sun or Cancer rising. This could be something really life affirming for you!
If you’re a nocturnal person, definitely use the moment of the conjunction (0:05 on 1 July) and this would be great for channeling dreams, messages relating to creativity, or launching creative communication projects.
If you’re a diurnal person or are working with the previous month’s cycle of stepping into yourself and feeling yourself, use the time just after sunrise when the sun has just risen above the ascendant (for CT, that’s around 6:30). This time would be super well suited for message receiving or decreeing! In service of your sense of self.
Just a few days later on 3 July at 6:38 the Full Moon in Capricorn (chart) will play out amidst the Cazimi making for an interesting (and perhaps quite difficult or stark) lunation. This Full Moon may expose a tension or surprising truth that puts your comfort zone at odds with the things we know we need to do to progress. This will play out on the Cancer/Capricorn axis, so check out your natal chart to see which houses and topics will be affected.
10-17 July: Strong Opinions May Form.
On 10 July at 6:40, Mars will enter Virgo (chart). The last time Mars was in Virgo was from 29 July to 15 September, 2021. Look to where Mars and Virgo fall in your chart and make a note of what sort of chaotic, disruptive or passion-filled events were going on during that time.
Mars is a planet of passion, drive, sex, aggression, and can also bring chaotic, explosive, or cutting events into our lives. Virgo, on the other hand, is a mutable, earth sign of hard work, contentedness, productivity, creativity, practicality and control over the whims and emotions of everyday life. If you’re a Virgo rising or have a natal Mars in Virgo, this may be a somewhat disruptive or challenging time (especially if you were born during the day). Feel free to shoot me an email at 9livesastrology@gmail.com if you'd like me to take a look!
Later that same day, on 10 July at 23:11 , Mercury enters Leo (chart). We've been talking a lot through June and July about Leo energy and archetypes. Mercury in any sign has us curious, thinking, and talking about the topics that sign governs in our natal chart. So, for a little longer into the summer we will be talking about, feeling pride, and also feeling a sort of entitlement in the Leo area of our charts. This may not immediately be clear to you, but since we still have some Leo season to go, I would encourage you to pull up your chart and check out the Leo area.
When combined with the Mars in Virgo and all these Cancer placements, we may be feeling quite outspoken about the ways that others are infringing upon our sense of self and our boundaries.
On 17 July at 13:31 we will have a New Moon in Cancer (chart) that is a great opportunity for us to take a keen look at our needs and how they may be at odds with our comfort zones. Because this lunation features a square between Jupiter in Taurus and Mercury in Leo (17 July at 7:48 - Jupiter in Taurus Square Mercury in Leo (chart)) this may appear as a tension between our sense of what we deserve or really want and the real world needs we're currently meeting in our comfort zone. Some examples we discussed on the show sound like:
"I know I deserve a better partner, but I am afraid of the pain of initiating a breakup”
“I know that I’m underpaid and undervalued at my job, but looking for a new job right now just sounds so uncomfortable"
Or even "I know I need to rearrange my home/room, the energy in here is so stale, but I just can’t bring myself to use my one day off this week to make those changes.”
Take a look at all three—the Taurus, Leo, and Cancer zones of your chart—and find the tension like this that emerges from one or more of those zones. Use this New Moon as a time to take action!
17 - 21 July: Some Productive Tension
Before leading into the Venus Retrograde, we wil have one rough (though hopefuly productive!) day on 20 July at 15:38 when Saturn in Pisces opposes Mars in Virgo (chart). These two planets will actually be applying and separating from one another from 15 July - 26 July and will be exact from 3:00 on 20 July through 18:00 on 21 July.
These planets are each "malefics", meaning they can bring challenge and disruption to our lives. Saturn is a planet of restriction, longevity, doing what you ought to (not always what you want to) and has a sort of stern and cold parental energy. Mars is a planet of aggression, disruption, eruption, and passion. In an opposition, these two forces push and pull against one another.
This is just one small window of this month, so this isn’t will not be a huge, life-changing event for everyone, but it will be a period when these energies are in major and direct tension. This will play out across the Virgo/Pisces spectrum of your chart, which may reveal a sort of emotional need for change restricting your desire to leave things the way they are. You may be evicted from an emotionally comfortable situation…. And have to generate your own comfort about that and the fallout.
If you were born at night, it’s likely that Saturn is more restrictive and challenging while Mars can bring more productive disruptions into your life. If you were born during the day, it’s likely that Mars is more disruptive and challenging for you and Saturn can bring more productive roadblocks into your life.
It's important to note that there are many caveats to the above ground rules because of the ways planets can be dignified and behave in our natal chart. As always, email with questions or start paying attention to how these transits affect you and patterns will emerge.
With that being said, this may be an especially intense period of time for Scorpio, Aries, Aquarius or Capricorn risings and/or people with prominent planetary features in those areas of their chart. And, yet, if you’re a person listed above, chances are these transits don’t even feel all that tough for you because you’ve spent a lifetime negotiating them (like me!).
22 July: Venus Retrograde Begins
A big energetic shift comes on 22 July at 20:33 when Venus stations Retrograde (until 3 September) (chart) and, just a few minutes later on 22 July at 20:51 when the Sun enters Leo (chart).
Probably most of us are familiar with Mercury retrogrades which seem to impact everyone. Because Mercury is neither nocturnal nor diurnal, feminine nor masculine, benefic nor malefic, Mercurial transits can seem to impact everyone. Mercury retrogrades also happen a few times each year. Yet, with planets like Venus ("feminine", "nocturnal", "benefic", and in-retrograde every 18 months or so) and Mars ("masculine", "nocturnal", "malefic", and in-retrograde every 26 months or so), they can affect everyone in quite different ways.
The Astrology Podcast recently did a fantastic deep dive into the significations of Venus Retrogrades and even created a worksheet you can use to look at how their eight-year, five-pointed geometric cycles have impacted you in the past.
But here are some important notes about Venus in retrograde
Benefic planets (like Venus) are benefic to us all. They’re more or less benefic depending on mitigating circumstances in the natal chart, but they don’t bring bad into our lives.
This doesn't mean you won't have any experiences during this time that may feel or seem bad.
This is an 8-year cycle and may be resurfacing or echoing things that took place from 25 July - 6 September 2015.
Venus retrogrades bring matters and humans back into our lives relating to past interpersonal relationships, friendships, aesthetics, art, social norms, creativity, passions, and pleasure. This retrograde will also carry the significations of whichever area of your chart is governed by Leo.
This transit starts roughly, straight up. It's going to be a little rough at the outset there because we have a sign based conjunction with Mercury and have Chiron stationing retrograde as well within two days. This indicates a deep-seating, long-simmering something which may bubble up and come to clearer focus on 27 July at 10:15 when Venus (Rx) in Leo conjunct Mercury (chart). When on 28 July at 16:32, Mercury enters Virgo (chart) don't be surprised if you find yourself vocalizing or formulating strong, opinions about the matters at hand.
However, the astrology of the retrograde period, does seem to end in a softer way and indicated something constructive or confidence-building.
I have set up a free, 20-minute Venus Retrograde-specific consultation reading on my website, so please feel free to book that or shoot me an email with your questions/birth details and I can take a look at your chart and give you some insights.
As always, I encourage you to reach out to me at 9livesatrology@gmail.com if you need help making sense of this report or anything else going on in your life. Even if it's just to provide feedback on the show or report, I love hearing from you all every month!
Notes on process:
All referenced times are United States' Central Time zone, but will be relevant within an hour or two for anyone in North America. Find exact times for your location by using a Transit calendar like this (straightforward) or this one (in depth).
I use traditional Hellenistic and modern techniques within a Western/Tropical astrological framework and calculate using Whole Sign Houses. For more information on my process, see here. Astrologer Chani Nicholas has a fantastic and equitably made tool to generate your natal chart with Whole Sign Houses (most common apps support this feature, but do not use it as a default) that is free to use here.
For more information about astrology, witchcraft, and other pagan paths, visit the Pathways of the Pagan Discord channel here or add me as a friend!