July 2011

PLANET REPORT: With a solar eclipse drawing the curtains up on July, we can expect something out of the ordinary to kick the month off. With a big emphasis on the four cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn - this is certainly an active month that contains an unusual mix of frustration and calmness.

Like a long wave that crests and smashes to shore at the New Moon of the 1st at 8:55pm (NZT), what makes this New Moon potent is the fact that it falls in the Moon’s own sign Cancer. The twist is that Saturn’s involvement acts like a sea-wall - solid and protective on the shore - so this wave is likely to hit the wall and barrel back over itself. This translates to a heightening of feelings (Moon in Cancer) but a blocking of our ability to process the ego (solar eclipse) in relation to other people’s emotions and responses.

The amplified nature of feelings means we are vulnerable to misreading cues and reactions and taking everything far too personally. The danger also lies with hair-trigger impulses ready to leap out. If we can side-step the sensitivity and work hard to release suppressed emotions safely, we can avoid the depressive thoughts that Saturn sometimes encourages. New Moons are always new beginnings but Saturn’s involvement means we will be scaling back and feeling cautious rather than charging ahead simply because it is hard to read into situations.

From a bigger perspective, new tenant in Taurus, Jupiter, trines Pluto in the first of a series of three connections in the lead up to July 8th; the second connection will be October 2011 and March 2012 linking all three months together like a daisy chain. In earth signs, we are likely to be given the tools to bridge gaps, cross divides and plough new fields but, while supposedly benefic in nature, trine aspects do not always translate into action or of using the tools properly. Sometimes they can indicate complacency or a presumption that things will work out simply because we have been handed the tools or they could point to lost or wasted opportunities.

Patience and deliberation is also important because whatever starts in July might not take shape until October and culminate in March 2012. Uranus, the eccentric rebel, turns retrograde on July 10th and adds to the swell of contradictory currents – the rebel within may have to reconsider what is worth rebelling against. The Full Moon in Capricorn stirs the melancholic pot on the 15th at 06:41pm when events from six months ago reach a culmination. Prepare for the reality of a situation but remember that things may appear worse than they really are. All in all, July is an irritatingly odd month that, without appearing so, can be used to weave connections, setup projects or build bridges to next March.

ARIES: Lunar activity splices across your domestic vs outer life sectors this month highlighting issues at home and in the family that are affected by, or affect, your career, life direction or public image. There’s actually quite a build-up of energy across the four quarters of your life – you, your home, your relationships and your career – so this might a signal a cross-roads for some. Despite the inner agitation of wanting to shake and move the stuck areas of your life, it’s the emotional base that requires the most energy. Family, parents or domestic issues kick off the month as an eclipse darkens the doorway of this area. View these situations as a chance to begin again despite the uncertainty and emotional wobbliness. Sometimes, we need a shove to get moving and even though it hurts at the time, we would stagnate otherwise. Financially, maximise the resources available to your within your career to be capitalised upon by next March.

TAURUS: A beautiful aspect between Jupiter in your very own sign and Pluto in your zone of higher thinking can help to strengthen your resolve and bolster your belief in yourself and the wider world. What you think, read or hear will help you navigate through the rest of the year and help smooth the turbulent communications and thought processes of July. Books, articles and subscribing to a certain belief – particularly older, tried and tested viewpoints - are your anchors now, especially when rocky issues between siblings and neighbours provide potentially problematic situations as July begins. Some of these issues would normally have the potential to destabilise your own ideas if it weren’t for the inner strength that shines through the melancholia mid-month.

GEMINI: With Mars in your sign all month, this is an intellectually active month. If there are letters to write, people to talk to or facts to digest, July is the month when you will feel compelled to make a stand. Yes, this can mean confrontation in discussions but this can be handled in many ways and a well-thought out reasoning process will give you a huge head start. Finances on the other hand, will follow an unpredictable path to the Full Moon on the 15th, which occurs in your zone of other people’s resources and money. This could mean that a settlement or claim may finally be resolved and even though the outcome may not be as good as you would have wished for, at least you can put it behind you. For others, it’s best to tackle situations associated with debt, insurance, tax, a mortgage or inheritance with a practical realistic mindset. Your strength this month lies on an inner level where you can trust your instincts and work toward next March.

CANCER: Happy birthday Cancer! With a solar eclipse occurring at New Moon in your sign on the 1st making everything appear shadowy and restrained, this could be a good time to dig within for answers. You are the most sensitive sign, not only to the Moon as she waxes and wanes each month, but also to the undercurrents of your own feelings as well as other people’s. Sometimes, you can read too deeply into what others are feeling and doing and this could be a good opportunity to break up negative emotional patterns. Friendships provide the anchor in the stormy seas this month and one particular liaison will be played out over July, October and next March. A future, past or current relationship will calm the waters and is worth working on for the therapeutic qualities it possesses – having said that, it needs to be a two-way meeting of needs.

LEO: People, events and memories from the past may be illuminated by the New Moon of the 1st. With an eclipse occurring in the secretive, hidden, confidential slice of your chart, something or someone will come to light that helps you get past the roadblocks that existed in another time and place. This can be unsettling or it can be the next step in your emotional evolution. For others, normally outgoing, you may be drawn to spending your time more quietly and reflectively as your birthday year draws to a close. For others still, this might be a time when you seek answers from people who work in caring roles, or you might take an emotional, spiritual or physical retreat somewhere. On a larger scale, your professional life is reaching new heights and July brings opportunity to deepen your role within your niche. It might appear easy at first glance but the harder you work and the more patience you have, the better the results by next March.

VIRGO: There’s a beautiful earth trine between Jupiter and Pluto this month that is the first in a three part series of connections that will enhance the lives of Virgos, Taureans and Capricorns. The first is July, the second October and third is March 2012. Occurring from your realm of higher thinking and education, whatever you pump into your knowledge base is likely be from hands on experience and research and will translate into a long-term pool of comprehension and skill. Exploring the wider world of publishing and the internet, this is a great time to build a website, write an article or exhibit your work. The New Moon on July 1st occurs in your zone of friends, acquaintances and highlights emotional connections that require hard work. While the Full Moon on the 15th brings challenges with a child or in romance. Sports and leisure are also in focus as is creative pursuits. Look at setbacks as valuable learning tools.

LIBRA: Like the other cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer and Capricorn, Libran folk will tend to be slightly more reactive to the lunar activity that spills across the month. There are conflicting and contrary aspects at work in July but there is also a very real opportunity to increase stability in the domestic area by working on packages and plans that involve other people’s resources and economic input. This can be anything from a payout, inheritance or settlement, to negotiations with banks or creditors. The results will come about as developments occur over July, October and March 2012 so, just like anything that is worth waiting for, the process will take time and attention. Coming back to the New Moon and Full Moon, which fall across your life direction and domestic sectors on the 1st and 15th respectively, you may feel like you are hitting dead ends and brick walls when you approach, report or show your work to people who matter, however, setbacks should be viewed as an opportunity to go back and review any weaknesses. For others, you may have given it your very best shot and now it’s simply time to try another avenue.

SCORPIO: Allow other people to teach you something this month Scorpio. A mentor, guide, friend or partner could take on the role of teacher in July and what they have to show you will give you food for thought and a deeper understanding of how to communicate your ideas, thoughts and concepts. Whether on a small or large scale, it may take until October and then March 2012 to streamline and refine what you learn but it will be an experience that is well worth taking on board. For others, sibling relationships could reach a turning point and if there has been conflict in the past, this could be the right time to forgive and forget rather than hold onto negative feelings. The New Moon on the 1st and the Full Moon of the 15th also highlight the power of thinking big in the face of obstacles and setbacks. A new phase begins and it’s time to rethink the bigger picture of your life.

SAGITTARIUS: With your ruler Jupiter dangling a carrot at Pluto in your money zone, there is plenty of incentive to work harder and longer at a work project that shows all the signs of being a success in the future. This is a three-part process over a period of months leading up to March 2012 so you can’t afford to sit back and think that the details will take care of themselves. You’re close to getting something off the ground and your aim needs to be higher each time you pass through one level of the playing field. Once you have got the rhythm, it will be easy to go up one step at a time. A new financial phase begins on the 1st but it will difficult to see past the emotional obstacles. This could be anything from sharing and dividing possessions to revising and restructuring debts. Work through the challenges to reach a stable position, even if it means down-sizing or giving up some luxuries. Keep in touch with people and organisations rather than avoiding them.

CAPRICORN: Like Cancer, all the astro-action is happening across your sign. The New Moon occurring in your relationship zone means that emotional scenes with other people are likely if there have been issues building up over a period of six months. It will be hard to open up and discuss feelings but by the Full Moon in your sign on the 15th, there will have to be some resolution. Despite all the obstacles and challenges at the half way point of your birthday year, there is also a longer-term trend operating in your zone of children that will make you happy with breakthroughs and their progress, achievements or attitudes. This marks a settled period where growth happens in leaps and bounds over several months. The romantic and creative arena of your life also falls in this area and will provide a safe harbour for you to retreat to not only in July but also October and March 2012. A delicate month that is full of potential at the same time.

AQUARIUS: Work and health are top priority in July. With a New Moon occurring in this area on the 1st, your emotional barometer will be linked directly to stress levels and your workload. Try to balance up long hours with good food, relaxation and exercise. If there are emotional situations that impact on your enthusiasm and enjoyment, then step back from the people who drain your energy. It will be hard to separate your emotional involvement but offering a logical viewpoint to highly reactive situations can help diffuse the tension. The bigger picture in your domestic arena is undergoing a re-jig this year with Jupiter passing through. When the first of a series of three aspects occurs this month, insights and understanding will surface whereby you can connect the dots between the past as it relates to your present situation. Somehow the end of a situation will be a process that takes until March 2012 to complete but will be a lot easier than before.

PISCES: Your social connections will provide solid ground for networking this month and what takes place in July will provide a stepping stone to even deeper bonds in October and March 2012. This could be a group situation where common interests bind you together, or it could be that you meet someone who helps you to build on an idea. Intellectually, this is a solid month for writing, speaking and communicating. A sibling or neighbour could also play a large part in opening your mind to practical avenues of self-expression and certainly this is where your opportunities lie. For others, exams and tests prove to be easier to study for, or you may become fascinated with particular topics, books and articles that deepen your understanding. Emotional situations with a son or daughter may not be easy to deal with but as long as the lines of communication are kept to the practical issues at hand, you can draw boundaries around sensitive matters.