All Times Pacific: Astrology Report July 10-July 18
Basics:
*Aspects do not cause things to happen. Plotinus explained it best: “Everything in the world is full of signs. All events are coordinated. All things depend on each other. Everything breathes together.”
*Aspects have different duration. Lunar aspects are only hours long. Sun and Mercury aspects may only last a few days. Saturn transits last for more than a year. Neptune and Pluto transits last years.
*Aspects are not necessarily strongest when exact. Sometimes people experience the peak earlier or later. Also, the experiences indicated by aspects may blend, amplifying, distorting, or obstructing each other.
*So called negative aspects can have positive influences. like a Saturn square that teaches us patience and grounds our ideas in accomplishments. Positive aspects can be negative such as Venus trine Jupiter which can indicate over-indulgence and false optimism. All aspects contain a spectrum of potential experiences. The low end are the painful times caused by stubborn wrong doing. The high end by actions that represent the best in all of us; a kind of mindful congruence with the way things are going, what the Chinese call Dao (Tao).
*Like weather reports this astrological report is not meant to be followed religiously. Would we wear a certain outfit for every single degree of change in the weather? Astrology can teach the art of flowing with the currents of life. That is the aim of these reports.
Friends, we have before us another example of the bumpy ride this summer promises to be. Good and bad aspects intertwine. Today sun sextile Uranus was exact about an hour and a half after midnight. Explore the eccentric, try something new, embrace change, enjoy the unexpected. Avoid staying focused on the rut of disturbing news. Take time to sort thoughts. But also take time to appreciate the little things.
Monday July 11 only lunar aspects are exact.
Tue July 12 Mercury square Chiron is exact in the evening followed 20 minutes later by Venus trine Saturn. The first can indicate issues in the area of health, on an individual and collective level. Problems that have been swept under the rug by wishful thinking are likely to show up, and as suggested in a previous report, in higher risk areas a return to indoor mask mandates is in discussion. In our own lives this is a time to emphasize good habits, rein in bad ones, and pay attention to the messages our bodies send us about what’s good for us and what isn’t. As Quimby once said, “Health is how the body experiences the immortality of the soul.”
Wed July 13 the full moon in Capricorn is exact in the late morning. Capricorns may feel energized. In the late afternoon Mercury sextile Uranus indicates the desire for freedom, for new and strange experiences, an attraction to novelty, and surprising realizations. In the late evening Venus square Neptune so avoid over-doing escapism, especially involving intoxicants. But also a time when with a little effort romance and creative artistry can be especially strong. Don’t let the challenges stop you from working on your relationships and projects.
Thu July 14 only lunar aspects are exact.
Fri July 15 Venus inconjunct Pluto is another aspect that can indicate health issues, perhaps caused by compulsive pursuit of pleasure, or from the suppression of the need for love. This could range, for example, from excessive eating or intoxication on the individual level to collectively another pandemic surge or mutation, the result of risky behavior. In our own lives this aspect can cause problems in relationships and creative work. If we can make room for the good times of Venus but also for what Pluto reveals, what needs repair or reform, then we can get the best out of this aspect. Is our success hurting others? Can we adjust so that a greater good is served? Are we doing the necessary shadow work so we don’t unconsciously do the worst thing possible?
Sat July 15 sun and Mercury inconjunct Saturn are exact in the morning, another indication of possible issues around health. Good habits and plenty of rest can help us avoid trouble. Keep your environment clean. Chores are not drudgery, but actually a primary means of avoiding harm. As John Quincy Adams wrote, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” Sun conjunct Mercury is exact in the middle afternoon, an aspect that can indicate putting too much ego into communications. Be more careful this weekend when going out as these inconjunctions indicate elevated risk. Today Saturn square Uranus is five degrees from exact. An escalation in election hostility? More supply chain disruptions? The situation slowly develops until very nearly exact October. This aspect was with us pretty much all of last year; we may see our personal issues from that time return.
Next Sunday July 16 Mercury trine Neptune is exact not long after midnight. Sun trine Neptune is exact in the later afternoon. If you are a creative person this is a great time for imagination and inspiration. Don’t worry about editing. Dreams may provide insights. Again, avoid over-intoxication. A good time to encounter the mystical and explore the psychic. Venus enters Cancer at 8:32 PM. With Venus in Gemini we’ve been celebrating a pseudo return to normalcy, but as Venus in Cancer indicates love of home and focus on family it may be that heightened risk will turn our affections to our immediate surroundings again.
Monday July 17 Mercury opposition Pluto is exact one day before a Chiron station. Indicating compulsiveness and argumentative irritation, it is also good for research, especially about healing and spirituality, but also politics and the history of the institutions that wield power. Deep conversations may provide transformative insights, but so can tranquil solitude. Not a good time for risk taking. With Jupiter slowing down to stationary retrograde at the end of July not a good time to be overly optimistic or to take on financial speculation. A time to ponder how to evolve a better life. As Krishnamurti said, “If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation.”
