July 1 New moon and solar eclipse A new moon and partial solar eclipse occur at 10 degrees Cancer on July 1 at 12:20 p.m. The focus this month is discovering what we need for nurturing and comfort. Most of us are better at nurturing other people than ourselves, so this month is about "nurturing the nurturer." Spend some time by or in the water (preferably hot) this month. Examine your needs for dependence on others. Is it hard for you to ask for help? Do you go out of your way to look independent so you don’t have to acknowledge your dependence needs? Open yourself to the nurturing influence of "the Mother" this month. You may be surprised by how she is always close to you through a myriad of helpful friends and loved ones! July 13 Venus enters Leo Venus will move through the sign of Leo from July 13 to August 6. With Venus in Leo we have an opportunity to reinvent our values though they remain rooted in our own unique experience. Having clarified our values, the natural inclination is to want to share our values with others, to connect with like-minded souls who support our individuality and creativity. Sharing with and being supported by like-minded souls gives us an opportunity to open our hearts to others. We can let down our guard to be truly received and appreciated for who we are. This can be a time of major heart opening. The Venus in Leo transit brings out our passion and desire to speak from our hearts. Venus in Leo calls us to return to the innocence of the child within, and to allow spontaneous outpourings of love to emanate from the heart chakra. With Venus in Leo we have an opportunity to liberate our hearts, to break free from inhibitions or beliefs that kept our hearts in the past from being fully opened. July 14-18 Venus sextile Jupiter, opposition Neptune Just after Venus moves into Leo, it will move into a positive configuration with Jupiter in Gemini and Neptune in Aquarius. Venus and Jupiter are the most beneficial planets, and together they bring expansion, joy, and abundance. Venus in opposition to Neptune asks us to balance our personal desires with our impulse to serve the collective. Use these transits to open your heart and to discover how you can put your compassion and unconditional love for others into action. July 16 Full moon and lunar eclipse The full moon and partial lunar eclipse occur at 24 degrees Capricorn on July 16 at 6:56 a.m. For this next month the emphasis is on creating emotional safety, groundedness, and security. Full moon in Capricorn calls us to reconnect with the earth element in our lives. This month's challenge is to tune into natural self-reliance. The lunar eclipse heightens our desire to take whatever steps are necessary to be more fully in our bodies, increasing security in the knowledge we are approaching life with a pragmatic and realistic focus. July 17 Mercury goes direct Mercury, retrograde since June 23, goes direct at 10 degrees Cancer on July 17. Mercury retrograde in Cancer suggests the combining of intellect (Mercury) with emotions (Cancer). Have you been feeling more emotional over this last 3 weeks? If so, now is the time to communicate with others the vulnerable feelings you've discovered. The fast track to intimacy is sharing the vulnerable side of yourself, the part that you think others will reject. Allow your vulnerability to be expressed, and you will offer your partner the greatest gift possible. July 20-23 Venus trine Pluto and Chiron Venus in Leo is in positive aspect to both Pluto and Chiron in Sagittarius from July 20 through 23. These transits facilitate us getting in touch with our passion. Venus/Pluto transits ask us to speak out about our convictions or what brings up righteous indignation. Many people never discover what they are passionate about, because a layer of anger often veils their passion. Since anger is seen by many as an undesirable quality, the underlying passion is often thrown out as well. Venus trine Chiron/Pluto asks us to speak out about our convictions, and heal wounds we may have around expressing our truth or our passion. July 22-August 24 Pluto conjunct Chiron With Chiron and Pluto conjunct in Sagittarius, the focus is on healing the wounds we have around trusting our inherent wisdom. It is now time to throw off the injunctions (from past and present lives) which prevented us from speaking the truth, as we know it. This can manifest as letting go of the thought that we must have advanced degrees or special training to validate and prove our spiritual authority. Or it may require that we learn to let go of the conscious mind long enough so our inherent wisdom can surface on it’s own without censoring. Having done our healing work, Pluto and Chiron in Sagittarius bring us incredible opportunities to powerfully manifest universal truth and wisdom on the planet. July 22 Sun enters Leo The sun moves into Leo on July 22 at 5:43 a.m. In nature it is the height of the heat of summer, and fruit is ripe and ready for picking. The Leo principle relates to ripening and expression of one's creative energies. Our job in Leo is to tap the beauty and fiery spirit of the divine child within, and to be role models for others showing how to let that energy flow outwards bringing it to fruition. July 22-August 1 Jupiter trine Neptune Jupiter in Gemini is in a cooperative aspect with Neptune in Aquarius from July 22 through August 1. This is an interesting combination as both planets are expansive and associated with developing a broader vision. Since Jupiter is in Gemini, the sign of concrete mentality, it is an especially good time to go on a vision quest. In the shamanic tradition, vision quests were opportunities to break out of the mold of everyday thinking (often through fasting or sacred substances) to attain a higher vision of one's purpose. The same outcome can be achieved with this transit by evoking and fostering the imaginal realm. As we bypass the rational mind through drawing, trance work, hypnosis, or dream work we access deeper layers of mind that can bring forth an expanded vision of who we are. July 28-August 1 Mars sextile Saturn Mars in Cancer is in a positive aspect with Saturn in Taurus from July 28 through August 1. This is a great transit to concentrate your will, so you can accomplish a great deal. It's not about pushing yourself real hard, however. Mars in Cancer likes to go with flow and not swim against the current. Let your emotions guide you where you can best manifest your will power. Try to surrender the thought that you make things happen. By allowing yourself to be "moved" into action you will get a tremendous amount done. July 30 New moon and solar eclipse in Leo Another new moon and partial solar eclipse occurs this month at 8 degrees Leo on July 30 at 7:13 p.m. With the new moon and solar eclipse in Leo, the focus this month is on nurturing ourselves through bringing out the divine child within. The divine child is the source of our creativity, spontaneity, and enthusiasm. Its qualities are mirrored back to us through the love and appreciation we have for the innocence and directness of the external children we meet in our day-to-day lives. What we love about our external children is the exact qualities inherent in our own divine child. Use this month to tap into your sense of wonder and awe, the joy and aliveness that you receive by being totally present and in the moment. Bring a sense of play into your life by being willing to let go of your seriousness and self-consciousness. Remember, no matter how deep your child may be buried among the rubble of responsibility and duty, as you take some time this month to nurture yourself on this level, you may be pleasantly surprised to find a willing child that wants to come out and play! July 31 Mars enters Leo Mars journeys through the sign of Leo from July 31 through September 17. With Mars in Leo this really brings up heat in the passion department. The positive pole or higher meaning of passion is self-actualization, so I’m not speaking about just sexuality here. Since Mars rules the power chakra, Mars in Leo creates a strong desire within us to express what we are passionate about. When I work with clients one of the things I look and listen for is clues to what they are passionate about. A seemingly depressed person will light up instantaneously when they begin to talk about their passion and what makes them feel alive. Use this transit to discover what you are passionate about, and begin to integrate it into your life more and more. James Jarvis, M.A. is a master astrologer, professional life coach, and transpersonal counselor. He combines an M.A. in transpersonal counseling, 29 years' experience with Eastern and metaphysical traditions, and 15 years coaching and empowering clients to actualize their full potential. For those who want support in discovering and manifesting their vision, James is available for astrological consultations and life coaching sessions by phone. For a brochure of his services, or to schedule phone or mail order consultations, call (831) 688-0574, e-mail <jjarvis@lifeqwest.com>, or visit <http://www.lifeqwest.com/>. |
Adding the universal year 2000 (2+0+0+0=2) to the 7th month of July yields the vibration of 9. The 9 month is a time to complete outstanding projects to free up and devote extra energy to your inner life. Take time for reflection and self-renewal this month. By nurturing the nurturer you can more readily dedicate yourself without reservation to serving others with compassion and devotion.