July will be a month to remember. No matter what your sign is, you will be affected in some fashion. July comes with two powerful eclipses: a Partial Solar Eclipse in Cancer and a Total Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius.
Three planets change direction in July: firstly, Chiron goes retrograde on the 4th of July, showing you healing is possible, as long as you take responsibility for it.
A few days later, on July 10th Jupiter goes direct, instilling a sense of hope and faith. Last but not least, on July 26th, the day just before the Total Lunar Eclipse, Mercury goes retrograde in the sign of Leo, taking you on a 3-week journey of introspection and heart-searching.
Let's have a look at the major astrological events of the month:
On July 3rd, 2018 Mercury is conjunct the North Node of the Moon, ringing the bell: "The eclipse season is coming!". Mercury was the messenger of Gods in Greek mythology. With his winged feet and helmet, Mercury was known for carrying important messages from the skies and from the underworld.
This conjunction is at the same degree on the Nodal Axis as the powerful Lunar Eclipse on July 27th, so Mercury will bring you a message straight from the gates of Karma! Pay attention to anything that happens today – as it will likely be connected to the Total Lunar Eclipse on July 27th.
On July 4th, 2018 Chiron goes retrograde. Chiron shows what our deepest wound is. Chiron also shows us what can we do to heal that wound, and turn it into a gift.
When Chiron goes retrograde, healing goes inward. Right now it's less about seeking help from the outside. It's more about how you can connect the dots and heal yourself from the inside. Chiron retrograde will help you wove back together the broken parts of the Self and become whole again.
The first and foremost step in healing is embracing those parts of you that you despise, those parts of you that you are ashamed of. You cannot heal yourself unless you embrace your broken parts.
Chiron, now in Aries, will move back into Pisces for a few months, helping you revisit any unfinished business you may have lying around. Chiron goes direct again on December 8th, 2018 and goes back into Aries on February 18th, 2019.
This Aries-Pisces-Aries retrograde - from the beginning of the zodiac (the first degrees of Aries) to the end of the zodiac (the last degrees of Pisces) - is your great opportunity to make peace with the past and break the cycle of dysfunction.
On July 5th, 2018 the Sun (now at 13° Cancer) trines Jupiter in Scorpio. In the same day Mercury (at 8° Leo) opposes Mars in Aquarius.
On the one hand, you will feel in tune with your emotions (Sun and Jupiter trine in water signs). On the other hand, you will want to fight for your principles (Mercury-Mars opposition in fixed signs).
At worst, you will feel you have the right to be angry and as a result, you may act in ways you later regret. At best, the conflict will help you better understand other people's deeper motivations – and the result can be a breakthrough. Mars retrograde will help you see a different side of the story.
On July 9th, 2018 Venus enters Virgo. Venus shows how we give and receive love. If Venus in Leo is all showy and demands attention and respect, Venus in Virgo loves to be of help. Venus in Virgo cares about the others.
No matter what your natal Venus placement is, in the coming weeks you will be more willing to be of service. You will pay more attention to other people's unspoken needs and desires. And the good news is that the others will do that, too. Venus in Virgo may be a bit more clumsy showing love, but her love is real – she really cares! - and in the end, this is what matters.
On July 10th, 2018 Jupiter goes direct! When the planet of luck, growth, and abundance starts moving forward, hope is installed and dreams come true again. Jupiter direct is great news for everyone, even more so if you have planets around 13° Scorpio.
Jupiter in Scorpio brings things into the light - remember the Harvey Weinstein scandal? So you can expect more Scorpionic topics to come to the surface around this date. There will be a feeling of "I can't keep this to myself, I have to bring it to the surface". And this is a good thing because what is released loses its power over you.
On July 11th – July 13th Venus makes harmonious trine aspects with Uranus and Saturn. Because these aspects take place at the same time with the Plutonian Solar Eclipse in Cancer, there is a feeling in the air that "I can't help falling in love".
You may feel that there are higher forces at play that guide your heart to the unknown. Eclipses always bring a feeling of fatedness. And because Venus is activated at the time of the eclipse, fated love, unexpected encounters, deep tormenting feelings can turn your life upside down.
On July 12th, 2018 we have the first Eclipse of the season: a Solar Eclipse in Cancer. This is going to be a highly intense eclipse because the Sun is not only swallowed by the shadow of the Moon - even if just partially - but is also opposite Pluto!
This is the first eclipse on the Cancer-Capricorn axis (we are still on the Leo-Aquarius eclipse axis, as the Nodes of the Moon are still in Leo-Aquarius). This first Eclipse on the Cancer-Capricorn axis will give you some hints on your karmic dues from November 2018 on, when the Nodes will switch to Cancer and Capricorn.
The week after the eclipse is astrologically uneventful. I guess the reason for that is we WILL need a break after this intense, Plutonian Solar Eclipse.
On July 22nd, 2018 the Sun moves into its favorite sign, Leo. Sun is the planet of energy, vitality, and divine consciousness. Leo is the sign of creativity and lust for life. Leos, of course, will benefit best from this transit. But no matter what your sign is, the Sun will infuse you with passion, creativity, and a zest for life.
On July 26th, 2018 Mars is opposite the Sun, meaning Mars is now halfway through its 2-years cycle.
On the same day Mercury stations retrograde, intensifying the planetary chaos. Moods can go from one extreme to another. When Mercury changes course, it brings a change of mind. Mercury goes retrograde in Leo and will spend quite a lot of time in this sign. Have a look where you have Leo in your chart to see which area of your life is due for a revision.
July 27th, 2018 comes with one of the most important astrological events of the season. Rivers of ink have flowed since the beginning of the year about this Eclipse, and I will write an in-depth report about it, no doubt – but until then, I just want to leave you with the 'technical details'.
The Total Lunar Eclipse is 'total' because it's very close to the South Node of the Moon. It is, in fact, just 1° apart. The Total Lunar Eclipse is at 4° Aquarius and the South Node is at 5° Aquarius.
If that was not enough, the Lunar Eclipse is exactly conjunct Mars retrograde! In Vedic tradition, the South Node (aka Ketu, the dragon's tail) is said to have the character of Mars. So this is a double Mars eclipse. AND, Mars is retrograde, which means Mars is stronger and plays by different rules than it usually does.
Important events will take place at a global level, and also at an individual level. That's especially if you have planets or angles around 5° in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius).
