STAR GUIDANCE

Most would agree that the feminine is hard to explain. With the feminine there is a beginning which begets a new beginning… which then begets another new beginning! This is the creative process. It dips and weaves, spirals and descends -and that is exactly what July is going to feel like: the Feminine!

So let’s start at the beginning, which will beget a new beginning, which will beget another new beginning and so on… you’ll see. It’s hard to explain the feminine – you just have to feel and experience, but I’ll try to explain it. The goddesses are chiming in strongly this month, especially at the full moon. Venus and Mercury are moving into emotional Cancer. Jupiter is moving into Leo, expanding the creativity, and Saturn is going direct.

It starts on July 1^st when you will all be glad to hear that Mercury will be going direct. It means the end of the communication craziness of the last three weeks; however, expect it to go out with a bang. July 1^st  is a holiday in Canada and who knows what a bit a libation can do… so do be careful as the volume will get turned up on the Mercury confusion before it moves into clarity.

Two important days I want to highlight early in the month are July 4^th (Happy July 4^th, USA) and July 8^th.  These are days when the sun will be activating the Pluto-Uranus square I keep talking about. The Sun will oppose Pluto on the 4^th and I am flashing back to a July 4^th back when I was a teenager and snuck over to Port Huron, Michigan (sorry Mom!). I lived in Sarnia, Canada back in those days. If you don’t know it, it’s featured in the documentary ‘Bowling for Columbine.’ Here’s how it went down: one of the guys we were hanging out with got excited and decided to pull out a gun. Instead of shooting it in the sky, which may have been a better idea, shot into the gravel, sending us all flying in all directions and yelling at him with various expletives for his idiocy. I had a similar New Year’s Eve experience when the fireworks were aimed in the wrong direction… So here is my word of warning to all (especially to all Americans). Celebrate… but leave the guns and fireworks at home. Sun opposing Pluto will not make this a good combination. The second red flag is on July 8^th when the Sun will square Uranus. It will bring up similar excitability but at least it’s not a holiday.

On July 6^th, Venus will square Pallas. We might have a sudden realization that somehow we have lost our inspiration for creativity. Another way that it might manifest is that we are innocently walking past a mirror and all of a sudden get a glimpse of how much we have let ourselves go or that something is just off. Maybe we would like to forget all about it, but the next day Venus sextiles Uranus and all of a sudden we feel a spark generated by a love interest or an opportunity that suddenly comes our way. We may kick ourselves because we were caught off-guard and wish that we had our sh!t a little more together. In the moment, we are awkward and kind of fumble through it… It’s good though. Even though I see a little bit of discomfort coming up, an opportunity to make it better is just around the corner.

Venus squaring Chiron on the 8^th. With this aspect, we will be able to assess our relationships for how much they are supporting/undermining us. Yes, sometimes the people around us do not support our best interest and we have to do something about it. The Sun will trine Chiron on the 9^th, causing a renewed sense of purpose and a bit of a spiritual awakening. Pallas the asteroid goddess allows us to see patterns. She’s also the warrior goddess related to political activism is currently in Virgo where she is concerned with health and wellbeing through food, exercise, and creativity (usually in the crafts like sewing or weaving). She also tends to be very analytical here and, on the occasion, extremely perfectionist. She opposes Chiron on July 10^th so she might get down on herself for all of her bad habits and vices and (horror of horrors!) ways that she has let herself go, but this is a powerful opportunity to see things from a different perspective and to bring about healing. She is also supported by Saturn which will sextile Pallas on the same day, supporting us with a commitment to new patterns of behaviour and self-discipline. The Sun in nurturing Cancer is trine Saturn and sextile Pallas giving us the courage and commitment to make the changes. If you know a bit about astrology, you will see that with all the sextiles and trines happening a pattern formation called a kite is formed and that is exactly what we will feel like… like we are flying a kite. But for the kite to sail, you must get your kite together, take a bit of a run, and throw it up in the air. Take advantage of this energy and you will be amazed at the way the kite will dance.

The full moon falls on July 12^th at 20^o Capricorn. This  event will bring to fruition all that began at the New Moon in Capricorn in January. It happened on January 1^st so it might be easiest to think back to our New Year’s resolution. Capricorn is all about achievement, business, structures, and government, all things that have been experiences huge changes due to Pluto’s transit in Capricorn.  Now with the full moon in Capricorn, we will see just how far we have come. This full moon is doing some pretty spectacular things. It’s squaring the north node, Ceres, Vesta, and Mars all in Libra. If you’re used to that Libra energy being fair and gentle and compromising for the sake of balance, just throw things out of balance and see what happens. It’s a talk to the hand, “oh no you didn’t” kind of energy. Remember that goddesses can be loving and kind and nurturing, but also fierce.

Let me just give you a quick and dirty on what each of these means: The north node is not a planet – it’s a point. In Vedic astrology, they call it the dragon’s head. It’s a karmic point, meaning when the planets aspect this point, it brings to a head karmic situations.  Because it’s a point, a square to the head also means a square to the tail. The square to these points is a rebalancing of karma and a decision point. Which way are we gonna go? Are we sticking with the status quo or are we so fed up with things not working that we try something different?

Ceres is the mother goddess responsible for the cycles of nature, nurturing and loss, harvest and grains. Because Ceres is associated with the cycles of nature, she is also associated with birth and death – in Libra, it’s all got to do with relationships. Ceres in a square to the full moon brings a culmination of the balancing act on meeting our needs vs. others. Nurturing ourselves vs. others, being selfless, but to what extent? Ceres may feel like she’s doing all the cooking, cleaning, and forgetting herself… but not for much longer!

Vesta is the tender of eternal flame. The vestal goddess’s role is to keep that flame alive. It represents passion and dedication. In Libra she wants to share this passion, but with this square to the full moon it may cause a fear of merging. The fear may stem from a lack of gender equality within relationships (Libra). Can I just make a point here – All you men who read these horoscopes… maybe you call yourself a feminist and that is why you’re here… but are you still letting her do all the fire-tending?  Ego, patriarchal, and sometimes very unconscious male entitlement is being called into question here. Vesta might feel like she’s doing all the flame-tending and she doesn’t want to hear “but that’s your role honey, not mine” just because she’s the vestal goddess.

Mars is in its last days of being in Libra, prompting one last fight for fairness. This might bring up conflicts with authority. Back on March 1^st when Mars went retrograde, remember that Vesta also went retrograde. Both of these guys are fiery and forceful, both are very directive, action-oriented, and passionate – often associated with sex.  First they chased each other in a retrograde motion through Libra where all of that energy was turned inward. Many of us felt frustration, passive aggression, or thwarted. Some of us were able to sublimate that energy into inward transformation, while others felt like they were self-destructing. In May these guys both went direct. Finally we felt like we were moving forward. We started saying what we needed to say, doing what we needed to do, and getting our grove on if we needed to. With this square to the full moon we might feel a little edgy or aggressive. If anything wasn’t said before, it might get said now.

Beware all who wish to maintain the status quo…. all four (Mars, Ceres, Vesta, and the north node) will also be making a trine to Venus in Gemini. Venus will fortify the energy with a sexually integrated, full bodied feminine-inspired, heart-centred passion, and creatively fortunate/fertile energy. If the patriarchal energy emanating from the full moon has not transformed in the last six months, I dare say, it will not stand a chance at this time.

Just two days after the full moon on the 15^th, Mars and Vesta will be conjunct. I’m gonna call this aspect ‘orgasmic.’ If you had a massive fight at the full moon, now might be the time for makeup sex. Not only that, you might be in the throes of passion and it becomes so intense that you have to push it away or say “don’t touch me”. You’re not rejecting… just managing the intensity – it will get that intense! The only problem is that we may not be able to manage the intensity. In that case, this energy can also be sublimated into a religious or fanatical intensity. We might see that on a sociological level.

The third manifestation of this aspect is that it is often associated with a reset of financial markets (according the Bill Merridian)… envision the stressed stock broker yelling buy buy buy…. sell! Or sell sell sell, buy! Which will they do? I’m not sure, but I think we can expect something to happen. Only days later, both Mars and Vesta will move into Scorpio. Money doesn’t do too well in this sign, so we may see some wonky stuff with money. At any rate, money is ruled by two goddesses, Venus and Juno, so the goddesses will decide. The same day Uranus, the planet of surprises, will sextile Juno, so hopefully this will be a nice financial surprise and two days later Chiron will square Juno… I see some financial healing here. Venus will enter Cancer on July 18^th so we will become more conscious of our financial needs. Hopefully this is not because things have gone astray.

On July 16^th Jupiter will enter Leo. It has been in Cancer for the last year, expanding all things Cancer: home, family, nostalgia. Now as it moves into Leo all things Leo will see expansion. We will become more outgoing, enthusiastic, and our self-expression and creativity will increase. Children can become a theme – having fun, theme parks, entertainment, and gambling. In fact I just volunteered to work at a bingo hall and had my training in the last week of June. I’m doing it for charity, but I haven ‘t been in a bingo hall since the 80’s. But smoke-filled halls have been replaced by fresh air, colourful bingo dabbers with computer screens. There are break open ticket machines and lotto stations… and more on the way… My volunteer trainer excitedly told me about the new shipment coming in within days. AND as I sat in the office for the training presentation, one of the staff bust through the door to report the numbers of clients for the day. A record high -and it was Monday afternoon! We are gearing up, folks. AND I have to tell you, I think I might check out bingo on one of my off days with my friends.The Sun also moves into Leo on July 22^nd and on the 24^th will meet up with Jupiter, kicking off the playfulness and optimism.

While Mercury was retrograde last month, we had some time to review. If we used the time wisely, we would have gone over some of the decisions we have made earlier in the year. Now, after a brief pause, we will start having conversations, making decisions. and moving forward with plans. This might start out a bit bumpy on July 22^nd when Mercury opposes Pluto. At this time, we might be trying to persuade others of our point of view. By July 24^th we can get pretty fixated on our point of view – don’t be surprised if there are some blow ups! On the same day, Mercury will trine Saturn, so we might find ourselves being direct and having serious conversations. A day later Mercury will trine Chiron, helping us to check in with our intuition and listen to our heart’s wisdom. This might be a good time for meditation or talking things out with a trusted advisor.  Mars will move into Scorpio that day, so stormy and intense emotions might surface. Mars just spent about three months in Libra, trying to sort out our relationships. Now it will move through Scorpio until the middle of September. During this time we will want to go deep, transform, and get passionate… and if that doesn’t get expressed, we might go a bit shadowy with it. In fact, it starts off a bit shadowy on the new moon.

The new moon occurs on July 26^th. It’s a Leo New Moon… I have to say. I love all of this Leo energy! But the New Moon will still be conjunct Jupiter making this a ‘larger than life, extra, over the top, I am the centre of attention or at least I should be’ New Moon. The problem is that it is squaring off with Mars, newly in Scorpio, bringing up ego battles. Mars in Scorpio can be nasty so if you can, stay away from the drama. Oh and if Jupiter and the Sun in Leo have you thinking about gambling (or bingo), I suggest you have a budget and a responsibility buddy to keep you in check. That square to Mars can cause a loss.

By the 27^th Mercury will square the north node at which time we might find ourselves changing directions. If we do make a course correction, we will be supported on July 28^th when Mercury will sextile Pallas, helping us to see the big picture and to plan. On the same day Venus will oppose Pluto, so a partner or someone we love might not like what we are saying, where we are going, or what we are planning. This is a day when jealousies or control tactics can come out.

At the end of the month Mercury will square Ceres. We are convinced we communicated what we needed and now feel frustrated, even become a little sarcastic at the lack of support. Mercury then moves into Leo the next day and immediately squares Vesta when we might have a drama queen moment. The problem is that we may not have communicated in a way that was understood. If this happens, find a way to clarify your thoughts and your feelings. If you thought you communicated them, try again, this time with a different approach.  Hint: I once wrote a poem to a guy thinking that I was sharing my thoughts and feelings. Finally after three months of wondering why he wasn’t getting it, I finally said “you don’t understand… I let my guard down” to which he replied “oh, well why didn’t you say so!” and suddenly all was patched up. What I learned – keep it simple, straight-forward, and don’t write a poem!

Read what’s in store for each sign:

 

Aries: Some awkwardness might come up at work with your work style or work presentation. You may not believe that you can express your politics and be yourself at work. Any reflections on this will only help to heal whatever is going on in your subconscious. You’ll have plenty of support to move forward with any new healthy regime. In the second part of the month, Mars moves into your 8^th house making you more intense with your partner. Now to September could be a very sexy time.

Taurus:Are you killing your passion and creativity pretending to be friends? Perhaps you believe this is the politically correct thing to do, but you might realize that there is a little something more there that needs to be released. You are aided in a new commitment toward self-expression this month. Mars moves into your 7^th house. The next couple of months you could experience some conflicts with your partner.

Gemini: Creating a home atmosphere that is comfortable and welcoming comes as a source of embarrassment this month. Maybe someone drops by and your look around noticing the dust and the cobwebs in the corners that never seemed to reach your consciousness before. You can make a commitment to a drop-in-at-any-moment welcoming home this month. In the second part of the month, Mars moves into 6^th house turning you into a bit of a workaholic for the next couple of months but also helping you with a cleaning spree.

Cancer: This month you find that more than ever you have the perfect thing to say, the perfect comeback, but as usual it’s a day late and a dime short. You’re given the chance this month to sharpen your mind and up your wittiness. Maybe you take an improv class or a joke-telling workshop to help you out. Mars moves into your 5^th house at the end of the month helping you to be a little more entertaining and moving you into a couple of months of the need for sport. Join a volleyball team or a running group.

Leo: Perhaps you find yourself opening a bill this month and you realize that you haven’t seen this particular bill in months. In fact, is seems that your partner has been hiding it from you (god knows why) but it sends you into a need to figure out a creative solution for your budget. Mars will move into your 4^th house at the end of the month which might cause you to rearrange – and you know what happens when you rearrange. You find old papers or photos and it stirs up unconscious stuff from the past.

Virgo:  Your strong identification with your politics might be clashing with your relationship this month, causing a dichotomy both in your relationship and also within you. You might be taking a strong stand just to take a strong stand. What do you really believe? As Dr. Phil says, you can choose to be right or choose to be happy! Later in July, Mars moves into your 3^rd house causing you to be a bit argumentative. You can better use the energy to support a collective neighbourhood cause. If you can be the spokesperson, you can use the argumentativeness to advocate for something beneficial.

Libra:  You may have been so focused on your mind and thoughts in the last little while that you may experience a breakdown this month . If your mind does decide to shut down, consider it a gift and a path to healing, but also to reconnecting you with your soul and just being.  Mars moves into your 2^nd house later in the month causing you to strongly identify your worth with your roles or possessions. The challenge is to find your worth just because you exist and not because you have a certain job or drive a certain car.

Scorpio:  Perhaps you would like to use your creative inventions to advocate for social change but there’s something off about it. Remember the “boobie” bracelets that were created to raise funds for breast cancer? They got banned in high schools…. same deal! You can find a way though. Mars moves into your first house later this month causing you to be very assertive in showing off your stuff. Just remember to be inclusive and tactful.

Sagittarius: Are you integrating your career success with your emotional needs? If you have been checking your emotions at the door in order to be “professional” at work, things might come to a head. This month you will be challenged to integrate both feelings and professionalism.  Later in the month, Mars moves into your 12^th house. Over the summer, you may feel you are being asked to take a back seat or you may have people working to undermine you. If you can, work alone for the next couple of months.

Capricorn:  You may find yourself in a legal situation that challenges you to advocate for a certain position, requiring you to make a speech or to do some public speaking. Don’t worry – whatever discomfort comes up will challenge you to heal an old wound around communicating. Mars moves into your 11^th house so, if you work collaboratively with others, you can achieve your goals. If someone wants to do it their way or you want to do it your way, you will get into trouble. The key is to fully collaborate.

Aquarius:  You might be seeing patterns and you can’t figure out if you’re dreaming it, if someone told you, or if it’s just psychic. How you came across this information may be a source of contention. Maybe it’s so accurate that you’re accused of insider trading. How could you possibly know? The point is that it brings up your own discomfort around who you are and what you know, which sometimes cannot be explained.  Mars moves into your 10^th house causing you to be quite ambitious and you may experience conflicts with those who compete against you. Try to align your goals with theirs and things should go much smoother.

Pisces:  You might find some conflict with how impersonal you seem in relationships. Perhaps you are just being yourself, but you are starting to annoy others because you are soooo fair. Others might just want you to take a position. Mars moves into your 9^th house later in the month, so don’t go to the other end on this. At this time, you will defend your beliefs strongly and may force your opinions/beliefs on others. You are being challenged to honestly express yourself and your beliefs – and then detach from others’ perception of your beliefs.