Astrology Forecast July 2022
July starts and ends on a tense note, but there is some real goodness to have in-between.
Power/Disempowerment and Anger:
July starts off with a tense Mars-Pluto square, exact (at its most powerful) on July 1. Yikes! This is a dangerous combo in astrology. We have about 3 tense Mars-Pluto connections a year, and every time violence seems to erupt somewhere in the world. (The last one was a conjunction, when Russia started military action in the Ukraine).
And with the US Supreme Court ending constitutional rights to abortion, tensions are likely to run high in the US…one quick note here that 2022 is a hugely important year for the USA. With an orbital period of 248 years, Pluto returns to its own position in the natal chart of the USA: 27 degrees Capricorn. It can be the year of big changes and fundamental shake-ups. The Pluto return will become exact three times: February 20th, July 11th, and December 28th 2022. Events that become important to the future of the country can transpire around those dates. And – yes, that trouble-maker Mars – he is stirring the pot in late June to early July, squaring Pluto and setting events into motion.
In your personal life, if you have personal planets or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, IC or DC) between 25-29 degrees Capricorn, Cancer, Aries or Libra, you might have some turbulence visiting you for a few days. If your natal Mars or Sun falls in the signs and within the degrees I've mentioned, stay away from dark places and volatile people between June 29 – July 2. As my Mom used to say, better safe than sorry!
Strong Cancer Energy: Home, Family, and Old Life Stories
After the Mars-Pluto square simmers down, July offers some nice highlights. All things home and family are highlighted between July 5 and 22, when the Cancer Sun energy will be amplified by Mercury and Venus moving into Cancer. Family connections can deepen. The celestial bodies nudge us to do more of what nourishes our soul. And, it’s a great couple of weeks to connect with your emotions and re-write any old stories that are hindering you on your life’s path. “I failed again” becomes “I’ve learned from this experience, and this will help me to do better in the future”. “My parents didn’t love me enough” becomes “I wonder what inner demons my parents had to deal with?” Yes, our past shapes us, but it doesn’t have to define our future.
There are many, many good dates throughout July for Mercury-related pursuits, such as communication, presentations, contracts, and vehicle purchases. Read the section “Mercury” in this post.
A Sprinkle of Luck from Jupiter and the Leo Sun:
The Sun moves into sunny Leo on July 22, and makes a favourable connection with lucky Jupiter on July 31! That will bestow some lucky Leos with increased luck and opportunities for 12 months ahead, because this energy will be locked in their Solar Return chart. If you were born July 27 – Aug. 3, that’s you! Give yourself a gift of a Solar Return reading for some good news 😊
Innovation, Accidents and Shake-Ups:
The last week of July is a mixed bag though, because Mars (yes, that Mars again) will be getting ready to conjoin Uranus and the North Node on Aug. 1. It’s a very innovative energy, but it can increase accidents.
If you have your natal Mars at 16-20 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius, lay low between July 27 and Aug. 5. If you’re planning to start racing motorcycles, go paragliding, rock-climbing or any other such things, save that plan until the second week of August. You might feel particularly impatient and unable to concentrate, and that can lead to accidents.
And if your birthday is Feb. 5-9, May 7-11, Aug. 9-13, or Nov. 9-13, you might have a big and unexpected development happening in late July or early August. Uranus will be squaring your natal Sun.
Jupiter Turns Retrograde
Astrology encourages us to stay in tune with celestial cycles. They can be short – just 28 days – as is the case with the Moon (the cycle of renewal and manifestation). Or, a planetary cycle might take years.
Jupiter energies are about luck, opportunities, faith, values, growth, and expansion. They are also about long-distance travel, other cultures, and higher education. When any planet goes retrograde, we’re encouraged to reflect on the energies represented by that planet, and how they are playing out in our life at this time.
Jupiter Retrogrades are annual. This year, it’s July 28 to Nov. 23. It’s time to reflect on your relationship with “growth”: are you growing spiritually, emotionally, or in the practical matters, such as career or finances? (OK OK…I appreciate we’re all worried about a possible global recession…)
And, are you expanding in the right direction, aligned with our soul’s purpose?
Finally, consider your relationship with “luck”. Do you think it’s limited to the select few, and that it keeps passing you by? Remember, we all have the energy of Jupiter (luck and opportunities) available to us in our natal chart!
Full Moon in Capricorn: July 13 11:38 a.m. PDT
If you’re prone to the imposter syndrome at work (“they are paying me more than I’m worth and I don’t deserve this job…surely I’m going to fail any day now”), this is a great Full Moon to release your fear of incompetence. With the Sun in Cancer opposite the Moon in Capricorn, it invites you to find balance between work and home life, and to let go of workaholic tendencies if any.
Finally, it’s a great Full Moon to ask that the fear of getting older is lifted from you. The Moon is close to Pluto, so it’s a tense Full Moon. On the plus side, its purging, releasing power is intensified.
New Moon in Leo: July 28 10:55 a.m. PDT
This very nice New Moon makes a favourable connection to Jupiter – and Jupiter turns retrograde just a couple of hours after. First of all, charge a citrine for luck, at the time of this New Moon or very shortly after.
And secondly, this New Moon is particularly favourable for intentions related to attracting romance, having enjoyable interactions with your children, increasing your leadership skills, and bringing more joy into your life. If you’re in a performing arts, this is a fantastic New Moon to set intentions for success.
But as always, you’re not limited to these areas. Set intentions for anything you’re working on – it’s a very good New Moon!
Look for the House in your natal chart (= area of your life) where 5 degrees Leo falls. Within the next few weeks, there may be a particularly auspicious new beginning in that area.
Mercury: Communication, Legal Contracts, Vehicles, Electronics and E-Commerce
Mercury finishes its journey through Gemini and moves into Cancer on July 4.
In business communication, consider engaging your audience’s emotions to create a memorable and impactful message. In personal communication, focus on understanding other person’s emotions: “And how does this possible restructuring at work make you feel?”
On July 19, Mercury changes signs again and moves into Leo. In business or work, let your personality and charisma shine through everything you say or write. Be personable. Mercury in Leo seeks the opportunity to uplift and create joyful interactions with others. In personal relationships, build a stronger emotional bond through creating opportunities to have fun together.
Key Dates (Pacific to Eastern Time. Note we will start feeling the energy for 1-2 days in advance of these dates).
July 2: Mercury square Neptune. This can feel like a mini Mercury Retrograde. Make sure you communicate with as much clarity as you can. Summarize or restate key points to ensure mutual understanding. NOT a good day to start a major advertising or communication-related undertaking, to sign an important contract, or to buy a vehicle/electronics.
July 5: Mercury sextile Mars. Our mental powers are boosted. It’s a good day to work on that proposal, presentation, book, or your blog.
July 8-9: Mercury square Jupiter. A good day for negotiations, contracts and presentations. Just make sure that you’re not over-optimistic, and that you don’t promise more than you can deliver. And the others can inadvertently do the same to you. If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
July 13: Mercury sextile Uranus. A great day for a brainstorming session or to break out of stale thought patterns. Flashes of insight are possible today.
July 15-16: Sun conjunct Mercury. A 5-star energy for communication, contracts, and writers (especially fiction writers and poets).
July 17: Mercury trine Neptune. Great for artists and writers. Imagination and inspiration are high today.
July 18: Mercury opposite Pluto. Words can have a powerful impact today. A great day for therapy, because deep break-throughs are possible. But, stay out of power games and manipulative behaviours.
July 19: Mercury enters Leo. Toot your own horn a little! Update your resume with your recent list of accomplishments.
July 23: Mercury trine Jupiter. A five-star day to wrap up contracts, negotiations and legal documents already in progress.
July 26: Mercury square Mars. Think before you speak today. NOT a favourable day for contracts, negotiations, or buying a vehicle/electronics.
July 28: Jupiter turns retrograde.
July 30/31: Mercury opposite Saturn. A good energy for serious conversations, but with the Moon also in opposition with Saturn, there may be a tendency to see the glass as half empty. If any depressive thoughts wash over you, wait for a day or two. The energies will change by then.
Venus: Love, Beauty, and Personal Values
Venus is in flirty, social Gemini until July 17. After, she moves into family and home-oriented Cancer.
Key Dates for Love and Romance (Pacific to Eastern Time. Note we will start feeling the energy for 1-2 days in advance of these dates)
July 6: Venus sextile Chiron. If you need to heal from past hurts in love, today is an excellent day. Write your ex-love a letter and tell them everything you wish you could say if you saw them again in person. Let the emotions come. Feel them. Release them. Then take a bath with sea salt and rose petals (if you have a rose bush nearby), and let healing wash over you.
July 12/13: Venus trine Saturn, in the lead-up to the Full Moon. It’s an action-packed couple of days in the skies, favourable for business and career. Orchestrate some face time with your boss.
July 13/14: Venus square Neptune. We might not see things clearly as far as love and finances go. NOT a good day to go on a first date. Your relationship might start off with some misconceptions or misunderstandings.
July 17: Venus enters Cancer. Beautify your home. Connect with family members.
July 24-25: Venus square Jupiter. Stick to your budget. You may be tempted to overspend.
Career, Business, and Money:
Mars trades his home sign of Aries for Taurus on July 4. Traditionally, Mars is not well positioned in Taurus: Mars wants to move fast, and Taurus resists rapid change. “Go slooooow….” says Taurus. But, a lot of steady progress can be made when Mars is in Taurus.
After his dramatic clash with Pluto on July 1, Mars makes just a couple of connections with Mercury in July.
But, as mentioned, in late July we will start feeling a build-up to a very intense planetary energy. On August 1, Mars will form a conjunction with both Uranus and the North Node in Taurus.
This planetary energy is twofold. On the plus side, it can bring significant innovation. In business, you or your team could break through some big hurdle. Aug. 1 is a great date for problem-solving sessions at work. Make it “problem-removing”, because the Mars-Uranus combo is a very strong energy.
The downside, as mentioned, is that when Mars and Uranus join forces, it’s also an accident-prone energy.
Note that this explosive and highly unpredictable Mars-Uranus conjunction will be happening in the 5th House of the USA natal chart, and that’s the House that rules “speculation” (the stock market of that country). In financial astrology, it’s associated with extreme market volatility. Oh lord…it’s already been a very rough ride this year…
Key Dates: (Pacific to Eastern Time. Note we will start feeling the energy for 1-2 days in advance of these dates)
July 5: Mercury sextile Mars. Our mental powers are boosted. It’s a good day to work on that proposal, presentation, book, or your blog.
July 26: Mercury square Mars. Think before you speak today. NOT a favourable day for contracts, negotiations, or buying a vehicle/electronics.
Health and Healing (dates for Pacific to Eastern Time):
July 3 5:31 a.m. to July 5 11:04 a.m. PDT. A decently positioned waxing Moon in Virgo. An excellent time to make some health-oriented changes to your daily routine or diet.
July 6: Venus sextile Chiron. If you need to heal from past hurts in love, today is an excellent day. Write your ex-love a letter and tell them everything you wish you could say if you saw them again in person. Let the emotions come. Feel them. Release them. Then take a bath with sea salt and rose petals (if you have a rose bush nearby), and let healing wash over you.
July 11-12: Mercury in Cancer square Chiron. A good day to journal about past traumas, as deep healing is possible. But, be prepared that at first you might experience some deep emotions, such as grief or regret.
July 16-17. Sun conjunct Mercury in Cancer. Both planets trine Neptune. The Moon is in healing Pisces. It’s a great couple of days to rewrite unhelpful stories you might be telling yourself about your life. “I failed again” becomes “I’ve learned from this experience, and this will help me to do better in the future”. “My parents didn’t love me enough” becomes “I wonder what inner demons my parents had to deal with?” Give it a try…Journal. Meditate. Schedule some time for self-care. Get plenty of rest.
July 18-19: Sun opposite Pluto. Great for reconnecting with your personal power. Charge a garnet or a tiger eye for resilience, determination and strength.
July 30 11:11 a.m. to Aug. 1 3:29 p.m. A well-positioned waxing Moon in Virgo (again!) Sun trines Jupiter. It’s a good day for many undertakings, but especially so for health-related matters (but NOT for elective surgery. Mars is conjunct Uranus on Aug. 1, and that’s just too unpredictable of an energy).
Cautions This Month (dates for Pacific to Eastern Time):
June 30 – July 2: Mars square Pluto.
If you have personal planets or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, IC or DC) between 25-29 degrees Capricorn, Cancer, Aries or Libra, you might have some turbulence visiting you for a few days. If your natal Mars or Sun falls within the degrees I mention, stay away from dark places and volatile people between June 29 – July 2. As my Mom used to say, better safe than sorry!
July 17-19: The Sun and Mercury are opposite Pluto. Don’t engage in power games, and remember that ill-chosen words can bring a lot of harm today.
July 30 -Aug. 2: Mars conjunct Uranus and the North node.
This is an accident-prone energy. If you have your natal Mars at 16-20 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius, lay low between July 27 and Aug. 5. You might feel particularly impatient and unable to concentrate, and that can lead to accidents.
Unfortunately, this will also set off the Saturn-Uranus square, gaining strength in the skies yet again. There may be some unpleasant events or developments with the economy, esp. in the USA. (And this is also a very volatile energy for the US stock market, as it will be happening in the 5th House of Speculation in the chart of the USA).
Daily Planner – for those who prefer a chronological format (all dates for Pacific to Eastern Time):
June 30 – July 2: Mars square Pluto. When this planetary energy is present, violence usually erupts in some part of the world.
If you have personal planets or angles (Ascendant, Descendant, IC or DC) between 25-29° Capricorn, Cancer, Aries or Libra, you might have some turbulence visiting you for a few days. If your natal Mars or Sun falls within the degrees I mention, stay away from dark places and volatile people. Better safe than sorry!
July 2: Mercury square Neptune. This can feel like a mini Mercury Retrograde. Make sure you communicate with as much clarity as you can. Summarize or restate key points to ensure mutual understanding. NOT a good day to start a major advertising or communication-related undertaking, to sign an important contract, or to buy a vehicle/electronics.
July 3 5:31 a.m. to July 5 11:04 a.m. PDT. A decently positioned waxing Moon in Virgo. An excellent time to make some health-oriented changes to your daily routine or diet.
July 5: Mercury sextile Mars. Our mental powers are boosted. It’s a good day to work on that proposal, presentation, book, or your blog.
July 6: Venus sextile Chiron. If you need to heal from past hurts in love, today is an excellent day. Write your ex-love a letter and tell them everything you wish you could say if you saw them again in person. Let the emotions come. Feel them. Release them. Then take a bath with sea salt and rose petals (if you have a rose bush nearby), and let healing wash over you.
July 8-9: Mercury square Jupiter. A good day for negotiations, contracts and presentations. Just make sure that you’re not over-optimistic, and that you don’t promise more than you can deliver. And the others can inadvertently do the same to you. If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
July 11-12: Mercury in Cancer square Chiron. A good day to journal about past traumas, as deep healing is possible. But, be prepared that at first you might experience some deep emotions, such as grief or regret.
July 12/13: Venus trine Saturn, in the lead-up to the Full Moon. It’s an action-packed couple of days in the skies, favourable for business and career. Orchestrate some face time with your boss.
July 13, 11:38 a.m.PDT: Full Moon in Capricorn. Set intentions to release fears of failure or incompetence, especially at work.
Full Moon Workshop! July 13 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. PDT, on Zoom. A replay will be available if you’re unable to attend.
July 13: Mercury sextile Uranus. A great day for a brainstorming session or to break out of stale thought patterns. Flashes of insight are possible today.
July 13/14: Venus square Neptune. We might not see things clearly as far as love and finances go. NOT a good day to go on a first date. Your relationship might start off with some misconceptions or misunderstandings.
July 15-16: Sun conjunct Mercury. A 5-star energy for communication, contracts, and writers (especially fiction writers and poets).
July 17: Venus enters Cancer. Beautify your home. Connect with family members.
July 16-17. Sun conjunct Mercury in Cancer. Both planets trine Neptune. The Moon is in healing Pisces. It’s a great couple of days to rewrite unhelpful stories you might be telling yourself about your life. “I failed again” becomes “I’ve learned from this experience, and this will help me to do better in the future”. “My parents didn’t love me enough” becomes “I wonder what inner demons my parents had to deal with?” Give it a try…Journal. Meditate. Schedule some time for self-care. Get plenty of rest.
It's also a great couple of days for artists and writers. Imagination and inspiration run high.
July 17: Venus enters Cancer. Beautify your home. Connect with family members.
July 18: Mercury opposite Pluto. Words can have a powerful impact today. A great day for therapy, because deep break-throughs are possible. But, stay out of power games and manipulative behaviours.
July 18-19: Sun opposite Pluto. Great for reconnecting with your personal power. Charge a garnet or a tiger eye for resilience, determination and strength. Stay out of power games.
July 19: Mercury enters Leo. Toot your own horn a little! Update your resume with your recent list of accomplishments.
July 22: Sun enters Leo. Happy Birthday Season to all my Leo readers!
July 23: Mercury trine Jupiter. A five-star day to wrap up contracts, negotiations and legal documents already in progress.
July 24-25: Venus square Jupiter. Stick to your budget. You may be tempted to overspend.
July 26: Mercury square Mars. Think before you speak today. NOT a favourable day for contracts, negotiations, or buying a vehicle/electronics.
July 28, 10:55 a.m. PDT: New Moon in Leo. Set intentions to attract happy romance, enjoyable interactions with your children, improved leadership skills, and bringing more joy into your life. It’s a well-positioned New Moon. Charge a citrine for luck!
New Moon Workshop! July 28 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. PDT, on Zoom. A replay will be available if you’re unable to attend.
July 30 11:11 a.m. to Aug. 1 3:29 p.m. A well-positioned waxing Moon in Virgo (again!) Sun trines Jupiter. It’s a good day for many undertakings, but especially so for health-related matters (but NOT for elective surgery. Mars is conjunct Uranus on Aug. 1, and that’s just too unpredictable of an energy).
July 30-31: Mercury opposite Saturn. A good energy for serious conversations, but with the Moon also in opposition with Saturn, there may be a tendency to see the glass as half empty. If any depressive thoughts wash over you, wait for a day or two. The energies will change by then.
July 30 -Aug. 2 Mars conjunct Uranus and the North node. This is an accident-prone energy. If you have your natal Mars at 16-20 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius, lay low between July 27 and Aug. 5. You might feel particularly impatient and unable to concentrate, and that can lead to accidents.