Virgo (23 August – 22 September)
Your ruling planet Mercury is moving swiftly through the heavens this month picking up three different signs of the zodiac after spending May and June in one sector of your chart.
Up until the 8th, Mercury is strong in Gemini at the peak of your chart. Gemini rules your career, your vocation and where you’re heading and this area of your life dominated the last two months planetary activity.
That’s not to say things were necessarily easy with Mercury retrograde i.e. on go slow for three weeks and Mercury square to Neptune adding confusion and uncertainty to the mix. That is now behind you and the first week of July promises great things with regard to work and your career.
For some, this is the time to negotiate a promotion, a pay rise or new contract. For others, it’s a chance to get back on track with what you love doing and to communicate your ideas and plans to other people. There’s a fast pace to the first week of July and the chance for you to make quick progress.
Plus, Mercury connects with the Venus/Jupiter conjunction, one of the best planetary aspects of the year on July 1st. This glorious connection between the two best planets has been on show in the night sky over the last few weeks. Venus, planet of love relating, and Jupiter, planet of opportunity, are now side-by-side in the heavens in the sign of Leo.
Leo is the sign before yours and this is a hidden sector of your chart. This can indicate a karmic event, something that links to your past, a person who repays a favour or a secret gift. This sector of your chart also rules retreat, solitude and quiet times. It’s the things that take place behind-the-scenes, something secretive or confidential.
As Venus rules love and Jupiter expands what it touches, this might indicate a love affair or romantic feelings that you need to keep hidden. Someone might declare their affections for you but the timing’s not right.
Love planet Venus enters your sign of Virgo on the 18th but one week later on the 25th Venus turns retrograde i.e. she’s on go slow in the heavens. By month’s end, she’s left Virgo and retreated back into Leo. Again this suggests that the timing is out when it comes to love as you try and make a move only to be rejected or to hear that someone is unsure.
Traditionally, when Venus is retrograde, this is not the time to marry or to spend a lot of money on beauty treatments. Plus, Venus energy turns inwards when it’s retrograde and you have to be patient when it comes to love.
Give yourself time to reflect and understand your own feelings and allow a partner or someone you’re interested in to do the same. There’s no need to hurry love when Venus is on go slow and this time around she’s giving the illusion of moving backwards until September 6th.
Your ruler Mercury is on the move again on the 8th when it enters Cancer and your friendship sector. Mercury remains here until the 23rd. Friendships, group activities, your involvement in wider society, politics, environmental or humanitarian projects or issues are on fire throughout July. If you have a burning desire to back a cause or show your support for something you believe in, here’s your opportunity.
This isn’t only to do with Mercury however. More importantly, Mars, the action planet, is in Cancer throughout the whole of July. Here’s your urgency, your passion, your anger. You can’t sit back and do nothing now but instead you need to get involved. Rise to the occasion, fight other people’s battles, stand up for what you believe in.
There are a couple of occasions which could become heated as both Mercury (communication) and Mars (action) clash with the Uranus/Pluto square. The dates when this energy is strongest are the 15th to the 19th and the weekend of the 25th/26th. Whatever you feel strongly about comes foreground and you have to decide how you can push things forward. It’s a strident energy.
This volatile combination can indicate an issue with a friend, a lover or child. You might fall out over money matters or feel you have to speak up when someone’s behaviour is out of order. It’s important to choose your battles carefully and not get involved in an argument for the sake of it.
Both the Full Moon on July 2nd and the New Moon on July 16th highlight these same issues of your chart. Use the heightened emotions at the Full Moon to trust your intuition and make a decision with clarity. The focus is on your hopes and wishes for the future and it’s by getting things right in the present and here and now that you pave your way for the future of your choice.
Think carefully which friends you want to socialise with and who can influence you or inspire you in a positive way. Link up with people of like minds and ensure that you have a strong support network around you. The New Moon also falls in your friendship sector and is a brilliant date to join a group, make new friends and set your intentions for the social side of your life. Use the Full and New Moons to guide you and point your way forward.
Finally, there’s a second Full Moon on July 31st that cuts across the Leo/Aquarius axis of your chart. This is about your lifestyle and getting the balance right between work and relaxation. In some respects, July is all about preparation as Jupiter, the planet of opportunity, enters your sign of Virgo in the middle of next month, on August 11th.
Consider the bigger picture of your life, consolidate what you’ve learned so far this year and set yourself up for a year of success. Who or what do you need to let go off in order to create room for something better? This is the most important task you can busy yourself with in the month of July.