in the earliest days of July and have the patience to sit reading it quietly, congratulations! July begins with a "station" of the planet Uranus in the early hours of the 1st. Stations are times when the planets appear, from the perspective of the Earth, to stop in the sky, after which they seem to change direction against the backdrop of the stars.
Of course, it’s all a matter of perspective - Uranus isn’t really going to stop and go backwards. But perspective is what astrology is all about, and celestial stations tend to have an obvious effect here on the ground. The energy of the planet becomes very overt during a station, and everyone feels it. Uranian energy is erratic, independent, and impatient, and during times when he is powerful, cooperation is at a minimum, and the "me" factor prevails. At this particular station, Mercury is in a tense aspect to Uranus, suggesting that we may really shoot our mouths off.
In fact, the days after the station will have the sun, Mercury, and Venus in aspect to several outer planets. This brings the more impersonal energy of the outer planets into just about all areas of our lives, and also amps up the feeling that we need to act, and act now.
A good way to deal with Uranian energy is to literally go off on your own for a while and do whatever it is that seems to fit the moment. While we can get mighty irritable with each other when we try to stay within our usual limits, creativity and unique solutions to problems can offer themselves at this time. It might be best to note the idea and wait a few days to act on it, as Uranian impulsiveness can often benefit from a double-check when things have calmed down.
Calm down? No time soon! July is full of aspects as hot as the summer sun, including two eclipses and a bunch of tense planetary interactions.
Warrior (or athlete) Mars squares off with Jupiter and Neptune on the 6th. Once again, we are pushed into action, and may have a hard time recognizing limits. Externally imposed limits are often arbitrary and vexing, and pushing them can be a very healthy thing. But some limitations, like the speed limit on a dangerous road, have a value that we can live with. Try to be a little discerning as you break the rules.
It might be hard to stop and reflect, as the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is already building. The eclipse, at 5:39 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on the 7th, will be barely visible in the northeastern United States, but you’ll have to get up way before dawn to see any of it, and it won’t be a real "Wow!" experience. What it lacks in visual impact the eclipse may make up for in excitement, as the Full Moon keeps the energetic ball rolling further into July.
Jupiter and Neptune meet up again on the 10th. These two giants get together to further progressive social causes and last met back in May, when Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. See what happens in the days around this second of three meetings of the two planets.
On July 21st at 10:35 p.m., EDT, we have the second eclipse of the month. This time it’s a Solar Eclipse, and it will not be visible from anywhere in North America. Despite their reputation, eclipses rarely live up to expectations in the "doom and gloom" sense. Things do happen on Lunar Eclipses, but they occur at Full Moons, when things tend to happen anyway. Solar eclipses occur on New Moons, traditionally a quiet time of the month. New Moons are about planting the seeds for future growth, or, more precisely, they are about the moment when the planted seed just begins to germinate.
Looking for the impact of a Solar Eclipse, which is an extra-powerful New Moon, requires looking ahead in time as the sprouts begin to push through the earth in the months and even years following the eclipse. Eclipses are also known to "cast their shadow before them," that is, to have associated events occur before the actual eclipse. It all makes for the sort of detective work which astrologers find satisfying after the fact, but predictions are usually very, very difficult. Solar Eclipses do tend to have an intensity about them, and the effect on our psyches is something like the Uranus station which began the month.
A few hours before the eclipse, Venus and Saturn make a tense square, an aspect which requires no detective work. In the area of relationships, this aspect is about getting "real" about our partnerships. The particulars of this square suggest that it is going to be more significant for those who are thinking of breaking up than those who are just about to "get serious", but it could be an opportunity to cement a partnership which has been becoming more formal ("getting serious" and "cement" aren’t exactly romantic terms, but this is Saturn we’re talking about).
Venus is busy making aspects at the end of the month. The 27th has a more harmonious, anything-is-possible feel to it, a time when a dreamy kind of faith in the future is likely to prevail. The 28th is more energized, and we might feel more experimental and unconventional in relationships. The energy of these days is generally upbeat, although to the extent we are sticking with something that has lost it’s zest, we may feel strong discontent. Not to worry - Venus opposes Pluto on August 1st, so the last days of July will allow us to put it all out on the table.
This summer it will be hard to take time "off" as the planets are active in the skies and pressing us to move on the ground. If we can stay grounded we can use the energy in a productive and conscious way.
Armand M. Diaz, M.A., C.A., is certified as a Consulting Astrologer by the National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR). His approach to consultations is to create a supportive context for self-exploration, to help clients make decisions which are in harmony with their greatest potential, offering a truly integral approach to astrology. Armand has practiced divination for more than twenty years, working with the I Ching and Tarot in addition to astrology. He has published in various astrological journals, including The Mountain Astrologer. He can be reached at 917-216-1541 or armand@integralastrology.net , or though his website at www.bluemoonastrology.info.