A subtle – or not so subtle – shift in the tides may occur this summer, as the cosmic weather suggests a turn towards Virgo. Jupiter begins a yearlong stay in the sign – just one of several ways that the part of the zodiac we associate with purity, health, and service will be highlighted. We’re likely to be revisiting topics that were prominent from 2007 to 2010, when Saturn was in the sign of the virgin. Health care reform is the flagship issue, but genetically modified organisms (GMOs), factory farming, and the environment in general are all likely to be at the front of our collective consciousness for some time. Immigration is another area that will be on our minds. Although it isn’t specifically Virgoan, much of the debate about immigration in the U.S. centers on immigrants from Central America, who make up a significant portion of the undocumented service economy – and service and servants are Virgo topics.

   “But wait,” you say, “we’ve been talking about these things for a long time!” Right you are, but we’re in for a shift in our thinking about them. For one thing, popular opinion may begin to move away from excesses in style – less Jimmy Choo and more Doc Martin’s, less Kobe beef and more Lacinto kale. Our economic reality suggests cutting back on spending, but we may have had enough of trying to keep up with the Kardashians even without financial constraints. The keyword on all these issues might be sustainability, although we will also hear some less sanguine talk of downsizing. Overall, simpler may just seem better, and we could recognize that sometimes less is indeed more.

   July begins with a full moon in the sign of Capricorn. This full moon triggers the Pluto station of April 2012 and the Uranus/Pluto square of June 2012. Power brokers at any level may feel the reverberations – if things are going to change, they will do so only with resistance. North Korea’s missile program, Chinese dissidents, and Myanmar are all possible revisits from 2012.

   The charged energy continues throughout the month, as Mars, the Cosmic Warrior, swims through security-oriented Cancer, joining the sun in the sign of the crab. The 6th, 12th, and 15th are particularly charged days in early July, times when tensions may erupt (give a day on either side as things often manifest when triggered by the moon or another factor). During the first half of the month, we’ll be looking for change and simultaneously resisting it, an uneasy combination that can result in irritability or transformation.

   Venus, the planet of love and relationship, starts the month with a meeting with expansive Jupiter on the 1st. If we look at things from a more personal perspective, this meeting of two social planets on the full moon suggests a nice time for social gatherings and romance. That feeling should extend through at least the 4th, as Mercury forms a series of easy aspects that will help grease the wheels of communication. 

   Get it while you can, as the mood shifts around the 14th, when Venus squares Saturn. Rather than the sociable vibe of early July, this aspect has a heavy feel to it. It could be decision time in relationships, and while that may mean moving to a higher level of formal commitment, with the new moon just a day later, it could also be a time of endings. Mars and Mercury both oppose Pluto on the same day, suggesting that words will be spoken honestly but maybe harshly. We’re certainly unlikely to gloss over trouble spots in our relationships with this energetic configuration. Finances could also be a matter of contention.

   The new moon itself is in the sign of Cancer, bringing us to consider what we’d like to grow in the areas of home and family, and where we need to strengthen our sense of security. With rocky astrological weather through much of July, we may overestimate our needs for self-protection. Be aware of Us-versus-Them thinking at every level.

   Honesty is the best policy, but with Mercury meeting Mars and squaring Uranus over the next few days, we may encounter a kind of brutal honesty that shows us just how much words can hurt. A more positive use of this energy is the fomenting of brilliant ideas that can truly be brought to manifestation on the strength of the Cancer new moon.

   Venus just puts her toe in the water of Virgo from July 18th to the 31st, as she stations to retrograde on the 25th. Venus retrogrades are famous for bringing back old loves, although usually more to reminisce than to rekindle. Yet this time around Venus seems to be revisiting Leo in order to bring a little Virgoan sparseness to the excesses of Leo after Jupiter’s year-long visit. This may help to downsize our aesthetics, after Jupiter has supersized them. The goddess of love backpedals through Leo until September 6th.

   Matters of love may not be our first order of business in late July, as Uranus stations to retrograde a day later, on the 26th. Uranus stations highlight our need for individuality and freedom from constraints of all kinds. With Venus now retrograde, you could be thinking about extricating yourself from a partnership that isn’t working – probably as you consider your own needs and aren’t willing to compromise. Remember that you need to be true to yourself before you can really share openly with others. Yet Uranus stations aren’t necessarily focused on our needs in relationship, and any area of life is up for review. There’s an impulsive, erratic energy in the air that may have you surprising yourself and others.

  The full moon on the 31st, in Uranus’ home sign of Aquarius, will keep the freedom loving, impetuous energy going, hopefully tempered by some cool Aquarian detachment. The last week in July is certainly a time when we may see dramatic changes in a number of areas, on both the personal and collective levels.

   The Uranian weather could extend into August, as Mercury trines Uranus, opening up the lines of communication and inspiring brilliant ideas. With Mercury now in the sign of Leo, creative ideas would get an extra push. However, some heavier, Saturnian energy colors the first week in August.

   Saturn stations to turn direct on August 2nd. This will be Saturn’s last station in Scorpio for more than two decades, and it’s likely to be intense. Saturn stations can confront us with our limitations and sense of failure – almost a polar opposite to the previous week’s energy. Despite the mild feeling of depression that can come about, the best strategy for dealing with Saturn is to work through things. Whatever the issue, it’s better to deal with it than to avoid it.

  The next few days continue the Saturnian vibe, although a square from Jupiter in Leo on the 3rd also challenges it. We could feel the fun, creative energy of Jupiter in Leo, but be concerned about the costs of implementing our ideas. Or we may overspend on an outing or vacation, or duck out of work only to be needled by a conscience that keeps thinking of things we left incomplete.

   As Venus meets with Jupiter and squares Saturn on the 5th, the same dilemmas apply to relationship. A grand romance may appeal but seem unrealistic, or we may consider settling for someone who can go the distance but who isn’t much fun to be around. It may be hard to balance love and work, or social and career demands. Mercury is next to slip into this square, as he brushes past Jupiter on his way into Virgo on the 7th. Saying too much or too little, or both, could be added into the mix.

   Jupiter enters Virgo on the 11th, confirming that the party is over. The Saturnian feel of the past week countered the upbeat energy of Leo, and fits better with a more Spartan, leaner, Virgo vibe.

   The rest of the month is colored by Saturn in Scorpio, as the sun and Mercury join Jupiter in Virgo. An upbeat trine between Venus and Uranus on the 19th should help us to break out of any ruts in relationship (and you can’t spell routine without r, u, t), yet the sun squares Saturn two days later, an aspect that can help put us back into the box out of which we leap. 

   If the Saturnian energy is a bit too much, we get a reprieve at the end of the month as the sun opposes Neptune on the 31st, just two days after the full moon in Pisces. While we can dream away the end of the month or otherwise escape into fantasy, it’s a good time to meditate and get in touch with your spiritual side, too. And while with Neptune we may make too much of someone (positive or negative), a passionate Venus/Mars meeting in Leo in the early hours of September 1st suggests that a soft focus on partnership could add a little romance to your life.