Are you the problem or the solution?

Try not to let the sultry summer month of July deceive you into thinking it is all that laid back.  Multiple layers of unfolding cosmic energy will have you feeling like you are fighting against titanic forces if you try to accomplish anything.  You are.

Better to go with the flow. Ride the wave.  Vacation anyone?

Our time this month is marked by two eclipses (the first of three this summer) and Messenger Mercury turning Retrograde.  Motivating Mars has already turned retrograde (June 27), turning our active energies inward.  If ever there was a time to remove yourself out of the fray, this July is it!  When possible, take time off and take care of yourself and loved ones.  Enjoy the warm, playful summer Sun sign of Cancer.

July opens with Messenger Mercury conjoined to the lunar North Node in Leo:  we are a chatty bunch, creative, festive, ripe for the Fourth of July.  Your messages will be heard…so a note of caution here:  think before you speak as the Mercury/North Node pair challenges Radical Uranus and opposes Mars.  This is a potentially explosive combination.  Watch what and how you say it and even then, expect that your words may not be received with the spirit you intended.

Generally, I refrain from dire predictions in my forecasts; however, the 4^th of July holiday in the United States looks particularly dicey.  Please move deliberately and choose your words carefully the first week of the month.  Accidents on both individual and collective fronts are possible.

Softening the edges of this sharp energy is a gorgeous angle between the Cancer Sun (our will), Generous Jupiter (abundance), and Neptune (inspiration).  Our intuition is off the charts now so trust your instincts as they are accurate.  Time spent on, in or near water July 1-8 is especially healing to cleanse your mind and heart; clear away mental cobwebs keeping us trapped in old thought patterns.  We have the ability to really tune in now.  Your connections to others, both human and spirit, are super sharp.  Listen.  What do you hear?

Also helping us navigate bumps and obstacles is the beautiful angle between Saturn and Uranus in earth signs.  These two keep our feet on the ground with practicality and focus our energies productively like a finely tuned machine.  If you are seeking solutions for a long-term problem, Capricorn Saturn and Uranus in Taurus point you in the right direction to find reasonable answers.

By July 10^th, Venus, planet of love and money, shifts into industrious Virgo, while the same day Generous Jupiter turns direct motion.  You can just about hear the Hallelujahs! as the titan of abundance moves forward again.  This particular passage of Jupiter through Scorpio has been most revealing.  Scorpio deals with secrets, sexuality, big money and power among other traits.  Jupiter is the largest energy in solar system.

So it is no wonder that the Me-Too movement began under this combined influence, exposing the misuse of power and sex, especially in the workplace.  Many notable titans across multiple industries have toppled under this passage.   As Jupiter moves forward and finishes up its tour through Scorpio in 2018, expect more dirt and secrets to be revealed.  With Jupiter’s handy alignment to Neptune in transparent Pisces, everything is coming out in the wash; all will be made to come clean.

This is a time of hard truths, truth telling and speaking truth to power.  Scorpio is psychology: the plumbing of our psyches and souls in the largest possible way via Jupiter.  Citizens of the United States are having a deep look at what is real and what is not, sorting facts from “fake” news.   Is Fox or CNN real news or is one a propaganda machine; or, as some believe…are both?  When we become removed from actual facts, observed data, and so immersed in “spin” that we can no longer discern truth from illusion, we tread very treacherous waters indeed.

The key to sorting fact from fiction is to know yourself.  Read, learn, ask questions, understand.  Know that there are different realities for each of us, lenses of experience that we look at the world through.

Perception is everything.                                                                  

Enter the New Moon Eclipse on July 13^th.  At 21 degrees Cancer, the Sun-Moon pair directly opposes Pluto in hard-core Capricorn.  It shows in no uncertain terms what works and what does not work around family, food, home, country, mother, nurturing.   Healer Chiron challenges Saturn now, ruler of Capricorn, pushing us to heal long-buried familial wounds.

The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

Leading into mid-month, the question to ask now is:  What needs to change in the arena of family, country, house and home? 

Is it, could it be, perhaps…you? 

Do not be afraid to ask yourself if you are contributing to the problem or if you are offering solutions. The great news is we have a tremendous amount of cosmic support with this eclipse to pivot and alter our course of direction.  We have not just one but two immensely supportive planetary combinations in water and earth to help us navigate the uncharted terrain ahead.

Venus in Virgo aligns with Capricorn Saturn and Uranus in Taurus while Piscean Neptune flows beautifully along with the Cancer Sun/Moon and Scorpion Jupiter.

These are SIX of our ten planets assisting us during this potent solar eclipse.   The balance of planetary power is supporting us!  Change is rarely easy, but often essential if we are to grow and thrive.  The alternative is stagnation, or worse, facing a slow, drip-drip erosion of what we seek to hold on to, staying the same because we fear anything different while watching it slide out from our weakening grasp…   Staying put and staying the same because it (insert relationship/job/etc., here) functions on the surface, when underlying you feel your soul dying is sad at best and fatal at the most dire.

The earth troika of Venus-Saturn-Uranus shows us our resources and how best to utilize these to implement change.  The water trio of Sun-Jupiter-Neptune eases our path forward with connections and ideas.  All you need to do is take the first step; make a plan then follow through.

Eclipses mark distinct passages in our lives.  Navigating these takes awareness and yes, grace.  The days between eclipses operate like black holes – so be very careful not to make key purchases or sign significant documents during this time as deals, partnerships and arrangements secured between July 13 and August 18^th are likely to end up unraveling.

Contributing to the cosmic crosshairs is Mercury Retrograde from July 26^th, the day before the total lunar eclipse on July 27^th.  With the Sun now in Leo opposite Motiving Mars in Aquarius conjoined the lunar South Node, much is to be released.  Careful to bend toward construction, rather than destruction. The most productive use of this energy is creative.  But it is a reflective creativity.   Messenger Mercury is turning our thoughts inward.  Ideas generate; inspiration soars, stirring the thought pot.  Store your ideas and review them carefully over the next month.  See how they feel to you on different days.  You will know if they serve you well or if they were simply flashing mirages.

Slowly through August, these multi-layered cosmic cycles unfold what is best for us, for our health and well-being, for our future.   In this frazzled and fragmenting world, sit still this July and sift through possibilities.  Meditate and feel.  Remember how?

Feelings arise from your soul.  Allow these to steer your boat forward.