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When reading astrology forecasts it is important to know that planetary movements affect each individual quite differently based on their birth charts, therefore it is not really possible to make broad predictions with precise details. This is also due to the fact that astrology does not show an exact story, and other factors, such as free will of people involved, also determine the situation. Astrology is one influence, but not the only one.
But we can still speak of the energies of planetary movements and give a general description of them, and then if somebody wants to know more details about how this affects them personally, they can consult an astrologer.
During this time period until the spring of 2024, we have both Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus, significantly activating that sign. Taurus represents the material reality, grounding into a physical structure with biological stable ways of functioning, the dense stable material world which responds in reliable ways, according to laws of nature. In Taurus we are grounded in the simplicity of visible immediate reality, learning from concrete direct experience.
The presence of Jupiter brings focus, expansion, ease, growth and exploration of that Taurus energy during this time.
Uranus is there for about 8 years (2018-2026), and he brings into Taurus energy an impulse of evolution, challenging of norms and foundations, revolutionizing changes, open-mindedness, greater connection to different realities and contexts that are unusual and don’t normally fit together.
This manifests for example in the ways we are, as societies, exploring, questioning what our biological identity really means to us, our immune systems, our genders, our health, etc. We are also doing similar explorations with our material resources, finances, currencies, etc.
Individuals with important Taurus points in their birth charts, and to a lesser degree in Scorpio and other signs aspecting Taurus, are especially affected by this.
July
Full Moon in Capricorn, July 3rd : We are in Cancer Sun between June 21st and July 22nd roughly, so this Full Moon is formed by the opposition between the Sun in Cancer and Moon in Capricorn. Sun in Cancer activates our emotional nature, feelings, sense of family and belonging, compassion, caring, nurturing, comfort zone. The Full Moon in Capricorn activates the need to balance this Cancer energy with the responsibilities, work and effort needed to manifest in material reality. It is about feeling our emotions but not drowning in them, so we can remain functional and effective in the outside world. It’s about enjoying the coziness of home, familiarity and comfort zone, but not getting stuck in it in order to be able to go out and make efforts, build something concrete, higher and better in the material world.
The lunar Nodes are shifting signs around the 13th of July. This is an important shift of energy happening about every 18.5 months. The lunar nodes are the points of intersection between the orbit of the Moon and the orbit of the Earth, as seen from Earth.
From around the 13th of July, until early February 2025, the North Node will be in Aries and the South Node in Libra.
This marks a time period in which assertion, action and confrontation will be increased, and there will be less focus on co-creation, diplomacy, listening, harmonizing, weighing pros and cons, adapting in order to maintain social harmony. This is a time that tells us that too much adaptation to others and to the social structure, too much sacrificing our own truth, our own needs and dreams and expressions, in order to save the apparent social harmony, is not a good thing, and does not serve the purpose of building true harmony. We need to express ourselves, speak up, assert our truth and needs, be true to ourselves, not be afraid to confront others and let our voices be heard. This process of assertion is absolutely necessary in order for true balance and harmony to be created. Of course we also have to be careful during this time to not fall into too much confrontation, which would create conflict. The vision and purpose of this time is to create true, non-superficial harmony by letting all individual voices be heard.
New Moon in Cancer on 17th of July. Cancer is the sign of the Moon where she is most amplified, and so the New Moon in Cancer is always quite strong, with amplified emotions, feelings, intuitions, as well as sense of familiarity, comfort zone, belonging and nurturing. This is indeed a time to get in touch with our emotions, express them, be vulnerable, let energies flow, so that things can move on. The main balance point with so much Cancer and Moon energy is to not take emotions for granted as absolute truth, but as messages which are mostly personal for ourselves and not necessarily for others, they reflect a certain aspect of reality which may be incomplete or outdated, and may be about the present moment, but also may be a reflection of past or future. The balance between letting emotions express fully and not taking them as absolute truth is not easy but important. The key is to remain connected with the eternal, deeper part of us which exists beyond, to observe emotions while knowing we are not them, we are having them but we exist beyond them.
The opposition of Sun with Pluto around the 22nd of July is worth noting, as Pluto is in process of shifting between Capricorn and Aquarius which brings focus of energy on it, and also because these last few degrees of Capricorn are connected with the events triggered in early 2020 with the Pluto Saturn Conjunction, so we may get some activations of some kind at this time.
Soon after on the 23rd of July, Venus stations as she is turning retrograde for the next 40 days, at 28° Leo. Retrograde motions turn the energy inward, initiate a process of looking back, reconsider, review, redo, restart, etc. Venus is about personal love and so Venus retrograde is about self-love, self-acceptance, listening to yourself. In the sign of Leo there is something about creativity, confidence, radiance. This is really a time to work and reflect on self-love, having dignity and self-acceptance enough to allow one’s creativity, confidence and radiance to flow.
This will especially affect people with strong natal points in Leo or aspecting signs. Also watch the house in your natal chart where Leo is, to see how this will affect you individually.
Also on the 23rd of July while Venus stations, the Sun shifts into Leo. This will make a stronger shift of energy for that day, bringing strong energy of Leo, creativity, confidence, self-reliance, playfulness.
August
On the 1st of August will be the Full Moon in Aquarius, created by its opposition to the Sun in Leo. This Full Moon in Aquarius activates energies of idealism, mental genius and inventivity, challenging of norms and conventions, community, group dynamics and global connection between people. This therefore activates a need for balance between these Aquarius energies and the Leo energies activated by the Sun : balancing on one hand individual creativity, radiance and confidence, being a leader and defining reality for one self, with on the other hand co-creation in group dynamics, inclusivity of all, general theoretical ideals, challenging norms by including new ideas.
On the 7th of August is a special date, called Lughnasa in celtic traditions. This holiday, like Beltane, Samhain and Imbolc, marks the mid-point between a solstice and an equinox. Lughnasa is the mid-point between the June solstice and the September equinox. In modern times, some people have fixed Lughnasa and other similar holidays on specific days of the gregorian calendar, on the 1st of August in this case of Lughnasa. However it is worth understanding that the real meaning of this holiday is the mid-point between solstice and equinox, it used to be calculated accordingly in ancient times, and with knowledge being forgotten in modern times, wrong dates have been set in the calendar. The real date is pretty easy to calculate, simply by calculating the middle day between solstice and equinox, or by checking when the Sun arrives on the mid-point of the fixed sign of that season, in this case at 15° of Leo for Lughnasa.
The solstices and equinoxes are the landmarks, the defining points in the flow of energy which creates seasons on Earth, and also sets and defines the zodiac signs. Zodiac signs are strongly interrelated with seasonal flow. Seasonal flow relates to a greater general universal flow of energy found everywhere in nature at various scales.
Lughnasa marks the middle, the height of the summer season, and its significance is very much linked to the energy of Leo. The height of summer time is a time of fully manifested creativity in the physical, fruits ripening, hot weather, being outside, having fun and being active in the physical world. Festivals used to be organized accordingly for this occasion.
Later that week, we have several dates of stronger energy in the Venus retrograde cycle. Around the 9th of August, Venus squares Uranus, activating an energy of creative tension, having to concile idealism with real expression of love, opening the mind to see new ways of expressing love, sudden unexpected experiences challenging status quo related to personal love.
Then on the 13th of August is the inferior conjunction of Venus with the Sun. This marks the mid-point, turning point of the 40 days Venus retrograde cycle. The first 20 days of the cycle are more about inner work, reviewing, reconsidering, undoing the old. The last 20 days of the cycle are more about restarting a new way, a new cycle. The moment of inferior conjunction can be seen as the start of a new Venus cycle, like a New Venus (similar to a New Moon). This one seems to be especially strong as conjuncting Sun and Venus will be trine Chiron in Aries, and square Uranus in Taurus. There is an energy of deep wound healing, assistance in clearing old core deep wounds, aligning personal love with Soul purpose. There is also still the energy of creative tension of the square with Uranus, sudden unexpected changes, challenging status quo and opening the mind to new ways related to personal love.
Soon after on the 16th of August, comes the New Moon in Taurus. This New Moon is very linked to the energies of August 13th New Venus, as the conjuncting Sun and Moon will be holding the same aspects : squaring Uranus and trine Chiron, while conjuncting Venus also. Here the energies seen on the New Venus will be amplified and developed further, with strong Leo energies as described earlier. This time period around August 9-16 is really a potent new beginning on personal, affective, emotional, family, relational level.
Around the 22nd to 24th of August, Mars will be making opposition to Neptune and trine Pluto. Neptune, Pluto and Uranus will also be quite near to making sextiles and trines, although not exact yet. This may be a glimpse into very strong energies and events coming in the next few years, when these aspects will become exact.
From August 23rd to September 14th, Mercury will be retrograde in its home sign of Virgo. This is a good time for mental clearing, meditation to release thoughts, clearing obsessive thoughts and stuck ways of thinking, belief systems and habits, etc.
And finally at the end of August, Uranus will station before going retrograde on the 28th. This can trigger sudden unexpected events, insights, realizations, downloads of ideas, expansion of consciousness.
Best wishes to all for these next two months, enjoy !