*This is for the Sidereal Zodiac, not your Western tropical sign; click here to find out your sidereal chart. Read this from either your lagna (ascendant) signs or your moon signs.
*Lahiri ayanamsha; Mean Node; EST Time zone.
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This is “eclipse season” so ground and center! We have a very heated and passionate month ahead with two eclipses and two New Moons, as well. Mercury goes retrograde in Cancer with Mars there, and they are both trining Jupiter retrograde in Scorpio; floods will be bad, fires will be amping up out West, and this will affect travel, media and all communications. Mars debilitated in Cancer will make real estate prices drop, but that’s a buyer’s market. As eclipses are shadow points and Neptune, the planet of delusions and “the great dissolver”, is retrograde in Aquarius this will reveal deceptions to us previously hidden. This is a month of intense letting go and transformation and sets the stage for the “Eclipse of the Century” on December 26th when we have 7 planets conjunct in Sagittarius. Try not to do anything risky or dangerous at the time of the eclispes as the magnetic energy is too strong, and it is also advised not to cook food or do too many ceremonies while the eclipses occur.
July 2nd, 3:17pm-New Moon/ Total Solar Eclipse: 16 degrees Gemini, Ardra
The first New Moon of July takes places on the 2nd at 3:17pm EST 16 degrees Gemini in the nakshatra of Ardra, and it is also the Total Solar Eclipse, as Rahu, the Moon and the Sun are aligned, which means the Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon. The nakshatra of Ardra is called “the moist one”, and spans from 6.4 to 20 degrees of Gemini; its symbol is the teardrop, diamond or a human head; Rahu rules this nakshatra. The deity that rules Ardra is Rudra the storm god, “the howler”, and is another form of Shiva as the god of destruction. The star that rules Ardra is Betelguese, which is situated in the shoulder of the Orion constellation; it bestows power, marital wealth and honors, and creates an active mind with ups and downs in the career. The myth is about Rudra shooting down Prajapati (Orion) to save Rohini (Aldebaran) from sexual violation; this battle destroyed the unity of the cosmos. This nakshatra is known as the “dark night of the soul”, which comes before the dawn of a new day, as seen in the nakshatra of Purnavarsu. There is a sadness that goes with this part of Gemini, and people that have this prominent in their chart can be very destructive, and sometimes self-sabotaging, but used wisely it can help one to clean out the past and make room for a new future. We need to remember during this difficult transit that we can create something good out of something bad; we can salvage a lesson from the battle. Overcoming hardships and suffering brings a newfound appreciation for the things that they create; remember, fertilizer is nothing more than waste that was discarded. Look at this as a time of preparing the fertile ground; slash and burn techniques of farming are associated with this nakshatra.
The ruler of Gemini is Mercury, and transit Mercury is in the water sign of Cancer, which is not a strong placement. We have what is called a Parivartana Yoga between Moon and Mercury, which means they are exchanging each other’s signs; Cancer is ruled by the Moon which is in Gemini ruled by Mercury, and Mercury is in Cancer ruled by the Moon. This means an emotional storm, but also incredibly psychic insights will come to you at this time. In Vedic astrology we say “Moon is the mind”, and having it in Mercury’s sign means racing brain syndrome and PTSD will flare up at this time, so do whatever you can to meditate and calm the mind down. I’ve read so many negative things about this kind of yoga, but really the best expression of this sign exchange is listening to the heart and using telepathy; when you get lost listen to your heart beat, it will never lead you astray.
Mercury is also conjunct Mars debilitated in Cancer, so we must really be careful of our words. Being that Venus is conjunct Rahu and the Sun we must not force our values onto others through speech, as we will certainly be misunderstood and not heard at this time. You cannot unbreak a piece of glass once its shattered; you can put it back together, but it will never be the same. So it is with our words, which can turn into powerful weapons that hurt others if we’re not careful. The ruler of Ardra is Rahu, so this puts even more emphasis upon the eclipse energy as we have Ketu, Saturn and Pluto opposite this conjunction. Make sure that you are not lapsing in self-care as Venus is here with Rahu; there will be some high energy, which is fun to party with, but we can get out of balanced at this time. Neptune is retrograde in Aquarius and trining the New Moon in Gemini; deceptions will be revealed this time. In Persian astrology Betelgeuse corresponds to Mercury and Mars, as well; these two transiting in Cancer will be the hidden key to this eclipse. While Cancer is not a good sign for either planet, it is making a trine with Jupiter retrograde in Scorpio. We must use this water energy in a positive way and cool off; get into the water and let it calm you down from all of the drama surrounding Gemini and Sagittarius. While Mars debilitated will force real estate prices down, that’s a buyer’s marker so if you have money you may want to invest in some property now. Look to what house this is taking place in to see how to utilize this creative force.
July 8th-31st-Mercury goes retrograde, 10 degrees Cancer
As if Mercury isn’t already uncomfortable enough in the water sign of Cancer now he is going retrograde and swimming backwards. Poor Mercury, he’s not feeling himself, and so we must really be careful of how we communicate. Remember, it’s not the planet “doing” anything to you; it is simply when Mercury goes retrograde he is showing you all of the areas where you didn’t tie up loose ends. It’s not that you can’t sign contracts at this time, you can, but you must read the fine print.
July 9th-Mars conjunct Mercury in Cancer
These two planets have been traveling together for a few weeks now, but today they are exactly conjunct. This is the “lawyer’s yoga” and can make our words very sharp and exacting; no mincing words here, this placement says what it feels, particularly in the emotional sign of Cancer. Being that now Mercury is retrograde we can really put our foot into our mouths; just think before you speak. Sometimes we need to speak quickly to help another, so also not hesitating to speak up is also important now. Discernment is the key.
July 9th-September 20th-Venus is in Gemini combust the Sun
When a planet is combust it is traveling close to the Sun; when it is exactly conjunct it is called “cazimi”. What this means is that the Sun is like a SuperStar, and when he comes on stage he outshines the others. Venus is a hot planet and does not like to be outshined. So while Venus enjoys the air sign of Gemini she is not happy about having to share the spotlight with the Sun. This is an extremely long time to be ignored for this Diva, and Venus rules our values; many will be feeling that their values are being ignored in the realm of the media. Being that we are gearing up for the Presidential Election of 2020 I feel this will pan out as the masses not feeling that their particular values are being heard; having Mercury the ruler of Gemini being retrograde will emphasis this feeling.
July 10th Sun conjunct Rahu
The Sun has been in Gemini for a few weeks now, but on this date they are exact. Rahu is a shadow planet, and the Sun acts like a flashlight in a chart, so at this time we will get some light shed on somethings that have been hidden from us. Perhaps it was revealed on the eclipse of the 2nd, but you will certainly get to understand more about that subject now. As this is directly between the two eclipses this month, a sort of “ah ha” moment may happen at this time, and more will be revealed on the Partial Lunar Eclipse on the 16th. Look to what house is in the sign of Gemini in your chart to see where this activity is happening in your life.
July 12th-October 23rd-Mars is conjunct/combust the Sun
Having Mars the soldier travel with the Sun for these three months will intensify passion and heat up anger, and in the signs of Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra will make the weather very hot in the northern hemisphere, and warmer than usual in the southern hemisphere of our planet. On a personal level we may feel competitive with others, especially for the spotlight. Use this martial energy for sports and getting fit again; channel it into a positive action and you can mitigate some of this heat. On a global scale Mars is the karaka of real estate, so while in Cancer property values will decline, but that’s a buyer’s market if you are looking to invest. While in Leo we will especially want the spotlight in that house, and in Virgo the passion of this combustion will become grounded a bit and made practical. While Mars travels with the Sun in Libra the energy will be weaker, as the Sun is debilitated here, and Mars isn’t very strong, either.
July 14th-29th-Mercury is combust the Sun in Cancer
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, so he goes combust the most often; this time it’s in the sign of Cancer and retrograde, which weakens Mercury quite a bit. The Sun “burns up” whatever planet it is traveling in the same sign as, so as Mercury rules communication we really have to be careful of our speech, and all social media platforms. This is not a good time to get into an online fight, as you will be misunderstood, and it will drain your energy. Try to focus on going within and work on dream work, and go swimming.
July 16th, 5:39pm EST: Full Buck Moon/ Partial Lunar Eclipse; 29 degrees
Sagittarius, Uttara Ashada
This Full Buck Moon/Partial Lunar Eclipse is taking place at 5:39 EST in the sign of Sagittarius at 29 degrees, Uttara Ashada nakshatra. It is called the Buck Moon for the new antlers seen on the males at this time. This nakshatra means the “latter victory”, or the “latter unconquered”, and spans from 26.4 Sagittarius to 10 degrees of Capricorn. Its symbol is an elephant tusk, or a small cot or planks of a bed. The deity is the Vishvadevas, or the “universal gods”, which means all of the gods. Lord Ganesha is also associated with this nakshatra, as he clears obstacles and opens the path for worldly actions to be achieved. The star associated with this nakshatra is Vega, which is in the lower part of the Lyre constellation; it gives musical ability, plus leadership in authority positions. The mythology is of Dharmas’ ten sons, the Vishvadevas, as dealing with the universal principles, the laws of time, karma and right action; they grant unchallengable victories. The planet associated with Uttara Ashada is the Sun, and in Persian astrology is associated with the planet Venus. Natives of this nakshatra are very committed in their work, and can become workaholics; it is not a good placement for marriage, because of their intense drive. As this is the second half of the Ashada nakshatras it is a bit softer than Purva Ashada, and also indicates that they are more successful in the second half of life; look to the navamsa chart to see how this plays out.
Conjunct the Moon we have the much talked about conjunction of Ketu, Saturn retrograde and Pluto retrograde, and it is a tight conjunction within five degrees. Old paradigms are being let go and we are being watching religions go through a transformation, especially the Catholic church. Laws and legalities will be changing, especially regarding emigration. As Venus is opposite this Full Moon Eclipse we see our values shifting and possibly things we once held dear we are seeing die and then become reborn into something else. This is also not the best time to get married for anyone, as having Saturn oppose Venus is always a bit cold and detached; it will be hard for us to get our love acknowledged. As Venus is in Purnavasu nakshatra doing something the second time will be beneficial; you will be successful the second time you try anything at this time. Jupiter is the ruler of Purnavasu and he is retrograde in Scorpio 12 houses away, or right behind, this Full Moon Eclipse. Jupiter is the great benefic and where he sits he helps, so you may have some hidden help at this time, but being retrograde it may be held back until he goes direct on August 8th; look to what house is in the sign of Scorpio to see where the secret angel is hiding. Jupiter is also the ruler of Sagittarius, so he will help us unlock the meaning of this eclipse. This is also setting the stage for the “Eclipse of the Century” happening on December 26th, when we have 7 planets in Sagittarius! Pay attention to what transpires in the news around this time, as it will give us a clue as to what to expect at Christmas; acts of violence and terrorism are not uncommon with this alignment, as Rahu will also be in Ardra at this time, which is where it was placed at 911. Mars and Mercury will be in Cancer making the difficult 6/8 quincunx aspect to this Full Buck Moon; communications will be misunderstood and we will get angry and frustrated; this is really a good time to lay low close to home and watch some movies inside, as the heat will be amped up with Mars conjunct the Sun, too.
July 17th Sun goes into Cancer
Joining Mars and Mercury in Cancer is the Sun; Happy Birthday, Cancerians! This is a very emotional place for the strong willed Sun; people born with this placement put a lot of energy into caring for others, and make great chefs, parents, gardeners, and animal lovers. Nurturing others is a gift and Cancer here shows us how to shine the light of care. Being that Mars, the planet of heat, is debilitated in Cancer and Saturn retrograde is in Sagittarius, a fire sign, we know it’s going to be a hot summer; Ketu the planet of loss has been with Saturn denotes fires, and the wild fires in Canada already started in the spring so we know now that the Sun is here forest fires will really get bad. If you’re in an area where these fires are happening be prepared to nurture others; get your supplies ready!
July 17th-Venus conjunct Rahu/oppose Saturn and Ketu
Venus has been in Gemini since the end of June, but now she is exactly conjunct Rahu in the nakshatra of Purvavarsu, which means “return of the light”. Purvavarsu is ruled by Jupiter, and transit Jupiter is retrograde in Scorpio. All of our feelings about the eclipses this month will crystallize, and we can now see where the transformation needs to happen. As Mercury rules Gemini and is still retrograde we may eat our words at this time; make sure they’re sweet.
July 23st-August 16th-Venus is in Cancer
Venus goes into the water sign of Cancer, which helps us to place value on family and nurturing. The Saturn and Ketu conjunction is in the nakshatra of Purva Ashada, which is ruled by Ketu, and ruled by the Goddess of Water, Apas. It is imperative that we cleanse our emotions and let go of past grievances, because if we don’t we will surely feel it in our body as physical ailments. On this day we have a trine from several planets in water signs, the Moon is in Pisces, and the Sun, Mars, and Mercury are all conjunct in Cancer, and Jupiter is still retrograde in Jupiter. I could see this as a time when we are letting go of past loves and making room for new beginnings. Look to what house is in the sign of Cancer to see what area of your life you need to nurture and make space for new energy to fill!
July 31st, 11:12pm EST-Black New Moon: 15 degrees Cancer, Pushya
This month we have two New Moons and this is called a “Black Moon”, just as two Full Moons in a month are called a “Blue Moon”. It is taking place on July 31stat 11:12pm,15 degrees of Cancer in the nakshatra of Pushya. This means “to nourish” and spans from 3.2 to 16.4 degrees of Cancer, and is ruled by Saturn. The symbol is a cow’s udder that produces milk, a lotus, or an arrow or circle shape. The deity that rules this nakshatra is Brihaspati, or Jupiter the Guru of the gods. The stars that belong to this nakshatra are the three stars in the Cancer constellation, and the North and South Asellus stars indicating care giving and nourishing abilities.
The mythology is of Brihaspati the Guru as the teacher of the gods and he was the lord of speech and prayer; Shiva, the god of destruction, made him into the planet Jupiter. Brihaspati, or Jupiter, had his wife, Tara or the Earth, stolen from him by Soma, or the Moon. Here we can really see that the story of our solar system’s creation is told in the Vedic myths. The child that Tara, the Earth, had with the Moon was Mercury, or Budh, as he is called in the Vedas. Brihaspati cared for the child and took him under his wing to raise him as his own. People born with this nakshatra prominent in their chart will be very family-oriented as all Cancers are, but their focus is on nourishing others which can mean they love to cook, and can put on weight. There is a high-mindedness with this nakshatra that can make these natives snobs, and their religious views are very traditional, which can tend to make them insecure about their beliefs, as their inherent stubbornness comes out. This placement makes great teachers as it belongs to Brihaspati, and as it is ruled by Saturn there is a love of teaching the traditions as they love to follow the rules, and help others to follow them, as well. In Persian astrology these stars correspond to the planets Mars and Mercury.
On this second New Moon we have Venus, Sun and Mars conjunct the Moon. This produces a lot of passion and caring for others is a great way to express this Cancerian energy. Having Rahu and Mercury retrograde 12 places away could indicate a security breach with technology; make sure you have your anti-virus software up to date, lock your doors, and basically watch your back. Getting something installed like a video camera would be a great idea at this time; the next day Mercury goes out of retrograde, so don’t worry about installing technology during a retrograde period, but it would be best to do this ASAP. The difficult Saturn, Ketu and Pluto conjunction is in the 6/8 quincunx aspect, so don’t be forced to let go of something, or have something stolen at this time. Since Saturn rules this nakshatra and he’s in Sagittarius which is ruled by Jupiter, we should look to transit Jupiter to unlock this New Moon. Jupiter is retrograde in Scorpio, ruled by Mars, and transit Mars is sitting with the Moon in his sign of debilitation, Cancer. This feels like a frustrated New Moon; Venus wants to love, but she is perhaps being ignored and rejected. Jupiter is trining this New Moon from his 9th aspect, and since he is retrograde we will see a lot of flooding at this time. Look to what house is in the sign of Cancer in your chart to see where this energy plays out.
August 1, Mercury Direct: 29 degrees Gemini
Finally we can all breathe a sigh of relief as Mercury goes direct at 29 degrees in the sign of Gemini. Delays in communications, all media and technology, and travel will ease up and we will start to move forward. This is interesting that he only goes 1 degree back into his own sign; he was here on June 20th, so pay attention to information came to you then, as you may see a repeat pattern here. Look to what house is in the sign of Gemini to see what area of life this will affect for you. The next day he will go back into Cancer.
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