As the editor of the Astrology Arizona newsletter, I compose an overview of each month. Today we take a look at the primary factors for the month.

The Overview for July

This year the month of July finds us at full forward momentum thanks to Mars and Jupiter in Aries which has opened us all to a new freedom and adventure wherever we have Aries in our charts.

Their conjunction in late May set a new 2 year cycle into motion, and primed the pump for the major growth early next year when Jupiter re-enters Aries and conjuncts Chiron. This month we also see Mercury at maximum speed, giving all our communications and information processing a faster pace than we usually have.

July continues the expansion of the inner planets through signs outside the outer planet span between late Capricorn and mid-Taurus. This month we have a lot of planetary action between Aries and Leo, so expect that area of your chart to be highly active! This continues the exploration of and reorientation resulting from the new Wisdom Teaching which began in May and was spread globally in June.

As I offered last month, this year’s Wisdom theme involves us seeing a more ideal role we want to play and clearly visualizing our heart’s desire so it can come forth on “the balcony of life and mind,” expressed with efficiency and adaptability. Because the recent Lunar eclipse was long and strong it will be in play for 5 months and 10 days, with extreme intensity between mid-June and late September. The lesson is to see whatever leaves or arrives as an answer to strengthening your ability to live your heart’s desire.

Saturn is still teaching us how to manage our feelings and our individual spirituality to play our part in the greater Aquarian 20 year era now developing. This month Saturn continues to crystallize what Jupiter opened in April 2021 and fixed as a platform for future development when Jupiter was at 23-25 Aquarius between September and early December 2021. That implies the promise created then will crystallize in some way this month.

For the next few months, Saturn is testing us to demonstrate our ability “to pick up and deliver spiritual power,” however that applies in our particular circumstances. As with last month, there are hidden powers leading to clairvoyance and clairaudience which will sprout in the future, but only after we “do our own thing” and see the wisdom of each Being having the power to respond to any challenge in their own way. While we’ll finish phase one of “cleaning out the cobwebs in our minds” the first week of July, it has prepared us for a huge renewal and spontaneity through mid-October, so continue to explore musty corners of the mind as you clean it out by opening your “mind windows” and let in some fresh air and sunshine..

Planets Slowing Down, Speeding Up, or Shifting Signs

This month is very active, with Mercury and Venus at maximum speed, Mars accelerating, Jupiter and Uranus slowing to retrograde, and Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto all retrograde. By month’s end, Jupiter will be retrograde, Uranus will be almost retrograde, and Mercury will be slowing down.

In July we have several planets changing signs. This month Mercury, ruler of Gemini and Virgo, will give us three sign experiences (Gemini, Cancer, and Leo), and the Sun, ruler of Leo and Cancer, will give us two (Cancer and Leo). Venus, ruler of Taurus/Libra, will also give us two (Gemini and Cancer), and Mars, ruler of Aries and Scorpio, will also give us two (Aries and Taurus.) As you can see, we still have a lot of activity going on in Aries, Gemini, and Cancer this month.

Mars

Mars is at the end of its transit through Aries at the beginning of the month, and begins its almost 7 week stay in Taurus on July 4. Mars in its home sign of Aries has been a very powerful time of self-generated energy. Having flamed on with Mars in Aries, it’s time to settle into a more comfortable groove which is steady and enjoyable. Mars is activating the house(s) where we have late Aries and the first half of Taurus, so don’t wait around for permission to get it in gear and please enjoy yourself while doing it! Mars is said to be in “exile” in Taurus, since it’s as far away from its Scorpio home as it can be. Continue to maintain patience, thoughtfulness, and caution and curb impulsiveness, avoiding all quarrels where things quickly bog down.

From July 1-4, Mars is in the Sagittarius decan of Aries, ruled by Jupiter with an extra dose of Venus. From July 4-19, Mars is in the Taurus decan of Taurus, ruled by Venus with an additional dose of Mercury. From July 19-August 3, Mars is in the Virgo decan of Taurus, ruled by Mercury with an extra dose of the Moon. As you can see, we’ve moved from the stabilized functioning of Mars in its home sign of Aries and moved into territory Mars is less comfortable in (which is exactly why it needs to learn to relax and enjoy its time in Taurus!)

Between July 1-4, Mars will prove agitating to those with planets between 28-30 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. From July 4-19, it will have the same effect on planets between 1-10 degrees of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, and between July 19-August 3 it will agitate planets or points we have between 11-20 degrees of those signs.

July begins with Mars in a powerful square to Pluto and quintile with the Sun. It then receives a sextile from Mercury and a semisquare from Venus before entering Taurus. Mercury quintiles Mars at the same time that Mars quintiles Saturn during the second week of July, setting up three points of a “5 Pointed Star of Specialization.” Gifts and unique experiences will come to those who have planets or points near 23-27 Aquarius, 5-9 Taurus, 17-21 Cancer, 29 Virgo-3 Libra, and 11-15 Sagittarius. Just be careful toward the end of July, since Mercury in Leo squares Mars and then Uranus, anticipating Mars’ conjunction with Uranus, always a time to show extraordinary caution!

As I’ve offered before, when Mars is within a degree of forming or separating while making a hard aspect with a planet, slow down and show deliberation and caution in how you use force. Hard aspects to/from Mars always require that we moderate or antidote impulsiveness and impatience.

Sign Focus

This month the sign focus has begun a shift to signs opposing the outer planet occupied zone. We have a very strong Aries and Taurus all month, with a lot of Gemini and Cancer energies eventually giving rise to Leo by the third week of the month. The coming transits will oppose Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Aquarius over the next few weeks, bringing realizations about how to focus those important transpersonal energies skillfully.

While June brought Mercury, Venus, and Mars all in their home signs (along with Saturn and Neptune!), this month Mercury and Mars both leave their home signs on the 4th. Venus has already left home, with only the Sun approaching its home when it enters Leo. Mercury will enter Virgo, its other home sign, in early August.

So July brings lots of sign changes! Mercury and Mars change signs on the 4th, decreasing Gemini and Aries and boosting Taurus and Cancer. Then Venus moves into Cancer just before Mercury enters Leo, which is just before the Sun enters Leo. That means we begin the month with heavy Aries and Gemini, then quickly shift out of Aries into a preponderance of Taurus and Cancer. The third week two planets leave Cancer and enter Leo, with another leaving Gemini and entering Cancer. So this month is primarily focused in Taurus and Cancer, with Leo making its first appearance by July 19.

The Aquarius-Taurus Tension This Year

We’re still on a temporary break from the intense Saturn-Uranus squares. Last year we were all put through a lot of pressure wherever we had 11-17 Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, and though Uranus is still in that sector, Saturn moved past the square in late February. However, now that it’s retrograde, it’s going to come back into square in August and remain in square through early December, again challenging us to see what matters so we can let go of nonessentials.

Last year we had three squares from Saturn to Uranus; one from 8 Aquarius to 8 Taurus, another with Saturn retrograde at 14 Aquarius square Uranus at 14 Taurus, and a third with Saturn direct at 12 Aquarius and Uranus retrograde at 12 Taurus. These waning (upper) squares between Saturn in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus mark the culmination of the cycle set into motion with Saturn conjunct Uranus in 1988. Interestingly, in 1999-2000 Saturn in Taurus made its waxing (lower) square to Uranus in Aquarius, so last year activated conflicts dating back 20 years.

We’re Actors On A New Stage With A New Set

The Grand Mutation of Jupiter conjunct Saturn at 1 Aquarius began a new 20 year Aquarian Era in December 2020, as well as a new 200 year Era, moving global energies out of Earth and into Air. We’ve begun to grow beyond the materialism of the past 200 years and have entered two centuries of Air emphasis, with its qualities of relatedness, receptivity, versatility, movability, lightness, and cooperative ideas, visions, and ideals.

The 2020 Solar eclipse on the Summer Solstice is still facilitating a grand reorientation in our lives, including an acceptance of new allegiances and life directions, and the December 2020 Solar eclipse at 24 Sagittarius is still helping us remove blocks to our happiness. The June 2021 Solar eclipse at 20 Gemini is already removing irrelevant and extraneous ideas and considerations from our decision making process, and the extremely beneficial Total Solar Eclipse at 13 Sagittarius in early December 2021 gave us a promise of major gifts and unique interactive opportunities which will be perfect for whatever we need. Rewards are coming these next 4 years!

We’re still "under the beams" of the Solar Eclipses we experienced in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, and these “cosmic recyclers” continue to remove all that we no longer need in our lives. Take note of where you have 1 Cancer, 24 and 13 Sagittarius, and 20 Gemini, since 1 Cancer aligns us with a larger reality, 24 Sagittarius helps us find happiness, 13 Sagittarius gives us a new identity and love, and 20 Gemini removes what cannot be assimilated or communicated.

The mid-June Solar Eclipse at 20 Gemini continues to shut down parts of our lives in that sector for 4 years to come. All the eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius are removing old ideas, old perspectives, old truths, and old futures. May’s eclipses with Sun in Taurus will shut down old value systems in that sector, as well as the Scorpio sector now that the May Full Moon Wesak Festival eclipse has begun to bring us a global wisdom related to those signs. All in all, these are some very favorable eclipses wherever they fall in our charts!

As we study how successive Eclipses have affected various areas of our charts and lives, we can get a sense of the utility of these “Cosmic Recyclers” in removing what we no longer needed in those areas, creating a void which attracted new life experiences. They invite us to look back, and then forward, to see the continuity of “letting go, taking in, letting go, taking in” across the years.

The Grand Irrationality

In July, the 7-pointed “Star of Destiny" I’ve termed The Grand Irrationality is in play during the entire month due to the transits in early Cancer which septile Uranus and biseptile Neptune. We also see it triggered in a major way when Mars conjuncts Uranus and septiles Neptune toward the end of the month. t’s clearly another time of more choices and changes as the world navigates a very irrational period!

All of the septile-series 7th harmonic aspects from the inner planets to the outer spiritual planets represent turning points at the hard edge of revolutionary change we’ve been going through for a while. Obviously, this is activated every time the Moon moves through one of the seven “hot zones” of this evolutionary configuration. All septile-series aspects are irrational points representing “forks in the road of destiny” in any larger cycle. If you have a planet or point near any of the seven zones, your life is sure to be affected. In June these zones are around 3-7 Aquarius, 24-28 Pisces, 16-20 Taurus, 7-11 Cancer, 28 Leo- 2 Virgo, 20-24 Libra, and 12-16 Sagittarius.

During the periods these 7th harmonic aspects are in play, if things get weird or crazy, be clear about the choices you’re making. While a lot won’t “make sense,” it doesn’t have to; just be clear about what you’re doing and why. Even though there may be interactions with unreasonable or irrational people, we still have the power to respond in productive ways.

As with “hard” aspects to and from Mars, if that planet (or really any planet) is involved in any non-rational aspect, whether one to our natal Mars or transiting Mars making a non-rational aspect to one of our natal, progressed, or solar return planets, it’s a time to be cautious during the period when the aspect is within a degree of forming or separating. Things have a way of getting strange during 7th harmonic aspects, so those are times to be especially deliberate and thoughtful in choosing our responses.

Primary Action Beats for the First Half of the Month

July begins under the influence of the late June New Moon at 8 Cancer, putting the spotlight on that house in our charts. As this New Moon is on a degree of imitating an image of what we aspire to become, practicing a higher role on the world stage., we are turning a corner in how we want to display our knowledge and skills to our world. We are in a time of learning to recognize and honor beauty, and showing honest compassion when it’s warranted. We’ve all turned a corner in how we see ourselves and our role to play, and learning to keep the initiative in our own hands as we shuffle priorities.

The New Moon at 8 Cancer with Venus sextile Jupiter marks a VERY important shift in collective consciousness, with the Venus productivity released through the Solar square. This will be a rebeginning for some and an acceptance of an enjoyable role for others. That New Moon puts our focus on the house where we have 8 Cancer, which is good news for the planets or points we have around 7-11 Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces.

The first week brings quintiles, Mars square Pluto, and Mercury trine Saturn, square Neptune, and quincunx Pluto. Talk about turning corners! As all these are waxing aspects, it’s definitely a time to get clear about what works and what doesn’t, and what to do about whatever isn’t working so it can work better in the future. Make whatever adjustments or sacrifices are called for, and find a plan which works based in what’s worked up to now.

The week of the 4th shows Mars leaving Aries and entering Taurus just minutes before Mercury leaves Gemini and enters Cancer. That means the rulers of the houses and planets we have in Aries, Gemini, Virgo, and Scorpio are changing how they express their energies. Both go from the somewhat extroverted Aries and Gemini and enter the somewhat introverted Taurus and Cancer. Focus on consolidating and stabilizing what’s been accomplished so far with an eye to the coming realizations via the oppositions to Pluto and trines to Neptune this month and next.

There is major productivity in the air between July 4-7, with Mercury sextile Mars, Venus sextile Chiron and fairly favorable Lunar aspects. Because the Moon is outside the occupied Bowl span, it will serve as the “nozzle” for the “Bucket Jones pattern” created the first week of July. Be genuine July 1-3, discerning July 3-5, and balanced July 5-7.

The second week of July brings Sun square Chiron, Mercury square Jupiter, Sun sextile Uranus, Mercury square Chiron, and Venus trine Saturn in the run up to the Full Moon on July 13 featuring Mercury sextile Uranus and Venus square Neptune. The sextiles build while the squares release what was built prior to the square. Mercury is chasing the Sun so any aspect the Sun makes, Mercury follows shortly after to process the information. The Moon continues to be the means to focus all the other planetary energies between July 7 and 11, so eliminate/regenerate as needed on July 8-9, and open to a greater future or life adventure July 10-11.

As a result of the Mars conjunctions with Saturn and Neptune in April and May, we are promised new long term cycles wherever we have 23 Aquarius and 25 Pisces, so take note, since besides these 2 year pulses, we now have 4 Aries activated as a result of the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter at the end of May. All of these will reveal their potential each time the Moon transits late Aquarius, late Pisces, and early Aries.

During the times throughout the year when the Grand Irrationality is triggered by transits, expect major shifts in the collective field both in terms of the old powers asserting themselves AND the new emergent progressive vision getting a new push. This month brings our “final exam” as Mars in mid-to-late Taurus makes the same aspects in late July and early August which Venus did last month, triggering the Grand Irrationality lessons set up by prior conjunctions with Uranus which were septile Neptune.

Primary Action Beats for the Second Half of the Month

The last half of the month is under the influence of the Full Moon at 22 Cancer/Capricorn, showing past “defeats” are actually spiritual victories. This revisits the conjunction zones of the early 2020 Capricorn overlapping conjunction cycles, offering us a new perspective on the basis of what we’ve been through these past 30 months. As the Full Moon shows Mercury sextile Uranus, clearly this will be a powerfully innovative second half of the month. Add Venus square Neptune, and it’s a great time to see how our personal issues related to the generic human condition and vice versa. Be optimistic as you make innovations which can introduce “new blood” into what’s already established.

The third week of the month adjust, adjust, and adjust! On July 15-16 we have Venus quincunx Pluto and the Inferior conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, which are both quincunx Saturn. These are “anticipatory” adjustments and sacrifices so that we may accept some type of “mantle of power,” or blessing which allows us to be a leader in some way. Accept whatever you must, let go of whatever you must, and it will open the door to a purified spiritual expression.

Even with all that, the weekend of July 15-17 should be excellent, given the Lunar aspects which indicate vision, harmony, empathy, and collective connectedness via the Sun and Mercury both trine Neptune. As this anticipates the oppositions to Pluto on July 18-19, learn what you need to learn, teach what you need to teach, and remember this is leading us all into “a world of transcendent activity, where we must learn to serve in a ritual which may be beyond our understanding.” Whatever we’re opening to around that time will acquire more substance in early August and launch as an activity in May 2023.

Chiron going retrograde on July 19 begins a review of our healing/mentoring process. We may have to back off from some things or people in order to “preserve our dignity” while being compassionate and patient with those who are inexperienced. As the Moon is totally within the Bowl pattern created by planets between Capricorn and Cancer from July 11 through July 29, it’s a very “interior” type of focus wherever we have those signs in our chart.

The fourth week of July begins with Moon in Taurus beginning the first returns of Saturn square Uranus which will dominate the period from August through November. The Sun enters Leo on July 22, and with both Mercury and the Sun trine Jupiter, it’s sunny skies and balmy breezes as we find the optimism we need to open to a larger potential. With Venus square Jupiter, the Sun and Mercury build the Fire of Jupiter which is released in social forms by Venus. Keep putting your best Self forward, don’t settle for anything less that the best you might attain, and hang in there! The Lunar aspects are fantastic on July 22, 23, and 24, so enjoy the weekend.

Slow down and be very careful between July 25-29. Mercury is square Mars and Uranus the entire time, with Mercury trine Chiron making it clear how to heal in some way. The New Moon of July 28 at 6 Leo will bring confrontations during the month of August marking a major “sea change” due to Jupiter going stationary retrograde just hours after the New Moon and less than an hour before Mercury squares Uranus. Allow your genius or unique view to come forth, as this can help bring clarity and enjoyment to the larger Aquarian role you’re playing.

The end of the month shows Mercury out in front of the Sun, heralding the aspects the Sun will make in August, so take note, since what mind brings early, life will claim in August! Mercury opposes Saturn on July 30, so try not to frame things too narrowly, with an eye to bringing forth ideas about how the future Aquarian structures can be made more focused and stable. The entire last week of the month has Sun trine Jupiter, so a good time could be had by all, even though some people might be a bit rigid or pessimistic.

Evolutionary Development

This is the sixth month of the North Node in Taurus era! We’re now done with our time of evolving in the sign of learning and communicating, and are now in a time of our greatest development coming through the sign of appreciation, value, and enjoying the best life has to offer.

Mars conjunct Jupiter in Aries in late May set the pace for new openings these next 2 years, so embrace the adventure in new actions and new freedom to be as authentic as you need to be. This month our wise friend Saturn continues to help us manage Aquarius energies in our lives, with the first half of July teaching us about being more volitional and less reflexive in our responses, and the second half of the month bringing us wisdom based in past efforts of disciplining the lower self which brought us “genuine dispassion.”

We’re now about 3/4 of the way through two years of non-stop friction between Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus. While the square won’t be back in play for a few more weeks, use the time wisely, since that square begins to activate late this month and is in full force beginning August. Keep eliminating all which is of no use in the future, keep building heart and focused spiritual expression, and remember your inner Spiritual Warrior can never be overcome.

The tension from the square will be greatly relieved by January 2023. Given the friction between Aquarius and Taurus triggered these next 6 weeks by Mars transiting Taurus and forming a conjunction to Uranus and then a square to Saturn, stay focused on your larger ideals, and keep showing heart, taking heart, trusting the heart, strengthening the heart, and radiating the Love you ARE to your world, expressed through a conscious focus, concentration, and intention.

Our recent Aries initiatives will expand quickly in early 2023, with past and current Taurus experiences showing us how to keep it simple, pleasant, and steady. The current Gemini and Cancer transits are giving us more information about the emerging new focus, and helping us identify with the process so we can BECOME the actor on the stage. Whatever has developed in Gemini will begin being tested between late August and mid-October, with things slowing down or even going into reverse after that thanks to Mars retrograde.

The Sun in Cancer is a time to see the Light of a reorientation in what we care about and how we care about it. This helps us feel our connection with how to serve the emergent Aquarian ideal through self-gathering emotional activity related to the new momentum generated in Aries. This is a turning point in our understanding and our commitments, so make sure you are showing your world the best YOU that you’re becoming, and leave the rest behind. This month and August we ground the emergent Aquarian ideal in our lives. And because Jupiter is in Aries, continue to see how your individual unique spark of Light is part of the greater infinite Light field.

As we’re now in the middle of the second year of a new 20 year and 200 year cycle, remember a new era has dawned. Have courage and take the initiative to leave the Earth and fly free into the Air of what’s opening as the Grand Mutation expands its promise into the Divine transfigured ideal of a more just truth and future. This month opens a new spontaneity as we examine and air out old ideas and views and let some sunshine into our “mind windows.”

The 2022 Capricorn and Aquarius transits began a new chapter of utilizing forms of personal power in Capricorn to serve the emerging Aquarian ideal. A huge part of the past died earlier this year and a new expansive inspired energy came in via the Mars conjunction with Jupiter in Aries. This is the time to keep steady on our course, unimpeded by old mindsets and considerations.

Open to new allegiances, new ways of seeing and honoring beauty, and make adjustments in your trajectory at this turning of the seasons. We now have overcome old inertias, discovered ways to move events in various directions according to our understanding, and gotten a new dose of Wisdom involving the vision of our heart’s desire expressed in our efficient adaptation to events.

Our wisdom is taking shape through our power to attain freedom of movement despite limiting conditions. We are finding “spiritual linkage through emotional stress” and “the blessings which come after the end of old ways.” And because an eclipse has been removing all which would obstruct our happiness for the past 18 months, and the new global wisdom now spreading across our planet is filling that void, this is a time when we can find new forms of genuine happiness appropriate for who we are now.

We’ve ended many things and begun a new expression these past four months; the past is over and we all have begun our trek into a new world of new potential, new adventures, and new ways to enjoy being ourselves, doing our work of Destiny. Open to the abundance of the process of growth, since we are all on a rocket ship to the stars!

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Since I also include this in the newsletter, I’ll offer it to you here:

PLANETARY MOTIONS IN JULY 2022

SUN – 10 Cancer to 9 Leo
MERCURY – 23 Gemini to 23 Leo
VENUS – 10 Gemini to 16 Cancer
MARS – 28 Aries to 18 Taurus
JUPITER – 8 to 9 Aries
SATURN – 25 to 23 Aquarius
URANUS – 18 to 19 Taurus
NEPTUNE – 26 Pisces (all month)
PLUTO –28 Capricorn (all month)
CHIRON – 17 Aries (all month)
TRUE NORTH NODE –22 to 19 Taurus

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SIGNIFICANT ASTROLOGICAL OCCURRENCES IN JULY 2022

NEPTUNE STATIONARY RETROGRADE; June 28 at 26 Pisces
NEW MOON; June 28; Sun and Moon at 8 Cancer
MARS ENTERS TAURUS; July 4
MERCURY ENTERS CANCER; July 4
FULL MOON; July 13; Sun 22 Cancer; Moon 22 Capricorn
SUPERIOR CONJUNCTION OF MERCURY/SUN; July 16 at 25 Cancer
VENUS ENTERS CANCER; July 17
MERCURY ENTERS LEO; July 19
CHIRON STATIONARY RETROGRADE; July 19 at 17 Aries
SUN ENTERS LEO; July 22
NEW MOON; July 28; Sun and Moon at 6 Leo
JUPITER STATIONARY RETROGRADE; July 28 at 9 Aries
MARS CONJUNCT URANUS; August 1 at 19 Taurus

I want to welcome all to drop by our Astrology Arizona Facebook page and join the social media initiative going on there. Please feel free to contribute a topic, ask about a topic, or anything else related to our new group! See you over there!

I also highly recommend coming to our zoom presentations, since we have some of the best astrologers anywhere giving talks about all kinds of great astrological topics. We’ve had “Evolutionary Configurations,” “America at the Crossroads,” “Using Planetary Hours in Charts,” “Escaping the Twelfth House,” “Outer Planet Cycles and How The Past Affects the Present,” “The Three Part Self,” “Egotism, Narcissism, Identity and Self,” “How Our Chart Expresses Our Spiritual Potential,” the 2021 Solar and Lunar eclipses, and more.

Our January 2022 meeting featured predictions from two dozen astrologers about the coming year. We had a great talk about planetary cycles and the Arc Transform charts on February 26, and March 26 will be an entertaining talk about how astrology and the news are perfectly aligned these day! We have more great talks scheduled throughout the year so please consider joining us. I’ll be speaking about my new book The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames in our May talk, so that will be a great talk for everyone, regardless of your skill level. You can find out more at the FB page, our website, or by writing me.

Reprinted on crystalwind.ca with written permission from Robert Wilkinson. Copying this article to other blogs is strictly prohibited. It is copyright protected. 

© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson

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