Important astrological energies for the month of July:

• Full Moon with Sun in Cancer and Moon in Capricorn occurs on July 13, 2022.
• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Leo occurs on July 28, 2022.
• Jupiter in Aries turns retrograde on July 28, 2022. It re-enters the sign of Pisces in retrograde motion on October 28, 2022 and turns direct on November 23, 2022. It re-enters the sign of Aries on December 20, 2022 until May 16, 2023 when it enters the sign of Taurus.

Still Holding Back

By Misty Kuceris ©2022

As the month of July begins, Mars forms a square to Pluto retrograde on July 1^st. This is a day of intense emotions. You want to do something. You want to take action. Yet, you feel this underlying current that something is brewing below the surface. You even feel as if you’re tripping on your own feet as you try to move forward with situations in your life. Both Mars and Pluto represent different aspects of aggression and even warfare. Mars is the warrior who is battling in the field while Pluto is the guerrilla fighter lurking behind the scenes and waiting for the right moment to pounce. So, while you may want to take immediate action, you also realize that it’s better to hold back and develop a strategic approach.

You continue to get this mixed signal on how to proceed when Mercury forms a trine to Saturn retrograde and a square to Neptune retrograde on July 2^nd. With Mercury forming that trine to Saturn retrograde you feel as if you understand what needs to be done and how to proceed. You may even start setting your plans into motion. But as you start, you begin to feel the energy of Mercury forming the square to Neptune and you start doubting your plans. Here’s the reality of today. While you think that you have all the facts, you still don’t. And, while you have some strategic plans develop, there’s still a lot more to figure out.

With Mercury forming the quincunx to Pluto retrograde on July 3^rd, you find yourself thinking about your situation and what you may be missing. You sense there is something lurking under the surface. For this reason, you start reviewing your plans. You even decide to pull back and do a bit more research. What you start discovering will help you develop even better plans of action. Pay attention to the shadows that lurk around the corners because they do have meaning.

As Mars enters the sign of Taurus on July 5^th, you continue to move slowly with any plans. You realize there is value to taking your time. As a matter of fact, even if you’re not consciously aware of it, you’re reviewing things from a cost-benefit point of view. Is it worth it? How much will your resources be taxed if you act on a situation? Will it benefit you in the long run?

Less than 30 minutes after Mars enters the sign of Taurus, Mercury enters the sign of Cancer. Not only are you holding back on a physical level, but you also find yourself holding back verbally. You realize that you don’t want to share too much information. You want to avoid confrontations. You don’t want to argue with anyone. You just want to get along with others. You may even sidestep individuals if you feel they are too confrontational. Peaceful co-existence is what you’re looking for.

With Venus in the sign of Gemini and forming a sextile to Chiron on July 6^th, you decide that today may be a good day to discuss matters with other people. You have some ideas about what you want to do in life and you want to know if people support your decisions. You also don’t want to jeopardize any important relationships due to misunderstandings. This is a good day to clear up some confusion which may have developed in your relationships.

When Mercury forms a square to Jupiter on July 9^th you feel both apprehensive and optimistic. You feel apprehensive because you’re not certain if other people are willing to give you the emotional support you need. You feel optimistic because you sense that other people want to understand your needs while also cheering on your successes. As a matter of fact, this is a good time to meet with people you care for and engage with them.

You still feel a little conflicted on July 10^th when it comes to spending more time with your friends. With Ceres forming a quincunx to Saturn retrograde you don’t want other people to judge you harshly. Rather, you want them to give you as much support as possible. Still, you also understand that other people may find it difficult to give you the emotional support because they are also going through some of the same conflicts you’re experiencing.

This is a day for reviewing your long-term goals. It’s possible that there are changes in the workplace which actually are impacting you emotionally. Perhaps you were working from home and are now required to work on site. Or, perhaps you realize that the job you had isn’t one which brings you pleasure. Because the aspect between Ceres and Saturn retrograde is a quincunx, you’ll find it easier to make lists of what’s important to you and review that information from a new perspective. You may even decide that some compromise needs to occur and you feel all right with your decision.

Before the full Moon occurs on July 13^th, Mercury forms a square to Chiron, Venus forms a trine to Saturn retrograde, and Ceres forms a trine to Neptune retrograde. After the full Moon occurs, Mercury forms a sextile to Uranus.

It’s not uncommon to experience a high level of activity during the day of a full Moon. With all the other astrological events occurring today, you’ll experience even more activity than normal. With Mercury in Cancer and forming the square to Chiron, you’ll want to avoid as much confrontation as possible. You’ll also be very sensitive to conversations to the point that you may feel other people aren’t listing to your needs. But, the good news is that Venus in Gemini is forming a trine to Saturn retrograde.

With Venus forming the trine to Saturn retrograde, you’re able to express your concerns, as well as your needs, in a way that other people understand. As you speak, your confidence increases. You discover that you aren’t apologizing for your words or belief systems. And, with Ceres in Cancer forming the trine to Neptune retrograde, you realize that you can share some of your dreams with those you trust.

As a matter of fact, when Ceres does form a trine to Neptune retrograde, you realize that you can manifest your dreams. All you need to a safe place to express those dreams. And, you realize that you can discover that safe place.

In addition to finding ways to manifest your dreams, you also feel an elevated sense of compassion for others. You’re willing to listen to their concerns. And if their concerns involved any of your actions, you’re able to compromise in a manner that these concerns can be resolved.

By the time that the full Moon occurs you start thinking about different aspects in your life. With the Sun in Cancer and the Moon in Capricorn, you wonder whether you need to make changes in your life: Is your current job the right one for you? Are you spending enough time with family and friends? Are you experience the right balance between your personal and work life?

While it’s often good to make some decisions around the time of the full Moon, it’s also a good time to reflect on your life without taking action. Instead consider what type of action you want to take. You may find that you need to compromise. Perhaps stay at the job a little longer so you can find one that suits you better. Or you may determine that you need to spend more time with family and your job is getting in the way.

As the evening approaches and the full Moon comes to an end, Mercury forms a sextile to Uranus. Suddenly new ideas surface from your subconscious mind. You may even receive some information that you have been waiting for. And don’t be at all surprised if you’re in the right place at the right time for some very great news.

As Venus forms a square to Neptune retrograde on July 14^th watch your financial situation very carefully. This is not a day to make any major purchases or sign any contracts. You’re not getting all the information that you need.

In addition, be very careful when you communicate with others. There’s a tendency to hear what you want to hear and not what is actually being said. There’s a lot of deceit going on in the world which can lead you to conclusions that aren’t accurate. It’s best to take a “watch and wait” approach.

July 15^th is another day where other people may try to take advantage of you. This is because Venus is forming a quincunx to Pluto retrograde. Other people may try to sweep you away with their charisma, but they aren’t telling you the truth. They want to try and manipulate you into doing things they want, not what you want. Gaslighting is a term that comes to mind with this aspect. You see what’s going on, but your view is discounted. Or worse, you see what’s going on and yet they tell you that you created the problem or are the problem.

While you may want to avoid conflicts with Mercury in Cancer, you will not tolerate any disrespect on July 16^th when Mercury forms the quincunx to Saturn retrograde. You’ll stand up for your rights. You’ll put others in their place if you need to. And, if a person you care for needs help, you’ll go out of your way to protect them.

As Mercury in Cancer forms a trine to Neptune retrograde, Ceres in Cancer forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde, and Venus enters the sign of Cancer on July 17^th you find ways to create a safe environment in your life.

With Mercury forming the trine to Neptune retrograde, you start thinking about your dreams and how to manifest them in the world. There may be a little magical thinking going on where you expect certain things to fall into place just because you want that to happen. But there’s also the understanding that if you aren’t inspired by your dreams, nothing is going to come to fruition in your life.

As Ceres forms the opposition to Pluto retrograde, you understand the strength you possess. In understanding this strength, you realize that you can achieve your goals. If you need to leave certain people or situations behind in order to meet your goals, you’ll do that. You won’t put up with anyone who stands in your way.

And with Venus moving into the sign of Cancer, you understand just how important it is to take care or yourself. While you want to nurture others, you realize that you can only help other people when you help yourself. And, while you want to have important people in your life, you also know the importance of those quiet moments where you reflect on your needs and how to achieve them.

As Mercury forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde and a conjunction to Ceres on July 18^th, you find increased strength in standing up for your beliefs. It’s interesting in mythology that Pluto represents the underworld and Ceres represents the upper world. With Mercury forming aspects to both these planets, you find it easier to let go of fears which prevent you from succeeding. Perhaps in the past you didn’t stand up for your rights because you feared losing people. Yet today you don’t care. You feel that if those people need to be out of your life, it’s for the best. That’s how Mercury forming an opposition to Pluto retrograde manifests. Also, you know that by accepting your inner strength, you feel a sense of peace and experience no fears. That’s how Mercury forming a conjunction to Ceres manifests. In a lot of ways this is a day where you’ll come to realize some truths about your current situations and act on those truths.

With Mercury entering the sign of Leo and Chiron turning retrograde on July 19^th, you’ll feel that life is less intense. As a matter of fact, when Mercury enters the sign of Leo, you see the positive in situations. You feel good about people in your life. You want to go out and play. You want to be entertained and to be entertaining.

During the time period that Chiron is retrograde, which will be until December 23, 2022, you may reflect on various people or situations which brought pain into your life. Yet, you’ll also find that it’s a lot easier to release that pain during this time period. As a matter of fact, you don’t want any pain to prevent you from moving on with your life.

The shift from Cancer into Leo continues as the Sun enters the sign of Leo on July 22^nd. Relationships become more important. You want to have fun. You want to find that child side of your nature where you can look at the world with wonder.

With Ceres entering the sign of Leo on July 23^rd you want to inspire other people to be their best. You’re able to be a role model for those who look for inspiration. Loyalty is important and for this reason you are more forgiving when people make mistakes. You’re even willing to take risks when it comes to beginning new relationships.

You feel good on July 23^rd as Mercury forms a trine to Jupiter. You’re optimistic. You see the best in life and other people. You feel that you can achieve anything. Your mind is operating so quickly that you see various possibilities. And, if you have to make any type of presentations, you find that it’s easy for you to communicate in a way that other people understand you. If you have to negotiate any contracts, this is a good day to do that.

When Venus forms a square to Jupiter on July 25^th you may need to be very careful with your finances. There’s a tendency to spend too much money. You see something you like and you feel as if you can’t live without it. Yet, you really don’t need to have it. Or, what you want to purchase costs a lot more than it’s worth. Be very thrifty with your money right now. If the item is worth it, it will be there later.

Additionally, there’s a tendency to be very generous when Venus forms a square to Jupiter. This can help in relationships because you’re more forgiving of individuals. At the same time, it’s important that your generosity isn’t taken advantage of. If you decide to help someone, do it because you want to, not because they asked you to.

Healing words are everything on July 27^th when Mercury forms a trine to Chiron retrograde. You understand what other people mean. You are able to listen in a way that you can read between the lines. And, you don’t give out too much information. Rather, you’re perceived as someone who can be trusted just because you are spending more time listening than speaking.

After the new Moon occurs on July 28^th, Jupiter in Aries turns retrograde and Mercury forms a square to Uranus.

New Moon situations usually indicate that time of the month where you evaluate your direction in life and what new steps, if any, you need to take to stay on track. With both the Sun and Moon in the sign of Leo, you want to approach life with increased joy. While you’re willing to put in the work you need to do to be successful, you also want to make certain that you’re having fun. You’re tired of taking things too seriously. In addition, with the new Moon forming a conjunction to Ceres and a trine to Jupiter you realize that you can’t do everything all alone. You need to include other people. Perhaps it’s time that you realize there are some things that you just need to delegate and let someone else handle.

With Jupiter turning retrograde, it’s also time to re-evaluate some of your past goals to determine if they are still relevant. You may determine that what you thought was important is no longer relevant in your life.

Not enough attention is paid to Jupiter when it goes retrograde. And, in this case, Jupiter retrograde is very important because it re-enters the sign of Pisces on October 28, 2022 and turns direct on November 23, 2022. It will re-enter the sign of Aries on December 20, 2022 until May 16, 2023 when it enters the sign of Taurus.

In general, when Jupiter is retrograde, you need to re-evaluate your goals. You often find that what you thought you wanted isn’t the case. With Jupiter in Aries, perhaps you thought you wanted freedom to do what you want, in the way you wanted, no matter what other people thought of you. But, now that Jupiter is in retrograde motion and also moving back into Pisces at the end of October, you’re beginning to wonder if you need to pull back and spend more time with others as you reflect on all the changes in your life. You may even decide that perhaps some of the old ways of doing things are still relevant after all. While you changed some of that behavior in your life, you may actually go back and embrace that old behavior.

Another aspect of Jupiter turning retrograde is that you may need to take care of some legal matters which you’ve put off. Perhaps it’s time to update that will. Or, perhaps there’s some paperwork that you’ve avoided. While you don’t want to start any legal actions during Jupiter retrograde, it is a good time to do all the necessary research so that once Jupiter does turn direct, you’ll be able to proceed if you need to.

Finally Jupiter also represents that aspect of your spiritual nature where you wonder about your place in life, your place in the world. It’s not unusual when Jupiter is retrograde to consider your spiritual values and see if they are in line with your ethical nature. Yes, there can be a difference. Spiritual values deal with letting compassion and love operate through us in all our relationships. Ethical values deal with finding that honest way to live our lives on a daily basis. The balance between these two determine how we treat other people, especially those with diverging views.

When Mercury forms a square to Uranus, you may feel as if you are getting some insights you didn’t expect. These insights may even cause some tension because the information doesn’t fit with your preconceptions. While Mercury forming a square to Uranus can be uncomfortable, the end result can actually be positive. You may receive information that was hidden from you but now gives you the truth you needed to know.

Hidden information, especially from years past, is often revealed when Mercury forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis, as it will on July 29^th. The truth can’t be hidden from you. This will help you find that balance between understanding what people are saying and what they actually mean. Also, with the Moon’s North Node in Taurus and the Moon’s South Node in Scorpio, you’ll be able to find value in the truth and relief the secret no longer exists.

As Mercury forms an opposition to Saturn retrograde and Venus forms a square to Chiron retrograde on July 31^st, you have a lot to think about. You may feel as if someone you loved and respected has fallen from grace. Or, you may decide that it’s time to stop being so critical of either yourself or others. You may just want to move on with your life. There’s nothing wrong with a critique of your situation when that critique is used as building blocks to increase your strength. But it’s also important to be gentle with yourself so you can move on with your life and heal from any negativity that’s been circling around you. In a lot of ways, you still feel the need to be cautious, especially in your relationships. If that’s the case, it’s all right to still hold back.

For more information on Misty Kuceris, her classes and seminars, as well as other articles, just go to https://mistykuceris.com/

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