Important astrological energies for the month of July 2017:

• Jupiter in Libra quincunx Neptune retrograde in Pisces on July 5, 2017. This is the third quincunx in this sequence. The first time that it occurred was on October 23, 2016 when Jupiter was direct and Neptune was retrograde. The second time that it formed this quincunx was on May 17, 2017 when Jupiter was retrograde and Neptune was direct.
• Full Moon with Sun in Cancer and Moon in Capricorn occurs on July 9, 2017.
• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Leo occurs on July 23, 2017.

Understanding Your Priorities

By Misty Kuceris ©2017

In many ways, July is a month that’s all about you and your relationships with other people, especially family members. At times you’ll wonder if you can communicate with others or if they’re trying to tell you what to do. At other times you’ll realize that you need to take some time off and relax so you can enjoy what you have in life. The key is to understand your priorities so you can make the best decisions.

The month of July begins with Mercury forming a quincunx to Saturn retrograde and Mars forming an opposition to Pluto retrograde on July 2^nd. This can be a difficult day to communicate. When Mercury is in Cancer you prefer to keep your thoughts to yourself. You don’t want to share too much information. With Mercury forming the quincunx aspect to Saturn retrograde, you don’t understand what other people are expecting. They tell you one thing, but they act another way. You feel as if they are trying to keep you off balance.

As Mars moves into the opposition to Pluto retrograde a few minutes later you become more frustrated with people. Now you feel as if their words and actions are intended to manipulate you. With Mars in Cancer, you want to avoid conflict. Avoiding conflict is the right thing to do today. Even if you were to confront others, they would still change what they say and make you feel as if something is wrong with you.

Situations become better on July 3^rd as Venus forms a sextile to Chiron retrograde. Venus is in Taurus right now and you want to do what’s right. You don’t want to alienate anyone. You even understand how important it is to be kind and gentle. With this gentility comes increased compassion. With this increased compassion you’re able to resolve problems and improve your relationships.

On July 4^th, Venus enters the sign of Gemini and the need to communicate becomes more important. You feel that by discussing matters you’ll be able to improve your relationships with others. But it’s now quite that easy today because less than 30 minutes after Venus enters the sign of Gemini, Mercury forms a square to Uranus.

When Mercury is forming a square to Uranus, you’re mind operates very quickly. You can’t always express yourself very well because these new thoughts keep cropping up and getting in the way of your ability to speak. Some people find that they start to stutter. Others feel frustrated because the thoughts just aren’t being communicated in a coherent manner.

Rather than spending time trying to explain your ideas to others, take the time to listen to what they have to say. You may find that what starts out as a frustrating exercise in communications actually turns into a great discussion of various ideas which can lead to better solutions.

On July 5^th, Jupiter forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde. This is the last time that Jupiter will form this quincunx in this triad series. The first time that it formed the quincunx was on October 23, 2016 when Jupiter was direct and Neptune was retrograde. The second time that it formed this quincunx was on May 17, 2017 when Jupiter was retrograde and Neptune was direct.

Each time that Jupiter forms a quincunx to Neptune you need to be careful with your boundaries and protect yourself from the unknown. You may want to move forward with your life, but you’re not sure how to begin. You may try too many ideas and find that none of them work. Or, you may feel so insecure that you’re unwilling to try anything new.

Both Jupiter and Neptune rule the sign of Pisces and indicate the importance of looking at your long-term goals from the perspective of your ideals. With these planets forming a quincunx to each other, you are feeling the conflict between your ideals and your long-term goals. In the positive, this conflict will enable you to find a balance. Embrace your conflicting feelings by verifying the facts. Set mini-goals (also called baby milestones) rather than long-term goals. Reward yourself when you achieve a mini-goal and move on to the next mini-goal. By doing this you’ll find that you can use tension to achieve your longer-term goals with success.

Before Mercury enters the sign of Leo on July 5^th it forms a trine to Chiron retrograde. You want to communicate with words of inspiration. Yet you also understand that you can’t be too direct. You need to be gentle in your approach if you want other people to listen to you. You may even find that listening to others is even more important than trying to tell other people about your ideas.

As Mercury moves into the sign of Leo you have a lot to say. You’re excited about different circumstances in your life. At the same time you realize that by listening to others you’re able to find ways to inspire them to support your goals or achieve their own success in life.

When Ceres forms a sextile to Uranus on July 6^th, you understand the importance of compromise when trying to develop new approaches to life. You’re open to new ideas. You want to see how progress can be used to improve situations, whether those situations are personal or professional. You want these new ideas to be part of the old system.

But you may feel a little differently on July 7^th when Ceres forms a square to Chiron retrograde. You may wonder if you compromised too much the day before. The key to understanding whether you gave too much away is to look at your environment. Do you still feel safe as your implementing some of those new ideas? If so, the compromise was worth it. If, however, you don’t feel quite so secure today, you need slow down before implementing any changes in your life. If you pay attention to your needs, you’ll know the right action to take.

When the full Moon, with Sun in Cancer and Moon in Capricorn, occurs on July 9^th, you feel as if you need to make decisions which involve your job as well as your family. The Sun forms a conjunction to Mars and an opposition to Pluto retrograde. The Moon forms an opposition to Mars and a conjunction to Pluto retrograde. And, both the Sun and Moon form a square to Jupiter. This creates the energy of a cardinal T-square.

You take things seriously right now. You look at all the options in your life. You want to make changes which will improve your life. At the same time, you want to understand the long-term implications of those changes. While you feel impatient, it’s important to err on the side of caution. As you make changes in your life, use your past experience to help you make better decisions. This is especially true when Mars forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde a few hours after the full Moon occurs.

Ceres enters the sign of Cancer on July 10^th. There is harmony when Ceres is in Cancer because Ceres represents the need of a mother to protect her child. You want to do what is right in your life. You want to take care of your family. You don’t want harm to come to anyone.

This need to take care of your family also extends to people you work with. People who have Cancer in Ceres see their co-workers or employees as family members. Being part of the tribe is important. So, when Ceres is in Cancer, you re-evaluate your work situation. If you don’t feel personally connected to people you work with, you may start to consider looking for a new job.

Ceres in Cancer also represents the home and your personal environment. You may feel as if you need to make changes in your home. Perhaps you want to redecorate your home to make it more appealing. Or, perhaps you just want to make certain that it’s secure and pleasant for your family. Don’t be surprised if you spend more money on making your home the place you want to be.

You may find communications very inconsistent on July 14^th as Mercury forms a quincunx to Neptune retrograde and a sextile to Jupiter later in the day.

When Mercury forms the quincunx to Neptune retrograde you feel confused. You don’t know what direction to take. Each time you feel as if you have the answer, you find out that there’s another perspective which is very different from the previous one. So, use caution when you discuss matters with others. Try to find out all the facts before you take any action.

As Mercury moves into a sextile with Jupiter later in the day, you feel a bit better. You feel as if the facts are being revealed and you’re getting to the truth.

Both Jupiter and Neptune co-rule the sign of Pisces. Pisces represents your dreams which can lead to success as well as phobias which could stand in the way of success. With Mercury forming the quincunx to Neptune retrograde and the sextile to Jupiter today, you’ll be able to bring up your fears from your subconscious mind so you can deal with them and release them. By discovering the truth, you’ll realize that you no longer need to hold on to negativity in your life.

You’ll have another opportunity to release negative thoughts on July 16^th when Mercury forms a quincunx with Pluto retrograde. With Mercury in Leo, you’re able to approach situations from a positive perspective as you realize that you don’t have to always accept what authority figures tell you. You can listen to their words and also decipher what it real and what is garbage. You can toss out the unimportant information and use only that information which is based on fact and important in your life. This is a good time to release any emotional pain so you can move on.

You want to do something today, July 17^th, but you’re confused. It doesn’t help that Venus forms a square to Neptune retrograde and Mars will form a square to Uranus later in the day.

When Venus forms a square to Neptune retrograde, you want to follow your spiritual ideals. But you’re not quite sure what they are. You value communications since Venus is in Gemini. But you also value your inner solitude with Neptune retrograde in Pisces. So, how do your communicate your needs when you would rather keep them to yourself?

This confusion doesn’t change as Mars forms the square to Uranus. You feel as if you have no choice, you have to act. At the same time you don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. With Mars in Cancer you may not approach situations directly and that can actually work in your favor. If you approach them in a discreet manner, you may find that you can take the necessary action without putting yourself in any danger.

On July 18^th you feel as if you can move forward with safety. You may even decide to pull back a bit and re-evaluate your position. On this day, Mars forms a trine to Chiron retrograde and Venus forms a trine to Jupiter. With both of these energies operating today, you feel good about yourself. If you take any action, you take it with confidence. You feel as if you can achieve anything. If you decide to re-evaluate situations, you’ll find the missing pieces that prevented you from moving forward earlier. This is also a good day for financial and romantic matters. You know how to present yourself in a way that other people are willing to listen.

July 19^th is another great day for relationships as Mercury forms a trine to Saturn retrograde. You can inspire other people with your words. You may want to lead them to new experiences, but you do so with caution. You know how to measure your words. You know what other people need to hear. This is also another good day for romance because you can communicate your needs so clearly.

On July 20^th, Mars enters the sign of Leo in the morning hours EDT and Venus forms a quincunx to Pluto retrograde in the evening hours EDT. Both of these energies indicate that you’re tired of working so hard: You want a vacation. But there is a slight struggle going on. With Mars in Leo you know that you deserve that vacation. With Venus forming a quincunx to Pluto retrograde you wonder if you can afford to take a vacation. You feel as if you need to take care of other people. Think of it this way. If you’re too busy taking care of others, you’ll feel burned out and frustrated, even angry. If you don’t take some time off you won’t be able to help anyone, especially yourself. The lesson for today is that you can help others only as much as you help yourself.

The importance of considering your needs continues on July 21^st as Mercury forms a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node. This is a good day to set long-term goals. This is also a good time to make a note of them and perhaps even communicate those goals to people you love. Most importantly, this is another good day to take off and relax. Perhaps even start your vacation.

Your need for fun continues on July 22^nd when the Sun enters the sign of Leo. You have more energy today. You’re willing to take risks. You want to go out and play. You really don’t feel like working. If you do need to work, you’ll find ways to make a game out of the job.

Fun continues to be the theme of your life as the new Moon, with Sun and Moon in Leo, occurs on July 23^rd. Once again you want to find ways to enjoy life. You feel optimistic about what you can achieve. You don’t feel as if anyone is standing in your way.

Just be a little careful with your finances as Venus is applying to an opposition to Saturn retrograde and a square to Neptune retrograde. You may be putting so much money towards having fun that you overspend and regret it later.

On July 24^th, Venus forms an opposition to Saturn retrograde. Meanwhile, Mercury forms a trine to Uranus and a quincunx to Chiron retrograde.

When Venus forms an opposition to Saturn retrograde, you may find yourself too critical of your own actions. You may also feel as if you’re all alone in the world and you don’t have the support you need. But with Mercury forming the trine to Uranus later in the day, you realize that you can evaluate the rules you’re following and determine if they are still valid in your life. You’re open to new ideas. You can see just what “rules” are getting in the way of your success. You understand that perhaps your old rules were based on what other people, especially your parents, told you that you were supposed to do.

It also helps that Mercury moves into a quincunx to Chiron retrograde on this day. As you make changes in your life and determine which rules no longer apply, you approach these changes with compassion. You don’t want to hurt other people in your life. You want to make sure that you can communicate these changes to people you love in a way that they will listen to you.

When Mercury enters the sign of Virgo on July 25^th you find that you can focus better. Mercury is in the sign of its ruler. You are able to grasp new ideas. You are able to see potential results from situations. You are able to explain your intentions to others.

Communications continue to be important on July 30^th as Venus in Gemini forms a square to Chiron. You want to make certain that other people understand what you’re trying to say. You want to approach life with compassion and release any pain that’s standing in your way. If you can realize that you’re doing the best you can, you’ll be able to release the pain and move on with your life.

As the month of July ends, Venus enters the sign of Cancer on July 31^st. With Venus in Cancer you realize that your family is very important. You want to take time to enjoy what you have in life. This is a wonderful day to take off and relax. Spend time with your family and friends so you can appreciate just what they bring to you in life.