Important energies for the month of July 2014

• Mercury in Gemini turns stationary direct on July 1, 2014.
• Full Moon with Sun in Cancer and Moon in Capricorn occurs on July 12, 2014.
• Jupiter enters Leo on July 16, 2014.
• Saturn in Scorpio turns stationary direct on July 20, 2014.
• Uranus in Aries turns stationary retrograde on July 21, 2014.
• Mars enters Scorpio on July 25, 2014.
• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Leo occurs on July 26, 2014.

A Month of Shifting Energies

By Misty Kuceris ©2014

July 2014 can be seen as a month of shifting energy. Mercury is turning direct, Jupiter is entering the sign of Leo, and Mars is entering the sign of Scorpio. All of this indicates forward movement as the energies of the cardinal grand cross and the cardinal T-square are beginning to abate. At the same time, there are still days during the month when conflict needs to be dealt with and, if at all possible, resolved.

Mercury turns stationary direct on the first day of July and you finally feel as if you have your thoughts together. Ideas are solidifying. You can present them to other people and they understand what you’re saying. This is a good time to start new writing projects. It’s an excellent time to consider some of those contracts that you’ve put off. And, you may be able to clear up some of those communication problems.

With Venus in Gemini forming a quincunx to Pluto retrograde on July 3^rd, you may feel as if you want to discuss matters of the heart that are important to you. You may feel passionate about your concepts and ideas. But you need to be careful. You may be so passionate about your concepts that you overstep your bounds and start alienating others. Or, other people may try to manipulate what you say to use those words against you. Financially this could be a difficult time period as you try to budget for those bills and unexpected expenses just seem to raise their ugly heads. This is especially true if you need to deal with contracting matters. Hopefully you won’t have to sign any major contracts today because the cost will be very high.

On July 7^th, Venus forms a sextile to Uranus in the early morning hours, EDT, and a quincunx to Saturn retrograde during mid-morning EDT. When Venus forms that sextile to Uranus, you may feel as if you’re willing to take risks. You’re open to meeting new people who are very different from you. You’re willing to try new love interests with others who aren’t quite like you. But as Venus moves into the quincunx with Saturn retrograde, you may suddenly regret that new person that you just let into your life. A good way to use this energy is to open your mind to new ideas but also try to understand just how realistic those concepts may be. If you’re an artist, you may be able to develop a new art form that expresses your talents and skills. Or, because this energy begins in the early morning hours EDT, you may be in bed asleep and find that you have unusual dreams which can actually be very healing. You may not remember the dreams, but you may feel better about a situation in your life.

Healing energy continues on July 8^th as Venus forms a square to Chiron retrograde. You do need to be cautious and not take any physical risks because you could injure yourself. But, you can also find ways to release inner tensions and let go of things that are standing in your way.

The full Moon that occurs on July 12^th will be very intense globally and probably in your own life. The Sun in Cancer and the Moon in Capricorn form squares to the Mars, Ceres, and Moon’s North Node conjunction. Meanwhile, Mars forms a conjunction to Ceres and Venus forms a trine to Ceres later in the day so those energies are also part of this full Moon.

This is a day where you need to curb your desire to rush into the world to accomplish goals. You need to take the time to think about your actions because you could create more harm than good if you act without thinking. With Mars, Ceres, and the Moon’s North Node all in the sign of Libra, it’s important that you consider your relationships with others before acting. While you may have a tendency to put yourself first, that won’t necessary help your situation. You need to find ways to compromise on some of your goals and involve other people if you want to succeed.

The conjunction that Mars forms with Ceres indicates how fear could create more problems if you let that be your motivating factor when you take action. Mars wants to recoup what he is afraid of losing. Ceres wants to recoup what she believes she’s already lost. So, a struggle could ensue between trying to hold on to something and trying to regain control over the same thing. It’s almost like a spiritual tug-of-war with both sides fighting over control of the rope. Yet, if both sides agree the rope is a value to everyone, this tug-of-war could stop and harmony could grow.

The trine that Venus forms to Ceres late in the evening EDT can help you understand how important it is to find a way to compromise and create balance in your relationships with other people. With Venus in Gemini and Ceres in Libra, you’ll be able to find a way to communicate your needs and also negotiate a resolution that works for all parties involved.

Mercury enters Cancer just after midnight, EDT, on July 13^th. As Mercury enters the sign of Cancer, you need to think about the world around you and how to survive in the environment you’ve chosen. You need to maintain compassion as you move forward in life. At the same time, you need to stand up for your own rights. The sign of Cancer is an unusual sign. While compassion is stressed, there is also a strong component where you pull away to protect what’s important to you. You may view people with suspicion. Perhaps that’s not a bad thing. At the same time, you need to listen to what others have to say and that can be difficult.

Listening to what other people have to say continues to be difficult as Mars forms a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node later in the evening EDT on July 13^th. You want to move forward and start doing things with other people. At the same time, you don’t want to give up your individual rights. You may feel that you need to fight for those rights. If you can tune into the energy of Libra and negotiate your needs, you can use this energy in a peaceful manner and not have to worry about creating problems with other people. You may discover that taking joint action is a lot better than promoting your own needs.

Ceres also forms a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node on the following day, July 14^th. It’s important to continue working with others if you want to achieve success with your goals. Since Ceres represents the importance of understanding how to use power in your life, you’ll find that you don’t have to give up the important matters if you have to compromise. As a matter of fact, you may even find that your power increases as you compromise.

Jupiter enters the sign of Leo on July 16^th and both the cardinal grand cross and the cardinal T-square that it created no longer occurs. Personal security, no matter what the cost, is no longer top priority. Now the priority shifts to the belief that anything can be accomplished if you’re on the right mission. The cycle of Jupiter occurs approximately every twelve years. And, Jupiter tends to be in a sign for approximately 13 months. Therefore, Jupiter will be in the sign of Leo until August 11, 2015.

The last time that Jupiter was in the sign of Leo was August 1, 2002 through August 27, 2003. George W. Bush was the 43^rd President of the United States at that time. In March 2003, President Bush authorized the invasion of Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein from power. At that time, President Bush insisted that there were Al-Qaeda members in the country and weapons of mass destruction. It was with great hubris from various global leaders that individuals believed once Hussein was removed from power, Iraq would become a democratic state. At this point with Jupiter once again moving into Leo, that part of the world is under siege.

When Jupiter is in Leo, extremes can occur. You feel better about yourself so you are willing to take risks. If you take the time to review potential outcomes, those risks become calculated risks and could be worth the attempt. However, if you are willing to try anything no matter what the cost, you could find yourself in trouble with risks that can cause injury.

There is also a child-like aspect to Jupiter in Leo. In many ways it’s all about you. Products that promote beauty and personal activities become more important. Feeling young is critical. Not all of that is bad. If you learn to understand the child within, you can also learn how to take time and relax. You can learn to have fun in life. But, if the child within controls you, you may start believing that the world owes you a living and you don’t have to work for it.

One of the most important aspects of Jupiter in Leo is the spiritual component. Since Leo is a fire sign, you may feel inspired to bring more spiritual matters into your daily routine. You may find that it’s more fun to share this aspect of your life with other people.

Because Venus also enters the sign of Cancer on July 16^th, you’ll be able to come up with a way to have fun and include family members and friends that you love in your activities. You’ll feel the need to reach out to people you love. Others will feel the same way.

Mercury forms a trine to Neptune retrograde on July 19^th. Because both planets are in water signs your sense of awareness is heightened. This can either be a help or a hindrance for you. If you walk into a room where there is a high level of tension, you’ll feel that. However, if that room has a high level of love, you’ll feel that as well. So, pay attention to your feelings today. And, be very careful with what other people say. You could easily misunderstand them. At the same time, they may be misleading you intentionally. This is also not a good time to sign any contracts. This is a great day if you’re a creative or spiritual person, because you’ll be able to tune into that spiritual and creative side of your nature.

You’ll feel a sense of relief when Saturn turns stationary direct as it will on July 20^th. Saturn turned retrograde on March 2, 2014. During the time period that Saturn was retrograde, you may have felt like life was a bit sluggish, especially since Saturn is in Scorpio. Now you’ll feel like you can move forward and achieve more. Since Saturn and Pluto are in mutual reception, you’ll have a sense of your own personal power and the foundations that you need to work on, perhaps repair, as you build a more secure future for yourself.

As Saturn is turning stationary direct, it just misses forming a quincunx with Uranus, but it does move into a trine with Chiron retrograde. You may feel as if you’ve just missed some important crisis in your life. Or, you may actually feel as if you can finally solve an important crisis in your life.

The day after Saturn turns stationary direct, Uranus turns stationary retrograde on July 21^st. This can be a helpful energy. You may decide to slow down and take a look at your life. You may decide that creating crises is not a viable option. Rather, you may want to find out how to move on with your life in a slow, methodical method: Not usual for the Uranus energy. Still, this is a good time to consider your personal needs and how you’re going to make certain that you meet them without causing disruption in your life.

Mercury forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde on July 22^nd and starts the energy of a cardinal T-square that will culminate on July 24^th when it forms a square to Uranus retrograde. However, this cardinal T-square energy will not be as intense as usual. In addition to Mercury forming a square to Uranus on July 24^th, it will also form a trine to Saturn and Venus will form a trine to Neptune retrograde. Think of July 22^nd as preparing to open your mind to new possibilities on July 24^th. This is especially important since the Sun will also enter the sign on Leo on this day. You want to feel the inspiration of your ideas and see if there are any flaws that need to be corrected. You don’t want to share them with others until you’ve considered them for a few days.

Before Mercury forms the square to Uranus retrograde on July 24^th and completes the cardinal T-square, Venus forms a trine to Neptune retrograde. After Mercury forms its square to Uranus retrograde, it moves into a trine to Saturn. Actually, this could be a day of romance where you meet someone who is so different from the type of people you’ve dated in the past. Or, it can bring up spiritual matters that help you understand just what you need to do to balance spiritual matters with personal situations.

You may still feel that other people aren’t giving you the kind of support you expected with situations in your life. If so, think back to July 22^nd and the conversations you had at that time. You may still feel that you’re right and you may need to take everything with a grain of salt. But, with the Saturn energy surrounding you, you’ll be able to understand things a lot better towards the end of the day. So, in the morning, the energy of Venus in Cancer trine Neptune retrograde is very strong. That’s the time to reflect on matters and not take any action. By the end of the day, the energy of Mercury forming a trine to Saturn is very strong and that is the time that you’ll finally gain the understanding you need.

You’ll continue to gain understanding about your needs on July 25^th when Mercury forms a trine to Chiron. This is a day for healing, especially if you felt that other people hurt you with their words. You may realize that although your conversations with others the previous day didn’t seem quite supportive, you may have been misinterpreting the information. People may have been trying to help you.

Another change which is occurring today involves Mars. Mars is finally leaving the sign of Libra and entering the sign of Scorpio. Normally Mars isn’t that important, but Mars played a major role in the astrological events of April 2014. Mars was also in the sign of Libra a lot longer than usual because of its retrograde motion in Libra. Normally Mars is in a sign for about six weeks. However, this time Mars was in Libra from December 7, 2013 until today, July 25, 2014.

The major role that Mars played in April 2014 was forming a cardinal grand cross that involved Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto. At that time it was important to learn how to embrace relationships so that tension and power struggles could be resolved. Unfortunately, with Mars in Libra, embracing relationships wasn’t always easy because many people wanted to get their own way and expected others to follow.

Mars in Scorpio could, in the negative, continue the need for power struggles as you try to maintain your sense of individuality. But, Mars also operates from a psychological perspective, digging deep into matters, and trying to understand the importance of actions that are occurring around you. With this perspective, you have the ability to understand the needs of other people. This can increase your knowledge of why working with other people is so valuable.

As the New Moon occurs on July 26^th, you feel an increased sense of optimism. The new Moon, with Sun and Moon in Leo, is separating from a conjunction to Jupiter and a square to Mars. This means that you are ready to move forward with your life and take action. It also means that you are ready to relax and take time off to play. Relationships are very important right now because they can bring more opportunities for fun and laughter. Spend time with those important people in your life and appreciate your moments together.

Understanding the need to find balance in your life is very important on July 28^th when Mercury squares the Lunar Nodes axis and Venus forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde. Mercury forming a square to the Lunar Nodes indicates that you need to take time to determine how you can use your past experience as a stepping stone to developing your future goals. Venus forming an opposition to Pluto retrograde indicates that you need to be true to your values and not let other people manipulate your actions.

The opposition that Venus forms to Pluto retrograde is important for another reason. It starts the energy of a cardinal T-square that will be completed when Venus form a square to Uranus retrograde on August 1, 2014. However, this cardinal T-square energy will be different from past cardinal energies because Venus will also make a trine to Saturn on August 1, 2014. You may feel tension today, July 28^th, because you feel responsible for making other people happy. At the same time, you realize that you need to place value on what’s important to you. So, this is a good time to ask yourself the following questions: Are other people trying to manipulate you? Do you need to leave unhealthy situations which are not supporting your own need for respect? Or, do you want to review how finances are handled in your life so that you can get a better grip on your life? If you feel that you need to separate from other people, start making the plans today and implement them on August 1, 2014 when the cardinal T-square culminates and Venus also forms the trine to Saturn. The same is true for your finances. If you need to get a better grip on how you handle finances create the plan today and implement it on August 1, 2014.

This really is a month of shifting energies. As the month ends, Mercury enters the sign of Leo on July 31^st. You’re feeling that energy is shifting around you and you feel more positive. You’re ready to take action in your life. But as the shift occurs don’t be so optimistic that you let everyone know about your plans. Share them with people you love, but don’t broadcast them to the world.