Cancer & Pluto
Earlier this year, Pluto made its transition into Aquarius, and though it does have a small dip back into Capricorn later on this year, it is for the most part done with Capricorn and fully committed to Aquarius for the next couple decades. On its own, this transition is notable, as Pluto is a slow planet, and its changing signs bring in new energy and focus for us. But the ways in which I think this shift is more impactful are the new conversations Pluto is having with the other planets., and with that, the conversations that it is leaving behind. Pluto moved into Capricorn in 2008, which means that for the last roughly sixteen years, anytime a planet was in Cancer, they made an opposition to Pluto, or anytime a planet was in Libra or Aries, they made a square to Pluto. This heavily influenced those planets and their experiences within those signs, as Pluto is an intense planet who brings about themes of violence, control, and even death. In astrology, we have a language for how a planet might feel or express itself in a certain sign, and by extension, we can begin to understand how that might manifest in our lives. This can be helpful on its own, of course, but taking it one step further would be to consider the planets that are influencing those planets’ experiences within that sign, like Pluto. This gives us a much more nuanced understanding of how our lives might be impacted, rather than just possibilities based on the understanding of that planet in that sign as if it’s happening in a vacuum.
Each time the Sun entered Cancer for the last sixteen years, it has had a run-in with Pluto. This has flavored our experience of Cancer season for the last decade and a half, but with Pluto’s movement into Aquarius, this is the first real Cancer season we are seeing without this impact. In addition to the Sun, Venus and Mercury are also taking their stroll through Cancer right now and are also feeling lighter as they do so. This brings a much lighter experience of these planets through Cancer. Cancer is already emotional; we know this, but Pluto brings about a much more volatile emotional experience that has permeated these planets’ experiences while in Cancer. I expect this Cancer season to feel lighter for this reason. We are able to get in touch with the more nurturing, loving, and compassionate sides of Cancer rather than its expression on a more emotionally explosive level.
Venus in Leo
On July 11th, Venus ends its time in Cancer and makes its transition to Leo, where she was retrograde for much of the summer last year. It’s no doubt that the house you have Leo in was put on blast last year in such a way that it was impossible to ignore. Think back to last summer (from June to Octoberish) and remind yourself of which themes this brought up, as these themes may resurface in July when she re-enters Leo. This is a great time to reflect on how much has changed in this area of life and express gratitude for the ways in which you’ve grown. Leo is a sign that is centered around validation and being seen. During this transit, and likely an extension of Venus’ time in Leo last year, you may be made aware of areas in your life or relationships in which you don’t feel validated or respected. This will be a good opportunity for you to stand grounded in your boundaries and expectations within these relationships to ensure that your needs are being met. Leo’s get a lot of heat for wanting to be the ‘center of attention’ but the reality is that they truly just want to be seen and validated for who they are. This transit is an opportunity for you to do the same and make choices that reflect this level of self respect and esteem.
Mars & Uranus
Mid-July is also flavored by the Mars / Uranus conjunction in Taurus. When these two planets come together, there will be fire and electricity. We have more energy than we need and feel as though we’re plugged up to a battery pack. This energy tends to lend us to committing to things we wouldn’t normally, to filling our schedules out with more activities and fun things to do, but we quickly notice that we’ve overcommitted ourselves and are exhausted by having done so. And because of this exhaustion, we tend to see careless accidents and injuries. We tend to do things like overwork ourselves and accidentally pull a muscle, or we don’t pay close enough attention and hit the bumper of the car in front of us at a red light. These two planets bring such electric energy that we may forget to pay attention to the details of life and end up getting ourselves into a pickle because of it. This conjunction is taking place in Taurus, which may be good for us as it’s a slower sign and may aid in us being more intentional with our time and commitments. With any Mars transit, it’s important to utilize the energy he’s offering, but it’s also important not to overdo it. This isn’t the time to commit yourself to a high-intensity boxing class if you haven’t worked out in over a year. Let yourself utilize the energy, but maybe start with something that is a bit more achievable and overall a healthy commitment for your overall situation.
Cancer New Moon:
Our Cancer New Moon this month takes place on July 5th at 14º Cancer. The interesting thing about this new moon for me is that it’s square to the nodes in Aries and Libra. This marks the halfway point between eclipse seasons, and we’ve had some time and space since our last eclipse season in late March/early April, but this new moon may stir some of that back up. Anytime the nodes are transited, I like to think of it as an itch that we can’t ignore. The nodes are challenging points in the sky in that they push us to step out of our comfort zones and into an area of growth. This new moon offers up the opportunity to take a risk that gets you out of your comfort zone and offers up the opportunity to grow into something more. I’ll be sharing more insight on this new moon in the subscribers-only post on Substack, so make sure you’re subscribed!
Capricorn Full Moon
We have our second lunation of the month on July 21st. The moon sits at 29º Capricorn. This is actually our second full moon in Capricorn; if you remember back in June, on June 21st, we had a Capricorn full moon at 1º Capricorn. This doesn’t usually happen, but because the full moon happened so early in Cancer season, the next full moon happens to take place at the very end. This full moon feels different, though, as it sits at 29º, which is traditionally a harder degree. Here, we tend to see planets struggling, as it’s known as a degree of crisis. This may translate for us as a ‘come to Jesus’ moment in which we come to terms with the areas of our lives that aren’t working for us. This will likely be painful, but it’s also an opportunity to purge what is standing in your way of attaining all that you want. There is much more I could say about this full moon, and I will be in the subscribers-only Substack post, so make sure you’re subscribed!
Sun in Leo
As I mentioned above, Pluto is now in Aquarius and will be there for the next couple decades. This is a relief for the Sun when it’s in Cancer, but of course this just means that the Sun will make its opposition with Pluto in a different sign. This sign that sits opposite Aquarius is, you guessed it, Leo. The Sun's transition into Leo is immediately met with opposition from Pluto for the first time in hundreds of years. This is definitely a challenge to our egos. The Sun sits comfortably in Leo, as it’s the Sun’s home sign. We find that it's easier to express ourselves when the Sun is in Leo, and we feel more comfortable taking up space, being creative, and enjoying ourselves. That said, this immediate opposition brings us to a darker space. Whereas we normally would feel comfortable putting ourselves out there, now we are questioning who we are and what we stand for. Our egos are threatened, and we are asked to step out of our ego headspace, which isn’t always easy to do. This calls for a different kind of self-discovery and the need to be honest with ourselves about how we’re feeling and what we need. We are being asked to step into a more emotional side of things rather than stay stuck in our ego stories. The first few days of Leo season will be impacted by these heavy thoughts and feelings, so do what you need to do to take care of yourself over these few days or week.
The rising signs & July
Aries: This month may feel like a more private month for you. Themes of home, safety, and family will be on the mind. There might be a strong desire to connect more with your home and roots, ensuring that you have a safe space to go home to at the end of the day. This could literally be your home, or it could be your home within your body. If it expresses itself more externally, maybe it’s that you’re redecorating or clearing out old/unwanted energy from your space. If it expresses itself more internally, there could be a focus on healthy self-talk and feeling genuine love and care for your body. Later on in the month, it will feel a bit lighter, and there will be more creative and playful energy. Let yourself find your inner child, and let her express her childlike desires.
Taurus: Follow your instincts this month and let your curiosities drive the boat. Let yourself indulge in these curiosities in ways you might not normally. If you feel called to pick up a new hobby or learn something new, give yourself the opportunity to do so. These new adventures could be the experiences needed to open new doors for you. Pay attention to the energy in your body as well. Let yourself engage with this increased energy you have, but don’t overextend yourself to the point that your body can’t handle it. The end of the month will bring more emotional energy for you. Find ways to engage in self-care while also meeting the external demands of your everyday life.
Gemini: Be careful this month that you’re not spending recklessly or impulsively. There could be one or many instances where you find yourself deciding in the heat of the moment that you need to buy XYZ, but let yourself slow down long enough to ensure it’s something you actually need and won’t regret spending money on. Additionally, you may notice more mental chatter this month. Let yourself slow down long enough to hear and acknowledge the mental chatter, and don’t let it exhaust you. Engaging in more quiet time, meditation, or journaling will be helpful.
Cancer: This month is about feeling confident and expressing yourself authentically. Find people and areas of life where you feel comfortable doing so, and foster those relationships. Let yourself take up more space. Remind yourself that you are worthy of taking up this space, and let yourself step into grounded confidence. Acknowledge the areas of life where you don’t feel comfortable doing so, and ask yourself if they still deserve to take up space within your world. It may be necessary to let some of these people or commitments go if you find that they are not healthy for you in the long run.
Leo: This month has a more internal focus. You may find yourself needing more alone time or time to process. Let yourself have this time without shame. Journal, meditate, take walks or baths, etc. to help quiet your mind and take care of your body. There will be tension between your external world and your internal world. This may require you to set boundaries or not commit to things you would normally commit to. The demands of the world outside of yourself might be too much, so this month will be very much about balancing those demands with self-care.
Virgo: You are being asked this month to get involved within your community and friendships in a way that feels good and authentic to you. If there are friends, groups, or organizations that don’t feel healthy or authentic to you, this is an opportunity to shift your focus to people and areas in which you feel authentically connected. Remind yourself of your values and who exactly meets those requirements in your life, and let yourself invest your energy there. Towards the end of the month, your focus shifts towards self-care: physical self-care versus mental self-care. This focus might look like pulling inward to ensure that your mind and body are taken care of.
Libra: There is an emphasis on your public image this month. You may feel as though you’re being put on blast, possibly in a good way that feels like a positive dose of public recognition or in a not-so-good way of feeling called out in some way about your achievements. This is the month to get clear on how you want to be seen on a public and professional scale and to make adjustments if something isn’t quite right.
Scorpio: This month brings with it a lot of curiosity about the world and your place in it. You may be called to branch out in a more experiential way either through learning, exploring or connecting with people or things that get you out of your comfort zone. That said, there is also quite a bit of relationship energy taking place this month, and you may have to do some adjusting in terms of balancing the people you care about with your hobbies and interests outside of that.
Sagittarius: There may be more anxiety and internal stressors taking place for you this month. You may find yourself dealing with old patterns and behaviors that you thought you had worked through. This is an opportunity to dig back into some of these life lessons and further process what is coming up for you. This will likely mean more time spent alone or needing more down time to rest. There is no shame in needing to pull back and focus on yourself. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.
Capricorn: Relationships are on display this month, and you’ll find yourself drawn to them. If you’re single, there may be a desire to put yourself out there in ways that you haven’t in awhile. If you’re currently in a relationship, you’ll find yourself drawn to spending more time with your partner. This could be an opportunity to plan something special or make some memories together. There is romance in the air this month, so let yourself get playful with this energy and lean into it.
Aquarius: There is a greater focus this month on ensuring your needs are met. This could be physical, emotional, or pertaining to taking care of the everyday details. This might manifest as an influx of ‘chores', and with that comes the need for more rest and self-care as well. The demands of everyday life can be a lot, so make sure you’re making time for downtime and rest. It will be helpful to ensure you have a safe place to go home to at the end of the day, even if that's just a small area of your home where you can unwind and retreat from the noise.
Pisces: This month, I encourage you to find time to play. Find time to get creative, even if that means just finger-painting. Let yourself access your inner child and let her lead the day. Our world can be so busy with chores and work, so sprinkle in times each day to let yourself forget your to-do list and just focus on playing. Follow your intuition this month and let yourself be inspired. Follow these inspirations, even if they aren't logical or rational, and let yourself indulge in the not knowing of it all.
My books are OPEN for July and you can schedule your next reading here. You can also find personal guides to the month based on your chart here.
I hope everyone has a wonderful month!
Xoxo,
Lauren
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