SUNDAY, JULY 1. The Capricorn Moon goes Void of Course early in the day, at 1:45 am PDT, and stays void all day, carrying the energetic and imaginative vibes of a sextile with Uranus into your workaday world. Venus joins Saturn with both still trine Pluto and opposing Neptune, about 7:30 am. With Mercury already retrograde, this configuration escalates the chances for misapprehension and miscommunication. You may feel put-upon, or miscalculate monetary matters, so double-check your responses. Moon moves into Aquarius at 10:24 pm.

MONDAY, JULY 2. Our energy levels should be much improved today, but there’s an inclination toward taking things much too personally and becoming upset when objectivity is required. Misunderstandings could occur with someone from a differing cultural background, probably relating to disparate views of personal independence and social customs. On the other hand, Moon’s triggering sextile to Jupiter could bring a truly delightful unexpected social occasion.

TUESDAY, JULY 3. Moon eclipses Neptune and then opposes Saturn, so we can be a bit more focused than we have been and more realistic in our approach to practically everything. We’re still pretty fixed in our own opinions and set in our own ways, so it may take a bit of effort to be as cooperative as is called for. It becomes easier in the evening when Moon opposes Venus—even in opposition these two readily see each other’s point of view and work well together. You may even want to have a party or otherwise begin the celebration of the holiday tomorrow. Late evening, Moon makes an easy-going sextile to Pluto, bringing a bit of pride in your own understanding, and goes void at 11:02 pm.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4. We have a Pisces Moon as of 3:52 am PDT, and she drifts lazily until trining Mercury mid-morning. Empathy is strong, so sharing thoughts and activities with others is pleasant (although children and old men may prove a bit of a challenge from time to time). We find it pretty easy to see what needs doing and to muster the wherewithal to do it, or at least to get it done. Sun is tightly quincunx Jupiter, so we may have to curtail some of our expansive plans, particularly those relating to travel—however much we may want to go “back home” to visit family.

Today is America’s birthday, its 231st. Happy Fourth of July! There’ll be parades and firecrackers, though probably fewer than usual on this midweek occurrence. For many the holiday may stretch to encompass the bracketing weekends, making it a memorable week.

Birthday charts, called solar returns—a chart cast for the moment the Sun returns to the exact degree and minute it occupies in the birth chart—are among astrologers’ favored techniques. A solar return is considered to be the birth chart for the coming year. This year’s solar return for our nation has Libra rising, with Sun just shy of the Cancer midheaven and the Pisces Moon conjunct Uranus and Pallas in the fifth house of fun and games.

Libra commanding the point of our country’s identity, the way it is perceived by ourselves and others, is hopeful. Libra traditionally denotes justice and balance, a sense of fairness, an eagerness to please. But Libra is also known for dressing up the facts to fit what it thinks they should be rather than performing a reasoned, fact-filled analysis. Juno sits exactly on the Ascendant, a signature common among people in the arts that is generally considered to make a person uncommonly attractive. Juno is thought to be an important factor in marriages and partnerships, bringing strength by readily making her pleasures and displeasures known. Juno’s fabled anger could be representative of the mood of the people in the U.S. in the coming year.

Sun on the highest point in the chart bodes prominence and authority, a position of leadership. Moon-Uranus can introduce either remarkable inventiveness or unsettling instability, or both. The inclusion of Pallas adds overtones of shrewdness and well-thought-out strategies.

I personally have seen few indications in the daily news that the foregoing is a likely forecast, but Jupiter is transiting the nation’s ascendant now, generally a precursor of good fortune.

The rub is that the foregoing chart is cast by a widely accepted method that does not consider the precession of the equinoxes (the evolution of the position of the spring equinox). I have learned to prefer the also widely accepted method that does include the precessional value, in which case the nation’s solar return comes up with Aquarius rising, with Neptune on the Ascendant, Sun in the fifth house and Moon in Taurus conjunct Mars in the second.

The “do-it-my-way” idiosyncratic ways (an Aquarian description) of our leadership and its delusional Neptunian bent seem all but inarguable by now. (George W. Bush’s natal Sun is only 28 minutes different than that of the U.S., therefore the planetary positions in his 2007 solar return and the nation’s are much the same. But, in a preternatural bit of synchronicity, despite the difference of 170 years in age, his 2007 precessed return has Aquarius rising—one degree later than that of the U.S.—with fuzzy-thinking Neptune exactly on the Ascendant.)

This precessed return would predict even more testing of our credulity by the White House and a continuation of the widely held stance around the world that America and Americans are crazy.

Sun in the fifth is both creative and competitive. Moon-Mars could mean assertiveness morphing into aggressiveness over values. This seems to me a far more likely, although far more depressing, scenario. The hopeful notes are Jupiter, the good guy, on the midheaven where we define our position in the world and Venus, who likes things nice, on the Descendant—the point of dealing with others. There’s also a comforting trine between Sun and Moon, hinting that the schism between our people and our leaders is not irreparable.

THURSDAY, JULY 5. The unpredictable Jupiter-Uranus aspect is tweaked again as Moon squares Jupiter and shortly thereafter meets up with Uranus. Things around us may seem dull and uninviting, and we may launch ourselves into a new setting or situation without giving it much thought. The results could be delightful, or disastrous. Thinking first is definitely recommended, although with Jupiter in his own sign he should rule the day, making happy results more likely. Sun and Moon are enjoying each other’s rays and calling on action-oriented Mars as cheerleader and on the wisdom of Ceres for mentorship; it’s a good day for establishing maintainable patterns for taking care of ourselves and all those we care about.

FRIDAY, JULY 6. Moon goes Void of Course at 3:08 am a square away from Pluto, which could bring a restless night filled with scattered dreams of wielding power, or running from someone else’s. If you remember any such dreams, search them for hints from long ago that might prove useful in resolving any personal issues that are top of your to-do list now. Pay extra attention to forgotten authority figures who may have seemed unduly foreboding, or feminine rivals who seemed incredibly attractive, because of your own insecurities.

Moon slides into Aries at 7:57 am and the next couple of days are more action-filled. The brain-fog clears around noon, and we’re getting in gear to do something.

SATURDAY, JULY 7. July’s Last Quarter Moon occurs at 9:54 am PDT at 15° Aries, when Moon is pleasingly trined to Jupiter, bringing optimistic positive attitudes and a generalized feeling of well-being. She’s working up to trining Saturn and Venus, setting up fire-sign enthusiasm for the entire weekend. Moon is opposing Juno, offering the potential of memorable times for couples. She moves into some dreamy Neptunian projections and then on to cozy up with familiar, stable, pragmatic Saturn to close out a comforting day.

In Washington DC, the Lights (a term commonly used by older astrologers to refer to the Sun and Moon, which are not actually planets) square up exactly at 12:54 EDT. The chart for that moment has Libra and Juno rising, with Sun near the midheaven in the tenth and Moon in the seventh. This is one of the most favorable Moon Phase charts for our nation in several months, so this week should see some reassuring developments, or at least be uneventful. While Aries on the seventh house cusp can be confrontative, Moon there moderates interactions and gathers the experienced voice of Juno to foster relationships. Mars is paired up with Ceres, the all-time Earth Mother who dedicates much of her energy to insuring the welfare of future generations. Mercury in the ninth house, still opposing Pluto, suggests that we may be talking seriously with our adversaries and/or that the battles over immigration may be in the limelight again. In the sixth house, Uranus conjunct Pallas, the clever daughter of Zeus, may impel the military to develop ingenious new strategies and methodologies or bring a new breakthrough in the medical field. Mars in the eighth house inconjunct Jupiter in the third calls for serious adjustment in what we take for granted and the ways we use other people’s resources.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun’s position, 16° Cancer: A man studying a mandala in front of him, with the help of a very ancient book; a deep concern raised by the process of personality integration. A mandala “symbolizes integration of opposing trends,” says Rudhyar, and a deep effort “to reach a solid basis of understanding.”

The Sabian symbol for the Moon, at 16° Aries: Nature spirits are seen at work in the light of sunset; attunement to the potency of invisible forces of nature. This symbol “should be seen as an invitation to open one’s mind to the possibility of approaching life in a holistic and nonrational, intuitive manner.”

SUNDAY, JULY 8. Moon goes void at 6:06 am after trining both Venus and Pluto, forming an agreeable grand trine, then goes into Taurus at 10:54. Even with the Saturn-Neptune opposition involved—Venus is still conjunct Saturn and the focus of a kite pattern—we can face the new week with chipper good humor and a willingness to meet challenges, although we may feel our efforts are underappreciated.

By classical interpretation, Mars is unaspected and can exert its considerable energy without modification by any other force, for constructive or destructive purposes depending on the environment. Contemporary practices would weigh its nearly exact conjunction with Ceres, increasing its caring nature, and a forming quincunx to Jupiter, which could make self-interest overwhelm the helpful intention of activities or bring difficulties in sorting out priorities. These aspects are in effect for several days.

MONDAY, JULY 9. Just before dawn Moon conjuncts Mars, so we may find the day begins in a rather contentious mood, but attitudes seems to calm after lunch. There could be a flare-up again early evening, perhaps just irritation over a flippant, unfeeling remark.

Mercury stations and turns direct in motion at 2° Cancer at 7:16 pm Pacific time. This should mean the potential for misunderstandings and misdirection should begin to lessen, but at this point the playful trickster is still less than five degrees from an exact opposition to Pluto, so spiteful comments are not unlikely. Many astrologers contend that the retrograde propensity for glitches with travel and transportation, computers and all communication devices, will remain active until Mercury again reaches the degree at which it turned retrograde, 12° Cancer, on July 26.

TUESDAY, JULY 10. Moon energizes the opposition between Saturn and Neptune first thing off today, forming a t-square from Taurus. The staying power and stubbornness of fixed t-squares is legendary, especially with Mars in Taurus, so if any battles are drawn today they may be long-lived. If the battle should happen to be against pernicious habits, this could be a very helpful aspect. Venus is still softening Saturn’s adherence to long-held standards and traditions—from an almost exact trine to Pluto, which gives her additional clout, and Moon is also happily teamed up with Sun and Uranus. All of this suggests gaining a new point of view and developing highly creative ways of dealing with nagging situations.

At 9:54 am, Moon goes void on her exact square to Venus, carrying pleasant vibes on to her entry into Gemini at 1:10 pm.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11. It’s a forward-looking, future-oriented day with Sun trine Uranus and Moon opposing Jupiter. Keep your eyes open for new ways to use your creative imagination and inventive approaches to familiar problems. You may be seen as idealistic, reformist or humanitarian, but your enthusiasm can draw the support of others or lead you into being unusually helpful.

Mars’ conjunction to Ceres has become exact today. While this is not a very harmonious combination, it’s a fine time for “tough love.” Just take care that the message is delivered with appropriate lightness; it would be all too easy to be so brusque that it’s hurtful. In the words of Miss Manners, “If you can’t be kind, at least be vague.” Remember that Ceres seeks to empower others rather than attack or dominate as Mars might wish to do. Remember too that Ceres understands natural cycles and is willing to wait for positive results to evolve.

Mars’ quincunx to Jupiter has moved slightly past exact, and the trio of Mars, Ceres and Jupiter can make you seem overly solicitous of others. You may try to do things for them when it would be much better for them to perform those activities for themselves, or you may interfere when your services are not welcome. This can be a problem particularly for those who are caring for an elderly parent, whose health—physical, mental and emotional—is enhanced by the ability to be independent and self-sufficient insofar as possible. The same underlying motivation on your part, to have things done your way, can interrupt the maturation processes in children, or create friction with coworkers.

THURSDAY, JULY 12. The morning is dominated by Moon’s trine to Neptune, which could make the colorful turn melodramatic, backed by its sextile to Saturn and opposition to Pluto, which bring out the teacher in you but could lead to a controlling stance in personal interactions. The ambience softens when Moon goes Void of Course with a cheerful shove from Venus at 2:12 pm and transits into Cancer at 3:39. By evening, Moon conjuncts Mercury to make sensitive, considerate discussions not merely possible but enjoyable.

FRIDAY, JULY 13. Not a good day for any of us paraskevidekatriaphobics—who hold an irrational fear of any Friday the 13th. In a fascinating essay on the subject, David Emery, www.about.com’s guide to urban legends, tells us, “The sixth day of the week and the number 13 both have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times . . .” and among a number of possible reasons lists: “the number 13 may have been purposely vilified by the founders of patriarchal religions in the early days of western civilization because it represented femininity. Thirteen had been revered in prehistoric goddess-worshiping cultures, we are told, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year.”

He also notes a 1993 study in the United Kingdom that compared the ratio of traffic volume to the number of automobile accidents on two different days, Friday the 6th and Friday the 13th, over a period of years. Incredibly, they found that in the region sampled, while consistently fewer people chose to drive their cars on Friday the 13th, the number of hospital admissions due to vehicular accidents was significantly higher than on "normal" Fridays.

Emery then asks “Just how many Americans at the turn of the millennium still suffer from this condition? According to Dr. Donald Dossey, a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of phobias (and coiner of the term "paraskevidekatriaphobia"), the figure may be as high as 21 million. If he's right, eight percent of Americans are still in the grips of a very old superstition.”

Be that as it may, today’s horoscope is rather humdrum, with only the leftover strains of the aspects we’ve been recounting.

SATURDAY, JULY 14. The New Moon at 21°41 Cancer is exact at 5:04 am on the west coast; 8:04 in Washington DC. Moon goes void on this conjunction and remains so all day, until entering Leo at 7:43 pm PDT.

The pair is exactly quincunx Neptune, auguring a need for maintaining a sense of self, particularly in romantic situations. This personalizes the ongoing conflicts between the planet in charge of boundaries and limits, and the planet that believes there are no such things. It would be all to easy to “give yourself away,” stretch too far, or play martyr in hope of achieving overly idealized unrealistic ends. Bear this in mind as you visualize plans for the coming month, as we are called to do at the time of a New Moon.

In a chart set in Washington DC, Sun-Moon sit early in the twelfth house of secrets and behind-the-scenes activities, of less-than-conscious wellsprings of information, and of institutions of confinement —Neptune’s natural home. Neptune is in the house of “others”—our partners and counselors and/or our enemies. It seems a setting for the exchange of deceptive information, equally likely in either direction. All of us, and our leaders, should carefully analyze and check and double-check all the “intelligence” we are offered. Better yet, put some effort into locating the news we aren’t being given (the Internet is such a fabulous resource!). We should perhaps especially question information about 12th house matters such as Guantanamo and other prisons, and the CIA.

But the Lights are still trine Uranus, in mid-Pisces in the 8th house of multinational corporations, international finances and the use of other people’s resources. This could mean unusual or surprising news about trade agreements or our balance of trade, further jolts regarding the national deficit, or unsettling glimpses of the inner workings of the Federal Reserve.

In our personal charts, this portends unexpected opportunities to draw on subliminal inspiration to muster inventive ways to deal with budgets, loans or taxation. Just don’t let the Neptunian impulse toward illusion come into play negatively. The statistics on escalating rates of personal debt, bankruptcies and foreclosures are appalling; don’t let yourself and your family be among them.

Mars and Ceres, near the midheaven, now square Chiron, near the descendant. Such placements near the angles are considered to be the most power-packed positions in the chart. Mars promotes the ability to decide what must be done and forthrightly do it; Ceres, also known as Demeter in mythology, was so intent on saving her child that she limited the growth of all plants for six months every year; Chiron, known as the healer, often cures by major surgery, lopping off or out that which is inimical to health. This seems to emphasize that it’s time for our nation, and each of us individually, to end counterproductive behavior patterns and dependencies—our belief in an endless supply of oil and infinite financial resources comes immediately to mind.

The Sabian symbol for 22° Cancer: A young woman awaiting a sailboat; The longing for transcendent happiness in the soul opened to great dreams. “The imaginative youthful person,” Rudhyar says, “who basically cannot be satisfied with what his or her ordinary social environment offers, and who instead is longing for the unknown visitation of which he or she has dreamed.” An obvious allusion to the New Moon’s ties to Neptune and Uranus and a clear-cut reminder that living within one’s means is a much surer path to happiness than keeping up with the latest fashions, fads and fancies.

SUNDAY, JULY 15. The lively Leo Moon is enhanced by Moon’s trine to Jupiter, so this should be an active day and we’re ready to shine. Despite the weather, we’ll want to do something, probably something that will attract admiring attention—but it could be as simple as reading that good book we’ve been putting off. We’ll need to watch out for irritating a partner, or become irritated by self-oriented quirkiness or insistence on applying only our own values in joint endeavors. This problem could be most acute very late in the evening, or even early tomorrow morning.

MONDAY, JULY 16. Mars is beginning to niggle the opposition of Saturn and Neptune, working up to creating an exact t-square in a week or so, while at the same time Moon passes over Neptune adding her longings to his aspirations. Again, we’re wrestling the problems of reaching a compromise between what we want to be true and what is. Since Moon occults Saturn, blocking his rays from reaching us Earthlings, the urge to opt for the fanciful could be overly strong today, especially late afternoon to early evening, so watch your step. Moon catches up with Pluto at 8:55 pm and goes Void of Course, carrying the opportunity to reinvigorate our resolve and innate will power into early morning.