 by Terry Lamb INTRODUCTION Our projects are ripening along with the fruits of the summer, as the planets spread out through the Zodiac. These celestial bodies bring us valuable perspective, which will shatter illusions and dispel confusion. There is the striking figure of an hourglass, made up of the fast-moving planets (plus Saturn) on one side, and the slow-movers on the other. One by one, the fast-moving bodies will light up the slow ones, bringing the full phase of each of these planet's yearly cycles. This makes the summer very hot indeed. July, however, is a month in between culminations: The Sun reached its opposition to Pluto in late June, and it will not encounter our Aquarian trio (Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune) until mid-August. In the meantime, we will encounter those quincunxes that bring out the agonizing ambiguity in our lives (for more on the meaning of quincunxes, see here). Am I on the right path to accomplish my goals? Did I do enough? Too much? The primary quincunxes occur from Cancer to Aquarius. Cancer-Aquarius can be defined as the Social Reformer. Cancer cares about its tribe, while Aquarius wants reform to support it. Cancer adds compassion, while Aquarius brings objectivity to this blend. Quincunxes generally give us too much information, so that we are unsure of our path in the overwhelm of detail. Once again, we are asked to broaden our sense of who is our family. Now, Iranians are our family too, and so is the rest of the world. The feeling of being in-between is difficult, yet this is where the creative spot lies. If we can stay with our ambiguity, we can live in this sweet spot, responding in the present to what arises with complete freshness rather than tired strategies and formulae. We will not know for certain what our efforts will yield until we pass the harvest period, which happens to coincide with the autumn months—oddly enough. What gives us some feeling of definition, the sense that our feet are planted on something firm, is the July eclipses. There are three eclipses in this series, a somewhat unusual occurrence, with two weak lunar eclipses surrounding a strong total eclipse on July 21. The solar eclipse of the 21st is accompanied by the second of two New Moons in Cancer (the first was on June 22). The first two eclipses are in Cancer-Capricorn for the first time in 8 years. With the planetary diaspora of the summer, July brings us more planetary interactions than have been seen for many months. They come in groupings like the beats in a musical measure, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat. This makes us feel busy, overstimulated. Our triple conjunction in Aquarius continues, although the partners change places. At the end of May, Jupiter inched by Chiron and Neptune in a lumbering race of the tortoises, so close to stationary were they. Now Jupiter is retrograde and backing up over its compadres. As they continue to operate as a single unit in our consciousness while retrograde, idealism is replaced by disillusionment, then realism. This will be played out in public opinion, and those idols on whom we have pinned our hopes will show their feet of clay. Venus is quite up to speed and, after their June 21 conjunction, has outdistanced Mars; they will not make substantive harmonious contact again until October 13. Mars is active once again as it finds its legs in Taurus and squares Jupiter, Chiron, and Uranus. Its inflammatory tendencies will continue as it heads toward an August T-square to Saturn-Uranus. It depends on what nodal axis you "believe in," but the mean node of the Moon makes its regress into Capricorn on July 26. This signals a shift in consciousness that will become palpable on our two Cancer-Capricorn eclipses. Whenever eclipses and the nodes enter this axis, our focus turns to survival in some way. We become more interested in building resilience into our lives, laying a firm foundation, and looking at the big picture and the long haul. We may also scare ourselves unnecessarily. (Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations here are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Standard Time. A Void of Course Moon makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.) WEDNESDAY JULY 1 A virtual month's worth of planetary interactions occurs today! First up is Uranus, which makes its station just after midnight. We've been directing the awakening process in our lives to a certain extent up to this point. Now it's time to ride the lightning-bolt of Uranus and let it take us where it will! Get ready to cut through your expectations and rise above the law of cause and effect! We get five months to fully express our potential in a new way, until December 1, when it goes direct again. Mercury and Venus are also active today, triggering Chiron-Neptune-Jupiter in Aquarius. Mercury trines them all today, granting us insight what's real for us. Venus squares them, disturbing our treasured images of what is really going on in our relationships. Uranus gets into this mix as well, receiving a square from Mercury and a sextile from Venus. We can flex our minds with lightning speed to accommodate our new awareness. The Moon lurks in the background, quite appropriate to its placement in Scorpio. Its trine to the Sun at tea time smoothes the rough edges and permits us to integrate our experiences. It's all about the Moon today, which continues its way through Scorpio. After a restful night on the wings of its sextile to Saturn, a day of striving, even discord, lies ahead as Moon heads toward an evening opposition to Mars. It carries Mars's light to Chiron-Neptune-Jupiter, giving us a hint of what is to come on Sunday and Monday when Mars squares them. Observe your interests and mood this evening to gain valuable insight. All the action occurs while we sleep, as the Moon squares Jupiter and trines Uranus just after midnight. Moon enters its void period on an opposition to Venus at 3:03 am. This makes for colorful and instructive dreams, useful if we can bring them into the new day. The Moon's void period ends at 7:11 am, when it enters Sagittarius. Mercury leaves its sign of rulership when it moves into Cancer at 12:20 pm, bringing more emotion into our thinking process, but permitting the head and heart to commingle their energies more easily. We'll be aware of and making decisions based on our instincts for the next two weeks. The Moon finds a lot of empty space in the first half of Sagittarius, finally making contact through a square to Saturn in the late afternoon. This reminds us of the restructuring process we were challenged with last fall, now more remote. How are you doing? Mercury helps us connect with our deepest urges before then as it opposes Pluto. Venus leaves her dignity when she enters Gemini at 1:24 am. Relationships are chattier now, lighter in tone. Shallow interactions can be used to cultivate camaraderie. The Moon is busy in the morning, making its numerous end-of-sign contacts—sextiles to Chiron-Neptune-Jupiter and a square to Uranus, bringing a little agitation with our eagerness to see change we can believe in. The Moon's void period begins with that contact at 12:17 pm, giving us a few hours of respite; however the Moon's void while in Sagittarius can be used to bring an unchallenged gain into our lives if we prefer to use the time more creatively. Soon after the Moon enters Capricorn at 7:07 pm, she opposes Pluto to bring deep integrative thought to our evening's musings. When Mars squares Chiron in mid-afternoon, it opens the door to two days of greater activism. We will identify a situation that requires our attention, even our sacrifice, in order to heal it. We will certainly be more aware of the big issues that affect our lives, even take on a cause. As the Moon sails through Capricorn, we experience a Mars-tinted existence as it finishes its squares to Chiron-Neptune-Jupiter in Aquarius. We'll be activating our vision of what we want the future to hold. Early on, a Moon opposition to Mercury adds clarity to where we're headed and why, what the rewards and consequences will be. Venus's quincunx to Pluto adds the complexity of unknown factors to the mix. The featured event of the day occurs at 2:21 am, a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at 15°24' Cancer-Capricorn. It perfects just after Mars sextiles Uranus, adding the opportunity for unexpected positive change to the week's prospects. A Moon trine to Saturn occurs soon after the eclipse, adding effectiveness and wise decision-making to our actions of the next few days. This eclipse is a weak appulse that is exact at 2:40 am, where only a small oval at the Moon's edge appears reddened by its passage through the Earth's penumbra. This eclipse provides the opportunity for "enlightened change" through a set of trines and sextiles. Even though the eclipse itself lacks strength, we feel the vibrational shift into Cancer-Capricorn, and we get a largely harmonious opening to adjust to its impact on our lives. A Sun sextile to Saturn and Moon trine Mars soften the force of Mars's squares to Chiron-Neptune-Jupiter that are still being felt as the Full Moon culminates. This eclipse, though weak, aligns over the Sun of the US chart. This always tests the life and vitality of the entity being eclipsed. It may cast a shadow over the power of the US—other nations may assume greater prominence on the world stage. The weakness of the eclipse does not suggest great difficulty for the nation, however. In the Washington DC chart, the time of the appulse places the Sun and Moon on the Ascendant-Descendant (respectively), making this more significant. An enemy of the state comes into prominence, full of misunderstanding, and misunderstood. The rifts that have resulted can now be healed, despite incendiary stances by congressional leaders on the periphery of power (aka Republicans). With Saturn on the IC (third house side), the public is hurting economically, but they are willing to tough it out optimistically. With all harmonious contacts to Saturn, their situations are slowly improving. In light of what is happening elsewhere in the world, there is much to appreciate as the US celebrates its birthday. In the Sabian Symbols, the 16th degree of Capricorn is symbolized by "the high school grounds are alive with fresh new vitality as the boys appear in their gym suits." (Marc E Jones version) It expresses pure enthusiasm in approaching the contests of life, but discretion must be used to balance it. If a tug of war should develop between the US and a foreign power, the impulse to enter into a battle must be balanced against a wiser approach. This could also signal a significant sporting contest that draws the world's attention, or the innocent courage of those ready to give their best for their cause. Post-eclipse, the Moon makes two harmonious and invigorating contacts, a sextile to Uranus and a trine to Mars—more appropriate to daytime use than the mid-night timing we get now. We get to sleep off the Moon's void-of-course period, which starts at 2:43 am and ends with her ingress into Aquarius at 8:03 am. The Moon gives us a day of harmonious interactions as it flies uninterrupted toward a trine to Venus in the late afternoon. The Sun reaches its closing sextile to Saturn today, giving us the opportunity to check in on our progress in completing tasks taken on last September. Are you doing better now? The Moon in Aquarius finds no contacts, so our productivity is unimpeded by unexpected events. Jupiter makes its second of its three conjunctions with Neptune today in their backward race through late Aquarius. As their energies become indistinguishable, we go for a deeper dip into the waters of truth, a dive that will not end until January 2010. The Moon finally gets to the active late degrees of Aquarius, highlighting Chiron-Jupiter-Neptune by conjunction. Useful inspiration, imagination, creativity, and dreams are all possible today, as the seeds of the next 13 years begin to sprout. The Moon enters its void period with a square to Mars at dusk, giving us a brief time of relaxation before it enters Pisces at 8:44 pm. The Pisces Moon makes a sextile to Pluto as we sleep, deepening the meaning of our dream state. Moon in Pisces highlights our concerns about those we love, as it squares Venus in the mid-morning, but as it heads toward Saturn, concerns could become worries. Mercury makes a sextile to Saturn to generate solutions to our dilemmas if we pay attention. Mars gains versatility as it enters Gemini at 7:56 pm. We feel more flexible and able to make the leaps necessary to enter our future, whatever it holds. We overcome early-morning heavy feelings once Moon in Pisces passes its opposition to Saturn, giving us a day of warm feelings and harmony as it trines Mercury and the Sun. It's a good day to enjoy family and friends, to remember how important they are to us. We finish our experience of Moon in Pisces with a bang as she makes a conjunction with Uranus. The Moon goes void of course on this aspect, at 1:03 am, although the Moon "performeth somewhat" during the Pisces void period. The Moon motivates action once again when it enters Aries at 7:40 am. We get to stretch our abilities to deal with disparate energies when it sextiles Mars, then squares Pluto in the morning. Although it's hard to reconcile the situations that have arisen, we have innovative ideas to work with as Mercury reaches its conjunction to the Sun. This marks the halfway point of the Mercury cycle. In Cancer, we'll use compassion and nurturance to inform our thoughts. The Moon continues in Aries, bringing sweet dreams of love as it sextiles Venus in the wee hours—the only aspect of the day. Tensions rise and fall in the wee hours as the Moon at 23°03' Aries makes its Last Quarter (waning) square to the Sun at 2:53 am. A deeper understanding of issues and their resolution is possible in the coming week as Moon squares Mercury soon after. As we rise, the Moon weaves harmony into our lives with sextiles to Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune; however Mercury's quincunxes to them pepper the day, presenting a puzzling conundrum as we try to reconcile personal needs with transpersonal dreams. At 8:08 am the sextile to Neptune brings on the Moon's void period, which ends when she enters Taurus at 3:30 pm. This gives us most of the day to play catch-up on unfinished projects and activities. The Last Quarter lunar event establishes our focus for the coming week, on tying up loose ends from the past six months of activity. We can take stock of how well we've made use of our resources and prepare for the new beginning that lies just around the corner on the Solar Eclipse New Moon. This strong eclipse opposes the Pluto of the US chart with a two-degree orb, highlighting the feelings of revolution against the system and asserting the rights of the people to self-governance. Whether this is in contrast to what is happening in Iran or some other nation, or stimulated purely by domestic conditions, people in the US will be feeling very deeply the call to freedom and a return to the energy that inspired the formation of the nation. Multiple contacts with other planets in the US chart reinforce this mood. In Washington DC, the lunation occurs at 5:53 am, rendering 21 Cancer rising and the Sun and Mercury conjunct just below the Ascendant. Although it is a time of great bounty in a nation with so much agricultural wealth, the rot at the heart of the economy is undermining the nation's self-image and prolonging the recession. Deep problems continue to plague manufacturing and services, the sources of the nation's real wealth, and health care reform is not meeting public expectations. Communications with "outlaw" foreign powers prove difficult, and even break down. However, Congress gets it right on a few legislative matters and is able to take significant steps toward passing measures for health care reform and economic support to those most deeply affected by the current economic situation. The Sabian Symbol for 24 Aries is, "Blown inward by the wind, the curtains of an open window take the shape of a cornucopia." We are resilient, and abundance can come to us in many ways if we open our eyes to all possibilities by shedding our expectations. Let the winds of the present brush away our blinders so we can see what is possible. The US has its own economic solutions right before it. If it is obvious that the government can't or won't do everything that we think it should, we can fill that vacuum with our own enterprise. The universe is mysterious in the ways that it provides for us. We need not be the victim of society's weaknesses. Moon in Taurus makes a day-long dive toward a trine to Saturn, bringing unimpeded productivity to our activities. Mercury trines Uranus to bring ingenuity and a focus on fulfilling our big-picture goals. The Sun reaches its waxing quincunxes with Chiron-Jupiter-Neptune, bringing to a head our feelings of confusion and ambiguity. The Moon is active just before it enters its void-of-course period at 1:48 pm, sextiling the Sun and squaring the Aquarian triple conjunction. Still in Taurus, this gives a grounding perspective to our dilemmas, which we can use to adjust our direction to achieve our evolving goals. Finishing on a sextile to Uranus, the Moon's void period in Taurus can still be useful if you wish to take action on any matter. The Moon enters Gemini at 7:41 pm to add conviviality to our weekend engagements. Mercury also enters a new sign when it goes into Leo at 4:08 pm, bringing motivating optimism to our thoughts. A Moon sextile to Mercury finishes the day, allowing us to blend head and heart. Mercury makes its waning quincunx to Pluto, taking us into a review of our learning process over the past two months. How much did you learn about life and change? The Gemini Moon conjoins Mars and Venus today, bringing back some of the feelings of union from the past couple of months. A Sun trine to Uranus adds spunk and spontaneity to our responses to life. We feel like anything can happen—we could be rescued from our circumstances by fate (and our own efforts) at any moment. We can see examples of such miracles all around! The Moon in Gemini reaches its squares to Saturn and Uranus today, with a juicy slice of trine in between. The square to Saturn occurs in the wee hours, troubling our dreams but contributing to active problem-solving. All is at rest until midday, when the Moon makes a blissful trine to Chiron-Jupiter-Neptune to lift up our hearts. The Moon goes void of course when it squares Uranus at 3:12 pm, leaving a crackle in the air as we enter a time of rest and sensitivity to the inner realms. The Moon enters Cancer at 8:51 pm and soon thereafter opposes Pluto, adding emotional revelation to our evening experiences. The Moon in Cancer gives a sense of security and internal harmony as it heads toward tomorrow's Solar Eclipse New Moon. Today's sole contact, Mercury sextile Mars, brings benefits when we indulge our curiosity. We can turn thought into action with good results. Saturn flavors the first half of the day receiving a sextile from the Cancer Moon and a square from Venus. We are open to change, but we may feel undeserving or unsure of what we want. A mid-afternoon Moon-trine-Uranus perks us up with possibility thinking, just in time to slide into the New Moon, which is also a total Solar Eclipse at 7:35 pm at 29°27' Cancer, the longest one until 2132. This is a powerful eclipse very close to the node in the Saros Series 11 South, concerned with the need for sudden reforms. Bernadette Brady says, "New systems are required to deal with the events brought on by the eclipse." We will be grappling with a new dynamic, one we will work with through mid-2011, as the eclipses fully enter Cancer-Capricorn. The chart of the New Moon shows a rise in tension, both with the Saturn-Uranus opposition and the Chiron-Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Aquarius. In the chart cast for Washington DC, 16 Pisces is rising, placing Saturn squarely on the Descendant. Two major issues seize the spotlight. The dominant one has to do with the subtleties of renewing the role of freedom wherever oppression is the norm. How well is the US (or any other country) doing at reinvigorating the rights of its citizens? How much are we creating a government that favors the people over business? If the answer is "not enough," further changes must be made. A sudden shift in direction with respect to health care reform and financial regulation are required but not assured in light of these planetary dynamics. Much depends on the vox populi; if we do not speak out, special interests will drown us out. At 30 Cancer, the Sabian Symbol is "A daughter of the American Revolution walks proudly to the rostrum." (MEJ version) A woman of great vision will inspire a shift toward altruism over selfish interests. Any of us who can tap the original energy that motivated the founders of the nation can be a force of vision now and have a positive influence on the causes, situations, and processes they care about most deeply. After the Solar Eclipse, the Moon is void of course until it enters Leo at 8:28 pm, although the Moon in Cancer is still activating during its void period. WEDNESDAY JULY 22 The Moon wings through Leo, repeating the beneficial Mercury-Mars contact of Monday, when it sextiles Mars and conjoins Mercury. A convergence of thought, feeling and action—of head, heart, and body—leads to future successes. The Sun enters Leo, its home sign, at 9:36 am. Our hopes and vitality are on the upswing. Jupiter makes its second conjunction to Chiron, again shuffling the order of the planets in the Aquarius triple conjunction. This returns our focus to what needs healing in and around us. THURSDAY JULY 23 It's a morning of gaining insight as the Moon makes a perspective-giving opposition to Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune. The opposition to Neptune brings on the Moon's void period, at 1:28 pm, which lasts until she enters Virgo at 8:23 pm. An evening trine to Pluto brings with it deep but comforting thoughts. FRIDAY JULY 24 A Moon square to Mars heightens our sensitivity and feeling of overwhelm as we realize how much needs to be done and how disorganized we are. Fortunately, we get a whole day to deal with it. Let go of immediate expectations to reduce stress. SATURDAY JULY 25 The Virgo Moon triggers the Saturn-Uranus opposition, reminding us that a reckoning is coming—not immediately, but in a few weeks. We still have time to get ready for what's ahead. In between, Moon squares Venus, providing unsettling insights into current relationship issues. The Moon goes void of course at 4:14 pm, until 10:25 when it enters Libra. SUNDAY JULY 26 The Moon in Libra activates Pluto with a square as we sleep, to bring us deep unconscious healing. This is supported by her sextile to the Sun before we rise, casting a happy tone over the day. With the Moon trining Mars and Venus trining Jupiter, we have the opportunity to experience joy and celebration in our good fortune, whatever its source. MONDAY JULY 27 It's trines all day (with one sextile)! Venus in Gemini makes two more trines today, to the remaining two planets of the Aquarian triple conjunction, Chiron and Neptune, and the Moon adds to the symphony from Libra. The result: a beautiful grand trine in the air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) involving the two benefics Venus and Jupiter. Our glow is infectious, and the more we can spread the radiance, the more benefits it will bring our way. Use this energy well, as a reminder that good will and grace are always available. The Moon enters its void period at 7:54 pm after its trine to Neptune, a rest period which lasts for the rest of the day. TUESDAY JULY 28 The Moon enters Scorpio at 3:56 am, opening the door to sweet early morning dreams of opportunities gained as Moon sextiles Pluto. The day is flavored by more strident energies, however, as Venus squares Uranus, which makes reaching agreements difficult. The urge to take action to separate from others is strong, and it is augmented by the Moon's First Quarter (waxing) square to the Sun at 5°57' Scorpio. A startling inner awakening that came with the New Moon alerted us to a new direction that we must take over the next 18 months. Now we feel compelled to take the first instinctual steps toward our goals. This is assisted by the objectivity imparted to us by an air grand trine. We are not guaranteed to be happy about the road we see ahead of us, but we are better off seeing the truth than living in delusion or denial. In the chart cast for Washington DC, Pluto sits just below the 29 Sagittarius Ascendant. The US has been put in an awkward position by events related to the Solar Eclipse. A mistake has been made that must be walked back and will take a few months to recover from. It is domestic and affects the economy but satisfies only a small constituency's needs. Based on misguided principles, it can apply across several situations where the current government is taking ineffective actions—gay rights, health care reform, regulation of the financial industry. The Sabian Symbol for 6 Scorpio is, ". . .All is swept away in the spectacular Gold Rush of 1849." (MEJ version) This symbol speaks to loss through greed and the negative effects of competition and group-think. There are many situations that we face in the US due to greed, from blockages to health care reform, to the economic downturn, to the persistent disregard for our planet's health. This issue will be key to what occurs this week, as Congress responds to the eclipse energies and tries to finish up legislation before the summer recess. WEDNESDAY JULY 29 We get to set the agenda our way today, and we are likely to feel like withdrawing and going deep into a project. The Moon often prefers its solitude in Scorpio, and with only one contact, a productive sextile to Saturn in the late afternoon, our intentions are easily fulfilled. THURSDAY JULY 30 Today is a little more eventful as Mercury reaches the planets in late degrees and the Moon follows suit—but all before sunrise. Mercury in Leo brings the light of understanding as it makes its opposition to Jupiter and Chiron. The Moon augments this with squares to Mercury, Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune from position in Scorpio. The resulting T-square heightens inner conflict which would otherwise simmer unhealthily on the back burner of our awareness. Discomfort leads to necessary changes in viewpoint and direction—inconvenient but better now than later. All ends on a high note of opening to new possibilities as the Moon trines Uranus before going void of course at 5:54 am. Moon enters Sagittarius at 1:10 pm, giving us some down time to assimilate our overnight experiences. FRIDAY JULY 31 Mercury continues its contacts with the late-degree planets from its position in Leo, completing our process of review and redirection of energy as needed to realign ourselves with our best path. Its opposition to Neptune and coupled with a quincunx to Uranus, bringing forth new significant factors that we must accommodate. The Sagittarius Moon brings out our fire as it trines the Sun, but attracts attention from others when she opposes Mars in the late afternoon. Don't let someone's dismissive or contentious attitude go unnoticed. Venus's entry into Cancer occurs at 6:25 pm, bringing out our nurturing side. Social gatherings with food as a feature will be most successful now.
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