Current Transits for July 2000 Current Transits for July 2000Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
The Eclipse Story in July
New Moon / Partial Solar Eclipse at 10Cn14, 7-1
Full Moon / Total Lunar Eclipse at 24Cp19, 7-16
Mercury Direct Station at 10Cn23, 7-17
Jupiter trine Neptune, 7-27
New Moon / Partial Solar Eclipse at 8Le12, 7-30
Mars enters Leo, 7-31
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
July is a month that's easy to underestimate. It doesn't look like a big month on paper -- except for 3 eclipses, an indication of powerful transformative forces entering our lives. It may simply be that issues that have been bugging us for some time now are intensifying or coming to the surface. Whatever the details are for you, don't be surprised if the situation comes with a big emotional "hook" that digs into you and won't let go. July is a time to look closely at highly emotional problems that have been dragging you down for many years. As much as that may be scary for some people, it's worth the effort to face these issues head-on and get them behind you. At least the energies are fairly moderate in intensity most of the time, so you won't feel "bowled over" in the process. Start looking for the parts of your life that need overhauling -- you'll be busy with these areas for quite some time.
The major story of the month is the 3 eclipses, a sign that our lives are bound to make some changes in direction in coming months. Besides that, there is one big aspect (a trine of Jupiter and Neptune), Mercury's direct station, and one sign change as Mars moves into Leo. Things should be pretty busy, especially the last half of the month, even if there's not much happening.
Eclipses have a bad reputation in most people's minds, the bringers of overhauls and disasters. Such a reputation is exaggerated and mostly unwarranted. At their most basic level, an eclipse is a symbol of transformation, a realignment of core elements of the psyche into a new configuration. In a nutshell, they kick off a time of growth and moving beyond outmoded limitations. However, for people that have grown comfortable with life-as-is, change is not always desirable. Very often, the first reaction to unwanted shifts is resistance, a digging in of the heels to try and keep the status quo working beyond its time. To the extent that these changes have a certain inevitability about them, such resistance only prolongs the transition and makes it more painful. The negative side of the eclipse story is mostly this theme of resistance leading to pain. If you realize that growth is inevitable in life, you will see that the pain is only leading you to the next phase of living and can, in fact, be largely avoided or at least minimized.
Having said all that, I must mention that these eclipses may be a bit rough, due to their connections with the Chiron-Pluto conjunction that has been active all year. This conjunction, one of the major stories of 1999-2000, has been forcing us to look at certain parts of our lives that aren't working. It's left us squirming in our seats at times, since we've been staring at those issues we'd rather not even let out of the closet. Since the eclipses are reinvigorating this conjunction all month (and into the rest of 2000), it's time to quit squirming and get down to work. It may not be pleasant, but staying stuck isn't fun either. We'll be covering these eclipses in detail later.
I'm writing this about a week before the eclipse happens, but I can already feel the intense energies gathering (eclipses often check in early). This lunation has the potential (if you're at a crossroads time in your life) to dredge up some emotional primordial ooze to look at. All the inner planets that rule over the everyday levels of awareness are concentrated in moody Cancer, the sign of the emotional ties that bind us. The eclipse point connects very powerfully with the Chiron-Pluto conjunction that I talked about earlier, guaranteeing that the emotions coming up for us are strong and full of hurt and fear. After you've dealt with all the easy problems, the ones that don't hurt too much or cause you to look too closely at yourself, the hard ones still remain. The ones that hurt so much you don't want to look at them -- your "inner battered child", so to speak. In fact, the urge to avert your gaze from these issues is so strong, most people are completely unaware of them -- it may surprise you what comes up! If something like this comes up for you, you need to come to terms somehow with the hurt and fear before it's possible to move on. It's simply your avoidance of feeling these emotions that locks these destructive energies in place and holds you back. Go easy on yourself and make sure you let others help you where possible (there's no need to suffer in silence), but don't turn away again. Many of these problems likely go back to childhood and the delusions about life that we learned early on -- and which don't work as an adult. It's tough to get past all this old baggage, but it's time to do it. It's also likely that you may find some of the ways you convince yourself you're living a spiritual life, when you're merely doing spiritual things without understanding or passion. None of this is pleasant -- pardon me if I've sounded all doom and gloom here. The point of all this is, regardless of what it is in your bag, life is much more simple and fun if you don't have to lug it around. Things are changing too quickly these days to hang onto anything that's holding you back. It's a dirty job and only you can do it -- but it has great rewards.
The lunar eclipse on the 16th is about as deep and long-lasting as one can get -- the Moon is blotted out by the Earth's shadow for 1 hour and 47 minutes, visible over the Pacific Ocean. The Sun is on the US Mercury in Cancer and the Moon is near the US Pluto in Capricorn, triggering that opposition into action as we approach the Republican Convention. One possible reading of this aspect (among many) would be the vocal support of "family values" in politics while the real underlying power is more towards big business or political insiders.
Over the Moon-Vesta- South Node end of this chart, I scribbled the phrase "old ancestral energy?" -- somehow this feels like deep layers coming to the surface. There's a big tug of war going on in the main group between masculine and feminine planets, as though the differences between these two value systems are coming into stark contrast. The divide between people may be very hard to bridge, since it's hard to even communicate without bringing up painful issues. It's probably best to concentrate on more pleasant topics for now if you want to maintain a more upbeat atmosphere. Don't get so caught up in life's melodramas that you forget to enjoy the fun. I suspect that many of the big issues that have been bugging you since May will seem clearer now, though the solutions may not be evident yet. You are slowly tuning into ever deeper layers of the psyche, coming under the sway of powerful symbols that can transform you life, in due time of course. Enjoy the archetypal dance -- great changes are in the wind...
Mercury is standing still on the 17th at 10Cn23, about to resume normal direct motion. As always, Mercury in reverse gear is a time when the brain turns to mush, when our usual ways of understanding the world and predicting the consequences of our decisions take a nosedive. Consequently, the first half of the month is not a good time for making major decisions or performing heavy-duty intellectual work. Besides plain old sloppy thinking, this retrograde period is marked by feelings that cloud over thinking processes, substituting gut-level impulses for rationality. Gradually after the 17th, our brains will return to us and we can get on with life. In the meantime, take notice of how feelings can overtake you and prevent you from reaching your full potential. The effects can be subtle sometimes, since much of this emotional conditioning comes from childhood and can be quite unconscious. It's a good time to get to know old family patterns that are holding you back.
Jupiter is trine Neptune on the 27th. This is the first of 3 contacts that stretch out over the next 9 months, the other contacts falling on 12-9 and 2001-4-5. This connection has a very upbeat, optimistic feeling to it, maybe even a bit too good. You have to be careful with Neptune, since he commonly leads to illusion or false promises, but if you're honest with yourself this problem should be minimized. In general, this is a great aspect for clearing out the mental cobwebs. Jupiter (which just recently entered Gemini) is expanding our mental borders and opening us up to new ideas and points of view. Neptune works at a more intuitive, even dreamy level, but is also good at expanding our boundaries and washing away existing restrictions. They both seem to work best with broad philosophical or spiritual topics, examining the big picture and glossing over the details, so let your mind soar into uncharted areas. This is also a period to reach out to other people of a similar spirit and making connections with them, more at a mental or spiritual level than the emotional. However, you must approach this energy with a clear mind and an open heart to get the most out of it. At a deeper stratum, this aspect can represent a true spiritual awakening, drawing you out of the mundane world and into a more mystical understanding of the universe. Just be careful to keep your feet on the ground -- as I said, Neptune is the planet of illusion and you can get carried away. In fact, you may find this a time when it's easy to be effective in the world and really carry your dreams into reality. Remember that "spiritual" doesn't have to be other-worldly. Spirit brings you back to the here and now (where else can you reach enlightenment after all?), and every action and thought you have should be filled with spirit. This first contact is intimately connected with the last eclipse a few days from now, supercharging its influence for many months to come.
The final eclipse of the summer shows the possibilities of resolving and transcending the problems that have been occupying our minds lately. The strongest group of planets in this chart (around 5-10 degrees) includes Jupiter, the eclipse, Pluto, Chiron and Neptune in a configuration known as a Mystic Rectangle. This is an easy-going and very fruitful pattern that bodes well for breaking through to a new understanding. As you begin to break free from the emotional chains that have been coming up, a feeling of relief and lightness may come over you. Life looks easier to navigate once you reach these waters.
A group of planets at 20 degrees seems to indicate some relationship issues: Mercury, Venus, Vesta, Uranus and Juno. It's important to communicate clearly where you stand and what your needs are. Just remember to keep your heart and mind open to your partner and let new directions take hold, if you can. This is also a time when your ability to focus and discipline your efforts is being tested, with Saturn closely sextile Mars, both at 29 degrees. The challenge is to be building something of worth and endurance that reflects your new understandings. These changes are not just in your head, but must flow out into your everyday life. There may be some problems with our efforts that will appear in August (especially as Pluto and Chiron halt at their direct stations), but make the most of this time -- this is a critical period for bringing something new into your life.
Mars moves from Cancer into Leo on the 31st. What a welcome change of pace! The down home overtones of Cancer are pretty restrictive of Mars' need to express himself and strut his stuff. But Leo! This is the home of the personal ego itself, the sign that stands up and yells "me, me, me!" without a trace of a blush. The next few weeks are a time to unabashedly work towards goals that reflect your needs and desires, to make your plans the center of your attention, so don't hold back. On the down side, this period is a test of how healthy your ego is. Your self-image can be overblown, leading to resistance from others as you walk over them unawares (Leo is rarely malicious, but he can be very short-sighted). A weak ego can try to assert itself by puffing up, becoming a tin-man tyrant of sorts. Even more subtly, you may find yourself thinking "he's such a selfish so-and-so!" when others cross your path. This is more a projected version of an overblown ego, as you find yourself put off by the very same behaviors that you find acceptable in yourself. It's easy to find yourself in a clash of wills under this placement, since other people are trying to pursue their needs and spout off about their importance -- just like you are. A tendency to butt heads with others now is a big clue that you're not handing these Mars in Leo forces well. Back off and reexamine the situation dispassionately -- self-awareness is the mark of a healthy ego. Make sure all your actions are filled with heart. Mars will move into Virgo on 9-16.