Current Transits for July 2015 Current Transits for July 2015Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Full Moon at 9Cp55, 7-1
Fourth of July, 7-4
New Moon at 23Cn14, 7-15
Venus Retrograde Station at 0Vi46, 7-25
Uranus Retrograde Station at 20Ar30, 7-26
Full Moon at 7Aq55, 7-31
Hindsight...
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
July looks like a month where nothing much is going on. After years of themes like the Grand Cross, the Uranus-Pluto square and raging planetary storms, it seems that most of these patterns are fading or crumbling away. Compared to June, a busy month by anyone's standards, the only significant astrological events this month are the retrograde stations of Venus and Uranus. There's a major transition going on in the sky the next few months. As the old themes check out, we are heading into some new patterns, such as the T-Square of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune that is coming up shortly. Things are changing, rather quickly it seems. In the short-term, however, we're going through this in-between stage -- out with the old patterns and waiting for the new ones to take effect. July is rather sluggish and low key for the most part. The sluggishness is due to so many planets at or near their stations lately. Planets that are standing still have a stuck quality to them, as if the influence they are having on us is going nowhere in particular and events around us are problematic, but not resolving themselves. The low key part is because the strong planetary backbones behind the recent storms are breaking up. Without a prominent backbone pattern of the slow moving planets, it's really tough for the overall energies to build up much power and intensity. The month consists of a number of brief storms that lack much "oomph!", separated by weak and noisy transition periods that lack any power and direction at all. It's a time to muddle through life, trying to reorganize the rubble left behind by years of influences that destroyed old habits and trends. A reevaluation of basic beliefs and desires is in order as the world changes around us and we head into new planetary challenges. Keep your eyes open as old situations fall away and new ones develop. If you stay one step ahead of the new energies, you'll be able to adapt to them more quickly in coming months. Oh, and don't forget to take some time off for yourself. We've been through an extended stressful time and a little R&R is rejuvenating for the soul. Hang in there...
The only news items this month are the retrograde stations of Venus and Uranus. No "big aspects", no important sign changes. July is also one of those rare months with two full moons.
The first full moon of July occurs before the first storm of the month has gotten fully organized. This produces a chart that tends to break up into several groups with little connection. The first group has Neptune and Vesta in league with the Sun and Moon; Mars and Pluto are on the fringes. The other group has Uranus, Mercury and Jupiter-Venus in a tight sextile fan; you can throw Chiron in with this crowd. Saturn mostly stands alone until around the 6th.
You'd normally think of a Capricorn Moon as being very solid and down to earth, but this full moon has some strange company. It's closely connected with dreamy Neptune and will be passing over Pluto on the 2nd. It's these outer planets that give this chart some depth. Both of these bodies expose us to influences from the unconscious, transforming us in subtle ways that we may not even notice directly. It helps to get off by yourself awhile and let these influences sink in at their own pace. It may be hard to quiet the mind sufficiently, however, since pesky Mars is also pushing us to "do something!", even if the time isn't ripe for action. (Prospects look better around the new moon instead.) The other group seems to be telling us a completely different story. Many of the planets in the fan have a strong mental-intuitive quality to them. This opens up your thinking mind to new insights and inspirations that expand upon your typical understanding of the world, assuming you put in the mental effort to make sense of all this novel material. Uranus is good at jolting us out of habitual thought patterns, especially when a change in perspective is in order. There's a curious emotional overtone to your thinking these days. It could enhance your understanding or else bring up old fears that stifle your outlook. It's good to look at this feeling based material now, as you're more likely to make sense of it. In particular, it's easier to look at any negative emotions in a dispassionate manner that allows you to take them in without freaking out. I suspect the purely mental qualities, the hunches and weird ideas that come from nowhere, will be the dominant influence from this group. This all sounds like some very general interpretations of this chart, something that could come up any time. I suspect that something is brewing under the surface, hidden away from the conscious mind for a time yet -- which is why it's hard to be more specific now. As I said, the storm is still getting organized, the time's not right yet. Be patient and keep your mind open...
Happy birthday, USA. When I discussed the nation's solar return chart for last year, the picture looked pretty dismal. That chart was dominated by a dreadful looking Grand Cross starring Uranus and Pluto lying across the chart's horizon. We were also just starting an opposition by Pluto to the US Sun, a transit that has been worrying me for years. Since the Sun rules the presidency itself, it seemed probable that Obama would have a bad year. In fact, after the midterm elections last fall gave both houses of Congress to the Republicans, the battle with Congress took on a more dismal tone. There's been an endless stream of bad news for the country. Keep this Pluto opposition in mind for 2015, because there are still 2 more contacts to go this year (Aug 15 and Nov 1). But as I've noticed over the years, Obama has a remarkable knack for handling Pluto energies and putting them to good use. Something has changed in the country since mid June, starting with the mass shooting in a Charleston, SC church that gave the country a wake up call. This was followed by several Supreme Court rulings and a favorable vote on a trade agreement that bolstered the administration. Despite a number of crises overseas, there's a dramatically different mood here at home in recent weeks. Obama seems to be liberated lately, more alive and spontaneous in his public appearances, as if he's channeling this mood shift for us all. Which brings us to the 2015 solar return chart. The Sun and Mars are in the 10th house in this chart, keeping the spotlight on the presidency, but in a more active and helpful manner. Pluto is still opposite the US Sun, but it's sitting down in the 4th house, the "common folk" in this country. Perhaps this is some of the reason why the public mood is changing so rapidly, finally catching up to the issues that have been important for so long. Mercury is close to the midheaven (and not too far from the US Mars), drawing the sextile fan pattern into a prominent role. It helps our leaders articulate a forward looking agenda and get it across to the public. The US Neptune is rising in this chart, more of "the vision thing", as Poppa Bush used to call it. Obama himself is helped by this chart, apparently. He's still riding the protective influence of the Jupiter direct station back on Apr 8 that stood right on his natal Sun position. Saturn is currently on his midheaven. That may not sound like a warm and fuzzy transit to happen to a person, but it has a reputation of bringing about rewards for past actions -- Obama's on a roll lately. I suspect there might be news coming up this year concerning how best to help the situation of workers in this country, especially given some of the controversial executive directives lately. And foreign affairs will be a disruptive problem (Uranus, Vesta, South Node in the 7th house), as it always is, especially in the Middle East. But overall, 2015 looks much better than last year. Oh, and we are deep into the silly season in the 2016 presidential race already, with dozens of "not ready for prime-time" second stringers vying for attention, press coverage and money. I think the GOP has more candidates than party members (only a slight exaggeration). I'm already tuning out most of this noise.
P.S. -- The Galactic Center lies on the 4th house cusp of this solar return chart, the root or foundation of the energies in this chart. A hopeful sign for long-term progress, perhaps...
The waveform for the new moon may not look like much, but it follows a moderately strong Koz Alert (520 units) earlier in the day. The 15th is easily the busiest day of the month astrologically, with 10 important aspects in 24 hours and several more in the days before and after. The storm pattern is built on the Saturn-Pluto octile that last appeared on Jun 20 and will repeat one last time on Aug 13. Mercury and Mars are opposite Pluto, Venus and Jupiter are square Saturn. Uranus is on the fringes of this group. The Alert happens early in the day when the Moon goes over Mercury and Mars. The new moon later on is loosely connected with the main group; it also forms a separate Grand Trine with Chiron and Saturn that includes Neptune in the action.
Curiously, the house cusps in this chart are nearly identical with the cusps in the full moon chart, meaning that most of the planets (especially the slower ones) fall in the same basic positions in the two charts. I often get a feeling of "unfinished business" when I see two charts like this, as if the universe is dishing up the same themes all over again with only a slight change of emphasis. The message is one of "you didn't get this the first time, so let's try it again." This time around, the message is more in our faces, Koz Alert and all. Saturn and Pluto promise some significant structural changes in our lives and in the world in general, a breaking down of old habits and patterns that clears the field for later developments. The results of this break down can often be messy and unpleasant, however, so don't expect all the news to be uplifting during this time. All the faster moving planets that refer to the everyday activities of our lives are tuned into this octile, so you can expect to feel these challenging influences in many areas of your life simultaneously. Also, the aspects connecting all these planets are in the H8 family (octiles, squares, trioctiles, oppositions), the rough and demanding ones, so there isn't much to soften the overall effect. Given the rapid pace at which these aspects are going off, I wouldn't be surprised if some dramatic news event is coming. If you're involved in some project currently, use this burst of energy as best you can, realizing that plans may not come off smoothly. Make the most of it...
Venus reaches her retrograde station of 0Vi46 on the 25th. She will back up to 14Le23 by Sep 6. Most of this retrograde zone lies in the sign of Leo, though she does get a toehold in Virgo from July 18th to the 31st. Most people think of Venus in emotional and aesthetic terms. She's related to love, sex and all manner of sensual attractions to things of beauty or comfort. In more basic psychological terms, her role in the psyche is pretty simple. Given any situation, she answers the core question: do I like this or dislike this? These attractions are usually laid down pretty early in life, often before we learn to talk or reason, and are therefore unusually hard to change later in life as we mature, operating mostly at an instinctual level. At a biological level, this activity is rather simple. In a natural setting, the things that we're attracted to tend to be good for us, while a "yuck!" reaction tends to chase us away from things that may harm us. Nature has her ways. Granted, in an artificial environment like we live in today, these likes and dislikes may not serve us so well as our instincts may be out of touch with our true needs. That third slice of chocolate cake may not actually be good for the waistline, even if it grabs your attention. As we grow older, it's important from time to time to reassess these instinctual likes and dislikes, attempting to bring them more in harmony with your higher purposes. Venus retrograde is an excellent time for taking a second look at these attractions, although there are some pitfalls along the way. A retrograde planet is a psychic function that is misbehaving in some unusual manner, causing us to take a closer look at it and do some debugging work. In the case of Venus, your normal sense of what is attractive is disrupted and prone to get you in trouble. Your tastes change in strange ways, though often only temporarily. You may find that things look good to you that you'd normally ignore, or that the things you usually cherish seem flat or unappealing. Astrologers often joke that this is a bad time to go on a shopping spree. And if you do go out and buy things on a whim, make sure to hang onto the receipts. The "cool stuff" you pick up now may lose their charm all too quickly when Venus goes direct again and you may find yourself in the returns line at the store. "I don't know what got into me -- it looked good at the time!" On the relationship level, Venus retrograde changes your tastes in people in unexpected ways. Someone you'd normally not give a second look can suddenly appear very alluring and attractive, while your existing friends and loved ones can seem boring and rather stale. I'm not saying you can't find your soul mate under this influence, but generally speaking, this is a lousy time to fall in love. Mr. Right can go from "I can't live without him" to Mr. Terribly Wrong in short order when Venus resumes normal motion and behavior. The key to all this commotion is realizing that your emotional life needs to be reevaluated occasionally. By shaking up your typical likes and dislikes, it forces you to be more aware of your attractions (normally quite unconscious) and make a willful decision to bring them more in line with your actual needs and desires. Sometimes you'll make some long lasting changes that will serve you well in the future, though many of these changes will be temporary flings, fun for a brief while, but never to be repeated. If nothing else, it's a good time to try something new and get out of your ruts. Either way, you get to experience something out of the ordinary and maybe grow a bit in the process, bringing your instincts more in line with who you are these days. This can be an exhilarating, but confusing time. Frankly, I consider Venus retrograde much more challenging than Mercury retrograde any day -- emotions run so much deeper than our thoughts. I suspect this particular cycle may be more easy going than usual. Even though Virgo is a rough placement for Venus (too cerebral and practical), she doesn't spend much time there before backing into fun loving Leo again. She's also close to jolly old Jupiter all month, which makes this process more enjoyable. Have fun, but keep in mind that all "good times" are not equally good for you in the long run. Be prudent -- that's Virgo talking...
Uranus goes retrograde at 20Ar30 on the 26th. He'll be in reverse gear until Dec 25, when he goes direct at 16Ar33. Common wisdom is that Uranus is Mercury's big brother in terms of the workings of our psyches. He operates more at the level of intuition and the basic workings of the mind and nervous system, as compared to the rational, symbol using abilities of Mercury. I've come to think of this intuitive level as the key paradigms, archetypes and instincts that structure our experience into something coherent, allowing us to weave a sense of reality from all this input. He operates below the surface of the conscious mind for the most part, giving us that intuitive grasp, that moment of "aha!" as we embrace reality. It's almost a cliché these days to mistrust your thinking mind and "go with your gut" instead, but when Uranus is standing still, that's really some bad advice. It's this bedrock level of experience that is misbehaving now, so why trust it? In fact, with Venus standing still simultaneously, we're in a double bind, since feeling and intuition are both questionable. So what is the practical, common sense impact of all this. For starters, it makes the world seem crazy and unpredictable, maybe even subliminally scary. Since Uranus is in fiery Aries, this often comes out as anger, impatience or frustration, usually for no particular reason. Pay attention when you're feeling annoyed by something. You may be able to trace it back to this feeling of confusion and loss of control. If you dig deep enough, you may catch a glimpse of these archetypal patterns that are causing you to see things this way for no reason -- even if it's "obvious" that your interpretation is "right". If you listen to these unconscious whispers long enough, without judgment, you'll get quite a lesson in how your mind makes sense of the world, where your blind spots lie, and how you can use your Uranus more skillfully. It's a subtle, but exciting and liberating exercise. It also saves you being angry so often. You may not sort out all your confusions until the direct station next Christmas, but you might as well get started and start paying attention. Keep in mind that Uranus is Trickster energy -- he loves to surprise us. If you aren't having fun and seeing something new every day, you haven't gotten into the Uranus mood yet. He's light hearted and loves to laugh. There's no reason to be stressed out. Enjoy!
Frankly speaking, the second full moon chart is a mess. There's very little cooperation between planets, so the energies are scattered all over the place. The only grouping of consequence is Venus (retrograde now and about to reenter Leo) and Jupiter in that approaching square to Saturn (going direct in a few days). Mars is about to enter this group as well. Pluto gets a free pass due to his octile with Saturn.
First of all, with the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter in sunny Leo and the Moon in Aquarius, the general mood now is lighter and less dramatic and emotional. However, this chart is mainly a lead-in to new influences coming up shortly in August and into the fall. We're closing the books on many of the troubling and disruptive energies of recent years (yeah!) and clearing the stage for some patterns we haven't seen before, such as the wide T-Square of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune that colors the fall. It feels like a low key, enjoyable time to kick back in the short run, but there are distant clouds on the horizon coming into view. The world in general is heading off into a different direction, so start looking out for the changes...
Between Saturn octile Pluto and Jupiter trine Uranus in late June, the world seemed primed to make some big shifts, both good and bad. As I mentioned, there's been a major shift in the national mood lately. The list of significant events is long and varied, too many to go into detail. For the record, it includes: the mass murder in a Charleston church; the flap over the Confederate flag; Supreme Court rulings on ACA subsidies and gay marriage; the revival of Pacific region trade agreements in Congress; a spate of terror attacks around the world; a string of church bombings in the South. And the list goes on. It seems as though the universe had a long to-do list of things to take care of after 3 years of the Uranus-Pluto square activity and the end of June was a good time to catch up. There's been a lot of pent up energy lately and it has to come out somehow...