This Month: Astrological Trends * Free Guided Meditations
July 2016 Astrological Trends
Setting the Stage as July Opens:
Before any time passes at all, the setup in the skies is already significant for July. As July opens, it would be nice to take a few deep breaths and consider the following host of astrological influences.
Mars turned direct in Scorpio June 29:
Mars has turned direct in Scorpio and now we may feel the drive to persevere in a single-minded way as we strive to get what we want. It’s important to think about whether what we want aligns with our highest and best selves. It has the potential to help or harm, as Mars in Scorpio is trine to Chiron in Pisces, giving support to the Mars water energy.
Venus Oppose Pluto
The month opens with Pluto in Capricorn opposing Venus in Pisces. Venus in Pisces is about linking without binding. During the Venus in Pisces time, I’ve rekindled my relationship with Elaine Aron’s work on the subject of the highly sensitive person. In doing so, I discovered her book “The Undervalued Self,” in which she laid out the concepts of linking vs. ranking responses and behaviors. Linking, or looking for ways to share and connect free of comparing ourselves and competing, is the internal schema/response and external set of behaviors that foster a sense of safety because one person is not more important than another person. Ranking is what we’re taught by our culture to engage in as we move through the world wondering if we’re good enough to make it. We feel superior or inferior to others for an endless variety of reasons, manufactured inter-generationally and in the mass markets. Venus in Pisces, opposing Pluto in Capricorn, helps us dissolve what needs to be dissolved so we can let go of the notions of value altogether, or at least value as we know them. There is a whole new basis of relating being revealed. Cutting the threads of ranking is interesting, because we live in a culture that values hierarchy as a source of power, and fails in many ways to set structure to more tangible and satisfying ways of being. Here is a chance to deeply observe how this has played out for you, personally, in how you relate, survive, and create.
Jupiter Conjunct North Node in Virgo July 1-14
We’re still feeling the effects of the Jupiter-North Node exact conjunction last month, which was in relationship to Pluto. These effects from June 24-26 touched upon the things that are completely out of control in our lives. If you have been experiencing anything like I have, the vastness of your powerlessness may be coming home to you. Even if we have been doing our ultimate best, life can still lay us flat, and put us in a position where our alternatives leave us completely uncomfortable and feeling traumatized. I’m trusting this is a compassion-building set of experiences all-around—that the exposure of my limitations builds compassion in others and so on. I find myself both needing help and helping others at this time—as if I am in the middle of a river or stream of life—and it’s a leveling and somewhat non-personal experience. This seemed to be kicked off and magnified by the North Node destiny point of Virgo, and touched health and bodily issues. How is it affecting you? Look to your health, your daily functioning, and your habits—are they changing or highlighted at this time? Have you made adjustments and arrangements? Despite your efforts, are you struggling to regain balance? If so, it may just be a point of evolution and/or karma—instead of something to worry about.
Saturn Square Neptune
As the month opens, we’re still experiencing the Saturn in Sagittarius square to Neptune in Pisces, which has turned retrograde in the past few weeks. There’s a sense that the things we’ve been counting on have abandoned us, and that we have to slow down and rehash what we thought we believed in. If we’ve been dealing with our addictions, we may be asked to give up the things we rely upon to feel better just at the point when we’re stressed out the most. It’s a setup, from what I can see. It’s going to be OK to acknowledge that we need a lot of help from each other to survive these times. This Summer is an interesting time in both providing for and needing support from others. The things we’ve so nicely put in place and felt we have managed may not work for us for a while, but I think peace will return later in the year. Things never look the same after a transition, but we can still have faith that all is not lost. It could help to know we are in the middle of a Saturn slow-down and restructuring, in which teacher Saturn is pointing to the fantasies, dreams and illusions we have been carrying in our lives and saying, “here, look.”
Capricorn Pluto Trine Virgo North Node July 1 – 31:
Pluto will continue to work with our North Node all month, helping us to integrate major changes to our destiny and Karma. The comfort we can find is the comfort of letting go to our destiny. Pluto is the power of a natural disaster—so what do we think we might be able to hold on to in a typhoon? Let die what needs to die—and if that is our dignity, our idea of how to arrange things, our former way of managing, and/or the concept of managing at all—so be it. Allowing has never been more important. Gentleness can be a wonderful practice during the storms this month—even if those storms are only internal. This is actually a supportive aspect, so it’s possible to use the energy of transformation under the surface consciously. Call upon spiritual practices, mentors, nature, and any and all help available to help ease your way. In earth signs, nature and care and feeding of the body are especially indicated. These are the signs of Virgo and Capricorn, however—so they are the signs of rigorous health—not indulgence like the sign of Taurus.
Mars in Scorpio Quincunx Uranus in Aries July 1-July 21:
The beginning of the month can also be host to unexpected and sudden adjustments, insights, and changes. New changes can manifest in actions and impulses, so use the higher path of these energies to get powerfully creative if you can, instead of powerfully driven, suddenly.
Mars in Scorpio trine Retrograde Chiron in Pisces July 1 – July 21
Mars water energy also affect the first two-thirds of July as it interacts with Chiron in Pisces. It will allow action and focus on healing / wounding. An ever-deeper level of healing and wisdom will be possible if you find your way to it.
July Startup in a Wave of Water Energy:
The beginning of July brings a stellum, or a group, of planets in the sign of Cancer. Further, these are the personal planets that kick off activity as they travel around the zodiac. Cancer is a water sign, the element of emotion and depth. This portends a focus on instinctual response during the start of July, instead of intellectual, bodily, or external reliance. On July 3-9, Mercury conjuncts the Sun. They conjunct the Moon on July 3-4, also, and loosely conjunct Venus. Adding water influence, this stellum of four planets trines Retrograde Neptune in Pisces from July 3-9.
The Cancer New Moon at 12 degrees Pisces which is part of this Stellum occurs on July 4, 2016 at about 7:01 am (MDT). This New Moon is, as mentioned, conjunct Mercury in Cancer, trine Retrograde Neptune in Pisces, sextile the North Node in Virgo, quincunx Saturn in Sagittarius, and loosely opposed to Pluto in Capricorn at 16 degrees. That makes it an active New Moon! There is increased ease for connecting to universal and higher consciousness, with the easy aspects to Neptune and the North Node, as well as the alignment with Mercury. You can use intuition and guidance for a psychic experience during the New Moon. Saturn and Pluto relationships offer an opportunity for guidance at this time, so if you’re learning something new—whether being mentored or whether it’s trial-by-fire—it also would not be a surprise. Also, it’s a great time for prayer to ask the powers that be to bless you for the remainder of the month. The Venus influence that follows this New Moon means asking and receiving is favored now. A prayer activity (not merely a meditation activity) would be indicated for this New Moon.
On the heels of the New Moon, on July 5-8 there’s a Venus Grand Trine in water signs, the first of three grand trines in water during July. The first includes Venus, the second Mercury, and the third the Sun. Venus sits in Cancer, Mars in Scorpio, and Chiron in Pisces. Taking action on romance, finances, and relationships is supported during this time. You can delve deep into issues and heal problems. Mercury replaces Venus in this Grand Trine configuration from July 9-13, meaning the issues you can take action on are intellectual issues—writing, communicating, thinking. From July 14-20, the Sun replaces Mercury in Cancer at this point of the Grand Trine. This means issues related to your personal identity take center stage, and you can take action related to self-care and individual identity.
On July 6-8 Mercury in Cancer Opposes Pluto in Capricorn. The high-path use of these energies are investigation, counseling, psychology, self-analysis, truth-telling, research, and investigation. The low-path use of these energies might be psychological abuse, obsession, arguments, secrecy, and feelings of superiority. The high-path is, of course, recommended!
Mid-July Full Moon:
When Mercury squares Uranus on July 10-13, it’s a good time to remain flexible as you watch things move fast. Changes can occur quickly when these two get together. Communication may be somewhat challenging, but on the bright side, you may also have some brilliant insights and some new ways of thinking through things. If people are blurting out some unskillful statements—no worries—it’s just Mercury square Uranus!
When the Sun moves into square aspect to Uranus from July 14-18, a similar energy will prevail, but it will be focused on a feeling of wanting to break free from restrictions. Thinking about your unique needs in a way that is healthy and free from abruptly impacting others as you sense any impending changes will help you keep from ego conflicts, accidents as a result of nervous energy, and arguments, which would be how this influence could expel if it were to build up like steam pressure.
On July 11/12 (near midnight, so it depends on your time zone), Venus moves into Leo. It will also square the moon that day, in Scorpio. Our focus in relating will change from feeling our way forward to wanting to celebrate and let loose a lot more. When Mercury moves into Leo on July 13, it will add more emphasis to this shift. We may begin to think we want to buy a new outfit and get a haircut, instead of worry about how we will pay for it, for example. Cancer energy is concerned with security while Leo is concerned with identity. Mercury and Venus will move together in conjunction, or alignment, in Leo from July 13 through 25.
Late July:
When the Sun moves into Leo on July 22, the focus changes from family and home to the self. Leo rules children and creativity. It’s always a great time of year for a makeover.
During the period from July 25-29, Mercury will trine Uranus in Aries, square Mars in Scorpio, and quincunx Chiron in Pisces. This means an active mental time when there’s activity around healing and processing again. Fire energy added into the mix should inspire spirit to bring new ideas to bear in a easy manner. Adjustments can become apparent, and there’s a sense of both speed and depth to what happens at the end of the month.
On July 28-31, the Sun in Leo trines Saturn in Sagittarius. As a close-out to the month, this will be a lovely supportive energy to inspire our soul journeys in their new areas. We have had a lot of adjustment during the past few months, and Leo energy with Sagittarius expansion energy should give us a break, FINALLY. Plan some celebration time at the end of the month—however that looks for you. It could simply be a three-day nap!
July 30, Mercury moves into Virgo. Virgo is one of the signs that Mercury is at home in, along with Gemini. This is a nice shift for our minds to relax into intellectual manifestation.
Meditation
Guided audio meditations posted for free this month:
Nurture Your Inner Child Guided Meditation
Take Advantage of these while they are free this month!!
Let me know what you think and if you want more in this series of wellness, relaxation, and healing. Send an email to domikajama@gmail.com.
Nourishment for the Body and Soul
“I have found that HSPs [Highly Sensitive People] benefit from a fourfold approach:
1. Self-Knowledge
2. Reframing
3. Healing
4. Help with Feeling Okay when being out in the World and Learning when to be Less Out”
From “The Highly Sensitive Person” by Elaine Aron
Nourishing Recommendations
You can learn so much about Tarot from Susyn Blair-Hunt, my wonderful mentor, in her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination, Unveiling 3 Layers of Meaning.
(Llewellyn also publishes the best selection of Tarot decks that I’ve discovered.)
Homeopathy and Core Synchronism have changed my life. First, I was immediately able to breathe after experiencing asthma-like symptoms for years. Many other improvements followed. Here are practitioners I recommend:
Eva Lipton-Ormand, CHoM, CCSP – in Albuquerque, NM
Elizabeth Battarbee of Flourish, Doctor of Homeopathy – available via Skype everywhere and in-person in Louisiana!
Elise Hensley, LISW, an amazing healer, specializing in EMDR and Neurofeedback. Elise is one of only a few people trained in Neurofeedback in our area. She is someone who is a skilled and amazing mentor. Better yet, your insurance may cover your sessions.
Thank you for enjoying this month’s newsletter! You can contact me anytime via email: domikajama@gmail.com for consultations. Visit at Intuitivemoon.com.
Be well!
Blessings,
Dominique