July is a very heavy astro weather month. So much so that we’ll break the forecast up into two (and possibly even three) articles. And this comes on the heels of an over-active mid to late June. As predicted, the last half of June was indeed a wild ride. And we’re not out of the woods yet. Far from it.
The battle for “routes and resources” has only just begun. And the pinch points for those routes (the Panama canal for example; the Strait of Hormuz, coastal ports on the US east and west coasts) will continue ⸺ and in some cases (US coastal ports, for example) begin ⸺ to be flash points. We said over a year ago there would be a focus on “borders, boats and bridges”, and that prediction is indeed panning out.
More to come on that.
As always, to fully understand where we are currently, you’ll want to go back and review last month’s forecast. Because it’s not as if the slate gets wiped clean aat the end of every month. Energy simply ebbs and flows across and over the date and time boundaries that societies establish. So understanding the energy we’re coming in with this month is a big help.
Be aware that we are still under the influence of the Kala Sarpa Yoga. That is, all of the traditional planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn) will remain “captured” within one side of the Rahu-Ketu nodal axis. An axis, by the way, that shifted signs the 29th of May, marking a significant occurrence (both personally and collectively) that we wrote about previously. Mars will finally break the serpent’s coil this month, on July 20th. We won’t get to the coverage on that until the following article. But just a head’s up: that date is of huge importance.
If we look at the last several years as a 15-round heavyweight fight, all the set-up tactics of the first several rounds are now complete and in the books. The period between 2020 until now have set the stage for the final and deciding rounds to unfold. Things will begin happening with more rapidity now as we wrap up the final stages of this compound cycle we are in collectively here in the US. The Pluto return, Chiron return, Neptune opposition, Saturn-Neptune conjunction, Uranus in the Algol-controlled portion of early Taurus… all of these individual cycles having merged into one, extended “perfect storm” of collective astrological weather.
And this energy has no other choice but to seek opportunities to express. It cannot be contained. And at this point it looks as if the collective is in no shape to transmute that energy otherwise.
As such, LA-like protests will continue. And will likely become more intense. That energy is still very much circulating in the collective, and seeking the “expression portals” that large cities provide. And as you’ll read below, the period between July 3rd and July 7th will offer another opportunity for that energy to be released.
This is the power of predictive astrology. The ability to navigate effectively around the shoals and storms.
We enter July with Jupiter in the last few days of being “combust”. A planet’s being combust the Sun can be interpreted as the Sun consuming or overpowering the essence of the combust planet. In this case, I would interpret this as an egoic projection (the Sun) without the benefit of earned wisdom (Jupiter). The king without a cabinet. As the peak of the combust cycle hit on the cusp of the US 7th house of “open enemies”, we may take the military actions of the last two weeks to be indicative of such energy.
Time will tell on that. And as you’ll read below, we will pass another period where egoic action without benefit of wisdom is likely to take place.
Remember that we don’t cover any of the Moon’s phases in these monthly forecast posts. Not because they’re unimportant ⸺ far from it. In fact, the Moon’s phases are the backbone of astrology. We place heavy emphasis on that, though, in our Functional Astrology community. For our purposes here, though, we keep things to the more significant planetary cycles.
And as always in these “forecast” articles, when we reference potential collective happenings, we’re making those predictions based on the US chart. If you live in the US you are absolutely within (and under the influence of) that collective energy. Though, because of your birthchart (and your level of awareness), those energies are going to play out differently for you personally. This is where a personal reading is invaluable.
That said, let’s dive in.
But let’s back up a couple of days first though, because there is a significant planetary shift happening on June 29th: Venus enters Taurus, and will remain in the sign of the bull until July 25th.
Though Venus loves being in Taurus, the first few degrees of the sign are challenging. Upon entering Taurus, Venus will quickly (June 30th) conjunct the fixed star Algol, known as the Blinking Star of the Demon symbolized by Medusa’s head. This alignment can bring violence (especially against women), natural disasters, money loss, or relationship troubles. It can be associated with “losing one’s head” ⸺ literally, in a Marie Antoinette kind of way ⸺ or by way of emotional loss of control, intoxication, or other mindless attitudes or behaviors.
This next section is quite a lot. The tl;dr: if there were ever a period to avoid large gatherings, this would be that period.
July 3rd - 7th: See the US cart below. There is a lot going on during this 5 day span, so I think it’s best to tackle the discussion of it in a single sweep. This is one of those combinations that, if you’re not careful, can have you “majoring in the minors”. So let’s back out just a bit and consider the major themes.
First, the US chart for the evening of July 5th
And next, the mundane chart for the transits that same day, same time:
Let’s first consider Neptune, which stations retrograde at 8 Pisces (conjunct transit Saturn). Neptune goes retrograde for roughly five months out of every year. In this instance Neptune will remain in retrograde until the 10th of December, when he will then station direct back at 5 Pisces. When a planet stations we can expect its energies to greatly intensify, and so at least a week pre and post station we can expect Neptunian themes of confusion, delusion, and purposeful obfuscation to intensify. The “man behind the curtain” has the upper hand during this period.
We’ll get to Pluto (and the US Pluto return) in a bit, but think now of the massive spending bill currently before congress. And the utter confusion and delusion around that. Who to believe? And what to believe? Mainstream media? Pundits? Trump? Elon? Anyone on either side of the political aisle?
This is not a political stance. In fact, the Pluto return (along with a host of other supporting factors) means that the economy will radically transform. It doesn’t matter who is in charge. We don’t yet know what is on the other side; what we do know is that Pluto completely and thoroughly destroys so that the new can unfold from the rubble. Like new growth after a forest fire.
Unbacked fiat currency can only end in disaster. It’s a game of 3 card monte that eventually runs out of gas. And the US will not make it out of this Pluto return without a radically transformed economy.
Neptune will also be applying pressure back to its natal Neptune opposition position of 2 Pisces during this time. So expect the collective division to intensify greatly over the next several months. Especially as it relates to information, propaganda and borders.
In a personal sense, a Neptune retrograde cycle can be an extremely creative and contemplative time. However, it can also bring out deep rooted fears, utter confusion and unchecked depression. And with Saturn (still) in conjunction, this is a period when we will have to address the cold, hard realities of life in some way, shape or form. This will be an especially tough period for those who have dodged or avoided these realities in the past. Especially those realities that may have mounted (and been dodged) since early March of this year (when Neptune was last at 5 Pisces).
Note that Saturn, too, will turn retrograde on July 13th. So Neptune will not be able to escape the drill sergeant’s shadow. Our individual and collective delusions will not be able to escape Saturn’s consistent, Natural Law reality checks.
That said, any unsettled matters that began in or around early March will be brought up again to be resolved during Neptune’s retrograde period. This is a great time to get ahead of the curve for next year’s retrograde period by reality-checking one’s current situation and future plans, and making any necessary practical adjustments. Dream big ⸺ that’s Neptune’s gift. AND be sure to back those dreams with some (very Saturn) real-life planning.
Next we have Venus conjunct Uranus at 6 Taurus. This is a really interesting combination. Venus conjunct Uranus indicates sudden and unexpected shifts (Uranus) in matters traditionally governed by Venus, such as finance, values, stability, resources, and creature comforts.
Note: remember that cusp-of-the-US-2nd Pluto return we’ve been soap-boxing for the last 2 years. And as discussed above. Pluto may be slow (especially when compared to his lower octave, Mars), but he is thorough. And ruthlessly efficient.
As this Venus-Uranus conjunction occurs near the cusp of the Venus-ruled, US 6th house (health, labor, employment, service sectors), expect sudden events or rapid shifts concerning employment, healthcare systems, labor markets, and workplace technologies. This will be another “big moves” month for RFK, Jr. and the HHS department. Big, Uranus-inspired (shocking, even) changes are on the way as it pertains to those 6th house issues.
As well, Uranus rules the US 3rd house of communication and infrastructure. The grid. Cell communications. Propaganda and misinformation. And coastal shipping ports. These are all vulnerable pinch-points that are under significant astrological energy.
And finally, the Sun, which exits the combust with Jupiter just in time to conjunct the “dog star” Sirius at 20 Gemini. The annual Sun-Sirius conjunction also corresponds to the earth being in aphelion; that is, its furthest point in orbit from the Sun. Both occurrences are asking us to slow our roll on any big, egoic moves.
It doesn’t seem like the US is getting the memo on that, however….
When the Sun conjuncts Sirius (at approximately 20° Gemini), Sirius temporarily becomes lost in the Sun’s rays. An event similar to what we describe as "combustion." So Sirius, traditionally representing cosmic wisdom, spiritual insight, renewal, and divine guidance, is momentarily combust, or hidden beneath the Sun's glare. Ancient cultures (most notably, the Egyptians), revered Sirius at its first visible appearance after solar conjunction (helical rise), as it signalled the coming flooding of the Nile and the birth of a new, annual cycle.
In this sense then, Sun conjunct Sirius is a period of stillness before a new cycle. Where deeper insights, spiritual truths, and processes of renewal are integrating beneath conscious awareness. We've recently navigated Jupiter's combustion and the hazards of egoic action without benefit of supporting wisdom, and this period of Sirius combust is asking the same of us. To recalibrate internally, check the ego at the door, and prepare for the moment when the energy of Sirius returns, bringing clarity and renewed spiritual insight.
The paradox with this placement, of course, is that true wisdom in these times is knowing that you don’t yet know enough to act. It’s patience; the extended crouch prior to the pounce. Ego has neither patience nor wisdom for that. And so it goes…
So to sum this up, the period between July 3rd and the 7th is quite rocky indeed. Our two wisdom keepers (Sirius and Jupiter) are blinded by the Sun (the nation’s ego), so our projections into the world (7th house) and our dealings with allies and open enemies (7th house) will come without the checks-and-balances benefit of earned wisdom. There is no advisory cabinet for the king to lean on.
Couple this with Neptune’s retrograde period, Venus conjunct Uranus (and the balance of what we have to discuss this for month), and we have all the makings for a volatile period here at home. A volatility at home that is borne largely of foreign policy maneuvers, past and present.
Always pay attention to the omens. Bridges, boats and borders. Routes and resources.
Buckle up. These 5 days are going to be interesting indeed.
Avoid large crowds if possible. Be resourced enough to get through a few days of grid / comms / water down.
The best case scenario is nothing happens, and you’ve just prepared yourself for storm season. That’s the energy we’re holding.
As always, it’s “better to be a warrior in the garden, than a gardener in war”.
⸺Keith