We erupt into July with Mars, the planet of action and aggression, moving into Leo. Mars in Leo provides ample opportunities to dramatically declare your opponent, duel in front of an audience, and win—or lose—heroically. The drama is high, as is the passion. And no matter the outcome, we all get to scream our piece. You know those dandelion tufts that float through the air to spread more dandelions? There was a story in the news recently about a thin layer of those tufts covering someone’s garage, which they learned was flammable. So they lit a very small section of one corner on fire, expecting a quick burst of flame and the layer to vanish. Instead, as the dandelion layer burned, it lit the garage on fire too, burning it to the ground. As you enter this month, think about this cautionary tale as a metaphor: you will burn the building down if you are not careful how you approach with fire.
On the 2nd of this month, there is a total solar eclipse in Cancer. This is also a new moon, and the usual new beginnings prompted by a new moon are particularly moving with an eclipse. The moon rules Cancer, and this grants the entire universe an emotional rebirth. This is a month of heightened emotions (the sun will also be in Cancer until the 21st), regrouping in home spaces, and deep realignment with what needs attention and care. No matter your sun sign, get your feelings out. Cry, please. Laugh and yell. Tell people what they mean to you. Take inventory of who needs what from you, and do what you can. Cancer is ruled by the crab, and its hard shell exists solely to protect and provide home. If you had to carry your home on your back, what would you leave behind to lighten the load? Do you feel safe and secure?
On the 16th, there is a lunar eclipse (and full moon) in Capricorn. This follows a solar eclipse from January, and aligns with the mega-planets of Saturn and Pluto to create an extra-strength ultra-moon experience best used to get work done—emotional work, namely. You could probably also use this planetary alignment to build a mansion out of matchsticks. But obsessively working on tasks that have no emotional payout is less ideal than creating a masterpiece from the heart. Why are you working on what you are? What is the end goal? Who are you doing it for? Set goals that create more of a feeling of making the world a more secure and sound place. Start saving for yourself: use an app that rounds up pennies to a savings account, put away 1% of your paycheck in a retirement account, buy a tiny property, pay the fees for a business license. Give to people or organizations that will put your money to good use; if you trust the vision of a nonprofit, donate cash. No cash? Donate clothes or household items; make a free pile in your front yard. If you feel you have nothing to save or spare, this is a perfect time to set attainable goals to put yourself in a better position emotionally and financially. This eclipse reminds us that in order for things to run smoothly and stand strong, we need spiritual grounding. Start with yourself and work your way up and out. Your worth cannot be measured or defined by anyone but yourself.
On the 22nd, the sun enters Leo. The sun rules Leo, and this is a good time to do work on your ego. Pump it up. Even if it’s already too big, get bigger. Life is short: you deserve big feelings, big love, and to feel like you are important and celebrated. With Mars in Leo too, it’s important that we all realize that while we work on being the absolute best, everyone else is, too. Our best is not better—it is incomparable. Do not go to war as you grow into your brightest shine. The new moon in Leo lands on the 31st, which is a perfect time to celebrate who you are and how you got here. This month comes in like a lion and goes out like one too.
ARIES
The solar and lunar eclipses of this month both square your sign. Squares are angles from other signs that create pressure for change. The solar eclipse on the 2nd has everything to do with home. Changes need to be made to the basic parts of how you are living (Cleaning? Rearranging?) and who you live nearby or with. The lunar eclipse on the 16th is about aligning with your work and professional life. Ask for more responsibility. Seek more feedback in how to be better, because emotional reward will come from working more intentionally. When the sun moves into Leo on the 22nd, you will feel a relief around some of the pressure, but with the sun in a trine to your sign, you will still feel motivated. Ride the wave.
TAURUS
In approaching radical discomfort this month, you should strongly consider your communication style. Are you saying everything that needs to be said? Are you listening? Absorbing messages fully? It is a perfect time to say what you mean most effectively, and truly listen to the responses. If you get nothing, that is a response. On the 16th, there is a lunar eclipse in a trine to your sign, bringing waves of emotional awareness and support, especially when you are declaring freedom from a position you have held. If you want to split from a job, a relationship, or a bad housing situation, this is the time to do it.
GEMINI
The solar eclipse on the 2nd brings up important lessons about your money—how it shapes your life, what you want to do with it, and the possibility for a huge change of direction in your personal finances. This eclipse also touches a very vulnerable part of your psyche, and asks that you consider your feelings of self-worth. Sometimes our knowledge of self and our actions (negative self-talk, bad habits, sketchy relationships) do not align. Are you treating yourself as well as the other people in your life? This is a good time to do something to get your relationship with yourself back on track.
CANCER
The new moon solar eclipse on the 2nd of this month ramps up Cancerian themes. This is a time for huge change and transitions in your life. The sun is also in your sign, and Mars is camped out in your house of self-value for the month, so this is a perfect time to prioritize things that make you feel most whole. Share feelings with the people that made you feel them—good, bad, or otherwise. You deserve the freedom that comes from unloading. Celebrate the nest you’ve created. This is an important time to feel empowerment around the things that make you most yourself. Your feelings are super powers. Celebrate with the people closest to you (it’s best if they make those celebrations happen).
LEO
This is a dynamic month to be a Leo. July starts with Mars, the planet of passion and action, in your sign. Basically, if you have wanted to start anything—a project, a change in health, a relationship—now is the time. The passion (and drama) is up in major ways, and where there’s a Leo, there’s a way. On the 22nd, the sun moves into your sign, promoting celebration of you, your sign, and everything we love about Leo. Shining is not always easy, so make sure you go out and soak in the rays of the sun and other people’s affirmations. On the 31st, there is a new moon in your sign, capping the month with a perfect time to set intentions for the coming months. You have earned this bright spot: use it.
VIRGO
Community is in central focus this month with the sun, Venus, and a solar eclipse in your house of socialization. This could mean a big change to a friendship, a beginning of a new project that brings people together around something you care about, or a dissolving of a group that doesn’t suit you well anymore. This month provides an opportunity for you to see your social world as it really is, and put yourself in positions that make you feel best. The lunar eclipse on the 16th is a perfect time to take a little trip for fun. Bring someone!
LIBRA
There are two eclipses this month that both catapult a lot of change in your world. The solar eclipse on the 2nd is all about power and work. This is an important time to ask for more responsibility in your work environment. Your vision and ideas are promoted. Make sure you speak up so that you don’t feel like this time is wasted. The lunar eclipse on the 16th is in your house of home. This is a good time to check in emotionally with where you are living and how you like it. Make an intentional change to your home, whether it’s buying a rug off the web or moving to a new place altogether. Ownership in your living space will help this transit unfold.
SCORPIO
Everyone has had the experience of needing to talk about something, not finding the right moment, and blurting it out in ways they didn’t mean. This month, on the 16th, there is a lunar eclipse in your house of communication. Lunar eclipses are very helpful in acknowledging our feelings. With this thorough investigation, it’s important that you spill some of your thoughts out. You can do this with the person who made you feel this way, in a journal, or in therapy. The new moon on the 31st brings a lot of attention to the work you do. This is a good time to show that work so it can be celebrated with a promotion, being hired for something, or someone throwing a parade in your honor.
SAGITTARIUS
The 8th house in the astrological wheel rules our relationship to sex, birth, and death. The solar eclipse lands in this house in your chart on the 2nd of this month, beginning several months of alignment of these themes. Solar eclipses give us insight into what we need for ourselves. Do you feel happy in your sex life? Have you acknowledged the level of resilience you have shown as you have gone through the last few years? Have you given yourself time to grieve? The inner workings of this eclipse’s subject matter can be tough, but are meant to lighten the load. Small steps do big things now.
CAPRICORN
The eclipse on the 2nd is in opposition to your sign, bringing feelings to the surface in a way that could be very surprising. As a cardinal sign, you lead with intention and awareness of the whole; but this month, the work is to find ways to lead from your heart. The full moon lunar eclipse on the 16th lands in your sign, putting these feelings in more structurally sound placements. Building in our lives is easiest when we are aware of the overall project. Take the days around the eclipses to regroup in your spiritual, personal, emotional, and physical lives to understand what the next steps are. The things that will come up this month might have been deeply buried, and careful consideration will bring the best outcome.
AQUARIUS
The solar eclipse on the 2nd lands in your house of today, meaning that your work, body and/or home needs some fine-tuning to be in their best shape. It is your choice whether this comes out dramatically or not. If you know there is something you are ignoring in your health, face it this month. If you need to change where you live, get moving. If you don’t like the person you sit next to in an office, ask to be moved. Proactive steps can shape the outcome. The lunar eclipse on the 16th lands in your house of spirituality. Go to a place where you feel most holy. This could be a house of worship, or a waterfall.
PISCES
The solar eclipse on the 2nd is in a trine to your sign, and lands in your house of creativity. Solar eclipses push us to see ourselves more clearly, and the trine gives us a universal boost in the right direction. This month, spend a whole day doing only things you love. If you have to add a task, only add it because it brings real joy. This is a perfect time to align with your ego and power, and the first step is mothering yourself. The new moon on the 31st lands in your house of work, so make sure you have all your ducks in a row for the big moves starting right at the end of the month.
@iamastrology | illustrations Kallie Tiffau