July 2024 Astrology Forecast
Theme: Riding The Waves Of Change
By Guest Astrologer, Meagan Leonard | IG: @_space.drama
Graduate of Our Mystic Astrology Apprenticeship Program
Subthemes for June 2024:
- Embracing people and places that feel like home
- Healing toxic attachments and addictions
- Navigating situations designed to test our will and devotion
Overall Energy
This year, Cancer season began like a tidal wave, crashing our party with an onslaught of deeply submerged emotions that brought us face-to-face with our oldest wounds.
The Full Moon in Capricorn at the end of June initiated a powerful transformation journey that will continue throughout the next month, making this a time ripe with potential if we can capitalize on the current energy.
As we enter July, you might feel a little weary and bedraggled—a sentiment more typical of late February than mid-summer. We know there is emotional work to do, and we must finally decide what we want—a decision that may seem like a burden but is actually an opportunity for empowerment.
Something we want dearly has the potential to become unlocked by the end of the summer, but we’ll have to grapple with our tendencies toward distraction and avoidance.
June invited us to explore all possibilities and travel down new paths to see what else was out there, but all the while, a more profound feeling was getting louder. You know that the time is fast approaching when you will have to give up the game and listen to your heart.
Cancer is a water sign that embodies many conflicting emotions: love and rage, compassion and jealousy, safety and longing—it feels things intensely, both its own emotions and those of others.
Cancer represents the intrinsic need we all have to feel safe and held, so when this energy becomes active in the collective, we seek refuge and want to go home.
Many of us grew up in volatile environments where we did not feel seen or accepted and had to mask our emotions to protect ourselves. We’re learning that home is not a physical place you find on a map, and it’s not always with the people whose blood we share. Home is a feeling we create within ourselves and find in others we trust.
Gemini showed us the value of exploring new connections, but Cancer highlights the importance of having a select few people in our corner who know us intimately and have the capacity to hold our hearts when the external world feels hostile and relentless.
Cancer reminds us that love is not a weakness but a superpower. When we feel safe and secure, it gives us the strength and courage to face life’s challenges head-on. We can withstand a thousand strikes from our enemies as long as one person has our back.
As we journey through the watery terrain of Cancer season, lean into what it means to feel safe and cherish those who make you feel at home. From this place of stability, you will shine your brightest later this month when the Sun shifts into Leo.
Transits
Neptune retrograde in Pisces
July begins with Neptune stationing retrograde in the last degree of Pisces. It will appear to move backward through the sky until December, inviting us to revisit the lessons and themes we have been integrating since 2011. Next March, Neptune will shift into Aries for the first time since 1875, ushering in an era where our intuition and creativity will gain momentum and manifest in tangible form.
Over the last 13 years, we’ve been reevaluating our spiritual beliefs and exploring the depths of our subconscious—both as individuals and as a collective.
Many of us have experienced spiritual awakenings and come to new understandings of the world and our place in it. Part of this process involved shedding our conditioning and healing addictions and coping mechanisms we have used to disassociate from our pain.
For many of us, it has become apparent that much of what we’ve been told is not the truth, and the things we thought would heal us were making us sick.
As a collective, we’ve been learning to trust our internal guidance system instead of accepting societal narratives at face value. All of this work has helped us understand the subtle information all around us and see the connection between our thoughts and reality.
As Neptune shifts into Aries, we will start to see our manifestations take shape in external form. Use this time to reflect on how your perception of reality has shifted since 2011 and where you still have doubts.
If you find yourself still struggling with addictions that keep you stuck, now is an opportune time to focus on healing the wounds that underpin those behaviours.
Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Leo opposite Pluto retrograde in Aquarius
Do you remember back in February when there was a parade of Pluto conjunctions on Aquarius’ doorstep? We’re back with another installment of that story as the Sun, Mercury, and Venus move into opposition with Pluto on their way into Leo this month.
Since Pluto is now retrograde and Leo represents our self-identity and how we shine, it’s an opportunity to dig into the darkness and explore those aspects of ourselves we try our hardest to hide.
Mercury will be the first to connect with the planet of the underworld, and this may initiate a compulsion to get to the root of things and search for meaning between the lines. Hidden information could come to light now, or if you’ve been hiding something, your secrets may catch up with you.
Overall, our intuition regarding communication will be heightened, and it will be easier to parse out people’s true intentions. Just be mindful of becoming overly paranoid and suspicious—larger issues may be at play if you feel the need to invade someone’s privacy.
Venus will enter Leo next, and we’ll see the focus shift to our relationships. When Venus and Pluto connect, we’re asked to confront how we try to gain control to avoid rejection or abandonment—this can look like playing games or engaging in attention-seeking behaviours.
Sometimes, we hold onto relationships because we fear being alone or don’t want to see the other person happier without us…
Similarly, we may find ourselves unconsciously pursuing emotionally unavailable people so we don’t have to be vulnerable and fully commit.
All of our maladaptive coping mechanisms related to relationships will be up for review—it’s time to get honest about how you self-sabotage and start showing up in ways that take you closer to genuine connection instead of further from it.
The day after the second full moon in Capricorn, the Sun will move into opposition with Pluto, bringing big transformative energy—this is when the lessons of the last month will be felt most strongly, and we’ll have the opportunity to integrate what we’ve learned since the start of the year.
This opposition will illuminate where we have given our power away and what we’re most afraid of within ourselves.
Be forewarned: often, when we are closest to a breakthrough, something comes out of the woodwork to test us.
You may be confronted with a triggering situation that threatens to sabotage everything you’ve been working toward.
Sometimes, we unconsciously manifest these scenarios because we fear getting what we want and what it will require of us. However, armed with this knowledge, you can hopefully anticipate and navigate these challenges successfully.
Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus
Every two years, Mars and Uranus meet and instigate an energy surge that can have varying effects. Mars represents our action and drive, while Uranus brings unexpected change and shocking revelations. When these two planets link up, things can shift suddenly and dramatically.
In Taurus, this energy is somewhat muted and less dramatic than if it were to occur in a fire sign. However, because Taurus rules persistence and steady effort, it could manifest as a breakthrough related to something you’ve been working hard on or finally get things moving in a stagnant situation.
Generally speaking, this energy can help you see more clearly what you want and how to get it; you might suddenly feel inspired to take action or be on the receiving end of someone else’s impulse.
Because Uranus encapsulates the qualities of independence, eccentricity, and freedom—you may be less concerned with what other people think of your choices.
Although this transit can be bold and empowering, its effects are not always guaranteed to last. Excitement may fade, and motivation could wane without proper planning and effort.
Signs Most Affected
Cancer sun, moon, and rising
Capricorn sun, moon, and rising
Leo sun, moon, and rising
Aquarius sun, moon, and rising
Key Transits and Dates:
July 2: Neptune stations retrograde in Pisces, Mercury enters Leo
July 3: Mercury in Leo opposite Pluto retrograde in Aquarius
July 5: New Moon in Cancer
July 11: Venus enters Leo
July 12: Venus in Leo opposite Pluto retrograde in Aquarius
July 15: Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus
July 20: Mars enters Gemini
July 21: Full Moon in Capricorn, Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus
July 22: Sun enters Leo, Sun in Leo opposite Pluto retrograde in Aquarius
July 25: Mercury enters Virgo
July 26: Chiron stations retrograde in Aries
About Guest Astrologer, Meagan Leonard
Graduate of Our Mystic Astrology Apprenticeship Program
Meagan is a writer, certified astrologer, and intuitive tarot reader. She is currently pursuing her master’s in counselling psychology and hopes to eventually combine astrology and therapy in private practice.
Astrology and tarot have helped Meagan learn to trust her intuition and navigate many difficult experiences. Now, she is passionate about using these tools to help others do the same.
As a reader, Meagan uses the natal chart to identify the unique soul journey you are on in this lifetime—the lessons you are here to learn, and the challenges you must overcome to unlock your greatest strengths.
Her areas of interest are the North and South Nodes and synastry/compatibility.
IG: _space.drama
