[Fate & Free Will ] Astrology for the Week of July 17-23

 Even if you normally read each day individually, I strongly encourage you to read through this entire week now. There are some *big* things happening that will be building all week. Think of the descriptions of the individual days as the main theme but there will be foreshadowing for the days to come that may become more noticeable the closer we get to the exact transit and will be in play throughout the entire week.

Monday 7/17: 

• ☿ at °11 ‘53 Leo □ ♃ at 11° 53‘ Taurus | 8:48 AM
• ☽ at 22° 20‘ Cancer ✳ ♅ at 22° 20‘ Taurus | 9:21 AM
• Cancer 🌑 New Moon | 2:31 PM 
• ☽ at 24° 56‘ Cancer ☌ ☉ at 24° 56‘ Cancer
• ☽ at 27° 36‘ Cancer △ ♆ at 27° 36‘ Pisces | 7:52 PM
• ☽ at 29° 13‘ Cancer ☍ ♇ at 29° 13‘ Capricorn | 11:05 PM

Monday we have a Cancer New Moon at 2:31 pm eastern. The Cancer New Moon offers a period of new beginnings and is a great time for setting intentions related to emotional self-care, nurturing, and self-protection, especially as it relates to the topics of your Cancer house. 

This is a wonderful opportunity to foster personal growth, to connect with your emotional needs, and to care for those aspects of life that bring a sense of emotional fulfillment.

This is a period where you might feel more in tune with your emotional rhythms. It's important to remember that these feelings are temporary and part of the natural ebb and flow of life. Letting yourself feel and acknowledge your emotions, rather than resisting or suppressing them, can be a powerful part of this New Moon.

You might feel an urge to communicate your ideas boldly or to take a risk in expressing your feelings. However, it's important to stay grounded and consider the practical implications of your actions. There is a potential for over-expansion or unrealistic expectations, so try to maintain a balanced perspective.

By rising sign:

• Aries Rising: This placement might encourage you to explore the emotional undercurrents of your home, family, personal space, and your deepest, most private self. 
• Taurus Rising: A time for emotional intelligence to permeate your immediate environment, correspondences, communication, thoughts, siblings, and neighbors. 
• Gemini Rising: New beginnings around your personal resources, including finances, possessions, and self-worth. A time to consider how your emotional well-being influences your sense of security.
• Cancer Rising: This new moon might encourage a new beginning in self-perception and personal identity. It's a time to reflect on how you present yourself to the world. You might feel more emotionally charged, making it an excellent time to understand your emotions better. 
• Leo Rising: A time for retreat and introspection, this is the perfect time to explore the subconscious mind and hidden emotions. 
• Virgo Rising: This could be a time to connect on an emotional level with your community and social networks, or towards your long-term goals. 
• Libra Rising: New beginnings around career and public reputation may involve understanding the role of emotions in your professional life. 
• Scorpio Rising: A time to explore the emotional side of your belief systems, higher learning, and adventures. 
• Sagittarius Rising: A deep dive into emotional undercurrents, exploring shared resources, intimacy, and personal transformation. 
• Capricorn Rising: New beginnings in partnerships could be emotionally charged, fostering deeper connections. 
• Aquarius Rising: A time to consider how emotions factor into your work, routines, health, and service to others. 
• Pisces Rising: A new cycle of emotionally charged creativity, personal expression, and perhaps even romance. 

Now let’s talk about another *major* energetic shift that we all had a tiny preview of back in April when we had our second Aries New Moon - today the Nodes shift into Aries and Libra, where they will be until January 11, 2025.

Where you find the North and South Node is also where you will find eclipses - as soon as both the Sun and Moon are close enough to them at the same time.

The North Node and South Node are seen as points of increase and decrease respectively.

With the North Node's entry into Aries, the emphasis is on a more assertive, proactive, and initiative-taking energy. There's an increased capacity to confront, to pioneer, and to take leadership roles, fueled by the fiery, cardinal energy of Aries. It's a time when the energy around us supports taking charge, being bold and making the first move.

With the South Node's transition into Libra, the focus shifts toward a more cooperative, harmonious, and balanced energy. This could mean letting go of conflicts or choosing diplomacy over confrontation. Libra's cardinal air energy promotes harmony, diplomacy, and could call for some negotiation and compromise.

So what does this shift in focus mean for you? I’m so happy you asked! By rising sign:

• Aries Rising: A call to express more assertiveness and independence in personal matters and identity (First House), while releasing old patterns in partnerships and relationships that no longer serve (Seventh House).
• Taurus Rising: A call to assertively face the subconscious mind and self sabotage (Twelfth House), while reassessing daily routines and health habits (Sixth House).
• Gemini Rising: A call to be proactive in pursuing group or humanitarian efforts (Eleventh House), while re-evaluating personal creativity and romance (Fifth House).
• Cancer Rising: A call to take leadership roles in your career and public life (Tenth House), while re-evaluating your home life and personal foundations (Fourth House).
• Leo Rising: A call to assertively expand your horizons, philosophies or spiritual beliefs (Ninth House), while reassessing patterns of communication or learning (Third House).
• Virgo Rising: A call to take initiative in dealing with shared resources and transformative processes (Eighth House), while reconsidering personal finances and values (Second House).
• Libra Rising: A call to cultivate independence and initiative within partnerships (Seventh House), while reassessing personal identity and self-expression (First House).
• Scorpio Rising: A call to take proactive steps in work and health routines (Sixth House), while releasing past patterns of seclusion or self-sabotage (Twelfth House).
• Sagittarius Rising: A call to bring passion and leadership to creative and romantic pursuits (Fifth House), while evaluating the role of friendships and group associations in your life (Eleventh House).
• Capricorn Rising: A call to take charge of your home life or family dynamics (Fourth House), while reassessing your public image and career (Tenth House).
• Aquarius Rising: A call to cultivate assertive communication and learning in daily life (Third House), while letting go of outdated beliefs or philosophies (Ninth House).
• Pisces Rising: A call to develop self-reliance and focus on personal finances and values (Second House), while letting go of over-dependency on shared resources or deep psychological attachments (Eighth House).

Tuesday  7/18:

• ☽ ▻ Leo | 12:39 AM

Tuesday the volume gets turned up in anticipation of the fireworks that will be going off this weekend in this area of your life. In general people may be a little more dramatic today but it’s also a pretty fantastic day for getting things done.

Wednesday  7/19:

•  ☽ at 12° 07‘ Leo □ ♃ at 12° 07‘ Taurus | 1:02 AM
• ☽ ☌ ☿ at 15° 16‘ Leo | 7:22 AM
• ☽ at 22° 25‘ Leo □ ♅ at 22° 25‘ Taurus | 9:51 PM

Wednesday is lovely in a fiery kind of way. It’s very active and more than a little extroverty and dramatic but that will likely translate into lively conversations, big dreams, and bold declarations. 

Thursday  7/20:

• ☉ at 27° 35‘ Cancer △ ♆ at 27° 35‘ Pisces | 9:06 AM
• ☽ ☌ ♀︎ at 28° 29‘ Leo | 10:08 AM
• ☽ ▻ Virgo | 1:12 PM
• ♂︎ at 06° 20‘ Virgo ☍ ♄ at 06° 20‘ Pisces | 4:39 PM

On Thursday there are two very distinct energies at play. 

First, I’m going to talk about the Sun in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces. This creates a natural harmony and flow of energy between your Cancer and Pisces house topics, fostering a deep understanding of emotions and promoting emotional intelligence. It can manifest as heightened intuition, increased empathy, and a strong sense of spiritual connection. This transit is perfect for artistic and creative pursuits, spiritual practices, and any activity that requires deep emotional understanding.

However, it's also crucial to stay grounded during this transit. The Sun in Cancer's tendency to prioritize emotional security, coupled with Neptune in Pisces' potential for escapism and fantasy, could lead to over-idealizing situations or people, or using escapism as a coping mechanism for emotional discomfort.

This is likely to be overshadowed, however, by the Mars opposition to Saturn that has been building for more than a week. 

This transit is characterized by a distinct tension between drive and restraint, practicality and emotion, and instant gratification versus long-term achievement. 

Navigating a Mars in Virgo opposition to Saturn in Pisces can be a delicate balancing act, but with a mindful approach, it can also be an opportunity for growth. Here are a few strategies:

• Patience and Persistence: With Saturn's influence, things might not move as quickly as you would like. Try not to get frustrated. Apply the diligence and precision of Mars in Virgo to keep working steadily towards your goals.
• Balance Criticism with Compassion: Mars in Virgo can be hypercritical, while Saturn in Pisces seeks unity and compassion. Try to catch yourself if you start to be overly critical. Instead, aim for constructive feedback and remember to be as kind to yourself as you would be to others.
• Respect Your Boundaries: Saturn is about limitations, and Mars is about action. Recognize your limits (and the limits of others) and respect them. Overextending yourself won't help in the long run.
• Learn from Challenges: This transit might bring up challenges or conflicts, but remember, these are opportunities for growth. Use your practical analytical abilities to understand what's not working and how you can improve it.

The key to navigating this transit effectively lies in harmonizing the practical, meticulous energy of Mars in Virgo with the spiritual, introspective influence of Saturn in Pisces. Strive for a balance between doing and being, between criticism and compassion, and between ambition and acceptance.

Friday  7/21:

• ☽ at 06° 19‘ Virgo ☍ ♄ at 06° 19‘ Pisces | 2:02 AM
• ☽ ☌ ♂︎ at 06° 35‘ Virgo | 2:35 AM
• ☽ at 12° 28‘ Virgo △ ♃ at 12° 28‘ Taurus | 2:30 PM
• 🌒 Waxing Crescent Moon | 5:20 PM
• ☽ at 13° 51‘ Virgo ☉ at 28° 51‘ Cancer
• ☉ at 29° 07‘ Cancer ☍ ♇ at 29° 07‘ Capricorn | 11:52 PM

Friday is not a lollipops and rainbows kind of day.

There is another astrological tug-of-war happening between the Sun in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn, pitting our sense of identity and emotional needs against the call for significant transformation and structural change.

It has the potential to bring about emotional breakthroughs and a sense of empowerment. As deeply buried feelings are confronted, a profound transformation in personal life and identity may occur. This period also facilitates restructuring in meaningful ways, allowing for a deeper alignment with personal values and emotional needs, and promoting increased self-understanding and emotional depth.

On the other hand, this transit can escalate tensions, potentially leading to power struggles and emotional turbulence might be experienced as buried issues surface. Resistance to the significant changes this transit might bring could show up as stubbornness, manipulation, or attempts to maintain control. Finally, the intensity of this period might trigger obsessive or compulsive behaviors as a way to cope with underlying fears or tension.

The challenge is to embrace the transformative potential that comes from exploring our emotional depths, while being mindful not to get swept away by the undercurrents of resistance and control.

Easy, right? 🤐

Saturday  7/22:

• ☽ at 22° 30‘ Virgo △ ♅ at 22° 30‘ Taurus | 10:48 AM
• ☽ at 27° 33‘ Virgo ☍ ♆ at 27° 33‘ Pisces | 8:59 PM
• ♀︎ ▻ ℞ at 28° 36‘ Leo | 9:32 PM
• ♀︎ ▻ ℞ at 12° 12‘ Leo on September 3
• ☉ ▻ Leo | 9:50 PM

Saturday is the main event for the week (I know, I know! We’ve already had SO much going on but *this* is the fireworks finale).

Venus stations retrograde and the Sun struts into Leo within about 12 hours of each other. 

Venus, the planet of love, relationships, harmony, and beauty, is also the symbol of the social contract - the unwritten rules we all try to follow as members of society. This retrograde period offers an opportunity through which to reflect and reevaluate these areas of life, especially as they relate to our Leo house topics.

In its constructive expression, Venus retrograde in Leo can prompt a profound reconnection with our true identity and personal values. It can lead to a deeper understanding and articulation of our individuality and passions. It's a time for looking into the mirror of our past, rekindling relationships or pursuits that once sparked joy, and reclaiming neglected aspects of our identity.

On the other hand, Venus retrograde in Leo can sometimes manifest in more challenging ways. It can heighten self-focus to the point of neglecting others' perspectives and needs. A greater desire for recognition and validation may surface, and the delicate social situations that arise during this time can test relationships (not just romantic relationships - the ones that are most relevant to your Leo house topics). The retrograde period might also bring past relationship issues to the surface, demanding attention and resolution.

Navigating this period requires balance and self-awareness, embodying the positive aspects of Leo's confident self-expression while avoiding its pitfalls.

How this retrograde may play out for you based on your rising sign:

• Aries Rising: In this house, Venus retrograde might lead to revisiting old hobbies, romance, or projects. Your sense of joy and creativity could be in focus
• Taurus Rising: The retrograde in this house could trigger a reexamination of your familial relationships or your sense of belonging. Home-related issues might need a second look.
• Gemini Rising: The Venus retrograde here might lead to changes in how you communicate and learn. Past communication misunderstandings might resurface and necessitate resolution.
• Cancer Rising: This period may provoke a reconsideration of your values and financial habits. You may find yourself reevaluating what you truly value and how you utilize your resources.
• Leo Rising: This Venus retrograde could cause a reassessment of your self-identity and how you project yourself to the world. You might take a closer look at your style and persona, contemplating changes.
• Virgo Rising: The retrograde here might lead to a reassessment of past actions and unresolved issues. It's a time to embrace solitude and introspection, possibly rediscovering lost dreams or hidden aspects of yourself.
• Libra Rising: In this house, Venus retrograde might encourage a reevaluation of your hopes, dreams, and social circles. Reconnecting with old friends or reevaluating group affiliations may be part of this cycle.
• Scorpio Rising: Venus retrograde here could stimulate a reassessment of your career, ambitions, and public image. Old achievements or failures might come back into the spotlight.
• Sagittarius Rising: In this house, the retrograde could prompt a reevaluation of your beliefs, perspectives, and long-term plans. Past travels or education-related decisions might come back into focus.
• Capricorn Rising: The Venus retrograde could lead to a deep dive into personal transformation. You might find yourself reassessing joint resources or dealing with unresolved issues related to intimacy.
• Aquarius Rising: With Venus retrograde in this house, your close partnerships could be up for review. Old issues might resurface or relationships might be rekindled.
• Pisces Rising: Here, the retrograde could push you to reconsider your daily routines, health, and work habits. You may need to reassess your wellness routines and work-life balance.

If you’re not tired of the Leo of it all yet, just wait. I’m not even close to done *and* Leo will be a highlighted area of your life until October - so get cozy with your lion(ess) qualities, desires, or demons.

 The Sun roars into Leo at 9:50 pm eastern. Throughout his time there you’re likely to experience a significant surge in vitality, self-confidence, and a strong urge to express your authentic self, especially as it relates to your . This period is akin to stepping onto the stage of your life, asserting your personal will and allowing your true self to shine.

During this transit, you might observe a reinforced sense of determination and consistency in your actions. This sense of perseverance and commitment to your true self, even in the face of adversity, is often heightened at this time.

The energy of the Sun in Leo is outward and assertive, representing a shift from the inward-focused, nurturing energy of Cancer. This is a time where you might find yourself more engaged with the world around you, stepping out of your comfort zone, and seeking ways to impact your environment. Leo's playful nature might encourage you to approach life with more joy, enthusiasm, and a hint of theatrical drama. You might find yourself more drawn to public speaking, performance, or any activity where you can bask in the limelight.

However, it is important to keep in mind the other side of Leo's nature, the potential for ego inflation, drama, and the misuse of power. The Sun in Leo can highlight your leadership abilities, but it's essential to use that leadership for good and avoid the temptation to dominate or control. The challenge is finding the balance between asserting your individual will and respecting the rights and freedoms of others.

Questions to consider by rising sign:

• Aries Rising: How can I express my creative and romantic passions in a way that respects the feelings and autonomy of others?
• Taurus Rising: "How can I confidently express my identity in my home life, while maintaining balance and respect for others?
• Gemini Rising:  How can I communicate my ideas authentically and inspire others?
• Cancer Rising:  How can I express my individuality to create more abundance while respecting the values of others?
• Leo Rising: How can I present my authentic self to the world with confidence and humility?
• Virgo Rising: How can I tap into my authentic voice to fuel personal transformation and self-discovery?
• Libra Rising: How can I assert my individuality in group settings, while valuing the collective dynamic?
• Scorpio Rising: How can I shine in my career while maintaining a humble and respectful demeanor?
• Sagittarius Rising: How can I express my beliefs and explore the world, while respecting the perspectives of others?
• Capricorn Rising: How can I maintain my personal identity while engaging with deep psychological processes and negotiating shared resources?
• Aquarius Rising: How can I assert my individuality in relationships, while still maintaining equal partnerships?
• Pisces Rising:  How can I bring a sense of joy and authenticity to my daily routines and work?

Sunday  7/23: 

• ☽ at 29° 06‘ Virgo △ ♇ at 29° 06‘ Capricorn | 12:05 AM
• ☽ ▻ Libra | 1:54 AM
• ☽ at 00° 10‘ Libra ✳ ☉ at 00° 10‘ Leo | 2:15 AM
• ☿ at 22° 32‘ Leo □ ♅ at 22° 32‘ Taurus | 5:39 PM

Sunday is energetic and full of expressive and creative thoughts. However, sudden changes and unexpected insights could cause a bit of chaos, challenging your comfort zones. 

You can use this energy to break free from old thought patterns and it’s fantastic for sparking innovative ideas. But be careful, as the impulsive vibe could lead to hasty decisions and the urge to speak first and think later.

Until next time, my wish for you is graceful fortitude.

If you love these forecasts there are a few ways to work with me.

• My astro-coaching membership, The Crusade
• 1:1 astrology readings 
• The Lunar Empowerment Collection 
• The Digital Astrology Calendar