July hosts fifteen dynamic aspects: 4 ingresses, 2 squares, 2 conjunctions, 2 oppositions, and one each, new Moon, full Moon, occultation, one retrograde station and beginning shadow point (BSP).

For most of July a feeling of impatience and needing to act "Don’t just stand there, do something!" erupts from within. Whatever was in preparation before may be put in motion now. Creativeness, self-confidence and support of family values, and considerate communications are needed from many different perspectives throughout the first 2/3 of the month. Feelings turn into emotions when we share them. Be alert, and know that feelings will change quickly so, think it over before you speak. Someone’s expanded ego and need for attention may elicit your empathetic understanding.

7/1 Projects that depend on your conscious awareness must go through a last-minute inspection. Keep things simple, and be ready for hard work to gain success. If you feel as though careful plans begin to unravel, know that you can rely on your inner consciousness to keep you calm. Have contingency plans ready to put into action. Sun squares Jupiter 10:10 AM 9:57 Cancer/Libra.

(Heliocentric Saturn enters Leo just before midnight on 7/1, so expect to feel an inner tension associated with life-structure, authoritarian limits, and personal responsibility, and the need to challenge dogmatic ideas, even before Saturn’s geocentric ingress on the 22nd.)

7/4 The section of the zodiac between 8 and 20 Leo will be impacted by Mercury in this Rx sub cycle – between now and August 30. Use this time to develop creative thinking, and create an environment of enthusiasm, using your mental abilities to enhance conscious awareness of your potential to promote healing. Mercury BSP 12:PM 8:40 Leo. **Deep Impact – see below.

7/6 Creative projects may begin and lead to success, if they are supported by a joyful attitude. Let your intuition guide you, and respect those who work with or for you. West coast: be protective of those who are vulnerable. Unusual circumstances may arise involving travel or education. East coast: Work from behind the scenes to nurture those who are in need. Good time for writing or publishing, and support may come from an unusual source. New Moon 14:31 Cancer, west coast 5:02 AM, east coast 8:02 AM.

7/9 Biographies or personal journals may be read or written under this energy pattern. Feelings of increased mental and emotional vulnerability may keep you involved in quiet activities. Just before this conjunction, Mercury reaches maximum eastern elongation. Referred to as a trailing Mercury, this often manifests in a slow-down of mental processes. Take extra time, and think before you speak, even when you are urged to act quickly. Mercury conjoins Venus 2:42 AM, 13:32 Leo.

7/11 You may gain new insight or a new perspective. Keep your options open, and continue your inner work, or support someone who is involved in spiritual or creative work. Venus opposes Neptune 9:45 PM, 16:55 Leo/Aquarius.

7/13 Your imagination can receive a boost, and can be articulated in transactions that contribute to transformational processes for yourself and others. Mercury opposes Neptune 4:22 AM, 16:53 Leo.

7/13 Is a relationship issue not resolving? Need to adjust a developmental pattern? This is the energy to accomplish just that! Agree to release the old pattern, and find a new possibility to agree upon. Agreement and adjustment are the most important ingredients. Moon occults Jupiter 10:46 AM, 11:02 Libra.

7/16 Issues dealing with life-structure, limits imposed by authorities, and your own understanding of personal responsibilities can be revealed. The inner tensions and pent up feelings that have been building need to be brought to light. Dogma without reason is no longer sufficient. Identify and release any guilt you feel for not blindly accepting the tenets of others, and move on. Saturn enters Leo 5:30 AM.

7/21 At the fruition of your project, there are conflicting perspectives as to its success. It’s difficult to be confident in the face of these opinions. The important judgment belongs to you – did it meet your expectations? Are you satisfied with the outcome? If not, take charge make it right. West coast: it may be important for you to address the concerns of significant colleagues, but first be sure of your own assessment. East coast: delegate someone to handle loose ends that need attention and make sure that you are comfortable with the way you handle your own responsibilities. Full Moon 28:47 Capricorn/Cancer, west coast 4 AM, east coast 7 AM.

7/22 There is pure joy available to all this month with this perception of the Sun. Tune in to that part of shared consciousness. You’ve made decisions, hopefully according to your own sense of responsibility. If others attempt to second-guess you, share your ideas and your joy with them. Gifts of the Sun in Leo are self-discovery and self-determination, which lead to self-mastery. Sun enters Leo 10:40 AM.

7/22 You may need some nudging to define your desires. If the tendency is to defer to someone else’s aspirations, use this experience to more perfectly find what you truly want. Stick with practical matters. This energy lends itself to getting necessary tasks accomplished, and finding the beauty in everyday events and objects. Venus enters Virgo 6 PM.

7/22 Are you in the middle of a transformational process? If you are aspected by this energy, you may have second thoughts, or may experience interruptions in your creative thoughts. The next three weeks may bring up a lot of self-esteem issues. Recall your experiences from 7/4 to now, and know that they will have different or clarified meaning that may assist you in your process between now and 8/30. Mercury turns Rx 8:01 PM, 20:28 Leo.

7/23 This will be a good time to get a handle on your self-respect and conscious awareness. Bottom line questions: are you living up to your potential? The next two years may serve you situations to enable you to assess your reliability, your ability to stand up for what you believe, your will power, and your tenacity. Sun conjoins Saturn 10 AM, 00:56 Leo.

7/27 If you need guidance for connecting your desires to your ability to realize them, it is available now. Insight of others’ needs challenge you to act responsibly. Develop the ability to pace yourself – it will add to your endurance, and allow you to "smell the flowers" along the way. Mars enters Taurus 10:11 PM.

7/31 Practical timing will help you to gain control over your ambitious tendencies and reach your goals. It may take you a little longer, but success will be more lasting. There may be pressure from others to include them in your life in unusual ways, but be sure to set priorities and stick to them. Mars squares Saturn 6:59 AM, 1:57 Taurus/Leo.

** Deep Impact is the NASA experimental mission that takes place at 1:52 AM EDT on 7/4/05 (10:52 PM PDT on 7/3/05. A spacecraft weighing 820 lbs. will crash into the nucleus of Comet Tempel 1 at 23,000 mph with a collision equivalent to 5 tons of TNT. Comet Tempel 1 is an oblong body about half the size of Manhattan Island, and the crater is estimated at anywhere from the size of an SUV to that of a football stadium. This mission has been undertaken to observe the stages of the development of the crater and to reveal the composition of the comet. The spacecraft is made of ½ copper. NASA has deduced that there is no danger to the Earth from this comet or the results of the collision, as Tempel 1’s orbit does not cross the path of Earth. It may be observed in the USA from the southern portion of the Pacific coast, and some sections of the southwest. Its location is near Jupiter and the star Spica – near the end of Libra (square Saturn), in the constellation of Virgo. Please join me in visualizing healing energies around the comet at that time.

July was named for the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, organizer of the Julian Calendar in 46 BC, which remained in use until 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted.

The birthstone for July is the red ruby. It symbolizes love, and an open heart. The ruby is the carrier of the red ray, and helps the wearer to gain courage. Ruby is worn to improve circulation and the richness of the blood. Associated with the sign Leo, it strengthens the heart center leading to the will, and through compassion turns personal love into love of humanity. The ruby is not limited to Leo, but is supportive of all fire signs. Its contrasting properties are associated with Shiva the destroyer, and correlated with the process of purification.

July 4^th is US Independence day, when the Sun is passing through the Mars/Pluto (Scorpio) decanate of Cancer. Mars is now in its own sign, and is in the Solar (Leo) decanate of Aries, we can expect a great emphasis on national pride and self-determination. July 4^th is also the day of Earth’s aphelion, the farthest point from the Sun in her orbit. Like a full Moon, this is a turning point towards a time of increase. Be strong in standing for your truth, and you will gain momentum through the next six months.

Saint Swithins Day (July 15) is named for a ninth century Bishop of Winchester, who loved the rain. Saint Swithin, who asked to be buried outside of the church under the "sweet rain from heaven, and so that the feet of ordinary men could pass over him. On July 15, 871, nine years after his death, the monks of Winchester thought it more appropriate to move his body inside the basilica, but a heavy rain made that impossible for 40 days and 40 nights - apparently Saint Swithins’ spirit didn’t like the idea. Folklore gives us this rhyme:

St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St. Swithin's day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

 

The Muslim era is dated from the first day (July 16, 622, in the Western calendar) of the lunar year in which the Hegira took place. Muhammad and his followers were forced into exile from Mecca. Hegira or Hejira, which means "the migration", occurred because Muhammad and his followers believed in one God, and the Meccan religion was polytheistic.

The seventh Moon of the year (the full Moon of July – This year on 7/21) is known in ancient Teutonic folklore as the Mead Moon, named after the mowing of the meadows (or meads), and the first issue of ale. In Teutonic tradition it honors the sacred children of the Moon, Bil and her brother, Hyuki. On their way to draw the sacred song-mead for their family from Bryger, the enchanted spring, they were kidnapped by Odin’s handsome chariot driver, Mani and taken to the Moon in his chariot. There, the water was transformed into sacred mead, elixir of the gods, which is symbolic of wisdom and strength. Earth elders call out to the children when the Moon is full, to sprinkle a few drops on their lips so they may gain the brew’s gifts. The children, seen during the full Moon as twin shadows on the Moon’s face were then praised and venerated by mortals for their gift of the elixir. This myth became the source of the nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill… The Mead Moon celebrates the time of the year when honey is harvested. Honey, yeast, and fruit juice fermented together for months are the main ingredients in mead. Many additional ingredients have been used for flavoring, including gingersnaps.

In the Wiccan tradition, the July Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon, when male deer grow their first velvet antlers. Masculine in tradition, it is an appropriate time to work on the physical body or answer the challenge of mastering physical objects.

July 25 – Furrinalia, honoring the ancient Italian goddess of springs. This festival reminds us of our vital reliance on sources of water. Ancient peoples blessed the springs.

July 26 is the birth date of Carl G. Jung, father of analytical psychology. This date also honors Sleipnir, shamanic steed used to travel to other levels of consciousness. The festival of Asatu commemorates Odin's eight-legged steed who took him to the three worlds. From the upper level of the Gods, Asgard - through our middle one, Midgard - into the underworld, Utgard. In the television series, Stargate SG1, the friendly alien race is called the Asgard. Is this an example of Jungian synchronicity?

The July 28 - 29 the Delta Aquarids meteor shower bestows the gifts of the spirit through lights in the sky. This year’s show will take place between midnight and 3 AM. Expect them to come from the south at a rate of up to 20 per hour. The Moon is past the last quarter, so there should be nothing to hinder viewing.

July 31, at sundown is the beginning of Lammas, the two-day festival of the blessing of bread from the first grain harvest. As a symbolic gesture, blessing a loaf of bread can remind us to be grateful for what we have, and to discover what other riches are possible when the cooperative work of the harvest is complete. Lammas comes at the middle of summer, and is the third fire festival, the rituals of which we can use to feed our spirits. Spirituality seems to come after the needs of the body have been tended. However, in some belief systems, attending to the spiritual needs is a necessary step in ensuring that the physical needs will be met. After extending gratitude to Earth goddesses, Demeter and Ceres for nourishing their bodies from the bounty of the Earth, the ancients called upon fire deities who bestowed and encouraged inspiration: in the Celtic tradition, they are Ceridwen and Brighid; We may invoke them to grant us the nine gifts of the Cauldron: Poetry, Reflection, Meditation, Lore, Research, Great Knowledge, Intelligence, Understanding, and Wisdom.

July is the birth month of several members of the family of Pythagoras, noted philosopher/mathematician/astronomer. Pythagoras himself was born on July 24, 569 BC in Samos, Ionia. His daughter, Damo (seeress, disciple and inheritor of his secrets and writings) was born on July 21; his mother, Pythais was born on July 28; and his wife, Theano (who, with her two daughters carried on the Pythagorean School after her husband’s death) was born on July 11. Many sources state that it was Teano who developed the principle of the "Golden Mean".

July is associated with goddesses such as Rowana, patroness of the secret knowledge of the runes. Wood cut from the Rowan tree was used to make magical runes. Holda, the white goddess, and Hela, the black goddess are also honored in July. They were the twin daughters of Norse trickster god Loki, and are the goddesses who shared rulership of the underworld. On the last day of July, Loki and his consort Sigyn are honored.

Twin daughters were born on July 4, 1918: Esther Pauline Friedman (aka Ann Landers), born at 9:52 AM (DAV database, courtesy Astrodienst) in Sioux City, IA. Her sister, Pauline Esther (aka Abigail Van Buren) was born 17 minutes later. Both found prominence as advice columnists; both were positive thinkers.

"If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me’"

"Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head."

Both quotes by Ann Landers

 

"The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back."

By Abigail Van Buren