The astrological theme for June 2016 was Curiosity.
There were so many moving parts and changing influences it was improbable to grasp them all. This is the life-stuff we’ve got to live, rather than understand or figure out. Sometimes simple experience is the most effective way to learn. Relax your mind. Open your heart. Allow the past to dissolve into the future. Things are breaking open now.
The astrological theme for July 2016 is: Embracing Emotion.
June began in a frenzy and ended in a watery climate of intense, raw sensitivity. Mars and Chiron stationing June 27/28 could have felt wounding. It could have felt healing. Delicately Dark and Light, at once. The energy of birth and death are one. Birth begets Death. Death begets Birth.
Birth and Death are Portals of Consciousness.
Perhaps in all cases, the wound is what heals us. Heartbreak brings us closer to ourselves. Loss brings us closer to our loved ones. Tragedy magnifies life; making it so intense and merged with our being that it is difficult to bear. Yet simultaneously, life seems to exist in realms beyond our reach.
The recent Mars Retrograde period has come to conclusion. Mars Retrograde in Scorpio gave rise to our most hidden compulsions. The scary bits of ourselves we can’t see. The parts of our being that feel beyond our control. The elements that seem to possess us and remove us from our essential power. The obsessions and un-resolvable emotional attachments. The fears and unconscious psychological material that drives our behavior and threatens to destroy us unless brought to light.
During Mars Retrograde, we dove into those wells. We met with ghosts from the past and measured their influence. We reckoned with severity. We were infused with a spirit of surrender. And we may have touched the source of something. Essence. Orgasm. True power.
Death and Birth are One.
The Wound is Healing.
Our Greatest Fear is Our Greatest Love.
Pain and Pleasure are Inseparable Lovers.
As the heart breaks, it Opens.
As fissures crack the surface, the true essence underneath reveals itself and expands.
We are made to constantly expand our capacity to Love. To Exist. To experience. To witness and be witnessed.
Can we be here and accept all of it?
Can we Embrace Emotion?
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been crying every day. Spontaneous tears that erupt when I’m driving. When I’m sitting with clients. When I’m praying and holding hands with my friends. Often, when clients sit with me, they cry. And so many of them apologize.
“I’m sorry, I’m a mess. I didn’t think I’d cry.”
Please do not be sorry for your tears. They are a gift.
Many traditions of lore revered tears as potent healing medicine for self and others.
Emotions are intelligent. They are not something to fear or run from. Emotion and sensitivity are an inborn navigation system to be heeded and honored. Feelings are a gift. They are our birthright. Let them be. Allow for them to exist, to pass through, or to hold on. Give them expression. Talk about them. Share them. Be witness to them. Let them inspire and guide.
The miracle of life was not given to be denied, ignored, or numbed.
The miracle of life on Earth has been offered to you, Choose your Own Adventure style.
How will you embrace it?
In astrology, emotions, moods, and psychic realms are linked to water. Tears literally are water. What is our relationship to water?
Modern culture has attempted to control and commandeer water. Buying and selling it. Bottling it up. Keeping it contained.
But water is life. It is beyond containment. It is, perhaps, our greatest teacher. Water is the that which merges separate parts. Water connects, soothes, nurtures, cleanses, and nourishes. Water is healing.
There is a saying;
Feel it to Heal it.
Without water, we would not live.
Water is our home. It brings us home to ourselves and one another. Our insights, our intuitions, and our emotions are life-giving. They are necessary for healing, connection, and survival. Listen deeply.
One of the most powerful practices we can access with the human body is also the simplest:
Move Like Water.
Pretend water surrounds you without and within. Allow your movements to be fluid and connected. Avoid breaking the connection. In this way, we heal ourselves. In this way, we remember our true nature.
A great healer once told me:
“Humans are not made to hold any tension. Let Go. Let Go. Let Go. Let it Flow.”
Liquid water is soft, yet it is arguably the strongest, most powerful force on Earth. The strength of water lies in its ability to yield and change shape.
Water rules compassion. Unconditional, ever-transforming, ever-present Love.
Embody that.
Life is changing. Life is changing us.
Click the link. Hear the song. Dance your love Deeper.
ASTROSPEAK BELOW! Read to understand the astrological climate of July. If it's astrospeak beyond your scope, feel free to scroll through :)
As July dawns, the Sun, Mercury, and Venus are all in Cancer.
Cancer is the sign of the Mother and the nurturing home. While we all have human Mothers, we share a planetary parent: Mother Earth. This month, honor the Mother. Put your hands on the ground and say Thank You. Devote yourself to her health and happiness. Mother Earth is the source of everything manifest. Your clothes, your food, your shelter, your loved ones, your own body. It all springs from the flesh of the Earth. And to the Earth it all returns. Please, make offerings.
If Earth could speak to you right now, what would she say? Listen. Let her speak to you and through you. You just might hear some important instructions.
Cancer is ruled by the Moon. All of us will be honorary Luna-tics for the first half of the month. Moon changes, mood changes. Pay attention to the Moon’s movements, particularly for the first two weeks of July. Notice the emotional flavor of each day, and how it reflects Luna’s journey through constellations. Heather Pennell and I co-created this FREE calendar. You are welcome to download it here to track the Moon. Especially recommended for those with prominent Moon or Cancer influences in their natal chart.
For the first half of July, there is an aspect pattern in the heavens known as a Mystic Rectangle.
Mystic Rectangles provide a spiritual infusion. As I’ve observed this aspect pattern in people’s birth charts, there seems to be an angelic or spiritual central equilibrium that promotes intuitive guidance and inner balance. Conflict may arise, but while under the influence of a Mystic Rectangle, the spiritual center from which we can source is strong and subtly pervasive. This current Mystic Rectangle is present in Earth and Water signs: Virgo/Pisces and Cancer/Capricorn. I refer to these as the axis of Purification (Virgo/Pisces) and the axis of Protection (Cancer/Capricorn). The spirit of service is strong with this combination. We are called to serve and protect. There is a definite political thread in the astrology this month and for the upcoming season.
Instead of feelings like an unfortunate victim to external politics, let’s work on improving governance in our own lives and the lives of our communities.
- Cancer: To ensure our habits promote deep nurturing of self and others.
- Capricorn: To be responsible and promote healthy government and world structures.
- Virgo: To dedicate ourselves to serving the highest health of Earth and her creatures.
- Pisces: To surrender and trust intuition, ultimate compassion, and spiritual oneness.
May we all remember
That this world is made of Love.
Mars in Scorpio, Now Moving Direct!
Mars retrograde since April 17, 2016, has been a deeply transformative transit. READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE. Mars stationed to move direct on June 29. For the whole of July, Mars retraces his steps in Scorpio. He is also echoing the journey that Saturn took since October 2014. If things were released or eliminated since May 27, we now get the chance to call in whatever might replace those energies. We get to magnetize our power into right place, right relationship. We get to build real intimacy with ourselves and our loves ones. We can trust our deepest instincts and passions to guide us forward.
The path ahead won’t be entirely unobstructed. We won’t discuss it now, but go ahead and mark August 23 on your calendar as a time to show up with strength, courage, and determination to overcome fear or obstacle in favor of freedom. Until then, dig deep and feel your way forward into the mystery. Mars is in Scorpio, sign of Alchemy and Transformation, all month.
You don’t have to do it alone. Each one of us on Earth was born for this. Born to Live. Born to Die. Each one of us is prepared for the road ahead. Take someone’s hand.
Let’s guide each other home.
And now, the play-by-play forecast! All times listed in EST.
July 1 Venus sextile Jupiter (3:18pm)
Good feelings. Joy. Sympathy. Great day for planning and organization. Especially beneficial to the realms of home, family, work, and health/daily routine. Get your ducks in a row for more health and happiness in life. Great day to work gently and rest when ready. Notice your dreams tonight and write them down upon waking.
July 2 Sun inconjunct Saturn (9:52am)
Dreams hold important emotional content. You could be processing anxiety, old fear, or despair. Write it down. Feel it to heal it. There is a restlessness. A divide between local home and global reach. Should I stay or should I go, now? Feel your roots. Grow them deep and wide. Extend your base. Nourish your family and home connections so you can fly the nest when needed and grab a new perspective. Today offers lessons on prioritizing responsibilities. Take care of what’s most important.
July 3 Sun Trine Neptune (7:01am)
Dreamy. Drifting. Foggy in a cleansing way. Gather inspirations. Imagine. Call in the support of spirit. Ask to be shown a vision of the highest ideal for your life. How can you contribute to the wellness of the whole of humanity? Great day to listen to this Spotify Playlist: Eternal Love.
July 4 New Moon in Cancer (7:01am)
New Moon in Cancer harkens us home. What is home? A house is not always a home. A house begins as a simple shell. When a house is filled with family, photos of loved ones, shared meals, traditions, life patterns, emotions, and memories, it becomes a home. Deep bonding and sentiment make home. Home is a nurturing place. A place of safety, protection, and comfort. A familiar place where we can nourish, rest, and be surrounded by feelings of belonging. Home brings us up. Home heals us. Home preserves our heritage. “Home is where the heart is.” Our home extends beyond the house we live in. It reaches past familiar towns. The whole Earth is our home. The Earth is the Mother to all of us. The Earth is the source of everything we have: the food we eat, the clothes we wear, our foundation and our structure. Tune in and feel: how is the home of Earth doing? If the land and the waters would speak, what would they say? Does the environment feel loved? Are we contributing to the beauty and health of this atmosphere? As Earth’s children, we must be alert and responsive. It is time to leave behind habits that lack care and compassion. We must leave behind the carelessness of the recent past and cultivate our memories of a past that lived before. Let us be stewards of our resources. When we serve and protect the Earth, the Earth will serve and protect us. This New Moon is a deep well of remembrance. Through movement, we remember our essence as Wise, Wild, and Free. Gather with your loved ones. Put your hands onto the body of this good Earth. Dance love into her skin through the soles of your feet. Heart + Earth = Hearth. Together, let’s dance that equation.
As always on New and Full Moons, there is a FREE MOVEMENT RITUAL here on the Qoya Blog!
Mercury inconjunct Saturn (9:42pm)
The current astro-emphasis on Cancer/Sagittarius is very interesting. Cancer rules the homeland, the nest, the familiar environment within limits (borders). Sagittarius rules global expansion, travelers, refugees, and multiculturalism. It is likely there will be news today about these themes. Bringing global movements home is indicated. Keep the home fires burning by seeing the big picture from your feet firmly planted here on Earth. Belonging is created from a sense of security. Can we feel safe inside expansion? Can we open our nurturing hearts to the adventure unfolding on this good planet today? Widen your lens. Look for the similarities and differences that color our world. Foreigners are siblings in One Human Family.
July 5 Mercury trine Neptune (8:19am)
Talk about your dreams. Your visions. Insight. Write it down. There is a subtle sensitivity available. Take yourself to a higher plane of awareness. Perhaps through music, art, poetry, or meditation. Let feelings tell a story through you. Grief, loss, sadness. These are the experiences that inspire and truly connect us all as one.
Pluto Perigee (1:20pm)
Today, Pluto is closest to the Earth as he gets. Pluto rules intensity, focus, and transformation through destruction. Feel the magnetism. Transmute.
July 6 Venus trine Mars (4:17pm) Sun conjunct Mercury (11:24pm)
July 7 Mercury opposite Pluto (7:55am) Venus square Uranus (10:24am) Sun opposite Pluto (6:27pm)
The messenger is in court with the King. The child speaks to its Mother. About the past. About healing. About how masculine and feminine can flow with ease and depth of connection. Making strides around intimacy, but likely not easily. Death and Rebirth. Power struggles. Confrontational conflict. Desire for control. Self-sabotage/destruction. Allow for change. You don’t need to have total control over others or your environment. You don’t need to be perfect or have all the answers. Let go and let God. Employ humility. Heal through deep insight. Bruised ego leads to evolution, allows us to connect ever more fully and deeply. Relationships, beauty, and finance are going through a radical change and reinvention. Excavate the past to make way for the future.
July 8 Venus trine Chiron (3:48am) Mercury sextile Jupiter (5:05am) Moon square Saturn (3:01pm) Moon opposite Neptune (5:10pm) Mercury Apogee (8:33pm)
It may hurt, but trust we are healing. Despair and depression could come forth today. What was the emotional story on July 2? It’s stimulated again now. Let insights expand. Cleanse your heart of burden.
July 10 Sun sextile Jupiter (1:41am)
Fortune and faith. Opportunities to widen your sphere. Benefits. Be generous in your nurturing and service to self and others.
Mercury trine Mars (10pm)
Deep breathe. Make progress. Get ahead. No time to waste. Direct, clear communications are favored. Decisiveness offers reward. Share your thoughts with confidence – but double check before you hit send. Deep breathe. We all moved through murk around July 7. Today’s transits bring resulting decisive, responsive action. Allow familiar securities to be informed by pioneering innovation. Excitement, change, and upsets are expected; particularly in local travel and communications. Be wary of accidents and impatience. Remain flexible and adapt to the shifts. Deep breathe. Energy is ripe for mental breakthrough.
July 11 Mercury square Uranus (3:29am) Mercury trine Chiron (12:32pm)
Healing talks. Be in your feeling center. Vulnerability is your strength. The accumulation of softness always overcomes whatever’s hard. There is a bridge of understanding now, between safety and surrender. Family and oneness. Belonging and spiritual communion.
July 12 Venus enters Leo (1:34am)
The sun glints off the surface of a flowing river. This has been an immensely watery month. Many who are comfortable with water and the realms of emotion may feel fine with that. But many who aren’t water kin could feel like they’ve been drowning. Venus leads the way into Leo territory: time to add romance, color, and play into reality. Bring all your recent inner work into the outer world with loving relating, vibrant energy, and healthy pride. We can lift each other up.
July 13 Mercury enters Leo (8:47pm)
Mercury is hot on Venus’ heels! The messenger and the Goddess have been traveling close together all month, and soon they will officially meet for a kiss. It’s time to speak boldly and brightly, with fun and flair. Warm words. Storytelling. Stories can be something we get lost in, or they can be used to pave the way for full consciousness. Delight in your living stories and the stories of your loved ones. Without the stories of our lives, what would we have? With Mercury in Leo, align your mind with sovereignty. You are the creator of your life. The Magical Child. The King or Queen or Sovereign. With strength and presence, claim your spot in this world. Own your story. Leo rules the heart and spine. Attend to the health of both. Be generous with your vast love.
July 14 Mars inconjunct Uranus (1:13am)
I want to break free! I want to do something different! What was the story from June 18th? Mars was retrograde then. Now he is direct and retracing his steps. This is you, moving into the next dimension. But perhaps you don’t have all the understanding you feel you need. With Mars in Scorpio, we are still walking in mystery. Feel your way through. There are conflicting influences working to balance themselves. Honor your instincts, yet rise above your basic nature. Use sexual energy positively. Let’s discover the taboos that are ready to be transformed for greater empowerment and freedom for all.
July 16 Sun square (Uranus 9:32am)
Uranus in Aries wants radical, immediate, effective action. Sun in Cancer wants personal sensitivity, maintenance of a familiar environment, and sentimental bonding. Adrenaline and emotion seem to counter one another. Can we have safety and boundaries even amidst rapid progressive change? Be your independent self and hug your loved ones closer. Honor the past, and carry things forth.
Mercury conjunct Venus (5:59pm)
The messenger and the Goddess meet! Head and heart mingle as one. Speak loving words today. Spend time with friends. Express affection and adoration. Lift each other up. Worship the beauty you see around you. Create! Make a painting. Do a dance. Wear a velveteen robe or get naked and play. What makes you special? What makes others around you special? Notice, and celebrate! Drama can be fun if it’s loving. Positive theatrics. Spread love around in full color. Warm heart.
July 17 Mars trine Chiron (7:42am)
Healing motions. Again, vulnerability is strength. Walk the bridge to deeper understanding. Right now, the way is clear. Take action to follow up insights and conversations from July 11th.
July 19 Mercury trine Saturn (2:27am)
Grounded perceptions. Practical communication. Intense focus on reality, limits, and management. Great for penetrating insights that help to shift structures. Building freedom and authenticity from passionate words. Speak from your heart.
July 19 Lunar Lammas. Full Moon in Capricorn (6:56pm)
Full Moon in Capricorn marks Lunar Lammas, first harvest of the season. There is an old tale of a Sun God. The story goes that at this time of year, the Sun God pours all of his power into the grain, which is harvested and made into bread to feed the world. The Sun is infinitely generous. Imagine if the Sun was without an Earth to shine on. What a loss that would be! A brilliant, shining star without a planet to warm and smile its goodness upon. In each of us, there is a Sun: a huge source of light, warmth, illumination, creativity, and generosity. Just as the sun burns and burns, our creative source continually rejuvenates and remains lit. What is the steady fire in your heart? What do you naturally illuminate? What is your personal signature? What is something everyone knows you for? Utilize those gifts, and and consider this your offering. Be dedicated. There is good work to be done in this world. Your offering is essential. “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” – Rumi
Many feel that work is a sacrifice. Sacrifice brings strength, and calls forth your ability to be in command. What lies within the fruits of your labor? Fulfillment. What is the power the Sun pours into grain? Love. Shine your light. Pour your power into grain and feed the world.
“Work is love made visible.” – Kahlil Gibran
As always, visit the Qoya Blog for a FREE Movement Ritual!
July 19 Mercury inconjunct Neptune (8:44pm)
Are you seeing clearly? Are you being totally honest with yourself? Ego personality and spiritual oneness could clash in perception. Can we love ourselves in a way that is loving to all? Sometimes honesty is straightforward. Other times honesty is nuanced. Take all parts of you into consideration. Hold them in your embrace and see what unfolds. Acceptance.
July 20 Venus trine Saturn (9:19am)
Stable relating. Grounded love. Practical affection. Commitments and long term investments are favored. Relationships last when mutual respect is employed. Low-risk, well-measured business dealings are favored. Long live love and beauty.
July 21 Venus inconjunct Neptune (1:33pm)
Your impressions of others may not be accurate. Perhaps you have been focusing on the potential rather than the reality, and seeing with rose-colored glasses. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment. Do you know who you are? Can you get to know yourself better in some way? Some part of your being may seem like it’s evading you right now. This could be manifesting in relationships and money. Tread carefully. Treat yourself and others with genuine acceptance, short-comings and all. Expand your capacity to love unconditionally.
July 22 Mercury inconjunct Pluto (3:11am)
Stressful mental and verbal days today and tomorrow. Compulsions could be severe. Try not to judge yourself or others too harshly. Strive to be more trusting of others and less strict with yourself now. Let things be easier. Egos are especially hungry and insistent now. People require a steady diet of reassurance, recognition, and applause. Display your competence and gain recognition for your contributions. Do not allow a fear of rejection to impede your path.
July 22 Sun enters Leo (5:30am)
Sun in Leo officially brings us out of watery, emotional territory. Enter celebration times. Embrace vibrancy. We are under an astrological configuration [July 21-25] called a Finger of God. Your powerful creative Self wants to burn brightly in the world. But the limits of material reality and your own suffering/vulnerability may seem like an impediment. Can limits and vulnerabilities become your allies to creation? Create in spite of and alongside of them. Be willing to radiate. Focus on intuitive hope. Request higher consciousness.
July 24 Venus inconjunct Pluto (9:57pm)
What are your fears in relating to others? Be honest with yourself. Relationships now invite you to strengthen good boundaries and also build self-esteem. Do not allow yourself to be pulled into other people’s dramatic tendencies. Each person is ultimately responsible for their own experience. Love, specifically self-love, is necessary for survival. Follow your deepest instincts. **For the next 9 days, there is an angry, progressive, revolutionary spirit in the air. Frustration and restlessness are indicated. Times, they are a-changing. Technology, internet, and communities could be especially unpredictable during this timeframe.
July 27 Mercury trine Uranus (3:45am)
Genius! The future is now. Open yourself to new possibilities, new discoveries, and communication/technology connections that support Selfhood. Share ideas and grow. Intuition is strong and accurate. An excellent time for collective awakening. Grab your passionate insights and run toward freedom.
Mercury inconjunct Chiron (8:55am)
Personal ego and spiritual oneness: how do they align? Pain and fun: can they co-exist in a purely loving way? Some form of sacrifice seems necessary for success. There is a blindspot. Something hidden that will soon lead to healing. Be patient and sensitive in your communications.
July 29 Mercury square Mars (4:49pm)
Dem’s fightin’ words. This is the second-part to the transit that occurred June 9th. Quick thinking. Actions and words must align. Be decisive, assertive, and honest, but avoid unnecessary violence. Sometimes force is used to assist needed change. Use carefully. Your mind is extra-stimulated today, beware of restlessness, anxiety, frustration, or discomfort. Anger can be clarifying. Focus on creative research. Dark and light meet and counter one another. Find creative ways to express secrets, taboos, and sexuality. Burn off some excess energy through physical activity. Spend part of today in the spotlight, and the other part in your own private hideout.
Uranus stations Rx (5:06pm)
Uranus stationing today is reckless, creative, and rebellious. Like a wildfire. Technology could falter. Volatility is in the air. Life is not predictable now. Speak up and step out with faith.
July 30 Mercury enters Virgo (2:18pm)
Now we’re getting down to Earth. Noticing the nitty-gritty details. Bringing awareness to what needs fixing, and how to proceed with that process. Next month will be a great harvest; a culmination of the past year’s dedications. Conversations and mental patterns become about health, service, analysis, and refinement. Let’s look towards natural wellness and holistic purity. All in Divine Perfection. Speak to the grain goddess. We reap what has been sewn.