On shocks, schisms, and pleasure as a survival mechanism
July 2024 Dates To Note:
2nd: NEPTUNE RETROGRADE IN PISCES (6:40 AM ET), Mercury in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces (7:53 am ET), MERCURY ENTERS LEO (8:50 am ET), Venus in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces (9:41 pm ET)
3rd: Mercury in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius (3:27 am ET)
4th: INDEPENDENCE DAY
5th: Mars in Taurus sextile Saturn in Pisces (3:02 pm ET), NEW MOON AT 14 DEGREES OF CANCER (6:57 pm ET)
6th: Venus in Cancer square Chiron in Aries (2:33 am ET)
8th: Venus in Cancer sextile Uranus in Taurus (7:04 am ET), Mercury in Leo sextile Jupiter in Gemini (10:26 pm am ET)
10th: Sun in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces (11:05 pm ET)
11th: Venus in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces (10:32 am ET), VENUS ENTERS LEO (12 :19 pm ET)
12th Venus in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius (10:12 pm ET)
15th: Mercury in Leo quincunx Saturn in Pisces (4:57 am ET), Sun in Cancer square Chiron in Aries (7:44 am ET), Mars in Taurus conjunct Uranus (10:05 am ET)
18th: Sun in Cancer sextile Uranus in Taurus (10:00 am ET)
20th: Mars in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces (11:17 am ET), MARS ENTERS GEMINI (4 :43 pm ET)
21st : FULL MOON IN CAPRICORN AT 29 DEGREES (6:17 am ET), Venus in Leo sextile Jupiter in Gemini (4:43 pm ET), Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (6:21 pm ET), Sun in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces (11 :25 pm ET), Mars in Gemini trine Pluto in Aquarius 11:48 pm ET)
22nd: SUN ENTERS LEO (3:44 am ET),
23rd: Sun in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius (1:38 am ET)
25th: Mercury in Leo quincunx Neptune in Pisces (12:00 pm ET), MERCURY ENTERS VIRGO (6:42 pm ET), Sun in Leo sextile Mars in Gemini (10:32 pm ET)
26th: CHIRON STATIONS RETROGRADE IN ARIES (9:59 am ET), Venus in Leo quincunx Saturn in Pisces (8:07 pm ET), Mercury in Virgo quincunx Pluto in Aquarius (8:49 pm ET)
30th: Venus in Leo trine Chiron in Aries (3:54 pm ET)
As we meet the first moments of July, Saturn has just stationed retrograde (at 19 degrees of Pisces) a few days earlier, and Neptune is due to follow on the 2nd (at 29 degrees of the same watery sign). If it seems as if the ship of your life had its anchor thrown overboard without your consent, leaving you out to sea without a compass – that’s the nature of the current cosmic vibe. You can’t make it make sense.
The week leading up to the Saturn station was heavy and exhausting (the anchor on the trajectory of its descent). Even as that begins to lift in the early days of the month, Neptune’s Piscean station might feel like navigating a thick haze, or being stuck in a hypnagogic state while conscious, or staring off into the distance like I am right now as I try to write this forecast for you. This strange sensation could last for a few more days, so you may need to sit with your questions rather than demand answers (as the Democrats do the same, on a ticking clock).
Mercury enters spicy Leo on the same day as the Neptune station, and then promptly opposes Pluto on the 3rd. I wonder if we’ll get some stark news that day about where our country is headed. It’s the first time since Pluto’s last transit through Aquarius during which we’ve experienced an opposition from Mercury in this position (250 years ago). We should pay attention to the signals on the world stage and in our lives, because this will happen once a year for the next 20 years, clueing us into the emerging themes.
More on this later, but it seems as if one of the main shocks of the Mars-Uranus conjunction in Taurus (exact on July 15th) hit us the moment that Mars reached a 10-degree orb with Uranus, as I had warned about earlier in the week.
I was so focused on the ways that this volatile transit might take down the authoritarian monster in our midst that I didn’t even bother to look at Joe Biden’s chart, which was directly impacted — at the exact moment of the debate. Not only was the about-to-station Saturn on his IC, the opening flares of the Mars-Uranus conjunction, which will oppose his 12th house Sun-Venus conjunction, were beginning. Millions of Americans stared at their screens thinking, “What am I watching?” The shock, surprise, and disbelief of Thursday night continues to cling to my consciousness.
I am very angry at Joe Biden for a lot of things (starting with Gaza) but I was obviously going to vote for him, because I’m not a fucking moron. Anyone who cares at minimum about the safety of our democracy needs to understand the nature of the emergency — we need to defeat Donald Trump, period, end of story. For queer people, immigrants, anyone who is not a Christofascist, Black and brown people, Jews, voting rights, the earth itself — this man CAN NEVER BE PRESIDENT AGAIN.
Yet Thursday a more pressing question we didn’t know we needed to answer shocked us awake. Who will we nominate to do this job? I suspect we’ll find out during the first two weeks of July. My position, and you may disagree, is that Biden needs to step aside to protect democracy.
Obviously, Trump should step aside and wait to be sentenced for his crimes and hopefully die in jail, and then be buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave so New Yorkers can come and spit, piss and shit on him for the rest of time. But we know he has no decency, so he won’t step aside. Whatever you think about Joe Biden, he does have decency. And he does care about the fate of his country and its inhabitants, and he wants his legacy to reflect how much he cares. And if that is the case, he needs to pass the torch to a younger person (or people, as in a POTUS/VEEP duo) that can save us now, and inspire enough of us to march to polls to defeat MAGA forever. Democrats can do this at the convention. It hasn’t been done since 1968, but don’t let anyone tell you it’s impossible.
That’s the end of today’s political tirade. America is about to have its solar return on the 4th, and this is not a birthday we’re going to forget any time soon.
The New Moon in Cancer arrives on the 5th, without a lot of fanfare, which is much appreciated after recent events. This is a moment to focus attention on the Cancer-ruled house of our chart and any planets there, setting intentions about safety, security, and emotional health. After all the anchor metaphors, asking ourselves what makes us feel safe and held, anchored to what stabilizes us — that’s a lovely way to seize this energy.
Venus is very busy during the new few days, she squares Chiron in Aries on the 6th, sextiles Uranus in Taurus on the 8th, and trines Neptune in Pisces on the 11th, the same day she sashays into hot-to-trot Leo, giving us a shot of fiery flirtatiousness that we goddamn need. Last summer this is where Venus Retrograde rocked our world — this was a simpler time when Barbie reigned supreme. I’m getting a hot pink matchy-matchy mani-pedi in advance of this transit, and you should do whatever lights up your love thang.
NOTE: this is also the day of Trump’s sentencing in NYC. Send all your worst wishes and hexes his way. (Addendum: this has been rescheduled to September, so I’ll follow up on it at a later date).
On the 12th Venus opposes Pluto — once again the first time we’re experiencing such a transit since the age of the steam engine. Look to the houses of your chart ruled by Leo and Aquarius and feel into any desire, jealousy, longing, sexual curiosity or confusion — and don’t be afraid to plunge deep into whatever you find.
This entire time, mind you, we’ve been building toward the exact eruption of the Mars-Uranus conjunction in Taurus, which perfects on the 15th — the exact day that the Republican National Convention convenes. Good luck, fuckers. The rest of us should employ all the nervous system calming tools we can, from weed gummies to EMDR to Xanax. It’s not likely to be a cool and collected moment on planet earth.
Mars enters Gemini on the 20th — it’s nice to have our passion planet separating from WTF Uranus, but this reinserts us into the “too much Gemini” energy that we were in back in late May and early June, so again — nervous system tonics are highly recommended for the next six weeks.
We get our SECOND Full Moon in Capricorn, this one at 29 degrees, on the 21st. Think back to where you were mentally and emotionally on June 21st, near the Summer Solstice — this is the closing phase of that moment, and your chance to press the release valve on burdens you acquired last winter, and are ready to let go of now — for real and maybe finally.
The Sun saunters into Leo on the 22nd, cueing the catwalk vibe, but then promptly opposes Pluto just like Mercury and Venus did earlier in the month. It’s another moment to watch for your Leo/Aquarius houses, specifically with regard to your vitality and desire to shine.
Mercury enters Virgo on the 26th, notable because this is where the communication planet will station retrograde on August 5th at 4 degrees. Note that the shadow phase begins on July 16th, right in the middle of the most volatile moment of the month.
But HEY! Pleasure is the antidote for all of this and the complexities and heavy shit we’re pushing through this month can be navigated with far more ease if you buy my book! Which comes out on July 30th! FOR REAL, YO. I’m so excited, nervous, delirious with anticipation, and extremely thrilled to share Sex and Your Stars: A Sexologist’s Guide to the Erotic Energy of the Zodiac with you! You can preorder it now to be entered into a drawing for a FREE SESSION with me, and get 10 % off my regular session fee in the meantime, plus get a cute little excerpt of the book before it lands in your hot little hands at the end of the month. I’ll be announcing details about events and readings and podcasts and other press later in the month!
