July 2020: Saturn's last dance in Capricorn

Summer is officially here, and this season will be just as suspenseful as the rest of the year has been, so don’t look for things to go back to normal anytime soon. During July, Saturn leaves Aquarius and re-enters the sign Capricorn for a final 6 month stay. We experience a significant lunar eclipse with a major impact on the United Sates, Mars begins its long trek through Aries, Mercury turns direct, Jupiter and Pluto meet up, and the Leo season begins

Saturn re-enters Capricorn

July 2, Saturn (retrograde) re-enters the sign Capricorn where it has been since December 2017. Saturn dipped its toes into Aquarius March 23-July 1, giving us a hint of what is to come from December 2020-March of 2023 when it enters Aquarius again for the next 2 and a half years.

Saturn is the planet of discipline, structure and responsibility. Saturn in Capricorn is about hard work, business, security issues, responsibilities, government, hierarchies, and materialism. At worse it represents repression, limitation and deprivation, and at best you can build solid structures in your life that will withstand time. 

Saturn will re-enter Capricorn at 29 degrees which is considered a critical degree prone to major events and critical junctures.  There can be a feeling of a last chance to accomplish or finish something. In astrology the Sabian symbols assign a meaning to each degree of each sign. The Sabian symbol for 29 degrees of Capricorn is, “a woman reading tea leaves.” This meaning may be appropriate because when Capricorn was it 29 degrees in March, the global stock markets saw a down turn of 30%.

Saturn will join up with Jupiter and Pluto for 6 more months. Saturn and Pluto will represent the harsh energies we have been dealing with most of the year and since 2017.  Saturn conjunct Pluto brought us a worldwide pandemic when it conjoined in January 2020. It has also produced struggles over power, democracy, racism, Brexit and inequality to name just a few.

Jupiter conjunct Pluto has produced fanatical ideas, propaganda and conspiracy theories, financial and political issues, upheaval and the spread of Covid-19. Saturn rules structure and time, Pluto rules power and regeneration and Jupiter expands whatever it touches for better or worse. 

These powerful planets will be within orb of each other throughout most of the year and the energies of all three planets will come into play. Saturn and Pluto in conjunction is a harsh combination that tends to bring out the worse of everything-death, crime, corruption, but Pluto transforms and regenerates. So if we look at things in this light we have a regeneration and rebuilding period of society in a new and better way. Pluto transits tend to tear down and then rebuild in a different way, so this is actually an opportunity for great change. We will experience even more change when Saturn moves back into Aquarius late this year along with Jupiter.

Use the next 6 months to build and create permanent structures in your own life that will withstand the test of time. If you can succeed in this now, you can do anything in the future!

Saturn in Aquarius

Saturn entered (Aquarius) March 23, the sign of the collective and changed the energies globally. Saturn brings structure if not limitation to whatever sign it enters and since March most of us have been at home as a result of Covid-19 resulting in social isolation, and yet the collective has been making its voice heard in the form of worldwide protests and demand for change and equality. Saturn has squared Uranus over the past months for the first of 5 passes, and while things have not been smooth the over whelming desire for significant change is evident in many places around the world. Aquarius is the sign of brotherhood and equality and Saturn square Uranus is revolutionary energy that will bring societal upheaval, as well as financial. We will also be forced to deal with climate change in a more serious manner.  While Saturn is in Aquarius we will all be finding our own individual voice within the collective. Saturn was last in Aquarius 30 years ago; February 1991-January 1994.

The July lunar eclipse in Capricorn

The final lunar eclipse of the summer occurs just after midnight (EST) on July 5. This (full moon) eclipse falls at 13 degrees of Capricorn and will be most significant for those born under Cardinal signs (Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and Libra) with planets at 11-15 degrees. Capricorn rules the 10^th house of business and priorities, and its planetary ruler is Saturn the ruler of structure and authority. This eclipse can be seen throughout much of North America and this is a ‘birthday’ eclipse for the US as it peaks just after July 4^th. 

This Capricorn eclipse will direct our focus to our personal structures or foundations, the status quo and authority issues. As Mars is approaching its square to Mercury we could experience agitation at this time, and during the days following the eclipse there is a strong chance of volatility or even violence. Use care and caution and be aware of your surroundings and state of mind. You could have an ‘ah ha moment’ as eclipses often bring hidden information to light.

A nearly two year long eclipse series in Cancer-Capricorn began July 13, 2018 that lit up the Cancer-Capricorn axis ruling home, the homeland, priorities, security issues and our basic structures,  shifting our perception of security (Cancer) and authority (Capricorn). This will be the final eclipse in this series which will be significant in the US. The next eclipses will fall in the signs of Gemini, Sagittarius refocusing our priorities once again. Whatever lessons we have learned individually and as a collective will come to a head with this final eclipse in Capricorn.

Solar eclipses are typically connected with opportunities and beginnings and lunar eclipses with release, but at the same time any eclipse can be a bit of a wildcard. As Mercury is retrograde events connected to this eclipse can be delayed by days or weeks. The energy of an eclipse wanes as time goes on but it typically lasts until the next eclipse (or longer depending on the strength of eclipse) which in this case will be November 30.

The Moon opposes the Sun amping up emotions at the time of the eclipse which can make us emotionally reactive if we are not careful. As the Sun is in Cancer and the Moon in Capricorn we may be focused on home, family and matters of priority. Emotions will come into focus for better or worse.

This is a rather serious eclipse as The Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto are all in a stellium (a group of 3 or more planets) and the Moon in Capricorn will aspect each of these planets all in Capricorn. This eclipse can bring endings, but this should not be feared as anything that ends has been on its way out for a while now.

In the United States chart the eclipse opposes the Sun and squares Saturn creating a difficult T-square. This will affect our structure and organizations such as Congress. The Sun in a country’s chart represents the head of government or in this case the US President. An opposition to the Sun represents a crisis point. At the time of this post news reports are stating bounty money was paid by Russia to kill US forces in Afghanistan and as we approach the eclipse more information will likely be revealed. The public tide will turn against US President Donald Trump even to a larger degree than it currently is. As Jupiter and Pluto also oppose the US Mercury we can expect to hear significant news of a rise in Covid-19 deaths, and/or other notable deaths. Financial markets could be affected and the days after the eclipse look volatile in the US.

Mars in Aries during July

Mars is the planet ruling our action and it entered Aries June 27^th. It will remain in this sign until early 2021 due to its retrograde in September.

Mars is considered very powerful in the sign it rules, and we will be trying to accomplish a great deal over the rest of the year. Mars in Aries is action oriented and some people will come across as aggressive.  Aries does not let grass grow under its feet! For those born under the sign Aries it will begin a new two year cycle.

Mars will clash with all of the planets in cardinal signs, the first of which is July 8, as Mars squares Mercury. We will feel this energy in the days before and after and the lunar eclipse which will intensify this harsh energy.  Watch your communication with others, or it could work out the other way where someone is aggressive toward you. This is indicative of tempers, arguments, fights and harsh communication. It is also an accident prone transit so use caution driving. You could accomplish a great deal, mentally if you can harness the energy. Mars rules metals, knives and guns. This transit will repeat itself again July 27, when Mercury is direct.

Mercury turns direct

Mercury turns stationary direct July 12. When the planet ruling communication stations to move forward we can actually experience more confusion, breakdowns and changes in direction at this time than any other, except when it stations to turn retrograde. The stationary direct period lasts through June 15. Things will slowly return to normal and communication will pick up if it has been delayed. The retrograde ‘shadow period,’ ends on July 27th and from here its full steam ahead.  When Mercury turns direct we may pick up where we left off around mid-June. Mercury will transit through Cancer again entering Leo on August 4. With Venus’s direct motion as well we may finally feel things are starting to pick up and become closer to normal or the new normal during Covid-19.

July New Moon in Cancer: All about our emotions

July’s new moon falls at 28 degrees of Cancer July 20. Cancer is the natural ruler of home and family and the most emotional of signs. Both the Sun and Moon oppose Saturn which can make us feel blocked emotionally at the time. Don’t take this seriously as this will soon pass. The energy can be positive for serious thought and work, if you don’t let feelings of depression and loneliness interfere. For many, family responsibilities will come first at this time.

The Sun opposes Saturn on this new moon as well, which can add to the feelings of being weighted down with responsibilities. Conflicts between work and family responsibilities can arise. This will be a significant news day.

The Sun enters Leo

July 22, the Sun enters Leo and we are in the Leo season!  While Cancer rules home and family, Leo rules the 5^th house of love and entertainment (as well as children). If Cancer is about family get together and vacations, Leo is geared toward singles and fun. The Sun will be in this sign until August 22, so dip your toes into the water and enjoy it. This time can be a much welcome break from the stress and seriousness of the world, and unfortunately it will not last long, so grab your fun in the sun while you can.

Other transits of significance in July:

July 14, the Sun opposes Jupiter. While this is typically positive and upbeat, if falls very close to the Sun’s opposition to Pluto July 15. Sun-Pluto oppositions relate to breakdowns in relationships, machinery and can indicate complete changes in direction that we may not have control over. This is not the day to push a contentious issue as it is prone to arguments and power struggles. We will see significant power struggles in the world.

July 22, Mercury sextiles Uranus. This can be a day of sudden, new and inspiring ideas and new ways of approaching things. Make use of this energy as it will disappear as quickly as it comes.

July 27, Mercury sextiles Neptune. This is a creative and pleasant type of energy that often has to do with compassion, creativity and intuition. Also on this day Venus squares Neptune. Romance can be in the air and this can work out one of several ways. While the positive side can bring pleasant times, the other side of the transit relates to misunderstandings, incorrect information or even lies. Watch communication with others and money matters.