July 2023By Bob Mulligan (a personal note is at the end of the newsletter) July Highlights The North Node of the Moon moves from Taurus back into Aries. For the Mean Node, this happens on the 12th and the True Node on the 17th. This change will bring opportunities to be more self-reliant and courageous, but also encourages impulsiveness. This will be the case until January of 2025. Mars Contra-parallel Saturn on the 18th, then will be Opposite Saturn on the 20th. On the 21st, the Moon will be Opposite Saturn and then Conjunct Mars. During this period, clarity comes by taking time to embrace the big picture, and not being suffocated by an obsession to memorize every detail of the journey. On the 22nd, Jupiter Semi-square Neptune promotes a higher vision of truth and idealism. This vision overshadows the reality of every situation. However, this is also a signal that better circumstances are possible; this is a step in a journey toward a more abundant future. Venus turns Retrograde in Leo on the 22nd initiating a period of self-reflection. For 40 days we contemplate our values. What is worth having? We ask ourselves what we genuinely like, as opposed to what we do out of habit. A higher beauty attracts us. Monetary transactions slow down. Relationships are reevaluated. The Full Moon The Full Moon is on July 3rd at 7:39 AM EDT on the 11th degree of Cancer/Capricorn. The Sun is Sextile Jupiter which in turn is Sextile Saturn which is Sextile the Moon; this is called a Sextile Fan. This shows that the web of creation is being reaffirmed to function along more stable lines. We will see more emphasis on traditional institutions. With the chart devoid of planets in air signs, changes manifest all at once. With both Mars and Venus Square Uranus, relationships will transform or perish. The out of sign Square of Pluto to the Nodal Axis indicates the pull of the past is there and exerts a strong influence. The New Moon The New Moon is on July 17th at 2:31 PM EDT, on 24 degrees and 56 minutes of Cancer. New Moon Trine Neptune in Pisces is a lift to our psychic faculties. Empathy and potent emotions move us all month. With no air signs active in this chart, our responses tend to be immediate without intermediate thought processes or reasoning. Mars Opposite Saturn suggests our striving for perfection meets resistance as we act from our impulses. The purity of our intentions creates a path of automatic correction. With Mars Trine the North Node of the Moon and Jupiter, consistent and persistent effort does carry us across the finish line. Mercury Square Jupiter emphasizes that this is a time of action and not learning. Integration will come next month. The Sun enters Leo The Sun crosses into Leo on the 22nd at 9:52 PM EDT. With the Sun Opposite Pluto and the Moon Opposite Neptune, lots of conflict emerges. However, because the Sun and Moon are Sextile each other, we have basic harmony with our closest friends and allies. This mitigates the damage, but also allows us to strengthen our most positive qualities. Venus (goddess of beauty and symmetry) is exactly Quincunx both Neptune and Pluto. We will be forced to rely on our inner strength to get over the hill in front of us. However, the Sun and Pluto Square the Nodal Axis makes compromise difficult and confusing. Mercury Square Uranus indicates we can be too stuck on our own interpretation of facts. This is deadly. The chart pattern is a Seesaw. This indicates external stress, a tug-a-war going back and forth. We do best when we don’t expect to win all the time. The Weeks From the 1st to the 9th a mixture of emotions and history bring us to a decision point. Will we go in a new direction, or repeat the well-trod ground of the past? Chances are very solid that most of us will opt for some version of the latter. However, “how can we keep Johnny down on the farm now that he has seen Paris”? From the 10th to the 16th the future sneaks up on us. We are changing directions regardless of our preferences. The seeds of revolution are being planted and will take root over the next few weeks. Each of us must be prepared to take a new approach to our most important relationships. This spills over; there is a change in how we show up in the world. From the 17th to the 23rd family, home, and community are the areas of experience. We either embrace these in our lives, or we are on the outside looking in. A sense of belonging is a big deal. Does the price of inclusion diminish our sense of self, or damage our true mission? We get to the goal regardless of whether we take the direct route or a detour. From 24th to the 31st the heat is on and we step forward to try something new. It is time to let the genie out of the bottle. And we won’t be able to put it back. The flame of love burns bright; we can follow the light into a new self. We discover by doing. We are more than we ever thought. Our ideals are a guide for living. The Days 1st – Saturday – Sun Conjunct Mercury, Mercury Sextile Jupiter, Mercury Semi-square Mars, Sun Sextile Jupiter, Sun Semi-square Mars – Our natural instinct is to pull in and stay connected with familiar people and situations. At the same time, we can see opportunities out in front of us. Stretching to make money, win an award, or start a promising relationship is great. However, moderation in all things should be our mantra. 2nd – Sunday – Venus Square Uranus – Generosity and frivolity can prompt us to stretch beyond our foundation. Time, money, and energy spent on entertainment may be just the thing to stimulate the creative impulses. This may be our first brush with a new stimulation, but it will return a couple more times over the next two months. 3rd – Monday – The Full Moon is on the 11th degree of Cancer/Capricorn at 7:39 AM EDT – We may be attempted to reach for the impossible. Our recent history can have us questioning our judgment. We can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, but we can respond to life now without fear or extreme measures. Calm is hard to come by but serves us best. 4th – Tuesday – Sun Contra-parallel Pluto, Venus Parallel Mars, Venus Parallel Jupiter, Mars Parallel Jupiter – We are in bumper cars at the amusement park. All is well as long as we remember that not everyone we come into contact with knows that it is just a game. It is not so easy to keep other people’s perspective while we are just having fun. Our own happiness is directly tied to everyone else’s wellbeing. 5th – Wednesday – Freedom comes at a price. A little time aside from the hustle and bustle of everyday life allows for reflection. When we aren’t connected to those we feel are important in our lives, what should we do? The urge for independent actions runs counterpoint to the part of our nature that finds gratification in shared activity. We must honor our differences in lifestyle and preference in order to experience joy in togetherness. 6th – Thursday – Mars Quincunx Neptune – A better side of our nature shows itself, if we are willing to be surprised and amazed in our social life. Our emotional responses to others can deviate dramatically from our normal behavior. At root, we long for closure filled with love. As our desire nature expands, we see new possibilities, but real satisfaction is still a ways away. 7th – Friday – Mercury Sesquiquadrate Saturn, Mercury Sextile Uranus – Is there room for innovation within the confines of our traditional habit patterns? There are moments when ignoring the obvious opens a door to a higher truth, and this is one of those moments. My father used to say “enter marriage with both eyes open; after marriage, close one.” The seemingly impossible becomes possible. 8th – Saturday – Mercury Semi-sextile Venus, Mercury Contra-parallel Pluto – The struggle to get our message out to others is muffled by circumstances beyond our control. Reaching out to others can help us find our voice. Self-monitoring can stop us from saying what is really on our minds. We need the courage to let our inner truth shine. 9th – Sunday – Mars Quincunx Pluto, Mercury Trine Neptune – More can be accomplished with kindness and a gentle touch than by brute force. By exercising our aptitude for gentle persuasion, we learn valuable lessons about life and our own capabilities. Artistic pursuits have a calming and elevating effect. 10th – Monday – Mars enters Virgo, Sun Parallel Mercury, Mercury Opposite Pluto – We are sharpening our pencils and taking stock of what we have and where we are going. A few detours can actually end up being shortcuts if we keep our eye on our ultimate goal. Mysterious puzzles that have been blocking our way unravel. These are not circumstances in the environment, but natural attributes of our own nature. We are the problem and the solution. 11th – Tuesday – Mercury enters Leo, Mercury Semi-sextile Mars – Each of us has something important to contribute. Listening to many points of view helps us clarify where our efforts will make a difference. Just getting by is not good enough. Putting our flag in the ground helps us take a stand. To make a difference doesn’t mean we must get credit for our efforts. Just doing what is right is good enough. 12th – Wednesday – Our feet want to move slow, but there is an inner prompting to lighten up and try a different step, to set a different tempo. There is an exchange; we must let go of one thing to posses another. Experimenting with what is in front of us sparks inspiration. Spontaneous acts of kindness helps others, regardless of our intention. 13th – Thursday – We lift up our feet and effortlessly we are on new ground, maybe even a new continent. This can create self insight; we can do whatever we are inspired to do. Our first impressions are the best avenues to important information. We need to discriminate without being obsessive. 14th – Friday – Mercury Quincunx Saturn, Sun Sextile Uranus, Venus Contra-parallel Saturn – Looking beyond our fears we can do something amazing. A fairly routine task can look difficult. We are capable of dealing effectively with the obligations of the day, provided we don’t over-commit. Genuine concern for others may encourage us to take on more than fits in our time frame. Threading the needle is easy if we stay at it without distraction. 15th – Saturday – Venus Quincunx Neptune – Misunderstandings occur when we have conflicting agendas that are not explicitly expressed. Generosity is a good thing, but we still need to measure time, money, and energy. Settling on a course of action simplifies our day. We have preferences and tasks; still, other people’s needs mislead us. Simplification of plans helps us accomplish much. 16th – Sunday – Rest and relaxation are the remedy for the over excitement. Meditation can bring us to a familiar interior landscape. Very little is so pressing that we should abandon personal restoration. The road ahead will require us to be our best self. 17th – Monday – Mercury Square Jupiter, the New Moon is at 2:31 PM EDT on 24 degrees and 56 minutes of Cancer, Mercury Sesquiquadrate Neptune – Our normal sensory apparatus isn’t working. We are developing new methods of orientation in a changing environment. Instinctive impressions are redirected by circumstances. Our natural allies are the arts and friendly faces showing up at just the right moment. 18th – Tuesday – Mars Contra-parallel Saturn, Mercury Parallel Uranus – We embrace innovation, but forward motion is slow. Life is better when we are patient and unhurried with how things unfold. Others will either come along with our direction, or will offer useful corrections. Editing our attitudes is the most potent cure for the path of constant interruptions. 19th – Wednesday – Digging into the roots of the issues that have us slowed down, even stymied, keeps us guessing as to what is the next step. Everything said is not fact. So, there is a divide between what we say and what we do. Each of us can further our cause by honoring our promises. 20th – Thursday – Sun Trine Neptune, Mars Opposite Saturn – More gets done through personal appeal than through threats and pushing. Emotional resolve means more progress than careful reasoned analysis. Long-standing bonds cement allegiances. It isn’t so much that goals or timelines have changed. This is more a moment of altering our focus from external accomplishments to gaining ground through internal cohesion. Rest brings strength. 21st – Friday – Sun Semi-sextile Venus, Sun Opposite Pluto – We want to take one more dance or one more drink, before we leave the party. Wisdom comes by knowing when enough has been accomplished, and the capacity for enjoyment has been fulfilled. Going beyond our limits will carry repercussions. Courage is required; the use of force is imprudent. 22nd – Saturday – Jupiter Semi-square Neptune, Venus turns Retrograde, the Sun enters Leo – Our lives our filled with too many choices. We are at a smorgasbord and everything looks good. Luck runs out quick if we try to gain ground that is out in front of where our stride will naturally carry us. Still, it is smart to win a few prizes at the carnival before heading home. 23rd – Sunday – Mercury Square Uranus – Something shiny catches our eye as we walk on the road of life. Is it worth stopping, then backing up to recover it? The answer we uncover may be an appropriate fit for a question different than the one we are pondering. We are apt to think that there is always room for one more in the car. Maybe it is us that needs to give up our seat. 24th – Monday – Mercury Parallel Jupiter – A synthesis is reached between individual ideas and the collectively agreed upon external reality. Basic stability comes by finding common ground. Compromise is a temporary stepping stone towards a final union. We get to our goal by staying in dialogue. 25th – Tuesday – Emotional excitement can reach a log jam where nothing moves forward. To hold an opinion that is out of favor with our general milieu may seem noble. However, those that disagree with us have something to offer. We may be generally correct in our assumptions, but wrong in this particular instance. Truth comes to the surface in time. 26th – Wednesday – We are pulled in two directions. When we get off center, we can find a sweet spot between the opposing forces. In theory, our choices are simple. Without over-thinking we make more satisfying decisions. We act. There are no real mistakes, except not acting at all. When you are hungry and in a restaurant, order something. You can starve to death by forestalling a decision in the hopes of getting more information. 27th – Thursday – Mercury Quincunx Neptune, Mercury Conjunct Venus – This is a great time to convince others, or sell something. We have a way of framing our attention on the most important features of life circumstance, putting our enterprise in the most favorable light, and energizing our objectives. If we are certain of what we want, we move forward. 28th – Friday – Mercury enters Virgo – Our desire to get everything in our experience catalogued and analyzed, gathers stream. Reason has its limits, but is a necessary step in our preparation in the changing world. Even though there are actions we take now, steps should be incremental, without going beyond our own borders. 29th – Saturday – Sun Quincunx Saturn – Results elude us. It isn’t so much that we overestimate our ability; more to the point, we don’t see clearly where our obligations start and end. Problems are difficult to solve because we don’t have a way to define them. Our best strategy is to take action in our own lives, but forgo over-extension into the larger social system. 30th – Sunday – Mercury Contra-parallel Saturn, Venus Quincunx Neptune – Our arms need sleeves to reach out to others with our most attractive qualities front and center. Passions and self-assurance give such a potent display to our ideas, doubt seems to disappear. Compromise sounds nice, but it really means capitulation. If our step is nimble we cross the river in front of us without delay or preaching. Creativity abounds. 31st – Monday – Sun Parallel Uranus – If we are too stubborn to respond to changing circumstances, we are doomed to major setbacks. There is no permanence except in the Infinite. We learn about ourselves by listening, then responding from our heart. All changes are for our development. Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or by e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our website, www.theastrologycompany.com. My Personal Note “There is no real magic in this world, only love. The rest is just smoke and mirrors.” – from Endeavour 2:45 PM on June 16th, Teddy left us. He would have been 18 in October. It has been difficult to recover from this emotional concussion. Katie sent me this TED talk; if you are a pet person you might enjoy it. Pet loss grief; the pain explained | Sarah Hoggan DVM | TEDxTemecula – YouTube Many Newsletter readers have sent in thoughts and questions. A few I can share now, some next month. This was sent to me by Kelly O’Tillery: “In your newsletter you have mentioned you are dealing with many changes in your life so I thought I would send you a beautiful Sanskrit poem by Kalidasa, an Indian playwright and poet who was active during the 4th and 5th Century AD.” Look to this day, for it is life, the very breath of life. In its brief course lie all the realities of your existence; the bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendor of beauty. For yesterday is only a dream, and tomorrow is but a vision. But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day. “I was wondering if you could in your next newsletter elaborate about the events that happen when one is in their late 20s to 30 and then again in their 60s? What is that time called? I found it very interesting and thought it could be very helpful to know and help oneself and others understand what’s happening in their life at that time.” Thanks, Tilda Answer: Saturn returns to his natal spot every 30 years or so. A Saturn return is a time of increased Saturn; he is the lord of karma. Chickens coming home to roost is usually serious. Most people feel this as an introspective time if they are growing. If a person has been mostly involved with making money, seeking fame, and deeply dedicated to the pursuit of sensual pleasures, the Saturn return time can be profoundly frustrating. Saturn rules boundaries and barriers. This is also a time when the universe is helping us wake up. It can be a time of profound growth. The second Saturn return around 60 years of age is dependent on the way the person went through their first Saturn return and what they have done since that time. Any good astrologer can help one sort this out. Every so often there are big changes in life. This is a time when you, and everyone you know, is going through profound unsettlement. I’m moving to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to be near the Meher Center, three of my children and two grandchildren, as well as dozens of lifelong friends. Many of my clients have their appointments on-line. Now all the clients that used to see me in person will be seeing me on Zoom. Now clients can pay for their appointments directly, without me ever seeing their credit card or any financial information. Eureka! Life became simpler for me. I’m giving a two hour talk, “The Hierarchy of the Planets” for the San Diego NCGR on September 16th at 2:00 PM EDT. There will be plenty of time to ask questions. The presentation is currently listed on the NCGR SD website, but people will not be able to register and pay until after August 19th. Here’s the link https://ncgrsandiego.org/wp/ A few years back I picked out this song for my memorial service: Heather Stewart (USA) – “If I Can’t Take You With Me” as heard on NCIS – YouTube “You heart and my heart are very, very old friends.” – Hafiz Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or by e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our website, www.theastrologycompany.com. |