July 2024 By Bob Mulligan (a personal note is at the end of the newsletter) July Highlights Mercury enters Leo on the 2nd. The positive side of mental life during Mercury in Leo is commitment to our words and point of view. The negative side can be complacency. A lazy mind would get us into trouble, but we learn something. This transit reminds us that our point of view matters even when the tide of culture turns against us. The mental orientation changes on the 25th as Mercury enters Virgo; we become more inclined to check our facts. Criticism and judgment don’t take much of a vacation, but at least our thoughts become more organized and structured. Mars goes into Gemini on the 20th and remains there until September 4th. There’ll be openings during this period to express whatever is on our minds. Plans that require panache are best launched before the end of July, because Mercury (which rules Gemini) is slow all of August and Retrograde for three weeks. Venus moves into Leo on the 11th. Our true colors show as the more dramatic side of everyone’s personality vies for center stage. A genuine openhearted quality reigns for the rest of the month. Art, music, and drama will be a focus, especially around the 21st as Venus Sextiles Jupiter. The dynamic duo gives a little pick-me-up right after the Full Moon. Micro-adjustments happen quickly, and we are able to see more clearly what we are attempting to do. The New Moon The New Moon on July 5th at 6:57 PM EDT is at 14 degrees of Cancer. A dominant feature is Mars Conjunct Uranus; this pair sits in the middle of Venus Trine Saturn, and is Sextile both. Urgency hangs on every decision, and yet there is a lack of traction when it is time to translate perceived necessities into action. We move, but our wheels do a lot of spinning in the mud. Mercury is Opposite Pluto and Trine Neptune. The chart is a bowl shape with Mercury and Pluto forming the rim. People will fall into two categories: those diving into the deep end of the pool to find out how deep it is, and those who wish to ignore that the pool even exists. This is likened to people being deeply concerned about the climate disaster we have created, and those who don’t see any problem. Because Jupiter is the planet of Oriental Ascension (rising before the Sun), everyone is likely to be in a hurry to get things done. However, with Jupiter Trine the South Node of the Moon in Libra, we are prone to regress into past habits of appeasement and compromise. The Full Moon The Full Moon is on July 21st on the 29th degree of Cancer/Capricorn at 6:17 AM EDT. Pluto Conjuncts the Moon and Opposes the Sun, while Neptune Trines the Sun and Sextiles Pluto. Forces outside our control are telling us it is time to give up the struggle and accept the reality of the circumstances. Our job is to stay calm and know that our insights may give guidance to our personal behavior, without providing tools to bring anyone else along. Venus Sextile Jupiter shows luck and good fortune. With Venus Trine the North Node, and Jupiter Trine the South Node, we may take a giant step forward if we are able to accept help from others, even when it means qualitatively changing our own vision. We expand by sharing. Mars and Uranus are Conjunct and Trine Moon Pluto and Sextile the Sun. Fancy footwork allows us to artfully let go of the habits we have thought of as only practical and part of our survival mechanism. From our seat in the auditorium, we don’t have to be a literary scholar to see that the last act of the play is winding up. It is time to be satisfied and go home. Brilliant flashes of insight are shown by Mercury Square the Mars Uranus Conjunction. We suffer if we take our interpretation of the facts for reality. Plurality of perspectives allows the world to be populated by many. The Sun enters Leo Sun enters Leo on the 22nd at 3:46 AM EDT, and is Opposite to Pluto at zero Aquarius. We are encouraged to move beyond narrow concerns and see the possibilities the new technology provides for the future of humanity. The wisest will see that the external manifestations are a mirror of an inner transformation in collective consciousness. The Sun in Sextile to Mars brings to the surface a potent force that has been with us for a few days, but now is more evident. The Moon is Trine Jupiter and Opposite Venus. Much good is offered, and we only have room in our hands for a certain amount; the virtue is to choose with long range vision. Mercury Square Uranus indicates that we know too much to put the genie back in the bottle, but not enough to know how to use what we have intelligently and productively. Some decisions are best left until August. The Weeks From the 1st to the 7th our imagination is greatly stimulated and we want to share what we see and believe. Even though it feels like something new is getting ready to happen, actually we have come to the end of something: a project, attitude, or value system we have been clinging to for a long time. Life improves by augmenting the connections between us that have always been the silent sustainers. From the 8th to the 14th there’s a lot going on in the world around us, but what is it for? The giving and receiving of love comes through words, gestures, and silent moments with those we treasure. Some areas that have been covered over must be revealed now. Our creativity can’t be a secret if we are to live our destiny. From the 15th to the 21st everyone seems to be in a hurry. The pressure to get on with it, even when we don’t know what it is, is palpable. The big danger here is to be careless in our actions, to precipitate accidents. The world has a bright aura, enthusiasm is strong, we trust. Throwing away things we might need later is unhealthy, but nothing is irreplaceable. From the 22nd to the 31st as the light goes on, the way ahead seems healthy and joyful. Not only is the sled ride down hill, the hard work is done and others are there to participate. The territory around us looks more inviting, and a two-dimensional journey just became three-dimensional. Just when we feel that we are moving as fast as we can, the pace accelerates. The Days 1st – Monday – Time is the most important commodity today. It is not always easy to find joy in the things that can actually be accomplished. Slow but steady wins the race. We make progress by being sensitive to the traditional guidelines pointing to a new path. 2nd – Tuesday – Neptune turns Retrograde, Mercury Trine Neptune, Mercury enters Leo, Sun Contra-parallel Pluto, Venus Trine Saturn – If we don’t overplay our hand, this is a great time to move an important relationship to the next level. The ground is shaky, but this can be a good thing; stability has to be internal or we lose balance. 3rd – Wednesday – Venus Contra-parallel Pluto, Mercury Opposite Pluto – Extremes are the nature of the moment. Certainty is in short supply. We probably get farther if we just listen. Gathering information is the best way to navigate the road ahead. It’s going to take a few days to get in the groove. Something new is brewing, and we can serve it up in a few days. 4th – Thursday – Sun Parallel Venus, Mercury Parallel Jupiter, Mercury Sesquiquadrate Saturn – Good ideas can be spoiled in their delivery to others when our emotions are out of sync with the message. Organization and structure give meaning and texture. We may wish to help others, but we have to decipher our true mission in the moment. This level of discrimination is difficult to obtain, but worth the effort. 5th – Friday – Mars Sextile Saturn, the New Moon is at 14 degrees of Cancer at 6:57 PM EDT – Hard work paid off. Rest, reflection, meditation carry us into a well-deserved state of mind. If others are in your path, it makes sense to take their help. Pleasant interchanges lighten everyone’s burden. There are lots of proposals on the table, and some of them will actually come into practice if we all stay vigilant. 6th – Saturday – Comfort comes by paying attention to family, emotional life, and the domestic environment. We have to pause, take a step back, then move forward powered by our history. Music, art, drama, and literature have the potency to raise the human spirit. 7th – Sunday – Venus Semi-square Jupiter – We create joy if we speak what is in our heart. Others have the ability to carry ideas we have kept to ourselves to a larger audience. Collaboration alters our own perspective, but this can be a beautiful expansion. 8th – Monday – Venus Sextile Uranus, Mercury Parallel Uranus, Mercury Sextile Jupiter – Unconventional circumstances and people are attractive. The call for personal independence leads to experimentation, even if we find ourselves alone. An unquenchable curiosity takes control if the urge to go beyond boring rituals gets in the driver’s seat. 9th – Tuesday – Adapting our ideas to fit into practical concerns may take some practice, but we can be successful if we face the inevitable and embrace the direction of the world. Take one step forward then the next; patience and determination lead others to our cause. 10th – Wednesday – Mercury Parallel Mars, Sun Trine Saturn – The trick of being productive is getting our ideas and planned activities to match. Modification is the answer. It helps to write down our thoughts as a method for seeing what we really want. Changes are pretty evident when we see that some of our prescribed rituals have lost their potency. What do we really want, and how do we get with the program? 11th – Thursday – Venus Trine Neptune, Venus enters Leo, Venus Parallel Jupiter, Mercury Sesquiquadrate Neptune – A sense of fairness colors the landscape. Open-hearted self- expression is likely to receive a favorable reception. The details will take care of themselves, an audience awaits. 12th – Friday – Venus Opposite Pluto – Relationships are a mirror, showing our interior. Insecurities can make times of togetherness tiresome. Letting everyone, including ourselves, have choices is the backbone of interactive health. Our true intentions and underlying motivations can surface through conversation. Casual interactions can devolve into therapy; this can be a good thing. 13th – Saturday – Emotions and thoughts are moving in different directions. We can get caught in a trap by not recognizing that we are being pulled by two opposing forces. The real rhythm of the moment is found when we discover the conscious counterpoint between aspirations and intuitions. Friction allows us to look deeper and know ourselves better. 14th – Sunday – Venus Sesquiquadrate Saturn – Accommodating others can seem like a full-time job. Odd difficulties develop if we over-think the substance of our responsibilities in others’ lives. Making sure good boundaries are established now can head off trouble down the road. 15th – Monday – Sun Parallel Jupiter, Mercury Quincunx Saturn, Mars Conjunct Uranus – Explosive enthusiasm pushes us forward. Unrelenting self-confidence is necessary to care for any project started now. Alternately, we can tie up the embryonic beginnings of our ideas that must take root, and achieve clarity a little farther down the line. 16th – Tuesday – Letting go of painful things should be easy. Why isn’t it? We are attached to a different outcome than what creation presents to us at this time. Acceptance of life, ourselves, and the ways of the world can be a foundation leading us toward real detachment. 17th – Wednesday – Getting the big picture to match what we see in our everyday life is time consuming, but a necessary process. Now is the time to clarify values. Nervous tension is a direct extension of facts and ideals running into each other. Gathering information can be fun and we don’t need any grand conclusion right now. 18th – Thursday – Sun Sextile Uranus, Mars Parallel Uranus, Sun Semi-square Jupiter – A playful mood descends when we remember the times that we laughed for no reason at all. We reach new heights seeing the lighter side of events in the world that intersects with our own lives. To experience joy without putting anything at risk is to be in tune with the moment. 19th – Friday – Venus Parallel Mars, Venus Parallel Uranus – Our love life gets a little lift. Yes, there are still some stubborn roadblocks to deeper forms of intimacy, but learning to love one another beyond the physical body comes naturally when we are destined to evolve. 20th – Saturday – Mars Sextile Neptune, Mars enters Gemini – Great ideals get legs and actually start moving forward. As facts surface, we have the sensation of, “It’s about time”. It is rewarding to see people get what they desire and deserve. And at the same time, we know that this isn’t permanent. Still though, the change of pace can really help us going forward. 21st – Sunday – The Full Moon is on the 29th degree of Cancer/Capricorn at 6:17 AM EDT, Venus Sextile Jupiter, Mercury Square Uranus, Sun Trine Neptune, Mars Trine Pluto – Sometimes we have to move on impulse. Whether we feel done, something important has just come to an end. In order to live without regrets, we need to be careful. What are we going to ask for now? Life will give us what we want, we just have to ask. 22nd – Monday – Sun enters Leo at 3:46 am EDT – The cards don’t need to be shuffled; they are in the right order, and we are amazingly lucky. We just have to recognize the gifts we have been given in the last few days. Unpacking abundance is recognition and acceptance. A fast break brings an instant score. Being light on our feet pays dividends. 23rd – Tuesday – Sun Opposite Pluto, Sun Parallel Mars, Venus Sesquiquadrate Neptune – Conversation only carries us so far. Action is necessary in order for words to have potency. Conflict is apparent and the best we can do is walk away. No amount of argument brings enlightenment. 24th – Wednesday – Getting clarity is difficult because we are easily caught in the crossfire of our own perceptions, and other people’s interpretations of events going on around us. When we start thinking of what is right for everyone, for the environment, our higher truth can emerge. We have been sitting at the crossroads for many years. It is time to wake up and support the higher good. 25th – Thursday – Mercury enters Virgo, Sun Sextile Mars – We have our motor running, the road in front is obvious. Recognizing the facts means ignoring everyone’s opinions about them, and just dealing with the material reality. If we put our heart into something and it doesn’t work out as we expected, we learn. The real test in life is when we must uphold and support a cause that is righteous, even when it doesn’t look like a winning hand. 26th – Friday – Sun Sesquiquadrate Saturn, Sun Parallel Uranus, Venus Quincunx Saturn – We may be tired and feel we need a rest. Things are there to be done. Be do we have to do them? Discrimination is necessary. Plan first, then take time off to provide the rest that allows us to recharge. 27th – Saturday – The weathervane tells us which way the wind is blowing, but this doesn’t indicate what we want or should do. The road ahead and behind conveys an image that we are midway through a Franz Kafka novel. We are on the right track; we do need rest and some slight course corrections. The world is going through a headache, but we don’t have to. 28th – Sunday – There is no reason to be in a hurry. Everything essential has already been done. Relax, read, take time to catch up on journaling, and organizing your living environment. Great engagement with others and society is coming. The next couple of weeks will require much. 29th – Monday – The transition from sedentary to on fire is one that we perform naturally when we are in tune with nature. Somehow climbing back into the saddle doesn’t feel confining, ordinary, or boring. Well-earned rest helps our eyes see the beauty and power of each unique moment. Ok, there are still some things that must be accomplished, but it is nice to know we have the tools to get things done. 30th – Tuesday – An overactive mind can give us information, but insight only emerges through mental organization. Enthusiasm run amuck won’t get us very far, but seeing what others are doing provides a yardstick to measure our progress. Competition can give way to teamwork. 31st – Wednesday – Talking lifts the fog. Getting on with our most important tasks puts us back on track with our mission. Our natural urge is to help everyone, but do we know what will be really appropriate? There are things we haven’t examined yet; there is a plethora of sensory data that is overwhelming. Patience! A review of the whole month is just around the corner. Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or e-mail bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our website, www.theastrologycompany.com. My Personal Note Getting news in a truly informative way is time consuming. Before my accident last year, I would listen to XM radio while driving. With so many news channels, I could hear how the same story was presented on many different stations, and had the luxury to compare a large number of perspectives. Over the years, I’ve had subscriptions to dozens of different magazines. One stands out for me now – “The Week” is a magazine that compiles news from a number of different sources from all over the world and comes out every seven days. It’s my main source of news, even though I still take a handful of others. When I stumbled on this video, I had to watch it several times because it was so captivating. It captures the power of love and acceptance generated by the simple act of playing music together. This song was played by musicians on five continents, and recorded by a group “Playing for Change”. They have produced several videos. The person who edited this video deserves an Academy Award. REALLY! The Weight | Featuring Ringo Starr and Robbie Robertson | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (youtube.com) Here are a couple of videos that help us remember the power of music: Aretha Franklin Brings President Obama To Tears Performing At Kennedy Center Honors (youtube.com) FULL BROADCAST P1: Blind girl Lucy, with Neurodiversity stuns crowd with Chopin piano performance! (youtube.com) So I’m getting a massage. Sometimes we talk during the session. Christine knows that I’m a movie buff and watch something while having dinner. She asks, “Have you seen anything interesting recently”. I tell her, “Actually I started watching women’s basketball.” She says, “Oh no, you’re a Caitlin Clark fan?” “How did you know?” “At least once a week someone comes in for a massage and tells me about her.” Something bigger is going on. I did some research – At five years old Caitlin was already a great basketball player – film clips from back then show it. I’m no stranger to the game; in high school I played in three basketball leagues, but hadn’t seen a basketball game since Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls against the L.A. Lakers. And I never had watched a woman’s basketball game. I have no idea how it happened, but being an astrologer, I got Caitlin Clark’s birth information and looked at her chart (I don’t know what time of day she was born). She is an Aquarius with Venus Conjunct her Sun. She was the top scorer in the NCAA every year since she was a freshman, and the number one draft pick for the WNBA. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a 3.64 GPA and majored in marketing. She has been a polarizing figure in the broader cultural wars. I looked and looked and looked, trying to find the roots of what was happening. Then I found a documentary that let me understand the magnetic attraction to this phenomenon. It’s worth an hour and a half of your time to remember what happened in our country over the last four years, and the role that the WNBA played in it. Watch Power of the Dream | Prime Video (amazon.com) “In that book which is my memory,
On the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you,
Appear the words, ‘Here begins a new life’.” ― Dante Alighieri, Vita NuovaBob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or e-mail bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our website, www.theastrologycompany.com. | 
