July 2017 By Bob Mulligan (a personal note is at the end of the newsletter) Pluto, Mars, and the Sun dominate this month, infusing it with vitality which can always erupt into violence. From the beginning until the end of July, Mars and the Sun travel together, periodically receiving Oppositions and Contra-parallels to Pluto. Mars in Cancer will Oppose Pluto in Capricorn on the 2nd and Square Uranus on the 17th. Circumstances in society, as well as our personal lives, will be sensitive and potentially explosive. The Sun Conjuncts Mars on the 26th, but the two are traveling close in Cancer and then in Leo all month. Violent change in the world is a possibility. Even though the pace starts out slow, there is a gradual accelerating experience of frustration; it seems difficult to see or articulate clearly what we need and want. Mars in Cancer is often moody and the tone of the first three weeks can be fraught with difficulties stemming from wandering attention and lack of clarity of purpose. Mars goes into Leo on the 20th which provides definition to our problems but also sharpens conflicts. Our best strategy is to focus on our love relationships, take care of our obligations, and keep an open eye for unique opportunities. Even though we are all connected, the cares of the world may not hold our attention for any length of time now. The Full Moon on July 9th is at 12:07 AM EDT on the 17th degree of Cancer/Capricorn. The Moon is Conjunct Pluto and the Sun is Conjunct Mars. This is a lot of strident energy that can easily turn violent. With six planets in cardinal signs, we feel impelled to act. Mercury and Venus are Sextile; if we slow down and take time to explain what we are doing and why, we aid our cause. It’s best if we can include others in our plans. The Sun enters Scorpio on the 22nd at 11:16 AM EDT. With the Sun Conjunct Mars, Mercury Conjunct the North Node of the Moon and forming a Grand Trine with Uranus and Saturn, we have a need to reason our way through our various options. We need to create a vision of what we want, and then be unafraid to assert our truth. Although a balance between the old and new are necessary, with the Sun and Mars Square Uranus we may find it difficult to contain our enthusiasm for the new. Our urge for freedom needs to be channeled constructively so we don’t create difficulties. With the Moon Opposite Pluto, old personal wounds can have an adverse affect on our judgment. Thinking thoroughly through the problems at hand is good, even when we feel the pressure of time. The New Moon on July 23rd at 5:46 AM EDT is on Zero degrees and 44 minutes of Leo. Mars is closely Conjunct the New Moon giving power and enthusiasm for all that we project now. Monitoring our own impulses can be achieved to good end if we remember why we are engaged in our current tasks. Neptune in Pisces is Sesquiquadrate the Sun/Moon/Mars Conjunction while being loosely Sextile Pluto and Quincunx Jupiter. Even though there is much drama in this combination, there is an underlying cohesiveness, shown by the fact that the three signs of synthesis (Leo, Capricorn, and Pisces) are all involved All the rulers of these signs are united by Saturn being at the apex of a Grand Fire Trine while Opposing Venus in Gemini. This suggests that we must be willing to limit the scope of our inquiries to the things that are realistically achievable over the next month. With Mercury Conjunct the North Node of the Moon in Leo we are encouraged to keep expanding our awareness of the changes in our environment; however, the Opposition of Venus to Saturn between Gemini and Sagittarius reminds us to not trade our values for short term gains. From the 1st to the 9th lack of progress on key projects, and an increasingly belligerent environment, can make us impatient. How we react to setbacks reveals the viability of our approach to life. This is a precarious time; even though there are fires all around, if we aren’t carrying explosives we won’t suffer. This is a great time for taking stock of what we have and what we choose as our ultimate destination. From the 10th to the 16th we need to limit our involvement in big projects. Our personal lives can gain added importance as we take time to fix misunderstandings in our close relationships. Growth comes through handling our responsibilities honestly, then helping others. From the 17th to the 23rd romantic inclinations can lead us into a “blind alley”. However, the urge to reach out and be involved with others is real and brings pleasure. Sometimes the things we are attracted to elude us; this can be a blessing. Self observation precedes interpersonal fulfillment. From 24th to the 31st great mental stimulation and exhilarating conversation can set us on a self correcting course. A new approach to finding peace and joy emerges as a combination of exploring options and being realistic. 1st – Saturday – Pleasantries accompany all joint activities. Joy comes by finding mutually beneficial solutions to problems that emerge in the process of accomplishing ordinary tasks. Thinking positive brings results. 2nd – Sunday – Mercury Quincunx Saturn, Mars Opposite Pluto, Mercury Parallel Mars – Our real obligations aren’t always clear. Focusing on what we find as common ground will help all of us to utilize our best attributes. Reacting to real or imagined slights only complicates our situation. 3rd – Monday – Venus Semi-sextile Uranus, Sun Parallel Mercury, Venus Sesquiquadrate Jupiter – Awakening to a new set of opportunities can be exciting and we are encouraged to move forward with confidence. Too much of a good thing can cause difficulties. Knowing when to quit taking in new experiences is key to being able to stabilize our lives. 4th – Tuesday – Venus enters Gemini, Mercury Square Uranus, Jupiter Quincunx Neptune – We need to pay careful attention to our emotional impressions and avoid living too much in our heads. Overextension or escaping into fantasy can torpedo otherwise well constructed ideas. If we commit to more than we can sustain, we may lose interest before we complete our tasks. 5th – Wednesday – Mercury Sesquiquadrate Neptune, Mercury enters Leo, Sun Trine Neptune, Mercury Contra-parallel Saturn, Sun Square Jupiter – Our attention can be split between what we would like to accomplish and what seems like fun. Getting correct perspective on the necessities of the moment takes practice. Our ideals must be blended with our obligations in order to have a unified approach to today’s activities. 6th – Thursday – Mercury Contra-parallel Pluto – Satisfaction comes when we think about our life situation with a realistic eye for our immediate work. Great things emerge when we are able to unify our objectives with our true beliefs. This is a time to dig deep. 7th – Friday – Mercury Sextile Venus, Venus Sesquiquadrate Pluto – If we take time to explain ourselves carefully, others will join us. If negative emotions dominate our thinking, they cast a dark cloud over our relationships. Being reasonable and listening to others brings success. 8th – Saturday – Anticipation of future events can take our attention away from the beauty of the day. Anxiety comes if we are filled with doubt. Going forward with our plans is the key to being in harmony with the cosmos. 9th – Sunday – The Full Moon is on the 17th degree of Cancer/Capricorn at 12:07 AM EDT, Mars Quincunx Saturn – Knowing what to hang on to and what to let go of is the path to wisdom. Accepting authority, even when it seems unrealistic, is salutary. Struggling for control of our situation only makes sense if our attention is on our own motivations and actions. 10th – Monday – Mercury Sesquiquadrate Saturn – Our spirits dim if we give way to negative thinking. Problems don’t need to be as complicated as we tend to make them. We can feel comfortable with our efforts if we target immediate tasks, complete them, and then rest. 11th – Tuesday – Mercury Parallel Venus – There is a lightness to our interactions; shopping and partying are pleasant pastimes and some snoozing can be good for the soul. Let others know your good feelings for them and focus on enjoying companionship. 12th – Wednesday – Sun Contra-parallel Saturn – We can develop a good sense of duty if we aren’t too hard on ourselves. There are tasks that we should accomplish now; we are best off if we keep moving regardless of how we feel. 13th – Thursday – Dream big and act responsibly. Enchanting ideas can propel us forward if we are able to give ourselves latitude to just imagine a better life and a better world. 14th – Friday – Sun Quincunx Saturn, Mars Contra-parallel Saturn, Mercury Sextile Jupiter – Truth is not complicated, it is always simple. Difficulties can fade away if we hold on tightly to our higher vision of life. 15th – Saturday – Sun Contra-parallel Pluto, Venus Semi-square Mars – Misunderstanding can be cleared up if we have the courage to release dark visions of ourselves and others. This is a time for emotional transformation. Forgiveness and acceptance go a long way toward healing old wounds. 16th – Sunday – Mercury Quincunx Pluto, Venus Semi-square Uranus – There is a better way of living. Letting go of suspicions and judgments can open the door to new opportunities. Unique situations appear but we need to ask ourselves what we need to relinquish in order to take advantage of the moment. Life is easier if we are willing to change. 17th – Monday – Venus Square Neptune, Mars Square Uranus – This can be a rough time for relationships; our emotional responses can be hair trigger, our illusions can grow with the slightest encouragement. Despite this problematic backdrop, there is a muse that can nurture our creative instincts. Harnessing the inner artist can be tricky but very rewarding. 18th – Tuesday – Mars Contra-parallel Pluto, Venus Trine Jupiter, Mars Sesquiquadrate Neptune – Passionate idealism propels us forward and we will make great progress wherever we put our energy. An optimistic upbeat mood surrounds all our activities. Take time to appreciate the diversity of human experience; the world is a better place when we let other people live in it. 19th – Wednesday – Mercury Trine Saturn, Sun Parallel Venus – Following a logical well-worn path can not only help us accomplish our tasks, it can also make us happy. The next step is to share the joy and help others. 20th – Thursday – Mars enters Leo, Venus Quincunx Pluto, Sun Square Uranus – Even though we may be overly enthusiastic about our own journey, our flight to freedom isn’t so pleasant if it is divorced from our emotional needs. Taking bold steps needs to be in line with a reasoned conjecture of our ultimate goals. 21st – Friday – Sun Sesquiquadrate Neptune – A creative vision of life, a new frontier of consciousness is just around the corner; however, turning this corner is not so easy. We can see more than we can express or even put into practice. This is the moment to capture a higher emotional truth about life. 22nd – Saturday – Venus Parallel Mars, Sun enters Leo – Life in paradise isn’t so much fun if it is just about acquiring things or being comfortable. The lights really go on when we are able to share in other people’s lives. 23rd – Sunday – The New Moon is at 5:46 AM EDT at Zero degrees of Leo – Enthusiasm percolates to the surface and we are bound to express something. So, it makes sense to look where we want to make our greatest impact. This is a time for making plans and setting intentions for the next month. Spoiler alert, even with great ideas and energetic engagement, the rails of the rollercoaster have changed and we are all in for some big surprises. It’s best to have a plan but be willing to alter it as world events unfold. 24th – Monday – Venus Opposite Saturn, Mercury Trine Uranus – We are authentic when we can embrace our lives and our truths, even when failure seems eminent. We have to be comfortable with ourselves if we are to be any real help to others. Courageous bold steps are the way to learn something new. Inspiration is our guiding light and spontaneity a virtue. 25th – Tuesday – Mercury enters Virgo – Ok, the moment has arrived to work out the details of our well-received vision of the future. Enthusiasm carries us only so far even though it is necessary. We need to translate theory into practice and take some incremental steps forward. 26th – Wednesday – Sun Conjunct Mars, Mercury Parallel Uranus – We are going somewhere very fast. This is a blessing if we have a good understanding of the journey we must take at this time. Fear or stubbornness can be major stumbling blocks to progress. Determination is great when it is tempered with humility. If our minds are closed we are in trouble; we need to keep listening to others even when we know what we must do. 27th – Thursday – Venus Contra-parallel Pluto, Mercury Semi-square Jupiter – What can we do to self correct? Nagging others or feeling that we know for sure what someone else needs to do is dangerous. Arrogance is the enemy and acceptance of diversity is our friend. 28th – Friday – Mercury Sesquiquadrate Pluto – Obsessing over details can leave us confused and lost in minutia. Zeroing in on the key needs of the moment, and materializing the most important things, free us. We are in a problem solving mode and if we are quick about it much is achieved. 29th – Saturday – Sun Sesquiquadrate Saturn – Things far removed are calling us and common everyday tasks are in front of us. Clear the deck by completing chores and then move on. There is a romantic undertone now and if we have gotten everything necessary completed, we can pursue matters of the heart. 30th – Sunday – Venus Sextile Uranus, Mars Sesquiquadrate Saturn – We can talk to people anywhere and everywhere by using modern technology. At the same time, some delays show up as we attempt to complete everyday chores. It’s time to ask for help. Insight is there for the asking. 31st – Monday – Venus enters Cancer – Our higher vision of reality has to take root in our home and family. Our empathy for others can help us expand the dimensions of what we think of as our family. Extracting the good and useful from our current adventures allows us to adjust our emotional bonds. Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our web site, www.theastrologycompany.com. Much has happened. Buying the car I have been leasing for the last five years seemed like a good decision, and I didn’t have to go car shopping. I closed my external storage unit after two years. Getting rid of stuff and reorganizing is massive. Better World Books took 21 cases of books from my old library. I’ve thrown away hundreds of photos, files from research projects….I’m closing a chapter of my life and letting go of letters, projects, memorabilia from my first 69 years of life. Because people enjoyed my workshop “Astrological Boot Camp for Spiritual Aspirants” in Ft. Lauderdale June 3rd and 4th, I’ve been asked to give another workshop using participant’s charts. This “Applications” workshop is limited to seven people selected from the group at the last workshop. The workshop will be Saturday and Sunday, August 5th and 6th. The San Diego Astrological Society asked me to speak on Friday night March 9th, 2018. My talk is entitled “Astrology, Reincarnation, and Karma”. They have asked me to write an article for their magazine on this topic. Both the talk and the article are based on Chapter 10 of my upcoming book. On June 17th, 2017, the city of Naples held its first ever Gay Pride Festival. I took my dog, Teddy, down to Cambier Park after we went for our usual Saturday morning adventure at the farmer’s market, where we get some groceries for the week. The park was full of people expressing support for the LGBT community . There was so much love in the park it was overwhelming. Venders everywhere. Planned Parenthood, NOW, ACLU, Young Republicans, etc. There was music, food, water, beer, and a large assortment of people…..I was getting ready to leave as it was near noon, 100% relative humidity, with temperatures around 88 degrees. Even under the canopy of trees the endearing summer was too much for Teddy who I, by now, was carrying in my arms. Something told me to wait near the stage for just a few more minutes. Then, out of the blue, with no introduction, dressed very casually, Bill Barnett, the Mayor of Naples, took center stage, and with a strong and enthusiastic voice, announced himself. He spoke from prepared notes saying how happy he was to be there and how glad he was that the LGBT community had put this together; he brought his wife, children, several city councilmen, and others from the local government. So, why is this all a big deal? Naples is one of the most conservative cities in Florida. Until the late 60’s it was against the law for a person of color to be inside the city limits after dark…really, I’m not making this up. When I moved here in 1981 a movie producer from Hollywood was trying to buy a house in Port Royal, the most exclusive and expensive neighborhood in Naples. The community organization would not let the sale go through; the reason, he was Jewish. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and it was ruled that the community did not have the right to block the sale. I’m sharing this with you because it is important for us to acknowledge how far we have come in just a few years. BTW, when I moved to town it was the astrology community that spanned the city and incorporated many different backgrounds, socio-economic differences and political beliefs. Yes, astrology can be the synthesizing glue that reminds us again and again that we are all one. Amazon has movies on line like Netflix. I had the privilege of seeing one of their documentaries called “Yogawoman”. Excellent, see it if you can. It shows clearly how women were excluded from yoga practicing or teaching by the Vedic cast system and how yoga has been manifesting its positive and spiritual benefits in the west, primarily through very strong and capable women. Again, a reminder, the spiritual path is primarily feminine and the suppression of the female form has held back spiritual advancement for everyone regardless of whether or not we are in the male or female form. Jerry Garcia’s guitar, Wolf, fetched more than $1.9 Million at an auction on the last day of May. Daniel Pritzker donated the guitar and the proceeds of its sale go to Southern Poverty Law Center. On June 29th I took a tour of our homeless shelter, St. Mathews House. They have a live-in recovery program with a 85% success rate. I ate lunch there and talked to people. My daughter, Katie, is teaching yoga there as a volunteer. I’m so proud of her. The 29th of June is the anniversary of her adoption; we celebrated. | 
