Your Cosmic Forecast for July 18-31
Settling into Summer
The dust is finally starting to settle. Or maybe it’s just the humid heat growing thick and relentless, begging us to slow down and stay cool. Either way, the skies seem to be cooperating on a similar note over the next two weeks. After a rather dramatic start to the summer, we’re all likely eager for some quiet—some time to just sit and ruminate in the shade, by the water, or close to the AC for the better part of the day.
Take your time and move slow. Luckily now there’s a lot less pressure to do so—relish in it. The summer will slide away before we know it.
Here’s what the stars are getting up to for the next two weeks:
Monday, July 19th
Mercury in Cancer squares retrograde Chiron in Aries. As Adrienne Maree Brown says, “the harder things are to say, the more necessary they are to say.” Today might encourage having some hard conversations that lead to healing breakthroughs. Avoiding, or trying to suppress emotional discomfort is likely to bring only more discomfort today.
Tuesday, July 20th
Mercury in Cancer sextiles Uranus in Taurus. A day for downloads, and generally surprising realizations in service to creating more space for intimate relating. Notice where you’ve been holding back on honestly expressing yourself.
Wednesday, July 21st
Venus enters Virgo. From now until mid-August, our relational encounters get refined and reorganized. You might find yourself getting nitpicky, and becoming preoccupied with what’s missing or lacking in your relationships. There might be a tendency to get into “fixing” mode and feel frustrated when others don’t agree with your solutions. Venus in Virgo can have impossibly high standards in relationships, and it’s important to remember that there is a difference between working on excellence and expecting it right off the bat. This transit is an invitation to show up carefully and with more deliberate compassion for your loved ones. Remember being in a relationship can be messy sometimes, and you’re here for the process—so long as you’re not always the one initiating the clean-up.
Thursday, July 22nd
Venus in Virgo opposes retrograde Jupiter in Pisces. Something that typically feels easeful in your relationships comes up against some resistance. The day might feel a little bleak, or like moving through sludge. Encounters with others might feel lacking in something you can’t quite put your finger on. The sun also enters vibrant Leo today, which might mitigate any feelings of drudgery.
Saturday, July 24th
Mercury in Cancer trines retrograde Neptune in Pisces. Confusion and delusion are in the air, as well as a tendency to daydream and escape certain responsibilities. Remember to maintain your boundaries in conversation with others today—you might feel a desire to merge fully and completely. Overall it’s a day that can encourage a beautiful meeting of minds or a strong connection with your own higher mind.
Sunday, July 25th
Mercury in Cancer opposes retrograde Pluto in Capricorn. Conversations might pack a serious punch today. Tensions may surface, and some deeply submerged truths may arise to be acknowledged. Astrologer Steven Forest says Pluto “makes big things small and small things big”. Notice if you find yourself doing that today. Something you’ve withheld might come up to surprise you, asking you to get honest about your real needs and intentions. If today feels intense, remember it’s an invitation to check in with your integrity.
Tuesday, July 27th
Mercury enters Leo. Our thoughts, convictions, and conversations become louder and more dramatic for the next few weeks. You might find yourself (and others around you) becoming a little more theatrical in what you say and how you express yourself. Notice a growing desire to steer the conversation, insert your egoic righteousness, or prefer what sounds a bit ‘extra’. Otherwise, it’s a great transit to build confidence in your speech and find the courage to say the things you often hold back on.
Wednesday, July 28th
Retrograde Jupiter enters Aquarius. Our planet of benevolence, truth, and meaning-making has now re-entered Aquarius where it will stay through the end of the year. Here Jupiter finishes up the lessons we began learning in the first half of 2021—about the ideals and principles that inform our collective interdependence. We’re being invited to revisit what we’ve been learning about the frameworks that are or aren’t working for us, and how we’re reimagining our role in the communities we’re a part of. For the next few months, the liquid exuberance you’ve been feeling since early May fades a bit, and you may find yourself needing to reorient your trajectory.
Thursday, July 29th
Venus in Virgo squares the nodes, creating some relational friction concerning the path we’re on. This might show up as frustration or disappointment in response to a story we’ve been telling ourselves about someone, which turns out to conflict with reality. We’re being asked to look at a certain relationship dynamic with more scrutiny. Mars in Leo also opposes retrograde Jupiter in Aquarius right before Mars enters Virgo later in the evening. This makes today feel like a bit of a double whammy. Expect to confront an impasse of sorts. Rest assured that once Mars enters Virgo, there will be time (and energy) to clean up the spill.
Saturday, July 31st
The Sun in Leo sextiles the north node in Gemini. Encouragement bounces back quickly. Whatever transpired in the days before, gets a little uplift and a boost in a new direction. Best to roll with the punches and see where you’re headed next. It’s probably better than you were expecting.
If you’re having trouble staying afloat these days, or knee-deep in renovating whatever may have come undone over the past month, an astrological reading can be incredibly clarifying and affirming.
In my readings, I translate the conversation you’re having with time, locate where you are in your life, and help you reframe whatever circumstances currently feel most challenging or disorienting to navigate.
For more information about my offerings, or to book a reading you can do so here.
Ilana studies and practices a blend of modern and traditional Western astrology. She sees astrology as a tool for self-knowledge, healing, and liberation. She offers one-on-one consultations to help you deepen your relationship with the cosmos and integrate your inner and outer worlds.
