Selene finds herself in her own sign of Cancer for the New Moon on June 25. This Lunation occurs in the first decan of the sign, associated with love, wit, acuteness of the senses, and a subtleness of intelligence. She is further bonified by a conjunction with exalted Jupiter. They meet, however, under the dour and aggravated gaze of Saturn in Aries. It is a tense standoff, with Saturn having the upper hand, but the indications are good for a gentler approach to overcome or divert stern authority.
On the 29th, Mercury, having just lately entered Leo, will oppose Pluto in Aquarius. As with the New Moon, there are indications that big and loud might not be the winning strategy. Mercury is mostly peregrine in Leo, but the magnanimity of the environment he finds himself in can bring a certain skill in flattery and the ability to sidestep conflicts with compliments. When you’re facing off with the biggest, baddest kind of authority, sometimes appealing to ego is your best bet.
Venus leaves home for Gemini on the 4th, where she isn’t particularly strong, but at this ingress she is free from serious affliction by the malefics. In fact, she’s in a rather helpful sextile from Saturn, which may reign in some of the erratic tendencies a planet can have in Gemini.
On the same day, Neptune will station retrograde, promising to confuse and obfuscate Saturn and his goals. His ability to aid Venus is somewhat limited by an acute shortsightedness, and a tendency to imagine problems to solve. The pairing may be more one of mutual damage control than a productive partnership.
On the 7th, Uranus leaves Taurus for the first time since March of 2019, the last time his retrograde took him back into Aries. This is an initial ingress, as Uranus will return to Taurus between November of this year and April of 2026. An initial ingress is a kind of preview for what is to come during the main transit. If past transits are any indication, this will bring an intensification of political turmoil and some fundamental restructuring of society. At this point, speculation on the details can only bring more stress, especially with a strong Neptune contact involved. We should take care not to fall into catastrophizing.
The Full Moon falls in industrious Capricorn on the 10th. This is a prudent and mindful decan. A helpful trine from the exaltation lord of the sign gives the moon some energy, though Mars is not well placed in Virgo. Productive, but in small things.
July 13 to 19 marks a week of retrogrades. Saturn turns back on the 13, and on the 14th runs directly into Neptune’s sea of confusion. He’ll be there for some time, so, again, imagination will tend to color situations as much more dire than they are. Which, of course, makes them much more dire than they would be.
Mercury stations on the 18th, to spend more time in Leo. At his turning, he’s in a sextile with Venus. Sweet words could save a situation where things weren’t quite understood the first time.
On the 22, the Sun enters his home sign of Leo, heralding the height of summer.
The next day, Venus in Gemini will square Mars in Leo. She is in the superior position in this face off, being in the earlier sign. Lending her a bit more strength in the conflict, she is aspecting her current ruler, Mercury, by sextile where Mars is in aversion to him. The reinforces the theme of gentler, more mindful communication where the impulse might be to “go off.”