Lunar Living Astrology

The new moon in Cancer is likely to feel like quite the shift from last month's new moon. We are likely to want to cocoon ourselves for the day in an attempt to avoid any potential craziness that might be spinning out there. The retrograde of Mercury has recently moved behind the Sun after forming an inferior conjunction, and is plodding along backwards in Cancer. July 23 will be the station point before Mercury begins to move forward again. Collectively, the Sun, Moon and Mercury retrograde today could give us some uneasiness as we work through some emotions.

Venus, in Virgo, has some interesting connections happening. The major aspect that we will feel the strongest is the square to Uranus in Gemini. This one tends to bring some sudden changes in Venus types of matters, such as how we work through our relationships, and how we spend our money. Our usual skill set that we utilize for fun and enjoyment is likely to be challenged. For example, if we like to sing for relaxation purposes, we may discover that we have a raspy sore throat, impeding our ability to sing well.

For those of us who like to explore the quincunx aspects, Venus is in a yod with two slower moving planets, Neptune retrograde in Aries and Pluto retrograde in Aquarius. For those who believe that a yod is a timer of eventual changes, we can watch as the faster planets begin to move over this point, and also as Venus moves over the Pluto and Neptune placements during the next year. Really, the only way to keep track is to mark the dates on our calendars. The Moon will move over this point monthly. The first time will be July 17, the next time will be August 13, and so on. Mercury will be there August 28 and the Sun will be there on August 29. Then, Mars will be there December 10. And so on. Venus won't reach Pluto's point until March 5, 2027 and then Neptune's point on April 24, 2027. Venus will finish up the complete yod cycle around August 25, 2027. Most of the time, we have lost track of what we were watching for, long before Venus finishes its yod journey. The two quincunx aspects from Venus tend to highlight how we interact with others, typically in challenging situations. Finding productive ways to navigate these challenges can help us to find solace, despite the way the situations turn out. In other words, releasing negativity, even though it feels like we should try to emotionally muscle through, could lift us in ways we didn't expect. Or, weighing our options, and continuing to work through the frustrations because we see the potential for good outcomes, helps to ease the anger we may be feeling. For each of us, the challenge will be unique.

Mars in Gemini is sextile to Saturn in Aries. This might be a good time to start a new exercise regime, or set a time in the near future to visit a health and wellness consultant. Saturn helps us to build a solid foundation while Mars helps us to tap into our health and vitality.

Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, Neptune retrograde in Aries, Uranus in Gemini, and Jupiter in Leo are all connecting up through sextiles, trines and an opposition to help us better understand something that has been confusing us recently. Jupiter could expand our experiential horizon in ways that we were too afraid to explore in the past. Watch to see if any of these planets are directly conjunct to natal planets in your chart, as that will be a strong indicator that you are most likely to be feeling the greatest impact from this aspect pattern, known as a cradle pattern.

Overall, this new moon chart is fairly balanced, giving us the opportunity to explore our options while feeling we have some sense of control over the situations and the outcomes. There are three planets in Fire Element signs, and three planets in Air, giving us six planets total in the Masculine receptive signs. We feel like we can take charge without being confronted for our actions. There are five planets in Cardinal Modes, with two in Fixed and three in Mutable. We have the ability to take charge, hold our ground, and adapt, all at the same time. A really nice way to move through this new moon day.