Up in the Air
By Hilary Harley
July 2025
July lends itself to taking the road less traveled. Encouraged by gentler weather patterns, school vacation schedules and yes, nurturing Cancer the Crab energy. Warm, compassionate and nourishing, Cancer focuses on family, home and food.
This July is particularly slow as three planets will turn retrograde. Taking the lazy scenic route is a welcome change after the fast lane action of May and June. As July opens, the Sun and Generous Jupiter in Cancer offer familiarity and abundant security. Think big comfy couch, a heartfelt hug or your favorite delicious home-cooked meal. All will be well at home. Cancer offers reliable, time-tested wisdom. She is the trusted counselor we turn to when the chips are down or we have an achievement to celebrate.
Dreamy Neptune turns retrograde on Friday, July 4th. Tightly joined to Taskmaster Saturn in fiery Aries, take care with matches, stoves, grills, engines, campfires or fireworks, of course.
In Neptune’s wake, Change Agent Uranus enters communicative Gemini on Monday, July 6th. Infinitely more comfortable in Gemini than earthy Taurus, Uranus heralds breakthroughs and awakening en masse. How we communicate and use technology will be seismically different in seven years when Uranus moves out of Gemini. Television was a significant result of the last Uranus in the Gemini cycle.
Fortunately, Uranus aligns seamlessly to Pluto in Aquarius for the next few years, easing our experience of this shift. How we gather, integrate, share and use ideas, language and information will be dramatically altered over the next seven year Uranus cycle.
Think of how you communicated before cellular phone technology or the internet came along. Whole generations cannot imagine life without these communication forms. Along with information exchange, Gemini also has to do with ground transportation, siblings, community, sales and marketing. So expect developments on these fronts as well.
The Full Moon on Thursday, June 10th, in practical Capricorn, aligns to Motivating Mars grounding us and offering reality based solutions. These earth energies serve as a counterweight to the otherwise lofty, heady planetary placements in air and fire signs.
Just two days later, Taskmaster Saturn turns retrograde in Aries, putting life on the back burner to simmer. What was urgent or emergent now does not seem quite so immediate. Instead, you might rather feel the urge to go to the beach.
Relaxation mode rolls in on Thursday, July 17th , when Messenger Mercury turns retrograde. With the communication planet in fun and festive Leo, our minds toward vacation and play. Now is the time to take time off to reset and refresh.
Manage your expectations about how much you will get done now that people are away on vacation. Best to wait until after August 11th to make significant purchases, especially communication devices. If you do, buy the extended warranty as you may need it down the line.
The Sun enters Leo on July 23rd followed by the New Moon in Leo on July 24th. Opposite Pluto in Aquarius, the Leo Sun-Moon highlights our individual needs versus group demands. Where do you end and others begin? Creatively, this New Moon has us fired up. For every problem, there is a solution. Now is the time to experiment, to see what works and what does not.
Leo says: No dream is too big; no ask is too great. So hand write three to five wishes you seek to manifest over the following weeks, months and seasons. Plant these in the ripe earth or set safely alight.
Soon enough, your time is going to come. Meanwhile, make some popcorn, put your feet up and enjoy the show.
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Otis resident Hilary Harley is a counseling astrologer and hosts Mystical Messages podcast. She is an art aficionado, a community volunteer, and the mother of two daughters.
