By LORELAI KUDEastrology(photo credit: yael yitzchaki)
Hodesh Tammuz is the Moon-month of Cancer, but it’s also the beginning of Shabbtai/Saturn’s last stand. The Retrograde planetary ruler of the Jewish people backs up into the final degrees of Capricorn and stays there until December, reviewing all the maturity, wisdom, patience, responsibility and self-discipline Saturn has attempted to instill in us these last two years. Saturn’s gift of self-individuation is earned by doing the work. Doing the work means understanding that the work is never done. This is the beginning of wisdom.The Sun in Cancer plays counterpoint against not only Saturn, but Jupiter/Tzedek and Pluto in Capricorn this month. The dynamic tension between Cancer/Reuven and Capricorn/Dan along the north-south zodiacal axis of the Jewish year is all about security: emotional, familial, financial and societal. Cancer/Reuven protects the home, heart and family; Capricorn/Dan guards the borders as well as the status/reputation of the clan. The Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in Capricorn July 4 is squared by Mars/Ma’adin in Aries, the third consecutive Full Moon/Mars square this year. This is a hazakah (an obligatory precedent), a trifecta of conflict whose root is the dehumanizing violence we do to one another as a society. Chiron the Wounded Healer retrograde in Aries July 11 confronts our personal responsibility for collective sins. “Fighting Words” are declared when retrograde Mercury squares Mars July 8; a collective course-correction inspired by the courageous example of speaking truth to power when retrograde Mercury stations Direct July 12 at the Last Quarter Moon in Aries with Sun trine Neptune. We are undergoing a profound societal shift. Transformation happens when the pain of staying the same finally outweighs the fear of change. May the birth pains of this emerging epoch tip the scales of justice and may we be empowered to do the work of profound structural societal change – together.ARIES / TALEHMars/Ma’adin in Aries energizes you to charge forward, but the Sun in cautious Cancer square both Mars and your natal Sun asks you to consider safety, security and the interests of family before acting impulsively. Like Yehuda acknowledging his own staff and signet at the trial of Tamar, the Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in conservative Capricorn July 4 empowers you to take public responsibility for your choices. Last Quarter Moon in Aries July 12 invites bold visioning of the road ahead. The patience you’re cultivating now by learning to play the long game pays off later this year.TAURUS / SHORLike Issachar you normally have the instinctual gift of good timing, but lately your inner clock has felt “off.” Ruling planet Venus/Noga’s path revisits conditions you experienced mid-May. It may even be a kind of Pesach Shlishi for you at the lunar eclipse/Full Moon in Capricorn July 4, a second second-chance to repair the foundations of your faith which have been sorely tested over this difficult period. Repay karmic debts July 9-10 and finish what you left undone in May. Resynchronize yourself to the rhythms of time and fulfill your longing for tranquility July 13-15.GEMINI / T’OMIMMercury/Kochav stations Direct July 12 at the Last Quarter Moon in Aries and the Sun’s trine to Neptune. Overcoming ambiguity about your goals and owning your own desire is the key to taking bold decisive action now. Decide if you are playing nice or playing to win. You may do both by taking a page from tribal leader Zevulon’s play book, who maintained cordial ties with his neighbors for the sake of harmonious prosperity and unimpeded trade. Venus/Noga and the North Node/T’li in Gemini inspire, empower, and energize personal creativity. Show off your dazzling multifaceted talents July 16-17.CANCER / SARTANWith two New Moons in Cancer this year – June 20 and July 20 – you’ve got double opportunities to reset long-term intentions and recalibrate goals. Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in Capricorn July 4 squares Mars/Ma’adin in Aries, putting you on full alert for encroaching invasions of destabilizing chaos, especially regarding family matters. Last Quarter Moon in Aries July 12 with Chiron Retrograde and Moon conjunct Mars may bring a therapeutic purging of toxic emotions and opportunity to heal long-term ancestral pain. Transcend transitory personal hurts with the knowledge you’re eternally connected to the incorruptible root of your own soul.
LEO / ARYEHTribal leader Shimon’s rage against Shechem and protective stance towards his sister Dina is not unlike your own belief that the best defense is a good offense. You are able to mount that good offense beginning July 1 at the Sun’s sextile to Uranus, and enlarge it July 14-20 when the Sun opposes Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn. Protecting the pride is the lion’s job; you do so with a clear, calm, uncluttered conscience. No need to apologize for doing what comes naturally but look closer to determine if microaggressions deserve the same radical response as full scale warfare July 21.VIRGO / BETULAHKochav/Mercury’s retrograde ends July 12 and not a moment too soon. Communication challenges with friends and various overlapping communities you traffic in have been prickly and delicate during this time. Those who can’t handle seeking the truth because it disturbs their biased worldview may blame you for holding up a mirror to the collective shortcomings of society. Though tribal ruler Gad is always ready to assemble a troop of truthful soldiers to fight the good fight, you may wish to avoid being a target of other people’s projections by refocusing your analytical superpowers to interpret the language of your own heart.LIBRA / MOZNAYIMFirst Quarter Moon in Libra June 28 begins a new cycle of heart-cleansing and putting right what has gone awry with others. Examine relationships for stability by the sobering light of the Capricorn Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse July 4. Noga/Venus in Gemini makes a sextile to asteroid Chiron the Wounded Healer in Aries on July 10, setting the stage for a unique opportunity to make a tikkun on unresolved emotional pain. Words of forgiveness transcend even the chasm between worlds; though it may be impossible to communicate directly, soul-rectifications may be accomplished by bold spiritual initiative on your behalf.SCORPIO / AKRAVMa’adin/Mars in bold, assertive Aries and powerful Pluto in practical Capricorn support deliberate, focused, and sustained effort as you attempt to relaunch this phase of your life. Like tribal ruler Menashe, your determination and commitment to developing your own potential compels you to strive for mastery. Retrograde Mercury’s square to Mars July 8 repeats with Mercury Direct July 27. These parenthetical transits bookend seemingly interminable delays to your plans, but with persistent effort you’ll push through to your goal over time. Last Quarter Moon in Aries July 20 kicks your natural charisma quotient into overdrive – thankfully you’ve mastered self-control.SAGITTARIUS / KESHETYou are more restless than usual July 2-3, and the Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon July 4 sheds light on how you communicate your personal values. You’re engaged in a confrontation between your sense of personal sovereignty and perceived expectations of responsibilities. Sun opposite Jupiter/Tzedek July 14 illuminates the enlarged dynamic tension between what’s yours alone and what you share with others. You are not famous for being materially possessive, but when principle is at stake as well as your own status in the family hierarchy, sticky points of pride can cause friction July 21-22, especially around allocation of common resources.CAPRICORN / GIDIOn July 1, ruling planet Saturn/Shabbtai makes his last retrograde back into Capricorn, where he will linger until mid-December. This is Saturn’s last stand, your final opportunity until 2047 to integrate the positive gifts of maturity, wisdom, patience, capability, steadiness, responsibility and self-control. Between the Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in Capricorn July 5 and the Sun-Saturn opposition July 20 at the New Moon in Cancer, you realize the next six months of your life is actually a postgraduate internship at Tikkun Olam (Repair the world) University, where you are writing your Ph.D in “Cause and Effect.” Choose your courses and instructors thoughtfully.AQUARIUS / D’LIThe Sun’s sextile to Uranus/Oron July 1 brings “bright ideas” to the forefront. The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse July 4 is good for uncovering hidden family secrets, healing ancestral trauma, and releasing unconscious projections of guilt for what does not belong to you. This is a unique opportunity to really let go of inappropriate emotional burdens and a misplaced sense of responsibility for conditions which are not your fault. You’ve inherited tribal ruler Asher’s generous nature and expanded definitions of family to include an ever-widening circle of friends, who really show up for you especially around July 6-7.PISCES / DAGIMThe Sun’s trine to Neptune/Rahav at the Last Quarter Moon in Aries July 12 with Mercury’s direct station is like a light bulb going off over your head. Your always fertile imagination is in overdrive this month, you are having million-dollar ideas with enviable frequency. July 13-17 is a great time to polish and hone those ideas and test them for viability. By the New Moon in Cancer July 20 your mentor candidates appear. You’ll gain important support from those more mature and experienced in your field who see a bit of themselves in you and want to help you succeed.The writer, an author and multimedia communicator, began her career as a professional astrologer in the 1980s. She holds a BA in journalism from San Francisco State University and an MA in Jewish studies from Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union, where her thesis topic was astrology in Jewish cultural history. Find more of her work at astrolojew.com
