The two eclipses this month, on 7/2 and 7/16, are in Cancer and Capricorn, respectively, bringing some important shifts to our home and family life. You may be moving or perhaps you got a new job. Maybe someone you care about needs to live with you for a while or just needs extra love in general. Maybe your parents are going through something or if you have children, they are demanding more of your attention. Eclipses are notorious for bringing up emotions and dynamics that we’ve been in denial about or just simply weren’t aware of. A door will be opening to an experience, one that impacts our sense of home and daily life. During the solar eclipse we get an inkling of it and then with the lunar eclipse on 7/16, we have more clarity and a better sense of what this means going forward.
This 7.2 eclipse falls at 10 degrees of Cancer: we’ve been through some initial ups and downs, and now we are offering gratitude for our efforts before heading into the next phase. With the Sun and Moon opposing Saturn, boundaries and limits are top of mind. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities, take time to reset your consciousness with meditation, walk, nap, creative activity, etc. Neptune makes a lovely sextile to Saturn and trine to the Sun and Moon, creating a spiritual bridge between the two. This is the web of support that’s always available to us, ready to catch us if we fall.
Mars and Mercury are in the early degrees of Leo, squaring Uranus in Taurus. With Mercury going retrograde on 7/7, we’ll get a more prolonged opportunity with this aspect than normal. With the strong emotional pull of Cancer and the unpredictability of Uranus, we may have poor impulse control in our communications. Uranus goads us to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. However, people rarely say what they mean and we have constructed an at times elaborate cultural code to decipher what’s the actual message behind the conversation. Wouldn’t it be easier if we just said what we meant? At times yes, and then other times this has the potential to create an emotional storm and leaves both parties worse off than when you started. The good news is that this configuration gives us the courage to approach any felt limitations creatively and with our self-respect intact. We’re not going to retreat and be passive bystanders for this round. The challenge lies in jumping to conclusions with Mercury’s upcoming retrograde period. Mercury rules communication, and we don’t have all the facts yet when it goes retrograde. That said, we’re going to be tempted to talk and communicate as if we do! Because of the emotional charge to Cancer, we’re all vulnerable to feeling as if we’re getting attacked. If you find that you or others are reacting defensively versus responding thoughtfully, slow your roll and try a more gentle approach.
Venus is in Gemini for this eclipse, reminding us to have flexibility and curiosity in our relationships. It’s also unaspected, meaning it’s not making any significant connections to the other planets. That, along with Saturn opposed the Sun, could lead to us feeling disconnected or isolated from others. Don’t read too much into this as it’s temporary. Take the time you need to gather yourself and your energy. Your story is yours alone, and sometimes a little distance from the ones we love helps us to clarify our boundaries and current emotional state.
Intentions to Ponder: I attend lovingly to my emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. No matter what changes transpire in my physical home, my spiritual home is a constant, steady source of support. I listen to and acknowledge messages from my inner child.
6.17 Full Moon in Sagittarius: Believing in our Expansion