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Expect the Unexpected




Astro Notes for New Moon in Cancer cycle (July 5-Aug 4)


Before I talk about the main influences over this monthly cycle, I want to briefly recap where this year fits in the big picture, astrologically speaking. Since 2020, when Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto met in a triple conjunction, the world was plunged into an initiatory crisis, a crucible of change when the structures and patterns of the old order have been dissolving and the seeds of the emerging era have been/are being planted. From November 2024 to July 2025, Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter all change signs, meaning that we can expect quite soon now to pass through a rapid and unmistakable shift in the collective zeitgeist involving the start of many new plotlines in the human story and thus akin to something like a (re-)birth.


This year, on the other hand, involves the end of several major cycles and therefore is characterized more by the energy of completion-decay-death than beginning-creation-birth. 2024 represents the last year (in the foreseeable future) that Pluto will be in Capricorn (a 17 year cycle), the last year that Neptune will (solely) be in Pisces (a 13 year cycle), the last year that Uranus will (solely) be in Taurus (8 year cycle), and the last year that Saturn will (solely) be in Pisces (2 and a half year cycle).


This is important context to keep in mind if we find ourselves getting dispirited by the collective picture of so much decay and loss. One of the main benefits of astrology is the way it reminds us that no archetypal reality is final. Everything is in process, and when the new archetypal configuration comes in, the whole collective mood and sense of what’s possible shifts with it.


At the start of this new moon cycle, Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn are moving retrograde. From the end of January through to the beginning of May, almost all the planets were moving forward, resulting in a very fast paced start to this year with a lot of forward momentum. Now we are entering a period when the foot will come off the accelerator a little, with more opportunities for reflection, review, and learning lessons.


It’s Cancer season until July 22, meaning the background rhythm in that time will be characterized by themes of healing, self-care, home, and family. The new Moon in Cancer on July 5 is conjunct Venus and sextile Mars, bringing a soft, sweet, and sexy energy to the start of the monthly cycle.


The period that stands out for me in this month’s cycle is from July 12-18, when Mars and Uranus will meet in a conjunction in late Taurus. Mars conjunct Uranus is associated with sudden disruptive events, accidents, ‘a spanner in the works’, and a general energy of impulsive reactivity. The transit is at its peak on July 15-16, when it will also oppose Moon in Scorpio, adding a dimension of emotional intensity and drama to the mix.


It so happens that the Republican convention is from July 15-18. One must imagine that things will not go smoothly or as planned.


Soon after that, on July 21, we have a full moon at 29 degrees of Capricorn, closely conjunct Pluto and in an exact trine to Mars at 29 degrees of Taurus. The full moon in the final degree of Capricorn — the sign of the political establishment — in a conjunction with Pluto, the planet of power and in a trine to Mars the planet of action — and coming right on the heels of what portends to be a sensational Republican convention. Very interesting. We could see shocking political developments and decisive, consequential actions that cut away aspects of the old order. (I’m not, by the way, making any specific predictions about the fate of Donald Trump, just delineating the general archetypal patterns, which could manifest in various ways. It would not surprise, though, if something unexpected did occur in relation to him at the convention, since the Mars-Uranus transit is conjunct his natal MidHeaven, which represents our connection to success and society.)


On a personal level, that period of July 12-18 is one to be mindful of in terms of both the potential for emotional disruption and the benefit of practicing non-reactivity as much as possible. On July 16, there is an auspicious grand water trine between Sun, Moon, and Neptune that offers an opportunity for us to hold our reactions in a healing, spiritual container. This can help to redirect our consciousness to the higher possibilities hidden within whatever disruptive events we might experience with the Mars-Uranus conjunction.


On July 22, we enter Leo season, with the Sun joining Venus and Mercury in the sign of the Lion. In the northern hemisphere, Leo corresponds with the peak of summer, and the spirit of play and creative self-expression that typically accompanies that time of year. Leo season is our annual time of year to let our hair down, to play, to take risks to let our inner light shine so that we give others permission to do the same. Leo is a heart-based energy; as such, it is the one sign of the zodiac that can fully trust the impulse of the inner child. Let your inner child lead you at this time. Soon enough, when Virgo season arrives, we’ll be rolling up our sleeves to get back to work.

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