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July Astrology Report 2004by Roxana MuiseDon't see what you're looking for? Click here for archive.
7/4 Mercury enters Leo 7:53 AM. This is a time of measuring. The metal Mercury's natural state is a liquid that responds to heat - and heat is energy. Measure your energy input and output, and keep moderation flowing in your life. Mercury is back in bounds now, and we can use conscious awareness to integrate new patterns of thinking and communication into our lives. 7/8 Sun conjoins Saturn 9:37 AM, 16:50 Cancer. Personal responsibilities may become intense, and inner and outer processes may match. Know that feelings of limitation and suppression that arise will pass, but need to be handled with dignity while they are experienced. 7/10 Mercury conjoins Mars 4:53 PM, 10:47 Leo. Hidden agendas may be exposed. Sudden recognition for skills or talents may be made public. Rash actions can precipitate far-reaching effects. Tempers can flare and people can say things to their later detriment. 7/13 Mercury opposes Neptune 4:34 AM, 14:37 Leo/Aquarius. Imaginative projects may be expressed and realized. Communication of spiritual principles can awaken others to special opportunities. Teamwork can contribute to the realization of long-awaited goals. 7/16 Mars opposes Neptune 3:25 PM, 14:32 Leo/Aquarius. Direct your passions towards practical goals, and use this shared energy to bring together talents or ingredients that would normally not be expected to work together. Be patient, as this can be new to both components. 7/17 New Moon 25:13 Cancer, 4:24 AM west coast; 7:24 AM east coast. New beginnings can contain powerful incentives for bringing people together. Use your healing skills to dissolve animosity and dissension, and protect yourself spiritually to guard your effectiveness. A new perspective is possible through education and openness. West coast issues involve personal responsibility and reaching out to others who may think differently from you. On the east coast, truth must be brought out from hiding, and placed in a shared position with others so that progress can be seen. 7/20 Venus squares Jupiter 1:49 AM, 16:27 Gemini/Virgo. This is the beginning of a dancing T-Cross that has the potential to mesh inner and outer processes. We can see in others our own values and faults, and give and gain happiness in our interactions with others. This process runs for the next 20 days, and can be a great source of shared warmth and harmony. 7/21 Mercury BSP (Beginning Shadow Point) 10:24 AM, 25:44 Leo. This begins the process of Mercury in its retrograde cycle that completes in Mid September. Powerful forces are at work, and powerful energies are available to all. Commitment right now may be too soon. Be a watcher, and evaluate your options. Much information will be uncovered as the cycle continues. 7/22 Sun enters Leo 4:50 AM. A powerful time to work on your overall well-being. Investigate methods of improving both your health habits and your attitude about healing. 7/25 Mercury enters Virgo 7:03 AM. A time for assessment. This can be a powerful time of private inner analysis. Journaling is a particularly valuable way to document your process. Venus opposes Pluto 7:57 AM, 19:52 Gemini/Sagittarius. This is the second part of the dancing T-Cross. You may use this aspect to gain perspective in your process, and see beyond the particulars to an insight into the overall process (sometimes referred to as overstanding). Review the past week to locate areas of your life that you want to improve. Prepare your response for a possible August 6 resolution to this work module. Small choices, made with a conscious awareness of their possible repercussions can contribute clarity to the over-all process. All processes have multiple uses - the universe never wastes anything. 7/31 Blue Moon 8:51 Aquarius/Leo, 11:05 AM west coast; 2:05 PM east coast. Possibilities appear for fulfillment in a spiritual or emotional area of your life. You have the power to create harmonious projects that can contribute to society and also to your personal experiences. However, it is important to avoid assumptions. Many projects or people will be competing for your attention. Thoroughly investigate each possibility before committing your energies to it. West coast issues deal with authorities and their interaction with domestic or family ideals. East coast topics include mobility and safety, and long distance responsibilities. Your energies will be solicited - maintaining support for your known ideals will be emphasized. The birthstone for July is the red ruby. It symbolizes love, and an open heart. The ruby is the carrier of the red ray, and helps the wearer to gain courage. Ruby is worn to improve circulation and the richness of the blood. Associated with the sign Leo, it strengthens the heart center leading to the will, and through compassion turns personal love into love of humanity. The ruby is not limited to Leo, but is supportive of all fire signs. Its contrasting properties are associated with Shiva the destroyer, and correlate with the process of purification. July 4 is US Independence day, when the Sun is passing through the Mars/Pluto (Scorpio) decanate of Cancer. Mars is now in the Sun's sign. Since Mars has moved past the Sun, and is in the Solar (Leo) decanate of Leo, we can expect a great emphasis on freedom and independence. July 4 is also the day of Earth's aphelion, the farthest point from the Sun in her orbit. Like a full Moon, this is a turning point towards a time of increase. Be strong in standing for your truth, and you will gain momentum through the next six months. The seventh Full Moon of the year (the full Moon of July) is known as the Mead Moon, named after the mowing of the meadows (or meads), and the first issue of ale. In Teutonic tradition it honors the sacred children of the Moon, Bil and her brother, Hyuki. On their way to draw the sacred song-mead for their family from Bryger, the enchanted spring, they were kidnapped by Odin's handsome chariot driver, Mani and taken to the Moon in his chariot. There, the water was transformed into sacred mead, elixir of the gods, which is symbolic of wisdom and strength. Earth elders call out to the children when the Moon is full, to sprinkle a few drops on their lips so they may gain the brew's gifts. The children, seen during the full Moon as twin shadows on the Moon's face were then praised and venerated by mortals for their gift of the elixir. This myth became the source of the nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill - The Mead Moon celebrates the time of the year when honey is harvested. Honey, yeast, and fruit juice fermented together for months are the main ingredients in mead. Many additional ingredients have been used for flavoring, including gingersnaps. In the Wiccan tradition, the July Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon, when male deer grow their first velvet antlers. Masculine in tradition, it is an appropriate time to work on the physical body or answer the challenge of mastering physical objects. The second full moon of any month is called a Blue Moon - on July 31 this year. This phenomenon occurs approximately once every 33 months, although if a blue Moon occurs in January, it will also likely happen that same March because of the brevity of February. The last blue moons in 1999 were such a case. June 1, 2007 will be the next Blue Moon. Saint Swithins Day (July 15) is named for a ninth century Bishop of Winchester, who loved the rain. Saint Swithin, who asked to be buried outside of the church under the "sweet rain from heaven", and so that the feet of ordinary men could pass over him. On July 15, 871, nine years after his death, the monks of Winchester thought it more appropriate to move his body inside the basilica, but a heavy rain made that impossible for 40 days and 40 nights - apparently Saint Swithins' spirit didn't like the idea. The Muslim era is dated from the first day of the lunar year in which the Hegira took place (July 16, 622, in the Western calendar). Muhammad and his followers were forced into exile from Mecca. Hegira or Hejira, which means "the migration", occurred because Muhammad and his followers believed in one God, and the Meccan religion was polytheistic. July is associated with goddesses such as Rowana, patroness of the secret knowledge of the runes. Wood cut from the Rowan tree was used to make magical runes. Holda, the white goddess, and Hela, the black goddess are also honored in July. They were the twin daughters of Norse trickster god Loki, and are the goddesses who shared rulership of the underworld. On the last day of July, Loki and his consort Sigyn are honored. July 25 - Furrinalia, honoring the ancient Italian goddess of springs. This festival reminds us of our vital reliance on sources of water. Ancient peoples blessed the springs. July 26 is the birth date of Carl G. Jung, father of analytical psychology. This date also honors Sleipnir, shamanic steed used to travel to other levels of consciousness. The festival of Asatu commemorates Odin's eight-legged steed who took him to the three worlds. From the upper level of the Gods, Asgard - through our middle one, Midgard - into the underworld, Utgard. The July 27 meteor shower, the Delta Aquarids bestow gifts of the spirit. This year's show will take place beginning around 3 AM EDT/Midnight PDT. Expect them to come from the south at a rate of ten or more per hour. The Moon is past the first quarter, so position yourselves so that the Moon is covered by trees, a hill, or a building for best viewing. July 27 is the Jewish holy day, Tisha B'Av. It is the ninth day of the month, Av, a day of mourning that marks 7 tragic historic events that have occurred on that day. July is the birth month of several members of the family of Pythagoras, noted philosopher/mathematician/astronomer. Pythagoras himself was born on July 24, 569 BC in Samos, Ionia. His daughter, Damo (seeress, disciple and inheritor of his secrets and writings) was born on July 21; his mother, Pythais was born on July 28; and his wife, Theano (who, with her two daughters carried on the Pythagorean School after her husband's death) was born on July 11. Many sources state that it was Teano who developed the principle of the "Golden Mean". July 31, at sundown is the beginning of Lammas, the two-day festival of the blessing of bread from the first grain harvest. As a symbolic gesture, blessing a loaf of bread can remind us to be grateful for what we have, and to discover what other riches are possible when the cooperative work of the harvest is complete. Lammas comes at the middle of summer, and is the third fire festival, the rituals of which we can use to feed our spirits. Spirituality seems to come after the needs of the body have been tended. However, in some belief systems, attending to the spiritual needs is a necessary step in ensuring that the physical needs will be met. After extending gratitude to Earth goddesses, Demeter and Ceres for nourishing their bodies from the bounty of the Earth, the ancients called upon fire deities who bestowed and encouraged inspiration: in the Celtic tradition, they are Ceridwen and Brighid; We may invoke them to grant us the nine gifts of the Cauldron: Poetry, Reflection, Meditation, Lore, Research, Great Knowledge, Intelligence, Understanding, and Wisdom. Roxana Muise, PO Box 3948, Lacey, WA 98509-3948 USA |
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