July 2026 Astrology Overview
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The Overview
The month of July begins under the influence of the Capricorn Full Moon, which perfected on the evening of June 29th. In many ways that lunation set the stage for how things will unfold in the coming weeks. While the landscape has slightly changed, this is familiar territory. July 2026 is a month of return, especially for the United States, when many will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence. In Capricorn, the Moon is in detriment in the sea goat’s territory; under-resourced, tired, and a long way from home.
In looking at the Sibley chart, which is the chart that astrologers use for the inception, or “birth” of the U.S. on July 4, 1776, there are striking parallels to what is to come in the month ahead. To start, the influence of the Full Moon in Capricorn recapitulates some of the themes that occurred around the Pluto return of the U.S. This recurrence transit was initiated when Pluto first moved into the sign of Capricorn in January 2008, and perfected in February 2022. Pluto made its official move into Aquarius in November 2024, and is currently retrograde from May 6th until October 15th of this year. It is interesting to note that Pluto’s final ingress into Aquarius coincided with the aftermath of the 2024 election
A Pluto return is a rare event. Because Pluto’s movement is slow and erratic, it takes approximately 248 years for it to complete a full orbit around the Sun. It’s not everyday that Pluto returns to roughly the same place that it was in the sky during a birth or the beginning of a country.
July is also host to additional returns for the U.S., including the presence of Mars and Uranus in Gemini—at the inception of the United States both planets were in this sign. On the morning of July 4th Mars and Uranus will conjoin in the early degrees of Gemini. The Sun and Mercury will also be in the same position that they were 250 years ago, reinforcing the push to revisit that pivotal moment in our shared history.
This month's lunations will include a New Moon in Cancer around the middle of the month, along with a Full Moon in Aquarius at the end of the month. There are many transits in between, and for this recording I’ve focused mainly on the highlights. Let’s dive in.
July 1: Jupiter in Leo square Chiron 0° in Taurus
July 4: Mars conjoins Uranus 3° in Gemini; Mars in Gemini sextile Neptune in Aries 4°
July 7: Neptune Rx in Aries 4°
July 9: Venus enters Virgo
July 12: Mercury Rx in Cancer cazimi 20°
July 14: New Moon in Cancer 21°
July 20: Jupiter opposes Pluto Rx 4°
July 22: Sun enters Leo
July 23:Sun in Leo square Chiron in Taurus 0°; Mercury direct in Cancer 16°
July 26: Nodes enter Leo/Aquarius axis: North Node enters Aquarius/South Node enters Leo; Saturn Rx in Aries 14°
July 27: Sun in Leo opposes Pluto in Aquarius 4°
July 29: Sun conjoins Jupiter in Leo 6°; Full Moon in Aquarius 6°
July 1
On July 1st, Jupiter in Leo will square Chiron in Taurus. Both Jupiter and Chiron have recently moved into their respective signs, and this first transit sets the tone, not only for the month, but for how these two will interact for the next year. Chiron will retrograde at the beginning of August, moving back into Aries in September, and will permanently enter into Taurus at the beginning of 2027 where it will remain for the next seven years.
Both Leo and Taurus belong to the Fixed modality—Leo is Fixed fire and Taurus is Fixed earth. Squares bring tension and friction; they are dynamic and often lead us to action. Jupiter speaks to faith and fortune. It expands and magnifies whatever it is around. Chiron speaks to the relationship between the instinct and the spirit, and what it takes to heal and integrate these aspects of ourselves. This transit has the potential to amplify deep-seated wounds, as well as the depth of our individual and collective resolve.
July 4
This transit leads us right into the astrology of July 4th, which marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On this pivotal day, Mars will conjoin Uranus in Gemini early in the morning, and by the end of the day it will then sextile Neptune in Aries. Mars represents gods and deities associated with war and combat. Uranus represents upheaval, rebellion and revolution. When these planets are in aspect, it has coincided with major historical events including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II. Remember also, this transit is a recurrence for the U.S. which has both Mars and Uranus in Gemini in its inception chart.
Neptune is associated with sea-ruling deities, including Posiedon in Greek mythology. Oceans are vast, and will erode materials over time. We can only see so far down in the depths of the sea, and, similar to space and the human brain, there is still so much we do not know. Neptune can represent illusion, slipperiness, and the subconscious. With Mars and Neptune in a sextile, their meeting suggests a supportive gesture. This transit speaks to inflammatory issues. There is heat and dampness present, potentially heated or aggressive events occurring near or on water. There is also a sense that something has bubbled up to the surface that has been building or festering for a long time.
July 7
A few days later, Neptune will station retrograde in Aries. As you know, my belief is that retrograde cycles are akin to the principle of Sankofa offering an opportunity to “go back and fetch” something that was left behind. Neptune being an outer planet is associated with a long-term, generational timeframe. As mentioned, it is responsible for the subconscious realm. Neptune transits can be hard to decipher reality from illusion. Once Mars has made a sextile to Neptune, it has pierced into the veil. During this retrograde cycle, it will likely be difficult to discern, but we are also being asked not to lose sight of whatever Neptune is asking us to retrieve. Wade through the water cautiously and with intention.
July 9
On July 9th Venus will enter Virgo. This transit is a vibe shift from Fire to Earth. Venus is said to be in Fall in the sign of Virgo, due to their differing temperaments. Venus is warm and moist, while Virgo is dry and moderately cool. Venus is associated with goddesses of love, attraction, and creativity such as Demeter and Persephone in Greek culture, Inanna the Sumerian goddess, and Oshun in the Yoruba pantheon—among many more stories. It’s important to note that Venusian mythology from various sources also associates this deity with female warriors, representing the dynamic between passion and aggression. These themes will continue to unfold through Venus’ transit through the sign of the maiden, or the sovereign one.
July 12
Approaching mid-July we’ll have a Mercury cazimi that will occur on July 12th. The planet of communication and thinking and commerce will be in the heart of the Sun in Cancer. Mercury retrograde is retracing steps, backtracking, and re-membering what was put aside. In Cancer, Mercury is in Cardinal water, water that has its sights set upon a return to the ocean. It has direction, but along the way can become engulfed in constant change or swept into the body of other water systems. Directed by the Moon, Cancer feels and brings us close into the chest, to the center. Memory is essential to this Mercury retrograde cycle. It is our source of power.
Other manifestations of this cazimi might look like disruption to clear thinking or difficulty with coherence. We might see issues happening around water or water ways, especially related to shipping of goods, or supplies. With the Sun illuminating these themes, we can’t ignore, or unsee what has been brought to light.
July 14
We have our first lunation on July 14th with the New Moon in Cancer. The Moon is in her sign of domicile, with the capacity to be fully embodied. Fresh off of the Mercury cazimi, just a few days prior, the two luminaries—the Moon and the Sun—are within 2 degrees of Mercury in retrograde. Both are lending their wisdom to Mercury’s process of reflection and introspection. The Moon shares the gift of memory while the Sun illuminates the present, as well as what is ahead on the horizon. On a personal level, this New Moon is helpful for nurturing the aspects of life that are associated with Cancer, including the home and emotional health. In astrology, the Moon is associated with the body of individuals and/or the people as a collective body. Thus, this lunation also speaks strongly to themes related to groups of people, the collective, and the power of the people. Watch for information regarding organized events, and take care when gathering in large groups.
An interesting fact from history is that on this day in 1970, the Young Lords, a predominantly Puerto Rican group of community activists, stormed Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx in New York City. They claimed the hospital as their own, flying the Puerto Rican flag from the roof and displaying signs from widows that read “Welcome to the people’s hospital” and “Bienvenidos al hospital del pueblo.” The 12-hour occupation, which involved the well-known community acupuncturist, Dr. Mutulu Shakur, as well as the Black Panthers, was focused on demanding better conditions for patients, and for the implementation of more holistic rehabilitation treatment, including the use of auricular acupuncture.
As a licensed acupuncturist and community healthcare worker, I am deeply grateful for their activism and organizing, which was crucial not only to the integration of acupuncture specifically, but more broadly to the reform of public health care in the U.S.
July 20
On July 20th Jupiter in Leo will oppose Pluto in Aquarius. This is another recurrence, this time harkening back to the summer of 1789, a little over a decade after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with the start of the French Revolution. According to historical records, the onset of this violent battle was in part due to France’s costly involvement in the American Revolutionary War. At that time, Jupiter in Leo was opposing Pluto retrograde in Aquarius around 17 degrees—very similar to their current positions in the sky.
This transit speaks to the all-encompassing nature of war, where the American Revolution and the French Revolution occurred in succession, both intimately tied together. It denotes how interwoven our history is with that of other countries and nations. And, interestingly, it also highlights a rare but important aspect pattern referred to as Barbault’s Basket, which is said to signify a pivotal or peak time in history that marks a great restructuring of the current reality we know. This basket or cradle pattern involves the following planets, which are all anchored at 4 degrees of their respective signs.
Pluto Rx in Aquarius opposing Jupiter in Leo
Neptune Rx in Aries sextile Pluto Rx and trine Jupiter
Uranus in Gemini sexile Neptune Rx and trine Jupiter
Jupiter expands and encompasses. Ruling both Sagittarius and Pisces, it sees through to the spirit of a thing. Pluto does something similar as the modern ruling planet of Scorpio. It digs through to find what is hidden. Both planets speak to the nature of power, in their own way. Jupiter can represent the benevolence or boastfulness of a leader. Pluto can reveal an intensity of passion or the will to dominate. The oppositional aspect in astrology is of the nature of Saturn. It can be polarizing, where either side is pulling against the other in an attempt to gain ground.
Lastly, astronomically Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system made mostly of gas, while Pluto has been reclassified as a dwarf planet and is made primarily of rock and ice. Pluto is smaller than our smallest planet, Mercury. Thus, this transit also speaks to a variation in size, scale, and substance between these two planets. Mythologically, it speaks to the interplay between the god of the Sky and the god of the Underworld, bringing to our attention the principle of “as above, so below.”
July 22
This brings us to the Sun’s ingress into the sign of Leo, occurring on July 22nd. The Sun, much like Jupiter, is also composed mostly of gas. Where I live, July is always laden with heat and dampness. The air is sticky and thick, and most of my plants are in heaven. When the Sun enters Leo, it returns to its home sign, where it is most comfortable and at ease. In the tangle of intense transits, the Sun returning to the Fixed fire of Leo can offer a sense of stability.
July 23
Both the Sun and Chiron are going through a sort-of homecoming. On July 23d, the Sun in its domicile in Leo and will square Chiron in Taurus, the sign where it was first discovered in 1977.
Squares represent tension, being similar to the nature of Mars. The Sun is the central organizing principle in our solar system, and symbolizes esteem and vitality. The Sun emits heat and electricity, and we are drawn towards its warmth. Chiron is a hybrid asteroid-comet, one of many Centaurus in our solar system. Chiron asks for reconciliation of the seemingly disparate parts of ourselves. It calls for tensegrity, for acknowledgement of the push-pull nature between the material and spiritual realm. At 90 degrees, friction builds to initiate a vital catalyst. With this transit, remember, I want you to remember that it is not necessary to be consumed by external factors to find the healing transformation you seek.
On the same day, Mercury will station direct in Cancer. In the days that follow it will pick up speed to resume its usual swift footed pace. At this point, things related to communications, thinking, and technologies will have more clarity. Perhaps, we’ve found or reclaimed whatever it is we went looking for at the beginning of this retrograde cycle. There may be a need to re-review in the coming weeks. Triple checking anything that was put into deed through written contract or verbal agreement. Still, the messenger planet is still in the territory of Cancer, of cardinal water. We’ll need to wade through while holding on to whatever insight was gleaned. Might as well let it be a buoy.
July 26
Inching closer to the end of the month, the Nodes will shift from the Mutable axis to the Fixed axis, from the open ocean and vast field to the stable hearth and dense clouds. In other words: On July 26th, the Nodes will move from the Pisces and Virgo axis to the Leo and Aquarius axis.
The North node, head of the dragon, or Rahu as it is called in Vedic astrology, will open its jaw to Aquarius. Rahu represents the unquenchable thirst for the material, for the nectar of life. It is the yearning that drives ambition and desire. The South Node is called Ketu, the body of the dragon, and represents a detachment from the material world. Ketu awakens the spirit and liberates the body. Ketu will empty into Leo, a release from material constraint.
Geologically, you might imagine the North and South Nodes are akin to rivers, the way they snake and meander between the body of the land. Rivers have heads and tails, too. Their source or headwaters typically begin at high elevations, while their tailwaters, or mouths, empty into a larger body of water or back into a landscape.
With the North Node entering Aquarius, yearning takes the form of concentrated thought, or a collected, connected mind. In nature, I think of Aquarius as thick bands of clouds that commonly populate the rainforest to distribute water between the North and South poles. This dense procession is responsible for maintaining atmospheric balance, it enables us to breathe.
The South Node in Leo symbolizes the letting go, or burning away of the ego, the sense of entitlement that keeps us separate. It detaches through fire, tosses the haunts of extreme self- importance into the flame. It readies the heart for more love and more depth: a long-awaited medicine.
On the same day, as the embers burn, slow-moving Saturn will station retrograde in the late afternoon in the sign of Aries. Another opportunity to retrieve something that was forgotten—now on offer from the master timekeeper.
July 27
The story rounds with the Sun in Leo opposing Pluto in Aquarius on July 27th, activating the Nodes, still settling along this axis. This opposition tugs the cord between self-expression and collaboration. Points on a spectrum, one staring back at the other. The all-seeing eye of the Sun in its home, is concentrating its gaze towards the edges of our known Universe. Perhaps asking, what exists beyond these wilds?
July 29
On July 29th, the Sun will conjoin Jupiter in Leo. The core of our solar system meets up with the largest planet in our solar system. Under a conjunction, symbolism merges. The Sun perceives the wisdom of Jupiter, or the tyrant's ambition grows unchecked. Both truths are always possible.
The arrival of the Full Moon in Aquarius will also occur on July 29th. During this lunation, the Moon sits next to Pluto within a close orb of influence; both are opposing the Sun and Jupiter, still conjoined. In Aquarius, we remain under Saturn’s domain, retrograde in Aries.
In fact, by the month’s end, three planets are retrograde: Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn. Pluto’s retrograde cycle lasts from May 6th to October 15th. Neptune will be retrograde from July 7th to December 12th. And, Saturn will be retrograde from July 26th to December 10th. Herein, there are three opportunities to retrace the path to this point.
Where are we now, and what did it cost to get here? This is an important question to contemplate, individually and collectively.
The answer to this inquiry might not be immediate, but it will remain central throughout August, as the month opens with Chiron retrograde in Taurus and Aries. Yet another return toward reflection and review of the past. This time, to understand the dynamic between wounding and wisdom. Remember, Chiron is more than one thing, astronomically and metaphorically. In August, under the influence of multiple retrograde cycles, there is an opportunity to explore the power of Chiron’s prophetic gifts.
You can book a personal reading with me to explore how the month of July is impacting your chart, or explore partnership opportunities for multi-session astrological coaching.