For the week of July 19th thru the 26th, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:

Aries

Aries is still adapting to this season of change and revision. That’s going to take a while and there’s no getting away from it. Nor is there any escape from Mercury retrograde and its annoying ways. Screens will freeze, and emails will get lost. However, for the rare few months that Mars is frolicking in Leo, it’s high time you hitched up your warrior knickers and dared to have a little fun! Show off your recreational skills, get all enthusiastic at your friend’s gig at the pub, laugh, dance, and just frolic away. It’s time to fulfill promises you made to yourself and others, and recharge those empty batteries as you prepare for the next leg of your journey. Joyous enthusiasm is the one great motivator for all of your endeavors. 

Taurus

Your ruling planet Venus comes rolling over the recent Lunar Eclipse point like a late-comer to the party this weekend. Now it’s Taurus’s turn to negotiate between conflicting obligations and priorities as you are pulled in opposite directions. When trying to decide how to weigh priorities, it might be helpful to consider not only what you should be doing out of sheer duty, but also not to diminish what feeds your heart and soul. If you just keep pouring out, all that will be left is an empty vessel. And that simply doesn’t look all that well on Taurus. However, once you get past the weekend, a natural flow between the mind and heart allows you to speak from the heart, and make positive connections with others, especially those you once knew so well. Good week for creative pursuits: writing, crafting and feeling inspired. 

Gemini

Mercury retrogrades back to warm and emotional Cancer for the next several weeks, also marking the beginning of the New Mercury cycle, which falls in the middle of the retrograde phase. Take some time out on Sunday to think about what qualities, habits or routines you might want to improve over the next few months. At the very least, take a few moments out for some personal introspection and contemplation. This is something of a re-set for Gemini, as you reacquaint yourself with your priority list. The week that follows is a good time to pay attention to that list, making it a point to pay attention and honor those people, activities and experiences that bring you joy and happiness. Ask yourself, what people and experiences feed your heart and soul? And what can you do to have more of that in your life?

Cancer

When retrograde Mercury passes in front of the Sun we experience something of a re-boot. This is when certain thoughts and tendencies, like seeds, are being planted in our mainstreams. These will set the tone for the next 90 day Mercury cycle to come. And although we may not be fully aware of what these mental seeds may be, we can also think in terms of what we might consciously like to focus on cultivating more of moving forward. Wanting to honor family, home and loved ones? Paying attention to your heart’s desires? Perhaps giving yourself permission to allow some down time from your busy life in order to pay attention to dreams, reflection and matters of the heart. The last quarter Moon on Wednesday should allow a more introspective period to emerge. Allow yourself to flow like the Moon this week, winding down for its last quarter phase. 

Leo

Fiery Mars continues to have Leo’s all fired up. All the more so over the coming week as it joins forces with enthusiastic Jupiter. There is both a righteous as well as a playful attitude when these two join forces. All the more so, when the Sun enters your home turf on Monday. This is the time of year when Leo shines its brightest. You are in your home field. And it’s time to play. Therefore find those people and activities that you play well with, and who like to play the same sort of games that you do. Leo is a sign of love and passion, whether that be the people you love, or the things you love to do, it’s time for you to follow your heart with joy and enthusiasm. Yeah, Mercury may still be all retrograde, and confusing things in the process. But who says you can’t have fun while doing so? 

Virgo

Retrograde Mercury moves back into Cancer for some unfinished business with friends and associates this week. Old associates and old friends may return, and with them come old reminders of hopes and aspirations that you once held so warmly. These wistful reminiscences are also reminders of what can also be achieved now. See if you can take a few moments on Sunday to just sit and reflect, both on the dreams that you once held, as well as those you are trying to cultivate now. And then also take a moment to reflect on those moments and times that have brought you the greatest happiness or deepest fulfillment. You might want to ask yourself, how you might be able to recapture similar moments and times, but more in context with the person you are now, and where you see yourself going from here. Then see if you can carry these positive thoughts and ideas with you through the week ahead. 

Libra

Venus will pass over the degree of the recent Lunar Eclipse point, bringing some hard truths home to be reckoned with. It could feel like you are having to make some hard choices between conflicting obligations and duties. But only you know what is right for you. One clue is to acknowledge those people, situations and activities that feed and nurture your soul, as opposed to those that drain and exhaust you. And if you can’t change your current circumstances, see how you can alter them another way, by shifting your heart and perspective. Amazing things can happen by merely changing the way we perceive things. And if you’ve forgotten to show your appreciation, good will and thank you’s; you will get a second chance to do so next week. And that could go both ways. It is a good time to tell people just how much they mean, and have meant to you. It is also an opportunity to feel appreciated.  

Scorpio

It may feel a little fruitless to try and get things started while Mercury (and many other planets as well) is still retrograde. It could feel like you are taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back. However, if you are trying to formulate some sort of goal or plan for the future, do not be dismayed. It just may be that there is still a lot of planning and connecting to be done behind the scenes. However, one thing that could become obvious, is that once you hit on the right formula, you’ll have enough enthusiasm to leap over any number of retrograde planets. Even if all the pieces are not yet quite in the right places, it could feel this week, like some sort of vision for the future is beginning to unfold. 

Sagittarius

Things could be moving quickly and smoothly this week. Sagittarius is feeling super charged. However, it would be wise to still be mindful of the fact that Mercury is still retrograde until the end of the month. Otherwise you will feel like you are doing the same tasks over and over again, like a hamster running on a wheel, and getting nowhere fast. And it probably will not help that plans are still likely to change before the month is out. Use the extra energy to take care of small individual tasks. Come August, all the pieces are going to soon feel like they are finally coming together and allowing you to move forward with your big goals. But in the mean time there are still a lot of things needing to get done in the background first. 

Capricorn

Do not allow a sense of obligation, duty, or even stubbornness, prevent you from making what could prove to be positive and meaningful connections with others. Circumstances and past events could have you torn. It is true that there are certain rules that should be followed under normal circumstances. But you won’t want to miss an opportunity to finally tell someone exactly what they mean to you. However, if you must do so, wait until after the weekend, when things can still be a little raw and painful. Once we allow any bad feelings to pass, there are lots of opportunities next week to make up for any bad feelings. It’s like a second chance to say things the right way. The way they should have been said in the first place. 

Aquarius

Take some time on Sunday to sit and reflect and think of the ways that you would like to improve or cultivate better habits, outlooks or routines in your life. What does it mean to live a healthier and more positive lifestyle for you? Would that mean a healthier diet, or better routine, that allows more rest as well as recreation? And when you consider cultivating a healthier lifestyle, this is not just about being physically healthier, it’s also about paying attention to your mental and psychological well-being as well. Remind yourself of those things and situations that have brought you happiness in the past. Then think about what you could do to cultivate that same sort of happiness now? Focus on those things that feed your mind, soul and body; not deplete it. 

Pisces

One of the positive things that Mercury retrograde can bring is the opportunity to reminisce and reflect on the past. This allows us to assimilate and process various experiences in our lives. It is the way that we learn and grow. It can also help to remind us of what can benefit us, as opposed to drain or deplete us. If you were to reflect on those times, those people or those experiences that brought you happiness and joy in your life, what would these look like? And what is the equivalence of that sort of joy and happiness now for you? And what could you do to cultivate and create more opportunities for joy and happiness in your life right now? These are ideas well worth considering as the Sun, retrograde Mercury, and Venus cross paths this week. It’s all about feeding and nurturing your soul.