Astrological Forecasts

Heads Up!

The Writer’s Astrological Almanac

by Kathy Watts

July 2017

All times are PDT.

July! Get ready for fireworks, hopefully of your own making. The month is full of big luck, big society, and big business. And, it starts on Saturn’s day of the week, so get serious in a big way. The Sun will soon be going home and will meet Mars there. Get inspired, then perspire and pump it out!

Sat July 1 the Moon is in Libra all day and conjoins Jupiter in the wee smalls. Get lucky with your friends and decompress a bit. You can write about it later.

Sun July 2 the Moon is in Libra when Mars opposes Pluto. Heads Up. Don’t instantly respond to snarky or overly negative criticism. File it away under “I’ll look at that at a better time, like when I feel like it.” Keep your temper under control and your options open, especially with editors or publishers.

Tue July 4 the Moon is in Scorpio when Venus changes signs, leaving her home Taurus and entering Gemini. Thoughts turn more urbane and attractive. Write for the glory as well as the gold. And yes, jealousy is a motivator, too. It’s the 4th of July in the US. Let freedom ring!

Wed July 5 the Moon is in Sagittarius all day. It doesn’t get bigger than that. In the afternoon, Mercury changes signs, leaving reflective Cancer and entering radiant Leo. Go ahead and use all those big words. Twenty-six minutes after Mercury enters Leo, the Sun makes a trine to Neptune. Heads Up for a reburnishing of your ideals. Two hours later the Sun makes a square to Jupiter. Heads Up for a reality check. Looks like we’re getting a month of Wednesdays with the Moon in mutable signs. People, people, everywhere. Hermits may not be happy this month.

Thu July 6 the Moon conjoins Saturn in Sagittarius. Slow down, be more precise and careful, and probably get more done. Don’t you love it when you add words to a piece and it just gets shorter and better?

Sat July 8 is the Full Moon in Capricorn. Heads Up. Focus on what is actually working, as well as what you want to have work. It’s a productive month. Two hours later, the Moon conjoins Pluto. You don’t need to get militant or anxious about anything. Heads Up.

Sun July 9, the Moon is still in Capricorn when the Sun opposes Pluto. Heads Up. Normally, I’d say the slower planet wins in a power struggle, but against the Sun? Listen to your better angels and win. An hour later, the Moon slips into Aquarius. We can relax that emotional death grip on that recalcitrant project now.

Wed July 12 the Moon is in Aquarius for the morning but enters emotional Pisces at 8:51 am. Pour your heart into your work, at least figuratively.

Thu July 13 the Moon conjoins Neptune in Pisces. Plotting? At least one of those characters is a hopeless romantic and shameless idealist.

Sun July 16 the Moon conjoins Uranus in Aries. Now there’s an appropriate aspect for Trinity Day. Outrageous can be good. Explosive? Only in extremely limited circumstances. Still, it can be therapeutic to write shocking material (but that doesn’t automatically mean that you need to show it to anyone).

Wed July 19 the Moon enters Gemini at 12:31 am. This gives us all day, all of Thursday, and the first hour of Friday to pursue our mercurial projects, to read, write, network, eavesdrop, and maybe back up our computers. Why not? At 12:16 pm, Mercury sextiles Saturn. It’s a benign but effective aspect to help keep us on track and honest about our work. Go for it!

Thu July 20 the Moon conjoins Venus in Gemini. Write something drop dead gorgeous to make the literary world proud. Also, Mars enters Leo today. Baby, won’t you light my fire? Put yourself, and your work, out there.

Fri July 21 the Moon leaves Gemini and goes home to Cancer at 1:09 am. Sweet dreams. Today is also the last day that the Sun spends in Cancer. Tomorrow the world may seem brighter, faster, and more fancy free. Heads Up.

Sat July 22 the Moon is still in Cancer when the Sun changes signs, leaves Cancer and enters its home sign Leo. Heads Up. Let the sun shine in! Writing can be your finest playtime. On a related note, today is the day before the new moon. The Sun may be bright now but the Moon is very dark. Heads Up, be safe, and play it safe.

Sun July 23 the very dark Moon enters Leo at 1:34 am. At 2:46 am is the New Moon at 00 Leo. Heads Up. Spend the month working on what best expresses your heart. At 4:41 am the squeaky new Moon conjoins Mars in Leo. Heads Up. Break free of any self-imposed restraints and let your passion shine. These early degrees of Leo are getting quite a workout.

Tue July 25 the Moon conjoins Mercury in Leo at 2:22 am and goes void of course for an hour. The Moon enters Virgo at 3:32 am. Not to be left behind, Mercury changes signs and enters Virgo at 4:41 pm. Thoughts get more organized if slightly less artistic. Not a bad thing. There is also great art in the most mundane. Now that was a workout for the final degrees of Leo.

Wed July 26 the Moon is in Virgo all day. Good thing, because at 5:57 pm the Sun conjoins Mars in Leo. It doesn’t get much more fiery than this. Heads Up. Tighten the seat belt and write write write. Avoid problematic people and let them argue with one another.

Fri July 28 the Moon conjoins Jupiter in Libra. It’s a great day to have lunch, or supper, with your cowriters or critique group.

Mon July 31 the Moon is in Scorpio when Venus changes signs for the second time this month, leaving Gemini and entering Cancer. Thoughts gets nostalgic and your work may take you on sentimental journeys of the mind.

Nobody gets to breeze through July. This month is work. The good news is that work is what we are all about. Does anyone just breeze through a perfect manuscript, or story, or three-line poem? I doubt it. With the Sun and Mars pushing us, we may not breeze through anything but we sure can motor through any delay or obstacle or excuse, lame or otherwise, especially in that last week. Flame on!

Onward and upward. Heads Up!