With three planetary ingresses in as many days, this is one of those weeks where the whole cast seems to change.
After a few weeks of tender mood-reading in Cancer, Mercury will enter Leo on July 27th. In ordinary circumstances, Mercury in Leo is gold-tongued and grandiloquent. However substantial (or not) the content, Mercury in Leo charms you in the delivery — and suddenly you’re driving away from the dealership in an SUV with all the fabric protectors and extended warranties, when all you wanted was a no-frills sedan.
However, with Mercury coasting toward an opposition with Saturn all this week, the Most Valuable Salesperson meets a stern judge. While Saturn’s influence may bring quality control to the contents inside Mercury’s flashy packaging, it will be all too easy to self-scrutinize, self-doubt, and self-censor. This is one of those “everything in moderation” moments. Do practice self-awareness and self-reflection, but if your self-talk starts to sound despotic, vaudeville-hook the critic off the stage.
On the other side of the sky, Jupiter will retrograde back into Aquarius on July 28th. The jolly ol’ benefic will return to its saltwater domicile by the end of the year, but until then, Jupiter grants wishes via the air element once more, blowing your birthday candles and surfing dandelion seeds on scrolls of wind. Whatever projects you initiated in the Aquarius corner of your life during the first part of the year: they’ll enjoy a resurgence. This is a time to recharge your lucky talismans, to reimagine the growth you want to invoke, and to re-utter your prayers and propitiations.
Jupiter’s return to Aquarius coincides with an opposition to Mars on July 29th, announcing this transit with a blaze of fireworks. Neither Jupiter nor Mars are known for self-restraint, so it may help to identify your limits and boundaries in advance. The mood is boisterous and blustering, but an awful lot of momentum will be summoned in the process. Where do you want to channel it?
When Mars enters Virgo the same day, July 29th, the red planet de-puffs its chest and gets surgical. If a certain degree of bombast and heart-centered ferocity was necessary on the battlefield of late June and July, the work in front of us right now might call for a more quiet, methodical, and focused precision. If Mars is a knife, Mars in Virgo is an itty-bitty scalpel. In this sign, Mars knows it’s better to measure twice and cut once, but when provoked, it’ll take a red pen to any hot mess of a rough draft in its path.
Finally, on August 1st, Mercury will flutter into the heart of the Sun, where the messenger has a rare chance to bend the Sovereign’s ear. As Mercury rules communication, this cazimi moment is auspicious for all writing, speaking and learning endeavors, as well as clearing your mind for mental downloads. However, that opposition to Saturn that Mercury’s been slogging toward all week will be closer than ever. While this moment could be ideal for redefining boundaries, or strengthening a structure or container, self-limiting thoughts and blocks may emerge.
Happily, reality-checks are another one of Saturn’s fortes. Everyone’s negative self-talk can veer toward fact-distortion at times — now more so than usual. If you’re giving yourself the third degree, you may as well include your inner-auditor in the interrogation. Did everyone really notice that you had blueberry in your teeth that whole Zoom call, and will the world really end?
Your horoscopes are meant to be read as inspiration. If you know both your rising sign and sun sign, please read both horoscopes. You’ll know which one resonates more for you from week to week. Take what works for you, and leave the rest. If you want to share this work, please credit the source by quoting it and providing a link to this post and website. Thank you for your support and for spreading the work around. We really appreciate it and you.
The following horoscopes were written by Steph Koyfman (The Daily Hunch), Thea Anderson, and Eliza Robertson.
Aries & Aries Rising
As the fleet-footed messenger streaks into Leo, embrace the drama and pyrotechnics that come with putting your creative offspring on display. Pontificate, story-tell and detour into the passion pursuits that light you up.
If creative blocks loom, return to the scaffolding or project outline that lends you something to grip onto. Explore what can be achieved simply by showing up, even if the fountain of the muses is taped with a temporary Out of Order sign.
On July 28th, Jupiter returns to the covenstead of your life to finish some of the community-building it started last December. As Jupiter dances off with Mars the next day, all your pomp and circumstance are required. What wish candles are you burning for your community, and what fuel are these ventures requiring now?
Starting July 29th, Mars in Virgo will deliver you to the workshop or the recovery bench. Your efforts over the next few weeks will have to involve some diligence (as in: showing up fully for the task at hand) or discernment (as in: having the wits to quit while you’re ahead).
This could literally just mean you’re going to be hard at work in a way that feels like progress, or it could mean you’re going to push yourself to the point of needing a time out. It’ll be easy to get caught up in the snarl of a messy seam you’re trying to unstitch. Remember that you’re never too experienced to play apprentice when you feel stuck.
While Mercury’s cazimi on August 1st may word its messages sternly, the grains of self-realization that result will help guide your path through creative blocks. The path to producing masterpieces may be long and bumpy, but there’s a reason we call a “work of art” work.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Taurus & Taurus Rising
On July 27th, Mercury zips into Leo, ready to turn up the heat on your domain and domesticity. Yet the work here is deeper than the gold-embellished facade of your home. With Mercury approaching an opposition to Saturn all week, knowledge of family systems comes to light via soulful self-reflection.
What have you inherited and what actually belongs to you? Databases and online archives have made accessing the ancestral past more convenient, but the work of reclaiming your truth still requires some effort and honesty.
On July 28th, Jupiter returns to Aquarius to reboot the professional pathfinding in your life it started last December. If you’re someone who struggles to declare what you want too loudly, for fear of taking up space or feeling embarrassed if your dreams don’t pan out, this is a moment to cup your palms around the flame of your self-confidence.
Of course, there’s a difference between knowing your worth and getting bombastic, but it’s okay if that dance requires some trial and error.
Meanwhile, Mars’ transit through Virgo brings the opportunity to workshop your pleasure and modes of self-expression. While that might sound like a mechanical approach to something that should burst out of you organically, good technique is the bedrock of all creative acts.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Gemini & Gemini Rising
Expound, elaborate and show off as the planet of clever steps into Leo on July 27th. The written word is fodder for your next post to do numbers, and you’ll feel inspired to embellish the tale with your signature stamp and flair.
As Mercury meanders toward an opposition with Saturn, however, the inkling that it may be time to take a water break is likely correct. Has all the charming banter left room for any actual discourse? The magic sauce of meaningful communication is to speak from the heart. And the heart is always generous.
On July 28th, Jupiter returns to Aquarius to finish the spiritual and intellectual pathfinding in your life it started. The friendly giant’s return party begins with an unsubtle opposition to Mars in Leo. While there’s potential here for bombast, this fire can be channelled toward tremendous courage. It takes daring to speak truth to power, and at the moment, daring is not a quality you lack.
As Mars enters Virgo on July 29th, you’ve got a list of things that need fixing around the house and a certain amount of industriousness to help you move methodically through your tasks. If home has fallen anywhere short of feeling like a sanctuary, this is actually the perfect storm of “feeling your dissatisfaction and getting fired up enough to do something about it.”
From the cosmetic alterations to the intricate wiring of how your family systems are currently functioning, Mars in Virgo brings the repair kit for whatever feels amiss.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Cancer & Cancer Rising
On July 27th, Mercury flits into Leo and wants to know the story of your prized possessions. Do you really need three of the same wool blankets or reading lamps, and if so, maybe it’s time to put them on display?
With Mercury sidling up to the Sun all week, the winged messenger nudges you back to the real source of value: you. Circling back to this core truth reinforces your worth more than any outside assessment or digital currency portfolio ever could.
The honey pots you share with others, and those you keep for your own security, may get spiked with hot sauce around July 28th, when Mars opposes Jupiter from the tail end of Leo.
This isn’t a subtle showdown, and you may feel tension between your urge to share everything and your fear of leaving yourself without. Of course, there’s a middle path between these extremes. One way to find it is to defang your fears by speaking candidly about them and identifying to yourself what you need.
When Mars enters Virgo on July 29th, you get fiery about the nitty-gritty aspects of your technique. For the next few weeks, consistency is your jam and diligence your butter. Creating a practice out of practice is like taking a million tiny steps toward greatness.
While verbal exchanges could feel pointy with Mars in this corner of your chart, they’re also to the point. With all the word-mincing we’re trained to do, the courage to say exactly what you’re thinking arrives as a gift and a relief.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Leo & Leo Rising
Mercury arrives at your throne room of Leo on July 27th, here to trumpet, proclaim, perform all that is you. For a little over two weeks, you’ve got a personal speech writer at your side, helping rebrand your thoughts into well-told, if not slightly embellished, quips and slogans.
On July 28th, Jupiter’s first day back in Aquarius, the grandiose benefic opposes hot-headed Mars in Leo. This isn’t a subdue dialogue, and all your pomp and big hair are invited.
What are you hoping to build right now in the realm of best friends and beloveds? Jupiter tends to listen to propitiations, but with the friendly giant still retrograde, there’s no rushing these growth spurts. You can start by investing some of your own trust, vulnerability and optimism.
Meanwhile, Mars in Virgo might find you feeling keen to ration your expenditures a little more carefully. With so much compounded focus on the balance of give and take in your life right now, the surgeon’s scalpel helps you winnow your budget — not just to spend more within your means, but also to correct various forms of lopsided reciprocity in your relationships.
As Mercury approaches a confrontation with Saturn at the end of the week, platitudes fall short in place of good old-fashioned heart-bearing. Your bold and bright light illuminates lessons of what it means to trade in bravado for honesty and integrity, especially when under pressure.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Virgo & Virgo rising
Mercury makes a stopover in Leo, the “privacy-please” part of your chart, on July 27th. If anyone can carry a lamp through this mystical terrain, it’s the psychopomp. Use this two-week window to journal on selfhood and self-expression. Stream-of-consciousness writing invites rays of insights into subtle heart yearnings.
The next day, Jupiter returns to Aquarius to refuel your daily work and health rituals. Your work roles may have expanded between December of last year and May 2021, and with them, your responsibilities. For the next few months, the more committed you are to investing in practices that help you heal your relationship to your body, the more you are able to tend.
The welcome back party begins on a heated note, as Jupiter faces off against Mars in Leo. What this transit lacks in subtlety, it compensates in horsepower momentum. You may feel tension between your tendency to say yes to every task and the urge to rip all computer cords out of the wall.
Of course, there’s a middle path between these extremes. Saying no requires more courage than saying yes, and honoring your boundaries is one of the highest gestures of self-respect.
To the extent that things feel amiss, Mars in Virgo amps you up with the pragmatic confidence to do something about it. There’s a lot that could benefit from your diligent attention right now, but remember that not everything can.
On August 1st, the work of throwing light on the blackout stage really begins, and it does so with a gut feeling. Close the curtains, mute the device. While the Do Not Disturb sign is posted, get acquainted with radical ideas on what it means to wear the crown behind the scenes. Creative sparks are born in this space.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Libra & Libra Rising
We all possess the divine right to take up space, and when Mercury blazes into Leo on July 27th, you’re reminded to do just that. Call your friends to your table and start brainstorming. This part of the chart has everything to do with your mini and grand collectives, as well as the dreams you nurse for the future.
As Mercury approaches its opposition with Saturn, remember that there’s a critic in every crowd. Not everyone can be dazzled by theatrics and charisma. Instead, make constructive feedback your biggest motivator. When you hold your ideas to rigorous standards, they deliver surprising rewards for you and people of like mind.
Just don’t let the inner-critic claim spend too long on its soapbox. If you’re inclined to self-scrutinize, you may as well scrutinize the scrutinizer. Like everything, the path between self-awareness and self-doubt requires a nimble sense of balance.
When Jupiter retrogrades back into Aquarius on July 28th, your pleasure chest receives a restock. Whatever creative projects you initiated between December of last year and May 2021, it’s time to reopen those files, notebooks or tubes of paint. Jupiter deals in a magic of expansion. The call right now is to explore the path of your fertile curiosity.
Another person’s critique might feel more like a betrayal or sneak attack under the auspices of Mars in Virgo. Whether you’re justified in taking it personally is probably a less important takeaway than what this signals to you about your willingness to extend yourself grace.
In Virgo, Mars aims to dissect. Turning this fine-tipped blade against your self-defeating patterning instead of spiraling in a cycle of negative self-talk would obviously be ideal, but if the best you can manage is to reach for the more accessible forms of self-care, that’s doing plenty.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Scorpio & Scorpio Rising
Revamping your elevator pitch proves promising as Mercury steps into the golden arms of Leo on July 27th. As the attention in the room shifts to you, why not emphasize the ‘show’ in show and tell. It’s high noon in your public sphere and you’ve got the gift of gab to broadcast your accomplishments.
On the other side of your chart, Jupiter’s return to Aquarius lends your home life part two of a system refresh. The more committed you are to shoring up your nest and family relationships, the more you’re able to enjoy the inner space available to you.
Tracing the threads of your lineage, or honoring your people with an ancestral altar, will be nurturing practices right now. Just don’t get too hung up on how family should look — there is no such thing as “normal” here or anywhere.
Meanwhile, Mars in Virgo calls for all hands on deck in your social life. No one ever said teamwork was easy, especially if you can’t all agree on what the problem is. For now, agreeing on the problem is task enough.
As Mercury prepares for its dance-off against Saturn, the messenger planet wants you to relinquish notions of ‘winning’ that are dependent on other people’s opinions. Yes, shots of external validation go down easy, but nothing feels quite as fulfilling as a deep trust and celebration of your own self-worth.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising
On July 27th, Mercury lands into the Leo playground and your motto is once again to think far and wide. This is a time to indulge your passion for the places and studious pursuits that resonate with your latest hooks of curiosity. Think of these as CliffsNotes to the dissertation of You.
With Jupiter back in Aquarius as of July 28th, the more committed you are to honestly articulating your ideas, the more you’re able to attract the right attention. This transit begins with hot sauce on your tongue as the friendly giant faces off with Mars in Leo. This isn’t a discreet encounter, and it may find you re-evaluating your relationship with a learning tradition or teacher.
Go slow in this process. With Jupiter still retrograde until mid-October, any backward steps are pre-planned into the itinerary. Sometimes you only realize how much of the world you miss when you trace a new route through your neighborhood. What appears like backtracking opens fields of fresh insight and awareness.
For the most part, these next few weeks of Mars in Virgo will find you taking on a more visible role, involving your ability to finesse those efficiency hacks. That said, don’t be surprised if you go viral for a complaint or critique you pen, or if you decide to use that scalpel to cut cords with a boss or employer who’s cramping your style.
Ultimately, this transit is for gaining recognition for your ability to cut the crap and not cut corners.
A pit stop invites you to assemble new information on August 1st. Which wisdom traditions make most sense to you? What sacred rites are you eager to integrate into a fulfilling practice?
If you experience hesitation on your way to polishing your library of self, know that real wisdom doesn’t require a pilgrimage. It starts with your unique and divinely inspired spark. Go ahead and make a spectacle of what you’ve learned.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Capricorn & Capricorn Rising
Mercury flashes into Leo on July 27th, eager to count inventory in the shadow space of collaborations and shared resources. For a two-week stint, the planet of calculation gives you the tools to sort through the products of your unions. Immerse yourself in spreadsheets, talk out your math, and take pride in what you’ve created with another’s heart and mind.
Jupiter’s return to Aquarius the next day will infuse growth hormones into your personal piggy banks. Consider what windfalls you gathered between December of last year and May 2021. This is part two of that bonanza. Jupiter’s return to this area will restore your abundance mindset and help you work with what you have.
Meanwhile, Mars in Virgo is here to poke holes in your favorite theories and stress-test the validity of your beliefs. On some level, this is a continuation of the existential pulse check that began when Venus entered Virgo on July 21st. With Mars in the picture, the interrogation gets a little less merciful as you slice and dice your way to the point.
Do ground your intellectual roaming through concrete mapping and planning, but don’t get twisted up in the minutia of how you’ll travel from a to b. As Mercury approaches its conjunction with the Sun on August 1st, what normally gets swept under the table emerges into the daylight, requiring some heartfelt dialogues to detangle.
Lean into the wild ride that the melding of minds and hearts offers. While Mercury is in Leo, the stage is yours to speak from the heart and burn through any clouds of ambiguity.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Aquarius & Aquarius Rising
Mercury zips into Leo on July 27th, brightening your one-on-one time. The planet of conversation is set on weaving an entertaining tale like an epic toast. Use the mic to enthrall and delight your cherished persons as if they were an audience of thousands.
Jupiter returns to Aquarius on July 28th, refilling your chalice with the life-giving nectar of your choosing. Whatever personal projects you initiated in the first quarter of the year: it’s time for round two. The more you learn to accept yourself, shaggy edges and all, the more you’re able to forgive your foibles, bask in your wins, and carve space for all that growing.
Consider that Jupiter’s bounty is often more than material: what are you learning from these growth cycles? Which pearls of wisdom are worth more than their oyster-grit counterparts? What grace can you enact now, without waiting for permission or divine intervention?
Meanwhile, Mars in Virgo says it’s time to go through your recurring expenses with a delicate razor and sever some energetic and financial cords. In your efforts to weed out the exchanges that have grown complacent or inefficient, Mars hands you a fine-tipped instrument that helps you make specific and deliberate adjustments.
On some level, this is also about the due diligence you bring to your skillset and professional life. Your collaborations bring you life, and they also bring you much fodder in this regard. It’s totally appropriate to be picky about who you agree to do trades with.
As Mercury approaches its conjunction with the Sun on August 1st, the pattern of more monologue than dialogue stutters to a halt. Listen in on the hunch that your partner in this stage play would like more lines. Releasing expectations of how the evening or relationship “should” go will free you up to enjoy the junctures of fizzy connection that feel all the more precious because they’re unplanned.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.
Pisces & Pisces Rising
On July 27th, Mercury arrives at Leo’s bonfire, ready to engage the systems and rituals that sustain you. The problem-solver planet always keeps a few tricks up its winged helmet to address bumps in your routine. Your ability to apply brilliant fixes over the next two weeks will save the day more than once, making you the most beloved hacker-witch in the office.
As Mercury approaches its conjunction with the Sun, peer deeper at the operating system of your life. Examine everything that warrants an overhaul. Such improvements may temporarily slow your progress but any innovation takes time.
The solution crunching and routine maintenance may feel sub-glamorous, but when you troubleshoot your way out of a dead-end, and help others too, you’ll find yourself at the center of a swell of gratitude and thank you notes.
Meanwhile, after a spa retreat in Pisces, in which your own chalice was polished and filled to the brim, Jupiter dips back into Aquarius on July 28th. Fear not: whatever bounty you’ve been revelling in will have a round two by the end of the year. In the meantime, Jupiter in Aquarius rekindles the lanterns in the backrooms of your life.
The more you’re willing to withdraw your energy from the chaos of the world, the more brain space you’ll carve for the private wishes and dreams you’re still fermenting.
As Mars saunters into the precise and exacting terrain of Virgo on July 29th, it becomes especially apparent that your livelihood thrives on relationships. Like any good gardener understands, keeping the field clear of weeds is both an act of care and survival.
Approaching the issue with fine-tipped shears increases your odds of preserving the healthy parts. You don’t have to disrupt the whole partnership in order to nip one tiny issue in the bud. Working through relationship concerns is often a lot easier when you call out specific behaviors rather than attacking the whole person. The diligence you bring to this process helps speed up the healing process after the fact.
This week Mercury nestles into the Sun’s heart and Jupiter returns to Aquarius. We’ve got you covered with altar suggestions + ritual on the CHANI app.