July 2023's astrology transits, in a more mindful way

I'm sure you all have heard the hullabaloo about the astrology of July's transits in 2023. The nodes are shifting signs, Venus is going into retrograde in Leo, and Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto are also all in retrograde. We also have the full Moon in Capricorn happening on July 3rd in the sign of Capricorn, but that will be covered in happy horoscopes more extensively. So let's dive into this month's transits.

Venus retrograde happens about every 18 months, for approximately 2 months at a time. In Leo, Venus calls attention to our relationship with ourselves, but also the role we play in our relationships with everyone else. How can we say things in a more loving way? That's what Venus asks of us. We're asked to see where we have messed up, done wrong, and how we can smooth it over, but also fix it. Leo is the sign of self and self-expression, so it's important to know where we've said something that impacted someone else or hurt their feelings, so we can fix it. It reminds us that our relationships in this world are truly all we have.

Because Venus is the planet of love, relationships, and money, we may also be called to think about our role in the world. Have we given back? What can we do to be less selfish? How can we break out of ourselves, and lend a hand to one another? Venus calls attention to our role in creating a better world around us. Will we get a lot quieter, less divisive, more loving? Who knows. The transits are in our hands, and it's our job to make them what we can. Remember,

“No act of kindness is too small. The gift of kindness may start as a small ripple that over time can turn into a tidal wave affecting the lives of many."

-Kevin Heath

Venus in retrograde reminds us that our choices matter. In the greater world around us, in our relationships, and in our relationship to ourselves. This is a time of introspection and thinking - not just about ourselves, but how we relate to others. It's about facing the responsibility we have, to ourselves, others, and the world. We owe it to ourselves to take the risk we've been wanting to.

The nodes represent a lot of things, as I've covered extensively here. But the nodes changing signs, as other astrologers have pointed out, indicate a collective shift. We go from having the south node in Scorpio to having a south node in Libra, and from having a north node in stable Taurus to one in fiery and passionate Aries.

So let's do a review of the past year and a half, the semisextile, and what we can learn from the lunar nodes shifting zodiac signs. We've seen the economy grow, and grow, and grow, and inflation rise, and rise, and rise. (Seriously, why the hell were eggs $6?) We've also seen scarcity mindset (a Scorpio thing) and less of a one-for-all approach. People are focused on where they can save - because that's what we need. But you know what happens when things aren't equal, as Libra says? We flip back over to Aries, and get pissed. The shift in signs is a natural progression of things. And that is the nature of the semisextile aspect.

So the shift from Scorpio and Taurus to Libra and Aries represents something very vital - where can we create harmony in our lives, in ourselves, and most importantly, with others? I know anger gets a lot of shit, but to loosely quote Brene Brown, emotions tell us something. Anger tells us where we've been slighted, that there's something wrong there. It also gives us fuel and courage to create, hopefully, long lasting change that is good for the self and the collective at large. Anger creates motivation, which gives us a vision to create something that is more fair and loving for those around us.

Another interpretation relates to another part of the core of Aries and Libra polarity. How we fit into the relationships around us. Our passion for our friends. Creating peace with other people (or riling them up). It doesn't feel like a coincidence that the nodes are shifting signs when Venus is in retrograde. A lot of the lessons to learn may come on very fast, very soon.

(As a side note, I also think that it's cute that Venus retrograde coincides with the Barbie Movie, which I really want to see with my mom. I also think it's neat that Barbie is going through her nodal reversal in all of this, and that transit Mercury will be loosely trine her north node and Venus in Aries. That's another Aries Pisces semisextile thing - believing you can do anything. Which Barbie has pushed young girls to do.)

And then we get into Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto all being in retrograde. Pluto revisits Capricorn to make us rethink our work, what really matters to us, and asks, "Is this tradition, or the way that things have always been done, really right for me?" Neptune asks us to cut through the fog and see through the thick of it - is our vision helping or hindering us? Can we go back to the drawing board? That being said, Neptune and Pluto are in a tight sextile towards the end of the month. We may feel as if now is the time to create change for the person we want to be, and the life we want to live. We may also ask ourselves if our workplace is really great for us.

Saturn is in retrograde in Pisces, opposite transit Mars in Virgo. We are planning where to direct our energy. We're also focused on healing - the mind, body, and the soul. I know this won't be the experience for everyone, but I've found Saturn in Pisces to be quite therapeutic, what about you?

And then we hit the Full in Capricorn, and the New Moon in it's opposite sign, Cancer. The New Moon is opposite Pluto, loosely. It is also sextile Uranus. It's a time for growth and change. To learn more about how the Moon phases affect you, this article is a really good one.

So here are some questions to ask ourselves this month:

What can we do to be kinder to those around us?
How can we create change in our own lives?
What in our lives is currently out of whack, that needs our attention?
What are some small acts of kindness you can do for your coworkers, friends, family, or strangers on the street?
How can we invest more in our relationships and practice patience?