July 5-August 4, 2024

Last lunar month, we started to get clarity about how we need to approach life after this point, which is different from how we were doing it before. The new approach to life is one where we act in ways that are quicker, easier, simpler, less complicated, less committal, and more independent. This is in stark contrast to the old way we were behaving, which was in ways that were long, drawn out, complicated, complex, and involved lots of commitments to other people. This new approach is needed now because life is getting easier, and a heavier hand is no longer appropriate. It is also because we are embracing new adventures in life, which we don’t fully understand yet or know how to involve people in correctly.

As a result, this month, we are now trying to get more courage to start putting these new behaviors into action. It is hard for us to get this courage and enact these new behaviors at first. That is because they still feel foreign to us, not what we are used to, ungrounded, and uncomfortable. It is also because our mind is all over the place with ideas and things we could do that is making us unfocused. However, we do eventually get some strength to overcome these issues and take steps forward, which may occur unexpectedly and be startling.

As we are taking steps forward in this new approach, we still feel uncomfortable about them. Not only that, but many conversations may be had, which can overwhelm us. As a result, some of us may be tempted back into old, unhelpful behaviors where we do things that are long, drawn out, complicated, and involve lots of commitments to others, without realizing we are doing it.

Those of us who are tempted backwards may then double down or commit to these unhelpful actions, which can bring out even more negative behaviors, such as over-work and people-pleasing, without us even realizing it.

This can then bring a lot of confusion, making us feel uneasy, like we just made the wrong choices that might come back to bite us later on (and be hard to get out of). It may take us some more time (into next lunar month) for us to begin to realize in a more conscious way what those incorrect choices are, why, and how to correct them.

Those who resist the temptation to act in long, drawn out, and complex ways (and persist in the easier and non-committal ones) may still feel uncomfortable all throughout this month, and face a lot of opposition from themselves and others with this new approach (where they feel guilty and ashamed). They will need to take the time (into next lunar month) to become more aware of this opposition and overcome it.

Explore this lunar month’s four major moon phases below.

New Moon in Cancer

Getting more courage to behave in new ways that are shorter and easier

July 5-13, 2024

We still feel uncomfortable with some new approach to life, where we act in ways that are shorter, easier, quicker, independent, and less committal. We are trying to get more courage in order to follow through on this new approach and experiment with it. However, our minds may still be racing and our emotions ungrounded, causing us to hesitate acting (and not do anything at all still) and feel frustrated or stuck.

Venus in Cancer square Chiron in Aries (July 5-6, 2024)
Mercury in Leo trine North Node in Aries (July 8, 2024)
Venus in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces (July 11, 2024)
Venus enters Leo (July 11, 2024)
Venus in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius (July 12, 2024)

First Quarter in Libra

Feeling tempted to indulge in unhelpful behaviors that are long, complex, and committed

July 13-21, 2024

We unexpectedly get the courage and strength to act in this new approach to life that is shorter, easier, and more independent (or things may happen to us unexpectedly inciting us to act). This may bring some uncomfortable shake-ups with relationships and money. As a result, we may still feel unsettled with this new approach and lack confidence in it. Some of us may then lose track of this new approach and fall back into old habits that are not helpful for this current moment in time without realizing it. Those unhelpful habits are ones in which we act in ways that are long, drawn out, complicated, and require lots of time, commitment, and help from others. Others of us may choose to resist temptation and continue in this different approach with more diligence but still feel uncomfortable with it. Lots of ideas and thoughts about the situation may emerge as a result. Lots of conversations may need to be had in order to work out some details.

Sun in Cancer square Chiron in Aries (July 14-15, 2024)
Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus (July 14-16, 2024)
Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow in Leo (July 16, 2024)
Mercury in Leo trine Chiron in Aries (July 18-19, 2024)
Venus in Leo trine North Node in Aries (July 19, 2024)
Mars enters Gemini (July 20, 2024)

Full Moon in Capricorn

Trying to decide on new behaviors and situations that allow them

July 21-27, 2024

We now make more firm decisions about what we want to do and how we want to do them that will set us on a particular path for the rest of the year. We then try to become more secure with these decisions and consider more possibilities with this different approach. However, our mind is still not thinking clearly. As a result, many of us may continue to be tempted backwards into more or other bad habits that are no longer useful without realizing it, such as working too much or too hard, and people pleasing. That can be difficult. Others of us may still resist the temptation to fall into over-work and people pleasing. However, they may still feel uncomfortable in this different approach, or receive opposition from others for their decisions. They can begin to feel lots of guilt and shame for proceeding in a shorter, easier, and non-committal way.

Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (July 21-22, 2024)
Mars in Gemini trine Pluto in Aquarius (July 21-22, 2024)
Sun enters Leo (July 22, 2024)
Sun in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius (July 22-23, 2024)
Mercury enters Virgo in pre-retrograde shadow (July 25, 2024)
Chiron retrograde in Aries (July 26, 2024)

Third Quarter Moon in Taurus

More temptations into unhelpful behaviors that make us uncomfortable

July 27-August 4, 2024

We are still trying to act in different ways in life that are easier, shorter and more independent (even though some of us are being tempted back into unhelpful habits without realizing that is what is happening). Those who are being diligent about the new approach continue to feel uncomfortable, guilty, or ashamed with it — or are receiving backlash from relationships for it. They are trying to become even more confident in themselves and this approach than before, and take it slowly while they get used to it. The other people who have been tempted back into unhelpful habits are devolving even more. They are also gradually starting to realize that maybe they just made a wrong decision and are veering off track.

Neptune in Pisces sextile Pluto in Aquarius (July 28-Sept. 4, 2024)
Sun in Leo trine North Node in Aries (July 30-31, 2024)
Venus in Leo trine Chiron in Aries (July 30, 2024)
Venus in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (August 2, 2024)

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We have been gradually entering a new and better life since 2020. We now need to do things in easier, shorter, and non-committal ways because we don’t know what we are doing (and have never done them before) and are learning to have more fun. When we do things long, complex, with commitments, it is heavier experience and there is less freedom to make mistakes.

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Planetary Guide

Moon

The Nurturer

The moon holds extra emphasis over this lunar month, because the new moon, which begins the month, is in the sign of Cancer. The moon represents our emotional nature, instincts, and deepest feelings. It influences our intuitive responses to the world, highlighting our need for emotional security, nurturing, and connection.

Questions for Reflection

You can answer these questions to yourself, in your journal, or in the comment section.

1. What ideas, opportunities, or possibilities are you considering doing next in life? (Note that some of these could come up unexpectedly on July 14-22, 2024.)
2. How can you pursue these things in ways that are shorter, easier, quicker, more independent, and more non-committal? What would that look like? (Note that this is the correct way to approach these things.)
3. How can you pursue these things in ways that are longer, more difficult, more complex, with more long-term commitments? What would this look like? (Note that this is the incorrect way to do things, which may get you off path.)
4. What difficulties may occur with these things if you choose to do things in a shorter, easier, quicker, more independent and non-committal way? Is this backlash from relationships? Is this guilt and shame from yourself that you aren’t doing more?
5. Which difficulties may occur with these things if you choose to do things in a longer, more difficult, more complex way with more commitments? These will mostly include being locked into something that doesn’t resonate with you for longer than you would like, losing a lot of resources on things you don’t care about, over-work, and people-pleasing. These also will most likely NOT manifest right away. It will take another month or two for these negative effects to reveal themselves.
6. How can you better handle the difficulties that you listed in question number 4 so that you can continue to do things in a shorter, easier, independent, and non-committal way?
7. How can you better understand the difficulties that you listed in question number 5 so that you do not fall into their traps?