You’ve been focused quite a bit on money, seeing a decent sum of money of come in, but you are also see money flow out, possibly at a rapid rate. I say this because Mars, the action planet, is tearing through your eighth house of other people’s money, and typically we all increase spending while Mars is going through that part of the chart. Mars is the natural ruler of your fifth house of artistic expression, so you may be working on a costly creative project that might require more funds now from the sponsor, due to overruns. This happens sometimes. To get the project to be the best it can be, as the director or photographer envisioned it, projects often need more funding that was not originally anticipated.

In my former life (before I started my website), I was an agent for commercial photographers, so it was my job to convince the advertising agencies to send us more money when we needed it, a request that was almost always approved. The client and agency creative personnel were always present on the shoot too, and that person could readily see the need for more money was real. This might be happening for you now.

Alternatively, it may be that you are in the middle of negotiations for a new project, and the budget may not yet be set, requiring that you take time from other matters (ones that you would much rather concentrate on) to make sure that you get the right funding for the effort. If none of these instances apply to you, it may be that you have a big life event coming up that you saved for, such as a wedding, arrival of a new baby, purchasing a condo, or a big overseas trip – and as a result you are going through a lot of cash, and some of the expenses are piling up on credit cards. Money matters like this can make you tense, and you’ve had this emphasis since early June when Mars first entered Cancer, but happily, this trend will end when Mars enters Leo on July 20.

All that you are doing is likely to add up to something big. The direction your life is about to take is an exciting one, so stay with me, as I want to show you the structure of the month and how it will flow.

First, though, you and I have to return very briefly to the subject of money. The full moon of July 8 will fall in Capricorn 17 degrees and light your second house of personal savings and spending. You may have to pay off a number of bills within four days of this date. You might be thinking that you pay bills every month, that is not something special or out of the ordinary, but this month seems different. A check (or number of checks) you are writing now seem to be for more important projects than are usual.

At this full moon, July 8, you might encounter a domineering or difficult financial person who will try to contain or even manipulate you into agreeing to a certain financial plan. I say this because Mars will oppose Pluto on July 2, and since these two planets move slowly, even though these two planets, Mars and Pluto, will have started to separate from their 180-degree position on July 2, they will still be within significant, close opposition at the full moon, July 8. Full moons add the element of high energy but also sometimes high emotion.

Mars and Pluto will be staring each other down while positioned from your financial houses: the second house ruling personal savings and spending (where Pluto is based), and eighth house, ruling money loaned or given by venture capitalists (where Mars is based now). If you are trying to find a fair way of dividing property in a divorce, things could be contentious in early July. The situation should improve after you get through the full moon of July 8 plus four days. I suggest that you keep your antenna up for any person who may use a scorched earth method of negotiation. If you are starting a creative project with someone who is giving the funding, it seems necessary for you to draw up formal lines of responsibility and decide together how expenses will handled, and precisely how profits will be shared.

    The part of your chart that will be quite lit up at month’s end rules adventure and the broadening of your horizons, so that’s what is in store for you. If you were bored with life, that is all about to change, and when events start to happen, they will move at the speed of light.

Later in the month, July 17, you might encounter another impasse concerning financials. Mars will move into a hard, challenging position to Uranus – both these planets are hotheads at this particular angle – so you need to do your best to stay cool. Incidentally, not only do creativity and money not go together well, neither do love and money. Loan nothing to a person you are dating.

On the plus side, your career is moving ahead like gangbusters. July 14 could be a banner day for your career, for Mercury, the planet that runs your tenth house of fame and honors, will be in perfect communication.

You have another wonder day for seeing career progress, July 19, when Mercury and Saturn will be sweetly aligned in a “trine” angle, the most harmonious possible. Saturn brings stability to all it touches, so by all means, if your lawyer gives you the green light to sign a contract, do so on this day.

By the way, next month, Mercury will go retrograde from August 12 to September 5, so you may want to try to get as much done this month as possible. If you need to buy a computer or any other electronic item, do it this month, for you should not come up too close to August 12. For best results, shop now.

Romantically, make a note: July 18 will be a superb day, even if it is a Tuesday. Venus will travel through your committed relationship sector all month, from July 4 to July 30, smoothing your interactions with your partner. Even if you’ve had a few bumpy spots together in recent months, this day should bring smooth as silk interaction. Use this day to meet someone a friend has urged you to meet, or to talk with a business partner about almost anything. (Bring up any touchy matter today – you are likely to find accord.)

Another highly romantic day will arrive over the weekend of July 29-30, when Venus in Gemini – a great spot for Venus to be for you – will interact with surprise-a-minute Uranus. Sagittarius who are married or in a long-term established relationship will be favored over singles, but here I am splitting hairs. Everyone will enjoy this weekend!

Now let’s get to the sweetest, most wonderful, and remarkable news of the month – a confluence of planetary aspects operating in the sky in July and August. You will see a huge emphasis on the area of your life ruled by Leo. For you, dear Sagittarius, Leo rules your ninth house of foreign people and places, international relationships and commerce, and immigration (visa, passport. Citizenship, and green card). This is often Sagittarius’ favorite part of life – international travel! This is a wow in anyone’s book, and I bet you can’t wait to hear more.

International travel is the most likely for you in July and August. Whatever you are doing in regard to foreign people and places (possibly without ever leaving home) will have special import and weight now, so take all you are doing seriously, for it has bearing on your future. I will now show you why.

First, Mars is about to enter Leo on July 20 to stay until September 5. This is the first time in two years that Mars has lit this part of your chart, and he is very powerful. The ancient astrologers called Mars the timekeeper of the zodiac, for they knew that wherever action-oriented Mars would be traveling revealed where a great deal of your attention will be drawn. When Mars leaves this area on September 5, he will not be back to this part of your chart until July-August 2019.

On top of having Mars’ high-octane energy directed into your sector of international travel, you also have a new moon, July 23, in Leo 1 degree, and that new moon will accelerate everything, and get the ball rolling. This new moon will come conjunct Pluto, making you very strong and confident. The Sun will conjunct Mars, so it will motivate you to work quickly and energetically on any international project on your agenda.

On top of THAT, there is more – we will have a massively important total eclipse of the Sun on August 21, and you guessed it, it’s in Leo too. To have two new moons (a solar eclipse is always a new moon) in a row in the same sign is very unusual.

The universe is going out of its way to show you that international travel and relationships is a prime area to focus on. The eclipse next month is also amazingly friendly, so you might have to make an adjustment (eclipses all require some sort of effort), but I feel you will be excited about how one door after another will open for you, all in regard to the opportunities that open for you on the world stage. For now, watch what happens after the first new moon, July 23 (not an eclipse), that will allow you to see a path appear in the days and weeks that follow it. A new moon opens a door of two weeks, but can affect you for a full year or more, so it’s that important.

If you say you don’t have the money to go anywhere international, remember, a nearby country, such as Canada is to the US, or Mexico, counts as a foreign destination. That is one example, but if you live in any country of the world, you likely have bordering countries that are close.

The ninth house, so lit up for you at month’s end and in August, also rules college and university degrees, so whether you are a student or professor, you will benefit from all this energy being focused on this area. If you need to defend your thesis, I don’t know if it is possible for you to do so in July or August, but I feel it would be an ideal time to do so. The same is true if you have to take a qualifying exam, like the law Bar, or any other test to get your credentials.

If you work in the media, you are likely to get important assignments in broadcasting, publishing, or for the Internet or for anything digital, such as podcasts. The ninth house is about taking in information, such as by traveling internationally or going to college, and about giving out information (such as by writing an article or book or producing an important TV show segment, as examples). I will say this again: take seriously all you are doing! Your actions are potent now and will have an effect on your future!

The new moon, July 23, will affect you strongly if your birthday falls in November. (December Sagittarians will feel the eclipse next month – it’s all good.) You will also strongly feel the benefits of this new moon if you have Sagittarius rising 1 degree, or the natal moon in Sagittarius at that degree, or have a natal planet in Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius at 1 degree, plus or minus five degrees.

This is the part of the chart ruling adventure and broadening one’s horizons, so that’s in store for you, dear Sagittarius. If you were bored with life, that is all about to change, and when events start to happen, they will move at the speed of light. Mars is in Leo too, energizing this same part of your life, and Mars happens to rule your fifth house of creativity. It looks like your artistic expressions will knock the socks off VIPs. Are you excited yet? I am, for you!

Money will be on your mind most of the month, a trend that started last month on June 4 and is set to extend until July 20, thanks to the tour of Mars in Cancer. Before you reach July 20, and see Mars leave your eighth house of credit, taxes, loans, sponsorship, venture capital, insurance, and the like, you will have a full moon on July 8 that will conclude many of your financial actions and decisions. No doubt at that full moon you will also be paying a number of bills but likely see money come in to you too. You seem anxious to move forward on your dearest projects that require funding, for the Sun at the full moon of July 9 will be conjunct Mars, the planet of action and energy. At the same time, Pluto will be conjunct the moon, so someone might be heavy-handed with you and demand certain agreements from you that you may not like. You are superb at communicating your thoughts, so stand up for yourself, but at the same time, do so without throwing gasoline on the fire. You want to keep things civil – it seems you need this money person in your life, so if you need that person’s support, be diplomatic.

After July 20, you will see the emphasis on money fade, and energy of the month will change in your favor. After that date, you will start to direct your attention to travel, events, and negotiations going on at a distance or overseas. Mars will move out of your eighth house of other people’s money on July 20, immediately calming down the strong financial outgo of recent weeks. Your attention will switch to travel, or to international interests where you may be involved in the exchange of ideas, creativity, goods, or services. You may additionally (or alternatively) be given an assignment or publicity involving the media, perhaps being given the chance to write a book or article, or produce a segment. Or, you may have progress concerning a matter related to your desire to get a college or graduate school degree, or to be approved to get your final credentials at month’s end too. Legal activities that you might undertake include registering a patent or trademark.

Something very important seems to be going on in the travel and international arena – along with the other areas I listed – because next month we have a solar eclipse on August 21 in the same part of your chart. Solar eclipses are always a harbinger of life-altering news, and the coming eclipses will be outstandingly friendly. Foreign people and places, broadcasting and publishing ventures, import-export, and legal matters all seem connected in some way. This is exciting. This month the new moon of July 23 will touch members of your sign who were born in November, and next month, the August 21 solar new moon eclipse will strongly affect those born near December 20.

Stay away from working on any of the matters listed above on July 17, when Mars and Uranus will be at direct odds. Travel will be difficult, with unexpected delays and problems – legal activities will bring roadblocks, and generally, July 17 won’t be anyone’s favorite day. Avoid buying electronic items on this day too.

You will have two days that will be wonderful for your career progress, and the first one will arrive on July 14, when Mercury, the ruler of your tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement, will speak first to Jupiter, now in Libra. It seems a friend will be instrumental in getting you an amazing client or job opportunity.

The second day that is likely to bring strong career progress will be July 19, when Mercury, the planet ruling your career success, will speak with Saturn in Sagittarius, bringing stability and very likely bring long-term growth.

When it comes to romance, your closest committed relationship, whether in love or business, will go smoothly once gentle Venus begins to tour your opposite sign of Gemini, July 4 to July 31. No matter if you have had disagreements, your relationships in business and in romance will go well. One of your very favorite weekends for love will be July 29-30, when Venus and Uranus, now sending messages to one another from your solar house of true love, will intertwine and bring you a very happy, flirtatious experience. Venus is known to spark the spark of love, so look your best!