I feel we all live in our heads so much of the time that when we are faced with a circumstance that forces us to acknowledge that we really do have a body to care for, it sometimes comes as a bit of shock. I suppose if you are an athlete and reading this, you are laughing at me. It’s true, as an astrologer and a writer, I spend most of my days thinking.

When I was wheeled to the outside of the operating room on the morning of June 12, wearing the special blue paper surgical gown and shower cap to cover my hair, it occurred to me that some things in life have to be faced straightforwardly, and gone through by ourselves without help. I feel these experiences make us stronger and also more compassionate of others.

Yet, then I thought about how lucky I was – so many of you, dear readers, said you would send a prayer for me when I posted on Twitter and Facebook that I was about to have an operation. You responded so warmly, far beyond my expectations, and it made my heart swell. Thank you so much.

This is a month that is chock-full of activity. Buckle up, because you are entering a month that has plenty of action. Two eclipses are coming up, one, a solar new moon eclipse in Cancer is due on July 12, the other, a full moon lunar eclipse in Aquarius on July 27, and a third, coming as a new moon solar eclipse next month is due on August 11. We have planets going direct and retrograde, and Mars, your ruler, making news, too. Let’s look closer, and start from the top.

Let’s start with the important news that Mars, your ruler, recently turned retrograde on June 26 and will remain retrograde until August 27. This means you will have to be patient when moving ahead on certain goals. Mars is the planet that gives you the edge in any competition, and as an Aries, you like to win. Mars rules motivation, courage, and drive, as well as the will to persevere over difficult challenges and obstacles. Now, with Mars asleep at the switch, all the gifts that you’ve taken for granted would come will be missing. It is not the time to begin any new ventures, for if you do, you will be putting a weak Mars into the DNA of your new enterprise – said another way, into the birth of the beginning of your venture – and anything new, including a new relationship, requires a strong, robust Mars orbit.

In normal times, it takes Mars two days to travel one degree. Starting last month on June 21, in anticipation of his retrograde, June 26, Mars took 12 days to go one degree. (Astrologers use an ephemeris, or table of planets to see where the planets are going, and how fast they are moving. NASA publishes the same table, but so do many other companies, and you can pick the ephemeris you like best, mainly a difference in fonts or whether the day is set as sunrise or midnight, Greenwich mean time, or your time zone, and so forth.) You can see why I feel you will be walking through glue while this goes on, but we all will be together with you in the same boat.

Mars also rules all things sharp (such as the surgeon’s scalpel or needles), as well as sexuality, and for males, the sperm. If you are planning in vitro fertility or undergoing other such expensive treatments, you would be best to wait until September. Some astrologers feel that it’s not the best time to start a new relationship, because the physical affection between you would be less than thrilling if you start with Mars retrograde. I confess, I have to agree.

When a planet goes retrograde, it’s time to reconsider, revisit, reassess, rethink, readdress, or redo something we had done earlier. You have Mars in your eleventh house of friendship, so you might go back to mend a fence with a friend if you both had a falling out with each other. Or, you may have not renewed your membership in a social or professional club and may want to perhaps go back because you now see there were benefits to being part of that group that you miss. You may have wanted to do something for charity some time ago, but had no time, and now you find the time to do so. The eleventh house, where Mars is now traveling, rules areas where we give back to society and draw attention to those groups who suffer, and in the process, raise money and awareness to help.

    The solar eclipse will arrive on July 12, in Cancer. This powerful new moon eclipse will suddenly bring news concerning your home or family situation. You can expect a change, so stay alert. If you want to move or improve the look and feel of your home, this eclipse will help you.

Now let’s turn to your career, which appears to be going fantastically well. While you are likely working harder than you have ever worked before, due to Saturn’s presence in your tenth house of fame, you are also racking up one victory after another. Saturn does not usually send rewards until he leaves the house he occupies – in this case, Saturn won’t leave your prestigious tenth house until December 2020 – so have faith that recognition, applause, opportunity, title, and money will come to you in bucketfuls. Saturn demands full concentration to his demands, so no doubt you are present in all that you do (a trademark of a star). You are impressing VIPs with the care you handle detail and the ingenuity you display when faced with challenges. Once you prove your mettle, you will be amply rewarded in December 2020 or January 2021.

Look back to last month, at the full moon, June 27, when you may have taken on more responsibility. You are being groomed for leadership, and each day, with each step you take, you are experiencing enormous personal and professional growth. Last month, Uranus was beautifully conversant with Saturn (and will remain so this year until end of October), so more money may be headed your way in terms of a raise, commission, bonus, or company benefits. As you see, not only is your reputation on the rise, but your income is, too.

On July 5, a stunningly positive day, good fortune Jupiter will combine signals with the mighty Sun. Jupiter is in your eighth house of other people’s money – indicating a loan or mortgage you need may be approved – and the Sun is currently moving through your house of home, family, and real estate. If you are looking to rent or buy a new apartment or house, you should be looking on this day – you may find a large space you can afford, and that is actually a bargain for what you get. Also on this day, you can find the perfect piece of furniture or other items for your home that make you feel your decor is finally complete.

If you want, on July 5, you will be so fortunate, you might want to buy a few scratch off lotto tickets. Just don’t break the bank by buying too many tickets. If you are destined to win, you will win a prize without too much effort. I like scratch-off tickets because the contest is “announced” on the day you want – for you, that’s July 5. Overall, you’ll be happy on this day, and possibly even transformed.

Jupiter will go direct on July 10, having been retrograde since March 8. If someone has owed you money, you may finally get paid on that date or shortly thereafter. In a broader manifestation, if you have not seen the fullness of Jupiter’s bounty in 2018, particularly financially, you will start to see it from July 10 onward. If you watch closely, you will see what I mean. Jupiter won’t retrograde again until April 2019, so you will have a good long stretch of Jupiter’s help.

The solar eclipse comes next, July 12, in Cancer 21 degrees. This new moon eclipse will suddenly bring news concerning your home or family situation, and you can expect a change. New moons bring opportunity and options you have not had previously. If you have been looking for a space to move into – something larger than the one you have now – you are likely to find it. This eclipse has one drawback but will bring a plethora of happy aspects, too. Let’s look at the details.

The one problem with this eclipse is Pluto will be in hard angle to the transiting Sun and new moon eclipse. Pluto is currently energizing your house of fame and honors and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Pluto first went into Capricorn in 2008, and is set to stay in your fame and achievement sector until November 2024. In the intervening years, you will continue to work on making your mark in the world and developing your leadership skills. Pluto in opposition to the new moon eclipse may bring a pushy, difficult client or agent who wants their way and doesn’t want to hear you have things going on at home that you also need attend to. This person will be self-absorbed, and trying to attend to a home or family matter at the same time will require skill and diplomacy.

Yet as mentioned, you will have outstanding aspects associated at the same new moon eclipse. The Sun and new moon will be beautifully oriented to Jupiter in your financial house, and to Neptune in your twelfth house of dreams and creative thinking. Your twelfth house is also the place of behind-the-scenes, confidential talks, which might bring a tip that works out so very well for you. A golden, glittering triangle will appear in the night sky, linking Jupiter to Neptune and both to the Sun conjunct the new moon, bringing breathtaking harmony. Your creativity and ability to visualize your dream will be exceptional.

Also at this new moon eclipse, ANOTHER golden triangle will appear, linking Uranus, planet of surprise in your house of money and possessions, to Saturn in your house of fame and honors, and to Venus in your house of work projects. This eclipse has a bundle of goodies for you: career, a work project that’s new and that you will love, and one that will allow you to showcase your creativity. At the same time, you have the possibility of a move to a new house or apartment, or the idea of dressing up or renovating your present space. The fact that two golden triangles are appearing simultaneously at this eclipse is extraordinary. I can’t remember seeing anything like this, ever. Pluto may bring an unfair bully, but you sure have a lot else going for you at the same time.

Now let’s talk about the pace and rhythm of the month. Not only will Mars be retrograde, a holdover from late last month that will last until August 27, but his brother, Mercury, will also slow down in retrograde, from July 25 to August 18. Mercury will go backward in Leo, so matters related to love, children, and pregnancy won’t move forward as quickly as you would want, but rather will likely need rethinking. Miscommunications will proliferate, so you will have to go the extra mile to be sure you are picking up the right message, and sending out clear ones, too.

With both Mars and Mercury out of phase, the second half of July and most of August will be very slow. Aries likes to see action, but there is not much you can do about this, except accept things as they are and do some deep thinking about how you can improve any part of your life. We feel the retrogrades of Mars, Mercury, and Venus more sharply than those of the more distant outer planets, because Mars, Mercury, and Venus are the planets that orbit closest to earth. Venus will be in good shape now, but is destined to go retrograde October 5 to November 15. As you see, this month or next would be a good time to take time off, perhaps with a vacation.

A full moon lunar eclipse in Aquarius 5 degrees will appear on July 27, in your house of friendship. This is a very social house, so you may have a big event to attend. A friend will be a focus at this time, and this person may be changing status, such as getting married or moving to a new location. Or, you may feel betrayed by a friend, but let’s hope nothing this extreme happens. Whatever occurs will happen suddenly and without any warning, and that alone could make you upset or even angry. Uranus will become a focal point and be in very hard angle to the Sun and new moon, as well as Mars (conjunct the moon). This suggests that money and a friend or a lover won’t mix well.

Money would likely be a point of contention along with difficulties in regard to romance, or a relationship concerning a friend and/or the possibility of how to best care for a child. For example, a friend may give you unsolicited advice about how to parent your child that you won’t appreciate, making you ready to leave this friend and not talk to her any more. If you belong to a club, you may have a problem with one of the leaders. If you go on social media, at the end of July, do not say anything that could inflame a follower. On this powerful eclipse, the less said, the better.

There is always a variety of ways things could turn out, but with Uranus involved, it’s never what we can guess. I will say that it could be that you suddenly have difficulties with conception, and that you feel you have to do something about it. (If this is the problem, don’t despair – medical science has many remedies you can investigate.) These are only a few examples of many possible topics that might come up, but you get the idea – this eclipse is all about love, romance, a child or pregnancy, money, and at the center, a friend (or regarding your role as a member in a group and your relationship to a leader.)

Like everything this month, this eclipse is not all stress and tension – Venus in your workaday sector will be beautifully oriented to Pluto, bolstering your career reputation in the best possible way. Meanwhile, Neptune will be there to again encourage your creative ideas, or regarding your work in the arts or with artists, and signaling good fortune Jupiter. When Jupiter is involved, it seems money is in the wind for you, or a great bargain can be uncovered. Having such powerful planets – Pluto involved with Jupiter and Neptune, and seeing these planets working collaboratively – means you bring forth an idea that could blow up and become quite a blockbuster. Keep the faith! You have so much going for you!

As of late last month, action Mars went retrograde for the coming two months, to go direct August 27. This means you need to plan but not initiate any major ventures until September. Mars retrograde will affect everyone, but especially you, because Mars is Aries’ ruling planet, and Mars accounts for your energetic nature and can-do style. When Mars rests, as he is doing now, he can’t give you a special edge in any competitive situation. You can try to supply it on your own, but you will soon see you will be taking on a yeoman’s task.

You would do best to review the progress you have made in this year so far, decide what worked and what could be improved. Refine your strategy and plan to launch in September, but no sooner. October and November will be problematic for new business launches too, so your aim must be perfect. You can readily see September is for you. Mars has a connection with your eighth house of money too, so if your project is profit-oriented, you will have another reason to earmark September for pushing big goals forward but not debut it in July or August.

Your career is glowing and has become quite exciting. VIPs adore you and are assigning more responsibility to you, their favorite way to show you they are impressed with your work. Late last month may have been a landmark moment when the full moon of June 27 appeared in your house of honors, awards, and achievement and may have brought you a new title or a spate of exceptional publicity. You apparently have demonstrated savvy judgment, and now you are likely now being rewarded, quite unexpectedly. Sometimes VIPs make decisions behind closed doors at a full moon, like the one that occurred June 27, so you may not know about what they are thinking just yet, but in time you will be able to trace their thinking to that full moon.

Your home life will become the center of your attention at the solar eclipse of July 12. This eclipse is a favorable one, forming a golden triangle of harmony, linking good fortune Jupiter on the first point of the triangle, and visionary and creative Neptune on the triangle’s second point. Both will link to the solar eclipse and moon in your home sector, completing the third point of the triangle. You may be buying, selling, or leasing property; moving; or undertaking a major renovation or redesign project. Or you may change the person you live with, or focus your attention on your mother or father, also ruled by the fourth house. The fact that Jupiter is turning direct on July 10 for the rest of the year and beyond will only strengthen your earning power, so with no worries about cash flow – press forward on home-related plans.

Remarkably, a second golden triangle is forming at the same time of the July 12 solar eclipse, something almost never happens. Unpredictable Uranus in your second house of salary will reach out to Saturn in your house of fame and achievement, completing two points of that second triangle, and the third point will bring Venus into the picture from your sixth house of daily assignments. Money, work assignments, and ultimate kudos and fame will all add up to a glowing career picture.

There will be one difficulty this month, and it comes from a direct opposition of Pluto to the new moon and Sun (solar eclipse) from your prestigious career and reputation sector on July 12. Pluto will affect the weeks that follow that eclipse, and it appears that although something exciting is going on in your life, keeping clients and management satisfied at work while you simultaneously direct your attention to your home and family will not be easy. One powerhouse VIP – indicated by Pluto – will be unreasonably demanding. You may find monitoring all the home-related details while you appease this difficult boss or client to be quite a juggling act. See if you can enlist help from your mother, or from assistants – say, a college student – to make life easier. You seem to be on the threshold of a transition, and when we go through transitions, we need all the help we can get.

You are likely to go to an important social, artistic, or sporting event on or near the lunar eclipse full moon on July 27 in Aquarius. This may be a charity benefit, humanitarian cause, or political rally. Friends can easily mix with family at this event. Still, stay alert, for Uranus will be in a prominent role while in hard angle to the Sun in Leo and Mars in Aquarius, forming a T square of discord, so you may find that navigating the course of love and friendship may prove nearly impossibly challenging. Your best course will be to say little, and observe much. Changing someone’s view’s or attitudes will be impossible, so concentrate on enjoying the event without shaking things up by playing evangelist of a controversial point of view. Be careful what you post in social media, lest you trigger an outcry, completely innocently.

Another way things may work out is that one friend may be moving away or leaving your workplace, and so news may be bittersweet when you realize your friend probably won’t be part of your life much longer. You may be sentimental, for it may feel like the end of an era. You can promise to stay in touch – it need not be the end of the road, but chances are, it will be.