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.

The emphasis in your life is on your personal ties – the person you might be dating, your children (or desire for them), your friends, and your desire for a more exciting future. This might normally be a lighthearted time of the year, but with major planets conflicting with new and full moons, it might feel anything but easy and casual this month. We are now in eclipse season, and those are considered very powerful – they are new and full moons on steroids. Eclipses bring sudden changes, but the benefits of eclipses can’t be denied, for they sweep out cobwebs, shake you out of feelings of compliancy or routine, and get you moving in a new direction.

This emphasis on your personal life started late last month, when a full moon occurred on June 27, in compatible Capricorn at 7 degrees and lit your fifth house, ruling love, romance, leisure, children, pregnancy, and creative expressions. That full moon entered June 27 arm-in-arm with Saturn, giving it a certain gravitas and serious influence. Still, you are an earth sign, and Capricorn is one too, so if anyone could find benefits from that full moon, it was you. If your birthday falls on August 30, plus or minus five days, you were right in line for benefits. I say that whether you can see the truth of this yet or not – things were to work in your favor, dear Virgo.

Saturn is considered the great teacher planet, so if you are single, you may have had to decide what to do about your current relationship. If you chose to stay, you may now stay a very long time and get engaged or married soon. If you realized you were not happy, then perhaps you had to accept the reality it was time to leave, a decision would have had permanent results, too.

A friend seems to have played an important role in that full moon last month. There are many possible ways that worked out. For example, a friend may have said something to you about your choice of dating partner, and it may have depressed you, but triggered all this soul searching about the future of your relationship.

Alternatively, a very different way this full moon could have touched you was you may have noticed a friend who was having a very hard time emotionally, and you were drawn to help your friend. The house where this full moon centered also rules pregnancy, so you may have been very focused on that topic. By now you know how that full moon worked out, but the point is, that full moon drew you away from work and into your personal life. You almost had to refocus and think about exactly how you wanted to shape your life as you moved forward. That’s always a positive step.

This month begins series of eclipses, the first coming July 12 in Cancer at 21 degrees, soon to will light your house of friendship. This eclipse may bring an important event of one friend, such as to attend her wedding, birthday party, going away party (say, if your friend is moving to a distant city), or other celebration that will take place within four days of this date. There may be a part of you that realizes that the fabric of your friendship is now undergoing a change, for her (or his) status is, from now on, going to be different. You may not see one another as much as you used to in the past, and that may make you feel a bit wistful.

You will want to relax and enjoy the moment of the event that takes place near July 12, but Pluto will oppose the Sun and full moon on this solar eclipse, a very harsh aspect, suggesting that something going on the sidelines between you a person you are dating, or a concern over a child or a pregnancy, will be on your mind too, and distract you.

This is a complex eclipse, with one very tough aspect from Pluto, but with two beautiful golden triangles occurring at the very same time as the eclipse, you will have good news, too. This is remarkable. I can’t ever remember seeing two golden triangles of harmony appearing at the very same time, and at an eclipse no less.

The first golden triangle will take three parts of your chart and integrate them into a glorious whole. Each luminary will be 120 degrees from the other, and if you remember your high school geometry, that equals a triangle. In astrology, that’s a pattern of great harmony and happiness.

    The July 27 lunar eclipse will center on your work projects, and it will be a jarring one. It is possible that one of your trusted office assistants will announce a departure. There is not much you can do to get ready for this eclipse, other than to keep your schedule light so that you can easily move in any direction necessary at the time.

The July 12 eclipse will be found at one point of the triangle in the part of the chart ruling friendship while at the same time, Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, will be in your third house of short travel, siblings, and cousin. This house also rules contracts and agreements, but due to other planetary activity, that is not something you should entertain right now. The last point of the triangle will be Neptune, the planet of compassion, love, the arts, and happiness in your seventh house of partnership / marriage. It seems you may travel a short distance to see a friend, and if you have a spouse, or serious established partner, that person will accompany you joyfully. (Note: the house of love and dating is the fifth house, and the house of marriage is the seventh house – they are very distinctly different.)

It is alternatively possible that you will make a vital face-to-face sales or other business call that is a short drive from your base, and that your boss will come with you on this trip that will take less than two hours to drive. You would do very well with this business deal.

The second golden triangle will bring happiness from Venus in Virgo, receiving golden beams form Uranus in Taurus, and from stabilizing Saturn in Capricorn, now in your fifth house of true love. If you are single, you have a sweet outlook for finding new love, for Venus will be in Virgo, and with the planet of surprise, Uranus, in the mix in a friendly way, you may meet someone new whose chemistry might be right for you. In a different outcome, if you feel ready for a baby, this month could make things may happen quite fast, for eclipses are known to move up timetables rapidly.

The next eclipse will be a full moon lunar eclipse in Aquarius 5 degrees on July 27. This one will spotlight work projects, and methods, as well as those who report to you. This eclipse is a tough one, for Uranus will be very active in a challenging way, as Uranus will rile up the Sun and full moon lunar eclipse. The Sun will be found opposite the full moon eclipse and in the center of the two, Uranus will be found in the middle, equidistant to both luminaries. In astrology this means Uranus will exert the same maximum pressure to both the Sun and new moon.

A project will need your full attention, for its wheels could come flying off without notice. Secrets will be exposed, and a certain area of your life will become unstable. Specifically, keep your eye on one of the following areas: a legal case, distant travel or an international relationship, an import-export matter or one involving immigration, passport, citizenship, visa, or green card. Or, it may be that you will need to fix a broadcasting or publishing project or one involving your efforts to get a college or graduate school degree. Not all these areas will go wrong, but one might. I hope I am wrong!

This July 27 lunar eclipse will be a jarring one, and it is possible that one of your trusted office assistants will announce a departure. There is not much any of us can do to get ready for this eclipse, other than to keep your schedule light so that you can easily move in any direction necessary.

Keep your health strong because the place the eclipse will fall, your sixth house, rules not only work projects, but also steps you take to stay well. Don’t overdo at the gym, and do all you can to eat right and get enough sleep. This eclipse might take a lot out of you, and if you go into it tired or run down, it will be harder to cope with its demands.

When Uranus is involved in a prominent way, as is the case with this July 27 full moon lunar eclipse, the unexpected happens, and it is always about something you never would have considered. It is useless trying to figure out what might come up, so just sit back, open the window, and see what flies in. I have thought philosophically about Uranus, and I feel the universe sends us these out-of-the-blue thunderbolts so that we learn to stay flexible, adaptable, and creative. Good things often happen when we are forced to make a change.

To complicate things, Mars went retrograde last month on June 26 and will stay out of phase until August 27. Mars is the energy planet that helps us achieve projects that require stamina, determination, and pure grit to win. It is the gas on the stove that you turn on to transform the recipe into a wonderful pot of hot, steaming soup. Without the gas on the stove, nothing much will happen. That’s the problem with Mars retrograde.

Mars retrograde is never a good time to schedule an important product or service launch, so wait until September to do that. If you rail against the postponements, delays, mix-ups, and general lack of team spirit, you would simply be putting the wrong DNA into the birth of your new venture for the life of its term.

Mars’ brother, Mercury, will ALSO go retrograde from July 25 to August 19. Mercury retrograde causes confusion, delays, mixed messages, and miscommunications and is never a time to sign important paperwork. Mercury is Virgo’s ruler, so it has double the weight of importance to you. I have found that when Mercury is retrograde, it is an instant signal that the wind is changing direction, and so you need to stop, look, and listen to see which way things are headed.

It’s time to decide about the future of your close relationship if you are dating, or if you are married, you may need to decide whether you are ready to start a family now. The full moon that recently occurred on June 27 brought these matters into focus. That full moon came arm-in-arm with somber Saturn, so you were thinking deeply about what you wanted for your life in the future. Uranus was well aspected, however, so sudden solutions were possible, too.

The new moon of July 12 is also a solar eclipse, which means it will be much stronger than a typical monthly new moon. It will appear in your friendship sector, suggesting that you may see a friend leave (“be eclipsed out”) of your environment, perhaps because your friend is having a change in lifestyle. For example, she may get married, or is moving to a new city. Eclipses usually bring a noticeable change in the area of the chart that they fall. Pluto will oppose the eclipse directly, so it is alternatively possible that the person you are dating won’t like your friend and cause kerfuffle by saying something upsetting to your friend or to you, about your friend. This may make you upset, but don’t blurt out a response. With an environment of smoke and mirrors, nothing will be as it seems. Promise to think about the words you are told, that is all.

At the same time, on July 12, a golden triangle of harmony will appear in the sky, including Neptune, Jupiter and the Sun and new moon, proving that overall, your friends are good for you. (This may be the same friend, or other ones you may have in your life.) Your friends clearly inspire you, share information, and give you the courage to grow and try new things. They also provide you emotional comfort when you need it most.

Do you feel you need a little getaway to clear your thoughts? You might travel for personal, romantic reasons over the weekend of July 14-15 or July 21-22, to a nearby location. Those dates would be an ideal time to go – plan to be back fairly quickly.

Your work projects will take your full attention at the lunar eclipse, July 27. An unexpected development, possibly regarding a legal matter, or one involving international trade, immigration, or your pursuit for university education, may come up now that you will need to focus on. Although many people take vacations at this time, plan on being back at your desk, for the eclipse of July 27 falls in your workaday sector, indicating something sudden will surface that will require quick attention.

A trusted assistant who you depend upon might suddenly announce her departure, and if so, finding a replacement assistant will not be easy. You will be unusually busy, too, thanks to the presence of Mars in your workaday sector for an extended stay, the reason losing this devoted worker will be tough timing and produce tension. Before you get to mid-month, keep your eyes open for people you may want to tap to join your firm.

Mars recently turned retrograde on June 25 to remain out of phase until August 27. This would not be a wise time to launch a new product or service, for Mars’ job is to help you to compete effectively in any arena. With Mars in sleepy phase, it will take a strenuous effort for you to make your project or service stand out and generate profits. This phase also is likely to require a re-examination of the basic assumptions and strategic tactics, not only because Mars will be retrograde, but also because Mars’ brother, Mercury, will retrograde too, from July 25 to August 18.

The time from after July 27 onward would not be the best time to take a business trip. Talks are likely to go in the wrong direction and it will be hard for you to find accord. You’ll miss being at home base to speak with team members to help you sort out what to do next in the light of recent developments.

Romantically, Venus will glide through Virgo from July 9 to August 6, a time when your charm will be at an all-time high. Within that period, Mercury, your ruler, will go retrograde, from July 25 to August 18. That will shorten your ideal time to enjoy fun and love, so taking Mercury retrograde into account, mark down your best days to be from July 9 to July 22.

Put a gold star on Saturday, July 21, when Venus in Virgo will receive sparkling beams from Jupiter in Scorpio. That entire weekend, July 21-22, will be extra special. Shop for new wardrobe items, take a trip, treat yourself to a spa treatment, sign an important contract, visit your sibling or cousin, or buy a new car. (The third house, where good fortune Jupiter will be positioned, is the house of transportation!)