It is time to ask for a raise. If you are self-employed, gradually raise your rates this month to see the response - chances are your adoring public will be willing to pay. On July 4, you will have the new moon in Cancer, 13 degrees. Filling your house of earned income, along with that new moon, will be the Sun, Venus, and Mercury. That is a great deal of planetary power focused in one part of the chart, and that should give you heart to take a step forward. Do so just after the new moon arrives, July 4, not before - you will have ten days in which to act. I love that Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, will be in ideal angle to this new moon, suggesting you can get that increase, for when Jupiter is involved, profit and money are usually always around the next corner.

I love that Mars is also in an ideal position, and Mars is located in your workaday sixth house, the place in the chart that covers assignments and projects that you will be asked to do, or that you create yourself. In your case, with Mars so sublimely angled in even tighter mathematical aspect than Jupiter (I am splitting hairs here), it shows that business will be brisk and money will flow, another sign that you will be surrounded with a healthy financial atmosphere.

Mars had been retrograde since April, and only recently, on June 29, went direct. Now you will see a great blast of energy around you - people will be decisive, projects will be funded, and you will no longer feel as though you are struggling to push against headwinds. The wind is with your sails, dear Gemini, and it's forward-ho from now on. Neptune, in your house of fame and honors, will be perfectly positioned too, so your career will do well at this time, and your face may be "out there" for all to see, so the buzz will be positive about you.

You may say you have a million reasons why you think this would not be the right time to ask for a raise, but I say, it's the time now to increase your income, or be content to wait a full year until you get the next new moon in your second house of earned income. That will be June 23, 2017, but at that time next year, Saturn will be very close to an exact opposition to the new moon, so your chances of getting a decent increase next year will be diminished. This doesn't mean you can't get any raise in mid-2017, only that it will be harder for you to do than it will this year, and so next year you will have to be more persuasive. Why wait?

You could take a look at the outlook for your rising sign, if you know it. In my book, "The Year Ahead FORECAST for the Second Half of 2016 into 2017," I talk about the prospects for money for all the signs in 2016 into 2017. Treat your rising sign precisely as you would your Sun sign - exactly the same. Of course, to know your rising sign, you would have to do a chart with your precise time of birth to the minute, along with the day, month, year and city of your birth. To have me do your natal chart for $55 plus shipping, go to www.MyPersonalHoroscope.com and I will write a custom book for you explaining your entire chart in a clear, easy-to-understand way. My custom books are made possible by print-on-demand technology. If you do your horoscope chart (you only need to do it once, as it will never change), you will get so much more out of my monthly horoscopes. In this month's case, I would like you to read for your rising sign to see if you have another opportunity soon to see more income.

The week following the new moon, July 4, is when you need to make your most vital initiations. A new moon always opens a door of opportunity, and it will be up to you to take full advantage. On Wednesday, July 6, Venus and Mars will be in sync, joining your house of work projects to your house of money, so something you are working on is likely to lead to profit.

The end of the week will get even better. On Friday, July 8, your guardian planet, Mercury, will combine energy with Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, making this day superb for all kinds of communication. You can give a speech, have a vital meeting, give a presentation, sign a key contract, defend your thesis, argue a case in court (and be so persuasive you'd probably win), win a debate, or travel. Any area involving communication, travel, electronics, apps or software, telecommunications, and the digital world will go well. You should find this to be a sparkling day - put a star on it!

If you have any goal involving real estate - closing on a house, leasing an apartment or vacation home, buying new furniture, choosing a contractor or if you have, beginning work on your kitchen (as an example), finding a roommate or tenant - you can do any of these activities and be pleased with the results over the weekend of July 9-10. Jupiter and the Sun will be in cahoots, and this is incredibly good news for you. Use this to announce any home, property, or family matter.

The theme of money will intensify at the full moon in Capricorn, 28 degrees, on July 19. This one will bring to culmination a matter that involved a very large sum of money. It could be that some time ago you borrowed (or withdrew) a large sum to invest in your business, for example, and if so, that investment will now come to culmination. Or, at this full moon, you may borrow money, such as a large mortgage or line of credit, or get infusion of venture capital. Or, you may get news that you will be making quite a bit of money by commission, bonus, royalty, cash advance, inheritance, court settlement, divorce agreement, or other source. This month's new and full moon will truly be all about money - spending it, making it, investing it, and seeing profit.

I like this full moon because again (just like at that full moon) Jupiter will be acting like Miracle-Gro plant food - making your venture expand much more than you would assume possible. (Jupiter is at 20 degrees and the full moon is at 28 - Jupiter is just close enough to help.)

Even better, the full moon will conjoin Pluto, adding a great deal of power and force to the full moon and the episode you are dealing with at the time. You seem to be talking about very big sums at this time - Pluto doesn't mess around with small amounts. If you are a woman, the moon is always read as feminine in astrology, so you should feel in charge - Pluto will see to that. If you are a man, you will set the tone and call the shots at any meeting or financial event you have on the agenda. This seems to be a win-win situation. Again, Mars will be in sublime angle - very tightly angled to this full moon from the work projects house, giving energy and push to all you are doing.

The only fly in the oatmeal will be Uranus, in hard angle to this full moon, adding an element of an unexpected, out-of-the-blue challenge. Uranus rules your ninth house, and that area covers legal matters, the media (in terms of a publishing, broadcasting or Internet projects), academia, and long-distance travel. Something seems to rise up, but it would be impossible to guess what that would be - that is the nature of Uranus. It may have nothing to do with the financial talks you are having, or it might. Uranus is in your friendship house, so it's possible the news might instead involve a friend.

There is one more aspect to note before the month is out, and it's a sweet one. July 26 brings your ruling planet, Mercury, in Leo in a sparkling angle to Uranus in Aries. You may take an unexpected trip near this date, perhaps to see a friend (or to be with one). This might be a week where you will be able to take a few days off, and if so, this would be a lovely day to travel. August will be wonderful for you, especially for travel, and you will get a glimpse of just how sweet next month will be in July's last week.

In love, you do best when Venus is in Leo, from July 11 to August 4, for Leo is a fire sign that blends so well with your air-sign element. Go shopping, be open to meeting new people, and attend parties, picnics, and celebrations.

You may feel that it's time to review finances to find ways to make more money, and if so, the new moon, July 4, will help you accomplish that goal. Ask for a raise in the days that follow - you will have ten days in which to act. Do so, even if you are shy, for this will be one of your best chances for getting approval for an increase.

There will be no more aspects like this for improving your salary for an entire year. Jupiter in Virgo will help you now by being friendly to Pluto, so be encouraged by that, and even though you may get pushback from a higher-up, have your case well organized, and present with confidence. If you don't get all you want, it will be due to your employer's tight budget, not your performance. Your chance to increase your cash flow will be attached to earnings, not money won or are given as a gift, so keep that in mind.

The full moon, July 19, will also focus you on your finances, this time on money you may need to solicit from a bank or other money types, such as for a mortgage, bank loan, credit card, venture capital, or insurance company (as a payout), as some examples. You are now at mid-year, so you may want to go over expenses with your accountant, and if self-employed, decide on how much tax you should estimate and how much you can contribute to your retirement account. It will be a good feeling to see your money grow. Why wait until taxes are due? Now is your best time to focus on your finances. This is a full moon, so something is coming to fruition. You may see the fruits of your investment, say, if you have been building a restaurant or other business.

At work you will be very busy, for Mars will light your sixth house of assignments, and although many people find July to be a slow month, you won't - you'll be meeting deadlines and clipping along at a rapid pace. If you are self-employed, so many clients / customers will beat a path to your door.

If you need to buy, sell, or rent property, you have superb aspects to find success over the July 9-10 weekend. This comes thanks to a beam between good fortune Jupiter and the Sun, a heavenly aspect. If you need furniture, or want to find a roommate, this would be the time to look. You have Jupiter in your home sector, but only until September 9. Jump on opportunities now though that end date for best results. The coming eclipses on September 1 and 16 may also allow you to find ways to make your plans more feasible, and allow you to begin soon after they arrive.

This month, Mercury, your guardian planet, will be a Chatty Cathy all month. On July 5, Mercury will be in heavenly angle to Neptune, making you super creative on this day - brainstorm for ideas. On July 7, Mercury will receive a confrontation from Pluto, creating tensions about money. Steel your nerves - things will work out. Someone may be quite insistent that you pay up, or bully you into accepting terms you do not want to accept. Resist as best you can do. On July 8, Mercury and Jupiter will align in a lovely way - buy, sell, or negotiate. This is a blue-ribbon day.

On July 10, Mercury will be in fine angle to Mars, so keep your eyes open for ways to make more money. On July 18, Mercury will be in ideal angle to Saturn - make a promise or sign a paper for that agreement will stand the test of time. On July 26, Mercury will now send a missive to Uranus and create a stunning day for career advancement and profit - that special note of this day. Finally on July 29, Mercury will be at odds with Mars - careful not to say something hurtful to someone that you care about.

Romance will come to you after Venus enters into Leo on July 11 until August 4, and your best chances to find experiences that will thrill you will center on getting out into fresh air and the countryside. Single or attached, short trips will be magical for your love life. Mark down the weekend of July 23-24, near when Mercury in Leo will receive a dazzling beam from Uranus in Aries on July 26 (over that weekend, the energy of those two planets will be building steam and you will feel it ahead of time). Friends may have big plans for you - listen up and join in!