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 due to be a big month for you. It brings the first eclipse in a series of eclipses that will fall in Cancer and Capricorn (the sign six months away from yours), sure to bring change, opportunity, some decisions, and a few surprises. The eclipse of July 12 will fall at 21 degrees of your sign, so if your birthday falls on July 12 or very close to this date (within four days), you will see changes. You might have other planets in your chart near 21 degrees Cancer, so even if you are not born on or near July 12, you might see sudden shifts.

This is a new moon solar eclipse, known to bring on new circumstances. Being in your sign, you are being asked by a loving universe what is most important to you. Last month, at the full moon, June 27, you were thinking about a partner in love or business. That full moon was a weighty one, as it was conjunct Saturn and opposed to the Sun. The Sun rules your finances, so you may have had to write a hefty check late last month.

It may be that you know that your close partner is suffering in some way. This person may be your spouse, or your business partner, agent, publicist, manager, voice coach, writing paper, or other person who is important to you but going through a tough patch. That person may not have been well, or having a difficult life experience. Or, it may be that the two of you are not getting along, and that full moon marked the end – you knew this was the last chapter, and that it was time to leave.

No matter what happened last month, as you move into July, it’s time to plot your new birthday year. You seem to be feeling that you need a fresh start, and you may have been working on creating just that. You also are in a mode of rethinking your future path. Sometimes we fall into a rut, and we keep working on goals that don’t excite us, but we follow them because it is convenient to do so. Now it’s time to wash the slate clean and rethink just about everything you want for your life.

This July 12 is quite a mixed solar new moon eclipse. Like all new moons, this one will open opportunity to follow a new path, and the universe will help show you the way. I will get to the magnificent entourage of planets that will accompany this solar eclipse, but first, let’s talk about a tough aspect that this solar eclipse will also bring forth.

Powerhouse Pluto will directly oppose this tender full moon to exact degree. Pluto represents a partner who will become very much a bully, perhaps by showing a side of this person you have never seen before (and hope you won’t see again). This person whom you are aligned with in love or business will want to get his way and won’t be open to negotiation.

Pluto is in your seventh house and on one of the most sensitive angles of the chart, and this demonstrates how much this person will have the power to affect your feelings. This person won’t be easy to ignore or turn away from. Pluto, when in opposition, can bring a bossy person who is domineering and completely unfair in his tactics. It is possible that this person will become a ruthless competitor who will do anything to get the advantage over you. I am referring to this person as a male due to the strong masculine energy I see, but your difficult partner could be a woman, too. You are an imaginative, resourceful Cancer, so you might come up with some genius ideas to counter this problem. Don’t feel overwhelmed.

This is a complex eclipse because it’s a new moon solar eclipse, and new moons are less emotional than full moons. They are known to bring new options and opportunities. Let’s look at the stellar aspects that are also coming along with this eclipse. Up in the heavens where all the twinkling stars live, there will be not one but TWO golden, glittering triangles, and those always suggest a sweep of breathtaking harmony to be created by these heavenly bodies, and you should also feel a sweep of happiness from the events or opportunity that comes up. I have never seen TWO golden triangles on one eclipse, and you are so fortunate to have that. As you see, this eclipse is one of high contrast, with several things going on in your life at the same time.

This first golden triangle of planets will link the Sun and new moon in Cancer, to the first point of the triangle, and receive beams from Jupiter, giver of girts and luck, from your fifth house, ruling love, romance, pregnancy, and the care and protection of children. These areas of your life are about to shine brilliantly for you. If you work on creative projects, your solar fifth house also rules your artistic expressions, and again, this is an area of enormous protection and gain for you.

The Sun and new moon will also receive silvery rays from Neptune in your ninth house of distant travel, foreign people and international relationships, the media, academia, and legal moves. Jupiter, Neptune, and the Sun new moon solar eclipse will join hands to create the image of a triangle, the emblem of the most harmonious aspect you can ever wish to achieve in astrology.

Yet you have ANOTHER sparkling triangle of planets, linking Uranus, planet of surprise, in your house of friendship, hopes, and wishes, suggesting something you dearly want may come through for you. A friend may be very helpful to you this month, too. Venus is your third house of travel, a house that also rules close kin (siblings, cousins) and will also stand by to support you. Both Uranus and Venus (a fun, light aspect if there ever was one) will beam friendly rays to Saturn in your house of partner.

I do realize that Pluto the bully will unnerve you, whomever that person represents in your life, but it seems as if the other little planets are rushing in to protect you and surround you with love through their messages of creating two golden triangles. You have so much going for you, dear Cancer! Don’t let anyone lower your self-esteem under this eclipse, for you are strong and so very appreciated by everyone else in your life. If you keep your thinking cap on, you may just outwit this person who is set on being so demanding of you.

Before you ever get to this eclipse, I would like you to circle July 5 on your calendar, one of the happiest and most positive days of the month. It is due to be a special day for love, romance, matters related to pregnancy, and children. It will also be a day when you can turn yourself into a virtual idea factory if you are working on ideas for new project.

Now let’s turn to the topic of money. Mars is currently moving through Aquarius – it is clear your expenses have been rising, almost to an alarming rate. You may be going through a lifestyle change to see so many expenses. Your high spending will simmer down by the time Mars leaves Aquarius on November 15.

You might be thinking, wait, why is Mars spending so much time in one sign? The usual visit of Mars in any one sign is approximately six to seven weeks, but this year, Mars entered Aquarius on May 16 and will stay six months. The reason for this is that Mars went retrograde last month on June 26 and will remain retrograde until August 27.

Mars is the high-energy planet that makes things happen. So important is Mars that ancient astrologers referred to this planet as the timekeeper of the zodiac. In other words, as Mars marches around the circle of houses in a horoscope, he lights each house he visits, and powerfully draws your attention to that area of your life, so much so that you become nearly obsessed with the matters of that house. For you, now, with Mars in Aquarius, your mind is on money.

You are intent on finding ways to bring in more money, but with Mars in a debilitated retrograde condition, you may feel that finding a new pipeline of cash is a strenuous task. Admittedly, it is, dear Cancer for you are attempting to do this without Mars’ help. Mars is the gas you put in your car to make it go, but when Mars is out of commission, not much can happen – the car gets stuck. If you are in sales (and in some ways, we are all in sales) you will find that you take two steps forward and two steps back.

The best way to deal with Mars out of phase is to go back to former clients and strengthen those bonds. Anytime a planet retrogrades, the planet is saying, go back, redo, reassess, and readdress the project or the relationship.

To make matters more complicated, Mars’ brother, Mercury, will also go retrograde this month from July 25 to August 18. Avoid signing contracts with Mercury retrograde, because when Mercury is out of phase it automatically tells us that conditions around you are changing and in flux. If you make a decision on your usual qualifiers, those will soon will be out of date, and you may regret putting your signature on a document when you were not privy to the upcoming shifts in your environment.

The picture is clear: do not make any new launches in July and August, and avoid signing papers now if possible. If you must sign, sign July 5, your very lucky day. The Sun and Jupiter will be in sync, and the Sun is the natural ruler of your solar second house of earned income. Whenever Jupiter is present, it usually means your actions are likely to lead to profit.

The month’s second eclipse is due on July 27. This one is the hard one for us all, no matter what our sign. It will fall in Aquarius, the sign ruling your house of credit, loans, insurance claim payouts, mortgage, inheritance, divorce settlements, child support, and other similar types of funds that we put under the general category of other people’s money. This is where Mars is found in your solar chart, too, so there is no doubt that your mind is on getting a better grip on your finances.

Uranus will challenge both the Sun in Leo and the moon in Aquarius, hitting both your financial houses. There is no doubt that the eclipse is the hardest one of 2017. Uranus is the planet of shock and awe, and it strikes suddenly, like a lightning bolt, without warning, so I imagine you will either hear of another expense or that money owed to you will be delayed or not come at all, say, for example, if your client goes bankrupt.

Mars is nearing a very difficult confrontation with Uranus on August 1 when Mars will be in hard 90-degree angle to Uranus. Another expense may come out of the blue, but when it comes to Uranus, it is very hard to pin down the coming message from Uranus, for he is the planet of unexpected developments. He always strikes in a way you would have never considered as a possibility. Uranus keeps us adaptable, flexible, and resourceful, for we often have no other choice. We all will feel August 1, and it will be a replay of what you experienced May 16. Perhaps you can look back through your emails to see what came up at that time.

Next month we have a new moon solar eclipse in Leo on August 11 and that one will help you recoup money, for it is a new moon in your second house of earned income. Don’t despair – help is on the way.

Keep the faith, dear Cancer. When the universe swings too far in one direction, the pendulum shifts in the other direction to balance things out. You can find the money you need as long as you stick to your program. Cancer is considered one of the wise financial signs (those are Capricorn, Taurus, Scorpio, and Cancer. Many of the Rockefellers were Cancers and many are found in the Royal Family.) You will come out of this month stronger than ever before, I promise.

July will ask you to stay on your toes. As you enter the month, you may still be dealing with an episode, a decision, or a situation regarding a partner that is causing you stress. The full moon of June 27 late last month brought a committed relationship to some sort of culmination or closure. This full moon was conjunct Saturn so there was a sense of finality and seriousness on how events played out.

As you start July, you may still be thinking about your partner who you know in love or business, and trying to decide where you would like to the relationship to go, assuming you want to stay together. The situation appears to be that you either have sympathy for your partner who appears to be going through a difficult patch, or you may not be getting along with your partner, and if so, you may have recently decided to break things off.

Mars is the ruler of your prestigious tenth house of career, and as of June 26 Mars went into sleepy retrograde mode, so you will find July and August to bring slow professional progress. If you are in sales, publicity, marketing, advertising, product development, or any job that requires a competitive spirit, you will do best to wait until September to debut or launch a powerful new initiative or plan. In the meantime, see past clients who always believed in you, and strengthen those bonds. Review your progress so far in 2018, and think about making possible course corrections. You will need to be patient with slow and steady growth, but any small gains you make will be stable and long lasting.

Two eclipses are due this month, and a third one is on its way next month. The first, on July 12, is a solar eclipse in Cancer, which will require you to make a long-term, serious decision regarding your partner, but will also ask you to decide what you ultimately want for yourself. Pluto will forcefully oppose the Sun and new moon eclipse in Cancer, and so someone – a competitor or your partner – may suddenly display a side you never saw before, exhibiting shocking strong-arm tactics to get you to agree to your partner’s point of view. This person will use a “my way or the highway” scorched earth method of negotiation to get his or her way. If this description does not resonate with you, alternatively, a business competitor, rather than a partner, will make an aggressive move in the marketplace to take away a piece of your market pie in a ruthless way.

The closer your birthday falls to July 12, the more you will feel its effects. If you are ready to make a commitment, the July 12 solar eclipse will likely move up your timetable, but if you are unhappy with your relationship, you may ask for time apart, or to simply throw in the towel and move on. As said, powerhouse Pluto will oppose the tender new moon eclipse, and you may feel that your partner is too demanding or self-absorbed, or treats you in an unfair way. In this case, you must speak up or detach yourself from this situation.

Single Cancers have a different outlook and may meet someone new, possibly while visiting a setting near water. Pluto is in your seventh house of marriage and committed business relationships, so the person comes from this area of your life. If you are not married or engaged, and not in a one-on-one business collaboration such as with an agent or business partner, you may not feel this eclipse much at all.

A lunar full moon eclipse will occur on July 27 in Aquarius 5 degrees and it will remake your financial picture to some extent. If you are in the process of a divorce, you will need to prepare for a contentious battle over assets that may take weeks to complete, and possibly take you as far as early November 2018 before you can settle if there are substantial assets to divide.

This eclipse will light your house of other people’s money – money you share with a partner, or receive from a bank, venture capitalist, insurance company, inheritance, court settlement, and so forth. Uranus will be in hard angle to both the full moon and Sun, as well as to Mars, suggesting if you are not dividing assets in a divorce or end of a business, then you are likely to either have to spend money or not receive money you were promised and depended upon being received. This is a difficult eclipse. Next month, on the new moon, August 11, you will have another eclipse, a better one, and again finances will be discussed, and you will decide on a new plan for future months.

Eclipses bring a floodlight of truth and help us understand situations with greater clarity. They end lingering situations in the blink of an eye, but for that we are grateful. Once you see a clear picture, you can best protect yourself from now on.