July Astrology Forecast: A Radical Switch in Compass Arrives for the Second Half of 2023

Welcome to the second part of your 2023! Following the division in the calendar year, the astrology of the month ahead introduces us to new currents and energies that will change our entire perspective for the future. According to New York City-based astrologer and psychic medium Katie Sweetman from Empowering Astrology, “July is actually a key month for 2023 for a few important reasons. We reach the midpoint between the past eclipse season that occurred in April-May 2023, and the upcoming eclipse season that arrives in October. The midpoint, or the point that falls three months after a set of eclipses and three months before, can act as a catalyst. Very often, the eclipse midpoint is the moment in which we see the eclipse event or story come in, sometimes turning our lives in a new direction… even if it’s three months after!”

Eclipses are formed by alignments of the luminaries (sun and moon), with the Lunar Nodes of Destiny—and in July, these powerful points in the sky move from the Taurus-Scorpio axis to the Aries-Libra axis. As a change that only takes place every eighteen months, it redirects our entire collective vibrations, requiring us to work with a different set of energies. 

July also puts two of the personal planets in tricky positions in the sky, Venus begins its retrograde at month’s end and Mars will be in a sign and with planetary company it dislikes. With the cosmic lovers experiencing intensity, our relationships are due for a significant overhaul as our values and needs morph and change right in front of our eyes. 

Full Moon in Capricorn

We begin the month under the Cancer sun, getting us deeper into the heat of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. On July 3 at 4:39 a.m. Pacific Time, the moon sits exactly across the sun to form this month’s full moon. Happening at 11 degrees of Capricorn, we dare to say this is one of the most positive astrological events of the entire month, and one that might bring major positive manifestations our way. 

Supported by big hitters Jupiter and Saturn, which are currently linked by a sextile, this full moon could mean incredibly exciting news for many of us, most likely in the realm of career. Those who have any planets in Taurus, Cancer, Capricorn, or Pisces could be receiving good news. But regardless of your sign, this is a time to expand and take risks, as the astrology is scheduled to become more intense as the month progresses.

Mars & Pallas Enter Virgo

After traveling in Leo and close to Venus during most of June, the warrior planet Mars enters Virgo on July 10, where it will stay until August 26. This planet-sign combination can be amazing for writing, productivity, and tackling projects that have been on the back burner. However, because of the opposition it will form with retrograde Saturn in Pisces between July 10 and July 27, karmic adjustments will be taking place now. 

According to Katie, “Big Mars-Saturn aspects can put a lot of pressure on the month, and as a result, July may be a hard stop for some people as a reality check or a demand that we step up and take responsibility arrives now.” On the positive side, “Mars in Virgo is incredibly focused and detail-oriented, bringing demands for the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) to take action on their goals.” Since Pallas—the asteroid of wisdom—will be traveling next to Mars all month, if we are strategic enough, we can turn the obstacles along our path into opportunities. 

The Lunar Nodes of Destiny Change Signs

Starting July 17, our collective destiny and karma have a new face as the Lunar Nodes leave the Taurus-Scorpio axis, where they have been since January 2022. As Katie puts it, “The Lunar Nodes are like a collective compass point, leading us in one direction while asking us to work on the complicated past that we may have with a key area of our lives.” For the past eighteen months, we’ve changed the way we approach relationships, and in some way, this work continues, but it will have a very different flavor. 

“The entrance of the Nodes of Destiny into Aries-Libra is a significant tone shift for 2023. We move from a story that has been with us the last year and a half in regard to money and material stability, emotional stability and transformation (Taurus-Scorpio) to a new story about new beginnings and self-reliance, relationships and partnerships (Aries-Libra). The general idea is that we’re going to be learning, in our own way, how to take the lead, stand on our own two feet, and have the courage to go after what we want,” she adds. 

To best harness this energy, Katie recommends asking ourselves, “How do we find the Aries within? How do we take the lead? Stand up for ourselves? Find our courage and bravery?” While it will be difficult to answer these questions as we set on this new collective path, imminent situations will require us to do so when no-nonsense Pluto—the planet of power and transformation—squares the Nodes, on July 24.

Venus Goes Retrograde

To end the month with a bang, Venus goes retrograde in Leo from July 22 to September 3. But don’t fret, Katie affirms that, “While there is a cultural narrative around retrogrades being bad, we should instead approach it as a sacred forty-day period to reflect on how we interact, socialize, and relate to one another. Are we honoring our true value and worth as well as our individuality in a relationship?”

“True, Venus retrograde can bring back an old flame to tie up loose ends or even for a second chance. But at a deeper level, Venus retrograde is a time to rediscover not only our individuality but our self-worth. It is a time to re-connect with what’s in our hearts and get back in touch with the flame of life,” she adds.