It appears July will to be an interesting month largely because we have two rather dramatic eclipses and a stack of retrograding planets. Therefore, do not expect things to go according to plan. In fact, not having a plan at all could be the best course. Mars is retrograde, Mercury slows to a crawl, and a strong, disruptive Uranian influence might throw a wrench into the works. As ever, there are more pleasant, easier configurations occurring in the background, and if we can tap into these benevolent energies, we might bypass much of the adversity and reach the end of the month wondering what all the fuss was about.

We begin July with the backward motion of Mars in Aquarius. This isn't a particular problem as long as we try to be less Martian in our approach to life: less competitive, less driven, less ambitious, less full steam ahead. But the additional factor of the south node conjoining this retrograde Mars acts like a black hole and gobbles up what little energy Mars has left. So we could find that this isn't the best time for either Aquarius or Aries, and Scorpios might find that their passion and power wane somewhat, since Mars is their coruler. If you fall under these signs, you might want to take a break throughout July and accept that "the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry" (Robert Burns).

This is a good time to rest, relax, and forget about achievements and to-do lists. Remember instead the lovely, languid feeling that comes with the summer holidays when school's out and there's nothing to do but enjoy the long days stretching out ahead of you. This is a good philosophy for all of us throughout July and even more so when Mercury takes a leaf out of Mars's book and decides he wants a rest too. However, it is especially important for the three aforementioned signs, who are most influenced by Mars's backward journey through Aquarius.