!! OMG Stars: July 2023 Horoscopes !!

Dear readers,

Often when I sit down to write horoscopes I think about whatever I’m seeing people talk about a lot on astro-internet. Sometimes an eclipse, a planetary transit to a new sign, some sort of change worth noting.  In a slow astrological news time it’ll be something rather commonplace—perhaps like a retrograde—so when I began to notice that I was seeing a lot of buzz about the summer’s Venus retrograde in Leo, I got ready to put on my grumpy astrologer hat and mumble about how retrogrades are commonplace.

I picked up my ephemeris for the 21st century and started looking for the last time Venus stationed retrograde in Leo. I found quickly that she was there in 2015—but that she began her trip backwards in Virgo, and only moonwalked (venus-walked?) back into Leo. So I started flipping back… and had to get my 20th century ephemeris down… and after a few hours of tracking, I got to 1900 and she still hadn’t stationed retrograde in Leo.

By this point I’d made a spreadsheet and had three books open around me and was digging around for Internet ephemerides. After some time with more charts, I made it back to 1850 without finding the last time she had done what I was looking for and decided to message Pallas K. Augustine, expert on Venus cycles. She told me that the last time Venus did what it’s about to do was 1812! 1812!!!!

I was so ready to say in these horoscopes, “Venus last did this station in year XYZ, so think about what was going on for you then and what has changed.” I can hardly ask any of you to consider what you were up to in 1812. Engaging in cannonfire somewhere in British North America? Tending to Napoleon’s indigestion? Being born, if you’re Charles Dickens? Anyway, suffice it to say I spiraled a bit.

Part of the magic of astrology for me is the way one can use it to time travel. Horoscopes are forecasts for the future, sure, but I tend to be more interested in historical lenses. As I flipped through the 1910s I started to feel this really viscerally, imagining all these astrological stations in a time when no one I know was alive. It felt a bit like looking through a century-old agenda for the whole world and spying on the mundane, as opposed to the highlights of history.

Anyway—what is this significance for your life? Keeping in mind that with retrogrades, any word with a re-prefix is helpful: re-asses, re-consider, re-do. Venus retrogrades mean a re-x of Venus’ favorite things: values, creative pursuits, romance, and comfort. For these horoscopes, I’m going to focus on the house that houses Leo for each of the rising signs, and talk about how a summer of re-xing in this part of your life might look.

As for me—I personally have Venus in Scorpio, so rooting around the past is nothing if not delicious for me.

Happy summer,
Amelia

Find your full horoscope after the jump!

Horoscopes are written using whole house calculations and are meant as inspiration and affirmation of what you already know about yourself. Specific calculations are made for the rising signs, but if you don’t know your rising sign you can read for your sun. You can also read horoscopes  for your moon sign for extra emotional information. You can access your birth chart at astro.com or many other apps and websites using your birth date, time, and location. If you’re interested in getting a reading, you can book one with Amelia here. 

Aries

Extra time with Venus in Leo makes a lot of sense for the summer, especially for Aries risings with Leo on the 5th house of fun and creativity. This summer I’m thinking about how at least in the part of the world I’m in, summer weather has had a bit of a…catastrophic start.

When Venus stations retrograde at the end of July you’ll get to re-visit the start of summer and all the hopes for joy, parties, love and dancing that came along with it. Had a lousy pride? Venus gives you a do-over in mid-August and again in mid-September. Overall this is a summer of a big focus on fun, and I hope you live it up.

Taurus

As a Venus-ruled sign, any big Venus action is going to be a big deal for Taureans. This retrograde notably takes place in your fourth house of home – a big area for cozy people of your sign. The fourth house is your physical home, as well as your sense of home and family. Family of origin, chosen family, biological family, any version of this.

A Venus retrograde is a safe space to consider and re-consider these relationships. Venus moves slowly through this part of your chart all summer giving ample opportunity to understand the lessons she might be asking of you.

How have your familial relations challenged and shaped your identity? How do you want those challenges to change moving forwards? Venus is giving you plenty of time to think about it, while filling your home with flowers.

Gemini

The Venus retrograde hits a house of critical importance for Gemini risings this summer, as it takes place in your third house of communication – Gemini’s own territory. Gemini as a sign is all about the processes that take the many thoughts in your brain and turn them into words that you share with the world. With Leo on the third house, Gemini risings are a communicative and expressive bunch.

Venus retrograde through this zone gives you a lot of time to consider your communication style. This kind of astrology has the markings of misunderstanding, Gemini, so before you run your mouth certain of your certainty, double-check your biases before you spend the whole summer ruminating on what you didn’t need to say.

Cancer

Cancer risings with Leo on the second house can be some of the most giving folks in the zodiac. Leo on the second house of resources has a tendency to spend its money very freely: life is short! Says Leo. Money is for spending! On the one hand, Cancer risings tend to love to spend money on themselves, their clothes, their image. On the other, they can be extremely giving with their resources.

It’s a very Cancer-rising thing to buy the next round without thinking about it. So as Venus stations retrograde through your second house, I’d like you to spend the summer re-considering how giving you are with your resources.

On the one hand, you might need to get a little bit frugal in anticipation of any retrograde issues. On the other, it’s a good time to really consider how much you give away: financially and energetically.

Leo

In the seminal feminist film “Legally Blonde” (2001), Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon, has to face femmephobic and misogynist droves of classist Harvard law elites to prove her worth. Initially, she takes this route after being manipulated by an emotionally abusive partner who leaves her to climb the social ladder and take advantage of legacy relationships at Harvard.

Throughout the film, however, she creates relationships with accomplices across class barriers and realizes she has a special gift for using her ability to make people feel safe to win their cases in the court of law. At a pivotal moment in the film, summer internships at a prestigious firm are announced, and Woods has to push through a crowd to see the posted list of chosen interns. The camera pans back and Woods pushes back through the crowd, faces past the camera, and shouts, “ME!!!!!!”.

In this instance, it’s about being chosen for an elite internship, but I wonder, Leo rising, how you might best embody Ms. Woods this summer and push through a crowd choosing yourself, despite what boring droves of legacy admissions tell you what to chose?

Virgo

The astrology this summer is similar between you and your sister sign Pisces, so I’ll going to repeat some of what I’m saying to Pisces to you, but in reverse: One of my favourite oppositions in the zodiac (and I’m the first to admit I’m obsessed with oppositions) is that between Virgo and Pisces. You and your opposite sign make up the human relationship between our reality and our dreams. I mention this despite no major astrology in Pisces this month, Virgo, because the Venus retrograde takes place in the Piscean territory of your natal chart, the twelfth house, which rules our dreams, our solitude, mystery and the void.

In ancient astrology (and in some contemporary manifestations of astrology), the twelfth house is about secrets and enemies. Am I likely to be assassinated this year? A king might ask his astrologer. The astrologer would look to the King’s twelfth house for an answer. Personally I like to talk about the twelfth house simply as that which we don’t know. If I were the astrologer, I’d have to find a way to say to the king: I don’t know, sire. Of course I’m not employed for such an answer, so instead I find ways to describe things happening in secret and activity behind closed doors.

To you, virgo, in the here and now, I say that Venus is asking you to reconsider that which you don’t know, to spend time in what you previously thought was closed off to you, and to see if it’s illuminated anew.

Libra

My preferred personal and professional strategy for looking at the future through astrology is not original, but one that I think often bears repeating. I don’t work with precise predictions or foretelling doom, but rather like a weather forecast. How often do we really believe a weather forecast? They’re just predicting likely events based on prior patterns, just like me.

All this to say, this month I’m using known things about Venus retrogrades and where it takes place to give you a little forecast of caution: Venus’ retrograde takes place in your eleventh house of friends and community, so  I’m going to ask you to prepare for things like misunderstanding and confusion in this area of your life.

By doing so, you can ensure that the s l o wwww movement of Venus in this area of your chart can be a blessing (extra time with friends, extra pleasure, renewed relationships) instead of a challenge.

Scorpio

Among the brilliant things my teacher taught me is the true blessing of being Scorpio rising. Most Scorpio risings have Leo on the Midheaven—the point of career and public profile. This pattern means that in the public eye, Scorpio risings can appear glamorous, exciting, creative, and in personal relationships, you appear sexy, mysterious. What hot astrology! This summer’s Venus retrograde calls attention to this difference, and all the ways that friction produces heat.

As a fire sign, Leo wants more energy, attention, visibility, and as a water sign, Scorpio certainly wants none of that. Unlike sister signs Pisces and Cancer, who shrivel with too much attention because of overwhelm or emotional instability, Scorpio dislikes the attention for the protection of its privacy.

This summer you are getting a lot of attention to the public part of your life though, Scorpio, and I’d like to invite you to reconsider the ways you perceive yourself in public and offer that perhaps the tension between mystery and visibility is precisely what keeps you interested (and interesting).

Sagittarius

Sagittarius rising, I love this astrology for you because your home territory is getting a visit from Venus for a loooong time as she spends the summer and fall transiting your ninth house of expansion. Here’s an image to consider: you have a summer home in a remote place that requires complex travel to visit.

This summer you’re getting a visit to this home from your favourite Aunt. This Aunt is creative, glamorous, exciting, always has a story, and has made specific plans to spend a lot of time in your summer home this year. She’s going to ask you to talk about all the books you keep there, she’s going to ask you to practice your Spanish with her (or to practice her Spanish with you), and you’re going to have lots of long talks under the stars about philosophy, religion, education, and whatever else sparks your interest.

She’s going to have these conversations with you while wearing a fabulous robe and smoking clove cigarettes. All you have to do is make sure you’re ready for her there. Have you ensured your travel plans are air tight? Downloaded the translation app to your phone?

Do whatever you need to do to get the mundane details in check so that this glamorous summer of philosophizing over Hugo Spritzes can go without trouble.

Capricorn

An interesting little-known aspect of Capricorns is how well you do with intensity. It’s out of character, some may say, because Capricorns are known for stoicism and practicality, but that same ability to be practical and dry can make you very well suited to intensity. It’s fixer-in-a-crisis astrology.

This summer Venus’ retrograde takes place in your eight house of intimacy. This is an intense area of your chart, Capricorn, but I say all of this to ensure you that you are better prepared for it than you may believe. Any intense relationships, complex procedures, or deep connections may feel a bit extra this summer, and you could start to feel resentful that they’re occupying a lot of your time.

But none of this will be new: these are all situations that have presented themselves to you already, whether over the past few years or the past few weeks. Revise your take on them before acting on anything, particularly between July 23 and September 4 while Venus is actively retrograde.

Aquarius

Like your sister air sign Libra, I’m going to offer to you, Aquarius, that a little preparation in early to mid July can make the difference between a summer of misunderstanding and a summer of luxuriating. Venus’ retrograde takes place in your seventh house of one-on-one relationships, and on the one hand, this could be the type of astrology that sees you fighting with a partner (or close friend, or collaborator) over and over about the same thing.

On the other hand, this type of astrology could be an opportunity to go deep into conversation about an issue that has come up before, and see it in new light by allowing yourself to slow down. Take the Venusian cues of pleasure, comfort, and creativity to allow these revisitations to be nostalgic and pleasurable as opposed to painful and complex.

Make like a skincare commercial and repeat to yourself: Because we’re worth it.

Pisces

The astrology this summer is similar between you and your sister sign Virgo, so I’ll going to repeat some of what I’m saying to Virgo to you, but in reverse: One of my favourite oppositions in the zodiac (and I’m the first to admit I’m obsessed with oppositions) is that between Virgo and Pisces. You and your opposite sign make up the human relationship between our reality and our dreams.

I mention this despite no major astrology in Pisces this month because the Venus retrograde takes place in the Virgoan territory of your natal chart, the sixth house, which rules our day to day life, our schedules, and our health. To one point, Pisces, make sure any pending doctors appointments or bloodwork schedules or anything like that happens before July 23rd, if you can, knowing that after that there may likely be annoying snags in the schedule.

Aside from that, use the slow movement of Venus in this area of your chart as an opportunity to spend time in self care. I don’t mean the self care of bubble baths, I mean the self care of ensuring your day to day life runs smoothly, meal prepping, flossing your teeth, and getting an agenda. BYOB, Pisces (Be Your Own Boss).

OMG Stars is our astrology column written by queer astrologer Amelia Ehrhardt (@amelia.np.e). At the beginning of each new astrological season, Amelia interprets the upcoming astrology with a focus on how to navigate current events (astrological and global).