Photo by Krystle Merrow
Every single time I start these horoscopes, it’s a struggle not to insert a gif of Alyssa Edwards walking into the workroom for AS2. I can no longer resist:
(I checked to see if there was anything relevant in Ms. Edwards’ astrology that would make me cave this time around: nothing stood out, but I can report that she’s a double Capricorn.)
I’m moving back into a monthly format with these horoscopes, and this time we are looking at what’s coming up in Cancer season.
Starting off with the summer solstice on the 20th and the full moon in Capricorn at its exact degree the following day, Cancer season begins with Venus and Mercury conjoined also in Cancer, starting off the season having just held hands for a few days. We’ve been in a place of alignment between our hearts and our mouths, but that passage is brief as Mercury speeds along and leaves Venus alone.
By the time we get into July, the major for the month kicks off: Mars briefly sextiles Saturn from the 5th to the 9th, and then conjoins Uranus from the 14th to the 18th. The first of these two is an opportunistic, if spicy, transit, bringing collective will and collective discipline together (a useful thing while these two planets are in rather lazy signs). Mars’ conjunction to Uranus is more overtly touchy, as Spicy Boy Mars shares a bed with Chaos King Uranus. Those final days of Cancer season will likely be hot in every sense of the word, so plan accordingly.
In the background of all this fast-moving astrology is a long-running sextile between Neptune and Pluto. Robert Hand writes of this combination that “the mysteries of life and death are not abstractions… anymore but are directly and immediately relevant.” These two furthest-out planets are the most hidden parts of our psyche: Neptune is mysticism, intuition, dreams, and confusion, while Pluto is power, passion, fear, and transformation. I’m finding their combination revelatory. Neptune is in his ruling sign of Pisces—also the sign of mysticism, intuition, dreams, and confusion—and Pluto is in the earliest degrees of Aquarius, the sign of freedom, knowledge, and chaos.
How does an expanded mind help teach you what it means to be free? How does it teach us all the ways that some of us are free and some of us are not? Why are we afraid of freedom? How does knowledge transform us? If we get in touch with our relationship to the unknown, does it help us come to clear understanding and knowledge?
These are the questions that this long and rumbling astrology leaves me with.
Wishing you all a beautiful solstice and a happy Pride,
Amelia
Find your horoscope after the jump!
Horoscopes are written using whole house calculations and are meant as inspiration and affirmation. 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 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
The sign of Cancer can be a difficult one for Aries—both of your signs are cardinal, meaning they are about beginnings—often the signs of leaders. Aries is a brave leader off to be first, and Cancer is the familial leader, telling you to bring a sweater—it can be a damper on Aries’ big plans to have some practical maternal instincts slowing you down. While the cluster of Cancer planets this month moves through the fourth house of home for Aries risings, you have a period of time to consider your domestic life—this isn’t always welcome for Aries folks who want to get up and go, but take advantage of the sweetness.
When your ruling planet Mars conjoins Uranus in July, everyone’s anger is likely to be amped up and unpredictable—this will be a time to lean on that above-mentioned sweetness at the start of the month. The whole world is liable to be as quick to anger as Aries can be during this transit, so watch out for many opportunities to run your mouth. Aries does sometimes love the opportunity.
Taurus
This month you have Mars the spicy boy himself in your sign. For Taurus risings this means he’ll be traversing your first house for a month, and for all Taureans it means you’ll get a brief visit. Mars on a hot part of the chart can be quite energizing—lots of social attention, looking and feeling hot, and potentially facing some conflict. Since Mars is in Taurus, after all, it’s not as inflammatory and argumentative as other signs, but it is very stubborn.
What’s more, later in the month when Mars conjoins Uranus, there’s liable to be some unexpected and potentially electric disagreements (to put it lightly), so hang on to your comfy little Taurus bed.
Gemini
Cancer season begins on the 20th with the Sun, Venus, and Mercury all leaving your sign together to step into the sign of the crab, so my apologies if sociable Gemini feels a little lonely. The astrology of the past couple of months was a lot of business for your sign, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Gemini, but could have left you sleepy anyway, so take it easy for the first little bit of Cancer season if you can.
For Gemini risings, Mars in Taurus is traversing your 12th house of dreams, secrets, and solitude, and when Mars conjoins Uranus from July 14th to 18th there will be a lot going on in this area of your life. This could look like extremely erratic dreams, feeling irritable, or like you aren’t being seen the way you want to. Mars will move on into your sign on July 20th and you’ll get a gorgeous month of attention and energy out of it, so hang on for that to come.
Cancer
With the Sun moving in to warm you up, you’re entering an annual season of brief but notable pleasure. Whether it’s your birthday (Cancer Sun) or not (Cancer rising) this month sees attention coming your way. Mercury and Venus spend the first half of the month also giving you some nice attention, but I always think it’s worth remembering that Cancerian folks don’t necessarily always love attention and that it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.
If that’s your version of being a Cancer, take advantage of the relative laziness of Mars in Taurus and focus on relaxing into the hot weather. If you’re a more sociable Cancer, make plans with friends between now and July 12th when both Mercury and Venus will have moved on to Leo. Either way and whatever your particular astrology, this is a great season to love and care for yourself in the way that feels best to you.
Leo
This month begins the process of astrology moving into your sign, as Mercury and Venus will both be in Leo by the middle of July. Before that happens, though, there’s a lot in the shadows for Leo risings, with the Sun, Mercury, and Venus all in your 12th house of mysteries and dreams. This is the “house of hidden meaning” that RuPaul has been talking about (although take note that the title of that book is based on some seriously inaccurate astrobabble).
Mars points his spicy boy finger at you throughout this month, where he lazes about in Taurus and squares your Leo placements. This can be combative but can also be extremely productive. This kind of transit brings out conflict that might need to be addressed, especially with Mercury also in the mix. Mercury will be in your sign while this is happening, so the God of communication is in your sign: take advantage of it.
Virgo
The beginning of Cancer season starts off the summer, which your sign and time then marks the end of, and for this reason I often think that there is something particularly stimulating about Cancer season for Virgos. Your two signs support each other well—Cancer needs care and you love to take care, Cancer is conscientious and you love being thanked, but there’s also some stimulation between the two of you as Cancer’s watery nature doesn’t always think of the practical, which is the plane on which you exist.
But all of this is more general than I like to be in a horoscope.
This month has some great energetic support for Virgos, as Mars in Taurus makes his way through your sibling Earth sign, giving you a little shot of a trine as it passes through. This is a wonderful time for getting something started that’s going to be supportive of your needs. Think of what that thing is (don’t think deep, go with the first thing you think of) and use the remaining weeks of Cancer season to start it off.
Libra
Cancer and Libra are both cardinal signs, which among other things means they can stress each other out. Cancer is cardinal water, which is the beginning of emotional connection and intuition, while Libra is cardinal air which is the beginning of communication and understanding. There are a lot of steps required to go between the two. This season I invite you to consider the way you relate to beginnings. Do they energize you? Stress you out? Overwhelm you? There’s lots in the natal chart that can indicate those different responses, but you know yourself best.
Within these reflections, consider especially this month the way that your relationship to beginnings takes shape in your career. Libra risings have lots of astrology this month in your tenth house of career and public profile, so it could be a time of lots going on. Your ruling planet Venus is up there this month bringing some sweetness that could be much appreciated—take advantage of it and enjoy the attention.
Scorpio
The astrology for the coming month is comparatively watery to what we’ve been experiencing for the past few years, with both of your sister signs of Cancer and Pisces being quite activated. Appropriately enough, I am writing this on the day of a Scorpio moon, but aside from this, your sign is the only one of the three water signs untouched by the planets. This makes me wonder about the way that Scorpio completes the picture of what the water signs teach us—Cancer, nurturing; Pisces, intuition; and your lot, intensity. Without the depths of Scorpio the water signs lack patience and passion. Consider that you bring all this to the table this month, Scorpio, particularly if you happen to find yourself feeling vulnerable.
The practical astrology of the month has both opportunities for nice and spice: Venus, Mercury and the Sun will all trine your Scorpio placements, while Mars will at some point square them. This is a lot of stimulation and opportunity for working through things. You could find yourself the centre of attention this month and a lot of that attention could be sexy, but it could also be combative…but sometimes the combination of the two makes for the best stuff, and your passionate nature likely revels in that kind of thing. Happy Pride 😉
Sagittarius
Sagittarius and this month’s sign, Cancer, are in a position to each other called a quincunx: this combination shows the least compatibility between two signs. Sagittarius wants to get out into the world, learn, grow, and have experiences, while Cancer wants to stay home, nurture, and be nurtured. Opposite signs have much to discuss, but quincunxes can’t even meet at the same table. For those of you who may live with this combination of signs, it’s a bit of “invite me to the party but don’t look at me,” or “I wanna go out but I wanna take my whole home with me.” Either way, for all my Sagittarius readers, consider the part of your chart that has Cancer on it (you can pull up your chart here) or consider how you relate to home and family this month.
Appropriately enough, this month otherwise sees big astrology with your actual opposite sign, Gemini. Gemini and Sagittarius are the party continuum of the zodiacal year. Gemini has an idea, and Sag says, “Let’s do it.” Gemini heard gossip, and Sag is dying to know. Gemini is the wind that spreads Sagittarius’ fire, and together they can be fun but messy. Sag’s ruling planet Jupiter just moved into Gemini, so you’re going to get a spot of brief attention from Jove.
This is exciting astrology that’s just getting started, but it’s also potentially exhausting. Cancer season is a good time to snuggle up and prepare for the adventures to come.
Capricorn
This month’s astrology looks you right in the eye, Capricorn, as your opposite sign, Cancer, gets substantial attention. Capricorn and Cancer speak to the part of the zodiac—the part of our lives—that is about work and home. Capricorn goes out into the world to gain resources; Cancer cares for the home and self using those resources. Cancer is the part of the self and society that ensures Capricorn can manage to do all that, and the two need each other. As a Capricorn, being in touch with your Cancerian side is an important element of self-understanding—particularly for Capricorn risings with Cancer on your point of relationships.
All of this oppositional astrology asks you to consider the complete picture of yourself. Capricorn is one of the signs that I find is most poorly spoken about in pop astrology, with a very restrictive image generally being painted of the sign. We all know the side that’s about leadership, restriction, and rules. But I love to think about the creative Capricorns of the world—Rihanna has substantial Capricorn placement, as does the earlier mentioned Alyssa Edwards. Capricorn is part of the complexity of humanity just as all the other signs are.
Leaning into what Cancer can teach you—either if you know your own chart well or are new to astrology—can help you understand the full spectrum of your capacity. This is the season for it.
Aquarius
Aquarius and this month’s sign, Cancer, are, like Sagittarius and Cancer, in a relationship to each other called a quincunx. This is the least compatibility we can see between signs, and it takes place between signs that are neither in the same mode nor element and don’t really have anything to talk about. Cancer admires convention; Aquarius needs rebellion. Cancer likes a comfy home; Aquarius likes freedom. For those of you who have both these signs in important parts of your chart, you likely feel like you are holding complexity at all times. Throughout Cancer season, I invite all Aquarians to consider this complexity as you consider your relationships to stability, domesticity, convention, and care.
Aquarius risings have Cancer on your 6th house of everyday life. I always tell my Aquarian clients that Aquarius is the sign of paradox, and particularly when we’re talking about a placement like this, I’m thankful your lot are so able to hold complexity. As an Aquarius rising, you thrive on unpredictability and freedom, but Cancer on your 6th house means you tend towards a fairly comfortable daily life.
How can you have both? With Venus, Mercury, and the Sun in this part of your chart this month, you’ll likely have time to consider that. Meanwhile, Mars’ movement through Taurus will mean a brief and tense square from spicy boy to your Aquarius placement: this is a high time for conflict, sex, or both. Happy pride, Aquarius 🙂
Pisces
We’re coming into the tail end of your ruling planet, Neptune, in your home sign, and lately I’ve been reflecting on how big a deal that has been. Having a slow-moving planet as a ruler means you likely won’t have the opportunity of a visit from the boss, but you Pisceans of the present have had the sea god to swim with since 2011. He leaves your sign next year, beginning a new zodiacal cycle for the slow-moving giant, and while he’s been there, we’ve seen a major amping up of a lot of the Piscean thematics. Neptune hasn’t been in Pisces since the early 1800s, so suffice it to say you won’t see him again in your lifetime.
What does this mean for you in the immediate, Pisces? I invite you to consider the ways that your mind has been expanding since 2011. How have you grown, and in what ways? What new truths do you have available to you? This is a long period of your life to consider, granted, but astrology invites us to think of our life in the long form.
This coming year, while Neptune finishes his transit through Pisces, will be one of power and transformation for everyone: we all need Pisces to help us intuit our way through difficult times.
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).
Nooo not the gays still falling for horoscopess