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.

July and August will be action-packed months, because three eclipses are about to come barreling our way. Until now, and over the past two years, the eclipses have been in Leo and Aquarius, but that series is finishing soon, and a new series is starting up now, in your opposite sign of Cancer and, next year, in Capricorn. Eclipses always come in pairs, two weeks apart, always coinciding with a new and full moon. Eclipses are so strong, they seem to be new and full moons on steroids. The new eclipse series in Cancer and Capricorn will extend into 2020.

The job of an eclipse is to get you moving. Timetables move up and decisions are made. Something going on in the outside world that has nothing to do with anything you did or said will come to your doorstep and be a big part of the reason you will move up your timetable. I always find it remarkable how deftly an eclipse can shine a spotlight on a subject and give you an important piece of information you did not have previously. Often we are shocked when we receive that one last puzzle piece that seems to come out of the blue, flying down from the sky, but when you put that last piece of the puzzle into the picture you have been creating, the entire complexion of the matter changes and gives you a eureka effect.

The month’s first eclipse will arrive on July 12 in Cancer, 21 degrees, and will to draw your attention to a close, serious partnership, whether that be with your spouse, established romantic partner, or steady sweetheart whom you have been dating a long time, quite seriously. The eclipse will light your seventh house, which is essentially a contractual house, so that includes your business partner, agent, manager, publicist, voice or acting coach, accountant, bookkeeper, lawyer, or other person who is important to you and who you hired to succeed in your career. The seventh house always speaks to one-on-one relationships, so your focus will be on someone in your life who you are aligned to in love or business.

This eclipse has a bushel of beautiful aspects associated with it, but it also has a difficult one, and because the hard aspect to that planet is exact to degree mathematically – Pluto in Capricorn opposed to the transiting Sun in Cancer to exact degree – we have to look at that one first. You seem to be voicing something you feel passionate about to one of your partners, and you may be coming on strong. You might have to do so, or maybe you need not be quite that stirred up. It seems that the topic you are thinking about may have come up late last month at the full moon in Capricorn that happened at last month’s full moon, June 27.

Last month brought a landmark moment, for that full moon in Capricorn came arm-and-arm with your ruling planet, Saturn. You are a practical, realistic soul, but that full moon asked you to be particularly clear eyed and unemotional (easier said than done). The topic of conversation involved money, because when the Sun is involved, the eighth house of credit, student loans, mortgage, and child support are a few examples of possible financial obligations on your mind. Saturn in Capricorn was asking you to direct your full attention to your partner and to money matters

Whatever decision you came to at the end of last month, June 27, may now reach another more advanced level at the eclipse, July 12. This month’s eclipse is a new moon solar eclipse, suggesting that you may be now opening a new chapter with the partner who was on your mind last month or you may be bonding with another partner. (One may be personal, one may be in business, or it may be the same person.) I mentioned that you had superb aspects associated with this eclipse, aside from Pluto’s difficult opposition to the Sun and moon, and you do.

    So important is the role of Mars in a horoscope is the ancient astrologers called Mars the timekeeper of the zodiac. This means as Mars travels though each house of your solar chart, Mars focuses your attention strongly on the matters of that house. These days, Mars has been, and continues to be, focused on money, almost to an obsession.

You have not one but TWO golden triangles occurring in the night sky on July 12, and I can’t remember ever seeing anything this beneficial and lovely. Golden triangles create breathtaking harmony and can shower you with luck. On the first triangle, you have Jupiter in Scorpio in your house of friendship and hopes and wishes, receiving gold shimmering rays from the Sun, as well as the new moon solar eclipse in Cancer – and both are doing this from your partnership seventh house.

At the same time, Neptune in Pisces is also in the perfect position to send his heavenly beams to the Sun and new moon in Cancer. Neptune is currently in your house of short, quick travel. These aspects to the solar eclipse and new moon suggest your friends will play a happy role at eclipse time, and that you and your personal marriage or dating partner, if you have one, will travel together to a location not too far away from home that is found near water (Neptune, planet of the sea, speaking here). These planets can create a very romantic picture here, so if you can get away near July 12, do.

The second golden triangle will link Venus in your distant travel sector, to Uranus in your true love and fun sector, and both will link to your first house of personality, with Saturn in Capricorn. This will add stability to your relationship.

As you see, travel seems to be on the agenda this month, and your friends and partner will play a very big role in our enjoyment of the month. The July 12 solar eclipse will strongly affect you if your birthday falls on January 13, plus or minus five days. It’s also possible that you have natal planets in your natal chart that hover on or near 21 degrees of Capricorn or Cancer, or if you have Capricorn rising 21 degrees, also plus or minus five degrees. The coming series of eclipses will fall in all different degrees, so sooner or later you will feel one of them. In the meantime, even if you do not fit any of the categories, you should still notice some of the effects from the July 12eclipse.

For a list of all the eclipses coming in Cancer and Capricorn (both will affect you), go to my website online. If you can, it would be preferable to be on your computer or large tablet, for you will need a big screen. Look to the lower left hand side of my home page. Once there you will see that I have a section called Table of Eclipse Dates, which is list of eclipses that began in 1994 and extends to 2030, so you can see if your birthday falls on or close to any of the ones due in 2019 and 2020. Of course, because astrology is based on math, you can look both backward or forward in time. I did not put this Table of Eclipse Dates on my app, on Apple or Android, so instead go to my homepage of my website, AstrologyZone.com to see this list.

The July 27 lunar (full moon) eclipse in Aquarius, 5 degrees, will not be so friendly and will emphasize money. The problem is that an expense will come out of the blue due to Uranus in Taurus in hard angle to the Sun in Leo and the full moon in Aquarius. The fact that the moon is involved and is conjunct Mars tells me your partner will be a big part of the discussion. (You might be thinking about a current partner in love or business, or a former marriage partner.)

Both the Sun and full moon lunar eclipse will be placed in one of each of your two different financial houses at eclipse time, July 27, almost guaranteeing some sort of change in your financial picture is due, one way or the other. News that comes up will be sudden, and could involve the needs of one of your children, or a vacation or social event that might turn out to be more expense than you originally assumed. If you are in the process of working out the details for a divorce, be prepared to discuss child support and visitation as a key, sensitive topic of consideration. I say that because you have Uranus in your fifth house, ruling children, and Uranus will be prominent on July 27.

There are other complications this month. Mars went retrograde last month, June 26, and will remain out of phase until August 27. Mars is the energy planet that makes things move forward. So important is the role of Mars in a horoscope that the ancient astrologers called Mars the timekeeper of the zodiac. This means as Mars travels though each house of your solar chart, Mars focuses your attention strongly on the matters of that house. These days, Mars has been, and continues, to have you focused on money, almost to an obsession. Typically Mars spends seven weeks in a sign, but this year Mars will spend six months in your earned income house, which often means you would be spending a lot of money this year. Mars is the natural ruler of your fourth house of home and family.

Mars is in your second house of earned income so you will find that collecting funds owed to you to take time. It will also be harder to make a profit, so you will have to reconsider all your assumptions and perhaps tweak your strategy. This, the red planet, is the warrior planet that gives you confidence, courage, determination, and drive. Said another way, Mars is the gas in your car to make it go, and without gas or Mars, not much happens. You will find it harder to stand out and win profits and attention for your venture in July and August. Mars will remain in Aquarius in your second house of money until November 15 (except for a few brief weeks from mid-August to mid-September).

Not only is Mars retrograde, but his brother, Mercury, will also go retrograde this month from June 25 to August 18. As a result, you should avoid signing any paperwork until September if you can help it. It is also not a time to launch new business ventures, for you won’t have Mars’ considerable competitive energy behind your effort, nor Mercury’s fine help in negotiating. Mercury rules communication, negotiation, commerce (buying and selling), and electronics. If you need a new computer, air conditioner, cell phone, TV set, or even a car, I suggest you get it in the first week of July.

The very best day of the month will be July 5, when the Sun and Jupiter will be in sync. This is a great day for a business meeting or presentation, for Jupiter will likely see that you make a generous sum, and also a perfect day to socialize with friends. This is a four-star day, so find a way to use it to your advantage.

In July, the Sun will have journeyed as far away from your birth Sun as it can be – six months from your birth sign when the Sun is in Cancer – but by month’s end, the transiting Sun will make its loop to start to journey back toward Capricorn, to conjoin with your birthday Sun at the end of December and January. This means July is your “winter” when you cannot feel the warmth of your Capricorn Sun’s rays (it’s too far away). To compensate, you will need to move closer to others, to work cooperatively to get emotional, financial, and practical support.

This is why in July you will be focused mainly on your one-on-one partner who is important to you. This person may be someone you are associated with in love or business, but either way, you have made a serious commitment to one another. The recent full moon of last month, June 27, will still be coloring your thinking as you start off July. Saturn was orbiting shoulder to shoulder to that full moon last month, putting you in a serious, realistic, practical, and “this is what it is” way of thinking. Still, Uranus in Taurus was super-supportive, leaving the chance for an eleventh hour opportunity to come up to help solve any relationship dilemma you may have on your mind.

Financially, you may have to write a check or come up with contingency funds if someone has not sent money promised. You seem to have to pay that obligation with no option of putting it off. Your guardian planet is Saturn, so you are well equipped to deal with Saturn’s demands, which is happening now. This full moon, still affecting you in early July, has made you think about what you want for yourself in life, what you are willing to give to a partner, and what you would expect to receive in return.

This meditation of what you want in a partner will grow larger at the solar eclipse July 12 in your opposite sign of Cancer, which has some of the most beautiful aspects possible, plus one hard one. The hardest aspect will involve Pluto in Capricorn opposed to the solar eclipsed Sun and new moon in Cancer, likely to make you more vocal and assertive than usual – perhaps more than is necessary, but only you would know if that is true or not. There will be no need to hit a gnat with a hammer – a soft touch would work best.

Notwithstanding what I just said, and this may sound funny – this would be a fine month to get engaged, for you can now build a strong and loving alliance. One word of advice: if you are planning to present your partner with a pre-nuptial agreement at the last minute, that idea could easily backfire. If you want such a contract with your husband- or wife-to-be, talk it over well in advance, not the night prior to the wedding as have happened to some of the people I know.

You do have extraordinary help from good fortune Jupiter in regard to one or more friends who might have savvy financial advice, perhaps to recommend a broker or financial advisor for you. You may also get help from surprise-a-minute Uranus, which specifically will allow you to boost your financials suddenly when you hit a breakthrough, perhaps through new business or a special assignment.

You seem to do especially well with money matters mid-month, quelling earlier fears that you’d run out of cash for some reason – you will have all you need at that time. In a month when the planets are acting in wild and crazy ways, it is understandable that at times you won’t know which end is up. Mars will be at odds with Uranus during the last days of July, so admittedly, you may discover that you have a large expense on or near August 1, a very hard day for money. Sign no papers on that day, nor give any agreement verbally either.

If you’ve been negotiating with your company for a raise, it is likely to come to a final stage at the full moon lunar eclipse July 27. I am not sure if you will get the full amount of the raise that you asked to get, but if not, your performance is not the reason. The company coffers will be low, so don’t feel badly – it’s not you. If someone owes you money, thankfully, the check truly will be in the mail. Still, if your steady date wants a loan from you, be careful – you may never see that cash again. On the other hand, you may be spending money on a child or pregnancy, and in that case, joyfully so.

Mars is now in sleepy retrograde, a trend that started last month on June 26, and will continue until August 27. This will make your efforts to improve your living space by renting, buying, or selling property difficult and cause talks to proceed slowly.

Mars’ brother Mercury will also retrograde from July 25 to August 18, so you may feel like everything you are truly to do is like watching maple syrup drip from a tree, agonizingly slowly. You would be wise to shelve plans to move, close on a house, or choose a contractor until September, for that will be your best month to do so. In business matters, Mars retrograde may leave you wondering if you made a sale or not, as executives you see will be more indecisive than usual and need time to mull things over before they commit. This is the way things go when Mars is retrograde in your earned income sector.

Venus in Virgo is divinely compatible with your Capricorn Sun, adding to the likelihood of fun and love, and is currently in your long-distance travel sector from July 9 to August 6. You can safely travel with Mercury retrograde (July 25 to August 18) as long as you clearly mark your bags and are deliberate about taking personal treasures with you after leaving public transportation. Make sure you have your sunglasses, eyeglasses, electronic tablets, or your wallet. Everyone tends to rush during Mercury retrograde periods, and also become forgetful. If you’re traveling for business (very possible), confirm all meetings, addresses, bookings, and flights ahead of time. Don’t sign a contract, and hold off on important decisions.

The most important take-away from this month’s report is to delay the launch of a new product or service until September. It’s also not the time for launching an expensive social media, publicity, or advertising campaign. You can do polling and testing, say, by sending up a trial balloon to see how a portion of your target customer reacts, but it’s not the time for a full-blown launch. Rather, it is a good time to look back over 2018 and see what went right and what went wrong, and to make course corrections.

The universe is giving you permission to slow down your schedule in July. With Saturn in Capricorn, you have had quite a bit of pressure. Be kind to yourself in July – you will have the time to do so.