July 22 2023

Saturday, JULY 22

Jupiter is semi-square Neptune today. This longer-term influence adds a thread of idealism to our lives. We’re hopeful but perhaps looking in the wrong places for inspiration. Unrealistic or inflated expectations can mislead us–-people can lead us astray, too. We might gloss over essential and realistic details or suffer from some disorganization. This is the first of three perfections, with the other two occurring on November 5th, 2023, and March 3rd, 2024.

The Sun enters Leo today, where it will transit until August 22nd. The Sun is proud, outgoing, and playful in its own sign–we want to enjoy and express ourselves during this cycle.

The Leo Sun is intensely individual, not content with merely being one of the team. It’s time to shine, perform, and add a touch of color and drama to our lives. We are generous and grand in our gestures and attitudes.

On the shadow side, we can also be self-centered and vain under this influence.

As well, Venus turns retrograde in the sign of Leo today and will remain retrograde until September 3rd, giving us a chance to look over and review our affections, relationships, and finances. We may question a current project or commitment during this cycle.

Retrograde Venus affects us mainly in the areas of love and finances but also extends to some areas of business and pleasurable pursuits. These matters are not straightforward during this period, and it’s a time for reviewing our attitudes and attachments rather than forging ahead boldly into new love relationships or financial projects.

Old friends and lovers may reappear, perhaps complicating current relationships, or we may be reminiscing about past conditions more often. There can be a call to deal with relationship issues from the past.

Getting closer to a lover during this period can be a real challenge. Unorthodox, experimental, and non-intimate relationships may be in stronger favor.

Some of the more negative associations of Venus in Leo may be particularly prominent and/or hard to take, including egoism, buying affection, or haughtiness. It can be a time to reevaluate our relationship needs. Still, major love decisions are best saved for after the cycle ends on September 3rd and, better yet, beyond the shadow phase (after October 7th). This retrograde can skew our perceptions, and we can come out of the cycle with regret if we’ve acted hastily, particularly with money, love, and pleasure, as the tendency to change our minds later is strong.