Your Weekly Horoscope: Professional Curveballs Coming Your Way
Astral & Opal Weekly Horoscope Week: July 25-31
ARIES
You’re the master of unheeded self expression, Aries—no one is quite so gung-ho and honest as you are; after all, someone’s gotta tell it like it is! While you’re naturally unafraid to speak your mind, you’ve been hosting Uranus, the planet of surprises, in your sign for some time now and it’s given you a kooky edge that would make a mad scientists question their credentials. Well, this Friday Uranus turns retrograde through December and effectively dims down the wild-child vibe that you’ve got going. You can still be all about going for the gold, but try being a little more circumspect in your thinking and make sure you really know what you’re doing instead of just making it up as you go along.
On Saturday Mercury slips into Virgo and your 6th House for an extended stay. This area of your chart is all about getting organized and performing at top capacity—your body is a temple and you need to make sure you’re treating it like one. Mercury will retrograde on August 30th, so use this time as much as you can to get yourself in tip-top shape before then!
TAURUS
You can be very, very methodical to say the least, Taurus; in fact, it’s difficult to find someone as grounded and scientifically minded as you. The fact that you’ve had planet of science and global technology, Uranus, traveling through your 12th House of subconscious creativity has probably aided that fact, making you even more clinical in your self-expression and dreamlife. Well, this Friday Uranus makes a U-turn and moves into retrograde pattern through December, letting you get a bit more creative and in touch with your inner voice. Use this time to make sure that what you believe and what you say are actually one and the same—there’s no reason to do otherwise.
This weekend messenger Mercury moves into Virgo and your 5th House of romance and creativity, sparking off an extended placement here that is sure to get you swiping right, hitting “send”, or whatever other form of yes that app has you using. Since Mercury is all about communication be sure to get out and mingle—that’ll be the best way to find someone, and even if you aren’t looking for the one you’re still guaranteed a good time!
GEMINI
No one can add up friends like you can, Gemini—you’ve got friends in every part of the world, it seems, and can mingle with just about any group at any time, fitting in here, there, and everywhere. That buoyant behavior can lead to you creating some pretty unusual bonds, now more so than even since you’re hosting Uranus, planet of surprises and anomalies, in your 11th House of friendships and social networks. Uranus turns retrograde this Friday through December, so use this time to make sure your friendships aren’t just about pizazz and getting weird, and actually have some real substance to them. You’re friend list may be a little shorter come the end of the year, but it will be better—quality over quantity, Gemini!
On Saturday your ruler Mercury moves into Virgo and your domestic 4th House, placing your focus on how to better and improve your home life and make it work more efficiently. Whether there’s a relationship that needs to be cleared up (is everything kosher with your mom?) or if there are simple little fix-its that need to take place around the house, then now is the time to see to those. Mercury will turn retrograde in this same sector August 30th, so do all you can to prevent any major surprises later on.
CANCER
No one likes stability quite so much as you, Cancer, and while you generally have most areas of your life on lock down, it’s been a little difficult lately to feel like you have control over your career and professional goals. That’s because you’ve had Uranus, the planet of surprises and instability, moving through your 10th House of professional progress, throwing you curveballs and making it hard to know exactly where you stand. Well, this Friday Uranus makes a planetary U-turn and retrogrades until December 30th. During this time it will be easier to make headway at work and feel like you actually have a grip on what’s going on and that the rug won’t be pulled out from under you, so move forward with intent and purpose!
On Saturday messenger Mercury moves into Virgo and your 3rd House of local communities and technology, turning you into a busy little worker bee. This is an extra long stay for Mercury as it will be turning retrograde on August 30th for three weeks, so make sure to use this time to get all your ducks in a row and all meetings met so that when Mercury goes to sleep in a month you’ll be prepared for any mixed messages.
LEO
Where in the world do you belong, Leo? It’s been difficult to find an answer to that, what with planet of surprises Uranus currently camped out in your 9th House of foreign travel and wanderlust for a very extended stay (Uranus spends roughly seven years in each sign!) but this week things become a little less confusing and unusual as Uranus turns retrograde on Friday through December 30th. Uranus wants to normally do things as bizarrely as possible, so use this retrograde phase to return to the tried and true method that has served you so well in the past. How about returning to school to finish that degree? Even if there isn’t a diploma waiting for you, growing your brain with some good old-fashioned book learning can’t hurt.
On Saturday Mercury zips out of Leo and into Virgo and your 2nd House of earned income and tangible possessions. Mercury will be here for an extended stay as it turns retrograde for three weeks on August 30th, but until then use this time to get all your financial ducks in a row. If you’re looking for new opportunities to increase your earnings start asking around; Mercury is all about communication, after all, so talking about things is the best way to manifest them.
VIRGO
You’re a very private person, Virgo, and certainly not one to wear your heart on your sleeve, but occasionally even you can have erratic moments where you feel the need to let down your emotional walls and bare your soul to the world. The problem with that is that it doesn’t always feel comfortable or natural for you, especially since no one fears losing control as much as you do. This is compounded by the fact that you’ve had erratic Uranus travelling through your 8th House of sex and intimacy, making it difficult to express yourself in ways that feel natural to you. Well, this Friday Uranus turns retrograde through December 30th, encouraging you to get back to basics and really feel out your emotions instead of bottling them up until they explode. Choose the methodical expression over the explosion and you’ll feel much, much better.
On Saturday your ruler Mercury zips into your sign, lighting you up with its power of analysis and communication. For the next month you’ll be brimming with ideas and full of creativity—just make sure to express it now, because on August 30###sup/sup### Mercury will turn retrograde for three weeks and those brilliant words will turn to a garbled mess in your mouth, so say what you have to say NOW!
LIBRA
Your sign is all about partnerships, Libra; it’s practically your motto, but lately those one-on-one relationships aren’t quite as steady as you would like thanks to erratic Uranus moving through your 7th House of close relationships. Uranus makes us want to do things different and uniquely, which is fine until you want a bit more of a tried-and-true relationship. Well, this Friday Uranus turns retrograde, effectively going to sleep until December 30th. During this phase you have more opportunity to find a “traditional” romance, so if that’s what you want take a page out of Jane Austen (or whoever) and aim for more classical courtship.
On Saturday messenger Mercury moves into Virgo and your sleepy 12th House of the subconscious for an extended stay that will last through September (Mercury turns retrograde for three weeks on August 30th). Since Mercury is all about communication it isn’t necessarily comfortable here in this “hidden” sector of your chart, but what it is great for is boosting your creativity. Instead of worrying about doing everything right and perfect, just focus on letting the muse express itself through you—think of yourself as a conduit and see all the amazing stuff you can create!
SCORPIO
Fitbits, Pokemon Go, and every other app bent on getting you to move has been doing quite well lately, and you’re probably not missing out on this technological version of working out, Scorpio. Thanks to futuristic Uranus moving through your 6th House of health and wellness, whatever is “new” in terms of working out is going to interest you—but let’s hit pause on that, shall we? On Friday Uranus goes retrograde until December 30th, encouraging you to get back to traditional methods of bettering yourself and your body—trade the gym for the great outdoors and leave your gadgets at home. This cycle wants you to reconnect with nature and the earth—after all, this is where we live, people!
On Saturday messenger Mercury moves into Virgo and your 11th House of social groups and friendship, encouraging you to get out and mingle with your crew. Virgo is all about analyzing and improving, so use this time to make sure that the people you surround yourself are actually people you like—it’s so easy to get caught up in fake relationships, after all—this theme will be especially important after August 30th, when Mercury retrogrades for three weeks, giving you the time to really go through your friendships with a fine-toothed comb. Yes, your phonebook may be smaller, but hey—quality over quantity.
SAGITTARIUS
Time to calm down the dramatics a bit, Sag. Planet-of-surprise Uranus has been moving through your 5th House of love, creativity, and self-expression for a few years now (Uranus spends about seven years in each sign), causing lots of bumps in the road to romance. Well, this Friday Uranus makes a universal U-turn and turns retrograde until December 30th, making it easier to do things in a more tried and true method and not sending you quite so many romantic curve-balls as before. For the next few months focus on enjoying the here and now with the people you love; Uranus can get us so wrapped up in our heads that we forget to appreciate the physical reality of life, so take my word and go with the earthy flow.
On Saturday Mercury moves into Virgo and your 10th House of career and professional ambition, urging you to get your ideas heard and your points made. People will be more inclined to listen to what you have to say now so don’t be afraid to speak up, but be sure to do it soon! Mercury will turn retrograde in this same part of your chart for three weeks on August 30th, mixing messages and scrambling ideas, so don’t wait for the worst time to unveil your latest idea!
CAPRICORN
Time to get back to basics, Capricorn. You’ve had Uranus, the planet of surprises and anything unusual, moving through your 4th House of home and family, creating bizarre relationship dynamics and not necessarily the most secure environment for you. Sometimes it might feel like you never know where you’ll be sleeping the next night—well this week that theme takes a break thanks to Uranus turning retrograde until December 30th, taking the surprise out of the home and urging you to ground yourself. During this phase you might finally find somewhere that feels like home where you can truly be yourself, so if you want to make a move now is the time.
On Saturday messenger Mercury enters Virgo and your 9th House of foreign cultures and higher learning. During this phase make a point to expand your brain as much as you can—whether that means exploring a topic you’ve never studied before or booking a trip to a far away location is up to you, just make sure to get those tickets booked before August 30th when Mercury will turn retrograde for three weeks. Travel is always a bad idea during Mercury retrograde, so if you must go somewhere, do it before or after said phase.
AQUARIUS
What do you know, Aquarius? Tons, I’m sure—few signs love to gather information quite like you do. For the last few years you’ve had Uranus moving through your 3rd House of local communities and learning, urging you to find unusual places and unusual things to keep you busy, but this week that changes when Uranus turns retrograde on Friday through December 30th. Get back to basics and re-immerse yourself in the places that you come from and the information that defines you. Maybe it’s time to relearn something you once knew but have forgotten over time—you’re the least likely sign to look to the past, but sometimes looking back can actually provide you with way more insight than gazing into the crystal ball of the future ever could.
On Saturday Mercury moves into Virgo and your intimate 8th House, encouraging you to get a little playful in the bedroom and beyond with regards to all the more “serious” matters of life. Try to not take things as life and death and you’ll feel so much better. Aquarius is also a very unemotional sign, and the 8th House is all about the deepest emotions we have, so try plumbing the depths for once and see what emotional nuggets of gold you have waiting to be excavated.
PISCES
Your sign isn’t known for being great with money, Pisces; that isn’t a bad thing, but it is important to at least understand your finances for the good of your own security. That has been extra difficult these last few years with erratic and unstable Uranus moving through your 2nd House of earned income and financial stability, but fortunately that changes this week when Uranus turns retrograde through December 30th. For the next few months it will be easier for you to get a grip on your finances and also add a bit to your bank account. Since Uranus is all about the future and tech, try leaning away form these and more towards tried and true ways to earn your money. Hard work pays off, Pisces!
On Saturday Mercury moves into Virgo and your 7th House of one-on-one relationships. This is a great time to have air-clearing conversations with the ones you care about the most, and if you’re thinking about making a relationship official or taking it to the next level, this is also a great time for that—just make sure to take those steps before August 30th when Mercury turns retrograde and makes it almost impossible for you to feel like you’re both on the same page.
About the Contributor:
Patty Phillips is a California Bay Area-based astrologer. He began studying the fascinating secrets of the zodiac as a freshman at Sarah Lawrence College in the fall of 2009, alongside other such topics as Medieval Magic, Historical Espionage, and Royal Court Genealogy. This passion for the esoteric science of the planets & signs was spurred on after realizing that astrology went far beyond one’s sun sign and that there was in fact a roadmap to each person existing within the stars above us, and that many of our own questions could be answered by directing our gaze towards the heavens and interpreting what the planets meant for each individual. Patty has interpreted hundreds of charts for friends and family, and after stints in the NYC-fashion industry and journalism, he decided to start his own business, Wanderlust Astrology, as a way to bring his specific and unusual knowledge to a larger audience. By doing so he hopes to demystify the ways of the zodiac in order to help people better understand and approach the various issues that life—and the planets—may bring their way. Patty is available for one-on-one consultations and private readings, each geared to help his clients best understand how to work with these ancient energies in modern times.
