Your Weekly Horoscope: Love is on the Menu
Astral & Opal Weekly Horoscope Week: July 11 - 17
ARIES
Love is on the menu this week, Aries, which is a welcome change after last week’s horrible Pluto-Sun opposition that left everyone reeling. Fortunately two planets, beautifying Venus and communicator Mercury, hop into expressive Leo one day after another, doing their part to light up the world. Venus makes the move into your 5th House of romance and fun on Tuesday, encouraging you to step into the spotlight and give yourself a bit of a glamorous makeover—treat yourself like a star and soon enough others will too.
Only one day later and Mercury follows Venus in this same happy sector of your chart. If you’ve been on the lookout for someone who can bring a little summer romance into your life now is the perfect time to find that special person. Since Mercury rules technology your best bets will be using dating apps or websites, so swipe right, send the message, click “yes”, or whatever it is they tell you to do—who knows, the one could be just one click away!
TAURUS
Time to get grounded, Taurus. After the hectic rush you’ve been going through, what with three planets occupying your 3rd House of “busyness”, you’ll be glad to know that the tide is changing this week with two planets moving out of Cancer and into happy, expressive Leo. First, on Tuesday, Venus hops into the sign of the lion and your domestic 4th House, giving you the urge to spruce up your space and give it a touch of beauty—if you don’t love your surroundings then how can you make yourself fall in love with them? Few signs have the eye you do, so trust your get and redecorate!
The very next day and planets of communications joins Venus in Leo, bringing its buzzing energy to your home front; for the next three weeks there might be more going on at home than usual, with people coming and going and family members clamoring for your attention. You might also enjoy better-than-usual relations with your mother, so if you live far apart make sure to give her a call!
GEMINI
Let the brainstorming commence! This week pleasure-loving Venus and your ruler, messenger planet Mercury, move out of Cancer and your 2nd House of earned income and into Leo and your 3rd House of communications and general busyness. The 3rd House is traditionally ruled by Gemini, so you’ll feel right at home as things start to heat up and you find yourself needing to give a little bit of yourself to just about everyone. Don’t worry—these interactions, many though they will be—are sure to be pleasant thanks to the harmonious vibes Venus will be blessing you with, and if that wasn’t enough to make it easy on you, you’ll have the silver-tongued blessing of Mercury, giving you the gift of gab twice over. This area of your chart also rules short distance travel, so it’s extremely likely you’ll find yourself bouncing around town, one stop after the next; this trend will especially heat up next week when the sun follows these two planets into Leo and changes the entire astrological landscape, but for now you’ve got Venus & Mercury leading the way.
CANCER
Get ready to have money on your mind! This week sees two planets—Venus and Mercury—moving out of your sign and into Leo and your 2nd House of earned income and tangible possessions. On Tuesday Venus makes the jump, setting off three weeks of indulging and lavish spending that can either leave you extremely satisfied with some very smart investments, or leave you reeling with buyers remorse, so whenever you’re about to hand over your credit card think to yourself “do I really want this or is it just the thrill of the moment?” that, or make sure you know the store’s return policy.
The next day messenger Mercury follows Venus into Leo and adds a touch of witty brainstorming to the way you go about earning your money. Since Mercury is all about communication the best way to increase your net worth now is by reaching out to others and seeing what they have to offer; even a simple Facebook status asking if anyone knows of any new opportunities could lead to something amazing, so don’t be afraid to ask!
LEO
Look who comes into the spotlight this week—you, Leo! On Tuesday pleasure-loving Venus hops into your sign, lighting you up from within with a beautiful glow. During this transit (which will last through the first week of August) you’ll be especially well received by nearly everyone; to say that you’ll be charming doesn’t even cut it, so get ready to break some hearts without even trying. Venus can also make us extremely self-indulgent when we host her in our sign, so the one thing to be careful of is indulging too much: gaining a few pounds is a well-known Venus side effect.
The day after Venus makes the move, messenger Mercury follows her into Leo and grants you it’s silver tongued magic for three weeks, making you all the more witty and positively brimming with things to say, so tell everyone else to shut up and listen…okay, maybe not “shut up” but you get the idea. These two planets are warming you up for next week when the sun will move into Leo and your birthday season officially kicks off, but for now enjoy this planetary pre-game, if you will.
VIRGO
Time to power down, Virgo. You’ve been going, going, going on the social scene, bouncing from one house party to karaoke bar to gallery opening surrounded by friends, both close and far. That changes this week as Venus and Mercury slip out of you social 11th House and into Leo and your 12th House of endings and spirituality. When planets transit this area of your chart it’s rather like they are turned off, because this area is all about the subconscious and dealing with things that are “hidden”, so while you might feel like for some reason you can barely voice your normally very-well-thought-out thoughts, your dreaming life might be especially strong, and with beautifying Venus here you will also be a hive of creativity. Venus acts rather like a muse, and the 12th House is the patron realm of poets, painters, musicians, etc, so even if you aren’t generally the most creative person, now is the time to let loose and try your hand at creating a masterpiece. If anyone can create something beautiful, it’s you—just don’t worry too much about it needing to be practical.
LIBRA
You’ve been doing your best to climb to corporate ladder and start professional initiatives that will pay dividends for years to come, and while the sun will be hanging out in your 10th House of career and ambition for another week, this week pleasure-loving Venus and communicator Mercury both slip out of Cancer and move into Leo and your 11th House of socializing and group projects. Instead of spending late hours at the office and going it alone, now you’ll be more satisfied hanging out with friends after-work happy hour and brainstorming together over whatever pleasant poison you choose.
Since Venus also rules your romantic life you’ll have the best luck looking for love in your friend group. I don’t necessarily mean suddenly taking someone out of the friend zone and placing them in a far more complicated position; instead, how about asking your friends if they know anyone to set you up with? You might be pleasantly surprised to find your amigos have a bevy of potential mates for you, and who knows, one of them might turn out to be the one.
SCORPIO
Time to climb that corporate ladder, Scorpio! This week two planets enter Leo and your 10th House of career ambitions and achievements, giving you the urge to roll up your sleeves and work towards your future. On Tuesday pleasure-loving Venus leaves Cancer and moves into Leo, which means you are about to be incredibly well received on the job front. Venus makes other people see the beauty and pleasure of us, and since it is in your career sector, that means that your bosses and other VIPs will be more favorable towards you and think highly of your opinions, so don’t be a wallflower!
The next day Mercury follows Venus into Leo, and lends its flexible self to your work life. During this three-week transit don’t be afraid to speak up and let everyone know that you’ve got the perfect idea for your company’s next big project. If you are self-employed this is a great time to focus on getting your message out to the world—yes, Scorpio, I’m giving you the green light to blow your own horn.
SAGITTARIUS
How much of the world can you see, Sag? This week Venus and Mercury leave Cancer one day after another and move into expressive Leo and your 9th House of foreign cultures and expansion. The 9th House is the traditional realm of Sagittarius, so you’ll gel with this energy better than most: this area of your chart is all about exploration and expanding your horizons, so if something is new to you then it’ll probably perk your interests. Since Venus rules your love life, you might find yourself falling for a stranger with a sexy accent who hails from a country far away from the one you call home, or you might decide your wardrobe needs a wanderlust makeover and start dressing like the gypsy you’ve always wanted to be. Mercury will crank up your brain’s desire for knowledge, so hit the books (or Wikipedia or whatever source of information you prefer) and start delving into new topics—new being the important word, since the whole point of this transit is to explore the unknown and see what you’ve been missing. You’re a natural adventurer, Sag, so don’t hold back!
CAPRICORN
You’ve been dealing with loads of relationship issues recently, Capricorn, and while its good to work through these things and make sure that you and that special someone are on the same page, it can also feel a little clinical after a while to spend so much time analyzing what you are to each other. Well, this week the tides turn when Venus and Mercury moves into Leo and your 8th House of sex and intimacy. Now is the time to indulge yourself in some gorgeous lingerie—or some sexy leather ensemble, whatever floats your boat—and invite you know who to join you in your chamber of secrets. Yes, I went there.
But this transit isn’t all about sex; the 8th House is also about letting down our boundaries and exposing the truth of ourselves, and hosting communicator Mercury here will make you more eager to let your significant other see the cracks in your façade. You love to put up a perfect and competent front at all times, Cap, but sometimes the strongest approach is letting others see your weakness.
AQUARIUS
For the last few weeks the planets have been centered in your 6th House of wellness and efficiency, and while the sun will be occupying this part of your chart through next week, this week pleasure-loving Venus and communicator Mercury leave Cancer and move into Leo and your 7th House of one-on-one relationships. You’ve been focusing on making you better, but what about the people in your life that really matter? How is your relationship with them? Fortunately Venus makes everything more pleasant wherever she goes, so you can be sure to have some really lovely times just one-on-one, whether its with a friend or a partner. Romance is especially favored under this transit, so if you’ve been hoping to make something official now is the time to start that process—whether that means moving in together, getting engaged, or simply telling each other that you’re committed to one another. With communicator Mercury here for three weeks, conversations about exactly what you are to each other will be far easier to delve into than usual, so don’t be afraid to broach the subject!
PISCES
Project wellness, begin! You’ve been living it up with three planets parked in your 5th House of romance and fun, but this week that changes when Venus and Mercury move out of Cancer and into Leo and your 6th House of daily routine and health. Although this trend won’t get fully amped up until next week when the sun moves into this same area of your chart, Venus and Mercury are here to get things started. Venus loves beauty and fashion, so how about stocking up on some chic new workout gear that makes you feel like a total goddess at the gym? You’d be surprised what a new pair of running shoes and some sexy leggings can do for your moral.
Since Mercury is all about communication, try working out with friends instead of going about it solo—think group hikes, jogging with a pal, or even shooting hoops together—anything where you can get to catch up and share ideas while burning calories is the right path to follow now, so grab a friend and get to the gym!
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.
