The Planets This Week: July 10–16

How will this week’s planetary influences be affecting you? With both communication planet Mercury and love planet Venus moving into Leo there will be a noticeable shift this week.

While Mercury is in Leo through July 31st your mind may be filled with big ideas and grand plans. You’re less concerned about the details and more interested in the broader vision of what you want to create. Confidence in your own opinions is strong — maybe too strong! Watch out for arrogance or getting too wedded to being right.

Your mind is youthful and curious, helping you think creatively and get a fresh perspective on an old problem. Look with the innocent eyes of a child, open to being surprised by the wonder of it all.

When Venus moves into Leo where it will stay until August 5th your love life could be fiery and dramatic. You’ll be a passionate romantic, pulling out all the stops to express your warmth and affection — and expecting to be showered with adoration in return. Magnetism and confidence are strong, and you’re likely to have no trouble attracting lovers and friends. Your social life could take a lively turn, and you may find yourself with more reasons to celebrate.

During this transit you may be drawn to dressing more stylishly, and letting your glamorous side shine. It will be important to you to look your best and to stand out from the crowd. To this end, you could find yourself indulging in retail therapy, and your bills might be quite high. You’ve got a taste for luxury now, and a tendency toward extravagance.

Planetary influences for Sunday 10th:

Mercury trine Mars

This transit only lasts a few days and its influence is upbeat, energetic and feisty. We think on our feet right now, connecting dots at an alarming rate, our minds racing along various pathways and permutations. We are quick-thinking, analytical and communicative. There’s a certain confidence in our manner of expression, which means that few will question our assertions at this moment, although they may well come back with appropriate and pointed questions next week. Today, though, folks are more likely to respond to new ideas with enthusiasm and excitement. We speak with such conviction that our listeners are strongly motivated. We feel conversant and informed and are able to back up our ideas with facts and figures. Active communications of all types are strongly favored now, as are competitive word games and physical activities such as biking, running and dance aerobics. Competition may be very appropriate right now.

Monday 11th

1) Mercury square Uranus

Be extra careful when driving or even walking around today. Accidents can happen easily under this general influence, and momentary lapses of attention or being in too much of a hurry can lead to unpleasant incidents. In other words, everyone else is as easily distracted — and annoyed — as you are. Short attention spans give us the tendency to drop a task before it’s finished, much to the annoyance of those depending upon us. To counteract this propensity to mentally run off in all directions at once, it’s a good idea to schedule lots of different tasks for ourselves so we don’t get bored. Speaking in simple words and short sentences helps head off the miscommunications that can easily occur now. It’s easy to get upset and start yelling. Instead, laugh if something disrupts your carefully laid plans. It can’t be helped, so it’s best just to move on.

2) First Quarter Moon in Libra

The First Quarter Moon label may lead you to think that you should only see 25% of the nighttime luminary, but in actuality, the name is only a reference to the phase it is in. It’s one-quarter of the way through its cycle. It does not refer to the percentage of Moon visible in the sky. In fact, what you will see is the right-side half of the Moon as viewed from Earth. The energy is still in the expansive waxing phase.

This is a time for the evaluations, for taking stock on how things are progressing. As it’s in Libra this is especially so for your relationships. Questions may arise as to the course you’re taking. You may have received some initial results and must determine whether they are the kind of results that you want. Perhaps some unforeseen obstacles or difficulties have presented themselves. Maybe things weren’t quite what you expected, so now there are decisions to be made. Should you continue forward or scrap the project altogether?

You can overcome obstacles with enough help or perhaps a new strategy when it comes to your relationships. Adjustments may need to be made for you to get things back on course. Focus your energy on what you can change. Get help with what you can’t. Maybe aid comes in the form of professional advice or perhaps it comes from your own research. If things are progressing as expected, then you may see the first signs of growth. Proceed with confidence, knowing that the path that you have laid out will lead you to the desired outcome.

3) Venus moves into Leo

Monday at 10:34 pm PT and Tuesday 1:34 am ET. It will stay in Leo until August 5th.

While Venus is in Leo, and depending on its influence in your personal birth chart, your love life could be fiery and dramatic. You’ll be a passionate romantic, pulling out all the stops to express your warmth and affection — and expecting to be showered with adoration in return. Magnetism and confidence are strong, and you’re likely to have no trouble attracting lovers and friends. Your social life could take a lively turn, and you may find yourself with more reasons to celebrate.

During this transit you may be drawn to dressing more stylishly, and letting your glamorous side shine. It will be important to you to look your best and to stand out from the crowd. To this end, you could find yourself indulging in retail therapy, and your bills might be quite high. You’ve got a taste for luxury now, and a tendency toward extravagance.

The game of love is what excites you now, and you win people over through your enthusiasm, warmth and joie de vivre. You’ve got a theatrical flair now, but watch out for a tendency toward melodrama. This is a time when you could make mountains out of molehills, especially when it comes to love and romance.

How does Venus in Leo effect your sign? I will cover this once I talk about Mercury moving into Leo next…

Wednesday 13th

Mercury moves into Leo where it will stay until July 30th.

While Mercury is in Leo, and depending on how this transit influences your birth chart, your mind may be filled with big ideas and grand plans. You’re less concerned about the details and more interested in the broader vision of what you want to create. Confidence in your own opinions is strong — maybe too strong! Watch out for arrogance or getting too wedded to being right.

Your mind is youthful and curious, helping you think creatively and get a fresh perspective on an old problem. Look with the innocent eyes of a child, open to being surprised by the wonder of it all.

Warm, fun and lively interactions characterize this transit. Your conversational style might be very entertaining now, and you may find yourself being the life of the party. You’ve got a flair for drama, and could have a tendency to embellish stories with extravagant details. You express yourself with authority, and can inspire other people with your words — as long as you’re speaking from your heart and not your ego.

Romance could be front and center in your mind, and you might feel the urge to express your feelings by writing a love letter, poem or song for your sweetheart. Creative energy is high, and your brilliance and uniqueness can shine through your words, whether spoken or written.

How does Mercury and Venus in Leo effect your sign???

Aries- romance, courtship, entertainment, amusements, pleasure, creativity and children.

Taurus — home, family, parents and ancestors.

Gemini — intellect, thought, learning, communication, short trips, siblings and neighbors.

Cancer- spending and saving money, possessions and attitudes toward money in general.

Leo — self, appearance, individuality.

Virgo — the subconscious, seclusion, the intangible, intuition, institutions, karma.

Libra — friends and acquaintances, groups, clubs, associations, hopes and wishes.

Scorpio — career, status, achievements, prestige, authority.

Sagittarius — publishing, higher education, legalities, overseas, inlaws, religion, philosophy.

Capricorn — shared resources, taxes, inheritance, insurance, recycling, sex and regeneration.

Aquarius — marriage, business partnerships, agreements, and rivals.

Pisces –health, diet and fitness, daily routine, employees, pets and being of service.

Saturday 16th — it’s a busy day, astrologically…

1) Sun square Uranus

If you woke up feeling irritable or restless this morning, you’re certainly not alone. The astro-weather is affecting us all with its strong, unpredictable energy. People feel like doing what they want, and hang the consequences. Willful behavior is certain to be on display somewhere nearby. Defiance and indiscretion, too. Disruptions to the daily routine are likely and no one has the patience to deal with them. We shouldn’t let impatience get the best of us, because accidents can happen quickly under this potentially dramatic energy, abruptly changing plans or even lives. No one wants to feel pinned down now; most of us will instinctively resist being told what to do. No matter how much risk we feel like taking today, we shouldn’t do anything we’ll regret later. We can take things into our own hands by varying our usual schedule, which may provide sufficient outlet for this energy.

2) Mercury conjunct Venus

Minds and hearts merge for several days during the course of this transit. The mood is romantic and we can be much more articulate in expressing our emotions than normal. Any form of creative communication is highlighted: love letters and cards, phone calls, emails, poems, music, art…you name it, it’ll be effective. In fact, this is an excellent time to develop any type of relationship, not just romantic ones. People feel more flexible than usual, so negotiations go well and contracts are favorable for both parties. We seek win-win situations. We’d rather be diplomatic than combative. The rules that govern social interactions seem to make sense now. People conduct themselves with courtesy and decorum. We’re polite, well-mannered and cooperative. It’s a shame we can’t always behave this well!

3) Sun trine Mars

This is a time when most of us can accomplish a great deal of work and make huge professional progress. Confidence is stronger than usual and we respond to the urge to get things moving. Assertive action brings powerful and juicy rewards. What a perfect day to kick-start some of those work tasks or personal projects that have been lagging! This brief period unfolds in a smooth, timely and uneventful manner. Things almost seem to take care of themselves, like a well-oiled machine. Physical prowess is strong, in the form of a powerful libido or the urge to participate in a sporting or athletic activity. This rambunctious feeling needs an effective outlet. When we’re experiencing the benefits of this can-do energy, it’s very easy to overcommit ourselves. We should what we can, but don’t take on too much.

Now for your Weekly Horoscope:

ARIES

No matter how old you are, a sense of impishness brings out your mischievous side and helps you see beauty wherever you look too. A family member is jealous, however, and may try to spoil the fun.

TAURUS

Take stock this week. You have every reason to feel proud of yourself, especially as you have overcome a difficult past. Old journals provide a window into who you once were.

GEMINI

Inspiring others comes easily to you this week, and indulging in a bit of theatrics helps to get your point across. Money and career issues may prove tricky later in the week, but keep smiling and be patient.

CANCER

This is the perfect week to be bold and to ask for what you deserve, especially in terms of a promotion or pay rise. Show why you’re worth it and don’t allow anyone to undermine your confidence in your abilities.

LEO

As Venus and Mercury get you in the party mood, your larger than life persona is attracting plenty of attention. In your quieter moments, however, self doubt makes you surprisingly vulnerable.

VIRGO

Quiet hobbies bring you a lot of joy but you won’t want much in the way of company — you’d rather do your own thing. This could offend a friend later in the week, so try to be tactful when turning down invitations.

LIBRA

Your social life is your top priority, giving you plenty of memorable moments. Spending a lot of time with friends leads to jealousy from a spouse, however, especially if he or she has been left to hold the baby, so to speak.

SCORPIO

Push yourself forwards at work, Scorpio. You have what it takes this week to wow someone in authority, and it’s definitely time to shine. Don’t bluff your way through, however — make sure you really do know your stuff.

SAGITTARIUS

Freedom is a key theme for you this week and you’ll be in your element if you can travel or try out new things. You may find your responsibilities onerous and restrictive, but your sense of humor helps you do your duty.

CAPRICORN

Family dynamics are not ideal, especially between your partner and your blood family. However, your attempts to mediate this situation with love are slowly working — and you’re learning about yourself in the process.

AQUARIUS

Cupid’s out to play this week and your love life is likely to take center stage. If you’re single, someone may sweep you off your feet — perhaps a colleague — leading to gossip and rumors you could probably do without.

PISCES

A creative vision edges closer to reality thanks to the can-do vibes in the air. You’ll need to stay organized and focused however, in order to take advantage of an opportunity — blink and you’ll miss it, so be prepared to act quickly.