HOROSCOPES: astrology with Lilith Rocha

Cancer JUN 23-JUL 23

Happy 2020 birthday, home-loving Cancerians, in what might rightly be called the Year of the Crab. This month’s game-changing, life-altering full moon eclipse on July 5 could open your personal doorway into a different, richer life – the word renaissance isn’t out of place. Enterprising, ambitious Mars taking you for a turbo-charged ride till the end of the year, plus a rare repeat new moon in your sign, both reaffirm your status as a cardinal sign: one of the zodiac’s movers and instigators. July’s steering advice? Tune into your gut instincts, but don’t confuse intuition with wishful thinking.

Libra SEP 24-OCT 23

This month’s bevy of backtracking planets promises a greater degree of insight and clarity on home and family issues, with solid support for the ongoing process of healing rifts with relatives. So follow strong inner prompts even when it might seem counterintuitive. For the first time in two years, sparky Mars lights a string of benign fireworks in your partnership department right through till December, reigniting what might have got a bit ordinary and habitual, introducing new alliances and synergistic link-ups. Precisely the kind of thing you do so well and perhaps even hooking you up with a former competitor ...

Leo JUL 24-AUG 23

This month Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto – the planets influencing structure, growth and regeneration – are settling into your health and work sector to provide the ideal scenario for moving forward with less pressure and more assistance. If July feels like the Tower of Babel with everyone carrying on their own conversations, tune out the buzz and find your inner guidance. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, faster or more efficient. When the new moon in your house of transitions on July 21 hugs the resplendent sun in your heartcentred sign for this year’s Festival of You, it’s Leo party time!

Scorpio OCT 24-NOV 22

A summit meeting of outer planets continues your communication boot camp through July, honing and refining your expertise in expressing clear, effective messages verbally and through online media (not excluding what’s unwritten and unexpressed, which people feel – especially from Scorpios). Energetic Mars taking an exceptionally long staycation in your sector of self-care recommends cherishing yourself in ways you haven’t dreamed of for the longest time: think emotionally nourishing and physically feel-good activities that polish your inner glow and outer radiance. This power surge also attracts others, so you won’t be doing it alone.

Virgo AUG 24-SEP 23

Has cosmic curmudgeon Saturn plunged you into glass-half-empty mode? Then it’s time to recharge the gratitude batteries by counting your blessings – starting with 10 before getting out of bed. Make-it-happen Mars agitating for decisions about finances could cause tension during this tricky, touchy month, in which case zip the lip, bless the mess and lessen the stress. If July eclipses something from your life, don’t rush to fill its place. Picture a field lying fallow for planting, and play the waiting game with all of your natural practical elegance.

Sagittarius NOV 23-DEC 21

With fiery Mars torching Sagittarian self-expression for the rest of 2020, your creativity’s off and running at a cracking pace, so let it rip.

Got a red-hot world-saving idea to share? Save it till after July 12, for a more receptive audience with less pushback. If mid-winter doldrums have you doubting directives or questioning current narratives, that’s a good thing – just don’t escalate differences of opinion into a war of the worlds. July’s starmap offers a tender interlude for intimacy and togetherness, so rein in your frisky speediness and settle into soaking up some love.

Capricorn DEC 22-JAN 20

When the annual full moon eclipse in Capricorn on July 5 marks the turning full circle of a two-year cycle, break out the bubbles and celebrate the beginning of your new life chapter. Although with Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto all in winter hermitage in your sign, change won’t be instantaneous. Expect trials and errors. We all know the frustration that results from arguing with what’s happening, and the energetic reboot that comes from leaning into the learning curve. So start by designing win-win compromises with loved ones – because ardent Mars in your domestic sector for the rest of 2020 says home is where the heat is.

Aries MAR 21-APR 21

Your astro-boss Mars usually spends around six weeks in each sign. But this year it brings a stimulus package of courage, gusto and initiative to Aries-born for the coming six months, rendering you fiercely fabulous but also highly flammable. So if someone cools on a commitment, don’t you be the one heating up. No ranting or venting, thank you, Rams. Instead, focus on letting your love light shine, as we all redefine what the terms happiness, stability and personal responsibility mean to us. Late July’s second consecutive new moon in your domestic sector offers a refreshing reset to your living situation.

Aquarius JAN 21-FEB 19

Supercharged Mars in your communication sector is articulate and expressive. Also, feisty and fiery. And it’s here for the rest of the year, challenging you to keep argumentative tendencies in check. Saturn is never without a work program, and over the next three months is recommending a judicious amount of closure, with July offering extra astral support for addressing unfinished business. Not in the mood? Then tune into your personal muse and this month’s Venus for some spirit-lifting routines to beautify daily life. Think of it as crafting a day spa for the heart.

Taurus APR 22-MAY 21

If something’s bothering you, July’s focus on closure and restarts is right up your boulevard. Significant decisions are usually made during retrograde transits, and with celestial energies hibernating for the next few months in a fellow earth sign, conversations are likely to centre round recurring themes of conservation, cutting losses and rebuilding. Energizer bunny Mars currently ramping up your imaginative and artistic talents makes this a richly creative month, with breaking information available to assist you from June 21 onwards for networking, bouncing ideas around, brainstorming, rebranding and blitzing social media.

Pisces FEB 20-MAR 20

Mars in your lush, sensual sector of earthly enjoyment and indulgence is good news this July. And there’s more. It’s dug in for the rest of 2020, urging you to get to know and savour aspects of your world that might seem new but were actually there all along.

That said, the trio of retrograde outer planets make this a moody month that will test team dynamics, so work creatively with changes of pace. Break your larger undertakings down into smaller steps. Respect everyone’s need to feel secure as families, communities and societies create new blueprints for social reconstruction.

Gemini MAY 22-JUN 22

While Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn are paving the way for new levels of security, that won’t happen in a flash. Relationships on shaky foundations get put to the test during this month’s lessons in who and what to trust – a slow process that will continue all year. If you’re having trouble deciding between two things, as Twins often do, try a yes/no body check that goes like this: sit quietly and imagine choosing Option A. Observe your body’s response. Then do the same with Option B. Simple. And thank goddess for Venus in your sign gracing July with her lightness, brightness and delightful sense of play. AWW