Inner Space by Eric Francis
The House and Home Horoscope for July 2006
Originating in Upstate House magazine
The Sun is now in Cancer, first astrological sign of summer and the sign of house and home. But the focus of the sky is in Leo — which is about the economics and finances of one’s home. Leo is one of the most energetic, resourceful and most of all, creative signs. The message is, get creative with money.
Think of resources as something more than cash. Remember that the universe is a space designed for creation, and there is no limit to energy, just limits on how we use it. Households can be a system to create a natural strength for focusing resources, and you can put yours to work for that purpose now. With Saturn present in this sign, the emphasis is on structure — but not entirely. Mars is pushing a theme of healthy materialism and acquisition. The two recently made a conjunction. When you combine Mars and Saturn in Leo, that sounds like the beginning of a cycle of manifestation. The conjunction freed lots of stuck energy, and opened the way for creating what we need, or what we want.
One of the main features of July is Mercury retrograde. This deserves a whole article, good idea for this week. The drift is that Mercury is creeping into Leo, where it will stay parked in the first two degrees for 10 days. It retrogrades back into Cancer and finally returns to Leo, clearing the shadow phase around Aug. 13. Barring Dick Cheney resigning, I’ll cover this Friday — the fairly easy details of how Mercury Rx and shadow work.
Meanwhile, if you have Mercury retrograde stories worth sharing, please send them to me at francis@planetwaves.net. Try to keep it short, so I don’t have to extract — go for under 200 words. Here is Inner Space, and happy Cancer New Moon from Paris, where I am back safely in the Old World. And thank you everyone who took care of a brazillion details as I wandered around North America — particularly Chelsea at base camp and Ursula Fugger in Toronto.
Aries (March 20-April 19)
Is there such a thing as romance anymore? It would seem not. These days, a casual date can end with a discussion about family planning. So what of relationships that are more than casual? No matter how ‘serious’ they may be, the deepest need is for fun rather than doing things right. You may be feeling the impulse to do both, but of the two, the correctness theme, along with its sense of repression, seems to have the most weight. You need to outsmart this one. You can, but you just need to keep it light. Keep laughing. Remember love.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Though it would obviously be impossible for this commentary to be accurate for all of the thousands of Taurus readers who encounter this forecast, I suggest you consider whether the space you’re in is the right space for you. This may include the community you’re in, and it may involve the family structure you now have. Taurus charts at the moment are all about movement, rearrangement of commitments and forming new understandings. But more to the point, Taurus charts emphasize that you need what you need, sooner rather than later.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
Venus is in your sign and will be for the next couple of weeks. There are few better significators in astrology than the Goddess herself showing up for a visit. With Venus it’s not a matter of having this or that; experiencing this alternative or the other one. Venus grants what we need. She offers what we’re willing to receive. The key to putting Venus to work is making a conscious decision to open up and receive the abundance of life. And I do mean conscious. The Venus factor will also allow you to solve any problem you can identify and put into clear terms. So, get clear.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
A recent development or breakthrough has landed you in another place and another time; a different state of mind with a different idea about yourself and your purpose. The Sun in your sign joins many other factors that are supporting both your state of mind and your creative vision. The question is, how do you feel inside your four walls? Or have you gone beyond that idea entirely, to a way of life where the universe is your home? That might be worth giving a try. It’s not a concept; it’s reality.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
The enormous protection that surrounds you is more than enough to handle the challenges of growth, progress and uncertainty at this new stage of your life. Your ideas about what it means to be safe are, at this point, the most important factors shaping your experience of life. You seem to be of two views on this; see if you can discern what they are. In any discussion of security or psychology, factoring the distinctions between your ideas and those of your parents is almost always helpful.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Clearing space is the theme not only of the season, but of your life for the foreseeable future. You might say that you’re entering a time of the most abundant decrease you can imagine; that you will profit immeasurably by letting go of anything you need to let go of, principally psychological baggage, fears, and any other form of mental clutter. This is a process you can facilitate by declaring your home a zone of less; imagine, at first, that you can be ready to move in a week; then in a day; then in an afternoon. You will be surely moving, in spirit.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Your home is a space you need, above all, to govern, and these days you may be most inclined to do so apart from the ideas or interference of anyone else. Not that you’ve had that luxury recently. To the contrary, but recent events have most likely made you sure that running your life is not business for a committee. If these developments did not clear your space out like a house on fire, you now have the ability to do it through more diplomatic means.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Your home life seems to be mingled with a relationship that is going through some sort of a birthing process. It’s as if the relationship is finding a new mission that goes far outside your private space, but is very much a factor within that space. The two are intimately related, as if you’re living inside a shadow box where the shapes inside are projected on the walls and ceiling, revealing an ancient legend that shapes the entire community.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
The chaos of recent months and years seems to have mellowed into a pleasant kaleidoscope of unpredictability and adventure. Once you gave up wanting so much control over your space, things started going a lot more smoothly. Then there is the question of taking your space. You continue to need a lot of time alone — more than you’re accustomed to. I can assure you it won’t be boring, and visiting that space will keep your outer life a lot more calm and stable.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
You’re not accustomed to feeling under so much pressure, but it seems to do you good. You’ve learned to maintain that careful balance between control and flexibility. Now, where a particular domestic partnership or close personal relationship is concerned, you will need to be something of a code-breaker, as the person you’re communicating with is more likely to be relating from an emotional place than a logical one, but will still expect you to understand exactly what they mean. It will take more than luck, and the past is very much a factor to consider.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
The focus of your home life now shifts to wellbeing, which is another way of saying responding to what the moment is calling for. Certain potentially complex situations at work will need to be nurtured along carefully throughout the month, but so will you. There will be many opportunities to tackle certain personal matters head-on, but in truth, a gentle, slower, wait-and-see approach would work a lot better, particularly since you’re in a phase of your life where you have to live with so many unknowns.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
This is an excellent month to keep to yourself as much as possible and exercise your creative genius. Consider your space an art or literary studio from the front door to the bathtub. A project from the past becomes a factor, as does a person from the past who may provide the kind of easygoing and out-of-the-way companionship you need, along with what looks like will be a journey to the center of yourself. Remember that though it may be expressed in some form of art or writing, that’s just a convenient vehicle to navigate the emotional ocean you are inside.