July horoscope for 12 zodiac signs ahead of Mercury retrograde

The new month brings a fresh celestial calendar, beginning with a Full Moon in Capricorn on July 10 and the Leo New Moon on July 24. But it’s not just these two zodiac signs that will feel the effects of planetary changes and different signs.

Speaking exclusively on behalf of Spin Genie, astrologer Inbaal Honigman shares: “The second Mercury retrograde of the year kicks off on July 18. Mercury retrograde is an astrological phenomenon which causes communication breakdowns, misunderstandings and social media issues. This time, the Mercury retrograde will be in the proud and outgoing sign of Leo, and therefore will target people who are on some sort of stage or public platform. Have your data backed up and safe, especially for anything public or high profile.”

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

We start the month with two planets in Aries, and during the month both turn retrograde. This means that your natural joy and enthusiasm would be felt through multiple aspects of life, but delays and disappointments will cause resistance and interference.

Specifically what happens in the sky, is that Saturn, planet of discipline as well as Neptune, planet of illusion, are in your sign all month. Those two planets cause a tug of war between the more mature parts of your personality, and the dreamier sides.

In the second half of the month, neither gets to win. If you feel confused, trust in your spontaneous nature to get you out of tough spots.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

Two planets let go of you at the start of this month, and you feel a certain sense of relief. Venus, planet of love, has been in your sign for a month by the time it leaves, on July 4. Venus is a romantic planet that has blessed you with harmony in your relationship, but when it leaves you, you’re happy to take the foot off the gas with love.

Uranus has been in your sign for over six years until it leaves on July 6. Uranus is the planet of unexpected change, so you absolutely rejoice when that one leaves you alone! No unexpected changes for the rest of the month, thank you very much.

Gemini (May 21 to June 21)

Two planets enter your sign during July, and influence you for the rest of the month. First, love planet Venus goes into Gemini from July 5. It will bring romance and harmony into your life, until the final day of the month.

Shortly afterwards, Uranus, planet of unexpected changes goes into your sign from July 7. You love surprises so those two planets charging into the skies above you will bring you the spicy summer you want and crave. Unexpected changes in love and outside of it will create fireworks for you all month long.

Cancer (June 22 to July 22)

Happy Cancer season! Your birthday month gives you a chance to reflect on what you’d like to achieve. If it’s financial, well then Jupiter, planet of luck and wealth is in your sign for a year now, so you have 12 months to give it your best shot and find career success.

And if it’s love, then Venus planet of love will just be entering your sign on the final day of the month and blessing you with harmony with your romantic endeavours. The double dose of luck in both money and emotions will leave you feeling spoiled by the universe.

Leo (July 23 to August 22)

The new moon in Leo happens just once a year, and it is your opportunity to reassess your goals, and manifest your top desires. The new moon is a time for new beginning, so light a candle on July 24, and read out your list of glamorous goals, and anything you’d like to see happen over the next 12 months.

Leo season is about to begin, and it will be a lucky time for you – so take advantage of the stars. From July 23 onwards, the Sun is in Leo, and your sign’s ruler is the Sun, which makes this month doubly successful for you. Take a chance and don’t hold back, if you want something, someone or someplace, just ask.

Virgo (August 23 to September 22)

There are a couple of hurdles to overcome this month. First of all, Mars, planet of war is in your sign all month long. This means that other people target you with their temper and impatience. As you’re very patient by nature, you can handle this, but be prepared as it will feel draining.

Secondly, Mercury, your ruling planet, will be going retrograde from the July 18 onwards. This means that communication would struggle. Big work decisions, house moves or any ticket purchases should be left until the second half of August.

Libra (September 23 to October 23)

Your ruling planet Venus goes through three signs this month. This might not be a freakish occurrence, but it is a little rare. First, your planet is in Taurus, a calm and comforting sign, also ruled by the planet of love. It will encourage stability in your life.

However, it moves to the sociable sign of Gemini after July 4, so you’ll find yourself socialising and going out more. The final day of the month sees Venus go into the home-loving sign of Cancer, so it’s all about having the family round for tea and biscuits. You do love balance, so a month that involves a bit of this and a bit of that is fun for you.

Scorpio (October 24 to November 21)

Your ruling planet Pluto, planet of rebirth, is retrograde all month. This retrograde can interfere with your plans for rapid transformation. You must admit, that your desire for constant twists and turns in your life can be a little disruptive.

In this context, a bit of a retrograde that forces you to sit down and have a think, is not the worst fate. During those retrogrades, you have no choice but to take things slower. So you may find that this month yields better results for your life overall, because thinking things through can be healthy and sensible for you.

Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)

Your happy-go-lucky, unstoppable personality will find layers and layers of emotional depth and sensitivity because another sign will be influencing you. Jupiter, the planet of luck, is your ruling planet, which is why you’re such a lucky being.

This planet is going to spend the entire month in the romantic, heart-centred sign of Cancer. This will influence you into becoming more heart-centred yourself, so you’ll be making more sensitive decisions, prioritising the needs and wants of others ahead of your own, and looking after your family first and foremost.

Capricorn (December 22 to January 19)

Once a year, the moon is full in your focused and ambitious sign. This year, the full moon in Capricorn will rise on July 10, and everyone will feel the impact. Career matters and financial success will be central to all conversations, but you’re the one who really cares about those topics.

This spiritual boost can benefit you on the practical level, so make sure that your job application, limited company registration or conference tickets are submitted on that day. This full moon will help your goals and wishes become reality, and will form a shortcut that gets you to the top.

Aquarius (January 20 to February 18)

Pluto, planet of rebirth, is in your sign this month. This is no real surprise, because this planet is going to stay with you for almost 20 years – but still, it’s worth mentioning. Any desire to change is courtesy of this limitless planet.

This month, this planet happens to be going retrograde, which means that things will go a little slower than usual, and potentially not according to plan. So have a plan B up your sleeve, and be prepared for delays throughout July.

Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

This month will see you make quick, snap decisions, for better or for worse. Some of those quick decisions will result in slow changes, because the planet is going retrograde. Specifically, it is due to your ruling planet, Neptune, the planet of illusion. This planet is in quick and sporty Aries, so you’ll be quicker off the mark than usual.

Rather than considering each decision and each question slowly and dreamily, you’ll be saying yes or no without overly worrying about the outcome, which is a refreshing change for you and shows great courage. This planet turns retrograde from July 5, so the positive outcomes to those choices may be slow to arrive, but arrive they will, eventually.