If you were expecting some kind of sun sign nonsense, forget about it. This is real astrology for the real world, not some mystical mumbo-jumbo psycho-babble word salad. If it's real astrology for yourself that you want, you can get it by phone or in print. And if you need help deciphering the astrological glyphs in the graphics accompanying this article, see Astroglyphs: Astrological Symbols Guide. Please note: this forecast is expressed in terms of Universal Time (UT, aka GMT). Location for all mundante charts is set for the Great Pyramid at Giza; the choice being strictly arbitrary in any case. Also please be aware that, while I never change a forecast once it's published, I do post errata to acknowledge typographical errors and the like.

PLEASE NOTE: This month’s forecast incorporates elements of (and refers to) my complete 2016 World Forecast Highlights (38 8-1/2 x 11” illustrated pages); focused, amplified and elaborated with details for the month as appropriate. The full version of my 2016 World Forecast Highlights is available in hard copy by mail ($75) or as a PDF document by email ($50). Orders may be phoned in (toll-free from anywhere in North America to 800-527-8761), and charged to any major credit card. Orders may also be placed direct from your own PayPal account page to rnolle@astropro.com – or by using the AstroPro PayPal order page.

"Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind."
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne
 

July continues two major themes from June: an intensified Mars Max, and an unrelenting Saturn-Neptune square. In that sense, this month is cut from the same cloth as last: full of murder and mayhem, “fires, crashes, clashes and explosions” (the Mars Max component), and socio-political-economic disintegration and deception (the Saturn-Neptune square). Into the mix there are some geophysical shock windows, harbingers of storms solar, seismic and atmospheric. Time being of the essence – the last several weeks have been very busy here – here’s the nub of it.

Mars remains within a degree of its June 29 direct station all the way into mid-July, with an emphatic kicker tacked on by the Moon-Mars alignment on the 14th. The Mars Max as a whole continues in force into September, but the first half of July marks the end of the last major turbulence associated with this cycle. Anger, haste, recklessness and belligerence are the keynotes of this cycle, so be careful out there. Dangers range from accidental mishaps to criminal misdeeds to terrorist atrocities. Most of us will only experience these things secondhand, via the news. That’s plenty bad enough. You’ll know it when you see it: a rash of murders and mass murders, a clutch of big fires, crashes and explosions . . . the all too familiar same old same old. Thank heaven it’s nearing an end now. Be especially vigilant around the 14th (when the Moon aligns with Mars and Saturn) and the 29th (Mercury squares Mars and Uranus stations retrograde).

The Saturn-Neptune square of June 18 came within days of the UK’s vote to leave the EU – as delusional a faux pas as could ever be imagined. As I said, this is still in effect into October, so there’s more of the same coming and a lot of fallout from the Brexit fiasco as well – including more delusional talk of a do-over by the Brits. That’s not to say that Parliament can’t undo the will of the people – far more likely than a revote.

Beyond the consequences for Britain, the turbulence in the world’s currency and equity markets will continue unabated until September. Not a rocket ride to the bottom mind you. But a sputtering foundering along a sub-par path.

There are a couple of notable geophysical storm windows this month, times when riptides run through Earth’s crust, seas and skies, giving rise to a spate of powerful storms with high winds and heavy precipitation, moderate to severe seismic activity (M5+ earthquakes, and notable volcanic eruptions). Expect these to show their hand July 1-7 and 16-22, associated with the July 4 and 19 new and full moon, respectively.

Also be aware of the heightened potential for solar storms around July 18-24, as the solar disk rotates to aim the point of Mercury’s July 7 superior conjunction with the Sun right at us. Expect strong X-Ray storms (M and X-class) to fire off, along with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). These in turn will raise the level of geomagnetic activity here on Earth (Kp 5 and up storms). On the plus side, a bevy of beautiful auroral displays may be expected; but also, disturbances in electrical and electronic systems, power grids, computers and computer networks, telecommunications, etc. Vulnerable human neural networks will also be subject to going on the fritz.

Acknowledgments

All mundane astrological charts as well as eclipse and astro-locality maps are set for the Universal Time (UT) of the event, and calculated and produced using Esoteric Technologies’ Solar Fire Gold Version 7.0.8. Charts are set for the location of the Great Pyramid - a purely arbitrary choice, since location is irrelevant to these charts. Unless sotherwise noted, sky map images are screen captures from the Pocket Universe app for iPhone, or produced by Starry Night for Windows; storm tracks are screen captures from The Weather Channel app for iPhone; and earthquake maps are screen captures from the QuakeFeed ör Quake Alerts app for iPhone.

SPECIAL FEATURE: This month's birthdays of the famous and infamous (with astrological birth charts)

Richard Nolle, Certified Professional Astrologer consultations/orders (AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa) 800-527-8761 data/fax 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com