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 2017 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 2017 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 or debit 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.

"Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep."
-- Carl Sandburg
 

The Skinny

The superior (far side) conjunction of the Sun and Mercury back on June 21 trails a wake into this month. (That’s because it takes a couple weeks for Sol to rotate around and aim its Sun-Mercury vortex point at us.) Another June carry-over stems from the Ringed Planet’s perigee (closest approach to Earth) back on the 15th, when the Sun opposed Saturn. (There’s a curious historical parallel to this one.)

As for new developments in the skies above, we have no SuperMoons or eclipses; but the full moon on the 9th and the new moon on the 23rd (a day before a Venus opposition to Saturn) signal an increase in geophysical turbulence around those dates (and a financial reckoning on the latter). And then there are those notable Mars alignments (to Pluto on the 2nd and Uranus (a quadrature) on the 18th, and then to the Sun on the 27th.) The month ends as it began, with a burst of solar activity, as the year’s third Mercury Max gets underway on the 30th.

All in all, it looks like a run of notable (but not catastrophic) geophysical disturbances (storm and seismic outbursts) during the first and last weeks of the month; as well as a scattering of typical Mars mayhem on and off throughout. othing apocalyptic, but quite possibly pulse-pounding around the 27th.

The Aftermath

The Sun-Saturn opposition at 24° Gemini-Sagittarius on June 15 marked the Ringed Planet’s closest approach to Earth this year – as big and bright as it gets in our night sky. It’s a time for chickens coming home to roost; for slowing down, taking responsibility and owning up. The easy way out is not a real option.

President Trump’s natal lunar eclipse is targeted by the June 15 Sun-Saturn alignment. And it doesn’t get any better for him after that. The August 21 solar eclipse is on his natal Mars at the ascendant.

There’s an ominous – and I use the term strictly – historical parallel here to Julius Caesar. Following a sacrificial omen at the festival of Lupercalia on February 15, 44 BCE, the soothsayer Spurinna warned Caesar that his life would be in danger for a period of 30 days – ending on March 15, the infamous Ides of March.

Having a Saturn perigee fall on your natal (eclipsed) Moon is not a cheerful prospect. One might well call it ominous, like the omen at Caesar’s Lupercalia sacrifice. Will Trump, like Caesar, be in danger for a period of 30 days – culminating on July 15?

I’m not predicting a strict historical parallel here; only noting a curious coincidence. The coincidence in this case is that Saturn’s transit across Mr. Trump’s natal Moon, at the very least indicates a (further) loss of popular support. The soothsayer Spurinna precedent points to the next 30 days as an inauspicious time for the President.

A glance at the headlines of late seems headed in that direction: Wednesday June 14 brought an armed assault on a GOP baseball practice session, which left the shooter dead and four people wounded (including GOP Whip Steve Scalice). Almost daily, President Trump seems to be digging an ever deeper hole for himself, in terms of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections (with an alleged assist from Trump and/or his associates).

Ironically, the Central Park production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, featuring a Trump look-alike in the title role, has been in the news lately. Not to mention the unmentionable: comedian Kathy Griffin’s notorious display of a beheaded Trump made headlines on Tuesday June 13.

Coincidences? We’ll see as we approach July 15, and around the solar eclipse on August 21. More on that solar eclipse in next month’s forecast . . .

Of Solar Storms and Static

There are two notable interludes of solar turbulence coming up this month. The first of these runs from the 2nd through the 8th, although it’s anchored in the June 21 superior conjunction of the Sun and Mercury. I expect July 5 (plus or minus three days) to anchor a new round of solar storms, ushering in M and X-class flares, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and resulting geomagnetic storminess on our home planet. In their wake comes an uptick in Kp5 and higher geomagnetic storms, strong auroral activity and a lot of electromagnetic turbulence. Disruptions in electrical and electronic devices and networks are common at times like this: computers, power grids, satellite systems, radio transmissions, etc. (The human neural net is vulnerable too: if you are sensitive to electromagnetic fields, you probably already know to prepare as best you can.)

These storm outbreaks on our parent star are not only seen in the sky by way of auroras; but also and more universally in terms of an increase in powerful atmospheric disturbances. Dump Gigawatts of excess solar energy into Earth’s magnetosphere, and you get not only more and more powerful storms, but also disturbances in the Earth’s crust, as magma bubbles and boils under the extra load. So look not only for a surplus of severe storms with powerful winds and heavy precipitation during the July 2-8 interval; but also an increase in moderate to severe seismic activity (M5+) and volcanic eruptions.

There’s another element of geophysical disturbance operating early this month, by the way. The full moon on the 9th anchors a shock window from the 6th through the 12th. In effect, this extends the July 2-8 storm and seismic turbulence more or less continuously into the 12th. Full moons are by no means as potent as SuperMoons or eclipses when it comes to raising tides in Earth’s atmosphere, seas and crust. But you will see an uptick in powerful storms, extreme tides and seismic activity (M 5+ quakes and volcanic eruptions) throughout this period.

The other pronounced solar storm signal this month is associated with the start of 2017’s third Mercury Max cycle, which gets underway on the 30th, when the little inner planet reaches its maximum elongation east of the Sun as seen from Earth. This particular Mercury Max lasts until September 12, so it’s a story I’ll cover in depth next month.

While every Mercury Max cycle represents a time of enhanced solar storminess, this is most pronounced within three days either way of the five key points in the cycle – of which the beginning - July 30 in this case - is one. So note July 27-August 2 on your calendar as the next surge in solar storms and all the associated phenomena I cited for the July 2-8 period. And get ready for even more of the same next month.

By the Dark of the Moon

Last and possibly least among July’s geophysical danger zones is the shock window surrounding the July 23 new moon shock window; in effect from the 20th into the 26th. This ends just a day from the Mercury Max shock window just mentioned above, so it’s not impossible that the two would merge to form a combined period of turbulence stretching from July 20 into August 2. You know what to expect: a surge in extreme tides, powerful storms and moderate to severe seismic activity.

Venus opposes Saturn on the 24th, just a day after the new moon. A moody, melancholy Monday; with a tendency to market swoons from late the week before into mid-week following the opposition. If there’s an element of reserve, caution and trepidation around you, think of it as environmental. Remember, as Sartre said, "Fear is the mind killer." Don’t get sucked into it.

Mars Mayhem

Strong Mars alignments always amplify the human potential for haste, temper, conflict and violence. It’s the murder and mayhem factor, the signal for a surfeit of "fires, crashes, clashes and explosions" as described in my forecasts for decades now – here online since 1996, and before that in Dell Publishing Company’s HOROSCOPE YEARBOOK for years. So, what to look out for, and when to look out for it?

The when is easy: the potential is strongest when the Mars alignments are strongest. This month, that’s the Mars-Pluto opposition on the 2nd, the Mars-Uranus square on the 18th, and the to the Sun-Mars conjunction on the 27th. Mars moves slowly enough that it’s wise to allow a week either side of the exact dates as the likely range of mayhem – although the peak tends to be a few days of the exact alignment. Caution: look at your calendar. Note that this means very nearly all of July is under an enhanced Mars imprint – as was much of late June. So be careful out there.

The what ranges from the personal to the social to the geopolitical. On the personal level, if you feel the adrenaline surge on these dates – and you probably will – take a deep breath, smile, and count to ten if you can. If that doesn’t work, somebody’s likely to get hurt. Be mindful, do what you’re doing while you’re doing it; be here now. Stay focused, and be aware that haste and recklessness can erupt around you at any time. Watch out for "the other guy"!

Apart from everyday hazards, there are the awful potentials: from domestic violence to criminal behavior to school and workplace shootings. You know the drill. A level of depravity and destruction higher brings us to riots, terrorism and the like. (The Arab Spring began under the Sun-Mars conjunction back in 2011 – the same aspect in effect at the end of this month.)

Check Your Chart!

From last month’s Saturn perigee to the Venus-Saturn opposition this month, it’s worth noticing that a lot of the action in the sky lately focuses on 22-24° of the mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. If these happen to be important points in your own sky map at birth, it’s a good idea to be more aware and watchful than usual now. Think calm and steady, sober as a judge. There are times to kick up your heels and dance, and there are times to plod along. This is a time to plod. Steady as she goes, my friends!

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 or Star Rover apps 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/message 480-753-6261 - email rnolle@astropro.com Box 26599 - Tempe, AZ 85285-6599 - USA www.astropro.com