Grace McGrade is a writer and intuitive astrologer based in Los Angeles. Apply for a birth chart or transit reading here. For more astrology, read her guide to rising signs and moon signs. Read an overview of what 2026 has coming up for us this year here.
July opens with the Sun radiating in the heartfelt, nostalgic sign of Cancer, ushering in feelings of heightened sensitivity, compassion and the occasional bout of summertime sadness. Cancer is the first water sign on the wheel of the zodiac, ruled by the Moon and associated with emotional reciprocity, safety and nurturing. This is where our relationship to our upbringing, family and the past becomes more pronounced, as no sign honours its roots more than the Crab. Cancer is the only sign that carries its home with it, in hopes of finding a semblance of protection in an otherwise chaotic world. Despite this, our appetite for theatrics is enhanced by Jupiter’s recent ingress into Leo, making us open-hearted, short-tempered and creatively inspired. With Jupiter here, July marks the beginning of a once-in-12-year transit that favours self-expression, confidence and following the heart. Personalities are big, but in Cancer season, so are our needs.
Caution is advised: Mercury is backtracking through the sign of the Crab until July 23, inciting delays, miscommunications and the occasional run-in with people from our past. In Cancer, Mercury retrograde gets moody, messy and a little clingy. Watch the impulse to regress, drunk dial, or pick a fight with your mother. Neptune in Aries also stations retrograde on the 7th, infusing our inner worlds with a dreamy, intuitive energy. While Neptune will remain retrograde until December, both Neptune and Mercury invite us to feel our way through July, honouring our feelings, expressing needs and listening to the quieter psychic sensations that lead us to important revelations.
Pleasure planet Venus moves into pragmatic Virgo on the 9th, bringing a bit more discernment to how we express love. Venus in Virgo offers us a grounding energy, allowing us to find small ways to romanticise our routines and find beauty in the small, sensory details of our days. Venus in Virgo wants to be useful, tidy and observant. The shadow here can be the tendency to nitpick, critique or control others.
One of the major turning points of the year takes place on July 27, when the Nodes of Fate switch signs.
On July 14, a New Moon in Cancer bodes well for setting intentions that apply to our living spaces, family dynamics and emotional well-being. Days later, on July 18, we have an exceptionally rare alignment between Pluto, Neptune, Uranus and Jupiter, as they all form a cradle configuration at four degrees. Astrologers, notably the late French astrologer André Barbault, identify this as the most important celestial event of the 21st century. It signals the transition into a new cycle of mystical unity for global civilisation that will continue until 2029.
On the 23rd, Mercury stations direct in Cancer, lifting the retrograde fog and allowing conversations, plans and movements that stalled to finally move forward. When the Sun enters Leo on the 22nd, the mood gets significantly brighter, as we enter an upbeat solar season of play, pleasure and personal expression. Leo, the sign of the child-king, celebrity and creative catalyst, invites us to enjoy the show for the remainder of the summer.
One of the major turning points of the year takes place on July 27, when the Nodes of Fate switch signs. In astrology, the North Node is associated with increase, amplification and collective growth in the direction of the sign it’s in. As it moves from intuitive Pisces to innovative Aquarius on the 27th, we enter a period of awakening, acceleration and heightened empathy for our fellow man. The South Node, which moves into Leo, simultaneously highlights what is being released. While we adhere to the call to help humanity, there can be a gradual depletion of interest in ego-driven spectacle, celebrity culture or influencer personalities. This axis is where our eclipses will fall over the next eighteen months, instigating shifts away from egoic performance, instead, toward collective healing. Public scandals around ego, celebrity, or inflated authority may coincide with breakthroughs towards more holistic communities and networks.
Echoing these themes, the month culminates with the Full Moon in Aquarius on July 29th, asking us to balance our very personal hunger for recognition and affection with something bigger than ourselves. Aquarius takes the raw material of individual desire and runs it through a higher frequency. What do you want, and what does the world need from you? Where is the middle ground?
The beginning of July has you uncharacteristically inside, as the Sun and Mercury retrograde dive into your domestic zone, creating a drastic change of pace after an energising June. While Mars, your ruler, is currently in Gemini, try to slow down and put off any important decisions until the end of the month. Mars in Gemini (particularly combined with Mercury retrograde) has a funny way of making us have to do things twice. On the 7th, Neptune in Aries stations retrograde as well, heightening your intuition. Use this gestation of time away from the wider world to reground and tend to your immediate environment, while listening closely to the psychic sensations that are revealing things to you.
A New Moon in Cancer on the 14th invites you to set goals that supply you with nourishment, emotional reciprocity, and a sense of security you can carry within you. Look at your foundations. What do you need to truly settle in before chasing the next big thing? By the 23rd, Mercury stations direct and creative blockages dissipate, as you enter August hungry for fun, freedom and everything you put on hold while the planets asked you to sit still for a minute.
Aries Beauty Recommendation: Nars Insatiable Liquid Blush
You are feeling insular yet inspired, as Jupiter spends its first month in your sector of the home, calling for some creativity at home. It might be time to redecorate, host a theatrical dinner party, or learn a new skill from home. As Mercury retrograde backpeddles through your sector of conscious thought, it brings half-executed ideas back around for revisitation. Try to finish what you may have previously put off.
As always, Cancer season spurs a strange sense of nostalgia, the occasional waning moods and feelings of insecurity. But with Neptune and Mercury now retrograde, the impulse to regress into the past is strong. Witness what comes up for you with compassion, rather than entertaining old or imbalanced dynamics. The final week of July beckons you out of your home and into the spotlight, as the North Node (point of fate) enters your career zone. For the next eighteen months, your professional life becomes one of the primary sites of your evolution.
Taurus Beauty Recommendation: Kosas Cloud Set Airy Setting + Smoothing Mist
Pick your battles wisely, dear Gemini. With Mars and Uranus in your sign, you may suddenly feel like you have been appointed the celestial mouthpiece, eager to speak up about what everyone else would rather avoid. The fights you’re picking aren’t frivolous. You are keen to become a champion for the underdog and to call out injustices. It’s just that Mercury is retrograde until the 23rd, and not everyone’s listening. Write it down instead. Prepare to publish your manifesto.
Cancer season wants you to get clear about what you need to feel safe, take inventory of your talents, and find new and inventive ways to monetise being yourself. The energy changes drastically by the 22nd, when the Sun enters Leo, and Mercury moves forward the following day. You’re ready to see and be seen, as the remainder of the summer shimmers with hope and possibility, and people are brave enough to hear what you have to say.
Gemini Beauty Recommendation: Urban Decay Tube Job Tubing Mascara Intense
It’s the summer; it’s your season, and it’s the start of a brand new astrological era. Jupiter is newly in your sector of talents and abundance, asking you to get clear about what you can do and what you deserve in return. Set your sights high. Doubts may arise, as Mercury backpeddles through your sector of self, bringing up old stories about how you are received. Ignore them, dream big and move boldly. July 14 bodes especially well for setting intentions for your next year, as the New Moon in Cancer lights up your arena of identity, asking you to own your many talents. It is very possible that by the end of the summer, a new vocation or dream project lands in your lap, simply because you believed you were deserving of it.
By the 23rd, the Sun has moved into Leo and Mercury is no longer retrograde. Opportunities to earn arise, and life gets busier and better. At the end of the month, the Full Moon in Aquarius falls into your sector of intimate entanglements, perhaps asking you to cut ties with someone who can’t reciprocate. This next year is about getting what you deserve, rather than settling out of pity or empathy. Try to be a little bit more selfish.
Cancer Beauty Recommendation: KIKO 3DHydra Lip Oil
Nostalgic, moody and a little existential, the beginning of July has you in your feelings. As the Sun and Mercury Retrograde move through your sector of sleep, spirituality and isolation, you feel the uncommon urge to step away from the world at large. Use this gestation of time to recharge and listen to your intuition. Messages may appear in dreams, on solo drives, or in sudden realisations. Jupiter has just entered your sign for the first time in twelve years, and while its full radiance will take a few weeks to reach you, you can already feel something shifting. Luck is certainly on your side, but you’ll really feel it by the 22nd, when the Sun crosses into Leo and everything activates.
Mercury stations direct the following day, and you’re beckoned back out into the world, main character mode already active. As the Lunar Nodes shift from Pisces and Virgo to Aquarius and Leo, relational themes are accentuated over the course of the next 18 months. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, this next year calls for you to share your talents with a wider audience, asking for help when needed. Fated events and spiritual lessons may occur within relationships. The month culminates with a Full Moon in Aquarius in your partnership sector, allowing you to connect more deeply with those in your corner.
Leo Beauty Recommendation: CHANEL La Crème Main
In July, you feel the need to find a deeper sense of belonging from friends, eager to find your place in the world. With the Sun in Cancer and Mercury retrograding through your sector of community, you are reflecting on friendships new and old, and run-ins with the past may be on the horizon. Venus’ entry into Virgo on the 9th makes it the optimal time to resolve old issues, extend an olive branch, or show up for the people you care about. This is also the final month the South Node transits Virgo, closing out eighteen months of some of the more humbling lessons about your part in things. Let go of having to be perfect, and open your heart.
By the 23rd, Mercury stations direct and the Sun has entered Leo, enhancing your intuition and fine-tuning your focus. By the end of July, the Lunar Nodes shift into Aquarius and Leo, activating your wellness axis for the next eighteen months. Look at these themes as they are brought up by the Aquarius Full Moon on the 29th, putting your routines, your body and your relationship with work under the spotlight.
Virgo Beauty Recommendation: Dior Backstage Rosy Glow
It’s a very “outside” month, as July is a tug-of-war between a packed social calendar and pressing work matters. Jupiter has just entered Leo, expanding upon your sector of friendship and social networks, and the invitations are piling up. People want you around. At the same time, Cancer season and Mercury retrograde are stirring up the pot in your career zone, making work feel simultaneously urgent and unresolved. Decisions that seemed straightforward become complicated. Communications with colleagues or clients require more patience than usual. Hold off on any major professional moves until Mercury stations direct on the 23rd.
If you are looking to switch gears professionally, the New Moon in Cancer on the 14th opens a new chapter for your career and public life. Set intentions around how you want to live professionally, and what you’re willing to build toward over the next six months. The final week of July provides you with more play than work. Mercury goes direct, Leo season begins, and the Lunar Nodes shift into your fifth and eleventh houses, opening an eighteen-month chapter that puts creativity, pleasure, community, and genuine connection at the center of your life.
Libra Beauty Recommendation: MAC Multisculpt Matte Liquid Eye and Face Colour
Cancer season asks you to inspect what you believe about how the world takes care of you. Are you moving through life from a place of suspicion or faith? Are you trusting your own path, or bracing yourself for it to fall apart? These are the questions July puts on the table, and with Mercury retrograde in Cancer, honest answers await. The Sun and Mercury retrograde light up the sector of travel, higher knowledge and expanded horizons. A trip may be on the cards, especially one that expands your beliefs, although Mercury’s backward shuffle advises building in extra flexibility around plans, bookings and logistics. Double-check everything twice.
On the 14th, a beautiful New Moon in Cancer allows you to set intentions for a more nourishing belief system, as you begin to operate with more faith and less fear. The final weeks of July call your attention back to business, as the Sun and Jupiter in Leo enliven your professional zone. You are being beckoned into a position of leadership. Accept the call.
Scorpio Beauty Recommendation: Byredo Symphonique Fragranced Candle
Now that Jupiter, your ruler, is in Leo, adventure is in the cards. But before that, pressing emotional matters may come to a head. It is in your nature to chase the next horizon without giving the past a second thought, but this month helps you move forward with less baggage. As Mercury retrograde and the Sun move through your sector of intimacy and entanglements, feelings you thought you had forgotten re-emerge to be resolved. This retrograde has a funny way of summoning exes, former friends and half-resolved situationships back into your path. These surreal encounters aren’t supposed to be punitive or encourage you to regress. Instead, they offer you a chance to make peace with whatever hasn’t been completely resolved.
By the 23rd, Mercury is direct and the Sun is in Leo, enlivening your sector of travel, faith and foreign terrain. A trip, physical or metaphysical, is on the cards, and you feel freer than ever. Optimistic, playful, and in your power, you end July with an elevated understanding of what your relationships had to teach you.
Sagittarius Beauty Recommendation: Lancome Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss
With the Sun moving through Cancer and Mercury retrograde revisiting your partnership sector, the dynamics shaping your closest connections become clear as day. As Cancer sits opposite Capricorn in the zodiac, July is highlighting the axis between your needs and everyone else’s. Conversations that were left hanging circle back around. Unspoken tensions rise to the surface. The things you’ve been sensing but avoiding suddenly call for confrontation. If you’ve been carrying more than your share, compromising too often, or quietly accepting less than you deserve, this month has a way of making imbalances obvious. Mercury retrograde here is less interested in creating chaos and more interested in showing you the patterns you’ve been unconsciously repeating. This also applies to business partnerships, creative collaborations, and important one-on-one commitments. Take your time with contracts and major decisions where possible.
Meanwhile, Jupiter in Leo expands your capacity for intimacy, trust and shared resources. Venus enters Virgo on the 9th, bringing clarity around your future plans and the people involved in them. Your standards begin to rise. The Cancer New Moon on the 14th opens a fresh chapter in your relationship life. Consider what you want your most important connections to feel like by the end of the year.
Capricorn Beauty Recommendation: Garnier Hyaluron Fresh & Plump Hydrating Sorbet Cream
July draws your attention towards your body, mind and soul, as the Sun and Mercury retrograde in Cancer move through your sector of wellness and routine. This is your “eat, pray, love” era, a gestation of summer where you get to reconnect with forgotten spiritual practices, attune to your senses, and find your centre. Jupiter has just entered Leo, your opposite sign, bringing a warmer, happy-go-lucky energy to how you relate to others.
As July unfolds, the focus shifts outward, toward your one-on-one relationships. You are in unusually high demand right now. People want your time, your counsel and your attendance. Be careful with that. The North Node’s move into Aquarius on the 27th asks you to stay mindful in partnerships. Don’t overextend or overgive. With the North Node in your sign, it’s important not to let anyone else’s gravity pull you out of your own orbit. For the next eighteen months, you are learning lessons about where politeness and generosity can lead to self-erasure.
Aquarius Beauty Recommendation: Dove Body + Mind Pink Dragon Fruit & Primrose Body Wash
It’s time to find your fun, dear Pisces, as the Sun enters the sexiest region of your chart, the 5th house of pleasure, romance and play. This is summer embodied, the sector of your chart where you get to let your hair down and roam free. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, as Mercury retrograde brings some exes back into your orbit, potentially eager for reconciliation. With Jupiter now in Leo, where it will stay for the next year, you are rewarded when you choose self-love, self-care and healthy dynamics over escapism. Old patterns of disappearing into a friend, a fantasy, or a person who needs saving no longer work with the life you’re building.
Your day-to-day schedule fills up when Mercury stations direct on the 23rd and the Sun moves into Leo, sending professional opportunities your way. On the 27th, the North Node leaves your sign for Aquarius, opening you up to psychic messages and intuitive guidance that help to gear you up for greatness. Listen to yourself.
Pisces Beauty Recommendation: Palm Of Feronia Moon Balm
‘The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties’
