Astro Iris How would a media news story sound, launched on another planet by another civilization, about an apparently normal event on Earth, while keeping the pattern of the media environment we are served daily:
“Breaking news: Earthlings surpass the first half of 2025 and enter the second half of this year.”
And so I come with the news, but completely out of the ordinary. We enter the second half of the year with July, also known as the ‘oven month’ in folk tradition.
We enter the second half of the year with July, also known as the “oven month” in folk tradition.
July is strongly marked by the shift of unpredictable energy: Uranus settles into Gemini ♊️ for the next seven years (with a retrograde period in Taurus at the end of 2025) on July 7, in the early part of the day.
Venus also dives into Gemini ♊️ on July 4 at 18:31, then lands in Cancer ♋️ on the morning of July 31.
The Sun ☀️ keeps warming Cancer until July 22, when it decides to crank up its power in its own house. At 16:30, it arrives home in Leo ♌️ for a month.
The Moon maintains its usual phases:
> The Full Moon on July 10 forms in Capricorn ♑️, close to midnight.
> The New Moon on July 24 forms in Leo, late in the evening.
Retrograde planets are joined by Saturn and Mercury. On July 13, Saturn in Aries ♈️ retrogrades from 1 degree 56 minutes to 25 degrees 9 minutes in Pisces ♓️. This retrograde lasts until November 28, when it resumes direct motion toward Aries. On July 18 at 07:45 AM, Mercury retrogrades for nearly three weeks, between 15 and 4 degrees in Leo.
July’s planetary activity signals a clear need (dare I say obligation) for constant movement, adaptation, correction, and reconfiguration.
The week of June 30 to July 6 brings transits that prepare us and pave the way for this second half of the year.
We’ll remain focused on family matters, where a massive investment of energy—and even money—is required. The recommendation is to invest in development and growth, not just fleeting pleasures that vanish as quickly as the next shiny distraction. Toward the end of the week, I strongly urge avoiding any temptation to express ourselves harshly or maliciously in close relationships. There’s a challenge here that, if we fall prey to it, could end relationships with no chance of mediation.
By the week’s end, matters of family, home, origins, country, money, material values, and our relationship with them intensify. Unexpected surprises may arise from miraculous sources. Equally, where urgent issues need addressing or correcting, if we don’t handle them, life will force the issue for us. The meeting of Venus and Uranus at a perfect degree on July 4, both in an anaretic degree, demands action to express our desire for freedom and independence. If we feel constrained or restricted in any situation, we might unleash our energy in the most aggressive form. Knowing this, we have the chance to express our desires diplomatically, in the style of Libra, with the firmness of Aries and Taurus, without aggression.
This applies at the collective, community, and group levels too.
We need only understand each other’s needs and create a space of compassion with responsibility and accountability—but not to the point of sacrifice. It’s not advisable to enable or accept sacrificial behavior for the sake of loved ones if it robs us of our own well-being. From there to loss is literally half a step.
So, this week, let’s act to secure our freedom, independence, personal space, resources, values, and possessions we believe we deserve. I assure you, nothing and no one can stop us from claiming what is rightfully ours, as long as it truly is ours. Otherwise, it’s just our resistance and lack of self-respect and esteem for our fellow beings, material values, and finances.
I’ll wrap up this article with some personal thoughts on what this popular term “oven month” for July really means. Why? Because I can 😂 (without a drop of arrogance) and because I want to encourage independent thinking and the use of this treasure—our minds—that we’re all equipped with.
July, the “oven month”, can have multiple meanings, depending on how each of us uses our mind. Literally, the word “oven” makes me think of using fire through this device to bake (or transform in any way) various ingredients/foods into nourishment for the human body. In the process, it also warms the space where the oven is used—a real blessing in winter. July, after all, is the counterpart to February.
Thus, this month teaches us to use resources to meet needs in their authentic, not makeshift, form. Everything already exists; we just need to focus on using what’s available more efficiently. July, with its inherent heat, literally ripens the fruits and vegetables of the season, ensuring nourishment until the next season.
Enjoy the gifts of this month, whatever they may be!
