Note your dreams upon waking this morning.

The New Moon in  Cancer officially began today at 4:08AM ET, offering us an opportunity to re-set  intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle.  Around July 5th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals, with appropriate adjustments made. At the time of the Full Moon on the 12th, we can expect illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle. If we succeeded, we can consciously release our success into our reality; if we failed, we let go of whatever did not work. After the Third Quarter Moon on the 18th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on the 26th.

This New Moon occurs at 6 degrees of Cancer and the only connection it makes is a harmonious aspect with Neptune, the planet referring to vision, intuition, deception, delusion, spirits of all kinds, oil, oceans, drugs & other toxins, charity, suffering and martyrdom  — just to name a few. Moon is generally very happy to be in Cancer, the sign it rules. In Cancer, the Moon seeks to fulfill a need for emotional/homeland security; this month we can expect that need to be met in rose-colored hues. Venus in this New Moon chart is also making contact with one other planet — and again that would be Neptune. This suggests idealism in social expression, as well as in issues concerning women, art and money. You may recall that Neptune and idealism were strong themes in last month’s New Moon, so we can expect more of the same — some of it magical; some of it mystical and some of it simply bewildering.

In the New Moon chart, mental Mercury is retrograde and running wild in Gemini,  suggesting this month will be again notable for shifts in the way we think and communicate. Given that Mercury is retrograde, we can expect plenty of that thinking to be concerned with reviewing issues from the past (a positive potential of Mercury retrograde), or flat-out sloppy and misinformed (a downside potential of Mercury retrograde). Mercury turns direct on July 1st and reaches the Aries Point (o Cancer) on July 13th; watch the headlines for especially prominent mindshifts — some of involving women, now that I’m also noting Venus at the Aries Point (0 Cancer) on July 19th.

Mars, symbolizing our need for action, is still in Libra, but picking up speed for its entrance into Scorpio on July 26th. Huzzah! In this cycle we will continue to process the tension released this month by the warrior planet’s forceful contacts with the Uranus-Pluto square, which on the upside may be reflected in the supercharged World Cup soccer games. Go team! Jupiter and Saturn are also running wild, but with very different agendas. Jupiter is wrapping up its year-long stay in Cancer, seeking its reward in the expansion of emotional security/nourishment/home/family concerns, augmented by an obsession with power and resources. Jupiter enters Leo on July 16th.

Saturn remains in Scorpio, continuing its nitty-gritty reality check on the consequences of sex, death and money, i.e. debt — watch the headlines. It turns direct on July 21st, but will spend the entire month sitting at 16 degrees of Scorpio. So if you have a planet or an angle around that degree — or also around 16 degrees of Leo, Taurus or Aquarius, I can appreciate why you may be feeling squeezed by outside controls — or feeling pressured to act on your ambition all month long — and wondering why it also feels as if you’re not making any progress. Same applies if you were born around the 9th of August, November, February or May. President Obama is in this category; his Ascendant is 18 Aquarius.

Neptune is retrograde in Pisces, hanging out at 6-7 degrees all month. You’re feeling the fog and/or need for a more beautiful vision more personally if you were born 5-9 days into Pisces, Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius…or if you have a planet or angle at 5-9 degrees of those signs. Neptune in Pisces will continue to be reflected in the headlines with stories of oceans, fish, drugs (all pot all the time in the US) and the huddled masses, large and small. And let us not forget the never-ending Uranus-Pluto square challenging the status quo and exposing corruption in our hallowed institutions.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 6 Cancer is “game birds feathering their nest,” which I see echoed in the New Moon chart by Jupiter — as described above. The always-insightful  Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee observes that this Symbol refers to refining home security concerns and prosperity accumulated by tending to one’s property or thoughts for future comfort. He offers the curious observation that “game birds” are the quarry of hunters, and that “anyone thought to be fit for ridicule or criticism is said to be ‘fair game'”. Hmmmm.

Bovee suggests we apply this Symbol with a mind to “an urgent sense of making progress; a sense of frustration with obstacles…considering [among other things] overrefinement of strategies; game natures clashing with ponderous delays.” (If you enjoy these Sabian Symbols, I recommend you get Bovee’s book so you can read his whole take on each Symbol).  If you have a planet or angle around 6 degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra, you will feel initiative (and perhaps the urgency) of this New Moon more than most.

General notes for the weekend: dreamy, courtesy of exact contacts between Sun and Venus with Neptune at 3:23AM ET and 3:31PM ET on Sunday, respectively. Vision, spirit, healing, music — all sorts of idealized beauty and rose-colored escapes are favored. Add a dramatic flair when Moon enters Leo at 4:43AM ET Sunday.

But first — on Friday — a potential power play or deep emotional response around 5:39PM ET, when Moon is challenged by Pluto…followed by an upset or revelation around 1:16AM ET, when Moon is challenged by rebel Uranus. Be careful on the roads late Friday night and in the wee hours on Saturday.

No exact aspects during the day on Saturday until 9:03PM ET, when Moon hooks up with expansive, expensive Jupiter. Oh joy! Moon will be void until 4:43AM ET Sunday. No harm, no foul.

And no sleeping in on Monday.

And now, the news.

Interesting to note right after I posted yesterday’s forecast noting stern Saturn’s challenge to Obama’s Ascendant that the Supreme Court issued a control (Saturn!), ruling that certain recess appointments he made in 2012 were unconstitutional. On a lighter note, I wish I’d seen this fun Tweet from the coach of the US soccer team in time to share it with you before yesterday’s all-day void of course Moon. It’s a permission slip you could have given to your boss, excusing you from work so you could watch the US play Germany at the World Cup, and thousands did — as reported by WJLA in DC. What perfect timing!

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