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Tamuz 5783

June 20-July 18, 2023

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The Moon-ruled month of Tamuz features the shift of the Lunar Nodal Axis, a major event in Jewish astrology. The two lunar nodes represent the head and tail of T’li, the celestial dragon mentioned in the early Jewish mystical text Sefer Yetzirah.

“The dragon in the universe is like a king upon his throne,” Sefer Yetzirah says of the Lunar Nodes. The South Node or “tail” of the dragon indicates the comfort zone one has already established in life, while the North Node or “head” shows us who we must develop into during this lifetime.

The Lunar Nodes will travel through Aries/Taleh and Libra/Moznayim until mid-January 2025. In your personal natal chart, the houses ruled by Aries and Libra will be stimulated during the Lunar Axis transit, as will any planets in those houses. The energetic nourishment they receive during this time will ignite personal potential in these areas.

Tekufah Tamuz, the Summer Solstice on June 21, marks the Sun’s ingress into Cancer/Sartan. Mercury/Kochav sextiles both Mars/Ma’adim and Chiron, making it a perfect day to share vulnerabilities and seek healing.

The Full Moon in Capricorn/Gidi on July 3, opposite the Sun in Cancer, promises fidelity and responsibility. Express any unmet needs and you may be surprised at how eager your partner is to meet them.

The Three Weeks, a mourning period for the destruction of the two temples, begins on 17 Tamuz, which falls on July 6. As we begin our annual journey, remember that what you’re feeling is only the flow of the cycle of sacred time – and this too shall pass. We’re going through this together.

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Aries / Taleh

Big changes are coming over the next 18 months as the Lunar Nodal Axis enters Aries and Libra/Moznayim July 17. The “Dragon’s Head” transiting through Aries triggers an awareness of the sweeping arc of your own destiny. Your sense of personal uniqueness has already been ignited at the June 26 First Quarter Moon in Aries, with the square of Mars/Ma’adim to Uranus/Oron. Your instinct is to fight for the right to be yourself at the Last Quarter Moon in Aries July 9, but there’s a smarter way. Mars enters analytical Virgo/Betulah July 10, supporting sober and strategic thought before action.

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Taurus / Shor

You may feel slightly depleted as the North Lunar Node leaves Taurus after an 18-month transit. You’ve done much work on yourself over this time and need to give yourself credit. Measure the healing you’ve done when Venus/Noga trines Chiron June 29, and you’ll see how far you’ve come! Much like an athlete after a long workout, you need restful downtime. You’re inspired to create something unique and different than anything you’ve done before when Venus squares Uranus/Oron July 2. Give yourself permission to engage in creative play. Enjoy making a mess. Not everything needs to be perfect!

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Gemini / T’omim

Slow down. The secret to calm whilst in the eye of the storm is cultivating stillness. Mercury/Kochav sextiles Mars/Ma’adim and Chiron on June 21, which is Tekufah Tamuz, the Summer Solstice. Mercury in Gemini squares Neptune/Rahav in Pisces/Dagim June 25, then moves into Cancer June 28 and trines Neptune July 9. This square/trine process of Mercury and Neptune creates the mental friction necessary to ignite your spark of genius. The trine of Mercury to Saturn/Shabbatai June 29 brings an almost shocking level of self-awareness! Mercury opposes Pluto and enters Leo/Aryeh July 10, squaring Jupiter/Tzedek July 17. Avoid passive-aggressive power plays.

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Cancer / Sartan

Tamuz begins on June 19-20 this year. Tekufah Tamuz, the Sun’s entry into Cancer June 21, marks the Summer Solstice. It’s your time to shine in all your luminous, loony glory! Gratitude produces graciousness when Mercury/Kochav enters Cancer on June 26, at the First Quarter Moon in Libra/Moznayim. The Full Moon in Capricorn/Gidi July 3 illuminates what you truly value. Take courage at the Last Quarter Aries/Taleh Moon July 9; the Lunar Nodal Axis shift into Aries and Libra at the New Moon in Cancer July 17 signals deeper ways to harmonize the tensions between your public and private lives.­­

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Leo / Aryeh

With Venus/Noga transiting Leo (including a retrograde) through mid-October, the personally positive vibrations are turned up high. The Sun enters Cancer/Sartan at Tekufah Tamuz, the Summer Solstice, on June 21. Pay close attention to your dreams. The Sun in Cancer makes a watery trine to Saturn/Shabbtai in Pisces/Dagim on June 28, tempering justice with mercy, and judgment with compassion. Tell all the great things G*d has done for you when the Sun conjuncts Mercury/Kochav on June 30. You embody beneficence herself when the Sun trines Jupiter/Tzedek on July 1. The more you give, the more you have to give!

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Virgo / Betulah

Mercury/Kochav’s transits to Mars/Ma’adim and Chiron on Tekufah Tamuz, the Summer Solstice on June 21, reveals your secret. You’ve been resting on your reputation for a while, and now you must live up to your own hype and make it real. Mercury/Kochav enters Cancer/Sartan June 28, and trines Saturn/Shabbatai June 29. You gain support from family and loyal friends. Mercury opposes Pluto and enters Leo/Aryeh on July 10, reflecting unusually combative energy! Do you really want to pick a fight or are you trying to gauge your own ability to take a punch? You’ll know by July 17 when Mercury squares Jupiter/Tzedek.

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Libra / Moznayim

Everything old is new again for you during the next 18 months, as the South Lunar Node transits through Libra. The shift of the Lunar Nodal Axis gives you the chance to review and reexamine the various roles you continue to play in partnerships. The First Quarter Moon in Libra on June 26 brings the return of an intimate relationship issue you may have thought was resolved. Venus/Noga trines Chiron June 29, easing the way for vulnerable truth-telling and mutually exposed hearts. An unusual turn of events brings surprising and maybe even shocking outcomes when Venus squares Uranus/Oron July 2.

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Scorpio / Akrav

It’s possible to have a significant amount of healing rest this month, as two great weights are lifted. One is the Lunar Nodal Axis shift out of Taurus/Shor and Scorpio where it’s been for the last 18 months, the other is retrograde Pluto backed up to the final degrees of Capricorn/Gidi through the end of the year. The pressure to establish new norms has been intense; you need some downtime to process what all these changes mean to you. Mars/Ma’adim enters Virgo/Betulah on July 10, with Mercury/Kochav opposite Pluto. You’re able to be precise in your thinking and powerful in your decision making.

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Sagittarius / Keshet

With your planetary ruler Jupiter/Tzedek in Taurus/Shor through mid-May 2024, you may be feeling heavier and slower than you like. What’s really going on is Jupiter inviting you to turn your fiery flame down from a roar to a simmer in order to get grounded. Anything you can do to connect with nature, and especially the animal world, will energetically realign your body and feed your hungry soul. Swimming is especially beneficial now. Mercury/Kochav and Sun sextile Jupiter July 1, supporting positive, healthy habits. Share your struggles with a close, encouraging friend when Mercury squares Jupiter on July 17.

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Capricorn / Gidi

With the Sun in solar opposite Cancer/Sartan from June 21’s Tekufah Tamuz, your vantage point is far enough away from your own biases to see the pieces you’ve been missing. Use this newfound knowledge to make good and do right when the Sun trines Saturn/Shabbatai on June 28. Mercury/Kochav in Cancer trines Saturn in Pisces/Dagim on June 29, empowering your compassion and ability to express empathy to those who are suffering. The Full Moon in Capricorn on July 3 brings surprising opportunities that demonstrate how fidelity and responsibility are the mature fruits of committed love. Those fruits can be spicy as well!

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Aquarius / D’li

Pluto has retrograded back into the final degrees of Capricorn/Gidi through the end of the year, and you’ve had a taste of things to come. You see the fight ahead and you may feel ready for it when Mars/Ma’adim squares Uranus/Oron on June 26, but let cooler heads prevail. The Sun and Mercury/Kochav trine Saturn/Shabbatai June 28-29, giving you strategic wisdom for the long haul. A sense of humor may be your best weapon against surprising disruptions when Venus/Noga squares and Mercury sextiles Uranus July 2-6. Originality is your hallmark when the Sun sextiles Uranus on July 14.

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Pisces / Dagim

Mercury/Kochav and Neptune/Rahav are playing a cosmic game this month, but you don’t want to be their pawn! Mercury squares Neptune on June 25 and trines him on July 9, but not before Neptune stations retrograde on June 30. You’re not at the whim of fate, but neither are you completely free of synchronicity! “Luck” looks like it comes out of nowhere when Mercury and the Sun sextile Jupiter/Tzedek July 1; “nowhere” is actually the land of hard work that nobody really sees! Mercury squares Jupiter July 17; if you can avoid confrontation, you’ll be glad you did.