Your July 2024 horoscope is many things, but it is not “tepid.” The vibe early in the month is a bit like a lively party or living room salon where people are dishing out spirited conversation and piping hot gossip—and at some point in the month, as things get heated, the scandalousness of it all can’t help but boil over a little. Whether or not life takes on the dimensions of a soap opera (or a Real Housewives episode), suffice to say that we might not have a chance to get bored.
In general, the first half of July is a little less messier than the second half, but there’s opportunity throughout the month for both joyful connection and unnecessary drama, for #hotgirlshit and putting out fires. The first week of July features Mercury in Leo applying to a sextile with Jupiter, and Venus will be wrapping up its time in Cancer, serving the kind of special intimacy you create when you’re fully engaged in a conversation, but in a corner at a busy party. After Venus enters Leo on July 11, the social climate gets a little more extroverted, and we’ll be wearing our Saturday night best for our copious travel selfies. However, Mars conjoins Uranus on July 15, which creates a bottleneck of explosive potential, irascible tempers, or instability toward the middle of July. Plus, every time a planet enters Leo (Mercury on the 2nd, Venus on the 11th, the Sun on the 22nd), it immediately runs into an opposition with Pluto the next day. Bombshells may be dropped, and reactions taken to extremes—there may potentially be some power plays and hasty chess moves in the works, too.
Interpersonal drama aside, the second half of the month also looks slightly more prone to travel mishaps and breakdowns of the logistical and mechanical variety. Though Mercury doesn’t officially go retrograde until August 5, the messenger planet enters its retrograde shadow on July 16 and squares Uranus on July 21. Read that rental car agreement extra carefully, and maybe avoid off-roading in a rural, unfamiliar place with no gas station around for miles.
Astrologer’s note: Below we refer to your signs as “rising” signs, also known as your ascendant sign. Horoscopes are more accurate when read this way—using your birth time and location, you can quickly find your rising sign online (it takes less than 30 seconds).
Aries Rising
You’re determined to be out there living your best life right now, and for the most part, you’ll be successful. Don’t be surprised if your natural inclinations toward joy and radical self-expression rub others the wrong way, though, or contribute to a climate of social tension or disapproval in your universe. The artist often thrives and suffers in the dialectic they share with their audience, and you might be searching for an edge in your own growth that provokes a response in whoever is witnessing you in this moment. Maybe you’re touching something electric in your creativity, maybe you’re simply outgrowing the people you’ve surrounded yourself with until now. Don’t be shy about naming toxic patterns you’re noticing in the collective, or disentangling yourself from groupthink.
If there’s a stressor that sucks up your attention this month, though, it’s likely to be money-related. This peaks mid-month, as your ruling planet, Mars, conjoins Uranus in your second house of finances on July 15. An unexpected bill could derail you temporarily, or maybe a different kind of storm messes with your crops. As you survey the damage, you might gain some hindsight around how to fortify yourself better against these kinds of shocks and disturbances. If you happen to be on the road around this time, pay attention to the fine print around foreign transaction fees and exchange rates, and try to avoid tourist traps. The potential for getting ripped off is somewhat higher during the first three weeks of July.
