Three potentially disruptive events are building up in the sky over the next few days. The highly volatile Mars-Uranus square will be exact at 1:32am UT on July 18th, 2017, to be followed by another volatile square – this time between the Sun and Uranus – in the early hours of July 21st. Uranus will then station retrograde on August 3th, further underlying the preceding events at a time of increased strength for the planet.

The effects of these alignments will be felt above all by people with planets or angles near 28 degrees of the cardinal signs – i.e. aries, libra, cancer, and capricorn. Like in recent years, it’s the cardinals that are being asked to take action yet again! To find out if you are likely to be affected, and in which area of your life, please email me or show me a photo of your birth chart (if you already have one) to get an answer. You can contact me here, and on social media – see the links at the bottom of this post. Let’s first explore what each planet symbolizes in our psychology before we dive into the possible ramifications of these astrological aspects.Uranus is the planet of revolutions, explosions, and shocks. Like Prometheus in the fire myth, it urges humanity to progress and individualize, often upsetting the cart in unforeseen ways in the process. Tradition, imperfection, and complacency just won’t do! Change must happen, and when it does, it’s sudden, disruptive, and liberating.

Uranus is the Awakener in astrology, it’s the area of our chart where we feel different, uncompromising, where societal constraints won’t hold us down, where we take a stand and speak our uncomfortable truth. Uranus is the single voice daring to see and state the obvious, that the emperor is naked. Sometimes to be true to ourselves we must swim against the current. When it is strong in a natal chart, Uranus typically purports an indomitable spirit, a lack of adaptability, tension, rebellion, a passion for innovation, a love of independence, and the spark of enlightenment.  It’s also where we have a complete vision, boundless inspiration, and an ideal of utmost perfection.  In nature Uranus is a powerful force often portending deadly, catastrophic events such as earthquakes and lightning storms.

Mars, on the other hand, is the planet of drive, ambition, action, impatience, anger, aggressiveness, and attack. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, in pursuit of our goals. Mars’ motto is “I want”, which gets translated into a mission that will not stop until the target is acquired. Like a soldier, it infuses courage, determination, and focus on results. Patience doesn’t sit well with strong Mars individuals, so sometimes actions and decisions can be rushed. With its marked penchant for competitiveness, Mars is often strong in the charts of athletes, business and political leaders, criminals, and the military. Amongst other things, Mars also symbolizes weapons, fire, and iron.

As the central creative force in our world,  the Sun is representative of the self, our ego, our spirit and what makes us unique. It is our identity, our body, and our face to the world. It gifts us with our life force and imbues us with strength, energy, and a will to succeed. It’s a masculine symbol for the father, husband, and any other male influences in our lives. Authority, leadership, our life paths, and our will are all manifestations of the solar principle. Because of the central role it plays in the solar system, the Sun also represents royalty, heads of states, and the fates of the nations they lead.

If you were hoping for a quiet time this July, think again. When a clash takes place between these masculine energies, rest and relaxation are out of the question. There will be tension, at individual and societal level, with an urge to challenge pre-conceived ideas and break the mold. Out with the old, in with the new, whether in the home, family, at work, or in the wider world of politcs. A surprising new direction will present itself, a new turning with the potential to shock and upset, a revolutionary fire from high above us that will engulf us, whether we’re ready for it or not. Or if we’re not scared of change, excitement, inspiration, motivation, and creativity will be the keywords for this last week in July.

Still, with all this excitement, do remember to check if you’re fully dressed before leaving home in the morning. You never know who else has been awakened…