Astrology Planning Guide
- Lori Barnes
- Jul 2
- 14 min read
Eclipses, Retrogrades, and Ingresses for Business Timing and Strategic Planning
Introduction to the Astrology Planning Guide
The quarterly Astrology Planning Guide is designed to help you see the bigger picture shaping the next three months. It’s designed to help you make astrology-informed decisions, set priorities, and handle calendar availability. There are no absolute predictions here. I believe that people have free will in life. Astrology shows the terrain, the environmental weather, but it doesn’t dictate your response. This approach uses astrology as a tool for planning, setting realistic goals, and fostering a positive mindset.
Remember that not everyone experiences astrological events in the same way, because we all have different astrology charts. This guide is like a bridge between where the stars are in the sky over the next three months and how you might use this information personally. Knowledge of your birth chart will help you apply this information to your life, but you do not need to understand astrology to benefit from the guide.
Below, I will review the major astrological events in July, August, and September, including when planets change signs, when they are retrograde, and the dates of eclipses.
July is shaped by a Mercury retrograde cycle in Cancer. August is shaped by the nodal axis shift from Pisces/Virgo to Aquarius/Leo and the eclipse season. In September, Chiron retrogrades back to Aries to finish its long transit there (since 2018).
The outer planets are in a rare sextile aspect that will define the collective landscape for years to come. The Astrology Planning Guide outlines what each of these cycles means for your planning, pacing, and decisions this quarter.
Astrology Planning Guide - Quick Links:
July
Month at a glance: The main event of July is the Mercury retrograde in Cancer. The month is a window of opportunity for taking stock of the most important projects and relationships in your life right now.
Take a pause on starting new things where possible and put focus on revision. Review completed work and improve it. Edit old blogs with new information and republish them. Find cracks and errors in past work and fix them now before they grow. Mercury retrograde is one of nature’s cycles that happens three times a year. It’s like a regular reminder to look back and make revisions before moving forward.
Key Dates in July
July 9: Venus enters Virgo
July 14: New Moon in Cancer
July 22: Sun enters Leo
July 23: Mercury stations direct in Cancer
July 26: Saturn stations retrograde
July 29: Full Moon in Aquarius
July 29: Sun and Jupiter conjunct in Leo
Mercury Retrograde in Cancer
Mercury Retrograde Full Cycle
Pre-Shadow begins: 13 June
Mercury goes Retrograde: 29 June
Mercury goes Direct: 23 July
Post-Shadow ends: 7 August
Degree Range: 26 to 16 degrees Cancer
Mercury turns retrograde in Cancer on June 29 and direct on July 23. The July landscape is a window of opportunity to review, reflect, and realign on current and/or past projects and relationships. Contracts, pricing, and messaging connected to the emotional foundation of your work are worth a second look before you commit further. It’s also a good time to revisit abandoned projects or do maintenance on items that need attention. Whether it’s fixing something broken in your house or revising a service on your website that’s become a bit outdated.
Cancer rules home, roots, and what you have built from the ground up. During this retrograde, look at the foundation under your business or life purpose the same way you'd look at the foundation under your house. Is it still solid, or have some cracks formed while you were busy building on top of it? This is a good window to check on the things you laid down in the past and haven't looked at in a while.
Ask yourself the honest questions. Are your main services still nurturing the people they were built for? Does the brand voice still sound like you, or like who you were three years ago? Is your work still feeding you, or has it started draining you, leaving you feeling exhausted? Use the retrograde for review and reflection. When Mercury goes direct, that's when you take action on what you discovered during the retrograde.
Manifest Success: Slowing Down as a Strategy
Review cycles, pauses, and refinement can be undervalued by Western norms of linear growth, the desire to be bigger, better, and grow faster in a straight line. But that’s not how cycles work in astrology, and they don’t tend to work that way in real life either. No matter how much sheer will tries to make it so.
Taking a pause around every three months when Mercury goes retrograde works with the cyclic nature of Earth. Things go in cycles, spiraling upwards. There is a beginning, middle, and end phase to all things. Some things last a really long time, others are short. Cycles can be any length of time, and they can take on new phases of growth, another lap around the circle, with each lap spiraling higher and higher. And each phase has a beginning, middle, and end.
During this Mercury Retrograde, consider what phase your most important projects and relationships are in. Is a new phase starting? Are you ready to take it to the next level, or perhaps a cycle has ended? Many things in life go through phase after phase, spiraling upward.
Mercury retrograde in Cancer points to this cyclic review process in the parts of your life tied to emotional safety, private life, and self-nurturance. It's a good window to ask whether your private home and family life are nurtured and cared for. Is there a work-life balance?
In business, this relates to the emotional security of your brand, the roots that you built your business on, and if that foundation is still solid or if it has some cracks that need to be fixed. Mercury retrograde is a great time to ask those questions, take stock of the foundation of your business, and make plans to revise and realign what is needed. The retrograde is the time for review and evaluation. When Mercury goes direct, that’s the time to take action on what you discovered during the review and reflection during the retrograde.
The Uranus, Neptune, Pluto Partial Grand Sextile
The partial grand sextile that has been in formation since last year becomes exact in July. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto move very slowly through the zodiac. So when an aspect is formed between two of them, it can take quite a bit of time before the next one comes. That’s why having all three planets in an exact aspect is a big deal. Additionally, each of these planets recently changed signs. This is a rare astrological event, with long-term implications.
We may see July as a time period of major changes, but we may not be clear on how big those changes are until we look back in hindsight. While this formation clearly represents what is happening in the world from an astrological perspective, we each have it transiting our charts. You may feel like major changes have happened or are happening to you now, with a lasting impact for months or years.
This is not a single astrological event to plan around. Think of it more like a long arc background condition that has been in effect since last year, has one of its peak culminations in July, and will continue to be a powerful source of collective and individual growth and evolution throughout 2028 before it breaks up as the planets move along at their slow, but different speeds. It’s the beginning of a decades-long sea change in the world.
Manifest Success: Work with the Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto Grand Sextile
When it comes to business or considering your life purpose, and where you spend your time, think about what has changed in the larger landscape.
The shift of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto from earth and water signs toward air and fire reflects a move from reactionary toward proactivity. If you have been waiting for the right conditions to try something structurally new, you may feel more inclined than ever to take action.
Psychologically, this kind of slow-building outer planet aspect configuration generates a sense that something larger is already in motion in the collective. This impacts each of us individually, because we live in the collective. This can leave people inspired and motivated, and scared and worried. There is no right or wrong way to feel. What’s important is recognizing what has changed in you. What is it that you want? And how are you going to go for it?
With the changes in the collective world and community you live in, what opportunities are coming up that weren’t there before? And what dependable structures are now breaking down? It’s a window of opportunity when you have a growth-oriented mindset. And it’s a fearful place to be when you hold on to a fixed mindset.
Here are some ideas to help you move into a growth-oriented mindset.
Do a strengths assessment, and focus on using those strengths daily.
Use the mindfulness approach to living: Bring yourself to the present moment and focus your thoughts on what you are doing in this moment. When your thoughts go to worrying about the future or ruminating on the past, remember to recenter on the now. And don’t get upset with yourself when your thoughts wander. We’re human, that’s what we do. But we don’t have to stay in discomfort, ruminating and worrying.
Reframe setbacks as valuable learning lessons. A result that didn't work is information about what to adjust, not proof that you can't succeed. This will help you make improvements and provide invaluable insight.
If something isn't working, think of it as a solution you haven't figured out yet, which helps with motivation.
Celebrate small wins, not just the finished result. Growth is often gradual, and tracking baby wins brings success into the present rather than waiting for one big accomplishment. Actually, take the time to recognize small accomplishments rather than jumping onto the next task. Recognize the great work you are doing. It can change your brain chemistry in a positive way when you acknowledge growth and evolution.
Ask what this situation is teaching you, even when it's uncomfortable. A growth mindset looks for the lesson inside the setback instead of only the loss.
Here are some key dates for when the Partial Grand Sextile is at its strongest for Uranus in Gemini, Neptune in Aries, and Pluto in Aquarius:
August 2025: 1° of each sign.
July 2026: 4° of each sign.
June 2027: 6° of each sign.
August
Month at a glance: August is eclipse season with the solar eclipse happening in Leo and the Lunar eclipse in Pisces. Eclipses can indicate major changes, but not everyone is affected the same way, as it depends on whether the eclipses are activating something in an individual's chart. Astrologers have different perspectives on the strength and length of the impact of an eclipse. Most agree it can be active for 6 months to a year, and signs of eclipse change can appear a month or two before the eclipse.
To know whether you will be more or less impacted, look at your chart to see if the eclipse sign and degree are on or near one of your chart placements. If you don’t know how to do that, schedule a consultation with me.
Key Dates in August
August 3: Chiron stations retrograde
August 6: Venus enters Libra
August 9: Mercury enters Leo
August 11: Mars enters Cancer
August 12: New Moon Solar Eclipse in Leo at 20°01'
August 18: North Node enters Aquarius, South Node enters Leo
August 23: Sun enters Virgo
August 25: Mercury enters Virgo
August 28: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces at 4°54'
Nodal Axis Shift: Pisces/Virgo to Aquarius/Leo
Another major astrological event in August is the Lunar Nodes change signs after 18 months.
The lunar nodes change signs on August 18, shifting from the Pisces North Node / Virgo South Node axis to Aquarius North Node / Leo South Node. The lunar nodes change signs approximately every 18 months, closing one chapter of collective growth and opening the next.
The Pisces/Virgo axis brought focus to refining service offerings, daily systems, and the execution of the larger vision while managing the details. The Aquarius/Leo axis brings focus to fitting into the community and how that impacts individual self-expression. What you put your name on, how your work serves a larger audience, and where your individual creative passion connects to something collective will likely come into focus over the next eighteen months.
Nodal shifts tend to shift focus in life to something new, as they relate to where you are going and what you are leaving behind.
Leo New Moon Solar Eclipse, August 12
Eclipse season opens with a New Moon Solar Eclipse at 20° Leo. Eclipses are amplified new moons that initiate cycles lasting several months to a year. This one is in Leo, the sign of creative expression, authentic leadership, and vitality.
This eclipse opens a window of time to step more fully into your creativity and follow your heart and passion to do the things that feel like your calling. Leo represents the genuine confidence and charisma that make others want to follow your lead. If there is a place in your work where you have been holding back your creative voice, this is a time period for you to let it shine.
Pisces Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, August 28
August closes with a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at 4° Pisces. Where the Leo solar eclipse opens a new creative cycle, this Pisces lunar eclipse brings something to completion. Pisces rules the realm of what is felt but not seen: intuition, spiritual sensitivity, creative flow, and subconscious patterns.
Pisces operates through intuition and a deep attunement to what others are feeling. An eclipse here can intuit change, where adjustments may be needed, and how to pivot and adapt. A deep insight can bring about anxiety or tension to make a situation more perfect or fit something uncategorizable into a category. There can be a realization that some things can’t be placed in a tidy box, and it's best to see the forest as a whole, rather than the individual trees.
The Pisces full moon and eclipse is watery, deep, and can tap into the collective unconscious. There is a window of opportunity to connect more easily to the emotional and intuitive realm. There can be increased empathetic experiences with others, which can help you relate better to clients, gain a deeper understanding of what you enjoy and what you don’t, and receive internal guidance for any changes on the horizon. Take some time for yourself at the end of August for reflection.
Pisces is the sign of compassion and service. Pisces' desire to be part of one collective can sometimes blur boundaries with others. Themes of giving, over-giving, and self-sacrifice may come to light. It opens a window of opportunity to recognize patterns of over-giving or losing your own direction in the effort to serve others. Remember to care for yourself first, so you have the energy to be of service.
September
Month at a glance: September is the Libra Equinox, when we experience equal daylight and moonlight. It’s a great time of year to consider balance in life. Whether it’s work-life balance or give-and-take in a relationship, the Equinox is a time to bring imbalance into equilibrium.
Retrograde Chiron moves back into Aries on September 18 for its final visit to this sign after traveling here since 2018.
Key Dates in September
September 10: Venus enters Scorpio, Mercury enters Libra, Uranus stations retrograde
September 11: New Moon in Virgo at 18°25'
September 18: Chiron retrograde re-enters Aries
September 23: Sun enters Libra (Libra Equinox)
September 26: Full Moon in Aries at 3°37'
September 28: Mars enters Leo
September 30: Mercury enters Scorpio
Chiron Retrograde Returns to Aries, September 18
Chiron first entered Aries in April 2018, beginning a multi-year passage through the sign of courage, initiative, and the desire for a self-directed life. Chiron symbolizes the deep inner wound each human carries with them. In Aries, the symbolism represents old wounds around the right to take up space, to be alive, to be a leader, to take action without waiting for external permission, and to take care of oneself first.
Chiron moved into Taurus in 2025, but its retrograde brings it back to the final degrees of Aries on September 18 for its last transit here for decades.
The Chiron in Aries wound often manifests as a need for external validation before acting, or as holding back a creative idea until it feels ‘safe enough.’ The retrograde back to Aries in September is a good time for reflecting back on how far you have come since Chiron first entered Aries in April of 2018. Who were you in 2018, and who are you now?
Chiron Key Dates
April 17, 2018, Chiron enters Aries, 0 degrees Aries
September 25, 2018, Chiron retrogrades back into Pisces, 29 degrees Pisces 59 minutes
February 18, 2019, Chiron re-enters Aries, 0 degrees Aries
June 19, 2026, Chiron enters Taurus, 0 degrees Taurus
August 3, 2026, Chiron stations retrograde, 0 degrees Taurus 52 minutes
September 17, 2026, Chiron retrogrades back into Aries, 29 degrees Aries 59 minutes
January 6, 2027, Chiron stations direct, 26 degrees Aries 16 minutes
April 14, 2027, Chiron re-enters Taurus, 0 degrees Taurus
July 19, 2033, Chiron enters Gemini, 0 degrees Gemini
Manifest Success: Healing the Chiron Wound
Chiron in Aries describes a collective wound around the right to be, act, fight, lead, and survive. We can see this playing out on the world stage right now through wars, politics, and human rights (or lack of them). On a personal level, Chiron in Aries brings up symbolism around the right to exist as oneself. It can bring up old pain around confidence, anger, self-protection, courage, and the fear of taking up space. It’s about learning how to act from a healed sense of self rather than from defensiveness, urgency, or the need to prove one’s worth.
Chiron in Taurus describes a collective wound around material security, survival, land, money, food, resources, and the arts. It asks what happens when the foundations people rely on no longer feel stable. On a societal level, this may bring greater attention to economic inequality, environmental repair, food systems, housing, labor, the human body, and the question of what truly sustains life.
Chiron in Taurus shifts the healing process focus from Aries ‘Do I have the right to be myself, to exist?’ to Taurus ‘Do I feel safe enough to live in my body, have access to food to sustain my body, and material needs to live a healthy life?’ This can bring up wounds around scarcity, self-worth, stability, pleasure, money, and the fear of losing what is needed to live.
This September, Chiron retrogrades back into Aries for its final visit, a chance to close out a healing chapter that began in 2018. September is a good window to reflect back on the symbolism of Chiron in Aries, wound around worth, courage, and the right to take up space. Notice how far you've come.
Where did you hold back before, and where do you speak up now?
Where did you wait for permission, and where do you act on your own authority?
The rest of 2026 carries a theme of wrapping up old work and what remains unresolved related to Chiron in Aries. When Chiron moves back into Taurus in April 2027, where it will stay until it moves into Gemini in 2033, focus will shift to material security, sustainability of life-giving resources like food and agriculture, and self-worth grounded in the body.
Working With Your Own Chart
How the above astrological events are experienced can vary widely from person to person. Your birth chart serves as a blueprint, showing which parts of life and work tend to be more sensitive to certain planetary movements and time periods. Each chart is a unique mix of planetary placements that highlights different priorities, timing patterns, and areas of focus. This is why a consultation allows the astrology of the quarter to be interpreted with greater accuracy and relevance to your specific circumstances.
While this quarterly outlook describes the broader conditions at play, your natal chart shows where those themes are most personally relevant. Your chart positions point to which areas of life and work are more responsive to the timing, pressure, and opportunities described above. If you'd like help translating this quarter into a personalized plan, working together in a consultation allows us to focus directly on your chart and apply the astrology in a way that's specific, useful, and grounded in your real-world circumstances. Book a consultation with me to learn how you can work with the Chiron ingress into Taurus and the nodal change into Aquarius and Leo, so your planning this quarter is grounded in your specific circumstances.
Words to Work By
‘You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.’ — C.S. Lewis
