People are generally apprehensive about retrograde planets as they are associated with various snafus. But retrogrades can also be helpful, impelling us to get things into better shape and order. This is an update to the July 2012 newsletter, to share how upcoming planetary activity boosts our dreams and schemes:

There are a few personal improvements to expect during this Mercury retrograde in Leo period, July 14-August 8. You’ll be upgrading your self-image and how you treat your own self. This tendency manifests in finding better ways to suit yourself, and do things in harmony with your true nature.

If there’s something you’re trying to get off the ground, you’ll be helped by this week’s cluster of celestial catalysts (July 13-14 Uranus goes retrograde and Mercury goes retrograde, followed immediately by Moon conjunct Jupiter). These planetary dynamics can make it startlingly clear what needs to be done to further your personal vision. In general, a lot of repair work is going on now, so expect delays, but all for a good cause, your new and improved self.

Breakthroughs to greater emotional freedom: This is when new ways to free yourself can present themselves, and you are likely to get better help and on your own, deeper insights. The forces of nature support breaking free into new emotional territory. Finding better ways to communicate will naturally occur.

Preceding Mercury by a day, Uranus goes retrograde on Friday the 13th. It will be bringing into being things that require an extra jolt of energy. Are you almost out the door, or almost committed? Your chances of going all the way are about to increase.

Re relationships, dreams, and schemes: you’ll be shown what does and doesn’t work, and the most successful modus operandi at all times with all relationships is “keep it light.” Here’s a Summer Love Spell with some guidelines about how please yourself and others this Summer:

“Grin ear to ear about whatever’s dear to whomever’s near.
Do not delay your pleasure,
Be full measure.
Relationships flower when you leave out the sour.”

Tuning into the Big Picture: An excitement of mental energy is charging the air of our collective consciousness.A mighty conflagration of ideas is going on all over the planet. It’s an explosive, exciting time for collaborations which will be rife with synchronicities. On an individual level, this can be manifest in people more easily finding partners as well as ways to expand and enlarge their lives. Even pets are running into more interesting situations.

Personal psychic astrology soundbite: The water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) learn to modulate the activity in their life, and that for now it’s better to advance in small ways. The fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) experience their own unfettered energy which bursts forth on its own. The air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) learn better to balance all that is going on in their world. The earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) find that not much from their former life needs to go with them into the future.