This week brings a dynamic blend of creative fire, inner recalibration and deep structural shifts. As we move past the Leo New Moon (24 July), energy continues building around personal expression and heart-centred projects. Mercury remains retrograde in Leo until 31 July, making it a strong week for review, creative editing, and meaningful reconnection. Meanwhile, several outer-planet aspects involving Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto converge, encouraging profound shifts in your internal frameworks—asking: are your visions grounded, your structures flexible, and your soul-work integrated?

With Leo’s bold solar energy still active, this is a time to own your truth, refine your vision, and align your actions with purpose. Yet beneath that brilliance, deeper forces stir—requiring humility, patience and emotional responsibility. It’s a cosmic invitation to build long-lasting foundations beneath your inspiration.

Sun trine Saturn and Neptune 23‑24 July influences linger into 28 July

During the week, the Sun in Leo formed supportive trines with both Saturn and Neptune on 23–24 July, and these stabilising influences continue to ripple through your energy as we approach 28 July. The Sun–Saturn trine brings grounded confidence and disciplined creativity in Leo’s expressive sphere—perfect for committing to long-held passions or refining creative processes. Meanwhile, the trine to Neptune softens this focus with compassion and spiritual enlightenment, enabling you to blend structure with intuitive flow.

As this trine energy lingers, it helps soften the upcoming New Moon in Leo (on 24 July), transitioning your aura from cosmic introspection into vibrant personal expression. You’re now supported to act with both authenticity and purpose, integrating dreamy insight (Neptune) and disciplined focus (Saturn). It’s an ideal time to turn creative sparks into long-term plans.

Tip: Use this stabilised creative energy to begin drafting or outlining a passion project. Break it into small, structured steps, and honour each with moments of quiet reflection or inspired dreaming.

New moon in Leo on 24 July

The New Moon in Leo on 24 July (at roughly 2° Leo) marks a fresh emotional cycle. This New Moon follows the trines with Saturn and Neptune, colouring your personal intentions with both grounded purpose and spiritual enlightenment. It’s a potent moment for personal rebirth—ideal for planting seeds around self-expression, creative leadership and heartfelt connection.

This lunation encourages you to set bold intentions that reflect your authentic voice and soul’s purpose. Combined with Leo’s warmth and Leo Moon’s fierce energy, this new phase supports launching initiatives aligned with your inner fire.

Tip: Write down three heart-led intentions—perhaps launching a creative endeavour, practical self-care project or leadership step—and revisit each week to measure growth.

Venus square Mars around 23 July

Venus in Gemini squared Mars in Leo around 23 July, and though exact, its energy may echo into the latter part of the week. This aspect can stir tension between social charm (Venus) and impulsive pride (Mars), potentially triggering rivalry, mixed signals or flare-ups in relationships. Though cooled, remnants may surface as misaligned intentions or impatience in romantic or collaborative spheres.

Use this tension constructively by noticing where social ease and personal ambition clash. It may uncover hidden desires or spark the drive to pursue a long-held creative or relational push—but it needs conscious navigation to avoid ego-wars.

Tip: Reflect on any discord or impatience this week—journal the context, your impulse, and a small shift you can make (e.g. pause before responding, reframe your tone) to smooth interactions.

Saturn‑Uranus‑Neptune‑Pluto stellium aspects on 28 July

On 28 July, several outer-planet aspects align exactly: Saturn square Uranus, Saturn conjunct Neptune, and Saturn conjunct Pluto (exact degrees). These heavyweight alignments bring gravitational pressure around structure, innovation, spirituality and deep transformation. Saturn’s square to Uranus heightens tension between tradition and change, reflecting back to the Mars–Uranus spark earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Saturn’s conjunctions with Neptune and Pluto demand integration of spiritual depth and subconscious power within disciplined frameworks.

This celestial alignment offers a transformational crucible: you can either cling to old patterns or courageously build new, more authentic structures around your deeper values and higher vision.

Tip: Honour this by creating a grounding ritual—light a candle, set an intention on one area (e.g. routine, boundaries, spiritual integration), then ask: “Where do I feel stuck, and what small action lands the change?” Write it down and act.

Mercury station direct in Leo approaches 31 July

Mercury’s retrograde in Leo (from 18 July) continues to slow this week ahead of stations direct at the end of July. Communication and creative processes may feel stalled or circuitous, especially around Leo-like self-expression. As Mercury prepares to station direct, careful editing, rethinking past drafts or reworking conversations is key.

You might notice ideas returning, or messages from weeks prior requiring response. It’s a time to refine your voice and messaging—integrate feedback and polish rather than launch new communication-heavy projects.

Tip: Revisit anything started mid-July—refine tone, clarify meaning, then schedule its release after Mercury stations direct at month-end.

Venus enters cancer on 31 July – anticipation builds

Though Venus doesn’t enter Cancer until 31 July, its ingress is astrologically close this week—energy begins to pivot. Venus moving into Cancer shifts love and creative focus into nurturance, depth and feeling. Anticipate the emotional warmth and protective sweetness becoming palpable over the coming days.

This subtle shift may already influence your mood—bring care into your creative ambience, relationships, and aesthetic environment. Transitional feelings may arise: wanting home-time, close connections, or comfort-focused projects.

Tip: Prep for Venus in Cancer by creating a comforting space—add soft lighting, nurturing music, or a self-care ritual that grounds you in emotional ease.

Outer‑planet context: building deeper foundations

This week’s mix—from solar creativity to heavy Saturn stellium—highlights a potent theme: building deeper foundations. Leo’s creative fire (Sun, Moon, Mercury, New Moon) is tempered by Saturn’s lessons and outer-planet restructuring. It’s a moment to marry self-expression with soul-deep discipline and spiritual integration.

July’s closing phase invites you not just to spark creative brilliance, but to build structures—emotional, mental, material—that support sustained growth and alignment with a deeper life purpose.

Tip: Identify one long-term aspiration. This week, map out 2–3 supportive actions blending creative risk-taking (Leo fire) with solid structure (Saturn) and spiritual alignment (Neptune/Pluto). Begin with small steps.