Mercury Retrograde Makes July Challenging

I hope you've been well, enjoying life since it's been moving along in a positive direction for the last few months. Things are changing, though, and July is going to shake things up a bit.

Mercury will go into retrograde on July 18 and this will cause some upheaval and barriers in your life. It isn't all bad news but keep in mind there will be more difficulties and setbacks than you'd like. Being aware is half the battle!

Here's your complimentary general reading for July:

We've been reaping the benefits of Jupiter and Gemini working in tandem the last couple months but unfortunately all good things must come to an end. By the middle of July you'll start to notice a shift in achieving your goals. That's due to Mercury going retrograde in Leo.

Leo is all about ego and pride, loving to be the center of attention, and high creative energy. Mercury is a sign of communication (think the winged messenger god from ancient Roman mythology) and is known for bestowing eloquence on the seeker. Sounds like a well matched pair doesn't it?

However, Mercury had many jobs and one of his most prominent was escorting the dead to the underworld. I think that is very interesting considering this month's tarot card.

With these factors in mind I pulled a single random card: Death. The Death tarot card may give you shivers because on the surface it looks very much like the premonition of physical death. Rest assured, this is not the direction you'll be going in July. Rather, consider Death as signaling the closing of a chapter in your life and making room for rebirth.

I think it's interesting with Mercury in retrograde in Leo, meaning communication is all messed up and backwards this month, that Death is the card that surfaced. I interpret it as Death/Mercury bringing that piece of your life that no longer serves you or only hinders you to the underworld... leaving space for a new, marvelous piece of you to grow and thrive.

Death Tarot Card

July might feel like one setback after another. Retrograde is often intuited to mean "moving backwards" but in reality it means a planet is still moving forwards, however its rotation has slowed so much it appears to be moving backwards. That's an important takeaway this month. You may feel like you're moving backwards but it's an optical illusion. You are, in fact, progressing but it's going slower and with more hiccups than usual.

But then, nothing worth doing is worth doing quickly, right? This time can be a blessing to you if you choose to use it as a moment to breathe, evaluate your true circumstances, and begin the hard work of chipping away the pieces that aren't working for you in life. You are transforming and it's not going to be easy but it will be worth it.

The second notable message for July 2025 is that communication will be totally frustrating this month. Messages you think are clear will be foggy. There will be misunderstandings over simple issues. You might even feel like you're living in a world where no one can say what they mean... even you!

Take these two points together; jettisoning a part of your life that is holding you back and the lack of good communication. What is the main thread?

That July is all about focusing inwardly on yourself and holding off on having any big discussions about it until August. This is your time to be alone with your thoughts and to make decisions based on your needs, your intuition, and your skills. Input from outsiders will only muddy the waters so rely on yourself this month.

Don't think your change has to happen immediately, either, or you will be disappointed. The goal this month is to reflect and find the parts of your life that no longer serve you and plan a way to evict them from your life. Things are going to go slow in July thanks to the Mercury retrograde so use it to your advantage. Rather than fighting against it and being upset and frustrated take these tips and use them to make the most of a bad situation.

You deserve the best and the universe wants to honor you with it. However, it's up to you to provide the environment for blessings. Working with the ebb and flow of life will only benefit you so I suggest sticking it out for the month by going inward and keeping your own company.

I wish you all the best!