July holds unrivaled opportunities for abundance, beauty, and confidence. Sit back and relax. A very pleasant, healing, and generally jovial month is ahead.
July 1st, 2021: Last Quarter Moon in Aries challenges our daily routines and mundanity. We consciously try to seek a source (or two!) that will help ignite motivation and bring back a zest for life. Although the brilliant dawn of motivation may not occur for you for a few more days, now is an excellent time to create a list of what needs to change. Contemplate what habits or cycles must come to an end. Perhaps you are coming upon negative thoughts and worry about the manifestation of such undesired events. Tonight, and the following eight nights, is ideal for blocking (essentially banishing) streams of energies that will lead to undesired circumstances.
July 7th, 2021: Mercury Retrograde post-shadow ends, which puts an end to Mercury Retrograde's chaotic effect on travel, communication, technology, and the legal system. If you have been inundated with such troubles, now is a good time to burn a Rosemary Smudge around your home. This will help stabilize lingering chaotic energies and create a peaceful atmosphere to welcome a renewed (and much needed) sense of predictability, patience, and tranquility.
For a near-smokeless variation of this, you may dust a single beeswax Ritual Candle with a combination of Blossom Ritual Blend and Verbena Powder. I know this combination may sound strange, but trust me on this; the energetic properties and the result of combining these two is very similar to the Rosemary Smudge. Walk around your home and allow the light of the candle to (safely) reach all corners of the house. Pay special attention to windows, doors, and all reflective surfaces. Ten to fifteen minutes later, open all windows to release stagnant energies.
July 9th, 2021, 6:16 PM PST/ 9:16 PM EST/July 10th 02:16 AM UTC: Dark Moon in Cancer tends to bring out irrational thoughts and heightened emotions. Childhood nostalgia and dramatized memories of broken hearts will be prevalent. The perfect night to stay home and cook a comforting meal. Be easy on yourself and those around you.
The Dark Moon is a time for stillness, contemplation, and banishment. We are more aware than ever that we must transition out of our old ways of being. We ripen. We mature. We are more confident with ourselves and the world around us. We know what we want. And just as important, we know exactly what it is we don't want. We let go of procrastination. We let go of fear. We let go of the judgments from others. And most importantly, we let go of all that no longer serves us.
Ritual Recommendations:
- This Dark Moon is particularly powerful for breaking away from failing relationships using Cease & Release Ritual. This ritual comes in useful when going through a difficult divorce or when in the middle of a love triangle.
- If you feel oddly dense and uncomfortable energies around you, perform a general Banishing Ritual using a Cedar Smudge.
- If wanting to shed the old to make room for the new, light a prepared Dark Moon Ritual Candle. The Dark Moon Ritual Candle has four wicks and is activated by lighting a single wick. Within minutes, the single flame will light the three surrounding wicks. As each wick burns, the blockages in your life begin to unravel. New pathways will be formed and a clear path will be laid out in front of you. A fresh start. A new beginning.
July 10th, 2021: While the Dark Moon energies are slowly fading, this day is excellent for spiritual protection. Although Juniper is typically used for banishing rituals, I like to burn a Juniper Smudge the morning after the Dark Moon. It removes and subsequently blocks any lingering unstable energies. Scatter the ashes of the Juniper Smudge outside your back door. If a back door is not present, scatter outside back windows.
July 11-12th, 2021: Witch's New Moon is an approximate 28-hour window of time. With some variations, the Witch's New Moon rises before noon, will be most visible at sunset, and sets well before midnight. The moment you see the first crescent of the Moon, know that the Witch's New Moon is upon you.
With the Witch's New Moon in Leo and Mercury in Cancer, this is the ideal time for targeted love spells or to persuade an authority figure in your favor.
July 17th, 2021: First Quarter Moon in Libra inspires beauty and comfort. Perfect day for anything involving beautification. Generally, I do not like to use the word 'lucky', but this day will be 'lucky' for all hair and skin procedures. If possible, schedule your haircut for this day - especially if color services are needed. Opportune day for dermatological services or plastic surgery.
The First Quarter Moon compels us to take action and reminds us of our power. If waiting/wanting to hear from a romantic interest, now is an excellent time to perform the communication rituals for lovers. Rituals for influence and control are also very potent when started tonight.
July 22nd, 2021: Sun enters Leo, and jovial energies fill the air. People tend to be more generous during this transit (lasting through August 20th), and people also tend to overspend on luxury items. If you are selling your home, you are in luck!
The Attainment Ritual will prove to be very potent if started tonight.
July 23rd, 2021, 7:37 PM PST /10:37 PM EST/ July 24th 3:37AM UTC: The Full Moon in Aquarius will loop back to the Dark Moon of February 11th, 2021 to indicate a completed cycle. What was happening in your life in February? One cycle ended, another one swiftly began. Think of this point as the culmination of that cycle. If the February project or goal has not succeeded, now is the time to consider taking a new path. Under the influences of this Full Moon, long-lost friends and lovers from the past have a tendency to suddenly reappear. Many will discover that their life path and their desires have drastically changed since the February 11th, 2021 Dark Moon. A shift occurred. A new cycle began. And now, a shift - and a new cycle - will once again take place. This shift is rarely destructive, and instead involves a person rapidly changing their mind about a significant life decision.
Ritual Recommendations:
This Full Moon can be considered an all-purpose evening for rituals, with the strong exception of any banishing ritual. View Full Moon Rituals here.
- Burning a Lavender Smudge Bundle on this night will enhance the energies of the Sun in Leo and greatly improve self-esteem. Perfect for those who have been needing a boost of confidence and overall self-love.
- A near-smokeless version of the Lavender Smudge would be to dust a single Ritual Candle or a Candle Braid with Sacred Power Ritual Blend and Blossom Ritual Blend.
- Whether you are using a Lavender Smudge Bundle or the smokeless version (as described above), you will need to envelop specific parts of your body with the smoke/light. Carefully smudge the 3 feet above your head and the 3 feet below your feet. Sit or lay on the ground and thoroughly work through the lower layers of your energy field. Next, focus on the base of your spine (tailbone) and both shoulder blades. Lastly, smudge your bedroom, paying extra attention to all reflective surfaces, the headboard, and nightstands. Divide the ashes/remnants in half and scatter them at your front door and back door. Alternatively, you may place the remnants inside the dirt of a healthy houseplant.
July 27th, 2021: Mercury enters Leo. The next four days will be a good time to ask for a raise, challenge legal issues, or anything related to public speaking.
May your July be filled with beauty, confidence, determination, and prosperity. We will reconnect on August 1st.
Love & Magick,
1 comment
Samara Jackson
Dasha, thank you so much for these influences and ritual recommendations articles. They are truly a help for me in my busy life. I appreciate you.