The Sun enters Cancer II, The Walled Garden (as named by Austin Coppock in his book 36 Faces) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 at 4:04 pm EDT. T. Susan Chang called it Seize the Day, from its associations with the 3 of Cups in the Tarot. The Sun will be here for ten days, eleven hours and forty-two minutes until 12 July 2026 at 3:46 am EDT. This is the longest stretch of time that the Sun spends in any decan during the entire calendar year.
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By the Hellenistic era or late antiquity, this time of the year was associated with the demigod or hero Hercules — he of the lion skin armor and giant club. Yet it was not Hercules of the Twelve Labors that drew mortal attention at this time of year; those stories belonged to other times. No, at this time of year the story that seemed to be worthy of notice was his year and a day of penitence in the court of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. According to the legends, Hercules had awakened from sleep in a fit of madness and killed his wife and children. Seeking atonement for his crimes, he asked the Pythia, (that is, the oracle at Delphi) what must I do to be purified? The answer came back, go and serve the queen of the Amazons for a year and a day. She dressed him in women’s clothes, gives him a woman’s nickname, and seated him — the most manly of Hellenic heroes! — among the serving-women of her palace. There he labored as a spinner and weaver, and as a common maid of the palace cooking and cleaning. Meanwhile, she wore his armor and wielded his club.
It’s not exactly a trans identity story, is it? It still has elements of that. But when characters in Greek legend put on one another’s armor and garments, it’s usually a sign of role-reversal in more ways than just one. The hero and god becomes almost a slave, the manliest man becomes almost a girl, the warrior becomes a servant to a warrior. Meanwhile, the queen becomes almost a hero and god herself, her queenliness is made more divine through the use of Hercules’ armor and lion-skin and club. One may remember that one of the most famous armor-switching stories comes from the Iliad, where Patroclus puts on Achilles’ armor and pretends to be him on the battlefield. There’s no guarantee, here, that Hippolyta isn’t being mistaken for Hercules — or that some of his famous twelve labors were really done by her. And similarly, the phallic inferences of that club, that lion skin that served as invulnerable armor…
Hercules, it’s implied, is becoming a girl here in many more ways than just dressing in a maid’s costume. And perhaps for that reason, it’s appropriate that this decan is ruled by Mercury, the shape-changing, gender-fluid pansexual twink of the celestial realms. While we might associate Hercules with a more Martial figure, we’re being reminded that Hercules achieved his twelve labors with far more brains than brawn — each of the monstrous entities he slew had its own defenses and powers that required attention to detail and careful tactical study. Similarly, the traumas of Hercules’ labors — the death of many of his close friends in the Trojan War, his own PTSD-like psychological scars — required bending his identity in the women’s quarters to be more placid, more gentle, more subservient to others, more willing to be humbled.
And yet, as the name The Walled Garden implies, Hercules undergoes this transformation in private spaces, hidden from prying or inquisitorial eyes. It’s not possible to criticize Hercules for being unmanly, or to police his gender transgressions — he’s undergoing a divinely commanded purification ritual in a place where no other men are allowed to be. And, if Hercules could do it… so can anyone else. It’s a rare and powerful permission, but if this myth seems to have some resonances with the common trope of a powerful man in a long-term relationship with a dominatrix, well… maybe that’s worth sitting with for a while.
The dodeks or twelfth-parts of Cancer II are assigned as Scorpio of Cancer, Sagittarius of Cancer, Capricorn of Cancer, and Aquarius of Cancer. If you click through to read the poems, you’ll find that these are places where emotion and rationality often clash — the dinner table of the family reunion; the military scholar’s map table; the business deal about to go awry; and the process of emptying a place of beloved and nostalgic items.
I’ve written before about Cancer II, in 2025 – 2024 – 2023 – 2022 – 2021 – 2020.
Dates to Watch
Mercury Retrograde: Mercury Stations Retrograde on 29 June 2026 at 1:36 pm EDT, at 26° Cancer 15′, shortly before they might otherwise have conjuncted Jupiter. Since the retrograde begins in the tenth house, it demonstrates a series of missteps and miscommunications and snafus by senior advisors in government, and the separation from Jupiter prior to the conjunction indicates a “parting of the ways” between more senior leaders and the professional staff. The Mercury cazimi (Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun) occurs on 12 July 2026 at 9:25 pm EDT in the sixth house — I composed a poem for this sort of event in 2022 — represents a meeting of the minds between the most important leader and professional staff that still doesn’t work out as desired. The retrograde will continue until 23 July 2026 at 6:57 pm EDT when the Station Direct begins in the seventh house — promising a search for new employers underway for some “former advisors” who probably should plan to spend more time at home, with family.
Barbeault’s Basket: the formation of Barbeault’s Basket continues apace, peaking on July 17-21 this year. I discussed this in more detail in the last column, as it remains one of the most remarkable aspect-patterns I’ve ever learned about. André Barbeault died in October 2019, believing it would be the harbinger of a new era of human harmony and goodwill — Myself, I’m not so sure, since it looks like the three outer planets (which I frequently call Upstarts or Interlopers, comparing them to the Rulers) genially ganging up on Jupiter for his lunch money. I hope André is right and I’m wrong, but I don’t expect we’ll suddenly see ice cream bushes and lemonade fountains spontaneously appearing everywhere. The FIFA World Cup championship match is supposed to take place on 19 July 2026 in the New York /New Jersey stadium The Meadowlands… so we’ll see.
The Sun squares Saturn on 6 July, going exact at 6:26 am EDT, which indicates a moment when the question of “self-care” vs. “duty to others” often becomes a pressing and unavoidable balance. Falling as it does this year on the first Monday morning after a longer weekend in the US, it may represent an urgent need to return to work — or to hit the ground running. The Sun will be on the eastern horizon while Saturn is almost at the Midheaven — a hard message from your career or professional life may land on your desk this week that strikes your sense of self with some challenges.
Venus enters Virgo on 9 July at 1:22 pm EDT, when Virgo is the 12th house. Venus is in exile in Virgo but also a triplicity ruler — a complicated state of affairs for the creative and loving and connective planet. When a planet is in exile, it’s described as a person under house arrest in a quarantined house — but a triplicity ruler is still expected to produce high-quality labor. Accordingly, she’ll be poorly supported to achieve her own aims, but expected to do all of Mercury’s work of managing transportation and communication and analysis herself; be wary of “creative problem-solving” that doesn’t seem to be supported by the facts during her time here! She’ll move on to her own sign of Libra on August 6.
The Belly of the Beast configuration: From late on July 4 until early on July 17, all of the visible planets and two of the three outer planets (Neptune and Uranus) will be on one side of the axis joining the north and south nodes. I first heard Austin Coppock call this the Belly of the Beast configuration, which is said to be a condition of significant turmoil and difficulty. This will be followed immediately by the peak days of the Barbeault Basket discussed above — and might indeed indicate the very favorable results Barbeault predicted for his basket, if there’s a season of chaos immediately before it.
House Delineations
The First House of self and self-presentation is Scorpio, ruled by inconjunct Mars. The other Water triplicity rulers, Venus and the Moon, are square. Use these ten days to effect an alchemical transformation of your personal identity and adjust your self-presentation, but expect that these are private experiments at first — and that they may not be received with complete satisfaction either in the workplace or at home or with your family members.
The Second House of money and possessions is Sagittarius, ruled by trining Jupiter. The other Fire triplicity rulers are trine (Sun) or inconjunct (Saturn). The Lunar Apogee is present. Financial rewards related to your job and career may soon increase your wealth and well-being, but be wary of breaking too many of your good financial habits — you drummed them into yourself for very good reasons, and it’s not a great time to break from those expectations.
The Third House of extended family, intimate friends, and neighbors is Capricorn, ruled by squaring and exiled Saturn. The Earth triplicity rulers are all inconjunct. You’re unlikely to spend as much time with your inner circle or community in the coming days as you’d like — errands, career, and personal obligations will take priority over social occasions.
The Fourth House of home, household, and parents is Aquarius, ruled by sextile but exiled Saturn. Retrograde Pluto and the Moon are present (and the Moon is in the 24th Mansion). The other Air triplicity rulers are either opposed (Jupiter) or inconjunct (Mercury). Expensive issues may arise for your parents but your household is likely to profit from an unexpected source; an endorsement from an important colleague may not be as useful as imagined.
The Fifth House of children, pleasures and pastimes is Pisces, ruled by inconjunct Jupiter. The Water triplicity rulers are either inconjunct (Moon, Venus) or square (Mars). The North Node is present. Eat, drink, and be merry while you can be but expect to do a fair bit of wandering to manage the logistics train for your kids or your entertainments. Social commitments may cost you more than planned.
The Sixth House of daily routines, pets, and injuries is Aries, ruled by sextile Mars. Saturn is exiled here although a triplicity ruler, and Neptune is also present. The other Fire triplicity rulers are square (Sun) or trine (Jupiter). There’s a certain amount of drudgery in continuing to hold to your regular daily routines, but some professional recognition and reward comes your way this week, and opportunities to travel that don’t involve tedium; expect to review old material in new classes.
The Seventh House of spouse, peer partners, and rivals is Taurus, ruled by squaring Venus. The other Earth triplicity rulers are either square (Moon) or inconjunct (Mars). Professional obligations and careerist intentions may keep you and your spouse or significant other out of communication for a while, but the homecoming is likely to be fiery, passionate and demonstrative. It may also involve some unexpected expenses.
The Eighth House of obligation, duty and legacy is Gemini, ruled by inconjunct Mercury. The other two Air triplicity rulers are sextile (Saturn and Jupiter). Mars, Uranus, the Lot of Fortune and the Lunar Perigee are present. Many of your duties and responsibilities this week will include substantial components of imagination and optionality — working out different plans and possibilities where many choices and options seem bad. Allow extra time for commutes than usual, expect that certain bureaucratic hurdles will have contentious aspects. However, resolving these issues is likely to be your place of greatest reward: be patient and keep trying.
The Ninth House of higher learning and long-distance travel is Cancer, ruled by the inconjunct Moon, and all the Water triplicity rulers are also inconjunct. The Sun and Mercury retrograde are present. Learning and travel are likely to have some delays or difficulties, but rational planning is likely to solve most such problems. Leave yourself well-supplied with appropriate resources, including cash in your wallet or purse and extra time on the clock.
The Tenth House of career and professional reputation is Leo, ruled by the inconjunct Sun. The other Fire triplicity rulers are either present (Jupiter) or trine (Saturn). Venus is also present. Generous terms and appropriate counseling and direction are found in your workplace from supervisors, but subordinates and direct reports may be grumpy — but are easily rewarded and won to your point of view with grants of both recognition and resources. Be creative in how you help your team over the hump days, or end the week on a happy note.
The Eleventh House of friends, associates, and allies is Virgo, ruled by sextile but retrograde Mercury. The Earth triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Moon, Venus) or square (Mars). The South Node is present. Ask not what your friends can do for you, but what you can do for them. The time is coming when people will be very good about remembering and rewarding the people who have supported them — but your task right now is to be the supporter and foundation, not the one who takes their ease on others’ time.
The Twelfth House of both obstacles and opportunities is Libra, ruled by sextile Venus. The Air triplicity rulers are sextile (Jupiter), opposed (Saturn), or square (Mercury). It’s going to be hard to balance your long-term plans against what your employer wants from you, or what your daily program is expected to be. Your creative efforts are directed toward careerist endeavors, not toward your personal goals. But, to the degree possible, try to imagine what your life will be like five years after you retire: what are the major achievements you want to be able to look back on? How can you work toward one or two of them this week?
Horoscopes by Rising Sign
Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.
I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.
Scorpio: It’s a week of where your quality of performance and attitude in the workplace will be recognized, but there may be substantial difficulties and technical turbulence at home. You may find yourself criticizing the systems that support you, even as big opportunities come your way. Don’t throw colleagues under the bus; you’ll need them in a few months very much, but they’ll remember how you treat them this week. Let a spouse or significant other coach you on how to take best advantage of how you’re noticed in the workplace. Don’t be blindsided by your duties and obligations — even if you don’t like doing things, make a checklist and tick off those odd jobs quick.
Sagittarius: You have a series of steady rules around your financial planning, and this is a week when you’ll have to sit down and re-think those calculations and systems a bit. You’ll need to learn new creative habits this week as important advisory and leadership functions in your career life start to take off — you’ll be in more visible roles and the work you have to do will seem less difficult although it still needs to be on your radar. A spouse or significant other may be going through a hard time; how you help and assist them is going to be in your control, but you won’t be able to just step in and “solve it” for them this time. Close friends and family may have to deliver some harsh criticisms, but this is a medication you’ll have to take.
Capricorn: Home may feel like a more restrictive environment than usual this week, though you’re supposed to be in charge or usually are. The daily workload you manage may feel both harder and more burdensome. A spouse or significant other may invite you to share your struggles with them, and it’s important that you accept, but try to speak and analyze your overall load rather than simply unloading on them. Essential household expenses may feel more burdensome this week, with more emotional suffering; the costs are real, but meet them with gratitude rather than dismay (or cut expenses). Your professional life requires meeting your duties in creative ways; be generous or sympathetic to similarly overworked colleagues.
Aquarius: A full makeover of your wardrobe and personal appearance probably will cost more and take more time than you have — but you could do with a small amount of freshening up, provided you can stay under budget. Stained and worn-out clothes should be disposed of or handed down to younger siblings. Is a hair cut needed? Your closest partner at work has got a great big idea that could use either your creative touch or your biggest thinking — but marshal your forces together rather than trying to steal the spotlight; both of you are needed to make this work. Some of your “personal fun” may be canceled; stay alert to injury when you or family members are playing recreational sports.
Pisces: There’s a system of personal joy called the “Nine Delights” and it might be a good week to adopt that daily strategy. Find ways to do three of the following every day: 1) take a walk, 2) hang out with a friend, 3) eat something delicious, 4) level up in a skill or talent through practice, 5) spend time laughing, 6) work toward bettering the situation of someone else, 7) have sex or find sensual relief, 8) become hyper focused on one thing for a little while, 9) or some other delightful thing. Developed by a Twitter user Brooks Otterlake in 2020 or 2021, this week is a great window to start practicing this as a long-term habit. You may find that it disrupts challenging situations at home, puts proper focus on personal happiness, and helps you develop long-term goals. For the moment, though, try to focus on short-term, cheap delights: don’t break the bank on this.
Aries: Nose to the grindstone this week: divide your plans into long-term visionary stuff that can probably be put off for the moment, and actions that will help you claim or maintain personal sovereignty. This may require cutting off plans to engage with close friends or family; and you may find an argument brewing with neighbors. Recognize that not everyone needs an explanation, even your housemates — focus on pleasing yourself, but recognize that you may have to pay for colleagues in your workplace in order to do what you want. Align your professional roles with your personal identity if you think your job may be at risk in the current economy: make what you do, who you are.
Taurus: You may find that it’s the “others” in your life that are the most important this week, and particularly the others that you welcome into your home from your professional world. You exercise tremendous leadership over others, and your creativity and aesthetic choices are highly regarded, but this week you’ll need to make judgment calls about which colleagues join your intimate circle of people welcome at home. You’re likely to take some harsh financial hits this week that require you to call on other people for help; who you call may create debts you can’t immediately resolve. You’re also likely to face a sense that in the long run, something you do as part of your daily habit is no longer sustainable. A journey you dread turns out also to be costly: keep your wits about you, but try to enjoy it.
Gemini: Some risky business brings immediate obligations. You can try to fight it, but expect some rebounds against rebelling against responsibility. Agreeing to terms and conditions brings more immediate recognition. You have to study your money matters more carefully than you are; review the last two weeks to find out why. It’s hard to go home again — because you’re enjoying your time with your colleagues in a way that feels more intimate and joyous than what you’re expecting back there. Travel plans get expensive the longer you delay, though. Make plans to see these friends again too in social circumstances.
Cancer: Shine some light on your own self-study program and planned travel for the next few weeks. Can anything be delayed or put off? Do what you can to spread the wealth, but recognize that your local folks and inner circle are likely to face some trouble now — and that trouble is likely to affect you by late next month. Keep some reserves. Your professional leaders will pull more from you right now, but it’s likely to touch on matters you’d prefer to keep private; remember to hold suitable boundaries between you and your colleagues. What can you do about some harsh ongoing limits on your long-term objectives? Addressing how to resolve those will do you some good this week.
Leo: The next week or so is a big one for your creativity, your leadership opportunities, and your personal brand, but getting what you want may require that you disrupt your wider network of colleagues and friends and trigger them to productive effort. The Barbeault Basket configuration is likely to invoke your public powers and influences in transformative ways: lead with mercy and generosity, but don’t try to initiate change; instead, try to react to the facts on the ground as you encounter them. Recognize that you have a choice about what kind of influence to wield, but once you assume you have any kind of power, your duty and responsibility to that new work is going to be hard to let go of — and that it may put you in bed (literally or figuratively) with someone or with folks you don’t entirely trust.
Virgo: You may feel that all your friends have abandoned you this week, but it’s not true. On the other hand, you will have to make more of an effort to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a while. Remember that friendships have a kind of half-life that can start decaying in as little as a month — so you have to make some long-term plans that specifically include the people that you want to see. And you’re also well-off enough that you can set some lines on both the map and your daily routines that say how far you’ll go out of your way for people: and each individual has a slightly different map. All the same, recognize that your professional roles may take a hit this week, and it’s your choice how to roll with the punches. But if you’re involved in fortifying the high places, difficult as that work is… there are limits on how much you can wander far afield.
Libra: Get by with help from your friends — but lead them to the right thing, even if that means choosing the entertainments and recreations you all attend this week. Your daily routines are likely to be restricted or limited in some ways, and long-distance travel plans or vacations may face unexpected hurdles. Plan to follow your regular itineraries, just recognize that there may be unexpected detours to act as a helper or ally to those in need. Your professional roles involve both rational caretaking and steady reminders to colleagues, “when did we have this information we’re finally acting on? Could we have done this before the current issues arose?” It’s not entirely fair to them — but if you’ve been banging the drum of forward planning for a while, you may be right to rub their noses in t.
Correction:
In the version of the column for Cancer I 2026 that was emailed to subscribers, there was an error, and more than a typographical one. I reported on Chiron’s entry into Aries, when in fact the asteroid moved into Taurus… An alert commenter brought it to my attention, and I corrected the original blog post, but you may not have received the notice if you’re an email subscriber. Feel free to read my corrected text here, under the section Dates to Watch.
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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.
I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.
I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.
