Vedic Astrological Newsletter: July - October 2026

VEDIC ASTROLOGICAL OUTLOOK FOR THE 3RD QUARTER OF 2026:

As a reminder, these newsletters are published on a quarterly basis, and focus on the most salient planetary transits in force during each month of the quarter. These newsletters are available at my website www.Dgoldsteinphd.com and remain posted for each quarter of the year. Interested readers are invited to subscribe and have the quarterly newsletters emailed automatically, four times/year. 

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2026: 

     During July, Mercury turned retrograde on 6/29 and Mercury will turn direct on 7/23 at 22 degrees Gemini in Punarvasu nakshatra, a strong position for Mercury. The past 3 weeks have been an excellent time to go back into your past and review what needs revision, reevaluation and updating. The month of July is an excellent time to review all of your legal documents, insurance policies, personal files and take a second look. Is everything up to date for your current life situation? Is it time to refresh, clean out and revise your plans? Make sure your documentation spells out how you want things done. If not, this is an excellent time to revise, make changes or even start over and create new documentation, legal or otherwise. Communications are favored during this month. Mercury transiting through Gemini is a strong placement, so even though the planet has been retrograde since late June, in this position, it confers some positive qualities for Mercury.  Retrograde planets churn and intensify their energies. When Mercury is strong and retrograde, the benefits associated with Mercury can be experienced more readily, rather than the usual mix-ups, confusion, errors, mistakes and breakdowns that are often associated with such periods.  This particular Mercury retrograde has been excellent for going back over the past and bringing things up to date in all areas of your life. Sometimes that requires deleting, removing or changing certain elements to improve them and freshen things up. Mercury governs all types of communications, including written agreements, contracts and technical documents.

     Then on 8/5, Mercury moves into the sign of Cancer, joining with a  strong, exalted Jupiter in force there. While this is not a particularly amiable position for Mercury, the association with an exalted Jupiter bodes well. While communications are likely to be more emotionally influenced, Mercury should still function well as it is with the great benefic Jupiter for the next few weeks. It confers more attention on family and children matters during August, as well as the home and security concerns.  

Mars transits into Gemini and then Cancer in August and September:

     Separately, transiting Mars moves out of Taurus, into Gemini on 8/2 and will transit there until 9/18, when Mars then moves to the debilitated sign of Cancer. While in Gemini, Mars will also receive the aspect of Rahu and be in a square aspect with Saturn, which in not particularly favorable.   This Mars transit takes place in the 7th house of the U.S. chart, and 5th from the U.S. Moon.   This Mars transit aggravates the U.S. and heats things up in a negative manner.   The 7th house governs other countries and their relationship to the U.S. Mars is the planet ruling the military, and by nature it is impatient, aggressive, fast-moving, ambitious, driven and forceful.  This is a challenging period where it will be difficult to negotiate or sign agreements with other countries.  The U.S. will experience other countries as being combative, irritating, competitive and attacking or taking a more aggressive stance toward the U.S. If an individual has Mars in the 7th house, that person often experiences other people as challenging them, arguing, fighting, competing, and/or being pushy, antagonistic or aggressive.  The same experience can be said for a country in relation to other countries.  This August-September period looks like a challenging six weeks in terms of greater war and combative tendencies involving the U.S. 

     Note that the U.S. has its natal Mars in Gemini, in the 7th house, along with Venus, Jupiter and the Sun. Hence, this current Mars transit will make several direct hits on those planets in the U.S. chart, respectively during August into September. Moreover, the U.S. will be running the Rahu/Ketu/Mars  dasha/antaradasha periods between 8/16 to 9-8-2026.    This planetary cycle combination along with the simultaneous Mars transit hits to multiple planets in the U.S. chart, strongly emphasizes Mars' impact during this time frame on the U.S.  

     Planets in Gemini have a changeable, indecisive quality.   So, actions (Mars) and decisions are likely to be mutable and reverse course while this Mars transit moves through Gemini. It will be harder to pin down and commit to a decisive action or plan, not only for the country, but for individuals as well. 

     The 5th house (from the U.S. Moon) Mars' transit affliction is problematic as well, during this period.  This temporarily reflects financial challenges in the U.S., especially involving more risky ventures, including the stock market, which might experience sudden short-term fluctuations (sharp ups and downs) during late August into September. 

     An additional challenge to this mix takes place when transiting Venus enters its debilitated position of Virgo on 8/1 and will transit there until 9/2.  While in Virgo, Venus will also receive malefic aspects from both Saturn and Mars between 8/5 until 9/2.   This is not a beneficial period for promoting prosperity, gains or relationships.   This transit can point to certain health problems showing up within individual charts, but the exact issue is dependent upon that specific chart situation, involving a series of factors to be analyzed together, cohesively.

     These difficult Mars, Saturn and Venus transits hit the 10th house of the U.S. chart in August, which governs the president and his cabinet, and indicates greater struggles and difficulties are pointed in that direction. This shows delays, frustration, restrictions and blockages are likely to be experienced by government departments during August, as they try to pass legislation or make general progress with plans and projects that the government tries to advance. This situation should improve after Venus moves to Libra, as of 9/2, a much stronger and unafflicted position. 

     From 9/18 - 11/12, Mars transits through its weakest debilitated position of Cancer (which is the challenging dusthana 8th house of the U.S. chart).   However, on a more positive note, during the period between 9/18 - 10/30/2026, exalted Jupiter will transit alongside debilitated Mars in Cancer.   This gives some support to an otherwise weakened Mars, and gives Mars a boost.  It definitely takes some of the edge off and therefore, while problems associated with  Mars are still likely to manifest, there will also be solutions and support to resolve those problems, and the end result might have a better outcome, than would be otherwise anticipated. 

     In Vedic Astrology, one of the many dictums is: if an exalted planet is conjunct a debilitated planet, that is supposed to release the weaker planet from its debilitated status. In reality, it does not remove the actual debilitated status, but it does help to improve the ultimate outcome associated with that planet. In this case, I think the U.S. is about to go through some extreme turmoil on many domains during that Mars debilitated transit in the 8th house. However, there will be support, optimism and ultimately improved outcomes even though in the short-term the situation(s) will appear dire, bleak, or hopeless. 

     September and October are likely to bring some significant major storms and flooding at extreme levels, which may continue late into the hurricane season this year. This is related to the Mars/Jupiter transit in Cancer, a water sign and the concurrent Saturn transit through Pisces, also a water sign.  Ships at sea will be particularly prone to flooding, capsizing or major accidents. Problems, infiltration, and/or pollution/bacterial-algae-fungal invasion of the water supply is also more likely during this time period. Illness associated with an infected water supply are possible.

Side Note: Current Transit Influences on President Trump's chart:

     It's interesting to note that President Trump is running his Jupiter/Venus/Saturn dasha/antardashas as of 6-15-26 until 11-16-2026,  which is overall harder on him due to Saturn's status and weak Venus in his natal chart.   After 11/16, he will move into Jupiter/Venus/Mercury which is more favorable than the current phase.  The fact that his sub-period ruler is now Venus and Venus will be quite afflicted during August, does not bode well for his relationships, prosperity, popularity, pleasures and gains during this short time span. 

     Trump has Venus and Saturn closely conjunct in his 12th house of Cancer. Both are challenging, weaker planets for his chart, which also helps to explain his multiple failed previous marriages. However, the current very strong and benefic transiting Jupiter is protecting him while it transits through his 12th house through October 2026. Jupiter's next transit into Leo, his 1st house as of 10/31, is also a strong benefit to him, his health, popularity and gaining public support. Jupiter's strong transit helps to keep him optimistic during an otherwise challenging phase of his life during the Venus bhukti in force.  S ince Trump is in the Jupiter major planetary cycle for a total of 16 years (continues until 11/2032, age 86 yrs.), the current exalted Jupiter transit has particularly positive salience in regard to his life experience at this time. 

Venus and Mercury during the 3rd Quarter:

     Venus gains strength as of 9/2, when it enters its own sign of Libra and escapes the harmful aspects of Saturn and Mars.  Venus transits through Libra this year for a longer period of time than normal, since Venus will turn retrograde while in Libra on 10/3, and continue retrograding back to debilitated Virgo as of 11/5. Venus then turns direct at late 28 degrees Virgo on 11/13.   Then, transiting Venus returns back to its strong Libra position, to complete a 2nd round between 11/22 until 1-1-2027. Therefore, between 9/2 - 11/4, Venus will be in a stronger transiting phase and this will help to improve relationships, negotiations and diplomacy. It is also better for various legal matters.   It's interesting to monitor this Venus transit across the August to October time range since Venus moves from a pronounced weak position in August, to a much stronger position in September and October.   The month of August should be avoided for major relationship commitments, legal matters and financial commitments.   Weak transiting  Venus is not good for real estate transactions or major purchases, either. 

     From 9/7 - 9/26, Mercury transits its strong, exalted sign of Virgo, which is normally outstanding for communications, detailed work, logic, analysis, education, technical/mechanical/engineering activities, as well as calculations and accounting. However, this particular Mercury transit also receives the malefic aspects of both Saturn and Mars during this period.  The Saturn aspect continues for the entire transit, whereas the Mars aspect ends a little earlier, as of 9/18, when Mars enters Cancer.    This combination brings out a great deal of criticism, judgements, irritability, frustration, discomfort and harsh speech into the atmosphere.   Even though relationships might improve while transiting Venus is strong during this time, the tendency for critical, cold, judgmental communications runs high for September.   Take a deep breath before reacting harshly, or take it with a "grain of salt" if someone comes down on you with a barrage of criticisms and judgements. Better yet, try to laugh at the situation, which might help to diffuse it.  Sometimes simply understanding the planetary energies in force at a given time, helps to offer some context in regard to an annoying temporary situation. 

     Between 9/26 - 12/2, Mercury will transit the friendly sign of Libra for this entire time, and join with strong Venus between 9/26 - 11/5.  Both Venus and Mercury will transit together and retrograde for most of this longer than normal period in Libra. Venus turns retrograde on 10/3 and Mercury turns retrograde on 10/24, both in Libra. Venus crosses back to debilitated Virgo on 11/5 and then turns direct on 11/13 at 28:37 degrees Virgo.   Venus returns to Libra on 11/22, once again joining with Mercury.   Venus will then continue its strong transit through Libra until 1-1-2027, when it enters Scorpio.  

     The periods where both Venus and Mercury transit together will strongly promote socializing, communications, working on contracts and legal agreements, diplomacy, creative endeavors, and it is a beneficial time for relationships in general. The retrograde periods for both planets will promote people coming back from your past to work things out that were not resolved previously. It may take until November to resolve certain interpersonal issues, when Venus is direct and transiting strongly through Libra. This is also indicating a strong period for travel, parties and gatherings during November. 

     However, the Mercury retrograde phase between 10/24 - 11/13, in Swati nakshatra, can indicate delays and frustration during travel, especially air travel. There will be a greater tendency for people to speak incessantly and try to connect constantly without a break while Mercury and Venus retrograde through Libra.  We may have to turn off our phones just to get some peace during that phase. Otherwise, this period should benefit social connections, communications, agreements, legal matters, creative endeavors and travel, generally.