Summer is officially in full swing, and the heat of the sun as it enters the water element’s cardinal sign, Cancer, magnifies emotions and relationships while signaling a need for a stable foundation. Along with these overarching themes come two major planetary transits, and they’re a doozy, so we’ll do the good news first. Venus, yes, the planet of love, enters Leo, bringing about confidence and romance. Mercury enters its home in Gemini on July 7th, meaning a boon in communication and learning. This is the time to text your crush and ask your boss for a raise. Saturn’s transit through Pisces continues, meaning Karma is coming around for Millennials and Gen Zers with boundaries and spiritual awareness as topical lessons. If you were waiting for the other shoe to drop, here it is: Mercury Retrograde ends on July 24th. Double-checking becomes the name of the game as communication turns difficult and misunderstandings dominate. But that’s nothing a good high with friends can’t fix, so let’s get into this month’s strain-o-scope!
Cancer: 24k Gold
It’s your birthday, and you can cry if you want to, but you might as well have some 24k Gold while you’re at it. As you complete another trip around the sun, personal fulfillment and achievement are at the forefront for you, but that might mean leaving behind what no longer serves you to make room for new growth. The cross between Kosher Kush and Tangie, 24k Gold is like a beautiful tennis bracelet: the perfect addition to any outfit. Take it to the lake for an afternoon of floating or to celebrate at the bar. Versatile and uplifting, gift yourself a bowl or two of 24k Gold and ponder entering this next chapter without pausing to consider whether your mascara will run.
Leo: Cereal Milk
Like a firebender waiting for Sozen’s Comet, Leos may find themselves on the verge of awakening their full power this month. Venus’s transit into Leo means confidence abounds, and with Hot Girl Summer in full swing, so too do potential romances. If there’s a baddie you’ve had your eye on, it’s time to shoot your shot. However, going in too cocky can lose you the goose, so have some Cereal Milk before you hit the town. Odd, considering a sativa-dominant Cookies descendant fathered it and features limonene, Cereal Milk is actually relaxing in the mind, yet arousing in the body. Remember, humility is not the opposite of confidence, rather its companion.
Virgo: Hash Burger
Mercury’s Retrograde later in the month is going to send you into a panic. Delays or misunderstandings in communications and the need to rehash old disputes during a time when you’re making major financial decisions is going to be overwhelming, but not insurmountable. Take a moment to ground yourself and Hash Burger it out. This Leafly Strain of the Year 2025 indica-leaning hybrid is perfect for a joint and a yoga sesh in the summer sunshine. Take grounding literally. Let your gut and mind work it out.
Libra: Sex on the Beach
As the sun moves into Cancer, you may find yourself getting caught in feedback loops. Don’t forget that you are the cardinal air sign and have more wisdom inside than out. As opportunities for communication, new relationships, and travel present themselves, rely on your just and generous nature by sharing a pack of Sex on the Beach joints. This sativa-leaning hybrid is just talkative enough to soften social anxiety while remaining grounded in the body. Focus on your breathing: inhaling pineapple and flowery goodness and exhaling insecurity and doubt before passing the joint to the next member of the rotation. Stop worrying; your friends like you just fine, but if you’re doubtful, bringing a pack of joints to share at your next gathering never hurts.
Scorpio: Super Silver Haze
An old connection may come around asking for a spot in your life again. Take the time to consider this thoughtfully. Though it’s in your nature to fall on the Darcy side of a grudge, “my good opinion, once lost, is lost forever,” take this Mercury Retrograde to reconsider whether you really know all that you think you do. As one of the most iconic strains still available today, Super Silver Haze (SSH) is a staple for a reason. Like Scorpios, SSH is ultra-connected to the body, yet wiser than it seems at face value. The high myrcene content SSH inherits from Northern Lights quiets the body to allow the mind to speak, just what Scorpios need as summer heats up. Will you fan this old flame or use the height of your water element to douse it in favor of your long-term happiness? SSH might be able to tell you.
Sagittarius: Larry Cake
Unlike your elemental companions, Sagittariuses can use this month to find balance by leaning full throttle into your fire without worrying about burning yourself out. The sun’s movement into Cancer after spending time in your opposite house (Gemini) means you’re due to burn at full brightness again. The euphoria brought on by Larry Cake will put you in a good spot to explore your most authentic self and perhaps reconsider your living situation. If they can’t handle you at your lowest, they don’t deserve you at your most euphoric. Since Mercury’s Retrograde comes about the same time your lease is expiring, smoke some Larry Cake before you start browsing Zillow so your gut can guide you.
Capricorn: Kokodosé’s Dark Chocolate Focus Bar with Lion’s Mane
You are not the only person who feels like they’re drowning right now. If it feels like you’re at a low point while everyone else is in an upswing, take this opportunity to chart your trajectory because it’s only up from here. Patience, although difficult to muster in this heightened, energetic season, is necessary to your emotional well-being, so I lovingly suggest Kokodosé’s Dark Chocolate Focus Bar with Lion’s Mane. As Remus assures Harry, “Eat this, you’ll feel better,” while handing him a piece of chocolate, Kokodosé offers the same focused comfort. Lion’s Mane is a mushroom derivative that promotes mental clarity and gut balance, exactly what you need for your mid-year vision board check-in. What minor adjustments can you make now to meet your goals six months from now? Let chocolate and karma be your north stars.
Aquarius: Galactic Warheads
This month, it’s important you do more listening than talking. Often confused for a water sign itself, Aquarius actually provides air support for the water signs, offering creative solutions to emotional problems and acting as a galvanizing force for change. As we move into water’s cardinal sign, Aquariuses find themselves playing therapist for more of their friends than they thought. Time for a group intervention. As a strain, Galactic Warheads favors the Amnesia Haze side of its family tree, giving it a carefree conversational quality perfect for catching up while passing a blunt around. Convene the council and focus on community solutions to what seem like individual problems.
Pisces: Lilac Diesel
For once, you feel in your element, like things seem to be working themselves out. Resist the urge to create a problem just to be able to solve it and spend more of your energy on living in the moment. Lilac Diesel, as a mutt of mutts, knows all about the pressures of familial burden, but can also teach Pisces about being able to hold space for yourself. As its name suggests, Lilac Diesel is floral and chemical-tasting, but the underlying citrus is a nice surprise on the exhale. Now is the time to refill your own pitcher, and a day trip to the beach to play mermaids with a Mother Magnolia Lilac Diesel doink is precisely what you need.
Aries: Apple Fritter
As the cardinal sign for fire, Mercury’s transit into Gemini is a bellows to your flame, strengthening your already roaring leadership skills. For a strain that will get the conversations flowing without being too amped up, I see Apple Fritter in your future. Not quite as delicious as its baked namesake, Apple Fritter is a Sour Apple x Animal Cookies cross, heavy in caryophyllene for focused energy, limonene for a citrusy chattiness, and pinene for a woody aftertaste. After a long day of taking charge, slip into a more relaxed, casual leadership era by baking with some Apple Fritter.
Taurus: Grease Monkey
This month, the other signs look to you as an example of stability. Mercury’s transit into Gemini and subsequent Retrograde threaten to send shockwaves through communicative foundations, and your penchant for comfort and pleasure acts as balm for new and old wounds. Of the Zodiacs, Taurus is often considered the ultimate stoner, meaning you need a strain that’s relaxing until the midnight munchies come on, so Grease Monkey will be perfect. Hotbox the Mystery Machine and fix yourself a triple-decker hoagie that would make Shaggy proud; you’re going to need it.
Gemini: Peanut Butter Breath
A euphoric high followed by a crashing low awaits you this month as Mercury returns and then dips out of Gemini. Speaking your mind may be at the forefront of your desires, and that will bring you good, but only up to a certain point. Err on the side of caution: it’s better to say too little than too much. As is often the case for the Twins, balance is key this month, so a slightly indica-leaning hybrid like Peanut Butter Breath can offer calmness during an otherwise hectic time. The earthy, nutty flavor that gives PBB its name is also what makes it so happy and calming, just like Geminis.
