This shiur really helped me because I always find this time of year depressing and scary.
And yes, many depressing and scary things happened between yesterday, the 17th of Tammuz and 3 weeks from now on the 9th of Av.
But judging events and people favorably can change everything.
In this time period, due to the Crab mazal influencing things to move backwards and the Lion mazal of Av providing a more savage "tear it apart" inclination (both according to the Kli Yakar), we can find ourselves becoming harsher with our hearts and minds.
And this is behind the Destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.
However, seeing the good in people and events, and judging favorably, can utilize the power of Tammuz for greatness.
(This does not mean that we whitewash truly bad acts or truly bad people, or allow them to hurt others, but that we see the good in things and people in addition to the bad, we find some kind of merit or something to be grateful for.)
Rabbi Anava speaks about how the disease is the same word as the Latin and Hebrew name of the month: Cancer/Sartan, and what the root of this disease is and more about the word Sartan and how it relates to the word seret, which is Hebrew for movie.
Being grateful for everything, even if you don't know why, and striving to find some chip of diamond in the mountain of sludge are the keys to utilizing the power of Tammuz.
Please access the audio & video of the shiur here:
The Secrets of Kabbalah behind the Month of Tammuz