As we move closer to the Winter Solstice, nature is slowing down in preparation for the dark of the year. Plant growth has slowed and the lure of spending time outdoors has diminished. In the wheel of the year, we're now in the balsamic phase, the 'death' of the year and the period of stillness and silence that creates space for the spark of the new cycle to be born in the Spring. While of course, we can't completely press the pause button on our busy lives, I encourage you to allow time for quietness and meditation at this magical time of year, especially on the 21st June at the Solstice, a time when the veils between the worlds lift and we can have insights and understandings not available to us in our day to day life.
June begins with a focus on our beliefs and ideals with a view to stripping away the excesses, in preparation for the slowing down and stillness of the solstice and Cancer New Moon.
For more detailed information on the movement of the heavens, to ask questions and discuss ongoing transits, you're also welcome to join my Facebook group Spiritual Astrology Circle
5 June Mars enters Cancer
6 June Venus enters Taurus
7 June Mercury enters Gemini
9 June Full Moon near 19 Gemini-Sagittarius at 11.09 pm
10 June Jupiter stations direct 13 Libra 2.30 am
16 June Neptune stations retrograde 14 Pisces
21 June Winter Solstice, Sun enters Cancer 2.24 pm
Mercury enters Cancer
24 June New Moon near 3 Cancer 12.30 pm
Full moon
June's Full Moon at 11.09 pm on the 9th at nearly 19 Sagittarius is asking us to bring a practical realistic perspective to our beliefs and ideals. With the Sun in Gemini flavouring our conscious thought with rationalism and logic, and Saturn conjunct the Sagittarian Moon, our passionate inspiration, and any irresponsible, self-righteous or over-zealous opinions may come under the microscope for us to review and bring down to earth. With Neptune in Pisces slowing down to station retrograde (on the 16th) square this Moon, the danger will be that confusion, delusion or even deception may cloud our vision, or we may find it all too easy to throw in the towel and have a few drinks! On the other hand, our sense of what is right and fair may well be the primary factor in our response since Jupiter in Libra, ruler of this Moon is trine the Gemini Sun and stationing direct just over 3 hours after the full moon. (When a planet comes to a stop in preparation to move retrograde or direct, we call it a station and it becomes particularly powerful during this period of stillness.) So where in your birth chart does 19 Gemini and Sagittarius lie? These are the areas of life which will be impacted by this Sagittarius Full Moon.
Winter solstice
I love the Winter solstice! The Sun's ingress into Cancer on 21st June means the shortest day and the longest night - the end of the waning of light and the beginning of the Sun's return to the Southern hemisphere. I love the withdrawal of energy from the outer world as we close our doors to the cold, light our fires, snuggle into cosy blankets and make warm winter soups and stews. This is the time when the stillness within becomes palpable and we can go deep within to connect with our highest Self. At this time, the veils between the worlds part and if we're still enough, we can channel higher understandings and insights. I like to light a candle at dusk and delay turning on the lights as long as possible ... I want to invite the darkness in. And I love to rise early to catch that magical time before dawn for the most profound meditations. This is the time for re-inspiration and hope. This Solstice, the Sun in Cancer is conjunct Mercury in Gemini, sextile Uranus in Aries and square to Chiron in Pisces, offering us the potential for deep healing and opening to unique new ways of thinking and being.
New Moon
June's New Moon on the 24th at 12.30 pm is at nearly 3 Cancer. As with all new moons, it's about new beginnings ... and this moon hints at sensitivity in thought and communication, and of finding the emotional freedom to express oneself. Following close to the solstice, the themes are similar, but with Mercury now also in Cancer conjunct both Sun and Moon, the focus is on conscious acknowledgement of feelings, of acceptance of our primal woundedness and allowing our unique individual expression to embrace both the dark and the light within us. The New Moon extends the solstice stillness with the lunar moment of pause as one moon cycle of feeling ends and another begins. Square to Chiron in Pisces and sextile Uranus in Aries, we're being offered the opportunity to heal by finding our personal story, by stepping out of the melting pot of conformity and collective feeling to find who we really are. The house position of this new moon will indicate where in your life this opportunity will manifest.