5:32 pm AHST 6/20/2021

8:32 pm  PDT  6/20/2021

6:32 am  UTC 6/21/2021

June Solstice

This is one of the most powerful charts this year, occurring on one of the most important astronomical events of the year. We are at a Solstice point, where the Earth is at its closest tilt toward the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and furthest away from the Sun in the Southern Hemisphere. This turning point in its orbital pattern is a turning point also for the Earth planet, as its magnetic field is reduced for a time when, for a few days, the Sun appears to “stop” its rising toward the north and has yet to start rising more to the south, heralding the coming of shorter days in the northern hemisphere. Sol-stice is about the Sun-stopping in this movement, a dramatic astronomical shift point.

But these turning points are also messengers astrologically. The chart of this moment shows us what we can look toward in the next 3-6 months, and what the major archetypal energies are that we will be dealing with.

This chart has two major astrological features in it: a Grand Cross, and a Grand Trine.

The Grand Cross happens when four planets form right angles to each other, with the Earth in the center. Right angles, or squares in astrology are full of energy, so much energy that there is often a tension built in to them that is difficult to handle, and needs to be adjusted and balanced. The four planets in this case are the Moon in Scorpio, Mars in Leo, Uranus in Taurus, and Saturn in Aquarius. Not only are the four planets at right angles to each other, they also form two oppositions: Mars is opposed Saturn, and the Moon is opposed Uranus. Oppositions astrologically are split energies, polarized so that there is a need to have opposing viewpoints learn from each other, balancing each other. So you can see a Grand Cross has a LOT of energy that’s potentially explosive, but also powerful in its own right.

Breaking this all down: Mars opposition Saturn often speaks to aggressive energy being held back by or fighting against Saturnian rules, laws, and constraints of some sort. Kind of a pressure cooker. Moon opposed Uranus speaks to deeply feeling emotions (Moon in Scorpio) running amok, perhaps a strong rebelliousness (Uranus) being fed by overactive reactivity, but also a strong desire for freedom, which Uranus rules. In short we have revolutionary energy on our hands. Not that we didn’t know that, as Trump’s Big Lie is still trying to water down democracy in the US, and democracy worldwide is straining against authoritarianism. Every day it seems we are faced with more and more terrifying and disastrous news, all of which are significators of the shifting paradigm we are in. But this chart speaks to things coming to a head, arriving at a turning point.

Enter the Grand Trine. Three planets all at 120˚ angles to each other form a giant triangle in the sky, holding the Earth in a container of strength and grace. Trines are harmonious aspects, energies that are coordinated such that an easy flow of energy is possible. In this case we have the Moon again as the linchpin (since it’s also part of the Grand Cross) which is trine to Jupiter in Pisces. Both Moon and Jupiter are trine to the newly minted (0˚) Sun in Cancer, at the “top of its form” so to speak. I see this as a call to a spiritual vision. Jupiter rules spirituality, and in the sign of Pisces it is particularly tuned to the higher realms, where we can imagine possibilities, solutions. Since all three are in water signs, perhaps we can use the enduring passion of the central player, the Moon in Scorpio, directing it toward what we believe in as the path toward the greater good, in our personal lives and in our actions toward our community, and as a society as a whole.

It’s also interesting to note that Venus in Cancer is trine to Neptune in Pisces at this juncture. This speaks to our need to emphasize and embrace the higher dimensions of love. And since it’s Cancerian love, it’s above all about nurturing, cultivating, encouraging our relationships and emphasizing our relatedness, as well as on a larger scale, stewarding our resources of our dear Planet Earth.  

It seems to many people superfluous or even silly in our present age to speak of the power of love as the way through our global problems, but essentially it is the bottom line of all actions that have a powerful and harmonizing effect. From human rights, to voting rights, to sharing our resources planet-wide we are in the middle of a complete re-design of how we live together on Planet Earth. It’s getting easier and easier to see who is operating from a loving perspective and who is still clinging to power, money and control.  

All in all, the chart indicates that we’re in for a season of (more) conflicting energies, but also that these conflicts can lead to a search for greater meaning, perhaps through more exposure of those in the War Machine who perpetuate conflict for profit, (the US is the world’s leading arms merchant) and the possible resolutions and changes in direction that result from the ashes of conflict and despair. May we all use this time to become more connected with our Inner Guiding energies, knowing that each individual makes an energetic  difference in the people we touch on a daily basis.