On June 20th, the Summer Solstice, the Sun moves into Cancer. The cardinal sign of Cancer represents our roots, our family, the past, the home and our emotions. The Chariot card is paired with the sign Cancer which is ruled by the Moon and its symbol the celestial crab with its hard shell and soft interior. While the Sun is in Cancer, we are reminded of our roots and to connect with family, biological or otherwise. In Cancer, the Sun is more reserved, sensitive, somewhat shy and intuitive. The Sun’s energy focused on the inner workings of the self; who we are, what we desire, who/what motivates all rooted at our hearts and our emotional side.
Aries and The Emperor
Sun in Aries
The Sun charges into fiery Aries on March 20th until April 19th, marking the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and beginning the brand new Astrological year. Ruled by action planet Mars and symbolized by the fearless Ram, there's never a dull moment during Aries season. As a Cardinal sign, Aries lives life head-first and they don't let fear hold them back from doing anything. It's time to celebrate the renewal of life and take action again after the slower pace of winter. In Aries, the Sun is confident, impulsive, instinctual and ready for action and we are encouraged to follow our raw, instinctive drives. Be true to who we are and all the facets which make us the individuals we are. Embrace the true self and go for whatever it is we desire. We matter, each one of us, and deserve to live the life we envision ourselves living. Entertain the spark of ideas and see where they lead. Find the leader within yourself and make your way.
The Emperor Card
Aries is assigned to the Emperor Card, numbered four, which depicts a mature ruler holding his scepter and sitting on his throne, which is decorated with figures of rams. In his right hand, he holds an Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of Life, and in his left is an orb representing the world over which he rules. The orange background and the Emperor’s red clothing symbolize his passion and energy for life and the challenges it offers. The emperor card contains references to the Sun God Amon-Re and the Greek God Zeus (Jupiter). Amon-Re was a universal deity, revered as the king of the Gods. He was often depicted as a Ram and associated with the constellation Aries. When the Greeks invaded Egypt, they associated Amon-Re with their own God, Zeus (Jupiter). The connection of Aries with the planets Mars and Jupiter and with the Sun God Amon-Re led ancient astrologers to regard the Sun as being exalted or especially powerful in the sign of Aries. This card is also associated with the Greek hero Jason. Jason regained his throne by capturing the golden fleece which belonged to the ram that helped Jason’s cousin escape from being murdered by his wicked stepmother. After his escape, he sacrificed the ram in gratitude to Zeus (Jupiter) and hung its golden fleece in the grove of the war God Ares, where a vicious dragon that never slept protected it. The tale of Jason and the Argonauts reveals the traits of courage, daring and enterprise that are associated with the fire sign Aries.
Sun Enters Capricorn
Sun in Capricorn December 21, 2015 to January 21, 2016
Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere when the Sun moves into cool Capricorn on December 21st, marking the longest night of the year and a time to celebrate the return of the light. This is the time of year we look for new hope at a time of darkness, which sets a serious tone. Astrologically, the Winter Solstice marks the moment the Sun, the ruler of the zodiac, moves from adventurous Fire sign Sagittarius to the steady Earth sign of Capricorn. This is the dark night of the year, a day when the Sun appears to stand still. It's a time for light and laughter, but also deep reflection. The Sun's move into steady Capricorn urges us to take some time to look back on 2015 before we make our plans for the coming year. What did we do right? What do we wish we'd done differently? Don't fight the seriousness it brings to the festive holiday season; use it to start 2016 on the right foot.
Most of us will be working hard to move forward toward something better now, just as the Capricorn symbol of the Mountain Goat forever climbs upward toward the mountain top We are reminded that each of us have a purpose in life. There are goals we work toward. The Sun in Capricorn picks up where the Sun in Sagittarius left off. The Sun is a visionary in Sagittarius. In Capricorn, the Sun takes what's been envisioned and finds a way to make it happen, to make the commitment, devise the plan, do the work, etc. Capricorn energy brings the need for solid, stable plans and structures. During the next few weeks you create your foundation for the year ahead.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Attend to your physical world and apply discipline and structure where needed.
- Make sure your house is in order. For example, get your insurance, wills, etc. in place.
- Create your yearly financial plan of both expenses and income.
- Take care of business. Now is the time to act and get organized and plan for the future.
Sun enters Libra
Sun in Libra September 23rd to October 23rd
Fall arrives in the northern hemisphere as the Sun moved into Libra on September 23, and remains there until October 23rd. Libra is ruled by Venus, it’s symbol is the Scales so this will be a time of seeking balance in life. Justice, fairness and relationships will be highlighted. How are our light and dark aspects working? Are we in harmony with ourselves or are we our own worst enemies?
The Libra Sun encourages harmony between the individual self and the shared self. Accommodation and compromise are its primary ways of creating harmonious duos. But many people find intimacy difficult. It feels suffocating, confining and limiting to them, which is a high price to pay for sharing one's life with another person. Limits on personal freedom come with every relationship. There are general rules of behavior and individual preferences in play with every connection we have. Some people are very comfortable with compromise; others shrivel at the thought of giving up any authority to a partner. The balance of Self and Other is the crux of relationships – the dance between I and We.
While the Sun is in Libra, our challenge/opportunity is two-fold. Part one is to open our hearts to the romantic images of joyfully shared experience. It is a vision of liberating compromise that happens when what we give up of ourselves is multiplied in return by what we receive from another. Part two is recognizing that relationship is a process in which we move toward and away from each other, an ebb and flow of combining and separating that is completely natural. Accepting the variability of our emotions gives us the flexibility to find happiness within ourselves and when shared with others.
Sun enters Cancer
The Sun moves into cozy Cancer on June 21, 2015, which also marks the Summer Solstice. When the Sun is as far north from the equator as it gets, it crosses the Tropic of Cancer and it is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Ruled by the Moon, a Water sign, Cancer tends to the extremes of sentimentality and of being territorial. While the Sun moves through Cancer our focus is on home and family matters. Now is the time to have that family get together and barbecue. In Cancer, the Sun is more reserved, sensitive, somewhat shy and intuitive. The Sun's life-giving warm rays are more focused on the inner workings of the self; who we are, what we desire, who/what motivates all rooted at our hearts and the emotional side of the self. The cardinal sign of Cancer represents our roots, our family, the past, the home and our emotions. We are reminded of our roots and to connect/re-connect with family, biological or otherwise. We are feeling life very deeply now so say what you need to say to clear the air and get relationships back on track. We have an help with this task since Neptune has been Retrograde since June 12th and can help clear away some of that relationship debris. Neptune is the planet of illusion, it clouds our vision and allows us to delude ourselves. However, when Retrograde we are much more tuned into the vibes around us. The rose-colored glasses come off allowing clear vision. We become acutely aware of the issues and the truth that was eluding us. This is a time when we can see the dividing line between fact and fiction, reality and fantasy. Mars lends his energy to assists as well when he moves into Cancer on June 24th. This is transit bring enormous energy for you to use to focus on security, especially of family and property. Use with caution, as Mars can be explosive.