July starts with a collective sigh of relief. The drama and mayhem of last month is over. Not completely resolved, but waning for sure. We are now in the time of Cancer. The Crab is a cardinal water sign, ruled by the Moon. Cardinal signs initiate, water signs are interested in how things feel and the Moon collects and protects. The Cancer Sun is anything but detached; we're attached to the outcome, to how we feel, to our past, protecting our past and safeguarding our security. After all the craziness of June, the cosmos gives us a bit of a break and a soft landing.
Cancer and the Chariot
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.
Saturn Square Neptune - What is Real?
The second Saturn/Neptune square is tightening and will be exact on June 17th. We had one already in November right before Thanksgiving and the third will be in September. The issue this time around is that both Saturn and Neptune are Retrograde and this suggests an intensified version of the square.
Neptune Rx - Dispelling Delusion
Neptune Retrograde takes place from June 13 to November 19, 2016, which means we're in for more than five months' worth of getting real. Neptune is the dreamy planet that, at its best, makes us see beyond the tangible world and explore spirituality, faith and fantasy. The dark side of Neptune is that its love of illusion can inspire us to escape to alternate realities we’ve created for ourselves - delusions. Neptune can encourage us to live in denial. We all have specific fears we don’t want to deal with, such as nagging financial issues or a difficult romantic relationship. Chances are, Neptune is behind any excuses you invent to support the idea that everything is fine.
When Neptune is retrograde, however, it's much more difficult to ignore the truth. Neptune’s dreamy edge usually allows us to gloss over unpleasant truths (like credit card balances or red flags in our relationships), its move backward gives us the opposite: a harsh wake-up call. It is essential that we do something about the problems that we pick up on while Neptune is retrograde because they can worsen when Neptune goes direct. This transit provokes you to make big changes in your life and here is why that is a good thing: 1. You no longer ignore things like bad relationships or being in debt. 2. You have the ability to stop dreaming and starting doing. 3. You are able to figure out what's real and what's fantasy. 4. You can think more clearly and plan more carefully for the future. 5. You will re-evaluate what's truly important to you. Below are the general horoscopes for each sign. For more personalized information, contact me.
Aries – 12th House of the Subconscious - Here is your chance to dive deep and rise to the surface of your subconscious with that most highly valued prize: the truth. Pay close attention to the neuroses that occupy your thinking now, and be bold in seizing the opportunity for healing that comes with smoking them out. Avoid indulging in mind-altering substances. Be honest with yourself and embrace clarity as a tool for lasting personal development.
Taurus – 11th House of Social Networking - Choose not to ignore your paranoia about issues affecting any area of your life where group dynamics rule. Demand to know the details of the political dealings you rightly sense are going on behind the scenes. Then, think not what your friends can do for you, but what you can do for your friends. Fall into compassion and fire up your humanitarian efforts. Meditate on the germ of a revolutionary idea, and watch it flourish.
Gemini – 10th House of Career and Public Standing - Duties or responsibilities you’ve been avoiding can no longer be ignored. It’s time to take the reins and begin to steer your ship into deeper waters, however intimidating this might feel. Don’t be afraid to tap into your inner ball-breaker. Act “as if” you’re the boss. When the limelight beckons, don’t hide away in the shadows. Get real about the sacrifices you need to make if you want your career to take off the way you envision.
Cancer – 9th House of Wisdom - Come out of your cave and give in to your wanderlust. A spiritual awakening could be in store for you when you open your mind and put paid to fears you can now see are completely unfounded. Dive into your studies in the University of Life and embark on a vision quest or spiritual pilgrimage. To achieve enlightenment, deal only in what you know in your soul to be the truth and demand the same of others.
Leo - 8th House of Sex and Shared Resources - Like a butterfly, you are on a journey of transformation and rebirth. But now you’re being asked to come clean about wherever wallowing in your comfort zone is stunting your personal growth. Escape into obsession and control will only compound your sense of being stuck. Ignore your intuition at your peril, and pick up creative projects with your typical gusto. A mystery about an inheritance or money owed could also be resolved.
Virgo – 7th House of Marriage and Partnerships - Expect a breakthrough as deep-seated fractures in your closest relationships come up for air and healing. Embrace situations that show your creative and business collaborators’ true colors, and resolve to accept what you see. Give in to the notion of compromise. See past your ego for ways for justice to be served. Accept that the skeletons in your closet could actually be good PR.
Libra – 6th House of Work, Health and Service - Any flaws in your logic will be exposed now, so arm yourself with a backup plan. Details you’d prefer to gloss over will demand your attention. Tackling mundane-seeming tasks could actually lead to the breakthroughs you’ve been looking for. Knuckle down. Your health and well being is at risk if you continue to delude yourself about your diet. Be ready to redraft a creative project to perfection.
Scorpio – 5th House of Creativity and Fun - A clandestine affair or flirtation could come to light, or maybe you’ll be asked to play your hand in matters of the heart. Your secret vice won’t stay a secret for long. A creative project you’re personally invested in could come to fruition now, and this fertile creative phase could also see your parental urges kick in. Be wary of situations that allow you to escape into over-indulgence. A hidden talent for the performing arts could also be revealed.
Sagittarius – 4th House of Home and Family - Expect the unexpected from a family situation, as whatever’s been going on behind the scenes is unveiled. Family therapy could prove especially insightful. In all other areas, embark on a Dream Quest to get to the heart of the matter and let your subconscious be your guide. Now examine your daily habits. What nourishes you and what is holding you back will be clearer now.
Capricorn – 3rd House of Communication - Be ruthless in speaking the truth. Allow yourself to hear the same in what others are saying. A hidden affinity with writing or speaking may come to light, embrace opportunities to explore this. Allow your logical mind to be infiltrated by your intuition. Journal about your dreams. A sibling’s or neighbor’s secret may be revealed.
Aquarius – 2nd House of Material Possessions - Get real about your finances and banish your credit cards to the back drawer. No more hiding your head in the sand and spending beyond your means, especially if shopping is a means of escape for you. Ask yourself; who am I without my luxuries and creature comforts? A creative way to add to your income may be unlocked. Look out for it, leave no stone un-turned. Then act.
Pisces – 1st House of Self -You’ll see past what’s in the mirror and view body image issues for what they really are: nothing but a figment of your insecurities. Now is the time for honest self-observation. Get real as you analyze your actions. In what ways do you allow your emotions to sabotage your personal vitality? Clean up your act. Insist on clarity of self-expression, no lying to yourself or your inner child.
June 2016 - Information Overload
June is going to be a challenging and trying time. While the New Moon in Gemini on June 4 promises communications-related opportunity, there's a catch. Gemini is often accused of being a superficial sign, due to its tendency to jump around from one talking point to another and seemingly never staying on one long enough to get to the bottom. You might feel scattered mentally and find it difficult to concentrate on one project at a time. Don't fall into the Gemini shadow now by biting off more than you can chew. Sharpen your focus and pick one, possibly two projects to work on.
Mercury finally moves out of Taurus after more than 2 months, and enters his home sign of Gemini. Mercury is quite comfortable in this versatile placement bringing with it all kinds of ideas, thoughts and forms of self-expression. But we are prone to speak without thinking, become scattered and easily bored.
On the June 13, spiritual Neptune goes retrograde in Pisces until mid-November and we are forced to confront those issues we’d rather keep buried. When Neptune turns retrograde our feelings are more astute at picking up and perceiving the illusive. It is easier to ascertain information about issues that have eluded us (or we have ignored) while Neptune was direct. It is essential that we do something about the problems that we discover because they can worsen when Neptune goes direct.
We face further tests when Saturn squares Neptune on June 17. This period happens every 18 years and is often a time of great hope or disillusionment for society at large. The end of World War II or the Kennedy assassination is examples of how this energy can play out. Even though everyone is not personally affected, everyone is somehow changed and life isn't quite the same afterwards. The conflict of ideal with real, whichever temporarily triumphs, reminds one that the two worlds are fundamentally at odds and that you must juggle both in order to be human. The lesson lies not in the fact that we see it, but that we so quickly forget it.
But then the cosmic energy eases up starting with the Full Moon coinciding with the Sun’s shift into Cancer on June 20. The Full Moon occurs in the sign of Sagittarius which governs our personal belief systems, our philosophy of life, and our spiritual search for the meaning of life. Later in the afternoon, the Sun enters Cancer and marks the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. In Cancer, the Sun’s ego-centered energy combines with the reflective, hidden energy of the Moon, its ruler. The past is important to Cancer, as is the concept of nurturing both ourselves and others.
On June 26, one of the most favorable alignments occurs between mighty Jupiter and powerful Pluto. Transiting Jupiter will trine Pluto greatly increasing our power and influence. This transit is particularly significant occurring so close to a seasonal turning point. New frontiers, hot prospects and expanded operations are not hard to sell right now. Whatever you are promoting, confidence is key. The more faith you have in yourself, the more others will have in you and the more likely things will work out right since everyone is expecting them to. Journeys made now will also greatly transform our outlook on life, and be remembered as once in a lifetime experiences.
Last but not least, on June 29 Mars resumes its direct motion after 2 1/2 months of being retrograde. Now moving forward, Mars is strong and positive, even more so when it’s at home in Scorpio (Mars ruled Scorpio before the discovery of Pluto). So barriers are lifted, goals become clear, while actions and initiatives begin to have bigger chances of success. Now you'll begin to get your mojo back and will have the stamina to pursue your goals without being in your own way.