Astrology: Summer Solstice and the Strawberry Moon
By Catie Cadge, PhD
Welcome to summer! This month’s big news is the solstice occurring when the Sun enters Cancer in the wee hours of the morning, June 21st. The long summer nights warm our souls in Cancer season, nurturing us in a time of self-healing and care. Solstice brings us together with friends and family to celebrate summertime bliss. Pull out the shorts and tank tops, the picnic baskets and camping gear. Now we can revel in the joy of summer!
First, let’s go back to the beginning of the month. On June 3rd, Mercury appears to stop in the sky and move forward, ending what has been a rather crazy retrograde period. The planet continues in its “shadow” until June 18th, a time to reflect once again on what has been percolating in us during the retrograde time. Perhaps we have been reassessing how we handle our communications, our day-to-day busyness (while Mercury has been in Gemini) or how to be more grounded and find some calm (while the planet has been Taurus).
Mercury re-enters Gemini the day before the Full Moon this month. A great opportunity to bring it all forward with the light of a glorious Strawberry Moon! The Full Moon is at 23°25’ Sagittarius in the early morning of June 14th. Time to shoot the centaur’s arrow with confidence and grace. But wait until later that afternoon to make it concrete, when the Moon is not void of course (a period when the Moon makes no aspects to other planets before changing into the next sign). This ends at 3:13 pm when the Moon enters Capricorn.
Saturn stations and turns retrograde in Aquarius, 25°15’, the afternoon of June 4th. If you are feeling frustrated or hitting some brick walls in a certain area of your life, consider looking at where Saturn falls now in your natal chart. Mercury loosely squares the ringed planet that same day so some of the miscommunication or mayhem under Mercury retrograde may come back to haunt us as Saturn is asking us to mature and take responsibility for our changing ideas, values, and goals. Something may require hard work and commitment. But how do we express what we need and step up to the plate and accomplish?
By the time summer solstice rolls around, opportunities may seem to open, and when Venus enters Gemini on the 22nd, our collective mood will lighten up. Time to play! A perfect chance to share lively conversation and merriment. Meanwhile, Jupiter is still cruising through early degrees of Aries. Be bold and have courage. Nothing happens without taking a few risks. Mars is also in Aries and by the end of the month, the planet nicely aspects Saturn. Things may start to actually happen if we are forthright like the ram and make it so!
June ends with a sensitive and emotional New Moon in Cancer, 7°23’, on the evening of the 28th. Here in Santa Cruz County, the Moon falls in the 7th house and squares Jupiter in Aries. This is a beautiful Moon to meditate upon our bonds of family, our inner circle, and to be thankful. Who do we need in our lives to feel heard, nurtured, and loved? Where do we need to heal ourselves to feel confident and eager to embrace life and take command of our own ships?
Wishing everyone a great summer!
Catie Cadge is Dean of the Forrest Center for Evolutionary Astrology. Classes and more information: forrestastrology.center. Read about Catie and her work at caraeveolutionaryastrology.com.
Images contributed by Catie Cadge
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