June started with the communication planet, Mercury, retrograding uncomfortably into Uranus’s path between 1 and 4 June. Uranus is the planet of change, shocks and surprises and this stressful alignment between Mercury Retro and Uranus saw everything from car accidents to panic attacks to volatile communication. Yet Uranus also brought some pleasant surprises such as contact from distant loved ones or breakthroughs with long-awaited news. The Mercury-Uranus cosmic event coincided with the New Moon in Gemini on 4 June (at 14 degrees). With Mercury as Gemini’s ruler, the Gemini New Moon was not necessarily smooth. Relating to others is likely to have taken extra effort under this influence, especially as words may not have been matching behaviour. Switching off, dissociating and disconnecting from emotions comes with the territory under this influence. Yet ultimately this New Moon encourages new relating patterns that are less emotionally erratic, yet not so objective that we ignore others’ needs.
On 8 June, we are at the exact halfway mark of the major 8-year Venus transit over the face of the Sun that takes place between June 2004 and June 2012. In June 2004 there was much media interest in Venus’s passage being visible (as a tiny black dot) across the Sun and it will be the same in June 2012. At the current halfway point in June 2008, Venus is on the other side of the Sun and therefore her passage is not visible, yet her message is still potent. Venus embodies the feminine principle and during this 8-year transit we are encouraged to reassess, reclaim and revalue the role of the feminine. This month, marking Venus at the midpoint of her cycle, is the perfect time to foster the feminine qualities of patience, empathy, listening, reflecting and nurturing. It’s also important to honour being in process with life, moving one-step-at-a-time through our daily experiences and being truly present in each moment. The way to be truly present is to be embodied - in our bodies - because our bodies are always communicating our emotions to us and the truth of our inner needs.
In addition, between 12 and 24 June, Mars and the South Node travel together, asking us to let go of any masculine qualities that no longer serve us. Certainly impatience, rushing, forcing, attacking, being self-interested and selfish are particularly unpleasant masculine qualities. Yet when Mars comes together with the South Node we are encouraged to understand why these qualities evolved, and the core of the matter is that our negative Mars qualities tend to flare when survival needs are at stake. Given humanity’s experiences of war, droughts, floods and other disasters, it’s no wonder the negative masculine easily erupts. It’s an energy that ensures personal survival, and the survival of those of our ‘tribe’. Throughout June, the Venus energy helps us feel compassion towards these Mars expressions, yet the South Node warns that it’s also time to let them go. If you find yourself in any negative masculine circumstances, e.g. fighting and selfishness, bring in some of the Venus qualities of patience and understanding to create a healthy balance. Do keep in mind that compassion does not mean having to accept or allow destructive behaviour.
Essentially the Mars and South Node alignment is saying ‘no more war’. All of us are recovering from wars of one kind or another. Whether it’s wars in our relationships or literal wars that ourselves or our family have lived through or the wars that are going on globally and affect us through the news and in our hearts. While Venus is behind the Sun, she is bringing light to the dark and helping us all find gentle yet firm ways to not only say ‘no’ to war but also to find co-operative avenues forward.
The Full Moon on 19 June (at 28 degrees Sagittarius) is right on top of the Galactic Centre. Soon after on 21 June, the Winter Solstice also aligns closely with the Galactic Centre. These are a reminders that the personal choices we make about the use of the masculine and feminine affect the evolution of humanity. Both full moons and solstices bring in strongly the energy of Sun (masculine) and Moon (feminine) and when aligned with the Galactic Centre (the ‘womb’ of our galaxy) we are called to let die negative expressions of both masculine and feminine, while also evolving their positive expressions for the benefit of humanity. Being in Sagittarius, the Full Moon celebrates the explorer energy and motivates us to ‘go where no one has gone before’ by experimenting with new solutions to old problems. It also encourages us to use some generous doses of fun, play and adventure. It’s important not to lose our senses of humour, but it’s also important to use humour appropriately - not to prematurely laugh off difficulties. Our Sagittarian energy will go to waste if we use it to avoid what needs to be faced, rather than to help lighten and bring fresh energy to tough circumstances. The Sagittarius Full Moon also inspires us to celebrate how far we’ve come this year, as 2008 has not necessarily been a bed of roses so far.
The month ends with Mercury going Direct on 20 June and Uranus shifting Retrograde on the 27th. These two planets were prominent at the start of June, and they are also prominent at the end. Yet this time round their energy is a little smoother. When Mercury heads forward, relating, communicating and moving from A to B become easier, and with Uranus Retro, the accelerated rate of change is likely to slow down enough to give us a chance to integrate all the new things in our lives.
Ironically at the winter solstice, it’s traditional to celebrate the return of the light. Although in the depths of winter, the solstice marks the day of the year when we have least light, but every day after that the light increases until, before we know it, we’re in the midst of the summer season.