Mercury Retrograde in Gemini June 7th - July 1st Mercury begins its second retrograde period in 2014 - this time in the sign Gemini. As always the days before and after it begins and ends this apparent backward motion are days to be mindful of. Communications may be unclear and result in misunderstandings. Check and re-check anything you may have to sign or any travel arrangements you have already made. If possible, put off anything which needs to have the finer details in order. If you cannot put it off then be prepared to have some set backs or mishaps along the way. They may not happen but, as we know from Mercury's retrograde periods, they are also very likely. Apart from that this retrograde period has a lot of strength and we can enjoy the days and weeks of June busily reflecting and catching up. The areas of your life Mercury represents have a more introspective feel and a need to review and reassess. Gemini is more pronounced, not only because of its transit here, but also owing to the fact that Mercury rules this sign. Gemini represents communication, interaction and the media so a busy month is ahead with regards to reprocessing and reviewing our social networks. With Mars placed in Mercury's other sign, Virgo, it allows us to chip away at the finer details while our minds reflect on such matters. You may be looking back over the last year of your life, in order to see how you have benefited from a more meaningful approach to this area of your life. In July of last year Mercury also moved retrograde in Gemini, so it may assist you to look back to this time to see where the insights were gained, and continue to be of great assistance. Full Moon in Scorpio June 13th The Moon reaches its fullest at 04.12 UT on June 13th. This occurs at the end of the sign Scorpio, in the lunar sign known as Jyeshta. This sign is symbolized by a talisman and represents access to hidden knowledge. Mercury rules this sign and is currently placed in Gemini, bringing more intrigue as it retrogrades in the sign during this full Moon in Scorpio. The mental and emotional body can become a little stressed while the Moon is in Scorpio, and this can be heightened by the fullness of feeling the full Moon brings. Step out of these sometimes intense feelings by exercising the body - the fastest way I know to getting out of the mind! Though ultimately the mind develops strength in Scorpio, this is only arrived at once the depths of despair are reached. You may wish to give yourself some negative thinking as an indulgence - as to what may or may not go wrong - but balance this need with some cheer and good company. It doesn't help to avoid how you are feeling, but equally it doesn't help to indulge a negative feeling too much either. Sun in Gemini June 15th - July 15th The Sun enters Mercury's playful sign Gemini by July 15th and lights up this area. Gemini represents interaction. It's Sanskrit name is Mithuna, which is derived from Maithuna, translated as ' sexual intercourse'. The sexual appetites and interests in connecting with one another often reach a height by mid-summer. Our hobbies and interests, as well as our travel plans, can really take off at this time of year. A festival is a great way to get out there and meet with others during the Sun's transit to Gemini in the summer. Venus in Taurus June 18th - July 13th Venus moves out of harms way by June 18th and we are spared the harshness that its transit through Aries brought about. Venus is now well placed in its own sign Taurus and for the latter part of June and first half of July. This bodes well for our relations in general and gives the Sun's playful jaunt through Gemini an added sense of enjoyment and pleasure seeking. As an earth-dominant sign, Taurus represents a more practical representation of art, love, pleasure and happiness. Do, make or be, all that you can in order to make this transit as joyful as possible! Jupiter in Cancer June 19th 2014 - July 14th 2015 Jupiter enters its sign of exaltation on June 19th, where it will be placed for the following year. This brings a great sense of connection to what grants us a sense of peace and contentment, beyond the need for stimulation in the world. Family, community, food and the home, all benefit from this transit. This period of time would be good to feel a connection to the family and community around you, as opposed to an often fictitious community online. Put away your social media and online chat as you connect with those around you who also feel the need to connect. Oftentimes the internet can bring those far away closer, and if this is your experience then Jupiter's transit in Cancer can deepen those connections. However, it can also bring those that are close, further away. If this is the case then you may consider spending less time online and spending more time with those around you who care for and nurture you. Cancer also represents a specific area in each of our lives, as well as the other signs Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces, which it influences while in the sign. Below are just a few example of how Jupiter's blessings in Cancer may influence each rising sign , as seen in the sidereal zodiac. All of the indications are greatly tempered by the position and strength of Jupiter in your personal horoscope. The signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces will particularly benefit from this transit.
This transit is not without some restraint, however, so let us not get too carried away with false hope and optimism. I prefer the term 'attentive optimism'. For the first few months of Jupiter's transit to Cancer, the planet of restriction, Saturn, influences the planet of expansion, Jupiter. This influence of restriction and expansion creates a pulsation when it influences the same sign - in this case Cancer until November and then Scorpio and Capricorn after November 2nd. This can then create something very meaningful and long-lasting in these areas of our lives, but not without some initial reservations. Jupiter no longer influences Saturn in Libra, and therefore no longer calms the continued fight for equality, leading to an intense period by mid-July and into late summer. Instead we have Saturn influencing Jupiter until November, bringing a sense of limitation to what is hoped for and what we can achieve from our ideals. What happens when we have risen up in your life in order to better ourselves? Oftentimes we are then met with the niggling voices in our heads that have always put us right back down again. It is then we realize that is was not the ruler, the party, the government, the parent, the boss or anyone else who may have kept us down. They were not the real culprits. It is always our own sense of inadequacy. Jupiter in Cancer helps us to reach beyond our own inadequacies and connect with one another in a more meaningful way. Solstice June 21st The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere occurs at 10.51 UT on June 21st. For those on the northern hemisphere the day is the longest of the year, marking it out as relative mid-day experience for the year. The southern hemisphere experiences this as the shortest day of the year and a relative midnight experience. Both are experienced as a change in the Sun's direction and the day itself is best used to acknowledge this, as well as the many other key changes occurring for the second part of 2014. New Moon in Gemini June 27th
The new Moon occurs at 08.09 UT on June 27th at 11 degrees of Gemini and the lunar sign known as Ardra. The energy dips for the new Moon and, as the Moon is placed in a turbulent lunar sign just as Mercury slows its course in order to station direct in a few days time, it creates some stress for our mental and emotional bodies. The added influence of Mercury in Gemini can bring too much for the mind to process, both mentally and emotionally. However, there is always a silver lining. Actually this is not simply a silver lining, but a bolt of lightening! Jupiter is now placed in the Moon's sign Cancer until July 2015. This means that the Moon is hosting a powerful Jupiter for the following year, bringing a much needed sense of connection to one another and peace of mind. OM TAT SAT |