Full Moon in Scorpio Partial Lunar Eclipse Jun 5 Mars conjunct Neptune Jun 13 Mars enters Pisces Jun 18 Mercury stations Retrograde Jun 18 Solstice Jun 20 New Moon in Gemini Annular Solar Eclipse Jun 21 Neptune stations Retrograde Jun 23 Jupiter & Pluto re-enter Sagittarius Jun 30 Venus combustion May 29 - Jun 17 Venus is exactly conjunct the Sun's degree on Jun 3. Mars casts its exact aspect on Venus and the Sun at this time, also. This means Venus will be feeling the heat, and a need for more purification, as well as the possibility of feeling spent through overindulgence, which is, I guess, one way to purify ourselves! You know how it goes, you overdo it and then promise yourself you'll never do it again! Maybe that's just me :) Venus is about to step into the fires of purification, to be processed. This includes our relationship to luxury and comfort as this occurs in the lunar mansion Rohiṇī. One of the symbols of the sign is a carriage, the modern equivalente being the car. Anything luxurious and comfortable is highlighted here though. Cars are just one of those things which make our lives more comfortable. Our relationship to comforts is about to go through a process, with many insights up for grabs. Here are some questions you may be asking: What do I value? In others? In myself? Do I feel appreciated? Do I appreciate? What's important to me in a relationship? What have I to offer someone else? What would I like offered to me? Full Moon in Scorpio Partial Lunar Eclipse Jun 5 The Moon is full in its sign of debilitation, Scorpio, and in the lunar mansion Jyeṣṭhā at the end of the sign, opposite a retrograde Venus in Taurus. All is well. Yes. All is well. All is not, as well. The Scorpio full Moon and eclipse balances out the tendency to overindulge the Taurus impulse for comforts, e.g. comfort eating, with a need to get out of our comfort zone for a while. The eclipse occurs at 21 degrees of sidereal Scorpio. Jyeṣṭhā is translated as 'elder' and anyone with the sign prominent, either rising Moon or planets placed within, are known for being an elder or expert in something. The issue with this sign is that of wanting to try to control everything. It is ruled by the chief of the gods, Indra, who was always worried about staying in control. I feel I can write about this having this sign rising in my chart. I've spent my life attempting to understand some of the mysteries of life and how to manage the 'darker' aspects, either through secret knowledge or practices, or by delving deep and challenging myself through various means. I won't go into all that here - Scorpios are secretive, you know - but I will say that the journey is challenging and rewarding in equal measures. Scorpio forces us out of our comfort zones. If we only stay within these, we never grow. When we challenge ourselves or are challenged by others, or life events, we develop emotional strength. Mars is the planet of strength which rules the sign. While the Moon is certainly challenged transiting here, the ultimate goal is strength. Remind yourself of that during this full Moon and partial eclipse, which will probably ramp up the fear and uncertainty. This full Moon and partial lunar eclipse will give us insights into these dynamics, between 'going there' and staying safe. For timings for the eclipse in your locale, click here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2020-june-5 Mars conjunct Neptune Jun 13 Mars comes into exact conjunction with Neptune mid-month, fueling some interesting, albeit confusing, events around this time. The fact that this is experienced in the lead up to the eclipse, which has an influence on Mars, is even more interesting. Now, you know you don't want to hear the word 'interesting' from an astrologer! June certainly makes things interesting, but it challenges us to adjust, to make sense of things. Neptune and Mars do not mix well - like water and oil, or perhaps a lava lamp! You can end up staring at those things for ages, but where did the time go! Neptune is vague, sometimes, even fantastical. Mars is direct. At least, it always wants to be. Mixing these two impulses up together can lead to a lack of a clear route forward, as we fantasise about what is possible, or are offered vague details. Keep your mind open to the possibility of being led astray, too, or leading yourself down some circuitous routes before you find your way back to reality. Mars enters Pisces Jun 18 As soon as Mars is done with Neptune in Aquarius, which ramps up the energy but sends it into spirals, both up and down, it plunges into the mystical realms of Pisces for a swim. Picture one of those spiral slides into a swimming pool. If you've ever used them, you'll know the temporary feeling of confusion when hitting the water, not knowing where up is, before resurfacing again. This is what the next few months is all about. There are some pointers to keep us on track, thankfully. Like those buoys swimmers use when swimming out at sea, Mars gives a certain amount of direction in the vastness of the sea, as it is aspected by Saturn. The points is: Mars is direct. It's the part of us that wants to get from A to B as quickly as possible. Pisces is vast. It takes in every little thing, every possibility, every feeling, ours and others, absorbs it all, and this sends us swimming in all directions. Mars doesn't particularly like this - but at least it is swimming! Mars in Pisces does at least like the sense that there is freedom and many possibilities. Saturn's aspect to Pisces helps keeping us in line somewhat. Perhaps by putting enough buoys around to be clear about where we can and cannot venture. The obvious example of this will be lines we have to stay within when lockdowns continue to ease. But the Mars part of us is like a young child wanting its freedom to go where it wants. There is a period of negotiation that is about to test our boundaries, and everyone will not want to, or be able to, stay in line. This is Mars' first plunge in here, as it will return to Pisces by Oct 4 as it retrogrades back from Aries. It won't leave Pisces until Dec 24. And its retrograde transit as it returns to Pisces, especially between Oct 4 and when it goes direct on Nov 14, will test our patience, our ability to roam about freely. A phase of free movement will likely begin by mid-Aug, but we will soon get catch up in some red tape again by the time Mars retrogrades on Sep 10. So, really we are not going to feel completely clear on where we are going and what we should be doing until the end of the year. What to do? Make the most of all that is possible, taking in as many daydreams and meandering as possible, adding it into the mix, creating something that you would have otherwise overlooked. Mercury Retrograde in Gemini Jun 18 - Jul 12 Mercury is conjunct the Sun on Jun 30, the mid-way point in the retrograde cycle which so happens to coincide with the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction and their re-entry into Sagittarius. With both planets of intelligence in less straightforward and obscured positions, you don't have to a genius to see this has the potential for confusing discussions around this time. June is going to be very confusing. There are just too many things happening which offer up many different possibilities and no clear way forward. The eclipses, Mars' conjunction with Neptune and now Mercury's retrograde along with Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune, as Jupiter and Pluto re-enter Sagittarius. If you were planning on travelling, well ... I don't think I need to elaborate on that possibility. But if you were, make sure to pack for all reasons. Keep an open mind throughout, as Mercury transits back through Gemini by the end of the month, bringing us back over recent events, with an added sense of bewilderment. Whatever area of your life you experience Gemini is about to go through some big changes this summer and into the autumn. Don't resist them. They need to happen. They will help you evolve and move forward eventually. The usual precautions for Mercury retrograde stand: listen more, speak less. Spend more time reflecting on things and reviewing things than trying to move on with new things. And keep your sense of humour close by. Solstice Jun 20 This year, the Solstice is marked by an eclipse, bringing something to light, on the one hand, while obscuring something else, on the other. There's always a certain amount of give and take with the eclipses. Something has to give; in that, something has to change. Nothing wrong with that, of course. If we didn't change, we would stagnate and die. Change is necessary. But as much as we know that's the case, we also struggle with it. The Solstice, winter or summer, is a time to pay attention to the shift in the year; the Sun's northerly or southerly path having come to an end, as it appears to stand still and slowly turn to move in the opposite direction. We can do the same: Stand still. Change direction. It's that point we feel when moving our bodies in a certain direction and the floating feeling of halthing before shifting around, turning to face another direction. Use this time to re-orientate yourself as this year's turnaround is obscured by the eclipse of the Sun, marking this out as a pivotal time of change in a pivotal year. New Moon in Gemini Annular Solar Eclipse Jun 21 The Sun is conjunct the north node on Jun 19, making this pretty much a full eclipse, what is referred to as an annular eclipse. This is when the Moon does line up with the Sun but it doesn't block it out completely; leaving a ring around the Moon. Either way, this a full on eclipse and new Moon, a special new beginning at the turning point of the year. All that sounds good because we need things to start turning around. Although they will take some time to completely turn around and resolve themselves, this marks the beginning of a change we very much need to balance out the last dreadful eclipse. This new Moon and eclipse occurs in the lunar sign Mṛgaśīrṣā, a section of the zodiac ruled by the god Soma, the Moon god which brings healing to the fore. It is symbolized by a deer's head, which represents a roaming quality, the curious and innocent nature of the deer, roaming around, searching. Eclipses obscure things, of course, but they can also bring to light certain things that were previously hidden. The most obvious thing I can think of in relation to this eclipse is the search for a cure for the virus, as Soma represents cures and substances which alter one's consciousness. This could also point to problems with same, as eclipses obscure certain things, while revealing other things. Something should be revealed around this time, but as Mercury is retrograde until mid-July we may not be clear about it right away. But at least this points to a new beginning in our search. For timings for the eclipse in your locale, click here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2020-june-21 Neptune stations Retrograde Jun 23 Neptune is the next in a long line up of planets to go retrograde this year - all of them, in fact. Neptune's retrograde is not as troublesome as Mercury's, because we may not even be aware of it. Most people are not aware of the 'outer planets' anyway. But there they are, all the same, transiting further out, reflecting something deeper within. Neptune continues to slowly turnaround in Aquarius, a sign that is not very clear on boundaries anyway, as it further dissolves and confuses issues, pushing the limit of what is possible. Make sure you check in with yourself as to what is real and possibile versus what is unreal and improbable. The upside of this is we can get clear about it in the long run, by testing it out in the short term. If something is possible, make it happen. Make your dreams a reality. If it is not at all possible, move on and find another ideal situation to work on. Jupiter & Pluto re-enter Sagittarius Jun 30 Jupiter and Pluto are never far away from each other in 2020. They have already come into exact conjunction in April, and now, as they both re-enter Sagittarius, they come into exact conjunction again, on Jun 30. This conjunction, and transition into a sign they have already left, is pause for concern and relief, in equal measures. Jupiter's exit out of its sign of debilitation is cause for relief, but its conjunction with Pluto is more complicated. Pluto continues to dissolve any clear way forward as yet. Jupiter is truth. Pluto brings things out from the shadows, from the unconscious. It changes something into something else, or as astrologers point out, 'it makes big things small, and small things big'. This could be taking down things we previously relied upon, such as when it conjoined Saturn in January this year, representing structures. Now that is meets with Jupiter again, as they move signs, Jupiter is dissolved again, i.e. faith in something greater, in any sense of order, as big things are made small and small things made big. This has been evident since March. Jupiter represents the economy, for example. Enough said about that, I guess. But Jupiter and Pluto's conjunction also points to bringing others up that were down, or bringing things up that were previously hidden. Examples of this are those we used to take for granted being given their dues, such as healthcare professionals, the service industry and care home workers. Pluto brings to light things that were hidden, such as viruses, and shows more deaths, but it also brings to light more knowledge about illness and death, and more potential for breakthroughs and cures. We have already seen a blood test that has been developed which can diagnosis 50 types of cancer and offers early treatment, but it hasn't made the news a lot because of being overshadowed by the virus. Again, this is Pluto's nature; to bring some things to light, while hiding other things. In terms of the economy, I think it's has a lot more ups and downs as a result of this continued conjunction, which lasts until the end of the year. Jupiter gathers strength in Sagittarius, so there is some relief in the late summer and in autumn, but as soon as Jupiter returns to Capricorn, its sign of weakness, after it conjoins Pluto by exact degree for one last time this year, in November, we are likely to experience yet another drop in the economy, which I can only surmise that will come about with another wave of the virus. Even if it doesn't play out that way, there is something else on the way by November which will send the economy into a downward spiral again. Many commentators are already pointing to a second wave of the virus, so it is not a stretch to say that November is the beginning of the next wave and the subsequent fallout which doesn't lift until Jupiter makes it to Aquarius by April 2021. Even then, Jupiter returns to Capricorn for a 3rd time by Sep 14, 2021, before finally leaving its weakness on Nov 20, 2021. This suggests the timeline for recovery, either from the virus, the economy, or both. Waves of the virus and death toll may continue to take their toll on our sense of hope and optimism, and the economy, until the end of 2021. Pluto will return to Capricorn on the last day of 2020, and as it re-enters the sign we are likely to see things fall apart again - so they can be rebuilt anew, eventually. OM TAT SAT |