Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice — Extended Family

"He believes too much, and he knows too much. That's what we call mad."

— Theodore Roethke

This week begins with the Sun's arrival into Cancer — the Summer Solstice. The Moon reaches Libra about 12 hours after the Solstice, marking the 1st Quarter lunar phase. The activated 1st Quarter Moon forms an intellectually stimulating Grand Air Trine with Uranus and Pluto that is followed up by an opposition to Neptune. We reach important breakthroughs in our pursuit of the 'intellectual/emotional integration' that has been required in order to make the most of the current lunar cycle that began with last Sunday's Gemini New Moon (7:53 PM PDT 24° Gemini). The Sun's arrival into Cancer helps to integrate the 'intellectual curiosity' of the lunar cycle with the emotional security concerns that are drawing our focus as Mercury slows down to turn retrograde in Cancer (retrograding from June 29 - July 23). This year's Cancer Sun begins to offer extraordinary opportunities for personal development and the 'raising of our consciousness' through the recognition of an expanding, all-encompassing sense of what we see as 'family', encouraging us to include broader connections to a Global Consciousness. The intellectual curiosity and need for intellectual/emotional integration involved in this lunar cycle is providing us with opportunities to prepare for increasingly dramatic shifts and new insights that are already beginning to 'heat up'. In essence, we are enjoying a preparatory period this week — a prelude to what will be unfolding over the next several months. The preparatory 'Overture' of this summer's 'High Octane Production' reaches a crescendo this Thursday with a Venus-Saturn trine. Venus moves out of the 'hot zone' that is being activated by the outer planets — Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto — to find a bit of stability in the trine to Saturn. Venus and Saturn are offering us some elements of stability to make use of in order to prepare for what is now just over the horizon. It is important to note that the Sun squares Neptune on the same day as the Venus-Saturn trine, which is likely to produce challenges when we try to actively communicate our insights or work productively with others in order to make the most of the stabilizing opportunities. To some degree at least, simply 'knowing what we know' may need to be enough for the moment. We shouldn't recklessly go 'too far out on a limb' to proclaim what we believe we know to those who simply don't have 'ears to hear' what we're trying to say. Mars reaches the last degree of Taurus to sextile Jupiter at the last degree of Cancer by the end of the week. The Mars-Jupiter sextile marks an end phase of many of our outworn old belief structures, as well as the end of the preparation period that we are being offered this week. This aspect suggests a significant turning point, ahead of next Monday's Capricorn Full Moon (4:56 PM PDT 8° Capricorn/Cancer) which will coincide with the retrograde station of Mercury. Mars will reach Gemini — heading towards an explosive, electrifying conjunction with Uranus — just before Monday's Full Moon. Jupiter makes an even more momentous ingress into Leo just after the Full Moon, heading towards the highly charged 'hot zone' activated by the outer planets. As this week ends, there is significantly more intuitive insight than solid, clear, or 'actionable' information. Nonetheless, there is no escaping the feeling that 'a dam is about to break'. Essentially, the time for preparation comes to an end this week and the 'Main Show' of the Summer is laid out inevitably before us.

We reach important breakthroughs in our pursuit of 'intellectual/emotional integration' on Sunday. There are extraordinary opportunities for personal development, offering the 'raising of consciousness' through the recognition of an expanding, all-encompassing sense of what we see as 'family'. We may face somewhat of a let down on Monday. However, there are important new 'tools' available that can help us to implement our insights with tangible actions. We aren't likely to find many 'openings' on Tuesday, leading us to perhaps take a step back or otherwise 'reduce our exposure' to outside pressure or questions. While for some, this may feel like self-doubt or even 'giving up', this atmosphere is broadly encouraging us to take some time to reflect and not act with too much haste. There are strong inclinations to take definitive action on Wednesday. However, we should be very careful with any attempts to 'draw broad conclusions' without fully confirming all of our facts and the depth of our support. We face the challenge on Thursday of 'knowing more than we can do anything about'. To some degree at least, simply 'knowing what we know' may need to be enough for the moment. The atmosphere on Friday is 'charged' with a great deal of expansive energy aimed at 'connecting the dots' between a myriad of intellectual insights. There are also emotional elements involved in these powerful intellectual connections. Saturday's energy stirs more intuitive insight than solid, clear, or 'actionable' information. Nonetheless, there is no escaping the feeling that 'a dam is about to break' in the very near future.