Current Transits for June 2001 Current Transits for June 2001Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Chiron conjunct the Galactic Center, 6-2
Juno enters Gemini, 6-2
Mercury Retrograde, 6-3 to 6-28
Full Moon at 15Sa26, 6-5
Koz Quake, 6-14
Jupiter trioctile Neptune, 6-14
Jupiter trine Uranus, 6-19
Pallas reenters Scorpio, 6-21
New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse at 0Cn10, 6-21
Jupiter Opposite Chiron, 6-22
Saturn Trine Neptune, 6-25
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
The long, sluggish period of the last 4 months is coming to a dramatic end. We haven't seen such astrological action all year. Besides a large number of big aspects and other events, there's a towering planetary storm pattern at mid-month that peaks out in the Koz Quake level, an intensity we haven't felt in over three years! And just to keep us on our toes, Mercury is retrograde most of the month, making us rely more on intuition than well thought-out plans. Needless to say, if you've been feeling stuck for a long time, this energy may be what you need to get moving again. The planets that are talking now are generally beneficial ones. The energy may be intense, but it's on your side. Enjoy the ride!
Sometime around the 1st or 2nd (the time isn't very exact), Chiron backs up past the Galactic Center for the 2nd time. I first started discussing this influence last February, during the first contact on 2-14 (the last contact is 11-10). This is apparently a big initiatory influence for more advanced souls, particularly if you have some natal planets near 26 degrees of Sagittarius. For most people, however, this may pass without a discernable ripple, since GC energy is beyond the range that most people respond to. This is actually a 3 body conjunction, since Mars is also here, so there are overtones of discovering masculine energies or a more assertive approach to life. The key is learning to stand up for yourself in a balanced and healthy manner. It's also important to choose wisely what you wish to stand for, since the GC operates in a very otherworldly, spiritual dimension. We are tuning into something much bigger than our usual mundane concerns, and it demands we face up to our spiritual responsibilities. Chiron is helping us perceive this new realm, and once you see it, there's no turning back. The energy of this triple conjunction will be a big piece of the Koz Quake pattern coming up.
Juno moves into Gemini on the 2nd. Juno rules close partnerships between equals. When she moves into Gemini, it's a good opportunity to discuss the issues that are getting between you and your partners. Very often, just clearing the air about the small stuff will greatly improve the overall health of the relationship. Bigger issues can also be addressed, but make sure the discussion is constructive and non-blaming, aimed at solving problems instead of scoring points over the other person. Above all, the solution must be fair and even-handed if Juno is to be satisfied. If she feels slighted or taken advantage of, Juno tends to retaliate with rage and jealousy. It may be a petty way of striking out, but sometimes that's the only way open to someone who feels belittled or victimized. It's a good time to monitor your language, not just what you say, but how you say it. If you're short or snippish with your partners, it's a sign that you're not taking them seriously. Eventually an attitude like that will boomerang on you, so reassess it now. There is sometimes a tendency for people to become emotionally distant now, as the trend is to be in your head, not your heart. Don't let your relationships become just a game for you. It's a challenge to be authentic these days. Juno enters Cancer on July 24.
Mercury stops in the sky at 29Gm58 (right at the tail-end of Gemini!) on the night of the 3rd-4th (depending on your timezone), starting a 3+ week period of reverse motion. It stands still a second time on the 27th-28th, at 21Gm16, before resuming normal motion. Mercury is the "thinking mind" part of the psyche, the part that plans, talks, analyzes and pretends to understand things. And when Mercury is moving backwards, it invariably seems that the thinking mind heads south. This is not a good time for intellectual activity, at least the kind where you need to see results right away. Curiously, if you're not under the gun to make snap decisions, these cycles can work in your favor. The art of delayed decisions is tricky, since it can often lead to waffling and inaction, but this is a time when it's downright useful. Watch your thought processes as you approach any topic or issue now, without coming to any conclusions. In time, you can begin to see the well-worn ruts, deadening habits, and limited perspectives that your mind falls into, that keep you from being truly creative. We are trapped by these habits into seeing the world in an overly simplistic manner. When you look at things with these blinders on, eventually you'll make some whopper of a miscalculation. Only with Mercury retrograde, these boners are more likely to happen than usual. Keep an eye open for when you back yourself into a corner like this, then consciously try to look at things from a fresh perspective. This is where the delayed decision is important -- if you haven't committed yourself irrevocably to a course of action, you can at least change your mind when you say "Oops!" Look at June as a time to reevaluate your mental tools, trying on novel approaches and off-beat points of view. Come July, when the thinking mind is more stable, you can act on the best of these ideas, not just the habitual ones.
The full moon chart hints at a lot of change, though perhaps not in a straightforward fashion. There are 10 mutable planets here (5 in Gemini, 5 in Sagittarius), making the current situation very fluid. Mental outlooks and beliefs are particularly prone to revision now, as you can see deeper into circumstances than you usually do. Those old ways of thinking don't do justice to the subtleties you're encountering now, making it hard to avoid a major "re-think" of your positions. It's important to be openly communicating with partners the next few weeks. As points of view shift, it's crucial to touch bases with each other and maintain a workable middle ground in common if you're not to drift apart. Just be aware that "cheap talk" won't cut it now. You have to be genuine and sharing at the feeling-intuition level, especially since Mercury retrograde makes mere words less effective. Cultivate a sense of optimism. The changes that are happening have great potential in the future. If you can see past current limitations, see past the road blocks you've placed in your own way, who knows where it will take you.
Just before midnight, the storm tops out at 606 units, a low Koz Quake. This is the strongest waveform we've seen since March '98 -- so don't be caught off guard by this one! The intensity level in your life is turned all the way to "high" for a few days here. The current planetary configuration is a harsh (45 degrees) fan-shaped grouping consisting of Mars, Chiron, Neptune, Moon, Venus, Sun, Jupiter, and Mercury, with an assist from Uranus -- a sizable part of the entire solar system. With so many planets active, this is a very complex influence. It's both powerful and subtle by turns, with much potential to throw a few monkeywrenches into your plans. Relationships may be strongly affected. It's also the start of all the big aspects this month, meaning old stories are coming to a close and new chapters beginning. All in all, this is one heck of a pattern. Get ready for the ride!
Jupiter is trioctile Neptune on the 14th, a quick single-pass contact. These two planets are rarely outright negative in their influence, so I don't expect this to be a difficult contact, especially since it's so fleeting in effect. However, this can be a time of confusion. Jupiter represents our connections with the outer world, while Neptune is the connections between things that exist on the inner planes. Trioctiles signify a subtle form of disjointedness that is much harder to pin down than an outright conflict. Somehow, the inner and outer worlds are just not speaking the same message. It can manifest in any number of ways, as well, making it still harder to understand. Often, your heart is telling you one thing, but the outer circumstances of your life are driving you in a different direction. It's up to you to decide on the best path, where to compromise and where to stand true. It can also be that influences around you are pushing you to reevaluate long held dreams and ideals that have out-lived their usefulness. In short, it's time to bring the everyday realities of your life into alignment with your inner path. The difficulties encountered now are only a mirror of how off the mark you are.
Jupiter is trine Uranus on the 19th, another quick single-pass contact. This aspect should provide a little clarity that Neptune sorely lacks. Uranus is the planet of "Aha!", that sudden, electric bolt of insight that allows you to see matters in a whole new light. Since trines are notoriously constructive and helpful (to the point of inducing laziness sometimes), the disruptions experienced now will likely turn out for the best in the long run. It may be uncomfortable at times, as your most cherished assumptions about life are turned on their heads, but a fresh breeze is helpful every now and then. Look for those unexpected twists and turns in your path, as events nudge you down a path you didn't even know existed. Court new ideas and points of view; rely on your intuition more than rote thinking. It's a good time to climb out of those deadening ruts that we all fall into from time to time, without it hurting so much. Above all, this is a lively influence, so get out there and bogey!
Pallas backs up from Sagittarius into Scorpio on the 21st, as part of its retrograde cycle. When a body backs up from one sign to the previous one like this, it makes me think there's some unfinished business here to attend to. Pallas deals with mental and intuitive insight into a matter, a vision that sees the whole issue in its entireity from start to finish. In Scorpio, the focus is on unconscious or emotional issues, the kind of psychic roadblocks that subtly hold back your development. It produces a very penetrating form of insight into the "behind the scenes" motivations that rule our behavior, even though most people fail to see it. One trick with Pallas here -- she tends to be cut off from her feelings anyway. It may be a bit tough for her to see this emotional blindspot (why else would she be retrograde here?). But given her connection with Pluto this year, it's very important to mend this split. Pallas reenters Sagittarius on Aug 16.
Just a few hours after the summer solstice, there's a solar eclipse. It's visible in the southern hemisphere only, with a shadow that starts off South America, crosses the Atlantic, the southern part of Africa (including many sensitive political areas!), and finishes off in the Indian Ocean. While not visible in the USA, it will certainly have an effect on us. This is also the tail end of the planetary storm -- the waveform is already badly broken up. This makes it tough to divide the planets up into groups, since there aren't many sizeable groups to speak of.
Eclipses are usually a wakeup call, as they kick off a period of change that affects the next 6-12 months. There are a lot of mental planets in the main grouping of this chart, so it's vital to reassess any ideas that are limiting you now. The eclipse point itself is in Cancer, the sign of family and a sense of belonging. This stimulates the emotions and the attachments we feel to people and situations, for good or bad. Perhaps it's time to back off from these connections and learn to stand on your own; maybe you need to rely on others more. I don't think either extreme is the entire answer, so you'll need to experiment around here. You'll know which situations require which solution by the emotions that arise. If it feels supportive, continue on. But if you feel restricted or imposed on, if there are misunderstandings with people, a change in course is indicated. Don't be in a hurry to overturn everything, however -- it may take some months to sort everything out. Let your feelings guide you.
Jupiter is opposite Chiron on the 22nd for the 1st of 3 times. The next contacts are on 2002-2-10 and 2002-4-18, so we're looking at a 10 month long influence. Still more Jupiter news -- he's a key player all month. Chiron, on the other hand, points to where your energy is bound up and hidden away. Typically, it's where your natural expression has been so put down or unsupported that you learned to hide it away instead. Later in life, when the sum of all these accumulated wounds has become too great a burden, we finally get the courage to look at all this painful stuff and bring it back into the open. Opposite Jupiter, he's saying to look at all the ways we prevent ourselves from connecting with the outer world. Notice where your natural enthusiasm and joy in living seems stifled or repressed, where the "juice" in life is gone, where it seems you just can't make any progress. Very often, these are areas where we sabotage our own actions, making it impossible to connect with help from the world around us. These blockages can be removed, but only if you go within and find the part of yourself that believes such support is impossible. Usually, you'll just find a very hurt kid that just needs some reassurance so it can play again. Start the work now -- you've got a long process ahead of you.
Finally, Saturn is trine Neptune on the 25th, also the 1st of 3 contacts. The other contacts are 2002-1-23 and 2002-4-1. Saturn and Neptune are very different planets, expressing influences from opposite ends of the spectrum. Saturn is about rigid forms and structures, very concrete and down to earth concerns. Neptune is about the oneness and connections behind the separate forms, an otherworldly place of dreams and illusions. It's hard to imagine these two working together. In fact, during difficult aspects like the square (which came in 98-99), it is hard to make them work together. But this is an easy-going trine -- somehow it all fits together. I suspect that the next 10 months are an excellent time to take your dreams seriously and bring them down to earth. Imagination and emotion are tools to fire up your ability to bring ideas into the world, to marshall the forces needed to make it happen. Saturn also supplies the hard work needed to pull it off -- I don't think Neptune could be bothered to do it alone. Start by defining what that dream is, what you want to see show up in your life. Be very concrete. It may take a number of months before you even get this far, but when you can see it, you can make it appear. The results will appear in good time.