Current Transits for June 2004 Current Transits for June 2004Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Full Moon at 12Sa55, 6-2
Jupiter Trioctile Chiron, 6-5
Venus Transit of the Sun, 6-8
Uranus Retrograde Station at 6Pi48, 6-10
Pallas enters Cancer, 6-15
New Moon at 26Gm57, 6-17
Mars enters Leo,6-23
Saturn Quincunx Neptune, 6-24
Venus Direct Station at 9Gm39, 6-29
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
It looks like the energies are having trouble figuring out what direction they're heading in this June. With the exception of two brief storm periods, it seems we're moving down one path one day, and then veering off the next day, making it quite hard to pick up any steam. This chaotic pattern is intensified by the station of Uranus on the 10th. Uranus is a trickster, a known trouble maker, who delights in surprising us and derailing our plans in the most curious ways possible. Since he's standing still, Uranus' influence on us is magnified, making the detours along the way more interesting and important than the original path we set out on. Be flexible and avoid settling into a rut. The new moon on the 17th strikes me as highly significant, although the impact on us may be quite subtle and difficult to put your thumb on. Otherwise, be prepared to travel wherever the wind blows -- Gemini loves to be fleet-footed!
There are a pair each of "big aspects", sign changes and stations in July, so we've got a lot to talk about. Also, Venus' rare transit of the Sun on the 8th is a bit of a wild card. When I refer to the "big Yod" this month, that is the ongoing Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune Yod pattern that has been affecting us all since last fall.
Looking at the waveform for the full moon, it's apparent that the planets are divided up into lots of little factions. However, there is one group that dominates the others, centered around 12 to 15 degrees of each sign. That translates into the full moon and the big Yod this month. Normally, you'd think that Sun in Gemini and Moon in Sagitarrius would be rather light hearted and upbeat, but then you run into that Yod. Notice that Mars and Saturn are still conjunct (what a week that was!), adding a very harsh and demanding tone to these energies. Jupiter is trying to make the best of a difficult situation, while Neptune is trying to make everything into a perfect world that it is not. This is a good opportunity to practice your listening skills, since people are being swayed by beliefs and feelings that seem irrational on the surface. It's hard to make much headway in the presence of so many disruptive cross currents.
Meanwhile, Venus and Pallas are opposite Pluto; Juno, Chiron and Mercury also join into this second group. The normal "feeling reassessment" going on during Venus retrograde is intensified by Pluto's deep unconscious tendencies. The reasons for our malcontent go much deeper than we realize. This is particularly the case in love relationships, where imagined slights can grow into very real fights at the drop of a hat. It's difficult to make sense of the emotional hall of mirrors we face these days. Give others your support and the benefit of the doubt. It takes time and loving acceptance to work all this out.
Jupiter is trioctile Chiron on the 5th for the last of three such contacts. The previous contacts for this aspect were on 2003-8-17 and 2004-4-1. This aspect is a curious one dealing with the way we relate to the world at large and the problems that hold us back. Jupiter is a naturally expansive and optimistic planet, inspiring us to move out and engage the world. Chiron, at one level, represents the problems and attitudes that cause us to hide from others, that make us feel unworthy of enjoying life's bounty. We've all got ways of sabotaging our happiness, of turning away from opportunity. Mostly, it's just old attitudes of self-worth that go back a long ways, perhaps to childhood. In an effort to fit in or garner approval, we hide more and more of our natural individuality away, becoming less alive with each new compromise. There's a big difference between adapting your needs and desires to the environment you're in in a healthy manner, and simply giving in. This aspect has been showing us how we give away our happiness and success to gain a false sense of security. Maybe we haven't got all the kinks out yet, but the experience should make changes easier later on.
Venus is forming what astronomers call a transit of the Sun on the 8th, at 17Gm53. While Venus passes between us and the Sun every 19 months or so (called an inferior conjunction), this time is different. The alignment is so close that Venus appears as a black dot crossing the face of the Sun. These transits typically come in pairs 8 years apart, followed by a century long gap until the next pair. The last transits were in 1874 and 1882, so nobody on the planet today has ever experienced one of these. While I understand the hype about this rare event, I'm not sure if astrologers have more than an educated guess how the transit phenomenon will make this conjunction any different from the more run of the mill variety. For starters, the inferior conjunction is often termed a "New Venus", a start of a new 19 month cycle of emotional development, just like a new moon is the start of a month long cycle of experience. It's a time to look at your emotions, your likes and dislikes, your sense of beauty and pleasure with a fresh eye. Sometimes, even old pleasures have had their day and need to be released. If you find yourself feeling "I don't get a kick from that anymore", it's time to move on. In a sense, a transit is like an eclipse, so maybe this process of emotional shifting is more intense or critical this time around. Keep an open heart about these changes. The next transit is on 2012-6-5, 8 years from now.
Uranus is standing still at 6Pi48 on the 10th, about to start 5 months of reverse motion. It backs up to 2Pi52 by Nov 11 before resuming normal motion. Notice that unlike last year's retrograde cycle, which moved back and forth across the Aquarius-Pisces border, this year's cycle is the first to take place totally in Pisces. When Uranus is backing up, there is typically some deeply held point of view that is totally at odds with current circumstances. We all measure the world and gauge its pulse through the filter of our own point of view, our private outlook on life. When things fit into our preconceptions, life makes sense. But when reality can't be shoehorned into our point of view, life seems crazy, unpredictable and out of control. The trouble isn't the world, but your own tunnel vision. These preconceptions run very deep; most people aren't even aware that they have a point of view in the first place. They simply see reality as it really is, or so they believe. From time to time, we all get stopped in our tracks by life out of control, that is, a world that operates at a level we can't comprehend. This is a reminder to crawl out of our mental ruts and see things from a new perspective. You'd be surprised what kind of blinders we each wear over our vision and not even realize it. Maybe this cycle will deal specifically with more Piscean blindspots, such as the consequences of blind faith and commitment. You can start making the mental shifts now, assimilating rude shocks and surprises as you go along, or you can wait for the world to spin even farther out of control. Uranus has lots of hand grenades to lob at you if you don't get the message. The process is potentially much more fun than I'm making it sound. After all, Uranus also loves a good laugh. Take yourself lightly in coming months...
Pallas moves from Gemini into Cancer on the 15th for 6 weeks until it slips into Leo on Aug 4. Pallas is the planning part of the mind, the part that sizes up a situation and figures out how to get from point A to point B. When she shifts into Cancer, the planning mind comes under the sway of the feelings and emotions. This can actually be a very grounding time. The rational mind can be prone to very extreme positions, since it moves from shaky assumptions to equally questionable conclusions with perfect logic and never questions the outcome. The emotions, a part of the mind that evaluates the world independent of reason, provides a reality check on your thinking. Your conclusions have to feel right in your bones, not just sound right to the head. Feelings can curb the excesses of the mind. We may not always trust our emotions (especially if you haven't learned to use them wisely), but it's great to have such a second opinion. Pallas in Cancer can also promote your more artistic side -- indulge that free spirit in you...
It doesn't take much effort to see how spectacular the new moon chart is -- just look at the waveform . Practically every planet is part of this picture, with the exceptions of Uranus and Pluto. There may be some difficulties and problems on your path, but at least things are moving for a change. This may well be a good time for more mundane projects -- just get them done and out of the way. Curiously, the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are pretty quiet. It's as though the unconscious mind is crawling into a hole and giving us a rest. Don't be fooled, however: these deeper influences will return in their own good time. Meanwhile, the demands of the higher, "spiritual" energies are not very pressing. Maybe. It struck me right away that the new moon degree is directly opposite that mystery point, the Galactic Center (GC). Now many people don't respond (consciously) to the GC, so it may sound like I'm hyping it up, but I find the more I study this point, the more intriguing the story becomes. It represents a higher spiritual influence that makes Pluto look like an amateur. Having all our everyday concerns in this chart facing off against the GC is quite a dichotomy. And such dichotomies often correspond to powerful strains and alignments in the psyche that spring into action with terrific force down the road. Meanwhile, you've got a useful tailwind behind you for the next few days -- put it to use!
Mars moves from Cancer into Leo on the 23rd. He'll stay here until he enters Virgo on Aug 10. What a relief for Mars to get out of Cancer! That's just not his style. Now Leo is another matter entirely. Here's a placement that yells unmistakably that I'm doing things my way now. That can be a refreshing change of pace, believe me, except when you're around too many other people who have the same idea. Leo is about "me", about establishing your own identity and individuality, while Mars is all about will power and self expression. Mixed with Leo's reputation for stubborness, this is an explosive combination. Many people operating at a lower level confuse self expression with selfishness and unbridled egocentric behavior. This placement will not turn a bar room cowboy into a gentleman overnight -- if ever. The secret with Leo is that his higher expression comes from the heart chakra (compassion), not the solar plexus (power and will). What you're being asked to express is the warmth of your heart. You have no self to even express until your heart is open. This energy simply helps you to be yourself courageously, or to find yourself in the first place if you haven't been so brave yet. It's calm and steady, not brash and hot headed. Too bad it comes out so badly for some people.
Saturn is quincunx Neptune on the 24th for the third and last time. The previous contacts of this aspect were on 2003-9-5 and 2003-12-14. When you're talking about this aspect, you need to throw in Jupiter (which sextiles Saturn and quincunxes Neptune), forming a big Yod pattern (aka, "the Finger of God" formation). It's easiest to see these aspects playing out on the world stage, especially the Middle East. Saturn in Cancer is a rather dour figure. He wants to be independent and stand on his own two feet, but keeps getting caught up in situations not of his own choosing. There are entanglements based on emotion, on family and blood, on tradition and the past, on religion and politics, and on and on. The worst is being caught up in fear, of lacking the courage to change a miserable circumstance. Neptune in Aquarius is more idealistic and future oriented, but his feet will never be on the ground like Saturn's. It's a big cultural shift to let go of those parochial limitations that have been around for centuries and trust in a better future based on more universal values. Many people can't make the change. Let's just say that if we continue the way we're going now, the future will be a mess, so there's little incentive to "stay the course" all the way to ruin. The higher path, with all it's uncertainties, is the only reasonable alternative available. This is obviously a critical time for many people and nations and it's not going so well so far. Something has to give...
Finally, Venus reaches her direct station at 9Gm39 on the 29th, ending 6 weeks of retrograde motion and resuming her normal course. Venus is associated with many high and refined ideas like art, beauty and love. But when you get down to basics, Venus is simply the power of the psyche to make distinctions and discernments based on a very primordial notion: do I like it or not? Whether or not some of these preferences are "innate" to the person, many of our likes and dislikes are certainly learned, usually early in life. Unlike Mercury, where we think about things, Venus just feels things at a very gut level. She allows us to glide through many situations in life instinctively, by following what feels good, rather than having to sort out each situation in a more conscious manner. This is a very handy survival tool, but it does have its drawbacks, particularly when Venus is backing up. We go by our instinctual radar, navigating by what feels right, only to wind up in a circumstance that feels very wrong. This failure of your radar (which you may not notice until long after the fact) is a signal that your instinctive decision making needs some overhaul and repair. As I said, many of our likes and dislikes were created back in childhood, so it's to be expected that they may not apply to adult life. Even the emotions need to grow up sometimes. June is pretty much all about fixing your broken radar. Hopefully the repairs will be done before things take off in July.