Current Transits for June 2015 Current Transits for June 2015Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Full Moon at 11Sa49, 6-2
Ceres Retrograde Station at 9Aq12, 6-2
Vesta enters Aries, 6-6
Mercury Direct Station at 4Gm33, 6-11
Neptune Retrograde Station at 9Pi49, 6-12
Saturn reenters Scorpio, 6-14
New Moon at 25Gm07, 6-16
Saturn Octile Pluto, 6-20
Jupiter Trine Uranus, 6-22
Chiron Retrograde Station at 21Pi33, 6-24
Mars enters Cancer, 6-24
Jupiter Quincunx Chiron, 6-30
Juno enters Virgo, 6-30
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
June is a rather mixed up month in many ways. There are many events worth talking about, mostly in the second half of the month, but most of the intense activity seems to fall in the first half. There's also a sluggish quality to the energies, since there are so many planets at or near their stations this month. Much of the activity early in the month can be predictably traced to faster moving planets connecting with Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto, as we've seen for such a long time. However, the influence of Pluto seems to be finally waning. This is quite a gift to us, as it means his intense and demanding energies are backing off and giving us a much needed break. I'm sure we'll appreciate the gesture. Mercury is ending his retrograde cycle on the 11th, allowing the thinking mind to start to recover, but it may take a long time for our wits to fully come back. Mercury is strongly entangled with Uranus and Neptune at this time, which seems to scramble the rational mind in strange ways, especially since Neptune is also standing still at this time. This break in the powerful activity we've felt for many months comes at a helpful time. Frankly, people are rather burnt out and need a vacation from all the storms we've had to weather. You're likely to want to kick back and take it easy this month, so hopefully the world will cooperate with you. Unfortunately, when the waveforms get weaker and noisier like this, the world has a tendency to dish up a lot of "little stuff" for you to handle when you'd rather take some time off. Hang in there...
June is a busy month. There are 4 planets at their stations, 3 "big aspects" and 4 sign changes.
The focus of the full moon chart is the grouping of Mercury, the Sun and Mars up in Gemini. From there, things branch out to two separate patterns. The big one is a T-Square that includes the Moon, Neptune and Venus. The other is a Yod pattern that consists of Mars, Jupiter and Pluto. Most of the outer planets are pretty quiet, unlike a few days from now.
Despite the fact that most of these planets are in zodiac signs that you'd think of as mental in nature, there's a kind of dreamy moodiness in this chart. How this mood plays out depends on your own nature, since such an ambiguous emotional pattern can be interpreted as good or difficult based on how you're feeling. Moon square Neptune is typically a soft focus, feel good influence, but squares often bring out the worst qualities of such moods. Mars and the Sun widely square Neptune can also sap your physical energies, so lethargy is pretty common now. Mentally, we're also in a fog. All told, we're just bumbling through life in early June. On the other hand, the Yod planets are more focused and driven. There's an urge to get out into the world and get things done, but you have to be concerned about the consequences of such action. The focal point is disruptive Pluto. If you're not paying attention (easy under Neptune), there can be unexpected fallout from your actions. It helps to be open and transparent with others so there are no surprises. We're already a bit conflict prone due to the T-Square, so anything you can do to diffuse sticky situations helps. So drift along for a few days now, but be ready to gear up for action in a couple of days.
Ceres goes retrograde at 9Aq12 on the 2nd. She will back up until Sep 14, when she goes direct again at 25Cp06. Ceres is typically imagined as the Great Mother, the source of love and nurturance for the "little ones" in your care, your connection with the the great interconnected web of all living things. So when she goes retrograde for a few months, these issues of how we care for and support each other comes up for review. The odd thing about this cycle is the zodiac signs Ceres finds herself in. Capricorn is probably the coldest and most patriarchal of all the signs, while Aquarius, for all its enlightened humanitarian tendencies, is considered distant and aloof. We're having to look at how we care for each other from a distance, as it were. This is not the warm, personal interest of a mother for her child, but more how people look out for each other "in the large" or on the greater world stage. Frequently, when we evaluate difficult situations with our emotions, we get a much different picture than if we stand back and evaluate objectively what the greater good might be. Particularly when our leaders are reacting from knee-jerk responses instead of making rational decisions based on facts and a clear vision of the world, we get inept actions that only make things worse in the long run. Perhaps we need to stand back from our traditional ways of looking at situations and ask ourselves what really works best for the people who need our help the most. Given our country's political climate, especially as the next campaign heats up, I doubt we'll make good use of this cycle in coming months.
Vesta enters Aries temporarily on the 6th. Due to an upcoming retrograde cycle, she'll back up into Pisces again on Oct 25. She reenters Aries on Dec 3, where she'll stay until moving into Taurus on 2016-3-7. The boundary between Pisces and Aries is always a very volatile part of the zodiac since these signs are so night-and-day different from each other. For a planet like Vesta, this can be rather disorienting. Vesta is highly introverted, needing to retreat from the world periodically in order to get in touch with her own inner source of power and integrity. Pisces is quite withdrawn and aloof, so she tends to understand that sign well, but Aries is very gung-ho and outgoing, quite the opposite of her nature. In addition, her retrograde cycles are often a time when this tendency to pull back from the world is the strongest, so she's getting powerful mixed messages in coming months. One way this placement makes sense is to pour your energies and enthusiasm into some project that is personally important to you, even if it means pulling away from others that may not understand your motives. It's likely to be a task that helps you explore your inner world deeply, but may have little importance to others. Frankly, that doesn't matter to Vesta. In fact, the lack of understanding from others is precisely the reason she's withdrawing in the first place. Indulge your own interests and pet projects, have some fun! We all need to play like this sometimes, even if you don't respond to Vesta in a strong way. Being yourself is the greatest gift you can give the world.
Mercury reaches his direct station of 4Gm33 on the 11th. This ends a retrograde cycle that began on May 18 when he stood still at 13Gm08. Mercury is the thinking, symbol using, story telling part of the psyche that loves to ensnare and "explain" the world, both inside and out, in a net of language and rationality. Like all planetary functions, when the planet is going retrograde, that psychic function starts to misbehave, causing us to look at it more closely. When Mercury is backing up, the thinking mind goes haywire. All the stories we tell ourselves of how the world works bump up against a world that stubbornly has a mind of its own and refuses to behave according to our overly simplistic rules. Of course, we interpret this as the world is acting crazy. The deeper explanation is that our stories aren't crazy enough to adequately cope with the world. This retrograde cycle has been entirely in the social sign of Gemini, so this lack of making sense carries over to our relationships and attempts to communicate clearly with others. Quite simply, what I said and what you heard may not be the same thing at all. As we approach the direct station, these misunderstandings multiply and come to the foreground of our awareness. It's the point of maximum confusion and also the time of greatest opportunity to realize how puny and ineffective the Mercury mind can be in the face of the huge universe we live in. There's much more to coming to terms with the world than just "understanding" it. Rationality needs to be reminded to be humble sometimes. At this direct station, Mercury is octile Uranus and widely square Neptune. The former stresses the role of intuition and random inspiration in solid thinking, while the latter confuses and befuddles logic by dissolving all the clear-cut distinctions that Mercury so carefully crafted. Our thoughts are flooded with ideas that stem more from the unconscious (which also plays by its own rules) than from our narratives. It's probably going to take longer than usual for us to jump-start our brains after this retrograde cycle. Be patient -- and ever curious...
Neptune goes retrograde at 9Pi49 on the 12th. He'll back up until Nov 18, when he goes direct at 7Pi01. Speaking of Neptune and his power to confuse and amaze us, we're getting a heavy dose of his dreamy alternative way of viewing the world. Neptune's influence is hard to pin down, but there are some characteristic symptoms that often show up when he's at work in our psyches. One is that he operates in an unconscious way that defies rational categories and distinctions. His world doesn't make sense in any way that the likes of Mercury or Saturn might grasp, so things appear confusing and blurred together. Then there's the problem of Glamour. When important images or symbols arise from the unconscious into our normal ego awareness, they often appear with an emotional aura of eye-catching attractiveness (or sometimes repulsiveness) that captivates our attention. We become fixated by this amazing object in our awareness and can't turn away from it. It takes on an exaggerated importance for us. This is the hook that the unconscious uses to make sure we pay attention to its message. Unfortunately, this only feeds another Neptune problem, because we usually project this Glamour onto some person or thing around us, making the false assumption that this person is the source of this attraction, not something within us that is begging to be recognized. We confuse the outer person or object with our inner symbol, often to humorous (or catastrophic) effect when the person doesn't want to attract you attention. It's a form of stalker's syndrome. To make matters more confusing, Neptune has this fascinating magical power to reach out from the deep psyche and bring these people into your orbit to project all over. They act as a kind of mirror so we can see ourselves better. These Neptune issues are present throughout the retrograde cycle, but are most obvious around the time of the stations. Confusion is a beautiful thing at these times, indicating you're getting a glimpse of Neptune's magic in your life. Only the unaware think they are seeing clearly now. Last of all, Neptune rules the heart. This is a time to tune into your oneness with everything around you, a true mystical experience. Such glimpses are rare, but precious. An open heart works wonders...
Saturn backs up from Sagittarius into Scorpio on the 14th. He'll stay in this sign until Sep 17, when he heads back into Sag for a 2 year stint (until 2017-12-19). As often happens when an outer planet crosses into a new sign, it sometimes needs to back up again into the sign it just left, as if to do some cleanup work before moving on. The dynamic between Scorpio and Sagittarius can be quite fascinating. Scorpio represents the things that entrap us, especially our own emotions and unconscious assumptions, while Sag is the desire of the ego to break free of these limitations and pursue a new path. Unfortunately, breaking free is not as easy as it sounds. We all bring our problems and misunderstandings with us while we change, so what we most need to be free of are our own limitations. This trip back into Scorpio is a time to face down some of these remaining issues so we can lighten our psychic baggage as we head into Sag. Notice also that Sag represents our higher spiritual beliefs. Before we can move to a higher awareness, we need to clear out the emotional muck that clouds our vision. Saturn often has a rather conservative view of the world, so to avoid falling into a lower fundamentalist frame of mind, we need to clear out the old garbage first. The next few months are a time to face all these leftover emotional issues, as painful as that might be, and prepare to approach life with a clearer, lighter heart and mind. It's some of that annoying homework that Saturn assigns us from time to time. Grumble a little, if you must, but do the work. It makes life easier down the road.
The new moon is rather weak and disorganized, a symptom that the storms have collapsed. Curiously, there is a disconnect between the faster moving, personal planets that rule over our everyday lives and the slower, outer planets that relate to the deeper and more transformative aspects of life. We've gotten so used to the heavy handed influence of these outer planets that having a little break from them should feel refreshing. The main areas of emphasis in this chart are the 4 planets in Gemini and the 3 in Leo, loosely connected with each other.
The new moon point in Gemini is closely conjunct Mars. This is an energy knot with a strong social bent. There's an urge to mix and mingle with people, to share ideas and work together on common tasks or projects. The hardest part is to keep egos in proper bounds so people don't try to overpower each other. The Leo grouping also has some potential ego problems, but I think its focus is elsewhere. Look at the planets in this sign, Venus, Jupiter and Juno. The emphasis here is more on relationships, on reaching out to others and connecting with them. If anything, this is a romantic picture, a matter of opening the heart. That's the big problem -- egos and open relationships don't mix well. Fortunately, we're operating on a rather superficial level right now. The outer planets, the deeper level, are relatively quiet for a change. The only significant planets in this group are Jupiter and Uranus, approaching their upcoming trine aspect. Even these planets are light weights compared to the likes of Saturn and Pluto. It's nice to have the deeper levels settle down, although that usually means that problems are slowly brewing and will emerge later on. That's just the way life is these days. For now, enjoy the break from the action. Relax and kick back. Have fun with the lighter social, mental and emotional atmosphere. Play a little more. After all the psychic intensity of the last few years, it's worthwhile to put things into perspective and remember that life can be light hearted. Exhale deeply...
Saturn is octile Pluto on the 20th, the second of 3 such contacts. They first met back on 2014-11-27 and their final contact is coming up on Aug 13. Given that Saturn rules over the basic forms and structures of our lives, while Pluto brings deep seated change and overhaul to our lives, you can already guess that this contact is none too pleasant. Add in that octiles bring annoying conflicts, plus these planets' reputations as malefics that promise hardships, and you get the impression we're in for a tough ride. This cycle between Saturn and Pluto goes back to 1982 and as a matter of historical record, has coincided with many disasters and major changes around the world over the decades. So far, we've gotten off pretty easy during this octile compared to the rest of the cycle. However, if you experience intense pressure to change or let go of some area of your life that you normally consider a foundation or god-given, be prepared to move on. It's not worth the effort to resist an irresistible force. Let go!
Jupiter is trine Uranus on the 22nd, the last of 3 such contacts. They met previously on 2014-9-25 and 2015-3-3. Jupiter and Uranus are both mental-intuitive planets, working together through an easy-going trine, so this aspect has been great for expanding your mental horizons. Jupiter is somewhat conventional in his approach, but he loves the big picture view. Uranus loves making big intuitive leaps and taking old ideas and systems apart to see how they tick. This contact works best if you pick some topic that fascinates you and pursue it for the sheer mental pleasure. If you're having fun, you're probably using this energy well. On the down side, this trine can make you somewhat opinionated or inflate egos, so don't take yourself too seriously. Otherwise, see where this mental game can take you -- and have a blast doing it.
Chiron is at his retrograde station of 21Pi33 on the 24th. He'll back up to 16Pi56 by Nov 28. Chiron is the keeper of the "psychic closet", the place where you hide away all the parts of your personality that others seem to reject. By the middle of life, the closet is stuffed to the rafters and the door is about to fly off its hinges. Since Chiron is in Pisces, the sign of old emotional baggage, the coming months are a good excuse to tackle some of this old material and reclaim it. Of course you have to deal with all that old hurt and rejection that made you hide this stuff away in the first place and that's never a pleasant experience, so it requires some emotional courage to even get started. But in the long run, you become more relaxed and genuine when you let these old parts of yourself, long hidden and denied, see the light of day again. We've all got our odd quirks and habits -- it's what makes us unique individuals. There's no use hiding away those traits that make you who you are. Go easy on yourself and reclaim your idiosyncrasy. It beats being miserable.
Mars enters Cancer on the 24th. He'll be in this sign until Aug 8, when he moves into Leo. This is probably the worst placement for Mars, our Warrior God. As I like to say, imagine a Roman centurion in full armor and a frilly apron and you get a notion of how ridiculous Mars in Cancer can be. Mars is an action figure -- he sees something he wants to do and he just does it, no questions asked. And just hope you don't get in his way. Cancer, on the other hand, is emotional and family oriented, more concerned with the needs and feelings of the group than the desires of the individual. This placement can really limit your ability to act quickly or express your willpower. This is going to be a miserable 6 weeks for your Mars. He can hardly wait to move on to Leo, a sign that understands his me-first tendencies. Grin and bear it when you have to give in to others for now. It gets better down the road...
Jupiter is quincunx Chiron on the 30th, the last of 3 such contacts. Their earlier contacts were back on 2014-9-23 and 2015-2-17. This aspect picks up on the themes related to Chiron's station a week ago. Chiron is, broadly speaking, the process of socialization, of turning a wild and multifaceted child into a "normal person" acceptable to society at large, followed by that person's attempt to recover himself later in life. Jupiter, the planet that rules our attempts to interact with others for our mutual benefit, is part of the outcome of this socializing process. However, Jupiter in Leo is also an attempt by the young person to develop a healthy ego that is responsive to others while being true to itself. It's hard to be healthy when your psychic closet is crammed full of so many disowned parts of yourself. In a sense, Jupiter and Chiron are working towards the same goal, but since this is a quincunx, an aspect that harbors hidden conflicts between the planets, it's difficult for these two planets to harmonize their actions. It's probably a certainty that most people will still have stuff in the closet after this aspect is done -- it seems there's no end to the problems of childhood. Do your best to come to peace with your past and reclaim those parts of your personality that have been hidden away for so long. The more baggage you get rid of, the better. It's time to acknowledge you're OK just as you are.
Juno moves from Leo into Virgo on the 30th. She'll remain here until Sep 17, when she heads into Libra. After her extended stay in Leo due to a retrograde cycle, Juno, the Queen of Relationships, changes her outlook towards partnerships. In Leo, she's perhaps more concerned about how she is supported personally and emotionally than she will be in a practical sign like Virgo. It's time to focus on the nuts and bolts of how we can make our relationships work on a daily basis and be less concerned with how good we look or feel because we are in a partnership. Juno is often accused of being in love with being in love, basing her decisions more on emotional perceptions rather than the realities of her partners responses to her. It's time to settle down into the daily issues of how we love and support each other and pay less attention to the glamour of it all. It's not all that romantic of an approach, but love is so much bigger than romance. Love doesn't have to be a soap opera. Settle in for the long run...