Summer Solstice 2014

Back Off! by Heni Sandoval

Back Off!
by Heni Sandoval

 The Summer Solstice arrives this year on June 21 at 6:51a ET, 3:51a PT and 11:51a UT (which is the Winter Solstice for those in the Southern Hemisphere).  This is the moment each year when the Sun enters Cancer and it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Space.com  has good general info on the Solstice  and here’s a good resource site with world time tables for the Solstices, Equinoxes and cross-quarter days archaeoastronomy.com

The chart for the Solstice is the birth chart for this new season and reveals astrological trends. I cast the chart for Avebury England because nearby Stonehedge has the ancient tradition of aligning with the Solstices and where celebrations are still held today. There will be Solstice celebrations everywhere as people appreciate and honor the longest day in the year and do ceremonies of appreciation for our beautiful world. What will you do? I always take all my crystals out to my garden so they can soak up those long solstice sun rays and in many years often join in with Solstice festivities. This year I’m spending a peaceful day communing with nature, talking to the birds, chipmunks and assorted fairies while planting the rest of my garden. So looking forward to that! Hope you have something lovely planned too.

Summer Solstice 2014

Summer Solstice 2014

The Solstice chart is the moment when the Sun enters water sign Cancer every year.  The Moon is the ruler of Cancer, so we look to see where the Moon is and what she had to tell us about the season. The Moon at 21* Aries is smack-dab in the middle of electric Uranus (16* Aries) and the karmic South Node (25* Aries). The Moon rules public emotions, Uranus is the planet of revolution and unpredictability, and the South Node acts like a see-saw pulling on past karmic patterns that need to be released and transmuted.  Combative fire sign Aries is ruled by war-like Mars and this aggressive Aries group forms a tight square to huge and mighty Jupiter closing in on the last month of his Cancerian journey at 24* Cancer.

This configuration maintains the challenge from the Cardinal Cross so active in the heavens over the last year with forces of war, male aggression and domination (Aries) against woman, children and families (Cancer). It’s obvious to see this playing out currently on the world’s stage with the militant jihadist ISIS insurgents taking over Iraq in lightening speed who are already setting up sharia laws in the cities they claimed. Along with the seemingly never-ending war in Syria, the ever tense situation in Egypt, Ukraine and hot spots in Africa, the war-mongers are feeling their bitter oats.

In contrast Mars, the ruler of Aries is not feeling war-like at all. Mars continues his travels in the soothing, diplomatic sign of Libra where he has been since Dec. 2013.  At the Solstice Mars opposes Uranus and squares Pluto (retrograde at 12* Capricorn) which also re-triggers the Cardinal Cross. Mars has been in Venus ruled Libra so long, you can feel the weariness of those crying out for an end to war and speaking out valiantly for diplomacy. The karmic North Node is also in Libra which urges us all to follow the path of peace and love. Their plea for mediation and resolution has landed on deaf ears and it looks as though the Solstice energies don’t do much to shift this sad pattern.

As always these energies are playing out at your doorstep personal levels too. Everyone is feeling these flip-floppy feelings and the intense emotional pull of Jupiter in the last degrees of Cancer. Some are allowing  it to drown them in floods of “poor me, it’s your fault not mine” pity parties. While others more consciously choose to create major healing at physical and emotional levels, and see their relationships get stronger, deeper and move loving. This new season provides opportunities to go either way, which will you choose?

This Solstice chart also finds Mercury Retrograde at 27* Gemini  exactly opposite the potent Galactic CenterMercury represents communication and also rules Gemini. When Mercury backs up in Gemini communication can definitely get garbled, misunderstandings perpetrate and confusion compounds upon confusion. Gemini also represents the average people of the world whose basic needs are not being met currently, adding to frustration which can fuel those Aries fires.

In the midst of this mayhem the Solstice chart has some good vibes too. Venus is feeling strong and confident in her own sign of Taurus at 27* (which also vibrates to the Galactic Center degree). Earth sign Taurus is kind, gentle, peace loving yet has the strength and stamina of its symbol the Bull. I see this as Mother Earth herself, letting us know that she will survive anything us humans can throw at her. Her message is to go out into the beauty of nature to find your own inner calm which will sustain you through any stress and turmoil.

Lord of Karma Saturn remains in steamy Scorpio at 17*, but is moving retrograde, which is on the one hand less potent but on the other means those stealthy (power and control) Scorpionic forces have not gone away but just went underground for a while. Saturn reaches out with an exact trine to shamanic Chiron at 17* in watery Pisces also retrograde.  This harmonious aspect of ease and flow repeats the Grand Water Trine so prevalent in the heavens for a solid year. The combination of the tense Cardinal Cross with this healing and loving watery force once again strikes an ironic cord. It’s as if reality is splitting into two halves: those who choose power-over for their own selfish motivations and those who aspire to One Love with care, concern and respect for all. Perhaps it has always been this way, but it seems more pronounced now.

One reason for this is Neptune’s travels in mystical, spiritual Pisces the sign it rules. On the Solstice Neptune is also retrograde (at 7* Pisces) and sends an ethereal ray to the Sun (at 0* Cancer) creating a second water trine. Neptune only travels in Pisces every 164 years and the last time Neptune was in Pisces (1847-1862) it had only just been discovered, so was not a conscious player in the mind of humanity. Not so now – we know and understand Neptune from both a scientific and astrological perspective in this 21st century Pisces transit. (See my Neptune in Pisces article for more background.)

Neptune acts like a huge satellite dish tuning humanity into higher frequencies, while also acting to dissolve lower ones. For those caught up directly in the fields of hate and war it may be difficult to call upon (or even have faith in) higher guidance, yet it is always there and this Neptune/Chiron flow can help heal their hearts. For those of us simply going about our ordinary daily lives this cosmic flow helps us understand more fully that reality is not what we have always been told it is. Never have we been more able to see beyond the veil of illusion into the heart of truth, never have we had this kind of access to universal love for all that is, until now. This is the energy to tap this Solstice time!

I wish for you a magical Solstice and a season of fun, joy and love!

Best Neptunian Vibes to all,

Melissa

IMAGE NOTE:  This painting “Back Off” by talented artist Heni Sandoval who is also my sister is one I’ve always loved. It reminds me of when my family would all go crabbing along the coast at St. Simons Georgia where we went every summer. We had so much fun getting those crabs, who have a very feisty back off attitude for sure! It also is a perfect choice for the Solstice when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer “the Crab”. Even the name “Back Off” relates to the energies of this particular Solstice – 2014 with all that feisty Aries energy around! You can find more of Heni’s work  at CirclesRoundtheSun  CirclesRoundSun-Etsy   Heni’s Happy Paintings