Summer Solstice 2011

Summer Solstice
June 21, 2011
10:17 Am Pacific
1:17 Pm Eastern

"A human being is part of the whole called by us, the universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." -Albert Einstein

The Summer Solstice is a culminating force, bringing to manifestation intentions set at the Spring Equinox. It is here that we begin to see the seeds we've planted coming to form and growing some legs, our ideas gaining autonomy and movement. Look around you, closely, and see just what has emerged from the world of potential and into the actual, nurture and protect it, for it is apart of you, it is your creation. Embrace and love what you don't particularly like, for it is also your creation, regardless of whether it was your intention. This is a good time to gauge just how conscious you are, because what emerges will reflect what your unconscious mind is actually creating! Whether we realize it or not, all of us set intentions at the Spring Equinox, conscious and unconscious intentions, and reflecting on all the things that have sprouted now can be quite an illuminating exercise. As the Sun reaches Solar Maximum, all the life force energy of the earth is at a maximum force, all the organisms of the planet reach a culmination of growth, reaching upwards from Gaia's womb to herald the great ascension of our father Sun, the giver of light and of breath. It is indeed on Summer Solstice that we, here in the northern latitudes, experience the longest day of the year, of maximum light and illumination, and thus it is the ideal time for reflecting on all that it unveils to our naked eye. This Summer energy also ignites the telluric and elemental dimensions, creating a massive influx of fairy, gnome, and elf archetypes which seek to humble us, through the creation of events which often feel like Mercury has gone retrograde. In other words, often things break down, or go missing, or we have some minor irritation or setback, yet to these trickster entities, it's all in good fun, so just have a laugh and try to not take things too seriously. In reality, they just want us to acknowledge them, and so it is often a way of getting our attention, telling us to lighten up and play some more.

This year, once again, the Sun joins the building Cardinal Grand Cross aspect structure, grounding its energies in Cancer within a rather wide orb. Mercury in Cancer also joins this structure, and appears to be a major facilitator of the energies this Summer season, as it exactly squares Saturn in Libra, Trines the Moon in Pisces, is the ruler of the south node in Gemini, and just happens to be within one degree of conjunction with the Solar Eclipse/New Moon that will occur on July 1st. The New Moon on June 1st, which was also one of three Eclipses, ignited a process, collectively as well as individually, of "releasing the ghosts of the past", as the sabian symbol as interpreted by Dane Rudyhar so clearly and beautifully illustrated. This energy will continue this entire summer, as we collectively let go of all that no longer serves us as a species, primarily our judgements of the future, our attachment to logic and rationality, urging us to trust in the divine unfolding instead of trying to control and predict the outcome. With that said, we are likely to see many prophecies and predictions fail to materialize, especially those that are extremely concrete such as "the end of the world", the "ascension of a chosen few", "global holocaust and genocide" and even, "mass landings of UFO's". This Summer solstice is all about humbling the mind, allowing us to slowly realize that our minds are NOT in control, but rather a greater cosmic force indefinitely runs the show. This could manifest as several ideologies and systems stemming from those ideas failing and collapsing, leaving us no choice but to move in a different direction. As I have touched on in previous posts, the collective psyche projects these scenarios because there is an unconscious death wish, which means that there is much pain and trauma to process and release within the collective, and the mind would much rather "die" then have to face it. As we step boldly into the future, we must not give into this annihilating force, for it will only destroy us as a species in the end. We must step up as individuals and face our own pain and fear instead of giving up because "it's all just going to shit anyway". Such a self defeating attitude strips us of our personal power and responsibility, and when the world doesn't end the way we "thought" it would, we're left with nothing but disappointment. When things fall apart it's because something new is trying to emerge, before there is birth there must be death.

This Summer presents us with an intriguing crescendo, it reveals that on a collective level, we are finally ready to accept that the past is behind us, and realize that there is no going back to it. The future looms, currently, as this dark and apocalyptic beacon, but that is only because we are conditioned to fear death and the unconscious. Ironically, the western world is the most consumed by the very thing it fears, and if we are to survive, we must wake up from our slumber and start creating our own lives! The Moon in Pisces conjuncts Chiron and Neptune, and Trines, quite precicely, Mercury in Cancer. Jupiter in Taurus, ruler of the North Node, Sextiles the Sun, and the Sun trines Neptune conjunct Chiron in Pisces. These are such beautiful configurations, indicating that this has the potential to be a deeply inspirational and spiritually enlightening Summer for all of us. There is much potential for gaining a much greater awareness and perspective, of receiving new visions and discovering a new horizon--so get inspired, immerse yourself with the unseen forces that permeate this world, and just surrender to this profound and magnificent energy! It is clear that our world needs to embrace, once again, the spiritual, and such forces are clearly knocking at the mind's door, yet we must open it ourselves and let it in. This is also urging us, as a society, to embrace compassion and love for others, to reach out of our little bubbles and embrace the needs of other sentient beings. It would seem that with all this Neptune and Jupiter energy that there would be a risk of overt idealism, yet, Jupiter is in Taurus, and Saturn, also another major facilitator of the horoscope, squares Mercury, and so we actually have the potential of bringing the numinous into the physical world. Saturn just recently went direct on June 13th (my birthday ;), and many have felt this shift quite profoundly, as a surge of productiveness, of things finally getting off the ground and gaining some momentum. Use this energy to actualize and refine something you've been working on and bring what's been on the back burner into more focus.

Jupiter has also recently moved into Taurus, and has disseminated an energy which is slowing things down, impulsing us to take a moment and smell the roses and the sage. This particular transit is very positive for building and working on some project which requires much attention to detail and nurturing, which will likely get a much needed burst of momentum and inspiration when Jupiter Trines Pluto exactly on July 7th. This aspect between Jupiter and Pluto is apart of a process, and they will meet up again this Fall as Jupiter goes retrograde, and then they Trine again in Spring of 2012, so take your time with whatever you are working on, as it has much potential for success if you can take things step by step, and not rush it to completion. As ruler of the North Node, Jupiter is collectively impulsing us to connect more deeply with the now, and with the natural world. This force is urging us to trust deeply in ourselves, in our own intuition and impressions, and to embrace what we want and what we value. This is not the time for second guessing yourself, and comparing your impressions with everyone else, just trust what you feel is right and you can't go wrong! So, instead of being consumed by mindless gossip in the media or wherever, take some time to yourself, or with a close partner, and connect deeply to the rhythm of nature and of the cosmos, sit by a stream or river, and listen closely to the messages it gives you. As a species, and as a culture, this Summer is all about expanding our perception of what's real, and letting go of what is imagined. What is real is all around us in the natural world, it's been here all along, and it knows what it's doing because it's been doing it far longer than we have. Discover an entirely new dimension of reality for yourself, gain a greater awareness of nature and of reality. Alternately, there is much indicating the need to gather with like minds, to reach beyond our personal barriers and expand our network with those that support us as individuals and for who we are. If we are to create a new world, we certainly can't do it all alone either.

I don't pay much attention to the media, as an astrologer, it helps me to remain more objective by distancing myself from the constant influx of current events. However, I don't avoid it if the universe decides to inform me of something, either through ambiance in the background, or through someone telling me about some event directly. In other words, I pay attention and am receptive to what comes into my reality, but I don't go looking for it. I'm well aware of all "that's going on" lately, such as wars, nuclear crisis, natural disasters, and the threat of economic collapse, but to be honest, none of it surprises me. In the U.S., at least, to me, it's just business as usual. Wars are profitable for big government, any crisis really, and surprisingly, so are "disasters", whether wholly natural or man-made. The recent string of events we are witnessing is simply the result of an unconscious world, it is the crux of a collective psyche which has no intention other than to control and dominate the forces of nature. In our ignorance we have no one to blame but ourselves, and all the events currently going on will further bring this to our awareness. The current transits are bringing to our attention the atrocities done to nature, and the consequences of the abuse of Uranian technology, such as grotesque weaponry used by elitists and governments, and nuclear weapons and reactors. There is an unfolding, however, that is occurring, to slowly condition us to wake up to these realities, and we must trust that the universe knows whats it's doing, even if the powers that be clearly have no clue.

In the horoscope for the Summer Solstice, Uranus and Pluto are in a very close square, within roughly two degrees. Uranus will go retrograde, however, on July 9th, but the influence of this square will ferment the summer season. We will be getting another taste of these "revolutionary" and rebellious archetypes that will come into full swing from 2012 through 2015. This is symbolic of the prep stage for when the two outer planets will get serious and down to business, next year, really tearing down the structures, systems, and ideologies that no longer serve us from an evolutionary standpoint, and replacing them with more functional versions. If we thought that these past few years have been interesting, we haven't seen anything yet. Each of us are being called to cultivate our inner genius and visionary, as this cycle historically correlates with many astoundingly creative innovations and solutions. What was seeded at the conjunction, in the late 1960's, is now ready to reach maturity, and all of us should participate in this co-creation, otherwise someone else will, and we may not like what results. It is important to be conscious when such archetypes are active, and not get swept up unconsciously by some movement or revolution that pumps us up with psychic frenzy.

The western world is still wholly unconscious of these forces, and because of that, we still witness dysfunctional surges of mass hysteria when these unconscious and suppressed forces rise to the surface of our awareness. Many may disagree with me on this, but I feel that revolutions are not functional forms of creating social change, and the only reason we have them is because we are not participating and co-creating with these archetypes ourselves, and instead they posses us, shocking the collective, and creating radical shifts which can cause a lot of damage that must be healed later on. Due to the level of unconsciousness, we simply act these archetypes out, through a momentary catharsis which works to only temporarily relieve these forces, this inner conflict, for a passing time. Our cultural obsession with the film industry is a shining example of how we escape through a drama that is played out, and we can view it objectively, and yet be apart of it at the same time. Every movie consists of a narrative, which revolves around some form of "crisis", which reaches a climax of tension, and then reaches resolution. As the observer, we can project, unconsciously, onto the film, our own inner crisis and dichotomy, and by viewing it, we can compensate artificially, we can live vicariously, through the drama of others, instead of actually dealing with our own shadows. What we experience is a synthetic feeling of relief from tension, a tension which was never actually our own, but projected onto us from some imposing external force. I feel that the same concept can be applied to the influence of planetary cycles upon the collective, because planets in tension, symbolize, a collective psychology that is in tension as well. If we have no true awareness as to why we have such tension in the first place, how are we to resolve it?

The Uranus and Pluto cycle is apart of an unfolding, an evolutionary process that will take place over a period of time, and we must trust that it will fully implement itself when the time is right. Until then, we have brief periods of radical catharsis, which works to shake up the sleeping populace from its prosaic daydream. Evolution will always supersede revolution in the long run, whether we like it or not, and thus a revolution will always recede into the background of the psyche when the cycle is complete. This isn't to say that revolutions don't create change, it is widely apparent that the 60's changed the world forever, its effects were truly irreversible, but eventually, it was overshadowed once again by the Saturnian forces of the psyche, to become but a seed of potential to blossom forth again in the distant future.

Another interesting aspect for the Summer Solstice is Mars at 0 degrees of Gemini square Neptune retrograde at 0 degrees of Pisces conjunct Chiron. The opening degrees of any sign, and primarily 0 degrees, are infantile degrees, which means that the energies placed there are just beginning a new process of unfolding, and often there can be much naivete and uncertainty. Mars is entirely antithetical to Neptune, it seeks to dominate, initiate, take charge, and action, where as Neptune is elusive, mysterious, numinous, and receptive. When the two combine, Neptune has the upper hand in that it is a higher dimensional construct, and thus it serves to humble Mars and teach him that aggression without conscious intention, without some higher form of motivation, is useless and destructive. It is my prediction, that we will be witnessing the beginning stages of mindless war, primarily based on greed and abuse of power, beginning to fail and wane from its position of prominence within US politics. A Neptunian fog will roll in, beleaguering Mars within a sea of ambiguity. How this will come about, I have no idea, but the statement is utterly profound in the exactness of the aspect. Of further interest, Mars is disposited, or ruled by Mercury, which will be "activated" by the powerful Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Cancer. Mercury, ruler of the south node, is indicating that something from the past must be resolved and processed now, and collective events will all involve the breaking down of overt rationalization in favor of a much greater holistic perspective. Mercury in Cancer very literally symbolizes collective ideals based on a false sense of security, and the south nodal eclipse will assist us to release them. The same will apply to our individual lives. Are we holding on to something simply because in the past, it made us comfortable? How can we embrace the truth of the situation, and see that by holding on we are actually limiting our own growth and evolution? With the Mars and Neptune square, we have reached a point where we're not quite sure what next step to take, we may feel paralyzed due to fear and uncertainty. How can we align ourselves with a higher purpose, a higher energy, so that we can take action that is based on truth and is motivated by a desire to transcend personal interests and concerns?

Now, to wrap things up, let's take a look at the Sabian symbol for the midpoint of the Sun and Moon in the Summer Solstice horoscope, which is incidentally, closely conjunct Jupiter in Taurus. The symbol reads:

Cantilever bridge across a deep gorge

Dane Rudyhar, in An Astrological Mandala, interprets the symbol as follows:

The conquest of separativeness through group-cooperation

The person who has suffered deprivation and loneliness can give new substance to his or her emotional life by participating in a collective project. All great evolutionary challenges imply the overcoming of basic difficulties. A step ahead must be taken, yet an abyss confronts evolving man. It is no longer a personal void-an "open grave"-but a chasm that is an integral part of the "land" upon which man's evolution must proceed. A link must be built through the power of the collective mind of the group or of the community at large, on the basis of the legacy of the past, to make a bridge over the canyon. This is the first stage of the eight five-fold process of "Substantiation." The man-made bridge with collective skill gives substance to and demonstrates man's capacity to CONQUER OBSTACLES and to achieve evolutionary continuity as well as expansion in space.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Summer Highlights
(dates listed for Pacific Time Zone)
July 1- New Moon/Solar Eclipse @ 9 degrees Cancer; Mercury enters Leo
July 3- Venus enters Cancer
July 7- Jupiter Trine Pluto (Venus opposite Pluto and Sextile Jupiter July 8th)
July 9- Uranus Stationary Retrograde
July 14- Full Moon @ 22 degrees Capricorn
July 28- Venus enters Leo; Mercury enters Virgo (Mercury opposes Neptune)
July 30- New Moon @ 7 degrees Leo
August 2- Mercury Stationary Retrograde
August 3- Mars enters Cancer
August 4- Neptune Retrograde enters Aquarius
August 8- Mercury enters Leo
August 10- Mars Opposition Pluto
August 13- Full Moon @ 20 degrees Aquarius
August 21- Venus enters Virgo
August 26- Mercury Stationary Direct
August 28- New Moon @ 5 degrees Virgo
August 30- Jupiter Stationary Retrograde
September 8- Mercury enters Virgo
September 12- Full Moon (Harvest Moon) @ 19 degrees Pisces
September 14- Venus enters Libra
September 16- Pluto Stationary Direct
September 18- Mars enters Leo

Notes and References

[1] http://aeoluskephas.blogspot.com/2010/03/actors-as-mediums.html
[2] Rudhyar, Dane, An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolic Phases, Vintage Books, 1974.

Image Credits

Image 1: The Last Supper by Vladamir Kush

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