Summer Solstice
This month, the Summer Solstice and the New Moon total eclipse in Cancer are only hours apart, which indicates a very powerful alignment indeed. The charts of these two events are slightly different, however their aspects are identical, albeit with slight changes in degrees and positioning. I find it fascinating that both of these charts, when drawn up for New Orleans at least, have Mars (warrior god) as their ruler – one through Scorpio and the other through Aries – and that Mars is also the main focal point in both charts. In his journey across the great ocean of Pisces, he has gone past Neptune and his tidal wave force, although the little planet is not out of the water yet. The fact that he is the focal point of a powerful T-square, and is the ruler of the charts themselves, speaks volumes about the intensity and volatility of the times we are currently in.
As the Moon catches up with the Sun to form the New Moon eclipse, she and the Sun are flanking the North node in Gemini at the exact time of the Summer Solstice. At this time, when the Sun reaches its yearly apogee for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, the Sun, Moon and lunar nodes form a powerful T-square with Mars, which is still active hours later for the New Moon eclipse. This New Moon eclipse is at 00º Cancer, one of the four cardinal points of the zodiac, making this one of the most powerful lunations we have ever seen. When the nodes are in strong aspect to an already powerful lunation, we can be sure that the energies unleashed by this configuration will be momentous.
In the first chart, that of the Solstice, the Sun, Moon and the nodes are in the last degrees of two mutable signs, Gemini and Sagittarius. We are talking about endings, as it relates to communication/information. Could this be referring to the increased polemics that have clearly created two sides (Gemini), with divisive discourses and “fake news” running like wildfire across social media platforms at this time? More on that in a minute…
The second chart, that of the New Moon total solar eclipse, shows both the Moon and the Sun now in Cancer, at the very first degree of a cardinal sign of new beginnings, one of the four axis points of the zodiac. The sign of Cancer is very significant, as it is the home of the Moon, and it is the archetype of the Divine Mother, the Sacred Feminine principle. Sun and Moon are literally opening a portal, at 00º Cancer, ushering these powerful energies into our reality where they have been so needed for so long. If ever there was a time to do a New Moon ritual, it is now!
New Moon total solar eclipse in Cancer
Let’s examine this now. For the past month the Sun has been traveling through Gemini, the sign of communication, information, and one’s immediate community. As we saw with the Full Moon in Sagittarius two weeks ago, enflamed rhetoric (Mars square Sun and Moon) stemming from confusion and fear (Neptune in hard aspect with Sun/Moon) has run rampant along the waves of mass communication (Gemini). In January, our world was rocked by an unprecedented planetary configuration: Saturn conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, both in hard aspect to Uranus. That same day was announced the first Covid 19 death in China: a world pandemic was born.
Imagine that our world is a forest and that this planetary event was the clear-cutting of that forest. After the first few weeks and months of shock we see the renewal of life as the herbaceous plants sprout and grow, perhaps for the first time in centuries. They are the first step in the healing process, as the forest desperately tries to heal this momentous wound. These plants are the many ideas, suspicions, assumptions, suppositions and presumptions, all expressed in general confusion as each species takes its place under the Sun. A passer-by looking at this weedy mess could easily feel overwhelmed and dismayed by the sheer volume of plant mass and diversity. They might even be tempted to select certain plants and weed others out, or to “inoculate” the area with just one “desirable” species, or just plain throw down some round-up and be done with it all. Unfortunately, this type of allopathic approach does not take into consideration the ancient wisdom of the Earth, who when left alone, creates order from chaos. These plants are protecting the saplings of the future forest and are thus vital to the life of the forest.
All of the seemingly oppositional rhetoric that we are witnessing will eventually make way for more meaningful conversations on the condition that we be open to our neighbor’s point of view no matter how much it may differ from ours. By considering that any point of view has some validity, honest discussion and dialogue will by natural selection choose which of the theories and ideas remain. And these will be validated by experience. This natural selection will ultimately bring back the forest and make us smarter in the process! As the Sun leaves Gemini and enters Cancer on Sunday, we will experience the Goddess Portal into which we can direct our positive intentions (Mars in Pisces), leaving behind the partisan and divisive thinking that no longer serves us.
And while we’re at it, why not use this Mercury retrograde in Cancer, which began late Wednesday night, to begin the process of reconciliation and reparation to the oppressed peoples of this planet. Squaring Chiron in Aries, Mercury is asking us to reflect upon this, and to move towards healing these deep wounds that bind perpetrators and victims in negative and unhealthy ways. This is a conversation that is sorely needed in our nation of many creeds. Venus trining Saturn in air signs, both being retrograde, also marks the beginnings of such a movement towards reconciliation.
A very important feature in these charts is the quincunx angle (150º) existing between Pluto, Jupiter and Saturn on the one hand, and Sun, Moon and North node on the other. This aspect is one that has us reassess our stances in order to decide which course of action should be followed. Where do we want this thing to go? Which authorities (Saturn in Aquarius) can we trust to help us through this, if any? Are we capable of deciding as a people (Saturn in Aquarius), much like our forefathers did, how we want to steer this ship? And are we ready to include every person of every color, sex, creed and race or combination thereof in this process? We do have a tool that we can use, one that has not been upheld fully even by the people who are supposed to protect it: the Constitution of the United States. Perhaps this is a good place to start. And maybe it’s also time to include non-humans as well, such as the plants and animals that we live with and that give us life and companionship, and all of those who are here just because they are… and of course the Earth herself. A planetary charter that respects Life in all its forms, with Love as the basis for all exchange and communication. The Sabian symbol for 0º Cancer, the exact degree of the eclipse, is "An old flag being lowered so that a new flag can be raised."
We are living in epic times. Our children’s children will remember them, if we are so fortunate, as the most profoundly transformative epoch of human history. Let’s do this, and do it right: for the highest and greatest good of all Life on Earth.
Aho mitakuye oyasin
All My Relations
In love and gratitude,
Sarah
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