Astrologically Speaking

Forecast for the Month of June 2003

June will be an emotionally intense month.

Major players are making significant moves this month.

First up, we will see Mars approaching Uranus to form a conjunction. People’s feelings begin to crackle and spark. The barrier that keeps most people from sharing will likely weaken. When these two come together you have the potential for maximum violent change. But Mars is not the only planet to be making a move on Uranus. Saturn is heading back for one last go at working with Uranus. This is part three of a series which began last August. There is a difference of mode/mood this time around, both will be in water signs, suggesting that water/emotions will be the catalyst, where as air/mind was operating before. I expect problems with water and the emotional need to protect what is seen as home and family. Feuding may come back into style.

There is more juice to this mix; Jupiter catches up to Pluto again, we last saw this in November and December. Same fire and passion as before but maybe more formidable than last time. Jupiter-Pluto, is like saying I want all the marbles and I know I can take’m. In November the beating of the war drums lasted a long time before we saw actually action. Lots of talk and reason. The energetic emphasis is in water now and water has a tendency to put fire out (quick non-start) or fire turns the water to steam, you get intensity that does not last as long but is very powerful. Given the current state of affairs with the USA and Korea and the nuclear weapons stand-off, we may be in very dangerous times. The crisis point is reached on the 23 and 24 of June. The energy will dissipate by the 2nd week in July.

There are more layers; Saturn enters Cancer on June 2nd, and for the next 2.5 years we can expect a reality test of our ability to nurture human life. In the past we have nurtured our selves in the context of family, tribe, state, country, religious affiliation, or ethnicity. But now what? What is your present reality? Do feel nurtured and supported? Can you flourish? For those who were born with the Sun in Cancer ~ over the next 2.5 years you get a personal reality check of the direction your life is going in.

Saturn calls you to account and you are the judge, no one else is. This is about the choices you make and the outcomes you get. If you like the results, keep doing what you are doing ~ if you don’t, you must make concrete changes or Saturn guarantees more of the same. No magic ticket out.

Uranus stations on June 6th. Here I see some hope for a weakening of the potential powder keg which is building. Typically while planets are retrograde their energy is internalised. This could mean that we get no big outward event, rather we see many individuals melting down or self-destructing.

The June 14th Full Moon along the Gemini-Sagittarius axis is at 4:16 am PDT. The light of this Full Moon shines on the big picture. Once again we are reminded of just how much connection exists in todays landscape. Now whether that is seen as a good thing or not will depend on how much freedom and power you have in your life. The hope in this map is that people share their good fortune and focus on inclusion and diversity. The degree symbolism* "Children skating on ice." key word is "fun." We stand on a knife’s edge.

Mars enters Pisces on June 16th. We begin an extended run for Mars in a sign. Normally he can streak through a sign in just a few weeks but with a retrograde stop his current sojourn in Pisces will last 5 months. Mars is about aggression and motivation. To take advantage of a boost from transiting Mars in Pisces you will need to be sensitive to the literal life force that animates all creation. While Mars is here there is a great opportunity for unification to become a motivating force. People who have strong Piscean circuits like Moon, Sun or Ascendant in Pisces are familiar with this vibration level, but many of the rest of us operate on a more gross vibratory level and will find it hard to connect with the flow.

The summer solstice is at 12:10 pm on June 21st. This turn in the Earth’s journey is a signature for the next three months. In this map we see and feel the slippery slope to revolutionary change, like being swept away in the fury of a storm.. People should connect and listen to each other. We are being asked to be present, not caught in the "what ifs" of the future. It will take courage and pioneering spirit to break from the habits of the past. But if we do a lot of emotional and energetic clearing out, this storm will then bring clearing skies.

The June 29 Cancer New Moon is at 11:39 am PDT. Today you can plant seeds that should nurture you for another year. Of course the big question is how are you and yours riding the storm surge? The map seems to suggest that some will be riding high and separate, I hope not. There is the possibility they will be choking on wastefulness. The highlighted degree symbolism is "Rabbits dressed in clothes on parade’"* The keyword is "Appropriation."

* taken from "The Sabian Symbols" by Marc Edmund Jones

Forecast for the Month of July 2003

July gives us another chance to catch our breath, as the big players in our solar system slide out of strong aspect to one another. They do have subtle aspects holding some of them together. Of note is an aspect between Pluto and Uranus this is a repeat from this past February through May. The pair are held together by fifth-harmonic energy; "the number of humanity which signifies its strength and power to be creative or destructive"

Meaning is trying to come into form here. The question to ask yourself is "What does it mean if I am not separate from another?" Saturn and Neptune are also held by a delicate fifth-harmonic aspect. This pair is challenging us to link our family/nourishment to that of the needs of others.

Jupiter completes his semi-square aspect with Saturn this month. The world economy will have made it past the first hurdle since starting a new economic cycle back in May of 2000. If you have been waiting for a significant shift of a sector since 2000, stop waiting. The next push to produce a large change will be late in 2005.

July is also the month where we see a distinct split between the personal and the impersonal. The planets are arranged in two groups, on opposite sides of the Zodiacal wheel. Yet oddly enough there are few oppositions formed. This arrangement also lacks squares (less stress). Care needs to be taken to not separate the personal and the impersonal. The line up is Saturn-Mercury-Sun-VenusJupiter on one side and Pluto- Chiron-Neptune-Uranus-Mars on the other side.

Symbolically we might say on one side you find you in your local environs, and on the other side; you, caught in profound historical movement. Of course both are happening at once, but this arrangement makes it possible to separate the two.

The July 13th Full Moon along the Cancer-Capricorn axis is at 12:21 p.m. PDT. The light of the Full Moon shines on our ability to nourish and support ourselves. The evidence is found in our ability to meet our responsibilities. The map suggests that if, over the last few days you have found you are at odds with that system, here is an opportunity to fine-tune your approach and to initiate actions that meet others on their ground/terms.

The degree symbolism* "A prima donna singing," key word is "excellence." Please note that for those who are affected by the energy of the full Moon this one is potent!

The July 28 Leo New Moon is at 11:53 p.m. PDT. Today you can plant the seeds of creative play, or a new story-line in your life, or gather together a winning team. What you want to take special care of is incorporating, through awareness, your unique contribution or that of others. This is a gift from Uranus and demonstrates social humility. The best leaders follow. This is subtle stuff but we all are getting a boost from stationing Mars. Setting intention is a powerful move with this New Moon. Those who can dissolve the "me" agenda will activate the most benefit from this alignment. The highlighted degree symbolism is "An old-fashioned woman and an up-to-date girl’" The keyword is "Contrast."

Mars stations and turns retrograde just minutes after the New Moon. We begin a period of time when many will need to question their motivation. Why? Things will not be going according to plan, at all! It’s like missing the boat because you’re in the wrong dimension. This may feel like a Mercury retrograde but it is not the same. Mars is in Pisces and while here it wants direct participation in the universal dimensions of life. How well can you just be, and allow? The Sabian Symbol for the degree Mars is at is "Men seeking illumination." Mars will remain retrograde until September 27th.

* taken from "The Sabian Symbols" by Marc Edmund Jones ** taken from "Horoscope Symbols" by Robert Hand

by Moreen Reed