Summer Solstice arrives this year arrives on June 21st at 12:38p ET, 9:38a PT and 4:38p UT (which is the Winter Solstice for those in the Southern Hemisphere). This is the moment each year when the Sun enters Cancer and is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Time and Date always has good info on the Solstices, so does EarthSky and this from Belle and Candle has some wonderful Folklore for the Summer Solstice which came to me via Grandtrines astrology.

Stonehenge is one of the oldest prehistoric monuments in existence and one of the functions for this ancient stone circle was to mark the annual solstices. Celebrations are still held here on the solstice dates.

This is why I cast the Solstice Chart  for Avebury, England just 2 miles from Stonehenge. This year’s Solstice chart has a mixture of Water and Fire, along with a draft of air but with very little earth to ground it. It also has a dash (or more!) of frustration with energies hidden in the deep that might devour you! This cosmic blend  is why I chose the featured image, by illustrator Helen Jacobs. The girl is not a mermaid (looks like she has feet to me), so what is she doing underwater? Our underwater girl is looking at a flying fish with a bit of a frustration as if to say, “Why am I not able to fly up the air too. Do I really belong here in the water?” And in the murky background a sea serpent of some sort with nasty intentions is swimming her way, so she had better perk up and notice before the danger is upon her!

Fire is the most active element in the Solstice chart with Venus, Jupiter, asteroid Juno and the Moon all in Leo which reach out to Uranus in Aries, asteroid Vesta and the South Node are in Aries too and asteroid Pallas/Athena is in the 3rd fire sign of Sagittarius. The airy element comes from Mercury in Gemini with a bigger draft from Mars still in Gemini but about to waft away into Cancer, along with asteroid Ceres in Aquariusa and the North Node in Libra. Sun in Cancer, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces and Saturn in Scorpio provide the watery blend, while Pluto stands alone upon the rocky mountain earth of Capricorn.

One of the most telling indicators of the trends for the season is a perfect 90* angle between the Moon at 29* Leo to Saturn retro at 29* Scorpio. In this kind of chart the Moon = public emotions and Saturn = worldly structures and Saturn just returned to Scorpio on 6/14 with a vengeance!  An exact square like this in the tight fixed signs of Leo and Scorpio represents the ancient challenge between the desire of people to be happy and enjoy their lives pitted against dark (hidden) powers who have other intentions! Evidence the mass shooting deaths in Charleston, SC which happened only 3 days after Saturn re-entered Scorpio. After sitting with the congregation at Emanuel church (the historical oldest AME church in the US South) during a prayer service, yet another young angry male with all too easily available fire-power suddenly jumped up and blasted away 9 precious lives . Yes, events like this can put a damper on folks hoping to live and enjoy their normal lives.

As always the Solstice Sun is at 0* Cancer a loving and healing sign, but this year it is shining alone on the waters with pale rays not quite able to shine through upon what lies below. Healer Chiron in mystical Pisces could help out by soothing Saturn’s turbulent Scorpio froth, but is a bit too far away from Saturn to have a strong enough impact. Seems like outer forces are not coming to our rescue and it’s up to us to do our own personal healing work as Saturn returns to Scorpio with his demand that we keep shedding our false yet comforting layers. (Ouch!) Neptune could lend a hand as well, but  is not paying much attention while retrograding in misty Pisces. On top of that Mercury in Gemini forms another very close square to Neptune. So instead of the instant clarity Mercury/Gemini can provide, wavelengths get skewed and wavy and the weirdness continues. Motivational Mars is flying high in Gemini too, usually an excellent orator who gets the point acorss. But since Mars is just off a similar square to Chiron, it only adds to helter-skelter energies until you’re not sure which direction you’ve come from much less which one to go.

At the same time, love and light Venus in Leo is close to optimistic Jupiter/Leo and both send a 120* angle ray over to cell tower Uranus beaming brightly in Aries. This aspect creates a pathway of good fortune for those who raise their vibration above the fearful fray, but for those of lower vibe, it can trigger more egotistical “I am the High and Mighty, bow down to me” grandstanding.

Pluto is the only planet in a solid earth sign, but he is retrograding in Capricorn as if to say, “You guys need to figure out how to transform your world to a better place by yourselves. I’m getting tired of this thankless job.” Pluto does make a rather obscure aspect called quincunx  or inconjunct to Venus but this is a rather irritating connection, like an oyster who has to layer enamel over the itchy piece of sand to feel better again. Could this ultimately be helpful? Perhaps if we can layer quickly enough to create a beautiful pearl……doubtful.

So all in all, this summer season is a bit of a muddle. As I said in June’s Heavenly Messages issue, it’s 2 steps forward one leap back!

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I am an eternal optimist. In the midst of this kind of funky energy it may seem difficult to keep your chin up, but there is always a way. Remember the author’s phrase, “The situation is desperate, as usual.”? This season’s cosmic energies play out this theme as worldly forces continue to thrash around in their illusion of being in charge (or even real at all!) The best advice for your own personal world is to let it be. I alluded to it earlier when I discussed Saturn and Pluto.  It’s up to each one of us to do our own personal healing work and begin transforming to a higher vibrational level where no matter what is happening “out there” you are creating a loving and happy life for yourself, those you love and even people you interact with on a daily basis. The choice to do this has always been at hand, but first you must become aware of your own personal responsibility to choose it. This year’s Solstice energies can help you realize this.

I hope you have magical Solstice plans to help capture the best at this most powerful moment of the year.

My best to you always!

~Melissa