The 2021 Summer Solstice arrives on Sunday, June 20 at 11:32 p.m. EDT 8:32 p.m. PDT and 3:32 UTC

This is Winter Solstice for those in the Southern Hemisphere which is on  Monday June 21 at  13:32 AEST

The June Solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and is when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer each year.  It is Winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. EarthSky has good background info on the Solstice, Wanderlust shows how the Summer Solstice is celebrated in different traditions, you can watch a livestream at Stonehenge , and here is info on the Winter Solstice from the Southern Hemisphere This year’s solstice chart (cast for New York City) is a blend of flowing positivity and challenging snares!

Note: In my never ending quest to help you understand how the influences of astrology manifest., check out the links you’ll see as you read on, with “as above, so below” examples.

The Solstice chart is cast for the moment the Sun moves into the sign of Cancer each year and indicates upcoming  trends for the season. Water signs dominate the chart with the Moon, ruler of the Cancer Sun, in steamy powerful Scorpio, Venus in Cancer and huge Jupiter along with Neptune in Pisces. Mars is in sparkling in fire sign Leo, Mercury is retro in airy Gemini, Saturn also retro is in air sign Aquarius, Uranus is in earthy Taurus and Pluto, also retro, remains in earth sign Capricorn.

Trines are 120* aspects representing ‘ ease-flow-harmony’ and there are some lovely ones in the solstice chart. The Sun forms a trine to Jupiter and brings the Moon in too, and Venus forms another trine to Neptune – very beautiful patterns! The Sun’s trine to generous Jupiter brings in the unconditional love of Cancer blending with the empathy of Pisces, which indicates people are eager to love one another more, and since Cancer rules families mothers and children, folks want more help to lift up average families.

Ironically Jupiter turns retrograde a few hours before the solstice arrives, so this ‘uplift’ may face delays. President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan called The American Jobs Plan focuses on much needed infrastructure repair and also on raising up the American workforce is currently stalled in the Senate (largely because Republicans resist raising taxes on the wealthy). Seeds are planted now and will hopefully bear fruit after Jupiter turns direct again on 10/17.

Moon in the solstice chart represents the public mood and the Moon participates in this trine too. The emotion expression of Moon in Scorpio is tough love and ruthless compassion .  Consider how people are demanding to get a living wage in the face of the soaring bonuses for CEOs who made out like bandits during the pandemic and American workers flex their muscles . People are not in the mood to let the powers that be roll over them as they flex their muscle with so many businesses needing more workers as the pandemic restrictions lift.  Currently there are protests all over the world where people are courageously standing up for their rights as these current 10 World-Changing Protests indicate. These protests are likely to continue if Moon in Scorpio has her say!

Venus rules women and is in Cancer in the solstice chart, which further emphasizes women’s issues like more child care and financial support for caregivers both within families and for those who care for the elderly in nursing homes. The close trine Venus forms to spiritual Neptune in compassionate Pisces spreads ‘one love for all’ and helps people’s hearts open to their fellow humans. This flowing trine helps water and fertilize people’s growing awareness that we are all connected and when you share to help uplift others you ultimately benefit all of humanity including yourself!

Mars also forms trines in the solstice chart, reaching out to the South Node in Sagittarius and pulling in Chiron in Aries too. The South Node is the karmic past which we must move away from in order to evolve and wounded healer Chiron is a key waiting to be turned so that healing can begin. When Mars is in Leo peoples energy returns and everyone want to get want to get out and roar! Sagittarius is all about ability to travel freely and Aries favors individual freedoms, all of which line up with pandemic restrictions rapidly lifting. Everyone is on the move again!

Trines are usually associated with positive energy, but a 3 prong trine can also activate an easy flow of challenging force too, especially in fire signs like this one.  As we all get up and going again, we need to remember to be more aware and sensitive to others, but this trine pushes “It’s all about ME” I don’t care if I roll over everyone else. For example as thousands more people begin to travel again the rash of violence on airlines is getting insane, as this article point out, Unruly behavior from plane passengers has never been this bad . At the same time Mars makes this trine he also forms a challenging square to the Scorpio Moon, so this type of selfish behavior is likely to continue.

Not to be left out  Saturn in Aquarius also makes a trine to the North Node in Gemini which stretches out to Mercury in Gemini too.  The important North Node in Gemini is like a compass pointing to the need for better communication, releasing anxiety and improving mental health in general. (Here is a good article on the current nodes ). Ideally this airy trine is uplifting.  Gemini rules average people – the tribal mind, which Saturn in lofty Aquarius has been valiantly attempting to lift up to a higher, more mature perspective with emphasis on working together for the greater good, versus egotistical shortsightedness.  However Mercury remains retrograde in the solstice chart and Saturn is retro too – there is progress, but at times it seems to stall. Similar to the trine with Jupiter retro we can trust that seeds are planted for positive energy to manifest later. In fact Jupiter plays into this too because when he moves forward again this Fall, he’ll be in Aquarius where he’ll give Saturn a nice boost.

Uranus, Lord of Enlightenment (and chaos!) is in earthy Taurus and creates a major challenge in the solstice chart. Uranus forms a tight square to Saturn and an opposition to Moon in Scorpio while Saturn also squares the Moon. This configuration makes a tense, dynamic T-Square where 3 parts are swinging out on the T and it takes effort to stabilize the parts so they can be utilized. Since 2019 Uranus in Taurus has been beaming in the need to become more enlightened about protecting and healing our planet. This T-Square in the solstice chart indicates the challenge remains as people get lax again, while large agribusiness and other corporations along with government municipalities seem eager to get back to spewing pollutants back into waterways, oceans and landfills after the new awareness during pandemic lock-down that nature was actually getting cleaner by the day! Here is an article on why you shouldn’t even consider living near a  pig farm .

Despite the challenge Uranus in Taurus has been getting his message through. Here are some positive examples to inspire you: Renewable Energy Boomed in 2020 ; New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster ; How abandoned strip mines are being rescued .

Retrograde Pluto stands alone near the last leg of his lengthy Capricorn journey (at 26* Cap) in the solstice chart. This potent transformer is moving retrograde patiently waiting for those in positions of power in government and corporations and specifically white male patriarchy, to recognize that the old power structures are already transforming to the point of no return. Pluto in Capricorn knows that no matter what Proud Boys and other white supremacists, backward thinking clergy, ayatollahs and other regressive dogmatic leaders across the world believe and who don’t want things to change, – too late boys –  it’s already a done deal!

An important indication of this here is the US is the passage just days before the Solstice to make June 19th a US federal holiday the Juneteenth National Independence Da y commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.  In one of the most divisive eras in US history, this bill passed unanimously in the Senate with only 14 members in the House voting against it. Contrast this with the passage in 1983 of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with passed with 90 representatives and 22 senators voting against it. Times have indeed changed. The Summer Solstice chart for 2021 expresses these changes along with the pressure against the rising tide of more care, concern and love for all.

Here is advice for you to tap this loving flow. When you begin to feel discouraged that things will never change, might makes right, people never change, etc. simply make the choice to tune out the ‘real world” idiot box and tune into your higher self who will help lift your vibration to a kind and loving one. Tap into the Solstice one love flow – truly feel it in your heart and soon your lifted vibration expands throughout the whole world and beyond! Here is a quote from a wonderful person who knew how to uplift people, Robin Williams born with Sun in Cancer, Please, don’t worry so much. Because in the end none of us have very long on this earth. Life is fleeting. And if you’re ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky. ~ Robin Williams .

Here is a note about the art I chose for the Solstice-  a sculpture by Bill Worrell whose art I discovered last year and used a painting of his for the Summer Solstice issue then. The sculpture I used for Summer Solstice 2021 is named Shaman of the Benediction . In researching Worrell I learned his sculptures are always accompanied by a poem of his which you can read here . I also sadly learned that he had recently “left for that final journey to the infinite possibilities of the Universe’s Great Mystery” (as his obituary said) on April 29, 2021. I feel fortunate to have found his inspiring work which lives on.  Here is a poem written in 2003 which he put on his website. I would add, the energy of now at this time, this Summer Solstice 2021 helps us know this truth!

THERE MUST BE PEACE
IF THERE IS TO BE LOVE
THERE MUST BE WILLINGNESS TO LOVE
IF THERE IS TO BE PEACE

THERE MUST BE FORGIVENESS
IF PEACE AND LOVE ARE TO BE SUSTAINED

IT IS TIME
WE PUT TO AN END
THINGS THAT DIVIDE US
IT IS TIME TO BEGIN
TO LET PEACE AND LOVE UNITE US
IT IS TIME
TO LET LIGHT AND REASON GUIDE US

THAT ALL PEOPLE RE-DIRECT WARS AND AGGRESSION—
NOT TOWARD FELLOW BEINGS
BUT DIRECT THEM AGAINST IGNORANCE
AGAINST POVERTY
AGAINST PREJUDICE
AGAINST DISEASE
AGAINST SUFFERING
AND AGAINST THE VIRAL AND MICROBIAL FORCES
WHICH HAVE ALWAYS PLAGUED HUMAN WELL BEING

IT IS TIME FOR PEACE
AND FOR MUTUAL SYMBIOTIC CO-EXISTENCE

IT IS TIME
IT IS TIME
IT IS TIME

~ Bill Worrell