There’s a lot of creative potential in this chart of the Summer Solstice, and energy that can be put towards building structures we need to construct a healthy, vibrant future. I hope all of you look for and find opportunities to take advantage of that potential.

There’s also a signature of disruption in the chart, and if we are attentive and flexible, we may be able to steer those disruptive energies into positive outcomes. Sometimes, when things are disrupted and everything is up in the air, it’s easier to make changes happen in areas that had previously seemed stuck.

However, there’s no doubt that some folks will be flailing around creating disruption, feeding their egos, fighting for control, and creating messes others need to clean up.

The chart is in effect over the next three months. I’ll look at ways we can encourage the better outcomes and avoid/mitigate the problematic ones, but first I’ll take a few paragraphs for the astrologers. If you don’t speak the language, skip past the italics.

(Astrologers: Cast the chart for June 21, 10:59 a.m. EDT, Washington, D.C. (which makes the angles and houses predictive for the USA). Here’s what I’m looking at:

As always at the Summer Solstice (Cancer Ingress in astrologese) the Sun is at 0° Cancer. The zero degree of any cardinal sign is a power point in the Zodiac, and the four of them are collectively known as the Aries Point. They mark the solstices and equinoxes, and the charts of each of those events are predictive for the next quarter.

With any cardinal ingress chart, we look closely at the aspects of the Sun, as well as the condition of its ruling planet — Moon, in this case. (Angles and house position of Sun and its ruler are important as well, but only if you are looking at a specific location.)

In this chart, Sun makes three separating aspects — a very tight inconjunct to Pluto and semi-square to Venus, as well as an under 3° square to Neptune. Separating aspects mean that the influence of the aspect is waning, but the aspect with Pluto is so tight (0°11’) that I’m going to pay serious attention to it, particularly since Pluto has a reputation for producing consequences as it is separating.

Sun also has an approaching square to dwarf planet Ceres, which I have finally decided, after years of watching it in charts, should be included in both mundane and natal chart interpretations. The keywords I use for it are nature and nurture. Given Cancer’s association with both those things, I expect an emphasis on them over the next quarter, heavily colored by Pluto and Venus.

Looking at Cancer’s ruling planet, the Moon, we find it involved in a powerful stellium in Leo with Venus and Mars. Moon is in a separating but still quite close square to Jupiter and inconjunct Saturn, and in mutual reception with Sun.

Mars is square Uranus and in a very tight sextile with a powerful Mercury in Gemini.

Venus is conjunct Moon and Mars, and shares their aspects, but with a wider orb.
Jupiter closely sextiles Saturn.
Pluto is still square the nodal axis.

Chiron in Aries trines Mars and sextiles Mercury. I think this aspect is going to manifest noticeably, I hope as breakthroughs in medical procedures, particularly surgery, pertaining to rehab from injuries suffered in sports, war, or other violent events. I think we’ll also see a focus on healing from the impacts of psychological wounds from war and violent crime.

Also keep in mind the Venus retrograde in Leo that will run from late July through early September.

In the Washington, DC chart using equal houses, also note Sun and Mercury (which rules the chart) in the 10th, the Leo stellium in the 12th, Saturn on the descendant, and Venus ruling the 9th, containing Jupiter, Uranus, and the MC. )

We’re going to be seeing a lot of egos and emotions running wild over the next three months.

Before we look at how that might play out, I want to emphasize that I believe ego is a critical component of our psychic structure, and not something to be eliminated or overcome. It helps us form our personal identity in the world. It mediates between the conscious and unconscious mind. It’s an important part of our psyche, but it doesn’t — or shouldn’t — take the lead in our lives.

The ego’s job is to manage and help us create within this time-and-space reality. It’s managerial work. The visionary work of leadership, the CEO’s job, should go to our greater Self, that part of us that exists in a larger reality outside of time and space, the part that exists in the realm of spirit, and feeds our soul.

Problems occur when we hand over the CEO’s office to the ego because we have lost touch with our greater Self, with that larger reality, and may not even believe a larger reality exists. When ego is running our life, decisions are made in fear and executed in power struggles. The ego knows it’s not up to the job of CEO, but until we give the power back to our greater Self and let the ego return to the managerial work for which it is best suited, it will lead us down some problematic pathways.

It’s pretty clear that ego is running rampant in our highly materialist society, to the point where we — the human race — are self-destructing. The longer-term astrology suggests that the next decades will bring a rapid awakening to how humans work better when we work together. We need to look out for each other if we are going to create workable, equitable, highly creative civilizations. We can’t do that from a place of fear and struggles for power-over.

The current sky reminds us that widespread change must start from within individuals, and that individuals are not powerless. If we live connected to a larger reality of spirit, and to the larger Self that exists within that matrix, then we draw directly from the creative power of the Universe. In doing so, we shift reality within our own spheres of influence and aid in the spiritual and cultural transformation that is so desperately needed now.

One of the most important drivers of change in our world is emotion, because emotions drive actions. People in power are no different from the rest of us. Consider how the global situation is affected by the emotional states of dictators, elected representatives, business leaders, wealthy investors, and even celebrities.

Witches and magicians — and really, anyone who works to shape reality through their mind and spiritual connections — understand the power emotions hold over our reality, both how we experience it, and how we influence it.

Emotions usually seem to erupt from the depths of our psyche, but once they become conscious we will usually either fight to repress them, or let them flood our awareness, at which point we can either act out, or quietly let our recognition of them lead us to a deeper level of understanding and connection.

Allowing ourselves to experience our emotions without either repressing them or inappropriately acting them out is a skill that can be developed, and the process of regulating them will help us learn and grow in awareness and compassion.

This summer is a great time to do that work.

If you aren’t sure where to start, first, ask for guidance. No need to ask a deity or spirit if you don’t work with any. Just put it out to the Universe or to your greater Self that you want to have a healthier connection with and control of your emotions, and then be aware of the synchronicities in your life that will lead you to the people and the tools you need.

We each have our own path to healing, but if you want a place to start if yours is not yet clear to you, then start with the Buddhist practice of Metta.

If you’d like to get more insight into how the current planetary patterns are interacting with your personal chart, contact me, and we’ll set up a consultation.

Now let’s look at what’s likely to be holding our attention here in the USA over the summer.

All the ego and emotion stuff is going to be very colorfully splashed across the news and social media in a variety of configurations, and the ongoing national legal dramas will be exceptionally colorful as well. And not just the trials and tribulations of The Former Guy — multiple matters of justice and the courts will be of intense public interest.

There will be an emphasis on trade and technology, particularly foreign trade. I expect our relationship with China to be much in the news.

There will be harsh words, possibly flipping to violence, both among national factions (while that’s nothing new, it will likely be ramped up a couple of notches) and in foreign diplomacy.

It’s possible that the administration will take a hard line with one or more foreign powers, but in an iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove kind of way. Negotiations will be like an iceberg, with very little or any of what is really going on showing above the surface. Toes will be stepped on. But the overall picture suggests success in diplomatic negotiations and skillful speech.

Gossip will be swarming like a cloud of gnats. Some of it will morph from gossip into scandal, particularly sexual scandals. Anything from the public reveal of harmless if embarrassing sexual peccadilloes through to child porn and trafficking. The good news is that actions will be taken against predators.

The economy, still under immense pressure astrologically, will, I believe, see that pressure manifest in environmental issues (particularly weather crises and pollution affecting agriculture, real estate, and infrastructure), and the ongoing collapse of crypto with its concomitant banking problems.

It’s more important than ever to vet the news, and make sure your inner skeptic is alert.

It’s also likely that, as a country, we will be dealing with the psychological/emotional consequences of late-stage capitalism. I’m one of those who believes that capitalism, stripped-down and carefully regulated by a healthy democratic government, can form the basis of a sustainable economy that regenerates, but is not dependent on growth.

But our current capitalism, mired in the spiritually bereft philosophy of materialism, flirting with fascism, and corrupted by greed, fear, and undiluted self-interest, is an entirely different and detrimental construct that negatively affects our spiritual, psychological, and physical health.

What we need is an ethical government, an engaged citizenry, and honest venues for productive public discourse. Each individual can do something to work towards that goal. Figure out what it is that you can do, then follow through. You, as an individual, are important. You can help change the world. Will you?

Blessings of the Solstice to you!