Summer Solstice 2014 - What's Coming in July, August, and September

by Robert Wilkinson

The Summer Solstice occurs June 21, 3:51 am PDT, 6:51 am EDT, 11:51 am Greenwich (BST). It's the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, said to be the time at which "free will" acts more powerfully than any other time. It is a point of decision, and kicks off Summer, the season of work, play, productivity, and lots of sunshine for those of us up north. If you're "down under," remember to have a little compassion for us up here when December 21, the Winter Solstice, rolls around and we're freezing while you're enjoying the beach! What follows explores elements we all can expect to experience over the next 3 months, regardless of where we live.

Today is the end of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, the end of Autumn in the Southern. If you’re wondering how I reconcile the seemingly opposing energies between the hemispheres, when you’re done here please take a look at The Mirroring of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere Year Cycles in Astrology. It may help readers “down under” see how the important points of seasonal change, though opposite in physical manifestation, actually have similar challenges at each point of shift.

The Solstices and Equinoxes are excellent times for looking at what began in the past 90 days, whether new growth or signs of what is ending, what is emerging and what has slipped down the timestream. In any case, the Solstices are points of radical reorientation, whether toward emotional self interest in the Northern Hemisphere or personal power in the Southern.

How This Solstice Is Related to Other Celestial Events Past and Present

The next 90 days are in any case a time to decide, consolidate, express, stabilize, and work toward what will shift at the Autumnal Equinox. Taking a brief look back, we began numerous cycles of new activities during the 2011 Aries conjunctions involving Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars with Uranus and Jupiter. These were solidified and stabilized at the planetary conjunctions with Jupiter in Taurus March through May 2012, and renewed and expanded between April and June 2013.

In a “co-incidence” of major importance right now, Jupiter was at 29 Gemini in last year’s Solstice chart. This is the same degree as the recent Inferior Conjunction, and so the current “fusion of Life and Mind” indicated by that Inferior Conjunction in some ways helps us take a new look at how our life expanded, or a new truth or teaching embraced, between June and September 2013. That helped us take collective material and weave it into a new “song of life” even as we searched for new revelations and went deeper into our connection with “the ONE.”

It also indicates that the recent Inferior Conjunction chart will have much in common with this Solstice chart. Finishing the line of examination, this chart has Jupiter at 25 Cancer, a degree of Divine Grace coming to those who accept a leadership role in their world at whatever level is appropriate. With Jupiter in Cancer since last June, we’ve seen new allegiances, new life experiences, new needs, and a reorientation toward a new stability or way of living. We’ve all certainly seen who is part of our spiritual Family and who isn’t!

The charts for the Summer and Winter Solstices provide guideposts for the symbolic and actual weather that will follow in the 90 days after those points in time, just as charts for the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox each show what will follow in the period after those points in time.

The Pluto Factor Past and Present

After many years of being an important factor in the Solstice and Equinox charts, Pluto is not quite the force it’s been. For several years it proved important in in the charts at every change of season, since Pluto in early Capricorn was squared by the Sun at the Spring and Autumn Equinoctal points, and opposed the Sun at the Summer Solstice point for a number of years. These are very dynamic aspects that released a lot of energy, and either blocked or propelled events.

Although the Sun is no longer in very close conjunction, square, or opposition to Pluto during these changes of season, since Uranus actually IS in close square to Pluto, there will increasingly be greater Plutonic energies cut loose for years to come! In recent years, we only experienced Uranus square Pluto energy at the 2010 Summer Solstice and to a lesser degree, the 2011 Spring Equinox (since Uranus was almost too wide to be in square).

However, beginning with the 2011 Summer Solstice chart, we’ve confronted an ever-closer square between these two heavyweights impacting every season since then except for the 2011 Winter Solstice. So January through March 2012 was the last season when this square wasn’t a major player, but no more! For several years, this square has been and will be a major influence in all seasonal charts to come!

Even though in this chart the square is separating, it is a big part of this season’s equation due to Venus exactly sesquisquare Pluto and forming a semisquare to Uranus and another sesquisquare to Mars, pulling Uranus’ energies back into the dynamic releases indicated by all Octile series aspects. This creates “Octile zones” that will release the energies of these frictional energies in dramatic change when it impacts our charts. Specific zones include 11-15 Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn and 26-30 Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

Squares tend to put the brakes on some things, while indicating a "turning of a corner" in other things. Semisquares and sesquisquares create agitated conditions forcing shifts in values, expression, desires, or goals. Oppositions create, well, oppositions. That can lead to awareness or obvious polarization.

Squares to Pluto often show things going out of control or something extreme happening that results in either a favorable purification or a grinding toxicity. Given that Pluto is one of the anchors of The Grand Irrationality (not a specific factor in this chart), when squared it releases a lot of energy precipitating situations that move people to make choices that propel them into their destiny.

Pluto is the ultimate transformer. It has figured prominently in both Equinox and Solstice charts of the past few years, and will for a few more years. It has particularly affected charts in 2007, 2008, and 2009 due to it going back and forth over 29-30 Sag and 1-3 Capricorn when it was conjunct the Galactic Center. There are many articles in the archives discussing the Solstice and Equinox charts for those years, so if you're interested please take a look.

This is the sixth Summer Solstice with Pluto in Capricorn. The opposition between the Sun at the beginning of Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn, even though it’s wide, continues to challenge us to find confidence in the midst of chaotic conditions, and use self-discipline and deep insights to pioneer in new directions. Given the Solstice and Equinox charts show the weather patterns to come, this chart would seemingly indicate some extremes on the way, and may help explain why there have been so many extremes these past 6 years! The Octile aspects mentioned above will surely make this another dynamic season!

Decan and Element Distribution and the Solstice Jones Pattern

This Summer Solstice chart shows 1 planet in the first decan of their sign, 4 planets in the second decan of their signs, and 5 planets in the third decan of their signs. This indicates a three month period of activity involving primarily social-emotional and individual-mental and spiritual areas of life, with a slight emphasis on the actional areas of life. A lot will be felt, a lot will be imagined, but following through may be an issue at times.

The planets fall in a Splay Jones pattern, with a sub-emphasis of See Saw. The Splay indicates a widely distributed planetary spread that shows a diverse but separated set of interests, with an emphasis on individuality putting itself into different situations that may not harmonize easily.

Learn to triangulate when caught between conflicting energies that only come together because you are moving through those experiences. See both sides of any opposition or duality, and come to a larger understanding of how to resolve the polarization through productive understanding that recognizes both poles within a larger view.

On this Solstice, we see 4 planets in Water, 2 in Air, 2 in Earth, and 2 in Fire. That makes this a season where feelings will run VERY high, with a balance between connecting and sharing with others in both inspired and practical ways the best we’re able within a friction that seems out of our control.

Dispositors, Aspects, and the Lunar Influence

In this chart, we find Mercury, Venus, and Neptune in their home signs. That makes these three the final dispositors for all the energies of the next 90 days. Of the three, Venus is the most powerful, since it is the final ruler of all the other planets except Mercury and Neptune, which are “standalone” forces.

These three dominating the landscape for the next 90 days makes being released from pressures we no longer need to bear so we can hear a call to renewal, and move solidly into enjoying a renewed life and sense of worth or values, front and center. Some will see the value of how they’ve already been liberated, while others will find a new way to value their life experiences to find a sense of genuine renewal.

With the Moon is at 22 Aries, we will all get focused through our ability to focus power or potential in the social and emotional realm. The degree is one of generating optimism and abundance by linking our energies with others, overcoming any sense of isolation or things being more than we can handle. We can find joy and ways to overcome any sense of inhibition.

Our faith will help us to more optimistic views and forms of higher fulfillment. This season, stay focused on the virtually limitless possibilities and better dreams you could move into, and stay alert to “every possibility of individual discovery and experience.” Make an effort, and you could find yourself in a better view and flow.

The Moon rules Cancer, so it's the ruler of the Sun and Jupiter. In this chart we find a 3rd Quarter Moon, indicating the next 90 days are about putting something together in the way of a collective vision or group work that will become the vehicle for the future benefit of a greater whole or life. We are told this Lunar phase is future oriented, inventive, and one that builds systems or bodies of work that show how to apply universal or spiritual principles to everyday situations and problems. Many will get glimpses of the spiritual principles behind broad social processes.

In the Solstice chart, besides the Octile series aspects mentioned above, there are a host of extremely important septile-series aspects showing major shifts and forks in the road of destiny involving the Moon, Sun, Mars, and Saturn. Prominent forming aspects, showing things to come, include Moon sextile Mercury, square Jupiter, and semisquare Neptune, Mercury tredecile Mars and Neptune, Venus in the Octiles, Sun sesquisquare Saturn and trine Neptune, Mars in the Octiles, and Saturn quincunx Uranus and tredecile Neptune. Neptune and Pluto are now 54 degrees 57 minutes wide, marking the first change of seasons where the Grand Irrationality is not a major player.

Given the Moon triseptile Saturn and Sun biseptile Mars, biseptiles and triseptile, expect major choices and changes in the parts of the chart where you have Aries, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Aquarius. Some themes could involve feeling the need to change directions to take control of our lives, or find a new balanced way to move toward fulfilling our needs or shifting allegiances. Some will have to double down on their responsibilities, while others will become more optimistic as a result of seeing what’s done and been done well, fulfilling an old obligation or duty that allows them to move in new life directions.

So again we enter a season of radical choices, changes, forks in the road in many areas of our lives, and intensification of everything leading us to a deeper personality integration. In this Solstice chart, the Moon triseptile Saturn creates hot zones near 20-24 Aries, 11-15 Gemini, 3-7 Leo, 24-28 Virgo, 16-20 Scorpio, 8-12 Capricorn, and 29 Aquarius-3 Pisces. The Sun biseptile Mars creates “hot zones” near 8-12 Taurus, 29 Gemini-3 Cancer, 21-25 Leo, 13-17 Libra, 4-8 Sagittarius, 25-29 Capricorn, and 17-21 Pisces. As you can see, these will be set off by various transits over the next 90 days, with the Moon-Saturn effect triggered first, followed a little later by the Sun-Mars effect.

Of note are the numerous tredeciles, an aspect I’ve found to manifest as “serendipity.” These involve gifts that are perfect for our situation, or situations that are perfect for our gifts. In this chart we see Mercury tredecile Mars and Neptune, and Saturn tredecile Neptune (Mercury is not tredecile Saturn, nor is Mars decile Saturn, making the effects wider in scope and somewhat off-set in function.) Zones of gifts and blessings, are a couple of degrees to either side of 2-6 Aquarius/Leo, 8-12 Pisces/Virgo, 14-18 Aries/Libra, 20-24 Taurus/Scorpio, and 26-30 Gemini/Sagittarius. The zones where the Saturn tredecile Neptune is in play are about 2 degrees earlier than these spans, so there is some overlap.

Other Important Factors

The North Node shows us the line of greatest development is to find a higher, broader view beyond dualities, seeing how karma must be worked out before we can repair what needs repair and move into a deeper connection with life, Self, and others. The South Node indicates these growth patterns will demonstrate as ways to use our creative imagination to reclaim opportunities thought to be lost. Over the next 90 days, be reasonable, fair, balanced, and focus the potency available in the moment.

Given that Saturn is going stationary direct and Uranus goes stationary retrograde a couple of weeks from now, this Summer we'll begin to embrace a new life, and understand the power to trust the God or Truth within us as we do a “dignified withdrawal” from some things. The powerful quincunx between these two titanic forces indicates the need for flexibility while paying attention to details, allowing our “will to wholeness” to break up old complexes as we transmute old energy into new ideas and thought forms.

Any quincunx challenges the health of a thing, and requires forced adjustments and corrections that are usually accompanied by sacrifices. These eliminations are necessary to restore a productive focus. And of course, though separating, Uranus square Pluto indicates further conflicts and tensions in the larger world environment. This is behind the constant intensity of the sandstorm of conflicts and unyielding situations by those who are extreme in their views and are not listening to alternative approaches or understanding.

With the aspects to the Uranus square Pluto in this chart, over the next 90 days there will be some extreme and potentially violent events, where there is maximum volatility in the public arena. This is about understanding what is contributing to any disorder, and the antidotes are to withdraw and transcend, or transcend and withdraw, being strong, flexible, clear about a greater Truth and Life, see ways to ground that spiritual Reality, and quicken growth through forms of self-gathering. Just don’t clutch as you move into more permanent paths.

So the next few weeks will bring us a greater sense of what to do, how to do it, and who to do it with. Many will be given the Grace, or Mantle of Power, that will be the means to move into a greater leadership role. Begin to take a new look at what’s done, what you no longer need to carry, and open to a more enjoyable life renewal. This is the season of “rebeginnings,” where we can experience “genuine rejuvenation,” and appreciate our “mature experience.”

Though the past 6 months have been perilous thanks to the very intense major T-squares and grand Crosses culminating in the Great Fracturing of April, followed by aftershocks even now, we have nothing to fear. Though everyone on Earth has been hammered in some way, clearly shown on a global level via the widespread discontent, revolution, and social breakdown, we have had opportunities to be in harmony with the larger flow, and be part of “the corrective force of Nature Herself.” Things are changing rapidly, and fear of the unknown has no place since in fact we're being guided to the sanctuary we began to search for around 9 years ago.

So look at what is emerging, and make decisions to reorient toward your new life and initiatives. Trust the emotional intelligence you’ve cultivated since June 2013, as well as your sense of perspective and proportion you’ve explored while learning how to take care of what you really care about, what you really need, and how you want to experience and live your day to day life. Keep letting go of obsolete, stagnant, or stuck emotional responses, and accept the blessing that allows you to drop an old load as you move into a rebeginning.

As always at this time in history, don’t get distracted by the craziness or irrationality in people and circumstances, and don’t worry if a lot doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t have to. Just learn how to feel your knowing and know your feelings, see the need in situations, go for the new and unrealized, and keep doing personality integration techniques.

This is a time of looking back and forward at the same time, of exploring ideas and approaches and ways to enjoy life at a more mature level. We are learning how to experience our individual flow within a greater flow, which should lead us to new ideas, new views, and new understanding. Once we have felt our way to a new approach, then all that’s left to do is take the single step to move it all forward.

Welcome to a season of understanding how and why we have had to let go of something we no longer needed, and now can make decisions to reorient toward new directions of growth and self-expression. We’ve now said goodbye to the past over the past three years, and should no longer be bugged by its ghosts and echoes of memories of perceptions of echoes of memories of perceptions of echoes of memories...

Aum, blessings, and Happy Northern Summer and Southern Winter Solstice as we stand on the threshold of a new season of life! Let go of fear, let go of memories, let go of feeling stuck in old limitations, and stay focused on the blessing to come your way that expands your life.

© Copyright 2014 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Nic]

Indeed we live wonderful times too, but we need to understand and be in the flow of things. While some general conflicts will appear, with the right perspective we will understand them as part of the moving forward of Humanity towards Unity.
Blessings be,
Nic

[Tasha]

Thank you :)

[debbie]

With my sun at 0Cancer54, this solstice always has a strong influence on my solar return chart which is along with my progressed chart and natal, looking more positive in its potential than it has for a long while and have to say, it is feeling good. in natal the north node on my ascendant and mars on my moon just to name a couple. The strange thing I find is that because I was born in England at the summer solstice and I have tried my very best to adapt to the different seasons in the southern hemisphere, where I have lived predominantly since I was 4, yet I still come alive NOW, which is winter here and go into hibernation mode at Dec 21 and knowing how good I have become with natural change and adaptation, I have come to accept the past few years that whatever the power of the solstice in June '61, its magnet will simply not be broken free from!?

[Suzanne]

There's a lot of very wise and insightful information in this post. Thank you.