Summer Solstice 2016 - What's Coming in July, August, and September

by Robert Wilkinson

The Summer Solstice occurs June 20, 3:54 pm PDT, 6:54 pm EDT, 11:54 pm 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.

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.

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 has now moved on and is not the powerhouse it was. For several years it was extremely 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 conjunction, square, or opposition to Pluto during these changes of season, in previous Solstice and Equinox charts Uranus has been in close square to Pluto, showing very volatile Plutonic energies in play. In this chart the square is no longer in play, and has moved into a trielftile (11th harmonic) aspect, which I explain in the Lunation articles.

In this chart, Pluto is still a significant factor due to the conjunction by the Moon at 6 Capricorn. As the Moon also makes a decile to Neptune, a tredecile to Uranus, a triseptile to Mercury, and a semisquare to Mars, it’s a major player in the next 90 days. As Pluto also is pentelftile the Sun, trine Jupiter, decile Saturn and septile Mars, it will clearly be a major player over the next 90 days.

This is the eighth Summer Solstice with Pluto in Capricorn. Given the Solstice and Equinox charts show the weather patterns to come, and this one is very close to the Full Moon occurring about 12 hours before, please consult those articles to know more about the various aspects in play between the outer planets.

Decan and Element Distribution and the Solstice Jones Pattern

This Summer Solstice chart shows 3 planets in the first decan of their sign, 5 planets in the second decan of their signs, and 2 planets in the third decan of their signs. This indicates a three month period of activity involving an emphasis in the emotional, social, and cultural areas of life, with a fair balance between the actional, and individual-mental and spiritual areas of life, with a slight emphasis on the actional-material spiritual areas of life. The Earth trines ground the action, with the Grand Cross now in the background, showing whatever fracturing we’ve been through is almost over.

The planets fall in a Bucket Jones pattern, even though that long standing pattern is now about to give way to a variety of different patterns. Please consult the recent Full Moon in Gemini article for greater detail about this Jones pattern in play for the next season.

On this Solstice, we see 4 planets in Water, 1 in Air, 3 in Earth, and 2 in Fire. That makes this a season where feelings will run high, with a strong sense of grounded information exploration, with a focus on practicality and the need to finish the old before moving into the new. Purification is favored, as is letting go of old inhibitions.

Dispositors, Aspects, and the Lunar Influence

In this chart, we find Mercury, Mars, and Neptune in their home signs, with the Sun in the sign ruled by the Moon and the Moon in Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, itself ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter ruled by Mercury. That makes Mercury, Mars, and Neptune the final dispositors for all the energies of the next 90 days, with the first two far more prominent than Neptune. Of the three, Mercury is the most powerful, since it is the final ruler of all the other planets except Neptune, Mars, and Uranus.

With the Moon is at 6 Capricorn, we will all get focused through our ability to accept power or authority in the social, emotional, or cultural realm. The degree is one of knowing what is done, what is yet to be done, and seeing what to do in the future once those things are done. Saturn as the ruler of the Moon shows us a new law, a new truth, or a new future is being implemented in our lives, and we can speak as we need to, regardless of what others think.

The Moon rules Cancer, so it's the ruler of the Sun. In this chart we find the Sun and Moon are in a Full Moon phase, indicating the next 90 days are about realization, polarization, and when necessary, separation. This brings a new awareness of how we need to be disciplined or mature in our relationships, and will show us the limitlessness of our possibilities once the old is done.

In the Solstice chart there are a huge number of extremely important forming and just separating aspects showing the recent past has been very intense for many. Almost all the aspects are the same as in the Full Moon chart. I’ve already touched on some of the more important ones, and we’ll go deeper into all of them in part 3, which is coming very soon.

For now, the most significant aspects include Moon triseptile Mercury, semisquare Mars, trine Jupiter, quindecile Saturn, tredecile Uranus, bielftile Neptune, and conjunct Pluto; Mercury quadranovile Mars and square Jupiter, Venus quintile Uranus, trine Neptune, and opposition Pluto, and Sun biquintile Mars via collection of light, quintile Jupiter, quadranovile Saturn, and tredecile Neptune.

We also see Mars tredecile Neptune, septile Pluto, Jupiter biquintile Uranus and trine Pluto, Saturn sesquisquare Uranus and decile Pluto, and Uranus trielftile Pluto. The Mars septile Pluto puts the Grand Irrationality back into play for these next 90 days, showing that those who have planets or angles in any of the 7 hot zones will be profoundly affected in the coming season. Refer to the Full Moon articles to find out which degree zones of the different signs are involved.

The tredeciles all show serendipity in the air, with unique gifts and situations for those affected. Moon tredecile Uranus, Venus quintile Uranus, and Jupiter biquintile Uranus opens the following zones of specialization: 4-6 Capricorn/Cancer, 10-12 Aquarius/Leo, 16-18 Pisces/Virgo, 22-24 Aries/Libra, and 28-30 Taurus/Scorpio. If you have a planet or angle near these degrees, expect some very interesting and unique blessings to come your way!

The other zones of unique specialization and gifts are opened by Sun tredecile Neptune, and Mars tredecile Neptune, showing the recent Sun biquintile Mars is still very active! Affected zones include 5-9 Aquarius/Leo, 11-15 Pisces/Virgo, 17-21 Aries/Libra, 23-27 Taurus/Scorpio, 29-30 Gemini/Sag, and 1-3 Cancer/Capricorn.

Other Important Factors

The North Node shows us the line of greatest development is to see how our ideals have been made manifest in recent months, and/or get clearer about what we want and why we want it. We’re all moving into a growth pattern of self-transformation on the actional-material level to do our Being with a greater, more effective spiritual discernment and functionality.

We have numerous spiritual aspects in play in this chart, most of which involve specialization or the need to accept or reject something on the basis of spiritual similarity or dissimilarity, or the understanding that something must be accepted or rejected so we may move forward on our path to realization. In any case, this introduces a new law, the dawning of a new day, the launching of a new vision, or the performance of some function we’ve trained for.

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 what need completing before the next phase can open, accept the concentrated doses of spiritual energy flooding the atmosphere at present, and watch out for old voice trying to convince you the new way is not as valid as the old way.

This is a time of finishing reworking or replanning something from the past, and now we move forward. We are learning how to gather new information and a new view of things so we may act on that new information or vision. Once we’ve made the decision or done the action, then we have to figure out how we’re feeling or experiencing our lives based in that decision or action as a prelude to a new understanding.

Welcome to a season of transformation of action in the social arena of life through incorporating inspiring teachings of the past into current actions. This is the threshold of a new “law of life,” though we may not fully understand it until September. We’re in a new era that requires diligence, effort, organization, and discipline in freeing ourselves from old inhibitions that no longer belong in our new life era. Welcome the opportunities to unlock your power that’s been caged up, and you could find yourself inspired in subtle ways you’ve never imagined!

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 blessings to come your way that expands your life.

© Copyright 2016 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Nic]

Thanks Robert. Very interesting information at a very high and important time of the year cycle. As usual your wisdom and ability to communicate it are deeply appreciated.

Blessings be to all.

[kate]

Thank you! So much wisdom here.

[Ann]

Thank you Robert. Very much appreciated.

[Derrick Reaves]

Thank you, Robert. I am experiencing a transiting NN conjunction to natal NN on the IC with the transiting Jupiter conjunction holding court and trining natal Sun and transiting Pluto. Your "other important factors" section really helped me out here, as I've been feeling quite confused and detached from things.

[Vince Cobalis]

Thanks, Robert. I have some important decisions on the horizon and transitions in some social/work aspects of my life, including Tai Chi. You always put things in perspective well.