by Robert Wilkinson
The Summer Solstice occurs June 21, 3:07 am PDT, 6:07 am EDT, and 11:07 am 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.
The June Solstice 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 (or the coming of Spring if you’re down under.) 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
This is the tenth Summer Solstice with Pluto in Capricorn. After many years of being an important factor in the Solstice and Equinox charts when near the Galactic Center, it now configures entirely differently with the Sun at these changes of season.
When Pluto was in very late Sagittarius and very early Capricorn, it was squared by the Sun at the Spring and Autumn Equinoctal points, and opposed the Sun at the June Solstice point between 2006-2010. It was close to exact from Dec 2006 through Dec 2009, and June 2010 through Sept 2010. The squares and oppositions of those turning points released a lot of energy, and either blocked or propelled events. Certainly those were seasons of great friction where many seeds were released into our gardens of Life.
Then, just as the Sun no longer made frictional aspects to Pluto during the Solstice and Equinox, Uranus began to make an exact square to Pluto, showing very volatile Plutonic energies in play. This began at the June 2010 Solstice, and except for the December 2010 Solstice, a mundane or actual square remained in play until the March 2016 Equinox. The last time the square happened was the December 2016 Solstice.
Uranus now makes a biseptile to Pluto in this Solstice chart, and will remain in that “destiny producing” aspect through the September Equinox. Expect radical events in the coming two seasons! This is a major fork in the road for the entire world, and things may become extraordinarily irrational at times.
If things don’t make sense, they don’t have to. The only thing that matters is to know how to focus and not get distracted by the craziness in the atmosphere. Sometimes, when we keep our heads when all around us are losing theirs, we come out on the other side looking and feeling good!
Given the Solstice and Equinox charts show the weather patterns to come, the various configurations and weightings give us a huge amount of insight about the season to come. I gave you a lot of information about the outer planet aspects in this recent article about the Gemini New Moon, so please check it out, since there are as many 7th harmonic aspects in this chart as that one!
Decan and Element Distribution and the Solstice Jones Pattern
This Summer Solstice chart shows 5 planets in the first decan of their sign, 4 planets in the second decan of their signs, and 1 planet in the third decan of their signs. This indicates a three month period of activity involving a heavy emphasis on the actional-material areas of life, with almost as much emphasis on the emotional, social, and cultural areas of life. There will be very little emphasis on the individual-mental and spiritual areas of life. As with the last two years’ Solstices, Earth trines ground the action.
After months of shifting between a variety of different patterns, at this juncture they are arranged in a way that creates a “Splay” Jones pattern. This energy will predominate over the next 3 months, so expect a lot of stuff to happen that doesn't fit well together, but somehow still creates a stable yet dynamic field.
So What is a “Splay Pattern” and how does it work?
This chart is fairly spread out in terms of planets in signs, since the 10 planets occupy 8 signs and are fairly spread out around the zodiacal wheel. This widespread distribution would be a Splash pattern except that there is a “tripod” type of positioning, with all the planets in odd angles to each other with differing distributions among the signs, creates a “Splay” Jones Pattern. As Marc Jones put it, “the arrangement is neither even nor symmetrical,” revealing “strong and sharp aggregations of the planets at irregular points.”
Dr. Jones states “This suggests highly individual or purposeful emphases in the life, where the temperament juts out into experiences according to its own very special tastes.” This pattern “makes its own anchorage in existence,” and has a quality of “rugged resistance to pigeonholing, either in the near conventional compartments of nature, or in the idea-pockets of associates.”
He goes on to state this pattern gives a “persistent emphasis on individuality,” and the “spokelike emphases of the planetary groupings” are random, but have a “tripod” footing and approach to life circumstances. He says this pattern “reveals a very intensive personality who cannot be limited to any single steady point of application.” This temperament is “particular and impersonal in its interests,” rather than “universal-impersonal” or “particular-personal.”
This implies that affairs will be diversely spread out, some will not mesh well with others, and there will be a “hub and spoke" quality to what happens these next 3 months. This spread shows a wide diversity of things going on that promotes individuality.
On this Solstice, we see 4 planets in Water, 2 in Air, 3 in Earth, and 1 in Fire. That makes this a season of feelings and practicality, with a degree of “balanced disillusion” in the background. It’s a good balance between hot and cold, but any time Earth and Water predominate, they create mud or bricks. Be alert to any feelings of being bogged down, and get free to build what you must build.
Dispositors, Aspects, and the Lunar Influence
In this chart, we find only Saturn and Neptune in their home signs, with the Sun in the sign ruled by the Moon in Libra, which is ruled by Venus in Leo, itself ruled by the Sun. This chain also rules Mercury via the Moon, and Uranus via Venus. The other “chain of dispositors” involves Saturn being the final ruler of a chain involving Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto.
So it seems that one “closed loop of energy” involves the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus, while the other “closed loop of energy” involves Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto. Neptune is as usual a “standalone” ruler of itself.
The Moon is at 13 Libra, in square to Mercury, biseptile to the Sun, semisextile to Jupiter, triseptile to Neptune, and trielftile to Pluto. This makes for a very powerful septile-driven configuration, boosting the “fated” sense of what’s going to happen. As the Moon and Sun are configuring with Neptune, it indicates the collective consciousness is at a fork in the road of its collective evolution, and thus affects the subtle atmosphere we all live within.
The primary zones affected include 29 Gemini-3 Cancer, 20-24 Leo, 11-15 Libra, 3-7 Sagittarius, 24-28 Capricorn, 15-19 Pisces, and 7-11 Taurus. If you have anything in these zones, your life will definitely hit major forks in the road, and you’ll have major choices to make affecting your future. Again, it doesn’t have to “make sense,” but you do have to keep your wits about you so you don’t get distracted by the general agitation in the air!
The Moon at 13 Libra indicates the need for “imaginative play,” and forms of mental-spiritual transfiguration. Be like a little child allowing your mind to play, seeking the “beautiful and good” in all your relationships. Dr. Jones tells us to “Rise above childish things while yet clinging to childlike ways.” It is a degree of Enchantment and “a consistent simplicity of character which enables us to maintain our touch with a transcendental magic of being.”
The Moon rules Cancer, so it's the ruler of the Sun. In this chart we find the Sun and Moon are in a First Quarter phase, indicating the next 90 days are totally action oriented. This phase is said to be willful, and “ego building.” Build your inner and outer life structures that will serve you in actualizing your purposes. When in doubt, just do it!
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. These aspects indicate a season of important choices and changes that will transfigure all of us in some way!
Significant forming and closely partile separating aspects include the Lunar aspects I gave you above; Mercury trine Neptune and opposed Pluto, creating powerful voids between 16-22 Virgo; Venus is novile the Sun, opposed Mars, square Jupiter, trielftile Uranus, biquintile Neptune, and quadranovile Pluto; and the Sun sesquisquares Jupiter, opposes Saturn, sextiles Uranus, biseptiles Neptune, and quadranoviles Pluto.
The Venus-Sun novile with both quadranovile Pluto forms a “Kite” configuration, making Pluto the powerful nozzle to focus the spiritual energies of these 9th harmonic aspects indicating realization, either before or after a period of gestation. This will resonate spiritual energy to all points near 1-2 degrees of the Water signs, 9-12 degrees of the Fire signs, 19-22 degrees of the Earth signs, and 29-30 degrees of the Air signs. Expect your spiritual Life to light up through strong feelings, artistic inspiration, and focused intensity to bring forth beautiful works.
We also see Mars on the degree it’s about to go stationary retrograde, which I’ll write about in the next few days. It is semisextile Saturn and vigintile Pluto; Jupiter is still in the fateful septile to Saturn, described in the recent Full Moon article linked above. Jupiter is also bielftile Pluto; Saturn is trine Uranus and quintile Neptune, and as is prevalent in these times, Uranus is in semisquare to Neptune, also described at length in the Lunation articles.
The noviles and quadranoviles are part of the “spiritual aspects,” which include the septile-series aspects, the novile-series aspects, and the elftile series aspects. The quintile, biquintile, and vigintile are all aspects of specialization, gifts, and various sorts of inner and outer unique events. With the bielftile and two trielftiles, many will have to make leaps of faith to overcome some duality, and in making those leaps will attain forms of mastery over all types of those dualities.
Other Important Factors
The North Node shows us the line of greatest development is to see the permanent elements of our existence, and how our lives demonstrate “as above, so below.” We can all see how our celestial patterns infuse our personality tendencies, with the backdrop of more eternal patterns for us to aspire to. Though separating, Venus conjunct the NN makes it clear we must embrace a greater loving intensity and expression, and make our life a work of creative art expressed in beautiful forms.
We have strongly favorable configurations at work in the next season. We have the Saturn trine Uranus which is activated by every transit through the early degrees of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces. And we have the powerful partile separating Water trines, activated very harmoniously by every transit through the middle degrees of the same signs!
I described the 7th harmonic aspects above, and they include the rulers of our most personal existence, as well as all the players in our transpersonal existence! Planets in septile-series aspects include Moon, Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. This season will be pretty wild and crazy, for better and/or for worse, depending on how we handle these VERY unstable tides.
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. The septile and biseptiles require that we keep a sense of perspective and a healthy self-awareness so we’re not pulled where we don’t need to go, whether in action, feeling, or thought.
This is a season of direct action, followed by interactions, exchange of ideas, getting a vision or an understanding, and then going deep into our feelings and ability to experience what we’ve seen or understood as a result of our actions. Find the healthy balance between deep feelings and easy interactions, “doing” and “being.” We’re all still getting “cosmic visitations” that are transforming our lives, so awaken, and go forth to a new allegiance, a new growth trajectory, a new creative intensity, and find the means to communicate, even when it’s not easy.
As Saturn continues to provide the stable trine with Uranus, blend the old with the new, the established with the innovative, the structure with a unique form of individual expression! With Venus in Leo, open your hearts, practice radiant love, be as creative as possible, and use every opportunity to bring happiness in grim situations by letting your Soul speak. This season will bring shortcuts to those with vision, a plan, and good timing!
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 the past, let go of feeling stuck in old limitations, and stay focused on the blessings to come your way that expands your life.
© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson
Thank you Robert for a vast and comprehensive view on this Solstice and what it brings.
Blessings be to all.
Posted by: Nic | June 20, 2018 at 03:31 AM
Thanks Robert...wise words sweet energies
Posted by: sue | June 20, 2018 at 08:46 AM
Beloved Robert Wilkinson
21st June 2018 is our Winter Solstice/Christmas Day in South Africa. It is also our 23rd Wedding Anniversary, chosen by the Spiritual Hierarchy of the Divine Mother Earth for us!
On the 22nd December 2018, will be our Summer Solstice and my husband, Manu's birthday!
The magical, marvellous and miraculous have been my constant companions ever since September 1993, when I had the divine sense to hook up with the SRF Masters!
In divine friendship
Lady Shamla Rose
Posted by: Lady Shamla Rose | June 20, 2018 at 11:40 PM