SUMMER SOLSTICE HOROSCOPES | JUNE 21, 2023
image and text created by Shane Powers
originally published in Table Magazine
As summer begins the sun enters the cardinal water sign of Cancer crossing an equinox point in the solar path through the zodiacal year. Depending on how you divide it this is a halfway point in the year and marks the Sun's highest latitude in the northern hemisphere. At this time we experience the maximum length of daylight and the deepening greens of spring’s young foliage. From here we enjoy the height of summer but also it heralds the beginning of incremental decreases in the amount of sunlight. This is one of the reasons the sign Cancer is associated with remembering and sentimentality. Embedded in this time of seasonal abundance is the quiet reminder that every season comes to pass.
As the Sun crosses that turning point and until it enters Leo a month later Jupiter remains in the fixed earth sign Taurus. There is a harmonious relationship between the Sun in Cancer and Jupiter in Taurus. Saturn now retrograde in Pisces is also involved in this relationship, initiating a summer when collectively we’ll be especially concerned with the welfare of our lands, rivers, lakes and oceans. Cancer is guided by the Moon, our local satellite who cares for us with its gravitational tugs and pulls working together with the Sun to keep biodiversity on Earth flourishing. Jupiter and Saturn in water and earth signs remind us that the life-giving abundance Earth provides is a generous gift to be savored but must be respected and cared for.
July 22nd Venus will station retrograde in Leo near Mercury while the Moon is in Venus’ sign Libra. This commences a forty-two day period where we may feel heavy-hearted and contemplative regarding the ways in which we give and receive love. It is also a prime time to remember and be grateful for friends and lovers that have revealed more of ourselves through the delicate exchange of relating. Retrograde, Venus will also engage our creativity with subversive modes of aesthetic expression conjuring inventive approaches to convivial summer gatherings. Quickly orbiting Mercury and the Moon will move on quickly but this point leaves a watermark embedded with the symbolic reminder to relax and consider deeply how we define beauty within our environments and those we surround ourselves with.
ARIES
Aries, revering the independent spirit you possess the tenacity and bravery of a lone wolf. In relationships you nurture the space where autonomy is alluringly held simultaneously within harmony. Summer begins with the Moon, Venus and your guiding planet Mars in your fifth house of love affairs, pleasure, and good fortune. All three planets in the fire sign Leo at this time are operating with a glowing expression not unlike the Sun who holds our solar system together by its central revolving force. Ushered by the Sun, there is a gravitational pull to this configuration as the Moon is unraveling in its waxing phase, increasing in light and Venus is especially comfortable in the fifth house. There is a ripe opportunity here to engage with the sensual delights of life; romance, good food, leisure, and the arts. Venus in the fixed sign Leo invites a slow burning acquiesce to ephemeral and delightfully frivolous experiences. Enjoy a night out at the theater or a favorite tavern striking up conversation that becomes fodder for character building. Show up boldly and in the flesh, flirting with the tactility of human to human connections. Maintain a loose grip on expectations. Pleasure, love, and creation all take vulnerability and risks; an erotic act of surrender. Just before Venus catches up to Mars in the sky to form a conjunction, it will station retrograde, moving backwards, echoing the pull and tug of temptation. Venus retrograde reminds us that love and creative pursuits are always a gamble. Willfully steep in creative chaos, luring intimacy to your flame.
TAURUS
Jupiter holds the most powerful gravitational pull besides the Sun. As the first planet to form, its massive force aided in the formation of our solar system. With the Sun, Jupiter set the tone and laid the law of the celestial terrain. Since May 16th Jupiter entered Taurus and has been transiting your first house of identity, perception, and appearance. Jupiter in the fixed earth sign Taurus asks what are you drawn towards and what elements in your immediate environment ensure a sense of lucidity and comfort. Transiting your first house Jupiter suggests reimagining the proclivities and allure of your five senses. Simply put, your taste and preferences. Our attraction to things is peculiar and particular. Hence it can bring up uncertainty as well. This summer, especially while Jupiter is in the early degrees of Taurus, is a divine time to rest and listen to the subtle wisdom of your sixth sense. Jupiter in Taurus offers the entire glossary of earthly flavors, textures, colors and scents available for making the experience of life novel and interesting. Saturn in Pisces forms a favorable aspect to Jupiter further tuning this transit with a taste for austerely dreamy things. Think soothing music, sublime earthy fragrances, simple and timeless decorative objects, foods that are light but nutrient dense, and garments that cover through crisp light layers. There is a buoyant yet grounded light-footed approach to this astrology. A tepid effervescent celestial breeze that invites opportunities to be purposefully lost in your thoughts as well. Definitely stop to smell the roses, reaffirming the pleasure of your senses in agreement with your desires.
GEMINI
You may still feel a bit windswept after seven months of fiery Mars testing your courage, strength and will power. This year your guiding planet Mercury makes its retrogrades in zodiacal earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn). This should help alleviate some of the mental burn out you may be feeling as earth signs provide grip for Mercury to slow down and reason more methodically. Later this summer, possessing much strength Mercury will station retrograde in Virgo in your fourth house of home and lifestyle. Cleanliness is next to godliness are words Gemini lives by. Your guide Mercury signifies not only your mind and body, but also matters of the home. With Virgo in your fourth house you think a great deal about home and what is essential to your standard of living, maintaining a sanctuary to rest a fluid mind. Throughout most of July and August, Mars and Saturn form a challenging aspect stressing the balance of your life's work and life at home. Initiate and plan now the granular details of cleaning, organizing and completing any domestic projects you've not had the energy to do while Mars transited your first house. Come late summer Mercury retrograde and Mars will be together in your fourth house. Mind your mental hygiene at this time as this combination can have you lost in the details. A practical use of this rousing energy would be to ground it in new practices around your living space, creating a comfortable hub for summer reading, daydreaming and conjuring domestic magic. All of which are Gemini delights.
CANCER
The portion of the zodiac associated with Cancer is positioned at the highest point overhead in the Sun's yearly journey from Earth's perspective. Therefore, it was once said that all spirits descended through the part of the sky associated with Cancer on their way to becoming "embodied." Cancer, like the ambient sound of the ocean heard through a spiraling conch shell, you give form to spirit and soul. We can not see spirit per se but we catch glimpses of it through things we can sense. Through our bodies and the words we speak spirit is molded into an expression of vital strength. On July 1st, planet Mercury transiting Cancer will conjoin the Sun in your first house of body, mind and spirit. Hidden within the Sun's rays during this phase, Mercury is considered to be in the heart of the Sun where it is purified, regenerated and then reborn when it becomes visible again. Mercury is the god of communication. The Sun, clarity. During this time you’ll feel as if you’re speaking without words. Be receptive to unconscious emotions and quiet conversations you are having with yourself. There is a genuine comfort level when we experience non verbal communication with ourselves, others, and our surroundings. Things will just feel right without having to understand why. This conjunction of astute Mercury and the warm luminous Sun is a reset for your operating system, seeded with the gift of direct self awareness.
LEO
Venus, planet of love and beauty, rotates in the opposite direction of Earth. Hence on Venus the Sun rises in the West and sets in the East. This summer Venus will retrograde in Leo in your first house of body, mind and identity. While retrograde, Venus will make close contact with Mercury. Venus represents enchantment and the raw senses. Mercury stands for questioning and discernment. Our experience of beauty and sensuality is not rational, echoed in nature by the rearward rotation of planet Venus. With Mercury as its acolyte, Venus curiously becomes the trickster and shapeshifter. Beauty, when most striking, is enigmatic. Beauty alters and enhances our awareness. Venus retrograde with Mercury, is beauty formed from the inside out. The Sun also in Leo is present with Venus and Mercury in your first house of the self. As the pivoting axis of our solar system, the Sun is an essential load bearing column in support of our identity and destiny. During this vulnerable time be available for the friction that comes with the process of reaffirming your personal style. Allow the sway of the venusian retrograde to work up an aromatic froth of possible identities. Like the heavens that emerge from the shores of our eastern earthly horizon, Venus mythically arrived on the foaming shores of the ocean where water laps onto land. This back and forth motion is where new life begins. This summer, captivate your senses while re-whetting your appetite for life. Tend to the transcendent process of uniting your inner and outer appearance. Dress for the gods whether or not anyone is looking. Beauty born pure has no reason.
VIRGO
Of the elements fire exists on what is considered to be the highest spiritual plane. Fire ascends and burns upward and outwards as it feeds on new material. Fire can destroy, purify and nourish all in one go. Our thoughts too can be lit, burned and extinguished. Virgo you are the mutable earth sign guided by wing-footed Mercury. Intuitively, you articulate the architecture within intricate systems of knowing and seeing. At the precise time of the summer solstice a spirited configuration ignites a positive charge between Mercury and Mars. Mercury in the air sign Gemini in your tenth house asks what are the ideas you'd like to be recognized for? Mars in the fire sign Leo fans a flame illuminating places where we hold onto fear of the unknown. As fire and air meet in your twelfth house, you are asked to question an unconscious voice that has become a source of self defeat. This voice can not be meticulously “fixed” and recrafted behind the scenes as a Virgo would prefer. Like plants and trees that require fire to reseed, allow Mars to ignite your imagination. Consider writing a few pages of stream of consciousness writing. Allow your thoughts to burn like wildfire while putting them down on paper. Write whatever comes to mind. Write the same word repeatedly if that is the only message coming through. Now rest and as your thoughts cool off, brush through the “coals and ash” of your writing for repeating patterns, signs or evidence of something you would like to reconsider about yourself. This process will bring you closer to a heart centered awareness that is not possible to reach through the habitual thought processes of your past.
LIBRA
Libras spend a lifetime cultivating and practicing the loving and caring skills of the archetypal mother. As it does every year at summer solstice, the Sun enters Cancer in your tenth house of destiny and mothering in all of its iterations. Among other significations, the tenth house is where we nurture our aspirations into the pinnacle of visible self expression. For Libras this is poignant because the Moon is the planetary guide of your tenth house who travels through the zodiac every month receiving and translating all planetary influences. This lunar process of listening, reflecting and caring for others is not unlike the mother figure within a family structure carefully looking out for the wants and needs of its members. Be conscious this summer of putting your needs aside for the sake of basking in the light of your willingness to please. Like a mother, those around you will often seek your attention for guidance and assurance. Allow yourself to feel resourced as well by those you hold dear; associates and friends, as well as your extended selection of family. Like a mother the Moon is always present in the sky even if you do not see it. Mother figures often willingly and quietly take the backseat for the benefit and comfort of others. At times you must shine when you'd prefer to retreat. Your gift to nurture comes with the high expectations of others and yourself. As the Sun reaches this point annually in your astrology Libra, it is a reminder to focus on providing care for yourself as you do so often for others. And to accept care from others in return. Remember to mother you must also be mothered.
SCORPIO
Scorpio you're a patient but passionate lover. You spend vital energy penetrating your emotional depths assessing the most potent use of your power. All the while, discreetly negotiating trust for those close to you. As the Sun ingresses into Cancer heralding the beginning of summer you will have the Moon, Venus and your planetary guide Mars in Leo transiting your tenth house of ambition and the fruiting body of your earthbound expression. Planet Venus, goddess of love and Mars, the god of war orbit along opposite sides of Earth working symbolically together as a generator converting bodily emotions and energy into electricity, or relationships. Mars in the fixed fire sign Leo in your tenth house is eager for heated and meteoric action. Venus, closely following Mars is your 7th house guide of relationships shining brightly in the evening sky indicating a person of fascination. This could be a romantic flirtation or friendly collaboration but the act of courtship appears to be of prominence this summer. Allow this intriguing dance to metabolize as Venus will station retrograde near the end of July and you'll both be reconsidering the acts of affection that make your heart beat. Around the 27th of July, Venus and Mercury will conjoin signaling an alchemical clue of the chemistry brewing within this starry-eyed interlude.
SAGITTARIUS
Oak trees, known for their strength and hardness, are slow to mature. They produce acorns only after decades of growth. As mature trees, Oaks may live for centuries in ideal conditions and have for millenia been associated with great sages. Your planetary guide Jupiter, who shares a symbolic correspondence with oak trees is in Taurus in your sixth house of affliction and disorder. Curiously, once mature, every four to ten years certain oak populations will simultaneously produce little if any acorns, only to produce an opulent harvest of acorns the following year. It is believed that halting the production of their nutritious seeds is a way of starving off the mammal population that depends on the oak's yearly crop, ensuring the proliferation of trees taking root for future generations. Sagittarius you are optimistic and faithful of the natural order of things. As someone who is comfortable taking up space, as mighty oaks do, your vitality may spread thin at times, deflating your great aspirations and efforts. Therefore, the sixth house of toil is a tough place for Jupiter in the fixed earth sign Taurus because it requires that you be still and patient while a new cycle sprouts. Like the oaks who pause their acorn production in order to ensure future growth, find solace in their wisdom and assurance that a more expansive future comes after a time of pause and rest.
CAPRICORN
We live in a time where our family and friends are asserting their beliefs while testing the threshold of what holds social ecosystems together philosophically and spiritually. We can not count solely on our peers and family to develop our beliefs. At times we must go at it alone. This summer, Mars in the earth sign Virgo will oppose your planetary guide Saturn. At this time, the hermit Saturn will be retrograde in the water sign Pisces. This configuration between Mars and Saturn can have an untethered quality when it comes to feeling at home or of like mind with family and friends. Like a floating island you may feel the nauseating tug on the heart of homesickness while anchored by the stability of lineage that bonds families and folks together. Elementally there is a destabilizing combination of earth and water in this astrology evoking the image of a wetland. The mythic symbol for Capricorn is a chimera composed of a fish's tail with the torso of a goat and like a wetland straddles liminal spaces between the aquatic and terrestrial. Capricorns are concerned with the preservation of tradition and genealogy which can easily dissolve into distorted histories depending on who steers the narrative. Amidst unstable circumstances and perpetually churning systems of beliefs among friends and family you more than anyone understands that within every lineage is preserved an ancestral core that cannot be shaken. Capricorn, with the fluid strength of your fin in the water and the precise agility of your hoofs become a bridge among your kin reconciling what beliefs hold water and those that have hardened into stone.
AQUARIUS
In folklore, wishing wells were venerated for their abundance of life sustaining water. Aquarius you are the water bearer in the sky pouring from your celestial urn a spring of everlasting life. Since time immemorial water has been regarded as miraculous, holding cleansing and healing powers. Sacred wells were visited by those seeking blessings. An offering of coins containing biocidal metals tossed into a well would render the water pure and safer to drink. Your planetary guide Saturn entered the mutable water sign Pisces in March and is since transiting your second house. The second house includes topics such as material possessions, food, and currency; a reservoir supporting the vitality of your life force. The ancients referred to the second house as the Gate of Hades leading to the underworld. Within the soil of the underworld was stone to erect civic spaces, water for hydration, gemstones worn as medicinal talismans and metals formed into coins. The underworld held the wealth beneath Earth upon which kingdoms and empires were built upon. By chance, the goods of the underworld are plentiful for some and not others. Your well may be plentiful or empty. Full or dry, the content of one’s well is relative to individual needs. Moral and spiritual impoverishment can come with a big bank account. With Saturn in Pisces in your second house, praise what resources you have with a grateful and holy reverence. Saturn offers sobering perspectives on the delusions excess or lack can stir. If possible, lower your bucket into your own “well” and offer charity with humility to those in need. And if you are in need at this time consider what resources you have to work with and offer them to yourself.
PISCES
Just days before summer solstice Saturn will station retrograde in Pisces where it has been passing through your first house of the mind, body and soul since March. During this time you have been invested in the limbo of inner work, surveying the unlimited power of your extra sensory perception that Pisces instinctively knows well. Upon this retrograde Saturn asks to dive deeper into any part of yourself that has lost touch with nature. More specifically, your nature. Saturn embodies a melancholy that comes with the awareness of our detachment from ourselves and our environments. As a water sign Pisces, you feel things deeply. One stone thrown into your ocean sends ripples to its edges. But nearby in your third house of familiar comforts and the habitual Jupiter is in a friendly configuration with Saturn offering a helping hand through the metaphysical obstacle course Saturn retrograde has initiated. Jupiter alone is warm, generous, and sweet like oozing amber honeycomb. Jupiter in Taurus is grounded, fertile and calm. To adapt and stabilize to the slow growth Saturn is encouraging, do as the bees do. Metaphorically feed on your local botany and select regional ingredients. Become a creature of comfort immersed in the organic matrix of your familiar ecologies. Appreciate the repetition and reliability of nutrients from sustainable and available sources. Like the healing qualities of pollen or local honey you will become a pollinator, tempering the connection between yourself and the natural world.