28 Jun
From the ever evolving garden tapestry …
… including the gardener with the largest shade hat she could find. Those are my glasses starting to turn into sunglasses outside, not black eyes, but you can see how much shade the hat provides. The glasses would normally be dark in sunlight, and my face is normally as white as my hand. This Irish faery doesn’t tan.
27 Jun
JULY 2021 FORECAST
The Sun in Cancer for the first three weeks of July highlights family, home, nurturing and security. With Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto retrograde all month, and Wounded Healer Chiron stationing retrograde on July 15, this month encourages quiet introspection. On the other hand, we’ll feel significant Mars energy this month. Things could get spicy! You can read highlights below, followed by new Third Quarter North Node Horoscopes.
July 2 Mars trine Chiron: These energies work surprisingly well together. Both warriors, they give added willpower and drive to healing endeavors. Battles wounds come in many forms, both inner and outer. This is a good time to offer unconditional compassion and advocate for your own health needs. It also urges support for veterans and those in the medical field who fight for true healing. Practice Aikido — learn to defend yourself by redirecting your opponent’s energy. This applies on many levels, not just physical.
July 4 Mars square Uranus could make for a fiery Independence Day in the US. On January 20, 2021, these planets conjuncted. Now they square off. Warrior Mars creates friction with rebel Uranus. Any restrictions feel too tight. Tempers flare. This is not a good day to tempt fate with high risk moves, but it could bring innovative solutions to light. This transit offers liberation for those who fight in unusual and inspired ways.
July 9 New Moon in Cancer at 9:17 p.m. Eastern time. Even more so than usual, this New Moon asks for integration. Rational and intuitive, masculine and feminine. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is “A PRIEST PERFORMING A MARRIAGE CEREMONY.” Focus on the sacred act of uniting polarities. This union allows for something new to emerge. A baby, a book, a transcendental experience. It’s a good time to meditate or engage in ritual — anything that elevates the mundane into something sacred.
July 11 Mercury enters Cancer: Emotional intelligence comes to the forefront. With Mercury in Cancer, we more easily recognize when words don’t match the underlying emotional signature. This may come as a relief after all the wheeling, dealing and rapid-fire revelations of Mercury in Gemini — including what many experienced as an intense Mercury retrograde. With Mercury in Gemini, we can “lose the forest for the trees.” With Mercury in Cancer, we feel our way through the forest and the trees. The next sixteen days support writing poetry and telling loved ones how much you care.
July 13 Venus conjunct Mars in Leo: The cosmic lovers meet in big-hearted Leo. Their closeness at the time of the New Moon shines into true intimacy now. Leo is a fire sign, and passions run high. Existing relationships will heat up, and this transit could spark a new romance. This doesn’t always mean “fated love,” but love is in the collective air.
July 15 Chiron stations retrograde in Aries. This station may at first feel frustrating, but the retrograde transit will clarify much on the inner plane. Between now and December 19, we’ll gain a much better understanding of the whole picture. This, in turn, will lead to deeper healing and fulfillment. Have patience with yourself and others. When possible, try to defuse explosive situations in favor of the wisdom that comes through doing your own inner work.
July 17 Sun opposite Pluto: Light shines on the dark underworld of power, taboo topics and abuse. If something needs to go, it will become more apparent today and the days surrounding the 17th. Spontaneous destruction could occur, if people resist the primal urge to change. Leaning into powerful transits allows more influence over the “how.” If you know you need to let go of someone or something, then embracing change will give you more wiggle room in how that happens. If you resist the change — if change needs to force itself upon you — then whichever tsunami blasts through first will do the job. If you make big symbolic steps and even tiny real life movements toward the intuitive nudge to shift, then this transit will carry you forward in positive ways.
July 21 Venus enters Virgo: Hot and heavy Leo love cools down when Venus moves into sensible Virgo. Sensuality may increase, but so will realistic assessments of relationships. Careful not to nitpick! You can analyze relationships in a loving way. How does perfectionism play a role in your relationship with others or inside yourself? Bring head and body into the conversation with your heart. Which things work? Which things need work? July 21-August 15 asks you to explore your values and live from a space of devotion.
July 22 Sun enters Leo: The Sun shines bright in his home sign. This next month encourages confidence, warmth and following your heart. This is a good time to assert your will. Aim for dignity. If you work with crystals, you’ll find helpers in carnelian, tiger’s eye, amber and sunstone. Leo rules the heart, so this month reminds you to pay attention to cardiovascular heath. Give your hair some attention, too.
July 23 Full Moon in Aquarius at 10:37 p.m. Eastern. This Full Moon falls in very early Aquarius, close to the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction of Winter Solstice 2020. Hopes and intentions that couldn’t quite manifest then may release now — either fully formed, or upgraded into something more aligned with the Highest Good of All. Non-attachment is an Aquarian virtue that invites curiosity and innovation. Use this Full Moon to gain new perspective. Pay attention to sudden insights and intuitive downloads. The things we most need often sneak through the backdoor while we’re hanging out on the front porch.
July 27 Mercury enters Leo: These weeks until August 26 highlight self-expression with dramatic flair. Keep your sense of humor, and you’ll feel entertained. If ego gets the best of you, you’ll feel annoyed at braggadocio. Remember, when you point a finger at someone else, three fingers point back at you. We all need a healthy ego. Not too little, not too much — just the right amount of self-confidence and self-interest. Speak from the heart, and channel excess energy into creative projects.
July 28 retrograde Jupiter in Pisces returns to Aquarius: Jupiter’s move from Pisces to Aquarius marks a shift from spirituality to the mental realm. The rational mind might work overtime, undermining faith and optimism. We could also see a shift towards more tolerance and humanitarian concerns. Jupiter expands whatever he touches, and Aquarius rules the internet and innovation. Expect big things in these areas. Jupiter entered Aquarius from Capricorn on December 19, 2020 and created a giant “star” at the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction on Winter Solstice. On May 13, 2021, Jupiter left Aquarius for a brief foray in Pisces. This Aquarian period between July 28 – December 28, 2021 allows us to finish something started last December. By the time Jupiter returns to his watery home in Pisces, something will restore and expand our faith.
July 29 Mars enters Virgo: Break out that to do list. It’s time to “git ‘er done!” When Mars, planet of action, enters methodical, efficient Virgo, those nagging procrastination projects start barking louder. Just make your way through the chores, step by careful step. Try to keep your temper in check — especially anger caused by impatience or too much criticism. July 29 – September 14 offers cosmic support for personal projects, making a budget, improving your health, and upgrading habits.
July 31 – August 1 Mercury conjunct Sun in Leo: Depending on your timezone, this transit occurs in July or August. Both days will shine a light on communication. Ready or not, a fiery message gets through.
How July’s sky weather affects you will vary, depending on your entire natal chart, but your North Node Horoscope transcends monthly sky events. That’s because your North Node reveals what your soul came here to do. By midlife, the soul starts longing and pressing us to live our true purpose. At first, it whispers through intuition. Then it knocks a little louder through “coincidences” and external events. When not heard and honored, the soul’s longing can show up as health crises, marriage or work issues, or wondering “is this all there is?” If you feel a need to reinvent yourself, following North Node guidance helps you do that authentically — for you.
Unlike generic Sun Sign horoscopes, which ignore so many other aspects, following North Node guidance will always lead you in the right direction. Doors open, healing happens, relationships improve, and life gets more magical. This monthly column will help you tap into your personal North Node Mojo. When you start living your North Node purpose, we all win, because you not only begin to light up your own life. You light up the world. – Laura
You can find your North Node sign here which is often different than your Sun sign. (If you’re right on a cusp, consider both options, or book a reading for more clarity.)
THIRD QUARTER 2021 NORTH NODE HOROSCOPES
ARIES NORTH NODE: Third Quarter 2021 offers a chance for rebirth. With wounded healer Chiron still transiting Aries, Pluto still squaring from Capricorn, Saturn sextiling from Aquarius, and Venus and the Sun in Libra (your South Node), this quarter could feel intense. Add to that the supportive activation from the transiting nodal axis, and Aries North Node natives will feel pressured to release, heal and move forward. “Intense” does not mean “negative.” Your Libra South Node interprets intensity as “bad,” but this is not the case for you. Aries thrives on intensity and challenge. You yearn to find better ways to get ahead — financially, in your health, in relationships, and in any latent goal. Own that ambition! You can transform desire into courage. Allow yourself to want and seek. This will feel unnatural or even “wrong” sometimes, but your soul desires more individuation this lifetime. When you take necessary action, you empower others to live in more authentic ways for them. They may learn to do things themselves, or develop other partnerships that meet their needs. You do you. Co-dependence hobbles you and makes you miserable. Aim for excellence and let the chips fall where they may. Make room for pleasant surprises.
TAURUS NORTH NODE: Third Quarter 2021 turns up the heat on Taurus North Node natives. In addition to a seven year stay of revolutionary Uranus in Taurus, squares from Aquarius and Leo add friction to your nodal axis. Questions will arise about where you’re headed and where you’ve been. Expect some changes in the way you think about the world, but these new energies will work to your benefit. We live in unprecedented times. Your North Node sign asks you to ground lightning strikes of inspiration and radical change into solid, grounded, Earth-loving pursuits. When in doubt, always come back to the Earth Element. Your Scorpio South Node PTSD might feel triggered this quarter, but you’re not here to crash and burn. You came here to live well. You already know about loss and recovery. Your soul wants to experience hope and the rewards of slow, steady movement “as if.” It’s OK to plan for your future. Find ways to build a sense of safety and security. Nurture growth. Your sign’s ruler, Venus, will transit Libra — the other sign she rules — from August 16-September 10, 2021. This transit empowers Venus, and her energies will quincunx your North Node. Make the most of this energy by creating or enjoying more beauty around your home and body.
GEMINI NORTH NODE: As the transiting North Node continues to move through Gemini, the stars align to get you back on path. Your experiences link closely to the collective right now. It might help to ponder the phrase, “As Within, So Without.” Do this with curiosity, not judgment. Your Sagittarius South Node can easily slip into the blame game, and that saps your energy. You can bring the best of the past into a new form in the present. This intense North Node Return every 18 years or so works in your favor. Whatever or whoever falls away does so because they’re not on path for you. “If not this, then something better” is not just a catch phrase. It becomes a guiding force when the transiting North Node passes through your sign. July encourages you to get grounded. This will improve your health and confidence. If you feel like taking a time out in August, follow that nudge. The dog days of summer make for good siestas or even a mini road trip. With a Gemini North Node, you don’t need to go far away to “get away.” Little trips shift your perspective and give a quick recharge. You’ll also save money, so small adventures allow more frequent forays. Above all, you need to add some fun into your life. Don’t get hung up on what’s supposed to be fun. Just focus on little moments of delight.
CANCER NORTH NODE: This quarter starts strong for Cancer North Node natives, with the Sun shining light in Cancer until July 23. The New Moon in Cancer on July 9-10 offers a karmic reset to help you plan for your future. Nostalgia may arise. Seek to balance the best of the past while also acknowledging where you’ve outgrown it. Allow yourself to daydream a little, then spin those fantasies into action. Uranus continues to sextile mid-Cancer from Taurus, bringing an urge to purge, in preparation for the softer side of life. Instead of judging yourself, experiment with viewing yourself in a new light: fresh, innocent. What qualities are you midwifing into being? You’ll recognize balance by how contracted or expansive you feel. Sometimes contractions trigger birth, so pay attention to emotional messages behind any apparent restrictions. Look for overall trends rather than freaking out if you feel the need to readjust. Shifting focus or needing support does not denote failure. Cancer North Node natives need to find a balance between loneliness or over-responsibility for others vs. cozy cooperation. If something stretches your comfort zone, lean into vulnerability. Share your limitations and ask for help. That stiff upper lip no longer serves you.
LEO NORTH NODE: Third Quarter 2021 ramps up your positive North Node activations. Think “mastery.” Hone your craft and embrace those talents. July invites you to deepen your sense of purpose. Find a balance between form and function. Something should look and sound good, but it also needs to work! Full commitment will yield more satisfying results. Increased love of self and others pervades August. Your hard work in relationships begins to pay off as you integrate masculine and feminine, active and passive energies within yourself. Follow your heart, Leo. It leads you well. Take pride in your appearance, too. Really, you are worth it. September brings a chance to “level up” in all areas. Accept opportunities to dance in the spotlight — metaphorical or otherwise. Give yourself permission to engage anything that makes your heart smile. Earlier efforts bear fruit, and it tastes sweeter when you love who you are and what you do. Leo North Node natives know how to tap into the Aquarian energies of 2021 while adding just the right pizzazz. Don’t be afraid to stand out. It’s your destiny.
VIRGO NORTH NODE: This quarter reminds Virgo North Node natives to focus your mind on what you do want, then follow through with whatever steps you can take right now. When you mentally link something under your influence to something beyond your control, the tiniest shifts can start a chain reaction. Beware of your tendency to carry everyone else’s burden. Sometimes that weight grows too heavy. Practice discernment about which tasks are really essential, versus ones that only seem to fall to you. Your Pisces South Node surrenders to it all, whether or not you like it, and whether or not that fits who you’re becoming. Virgo sometimes earns a reputation of being too critical, but your life path requires you to decide what you do or do not want to experience. You don’t need to accept it all; in fact, you’re not supposed to. You don’t need to be all things to everyone. Boundaries allow you to frame relationships in ways that benefit all involved, including you. Use September’s New Moon in Virgo to clear the miasma. When in doubt, check in with your body. What does it tell you about this situation or relationship? Follow your body’s lead, then check in with your mind. When in doubt, the physical and mental realms guide you better than emotions or a too passive spiritual approach.
LIBRA NORTH NODE: Third Quarter 2021 invites you to “pay it forward.” Think “random acts of kindness” and even “service done in secret.” It’s not about personal accolades or taking credit. You’ll find extra satisfaction when you balance scales without making a big deal of it. As the transiting North Node, Saturn and sometimes Jupiter continue to trine your North Node sign, use this quarter to reassess how you give and receive. Venus, your sign ruler, graces Libra from August 16-September 10, 2021. Allow yourself to revel in beauty, harmony and creativity. You don’t always need to fight your way through. You can use your inner fire as a creative spark that brings into being more of the things you love. If you relax from trying to push so far ahead, you’ll find yourself on higher ground, and in good company. As Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Supportive energy from Aquarius makes you more innovative than usual. Look for partnerships that bring out the best in each of you. When you focus on grace, ease and love, you elevate life from mere survival to something exquisite.
SCORPIO NORTH NODE: Use this quarter to focus on feeling safe, secure and discreet. If the world seems like too much right now, then allow yourself a quiet retreat. Take five minutes — or five days — to focus on the cycle of your breath. In, then out, then in, then out. Ride the wave of the breath, and allow it to carry you to distant shores. If you feel trapped, ask to recognize the root of your illusions, and to see your way forward. You’re in a phase of friction, with intense energies squaring your nodal axis. Squares feel uncomfortable, but they produce results! Work these energies to your own advantage. Intuition serves you well, so pay attention. Whenever you see a “problem,” intend to recognize and receive the solution. Sometimes relief will come through other people, and that’s OK. Sometimes you’ll find relief through a deeper connection with your own unconscious or a mystical encounter with the Divine. Your soul wants you to realize how much support you really have. Much of this support comes from the invisible plane, but it does exist. Get in touch with your passions. Who or what gives you courage? Step into your own power by honoring the depth of your experience. Affirm to yourself, “I am strong.” Because you are.
SAGITTARIUS NORTH NODE: Third Quarter 2021 urges you to take the best of the past in preparation for a joyful, wise and strong future. As the transiting North Node continues to move through Gemini, you might feel 180 from most people you know. As always — but especially now — your inner guidance will lead you in better directions than mainstream anything. Deepen your connection with kindred spirits, and take time to dance instead of just plodding through life. When the urge for introspection arises, trust that this, too, is necessary and right for you. The transiting South Node, karmic Saturn and wounded healer Chiron bring a “fated” feeling to your encounters. This past year through December 2021 offers subtle (and sometimes dramatic) course corrections. Look back nine and eighteen years ago for insights into potential upgrades from old patterns. Who or what makes you feel strong? In which ways do you inspire and uplift others? Shine light in dark places. Your spirit soars when you find a philosophy of life that calms the chatter. If you feel overwhelmed by “monkey mind,” then mantra meditation can help. Pick a word or phrase in English, Sanskrit or whatever language triggers an expansive heart. Repeat, and ride into the zone.
CAPRICORN NORTH NODE: By late September, what seems like a loss in July will have revealed itself as a cosmic course correction. 2020’s intense dismantling, troubleshooting and restructuring prepared you to weather whatever storms arise. You can lean into your Cancer South Node intuition, but avoid getting lost in your emotions. Take a practical perspective, assessing what works and what doesn’t. Use the sword of truth to cut through confusion and maintain your integrity. Saturn rules Capricorn, and he’s the cosmic taskmaster. With Lord of the Underworld Pluto still in your North Node sign, Wounded Healer Chiron squaring from Aries, and all the July activity in Cancer, you’re not off the hook yet. Pay attention to anything that feels fated. This quarter might seem intense, but you can work these energies to your advantage. When in doubt, opt for “most efficient and functional.” Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty if you make delicious lemonade out of lemons. If your lemonade stand gains accolades, know that you deserve these. Nourish your skin this quarter, and do something to improve your posture. Practicing victory pose builds confidence and helps you step more into a leadership role.
AQUARIUS NORTH NODE: Third Quarter 2021 brings an unusual two Full Moon’s in Aquarius, adding extra energy to Saturn and Jupiter’s foray there. Your South Node also gets triggered by all the activity in Leo. Pay attention to encounters that seem fated. Some offer opportunities for new connection and collaboration, but just as many could involve release of old energies and karmic ties. Look back to mid-February 2021 to see which energies arose around the time of the New Moon in Aquarius. That was a super Aquarian time, and you’ve had six months to integrate those alignments. Take time to reflect on all the elements coming together. Who are you becoming? With Saturn retrograde in Aquarius until October 10, Third Quarter 2021 might still feel unfinished or restrained. Use this time to innovate and tinker with your “plans.” Whenever the North Node gets frequent or persistent hits, we feel the hand of destiny orchestrating events. Your ego might not like that, but your soul appreciates this course correction. Align your inner compass for the next 18 years.
PISCES NORTH NODE: This quarter begins with both of your North Node sign’s co-rulers in Pisces. Jupiter remains in Pisces until July 28, when he moves into Aquarius and then returns to Pisces on December 28. Neptune’s here for the long haul. Jupiter and Neptune make for extra strong Pisces energy, emphasizing beauty faith, and healing. July offers an introspective preview of 2022, so take notes on what you love and what you’d love to experience in more harmonious ways. When planning for your future, always leave room for the Great Mystery with a capital M. Your Virgo South Node wants to know what’s next — along with all the how’s — but that attitude leads to misery. You’ll feel more inspired, grounded and abundant when you prioritize the spiritual and emotional above the material and mental. August could challenge you with continued squares from the transiting nodal axis, as well as quincunx energy from Leo. Whenever you feel worried or discouraged, start a gratitude list. Your Virgo South Node loves lists! A gratitude list not only gives you something to do, it also reminds you of a much larger story unfolding through your life. Quiet power is still power. Allow the still, small voice to guide and soothe.
22 Jun
My June 2021 Forecast notes:
June 24 Full Moon in Capricorn at 2:40 p.m. Eastern. This Strawberry Moon hearkens back to the December 26, 2019 Solar Eclipse. Does something that occurred during that holiday season make more sense now? Explore ways in which you try to rationalize feelings. What’s really going on here? How can you balance self-sufficiency with the need to connect and share with others? Another round of Saturn sextile Chiron offers a chance to learn and heal through your Full Moon insights.
(2:40 p.m. Eastern is the correct time for the Full Moon. Sorry, my original June Forecast had a typo! Also, depending on your global location, the 2019 eclipse for you might have occurred on Christmas Day.)
I honed in on the echo of the December 25-26, 2019 Solar Eclipse, but I did not realize that the Sun point of this June 24, 2021 Full Moon exactly conjuncts the Trans Neptunian Object Echeclus. I mentioned Echeclus in my Summer Solstice post, because Echeclus closely trined Jupiter at the time Jupiter stationed retrograde. This created an “Echeclus flavor” to that potent day.
Echeclus deals with echoes throughout time — ways in which the past reverberates in the present and how the future can send signals back to the present. We can think of Echeclus as “synchronicity personified.” With Echeclus at 3°23′ Cancer so tightly conjuncting the Sun at 3°27′ Cancer at the time of the Full Moon, we can expect extra potent timeline bleedthroughs. Pay special attention to dreams, visions and déjà vu.
Mark Twain said, “History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” People or events might cycle back at new levels, shedding light on the original encounter, as well as flashing forward to “future memories.” I posted about the December 26, 2019 Solar Eclipse here, because of its extra powerful conjunction to Jupiter, trine Uranus in Taurus. Things set in motion on that day might click further into place now, because the Full Moon on June 24, 2021 activates the same point of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter back then.
Cupido is also at 3° Capricorn at the time of this Capricorn Full Moon. Cupido doesn’t always mean matchmaking, but it adds to an already potent combo of energies. To get into the mood, you might enjoy movies like “Moonstruck,” “Serendipity,” “Unleashed,” and “Still Breathing.”
Pluto in Capricorn opposite Venus in Cancer at the time of this Full Moon intensifies the emotions. This time encourages vulnerability, as love can heal the deepest, hidden wounds. Beware of any obsessive tendencies, especially in the area of relationships. In addition to secrets and intimacy, Venus opposite Pluto also deals with power struggles. Aim for power to, rather than power over. Empowerment instead of enchantment.
This Venus-Pluto theme gets echoed by Black Moon Lilith, who conjuncts the North Node at the time of the Full Moon. Lilith is a highly reactive energy, often connected with trauma, abuse and sovereignty. Balanced Lilith energy feels like a fairy godmother, a tantric lover, or Women Who Run with the Wolves. Imbalanced or repressed Lilith can trigger an autoimmune reaction, hysteria or “the blame game.” Spending time in nature eases Lilith reactivity. It can also tune you into your most natural self. Lilith keeps getting activated by recent key transits, so her meeting with the North Node at the time of the Full Moon comes as no accident. Awareness of inner and outer dynamics related to tyranny and sovereignty can help us to experience more of Lilith’s positive qualities in relation to collective destiny.
In addition to all the above intensity, Asteroid Requiem conjuncts the Sun-Echeclus point of this Full Moon. According to Alex’s Astrology:
Requiem was named for the Funeral Mass for the dead by its discoverer, whose mother died the day it was found.
Astrologically, Requiem is a marker of death, change or transformation. It can also indicate acknowledgement of grief, honors paid to the dead, remembrance of those departed, and monuments. There can be sense of cessation, or rest from labors, and acceptance of change or loss, coming to terms with loss.
Something or someone will end on or around the time of this Full Moon. Death can be metaphorical, but these energies suggest that whatever it is will be deeply felt. They also suggest a rightness and perfect synchronization of events. A need to go deep. An order to stop manipulating or being manipulated. A primal call to honor sovereignty of body, mind and soul.
Also take a look back to Summer Solstice 2016. I could go full astro nerd, but my explanation would make your head spin! I just want to shine light on potential patterns and connections. Try not to overthink things. Full Moons highlight emotions, and your emotions are raw energy. If you’ve felt synchronicity running through your life but don’t recognize it on the exact Full Moon date, don’t worry about it!
General transits affect people in different ways, depending on what they trigger in your natal chart. Approach this one with curiosity, and see what unfolds.
Time reverberates in non-linear ways. Sometimes things only become clear (or significant) in hindsight. Your job is to pay attention and live as well as you can in each moment. The Centaur Pholus also conjuncts this Full Moon at 4° Capricorn. Pholus is the small thing, BIG EFFECT trigger. Pholus and Jupiter also conjuncted the 2019 Solar Eclipse, trining Uranus. That combo with volatile Uranus increased the impact of very small things linking to even BIGGER EFFECTS.
Again, whatever happens on or around June 24 might seem minor — like a butterfly flapping its wings in New York, yet somehow causing the storm that clears into a rainbow somewhere else. As events unfold, we’ll recognize how well orchestrated the cosmos is. For now, it’s enough to know that some things will prove much more important than they first appear.
Pay attention!
20 Jun
To all the men out there playing father roles –whether by birth, marriage/partnership, mentoring, or adoption — Happy Father’s Day! Thank you for modeling the sacred masculine for our next generation. We need your strength and love in this world. Thank you for having the courage to keep showing up.
To everyone, a very Happy Solstice!
I shared in my June 2021 Forecast:
June 20 Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere). The Sun moves into Cancer at 11:32 p.m. Eastern time. This is also the day that Jupiter stations retrograde in Pisces. This date feels like taking the deepest breath all year. Pause before you exhale. We’re almost halfway through 2021. Whether you’ve liked it or not, make a gratitude list for the year thus far. Gratitude invites more blessings. “Not yet” doesn’t always mean “no.”
With Jupiter, one of the co-rulers of Pisces, stationing retrograde, we might feel the taste of hope deferred or a wavering of faith. Use this time to go inward, recognizing that faith builds through a process of relationship. Things ebb and flow, but the connection remains. The quiet moments speak volumes when we learn to listen.
This is a good time from Dreamwork, meditation, creativity, and self-discovery. “That which you seek is also seeking you” … but sometimes you already are that which you seek. Jupiter retrograde gives you a wonderful opportunity to pay attention to details. This particular Jupiter Rx stations at 2°11′ Pisces. Jupiter trines the Trans Neptunian Object Echeclus at 2°56′ Cancer and the Sun as it moves from 29° Gemini to 0° Cancer. In other words, Echeclus punctuates this Solstice.
On Amable’s blog, Transneptunian Astrology, there is this interesting observation about Echeclus: “When Echeclus is activated, there are time connections between past, present and future. Usually something of the past has imposing influence in the present, and something of the present can have an imposing influence in the future, and vice versa, like in the movies “The Kid” (2000), “Family Man” (2000), “Pay it Forward” (2000), “Frequency” (2000), “The Lake House” (2006, remake of “Il Mare” South Corean film of 2000), “Deja vu” (2006), “Tomb Raider: Legend” (PS2, 2006), “Star Trek” (1979) and “Tess” (1979).
“Learning to switch time perspectives allows us to shift our attention easily between the past, present and future, and consciously adapt our mindset to any given situation.” (Amable’s blog is no longer active. The above quote comes from Zane Stein’s longer write up, which you can find here.)
To me, this trine on an extra potent Solstice and Jupiter station day urges us to explore non-linear time. Look for echoes running in past, present and future. Time is MUCH bendier than most people realize, and Wheel of the Year days emphasize the portal aspects and fractal nature of time. Moments between now and mid-October will make this even more apparent.
18 Jun
From a couple emails I sent this morning:
We have entered the next phase. Our birch tree confirms it. The top of it fell over in last night’s storm. The little wren keeps hopping around on the fallen branches, trying to make sense of it all. I have had several external markers this morning indicate a huge shift into the next phase.
I decided to share most of yesterday morning’s dream here, because — while personal — it also seemed collective, even at the time I had it.
6/17/2021
“The Cliff and Bag of Bread Epic”
This was a long, four-part dream. I recall almost nothing from the first three parts, but the last part is clear.
I was in some kind of resort, and Stuart (from Artists and Aliens) was the bartender. He was very busy, just working efficiently, but nonstop. At some point he handed me a large, square bag of bread and asked me to donate it to the delivery truck for recycling. It seemed like if the bar didn’t go through enough bread, then they could donate it to the delivery place and possibly get some sort of credit.
I don’t know the arrangement. Stuart just tasked me with donating the bread. I looked out the window and saw the truck below, turning onto a side street.
I ran fast down the hill with the bread but suddenly found I had overshot a cliff. By a lot. I looked down and realized I was nowhere near the side street and about four stories higher, looking for somewhere soft to land, but there was nothing but asphalt far below.
The cliff had rock face you could maybe climb, but I wasn’t on ropes. Everything was also a little wet and mossy, like it had recently rained. The cliff, even if I could reach it, would be slick. Even if I managed to somehow swing myself to the cliff, I would probably smash my head open. I looked down again and calculated that a normal person would die, but realized I would not.
I knew that fall would hurt. Bad. It would take years to recover, very painful years. No options seemed good, yet here I was kind of floating in suspended animation, four stories above the asphalt, holding a 3×3’ bag of bread.
The delivery truck was long gone, and I continued to scan for somewhere soft to land. I could not believe this would happen to me, that I trusted Stuart about delivering the bag of bread, and it led me to this impossible situation.
After awhile, I realized I should have hit the ground by now. I became curious how I had not fallen anymore. I just floated by the cliff in suspended animation. I kept scanning and scanning for somewhere to land, but there was nowhere. I realized I was powerless to control the situation at all.
After a very long while, I realized I was slowly moving backwards. When I turned around, I saw that the street so far below had raised in a gradual hill as I was moved backwards. I saw a fence with very pointy pickets and thought, “Oh, no, that is NOT a soft place to land. I had this miraculous recovery only to land on very sharp points?! I don’t believe it.”
Whatever force moved me did set me down on top of the fence, but so gently it didn’t hurt. There was a boxwood hedge almost as high as the fence, right next to it, and I managed to climb down quite easily. I still had the bag of bread.
I walked for what seemed like years — a very long time anyway — back to the low spot in the road and figured out how to get back to the resort at the top of the cliff. I think I walked on a road, not climbed the cliff. I only recall my arrival. I briefly debated finding the delivery truck since I had not completed my assignment, then realized I couldn’t find the delivery truck even if one still existed.
Stuart seemed slower now and maybe more of higher management, not the bartender. Tania and Courtney Geyer were there. Courtney asked if I wanted her to complete a painting we talked about a long time ago. I realized I was ready now and said, “Yes, that would be perfect.”
…
There was an earlier part of running a t-shirt through a color photocopier, along with a check, like a bank check. All the sides of everything managed to print at once, and this t-shirt was colorful in its designs. That’s from one of the earlier parts I don’t recall, but it had something to do with the recent event of my running off the cliff and then floating to safety, then journeying back.
I was a new person when I returned from the journey. Not everyone understood that, but it was true. This dream felt epic in scope and also like it tracked with COVID lockdown and disruption of normal life — like we are getting towards the end — not there yet but pretty close. Nothing will be the same [and some people will be angry. That’s their issue; nothing can be done about it.]
Bible flip calendar today: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us — they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” ~ Romans 5:3-4
END of dream journal.
…
I’m just posting the photo and dream here in case either speaks to anyone on a personal or collective level. I omitted some of the more personal parts of the dream, as well as my interpretation. Just sharing because when I awoke yesterday, I thought, “This is also a collective dream.” As so often happens with me, parts of the dream then appeared in waking life later that day.
It feels like lots of tiny gears all moving together like clockwork. This, in turn, reminds me of two dreams I posted on 2/06/2020, before COVID lockdowns began:
Synchronously, before listening to this, two dreams this morning featured “Time” as a topic, including a wall of dozens of circular clocks, all synchronized, all being kept warm by a “hot plate wall” behind them. The message was one I keep getting, “high vibe and filled with life force energy,” a theme that keeps showing up in dreams about death, mud or dusty wreaths filled with seeds. This particular dream implied that we could “eat Time” and that this time banquet was being prepared and kept warm by amazing cosmic time chefs who knew exactly when and how to serve the right moments as a feast.
In the prior dream, I was in a clothing store, second story, somewhere in Idaho. The female clerk told me that in order to find what I wanted, I needed to cross the street. I went downstairs and began to cross the street, which turned into an intimidatingly wide street.
I crossed at a crosswalk, but the light went through several cycles as I made my way across the street. I was wearing high heeled, intricately carved wooden shoes, which I realized I could not continue to walk in. I took them off, and my bare feet couldn’t continue walking on this road, either. I was already in the middle of the road with cars on both sides. I dropped to my knees, kneeling, and “walking” on my knees across the street.
I worried that no one could see me so low to the ground, that I would get run over. Then I realized that none of the drivers of the cars seemed to notice the lights had changed. Time had either slowed down or stopped for them while I made my way — safely — across the street. When I arrived at the other store, traffic resumed. The store had exactly what I wanted, even though I didn’t know I was looking for it. I left wearing the new clothes.
Wishing everyone peace and love as we undergo another collective shift.
16 Jun
Some quick photos from this morning’s garden show the strategic use of “plant nannies.” I wrote about plant nannies in a 2018 post called “Edible Landscaping Secrets,” and I still recommend them for the Garden Tower Project and any plants that need more water than their neighbors. You can use mineral water bottles or wine bottles — anything with a long enough neck to fit in the terra cotta spike that digs into the soil. The terra cotta slowly releases water if the nearby soil dries out. If the soil’s moist, the water stays in the bottle until needed.
I scatter the plant nannies around the Garden Tower. Otherwise, I find the soil dries out by late afternoon’s scorching temps. With the nannies, I can go longer between waterings, and my plants feel less stressed and therefore healthier. These photos also show the (unzipped) mesh cage and rabbit fencing around the base. Yes, that’s volunteer lettuce in the patio cracks!
I have heavily harvested this Garden Tower for months, and it shows plants of varying degrees of growth. I recently removed the now bolted spinach and replaced that with carrots, rainbow chard and zinnias. Those are the holes with less growth.
We’ve had weather in the 80’s and 90’s for weeks, which would normally make all this lettuce bolt. I’ve found I can harvest the heads “too much” if I know it will be close to 90. That robs the plants of enough energy to shift from leaves to flowers and seeds. When it cools a bit, I let the leaves grow again. I’ve lost track of how many giant salads David and I have made from the Garden Tower. So fresh — and critter free! The mesh cage also keeps cabbage moths off my kale and collards. 🙂
Some other shots from today… It’s officially “Orange Season” here — David’s favorite color!
Wishing you a beautiful day!
15 Jun
We’re already halfway through June! FYI, July will offer different specials. I only tend to offer this Reiki Master Teacher Special discount once per year, if that. I offer the training year round, but the special will probably not show up again until 2022 or later.
JUNE 2021 SPECIALS
Intuitive Preparedness Check-In
I wanted to offer a different special, but this one keeps inserting and announcing itself as a June 2021 Special. OK, then! This month does offer some wild energies to navigate.
With all the political, social and personal upheaval, people keep asking me how to maintain a positive, proactive vibration and how to thrive while also shoring up any weak spots. This special responds to many comments, questions and private emails requesting my take on the question “What can I do right now?” — for specific individuals, rather than general guidelines and suggestions.
This 40-minute session gives you access to my own intuitive scan of what areas of focus will provide you the greatest payback and sense of abundance, peace and security, with the least amount of resistance. Those looking to make larger lifestyle shifts can ask me to scan various lifestyle, location…
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10 Jun
After the intense weirdness of the May 26 Lunar Eclipse, I wondered if this one would feel odd, too. I awoke about fifteen minutes before the 6:53 a.m. Annular Solar Eclipse, but we had overcast skies and light fog at that time. No worries, I didn’t want to see it anyway. I just wanted to be conscious in case any followup messages came through.
I did receive two confirming dreams, but without this eclipse triggering my natal Neptune-Mercury opposition, I’ve had far less dream bleedthrough into waking life.
This eclipse and Mercury Retrograde closely conjunct my natal Saturn. With Neptune squaring Mercury Retrograde and the eclipse itself, any revelations today could seem unclear or foggy. In my case, I feel clear, but only because today’s dreams repeated messages I’ve received for over two years. Mercury Rx offers a wonderful time to re- anything. Repeat, review, re-evaluate, resign, release … .
These lilies just bloomed today. They seem so sunshine filled that I thought I’d share them and a few other snapshots from this morning’s garden:
Wishing you a smiling heart and a Happy Eclipse!
7 Jun
In anticipation of the June 10, 2021 Solar Eclipse, I feel led to share some odd collective and personal happenings around the May 26th Total Lunar Eclipse. My May and June 2021 Forecasts predicted:
May 26 Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius 7:14 a.m. Eastern. This Full Moon Lunar Eclipse reveals tensions between repressed feelings and group solidarity. Pay attention to light shining on old patterns, condescension, and/or rigid ideals. Do these attitudes still fit? Accept invitations to upgrade.
June 10 New Moon (Annular Solar Eclipse) in Gemini. This eclipse peaks at 6:53 a.m. Eastern time, but eclipse energies last for months. Mercury retrograde conjuncts the Sun on this day, too — helping to process, review and assimilate whatever information came to light around the May 26 Lunar Eclipse.
Since eclipses link into overarching patterns, the prior eclipse provides a kind of preview and extra focus for the one(s) that follow. We often see three eclipses per season, but this year offers only two per season.
My May 26 Full Moon Lunar Eclipse write-up delved deeper into the karmic flavor, emphasized by conjunctions with both the transiting South Node and Asteroid Nemesis. I quoted Alex Miller:
Nemesis was the goddess of due enactment, a karmic equalizer who ensured that no one had too much good fortune, but paid appropriately for their misdeeds. Known as the restorer of cosmic order, Nemesis was particularly focused on punishing acts of hubris, which is defiant pride or arrogance in one’s place, gifts or fortune. Eventually her concept was refined to include a quality of vengefulness or retribution which is lacking in the original, which was more about rectifying imbalance. In modern usage, the term “nemesis” has come to represent any opponent, competitor, or adversary, anyone who stands in the way of our goal, or enacts revenge for wrongs committed.
Astrologically, Nemesis represents the vagaries of Fate, self-undoing, reversal of fortune, and any person or thing which holds us back, prevents our will, denies goals, or punishes our actions. Additionally, there can be issues with assigning blame, scapegoating, or finding fault.
I expected some kind of big, public revelation around the time of the eclipse, and sure enough, FOIA requests presented thousands of emails from Dr. Fauci. “Gain of function,” “bioweapons research labs” and deeper scrutiny of Fauci’s possible role in the creation and spread of COVID-19 hit alternative and mainstream news in a much bigger way. We don’t yet have full clarity on this situation, but the eclipse alignments triggered a data dump resulting in a “reversal of fortune” from “Saint Fauci” to somewhere between “inept,” “Fraudci” and/or Dr. Evil, depending on how one reads the still heavily redacted emails.
This same time period also featured whistleblowers from Facebook revealing top down censorship of anything related to Wuhan lab or public debate about the COVID shots. Again, we don’t have the full story, but sizable revelations and shifts occurred at or around the time of the May 26 eclipse. Bill Gates’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Dr. Fauci also created a little mainstream and a lot of alternative news. I mention these because the transiting South Node brings collective karma into the spotlight. We live in a shared collective, so these larger brushstrokes influence the canvas of our lives.
How an eclipse affects individuals depends a lot on the individual natal chart. In my own case, the May 26 Full Moon conjuncted my natal Neptune, while the Sun conjunted my natal Mercury. This Neptune-Mercury opposition colors my chart and life all the time; however, key transits ignite the aspect and make it extra weird. Mercury rules communication and how we share and process information. Neptune rules the collective unconscious, the Dreamworld, and the (much) bigger picture. Mercury likes to categorize. Neptune blurs boundaries.
People who undergo a Neptune transit opposite natal Mercury often feel brain fog and wonder if they’re losing their mind. People who have this natal aspect get used to it, but tend to experience reality in illogical ways. Rational and intuitive sides pull against each other until they integrate. We feel more connected to inner planets like Mercury, whereas outer planets present as mysterious forces or “fate.” An outer planet with a slow orbit, Neptune floods and dissolves a “normal” Mercury.
In my personal and professional life, this Neptune-Mercury opposition plays out as vivid dreams, an ability to tap into and take short trips to other realms, and easy communication with beings “beyond the veil.” I’ve had a lifetime of head injuries, precognitive dreams, and paranormal events. My general life “climate” includes synchronicity storms that would make most people question their sanity.
The May 26 eclipse upped those storm categories.
I awoke about a half hour before the eclipse moment of 7:14 a.m. Eastern time. I’d been dreaming about Jedi Mind Tricks and padawans, a woman in a green evening gown, and how to manage very bendy reality. Here’s an excerpt from my May 26 dream journal entry — not the dream itself but me pondering how this dream energy continued into waking life:
I woke up to clanging in the kitchen, and David apologized if the floor is sticky. My leftover can of black beans had leapt out of the fridge and spread all over the kitchen. He ended up giving the floor a very deep scrub. I apologized but also did not understand how the beans could have just leapt out of the fridge like that. In my mind I noted that I had been meaning to clean the floor, so now it was done. OK. Also, in bed, I had considered that those beans really didn’t agree with me yesterday. I ate them at lunch and got VERY brain foggy afterwards. I considered throwing them out. When I awoke, they had just been literally thrown out of the fridge.
I opened the front curtains [this is all waking life from the beans onward] and a plant leapt off the painted table, landing behind the other plant stands and requiring a clean up. I had been meaning to re-pot that plant and also to clean behind the tables there. I said this to David just as I cleaned it up.
When I was finished, ANOTHER plant, which I had originally thought I might pot up with the first one, also leapt off the table and required more clean up. This was getting ridiculous.
I cleaned that up, then noticed I needed to turn the jade plant. Doing so required me moving a pot of fake plants I use just to fill in the one spot if needed. There’s damage to the plant stand table, which now shows without the fake plant there. All of a sudden I realized that’s where “they” want the two re-potted succulents to go.
I feel like faeries have invaded our house …
When I stood up from cleaning up the second upturned plant, I very gently — ever so gently– whacked my head on the edge of the painted cabinet. I did this at the exact moment of the eclipse, then forgot about it until I read texts from Faery Twin Tania Marie. These arrived the night before, but I only saw them in the morning. She shared how she had cracked her head — hard — the night before the eclipse, just hours after finding a sacrum bone from a bear. You can read her saga here.
Our natal Neptune’s are close to each other and we both had personal activations in our natal charts from the eclipse. I’ve alluded to ongoing inner processing and powerful dreams/synchronicities related to life and death energies. As part of this inner processing for the past two years, I’ve intended “only the gentlest, kindest, easiest, most beneficial, least traumatic, least karmic, most beautiful unfolding.” A Neptunian prayer if ever there was one!
This ongoing intention and my Neptune-Mercury activation colored how I experienced the eclipse. No one “spilled the beans”; actual beans spilled themselves. The flying leap/surrender of plants who’d outgrown their pots, life nudging along the washing of floors that needed washing anyway, and the ever so gentle tap on my head right at the eclipse — all affirmed that healing and growth can occur without excess trauma. The process might involve a little cleanup, but answered prayer can buffer at least some of the intensity.
Later that day, I went on a walk. As I crossed our street, a thought dropped into my mind: “Randy (our next door neighbor) is either getting ready to pass, or he already died this morning.” I saw no overt signs of that, but I felt the energy shift around his home. I returned, did a session for someone whose dear relative died the day before the eclipse, and when I got out of the session, I noticed David looking sad. I hugged him and asked what happened.
“I saw Pam on the way in from work. Randy died this morning.”
Our sweet neighbor had been very ill, off and on, for years. He used to trap and relocate groundhogs for me. I would often visit him on his front porch, or he’d pop by when I watered the front garden. A dream three mornings later made me realize that Randy not only died at the eclipse. He died exactly four years to the day after we first met him — on the day we purchased our home.
I share this here to honor Randy’s life, but also because Randy has sometimes appeared in dreams. I shared one of those dreams on November 14, 2020, sensing a collective component to that dream. It also linked into some ongoing “T-Square” dreams, and a synchronicity supernova. Randy’s death appears to be some kind of time marker connected to a long series of interrelated, seemingly precognitive dreams. Time will tell. I only mention this as dream validation of astrological validation of a lot of people’s intuitive sense that we’re in monumental times. Indeed, I highlighted the period between my May 22 birthday and the end of June as a period of astro fireworks.
The June 10 New Moon (Annular Solar Eclipse) occurs at 19°47′ Gemini, conjunct Mercury Retrograde at 20°41′ Gemini. Later that day, Mercury and the Sun will pass notes as they meet for a moment, then go their separate ways. Expect more revelations.
Dane Rudhyar’s Sabian Symbol for the (rounded up) 20° Gemini Solar Eclipse is:
PHASE 80 (GEMINI 20°): A MODERN CAFETERIA DISPLAYS AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD, PRODUCTS OF VARIOUS REGIONS.
KEYNOTE: The assimilation of multifarious knowledge through the synthesizing power of the mind.
…
This … implies a certain kind of synthesis or at least a preparation which leads to a new level. The keynote here is indeed ASSIMILATION; the negative potentiality of the symbol is WASTE. (You can find the full write-up here.)
This eclipse could trigger such a flood of revelations that important details get lost in a mudslide. Those resigned to inevitable disclosure might release an avalanche of data all at once, in hopes that people lack time, energy or patience to sift through the mess. If enough individuals examine and process these revelations, then we — as a collective — will find and assimilate whatever we most need.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts — and this particular whole might even “show its math.”
Neptune in Pisces and Mercury in Gemini square each other during the June 10 eclipse, so any revelations will involve some friction between the intuitive and rational. Cognitive dissonance will clang. Collectively, I expect contrasts of confusion, delusion, dissolution, disappointment, grief, deception, addictions, euphoria, compassion and overwhelm (Neptune) vs. careful review, revision, logic, communication, clarity and rapid response (Mercury).
Whatever floods or floats past our awareness around this eclipse will help shake things loose on the June 14 Saturn Square Uranus event. This key transit following a Solar Eclipse amplifies the themes and messages of each event. As my June Forecast noted:
Squares create constructive friction. Though uncomfortable, our differences can reveal the whole as greater than the sum of its parts. This Saturn square Uranus energy runs throughout 2021. In which areas are you trying to control others? In which areas do you feel others trying to control you? Think “Live and Let Live.” How might this attitude support new levels of cooperation?
The collective will undergo significant shifts this summer. How these events personally impact you depends on your natal chart, as well as which level you choose to engage. You can experience energies in literal or symbolic ways — i.e. “spilling the beans” instead of whistle-blowing or confession.
Some people will read today’s post as political because it references current events. Others will recognize the maxims, “As Above, So Below,” and “As Within, So Without.” Everything we encounter symbolizes and connects with something else. Inner and outer space are vast and linked.
The Saturday following the eclipse — May 29 — I felt the weight of many visions, both personal and collective. Absurd yet confirming synchronicities continued to appear, and I couldn’t shake a profound sense of grief. Part of this was mine, yet it felt bigger than mine alone. I went outside to tend my garden. That usually lifts my spirits, but this time, the heaviness remained. Almost too much to bear.
I noticed a pot of yarrow in the backyard raised bed and made a mental note to fertilize it. Compared to all my other potted yarrow, this one looked puny and malnourished. I weeded the area around the pot as I watered the bed. Then I moved to other areas of the garden. The sadness and weight on my chest remained, as though the hose poured from a bottomless well of grief. This is VERY unlike me — especially in the garden.
Moments later, I heard a sing-song, almost imperceptible “Laurrrrrr—-a. Laurrrrrr—a.”
This quiet, melodic voice beckoned me to turn around. When I did, my eyes shot to a bright spot just behind the pot of yarrow. I said to myself, “What IS that?!”
The sing-song “Laurrrrr—a. Laurrrrr—a” called to me from that spot. I walked over to examine the area I had just viewed while pondering the yarrow and weeding nearby plants.
Out of nowhere, this iris appeared:
As strange as it sounds, the melodic calling of my name seemed to emanate from this flower — or perhaps from a faery disguised as a bug on one petal. I never planted this variety of iris. It’s smaller, more delicate and totally different colors than the large yellow irises we inherited with the yard.
I felt something touch the center of my chest, the area the grief weighed down. It felt like a faery placed the tip of her magic wand right on my heart chakra. The heaviness grew light, then delighted and almost giddy. Joy bubbled up inside my heart. I could still sense the grief, but this beautiful and magical encounter felt like the balm of Gilead.
I shared the photo and story with a few people, and the magic continued. Tania informed me that she has this type of iris in her garden. We know our gardens and offices connect via portals, but this felt extraordinary. Another person with whom I shared the photo and story told me it triggered major faery magic in her own garden. A rose bush that “never blooms” put forth two flowers. She displayed them in a vase and the next day, the entire sprawling rose bush FILLED with blooms. She sent photos, and they are glorious!
I knew I would share this story on my blog, because it illustrates — again — the loving support available when we open ourselves to other levels of experience. We will still sense energies, but things can soften and uplift. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: “Grace happens.”
Open your heart to loving-kindness. That tiny shift will change your world.
Laura Bruno's Blog 