Wheel of Light Astrology by Rio Olesky - June 2020
The main astrological events this month are the eclipses. The full Moon lunar eclipse occurs on the 5th in Sagittarius. The new Moon solar eclipse takes place on the 20th in Cancer. This is the same day that Sun enters Cancer, which is the annual Summer Solstice. Eclipses can interfere with the normal rhythms of life. The new Moon is normally a time of new beginnings. We can set an intention to do something that may last the month or longer. The two weeks after the new Moon is a time to build on that intention so that at the full Moon we can see what we have in fact achieved. The full Moon is often a time of high energy, when our emotions are strong and tend to be more overtly expressed than usual. It can also be a time when our perspective on life can be clearer. An eclipse, however, can mitigate either or both. The normal clarity about our progress can be limited. Our normal robust emotional activity can be muted.
The new Moon, usually a good time for new beginnings, is similarly challenged when an eclipse takes place at that time. New beginnings can pertain to a certain project or activity. But it could also suggest a time when we feel internal stimulation. This could involve emotions, strong intuitive perception or clear insights through our dream life. The eclipse can alter these experiences by making them stronger.
One way to characterize a month when we experience eclipses is that the potential of both is changed. The new Moon solar eclipse means that Sun is blocked by the Moon. Astrologically, the Sun pertains to the ego, the self-aware and self-loving individual who can manifest their energy creatively. The Moon is an expression of the soul. With no clarity of the manifest self it becomes a time to look inward and strive for more emotional clarity and spiritual connection. Rather than striving for external interactivity, a solar eclipse points us in a more personal and internal direction. To some degree this is true every new Moon, but when the Sun is eclipsed it is much more so.
The full Moon lunar eclipse can be altered even more. At that time, the earth is between the two “lights” thus blocking the clarity of perspective normally associated with the full Moon. This doesn’t mean that we just don’t have the strong emotions usually associated with the full Moon. By extension, we don’t feel the same powerful drive to express whatever we feel. Thus, the promise of the full Moon is mitigated more than the promise of the new Moon as a result of the eclipses. It’s as if an eclipsed full Moon is providing another opportunity to look within.
Given that we have been quarantined for about 3 months, being within our homes, limited in social contact, there hasn’t been much else available to us. We can take advantage of the eclipses this month by using them to enhance our inner striving. The full Moon lunar eclipse will be in Sagittarius, a fire sign that seeks the truth, especially in spiritual, philosophical or metaphysical ways. Instead of relying on texts and dogma, this month offers us the option to find that truth within ourselves. This could manifest through a personal ritual, or seeking to intersect our personal experience with what we have been taught.
The new Moon will be in Cancer, a water sign that tends to be highly sensitive, both emotionally as well as psychically. This is a perfect set-up for us to spend time alone, looking inward for clarity and direction. This could pertain immediately to our inner, spiritual path, but could also include clues or insights into our outer directed activity that could be manifested in the next few months.
This Solar eclipse coincides with the Summer Solstice, with the eclipse occurring 9 hours after that event. This is also rare and adds to the significance of the eclipse. The Summer Solstice takes place annually when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. The Sun reaches zero degrees of Cancer and marks the longest day of the year. So, at a time when the light should be strongest and brightest there will be an unusual dimming. This is the time of year when people gather together, in family or community groups for rituals, barbecues and other social or spiritual events. We could assume that the general feeling of openness and enthusiasm that normally accompanies this time will be restricted. In some ways, that’s fitting given the amount of planets transiting Capricorn (the sign of limitation) this year. Beyond that, however, the coincidence of these events could deplete their normal enthusiasm and joy that we feel individually and collectively at this time. Coming after months of isolation followed by the slow ramp up to even quasi-normal activities things could be frustrating to say the least. We can respond to this phenomenon by intensifying our internal focus.