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June is named after the Roman Mother Goddess, Juno, the Queen of Heaven and the consort of Jupiter, the Father God. In Anglo-Saxon, June was known as Aerra Litha, meaning before Litha, or Midsummer; in Welsh, Mehefin, or Midsummer; and in Gaelic; the young month, An t’Og mhios. ~ Diana Ferguson (The Magickal Year)
With the turning of the Solar Year, we have 4 significant cardinal corners marking the advent of the seasons of the year. These quarters of the year have been celebrated down the ages, and marked as ancient harvest and earth festivals that bind us to one another as well as to the Earth, in a respectful and sacred dance.
The Solstice on June 20th is one of these 4 magical corners of the year. One of the longest days in the Northern Hemisphere (and shortest in the South), it is a day of power and initiation. The fruit is on the vine here in the north, the days are hot, and we celebrate the fruition of nature’s bounty. Memorialized at sunrise by the hele-stone of Stonehenge, Midsummer has been celebrated over the centuries by lighting bonfires to cast out evil, and to welcome in prosperity and fertility for the Summer months ahead.
This is when the Sun enters Cancer, the 2nd Cardinal sign of the astrological year, a time in which we honor our roots, our heritage, our Father/mothers, our homes, the homeland, our ancestors and the very roots of our being. Ruled by the Moon, the sign of Cancer is also associated with the Sea, the emotions, with empathy, caring, sentimentality, as well as our emotional foundations like family, community and that which brings us a sense of belonging.
In the hustle and bustle of the outer world, we tend to overlook the importance of our inner emotional, spiritual and psychological world. This is also the place of our imagination, our dreams, our daydreams and ideals. We will often ignore these, and think of them as distractions or unimportant, not realizing that our inner well-being depends on these.
Like an anchor in a storm, our emotional foundation tethers us to a a place of safety and security that we trust will not be shaken, no matter what happens, no matter where we are. Cancer’s association is primarily with the past, with family, with our heritage. It is also about connecting to our deep emotional roots, whether that be our common bonds, our sense of belonging, our sense of identity… it is also about our coping methods, and where and who we go to when we look for support and security.
So we might want to stop and think for a moment: Where do I go to when I need that support and security? Who and what can I depend on to be there? What changes do I need to make in order to promote or maintain greater safety and security in my life and within my community?
Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing. ~ Arundhati Roy
The Ingress chart for when the Sun enters Cancer sets the tone for the next quarter of the year, with an emphasis on those things that support us and make us feel safe. This can include things like the housing market, agriculture, the stability of the communities and foundations of our lives. With a very close square to Neptune, it may feel as if these foundations both in society and in our own lives are being undermined and weakened.
Whenever planets straddle the Cardinal Cross, which is the earth’s axis, that planet, which in this case Neptune, has a much stronger influence over the affairs of humanity. Neptune will not make its first cross into Aries until the end of March 2025. And in the mean time we are all beset with a certain amount of uncertainty about the future, both globally and in our own lives. And whenever we are subject to the whims of uncertainty, we have a tendency to fill in the empty spaces with our own imaginations, which like so much smoke and mirrors, can easily lead us astray. And so we have our work cut out for us.
Neptune’s ingress into Aries is a big deal, and we will be speaking to this ingress a great deal over the next few years. But in the mean time, we might want to honor Neptune in its most magical and beneficent form, by connecting to the things that really matter in the end: doing good service and creating good works, leading with compassion, good hearts, and the capacity to envision a better world, no matter how fantastic it may seem.
Litha, the Cancer Solstice, and Midsummer here in the North, was honored in ancient times with fire and drums and celebration. Even as late as the 18th century bonfires were lit on the hilltops and countryside of England. And so may we also dedicate to the sun gods, dance and pay homage to the Lord of Light at this magical time of the year. And may we do so in order to receive the right guidance in order to create the conditions that are needed for a better world. Then perhaps, just maybe, on a quiet day, we too can hear her breathing.
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