The two solstices and two equinoxes are the hinges of the year astrologically. This year the summer solstice arrives at 4.24 a.m. GMT on June 21, a dawn that will be greeted noisily (or in serene meditation) by druids, pagans and new agers – the general public may even join in.
Your astrologer’s favourite painter, Paul Nash, was fascinated by the equinoxes and solstices and created some of his most striking canvases in their honour.
With Saturn in retreat, Jupiter changing to forwards direction at mid-month, and Neptune and Prometheus all strong in June’s mix, June has a fresher, more open feel than the last couple of months. Summer is coming in – enjoy.
Gemini
Keep your engines set at Full Speed Ahead, sharpen those famed Gemini wits and consider a punt on the lottery. The cosmos is smiling on you.
Firstly, whenever your birthday, the mighty Sun is making handy aspects to other planets. So is your ruling planet, quicksilver Mercury, which is currently moving at top speed and zips through the Twins’ skies in a mere fortnight, between June 7 and 20. Issue instructions and, if you have beef with an institution or individual, here is a good time to take them on and clear the air.
Saturn, the planet that has made life Bloody Difficult for many Geminis over the last 18 months remains in retreat until September, offering a summer of diminished worries. Jupiter is on hand in fellow air sign Libra to ginger up your love life, expand your creative horizons and hand you the rub of the green. Jupiter in your fifth house of pleasure means that cucumber sandwiches and chilled Chablis on velvet lawns are on offer, but it would be a mistake to merely take it easy and not to push for what you truly desire.
Two stages of the month stand out. The full Moon of June 9 puts a big decision on your plate – give it a couple of days’ rumination before announcing it. The following weekend is another hotspot, when unexpected encounters bring a spark that could catch fire. At work you appear to have the golden touch, perhaps without lifting a finger more than usual. You might as well milk your reputation for all it’s worth. Happy birthday.
Cancer
It’s va-va-voom time from June 6, when warrior Mars crashes into the Crab’s skies for a six week stay – make sure that ‘crash’ doesn’t mean exactly that, gently does it with the kitchen knife and the DIY hammer – while Venus in her own sign of Taurus smiles on your social life. June isn’t all go-go-go – the Sun is behind the scenes in Gemini, emphasising the mind/body/spirit axis, not least at the full Moon of June 9.
But this month you have choices where you put your energy and ideas. A long-term signifier in your affairs, Neptune in Pisces, is hyperactive just now, making outlandish notions (philosophical/art) and distant shores unusually important. If you are mixed up in the creative arts, especially the moving image, that goes double.
June is also highly congenial on the social front. Venus in her own sign of Taurus makes seeing and being seen de rigeur – mwah! – and who knows, there may be a romantic connection lurking in the crowds. With mars in your sign, it’s your initiative.
The solstice, as ever, is a trigger in your affairs, especially this year when Mercury arrives alongside the Sun and a new Moon follows on June 24 (a new chapter opens if that’s your birthday). You need to be on top form in the last week of the month, not only to take advantage of opportunities (it’s news time) but to cope with Mars’ opposition to Pluto over the weekend of June 30/July 1 –if your birthday is around July 10, best not get involved in any ‘you owe me/this is payback’ scenarios.
Leo
Leo is usually presented as an uncomplicated astrological beast and on one level that’s the case – royalty is royalty. But even kings and queens have doubts, and the emphasis on the most secret parts of your ‘scope after the solstice and on into July suggests you give more time and thought to your inner Lion, magisterial but mortal. It isn’t all soul-searching; Neptune in your solar eighth describes a hot time in the boudoir, for example.
Relations with significant others – not just your main squeeze but ex’s and enemies – just took a different turn btw. With the lunar north node going through your skies for the next 18 months, relationships are under test…in a good way. You are asked to be less reliant on others (Lazy Leo – fetch my slippers will you – is a known creature) and more giving. Echoes come from 1999-2000, if you have the years behind you. Those of you with birthdays after August 18 are currently in the spotlight here. Singletons born then have the prospect of a hot romance. You can keep such one-on-one issues on the back burner for now, but they look pressing over your birthday month.
Out in the big bad world your presence is required more than ever. Venus at the peak of your ‘scope calls for a charm offensive at work, with an even-noisier-than-usual dress code. However, beware female co-workers who are even more stubborn than you!
There is plenty of wheeling and dealing to do now that Jupiter is back in forward motion. Travel and public speaking are your allies, as are siblings, second cousins and the like. It’s all a matter of balance between inner communion and outward business.
Virgo
Pressure and ease blink on and off this month. Saturn’s backing off over the summer – good news for birthdays circa September 17 – but the Sun’s arc through Gemini at the top of your ‘scope is provocative (in a good way) and means you’ll be busy negotiating (rather than crossing swords) with the top brass in your profession. Your undisputed ruler, Mercury is moving swiftly and the opportunities that come your way over the next couple of months should be gobbled up without hesitation.
That message is underscored by Mars in Cancer (water for your earth) and by the new Moon of June 24, after which events pick up speed. The Moon reaches the Maiden’s skies over June 28/29; power days for you. Venus in earthy Taurus is also good news, wafting grooveacious social encounters your way, perhaps something more romantic. Taureans, Capricorns and, of course, fellow Virgos all look like allies just now.
Most perplexing of the celestial omens in your ‘scope is Neptune in opposition, which halts mid-month. Neptune is the most ambiguous planet in the astrological laboratory; enchantment, a date with a movie star, deception, a surfeit of water. If your birthday is circa September 6, take your choice.
Libra
For Librans, the Gemini-Sagittarius represents talk, travel, big ideas, teaching, learning, writing and ‘getting yourself out there’ as the saying goes. With this axis under emphasis in June, you simply have to follow suits with those themes. The world wide web is also included.
This emphasis is amplified by the presence of Jupiter in your sign, which resumes forward motion at the full moon of June 9. The weekend of June 3/4 has the waxing Moon in your skies and is highly propitious. But then so is the entire period up to your birthday, and since you only get Jupiter once every dozen years, your astrologer repeats the question asked last month: if not now, when? Indecision time is so over.
You can, of course, just cruise through to the Autumn Equinox – Jupiter loves cruises by the way – but your hand looks like it’s being forced at present, with Mars in something of a huff at the peak of your chart. The red planet is joined by Sun and Mercury at the Solstice with a new moon there on June 24 – something of a big deal if your birthday is September 25. You may find yourself thinking, “If Jupiter is so freaking lucky, why am I working so hard?’ The answer is that pressure equals opportunity, and you are being asked to make a name for yourself in your chosen profession.
Work hard, play hard. Your ruling planet, fair Venus, spends all month in Taurus, which she also rules; as good an invitation to intimacy as it gets. And, if your birthday is circa October 18-20, or you have planets at 26 Libra, then you just have to ride out the electric shocks.
Scorpio
Saturn is the skinflint planet, and since the taskmaster remains in your cash zone until Christmas, frugality and solid financial planning are the order of the year. The full Moon of June 9 may give you an uncomfortable nudge about fiscal matters – don’t ignore it, Saturn in retreat until September makes this summer ideal for assembling The Master Plan.
Your horoscope offers plenty of diversions. Venus in opposition from Taurus – where the relationship planet is strongest – puts all one-on-one relationships in the spotlight. Whether than means an irresistible siren call – enter dashing prince or sumptuous princess – or a showdown with you-know-who is another matter. Venus is the planet of the peace-maker so pow-wows should be welcomed. Your world certainly looks full of luurve around the summer solstice.
Your own ruling planet, hot-blooded Mars, is in the kindred water sign of Cancer, easing your path through the world – that’ll be the world at its widest, if only via the web. The internationalism and wisdom of your solar ninth house gets a major fillip at the new moon of June 24 – thereafter the times are good for negotiations, deals, your baldest ideals. This summer you should be laying foundations for the Big Scorpio Year that begins at your birthday, when Jupiter arrives. Beaver away in secret and surprise everyone.
Sagittarius
The first major celestial event to consider is the full Moon in your skies on June 9, made extra significant because it is alongside Saturn, the planet that has put you through your paces this last 18 months. With the Sun opposing Saturn seven days later, this looks like a reality check, one you should welcome as an indicator of your progress. Saturn is in retreat until September, after which Saturn is in taskmaster mode. Fix the roof while the sun is shining.
Saturn also has a bearing on your one-on-one relationships – spouses, ex’s, enemies. Here you are somewhat on the back foot and need to read the currents with care. Again, it’s a reality check. Still, you have had months of Venus putting you in touch with your romantic side, and some of you, notably birthdays circa December 19, may still be reeling from the excitement.
In social and romantic matters – long term alliances are another matter – everything remains to play for. Jupiter’s turn to direct motion on June 10 opens the next phase of your social life, though to October. Jupiter is the Centaur’s undisputed ruler, and its position in your eleventh house of networking and group activity bodes well for your cricket captaincy, role as protest march cheerleader or head of the parish. Although Saturn is the planet that likes to make you do things alone, there is strength in numbers this summer.
The trickiest question being asked of you may pertain to Neptune in Pisces at the root of your ‘scope; where do you belong? Two home scenarios, riddles about your family heritage and dodgy drains all come under this particular astrological rune.
Capricorn
Since there are planets coming at you from all sides, actual peace and quiet may be hard to find – but in a good way. The two planets of good fortune – Venus and Jupiter – are both in dominant mode in your ‘scope this month. It’s a time of renewed activity, with some fracas involved.
Jupiter’s turn to forward motion on June 20 renews your quest for professional glory. Ideally, you want to be collecting a prize as lead actor (or milkman of the year) by October. Set your controls accordingly. The pressure to achieve cooks up nicely across summer and autumn. Don’t be cowed by the great and good (as if).
Venus in your fellow of earth sign of Taurus – which she rules – is a sweeter, less confrontational transit. Indeed, June looks like a garden of earthly delights if you can find time to smell the flowers, woo your sweetheart of choice and loaf around the barbecue. Go for it. Neptune also adds to your powers of persuasion.
Another planetary matrix lies in your opposite sign of Cancer, the place where you handle relationships, conduct business alliances, negotiate with ex’s and fight your enemies. Mars is here all month, looking for a squabble (be wary around June 30/July 1) and/or of ways to ginger up your love life. The new Moon of June 24, immediately following the solstice, allows you to turn a page in a relationship – to ‘move on’ – while, if you are single, Mercury is full of bright ideas.
Aquarius
The zodiac’s other two air signs, Gemini and Libra, are both active in June and July, making early summer a potentially dynamic time; all that’s required is to pump more of your energies into your most cherished schemes. What you put in is very much what you get back; it’s not a time to be passive.
The Sun’s residence in Gemini occurs every year, of course, but this month comes with Mercury moving at top speed through the Twins’ skies from June 7-20, when what you say goes! Not least at June 13/14 when the Moon is in your sign. The full Moon of June 9, being opposite Saturn, may bring some festering emotional issues into the open. That ubiquitous phrase ‘move on’ may come in handy, especially if your birthday is at the end of the Aquarian calendar ie February 14-18 – not only do you have planet Prometheus shaking your world, but the lunar south node is also sweeping across your birthday Sun, which can be thought of a personal eclipse. People come, people go; even old pals and spouses disappear under this transit.
Jupiter in Libra is on hand to ensure that none of you are stuck in the mud. The giant planet changes to forward direction on June 10, and remains onside until October. Yours is one of only two signs to have a human being as its image (the other is Gemini), and humanitarian and social concerns often figure high on the Aquarian agenda. Jupiter is all in favour this year, and if your profession or charity work involves education, the world wide web, publishing, long haul travel or the creative arts, then you have a following wind through to autumn, when the picture changes.
Glitches? Not too many. Venus spends all month in Taurus at the base of your horoscope, a zone of domesticity and family. A transit that’s deeply in favour of clan gatherings, garden splendour and a spot of redecoration. Go with the flow, but super-stubborn individuals (probably female, perhaps Taurus) need to be contained – isolated rather than confronted.
Pisces
Thanks to a pile-up of planets in your fellow water sign of Cancer, you are heading towards a month or two of relative ease, especially where your emotional and creative lives are concerned. More of which anon.
You are still dealing with Saturn, however. The ringed planet may just have turned to backslide, but it’s buzzed repeatedly by other planets this month – the full Moon of June 9 and the Sun-Saturn opposition of June 16 both stand out – meaning issues of authority and control (as in, whoever wields it over you) come into play. Render what’s due to the people in grey, while keeping your integrity intact. Save your empathy for people who are on your side.
There seem to be no shortage of those. Venus in earthy Taurus is ideal for social circulation and happy hours in summer gardens. Summer romance, if you are interested, beckons. Neptune in your own skies can also be a blissful thing, the problem with Neptune being its extremes. If your birthday is circa March 4 the giant planet is all over you – hopefully that means your name in lights, or an aura of spiritual power and grace around you. However, Neptune can also be about dissolution, deception and plain ol’ confusion – which is where objective advice comes in.
Mars is in Cancer’s skies after June 5, adding zest to your personal life (not least physically) and sharpening your sense of competition. The new Moon in Cancer on June 24 makes the same point over again.
‘Lucky’ Jupiter, the traditional ruler of Pisces (accept no other) wakes up at mid-month and resumes its forward march in your eighth house of sensual pleasures, secrets and shared resources. The chance to get your finances more than straight is on offer over the next few months.
Aries
It looks like a few big decisions are hovering, or have just been made. Saturn, planet of the taskmaster, has not been unkind to you this last couple of years If you were born 1987/8 you may disagree), but in June said planet is under emphasis and some sensible moves at work or with property are up for a reality check, not least around June 16.
That said, your ‘scope is in benign, even thrilling mode. June begins with the annual meeting of Venus and Prometheus in your skies, a potentially electric weekend on the social/dating front. Prometheus’s unsettling energies remain at full throttle across summer, and although this concerns chiefly birthdays April 16-19, the sense of bold exploration – making it up as you go along so to speak –is there for all Rams to enjoy.
Likewise the transit of Jupiter in your opposite sign of Libra, promising enriching alliances, whether they involve friendly rich folks or penniless charmers. The rick with committed or semi-committed relationships is to maintain a sense of independence on both sides. Fusion is probably not what you are after just now – could be the very opposite, separation!
The Sun in Gemini until the solstice keeps your wheels turning and daily life fresh. Your ruling planet Mars is in watery Cancer after June 10 with a new moon at the root of your chart on June 24. Though these transits carry an element of provocation – that’s Mars’ job, right – you should be able to surf the tides without any great problem. If you are happy in your home, fine, but if you fancy tearing up the wallpaper and starting again, or even relocating completely, your stars are all in favour.
Taurus
Your undisputed ruler, Venus, has taken her time to reach your skies and even now is moving fairly sedately forwards, meaning she is in your (and her) sign for a little longer than usual, beginning on June 6. Make the most of her presence. Venus transits are about pleasure first and foremost, whether you find that being swamped among the hollyhocks, eating an extra plate of homegrown asparagus, or hitting the designer stores. Venus is also, of course, the goddess of romance and here your ‘scope is in responsive mode if you are single or in the dating game.
Even if you are happily hitched, there seems to be a flux of friends and new faces passing through in June – Mars in Cancer, followed by Mercury and a new Moon on June 24, all point to a social whirl. Plus, if you are involved in education, public speaking, writing and so forth, this is time to bloom anew.
Tra-la-la. There are, of course, more challenging currents at work in your ‘scope, principally concerning your assets. Saturn in charge of your bank statements over the last 18 months has doubtless not made happy reading for all of you. Even if you are flush, Saturn demands close attention to the way you handle your affairs; investments, contracts, wills, not to mention the ethical dimension to where and how your loot is deployed.
Saturn’s current retreat gives you the chance to shuffle the pack before September, and the contacts to Saturn in June – principally mid-month – are there to check that you have your figures in fine order. Bringing in more of the folding stuff may need a little longer, until Venus meets Saturn in July. The important thing is to have a process in pace.
Jupiter’s awakening in your sixth house of hard graft suggests that hard work helps, but you know that already. Mars and the new moon in cancer on June 24 call for your most agile state of mind. Being stuck – you may call it being stubborn – can be an issue for Taureans. That new Moon next to cognitive Mercury suggests you loosen up and embrace new solutions.