Cardinal Gateway and Lunar Power: Solstice & Full Moon

Solstice and Full Moon Blessings to all out there on the planet this weekend!  Regardless if you are in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, the Solstice marks one of the four seasonal gateways of the year which were regarded as important moments in times gone by and which are still celebrated by many cultures around the globe today.

In Astronomy, the Solstices happen somewhere around the 20th-22nd of December and June when the Sun is farthest North or South of the Equator. The tilt of our Earth's axis increasingly angles the north or south pole towards the Sun creating the longest day and shortest night or vice versa. Then when it reaches the maximum tilt, the pendulum begins slowly to swing the other way.

In Tropical Astrology these gateways indicate the Sun’s entry point into the signs of Capricorn (December) and Cancer in June, while the March and September Equinoxes are the new year  ( Aries)  and midway  (Libra) markers of the astrological year. Together these signs are like the compass points of the Zodiac wheel, sharing an initiatory energy, collectively known as Cardinal signs.

The astrological picture has continued to be eventful ( though not as intense perhaps) after the April Eclipse with the end of May and Gemini season bringing a change of guard with gas giant planet Jupiter entering Gemini for it’s year long stay. This immediately engaged in a harmonious dynamic trine aspect with powerhouse Pluto in Aquarius which signalled a change in the wind as these two combine to expand our minds (and possibly horizons) to a bigger picture playing out on a collective level.

If you like me, found themselves moving around a lot over the last month or had more social interaction than usual, or have been dealing with multiple things, you haven't been alone and it may be time to slow down the nervous system if it's felt a bit over amped & take a breather as this Full Moon in Capricorn helps us to ground excess energy.

Additional to Jupiter there has been a big planetary line up in Gemini so at the New Moon on 6th June two weeks ago the Sun and Moon were aligned with Venus as she has her own 8 year cycle, where every four years she goes either Retrograde or Direct in Gemini and meets up with the Sun.

Joining the Sun, Moon and Venus were Mercury, ( Gemini’s ruling planet) and Jupiter too. Not to mention the incredibly slow moving Sedna, a dwarf planet discovered in 2003, right out on the outermost reaches of our Solar system &way beyond Pluto, who's orbit is 11,400 years, having gone into Gemini in late April- a post about this in the future.

That meant that the Gemini zone of every birth chart has been super activated until this week with Mercury, Venus and now the Sun entering Cancer. Though the way this plays out or conditions are unique to every individual chart this was like an opportunity for us all to develop certain connections, ideas or projects, experience different situations or environments and above all stay adaptable, challenging us to flex a little in routine life.

With the Gemini emphasis the mental realm can be very active and perceptions, thoughts, messages or processes are heightened. If you are conscious of the mind's gymnastics, this could have been a valuable time to consider where anxiety gets triggered and to choose to come at something from another angle.

Additionally as the Moon, Sun, Mercury and Venus progressed in the days after the New Moon they also formed short but tense aspects with Saturn then in the past week Neptune in Pisces. This may have presented some reality checks or challenges ( Saturn) which then gave way to the potential for choosing a more compassionate approach, or at least to surrender and let go. For others this window may have provided the necessity to anchor one's energy into more stillness, slow down or take time out. I personally found starting each day breathing through my heart until I felt centred, incredibly helpful!


But back to the shift into Cancer this weekend and the Full Moon. Being the first Water sign, Cancer is a yin or receptive energy.  After all that yang Air sign mobility of Gemini we are getting  to check in with feelings below the surface, with the inner self or emotions.
 
Cancer is ruled by the Moon,which governs our instinctual, subconscious and unconscious drives, those feelings which aren't easily explained and which often relate to past experiences, conditioning for memories. Symbolised by the crab Cancer wants to feel secure within it's domain, to feel a sense of safety, so protection, home, nourishment, family and care (both for others  and self) are it's main themes.

The annual Full Moon in Capricorn illuminates commitments, plans or where we need to balance  responsibilities in the outer world with personal needs or those for whom we care. What makes this Solstice especially significant is that the Sun and Moon are at the first degree of the Cancer/Capricorn axis. And this year we will have two Full Moons in Capricorn, the next one being in a month at the 29th degree. This axis refers to parental energies, the home vs profession, nurturance vs discipline.

 Capricorn is a practical Earth sign and generally self reliant and contained in it's emotional expression rather like it’s ruler Saturn with it's rings... but with both Saturn and Neptune in Pisces it's worth remembering that there is strength in expressing vulnerability and that through acknowledging the parts of ourselves that require some TLC we stabilise emotions and nourish ourselves in potentially sustaining ways.