June 2016 Newsletter - Big Transits this Month
by Tony Howard
Mars retrograde will wrap up in this month as it stations direct June 30 at 23° Scorpio. If you’ve been in a holding pattern with launching new projects, keep holding this month. Focus your time on strategic planning and reworking your plans. Or redo your action steps on projects that have had setbacks or interruptions. If you have planets near 23° Scorpio, Taurus, Leo or Aquarius, you’re sure to notice the station, when an influx of Mars energy will constellate as it sits at a near standstill for several days.
Mars asks us to get in touch with our will. If frustrations have come up it could be because you’re not getting exactly what you want. If you are at all unclear about what that is, the anger coming up can give you good information to make it painfully obvious. Use that information to figure out what you need to change or adjust when Mars goes direct.
Saturn-Neptune Aspects in the Birth Chart
We limit our thinking when we unconsciously give precedence to one archetype when describing a particular combination. So we’ll use this time to break out of the box, finding cases of Saturn being dominant, Neptune being dominant, and of both archetypes merging to create an entirely unique expression.
We’ll also take this opportunity to remember that even so-called “negative” planetary aspects can play out in multiple ways in one’s life, many of them constructive and even beneficial.
Jupiter stationed direct in Virgo last month, and this month it will make one more trine to Pluto in Capricorn. If you have planets near the sensitive degrees of 14-17° Virgo and/or Capricorn (or in aspect to them) make use of this supportive energy this month. In one of its high expressions, Virgo asks us what we have to contribute that can be of use to others. Jupiter has a generous spirit, so in Virgo, think about what you have to offer others in a spirit of generosity with no strings attached.
Jupiter always asks us how we’ve been underestimating ourselves, and Virgo knows a little something about underestimation! With the trine from Pluto, look out for powerful allies that can support you in your goals. The trine energy needs to be harnessed, so don’t just wait for the good to come to you (although it very well might). Watch for opportunities (or make them) and take action to put yourself out there or ask for what you need. This trine lasts all month and will peak June 30.
The other important cycle this month is the second in a series of three Saturn-Neptune squares. The first was in November and the last one will happen in September. Saturn-Neptune cycles are associated with disillusionment. If you find yourself in that state this year, turn your despair into action – it’s likely that your falsely-placed faith or ungrounded idealism needed a reality check so that your energy could be harnessed to create more stable structures. It’s OK to feel some sadness at your loss, but try to create a container around it – give yourself a time limit for processing feelings and then redirect your energy to rebuilding on more solid ground.
With these three cycles happening simultaneously, Mars may help you cut ties with people you’ve put on a pedestal, and Jupiter might just introduce you to more suitable allies that can help you create a new vision that’s more stable, more in line with what you want, and more in service to the greater community.
If you find June’s Saturn-Neptune square at sensitive degrees of your chart (Saturn at 12° Sagittarius and Neptune at 12° Pisces) my presentation might help you brainstorm some ideas for working with this complex energy.
Last but not least, I just returned from NORWAC 2016 (the Northwest Astrology Conference) where I had a great time connecting with old friends and making new ones. Steven’s apprentice program students had a major presence as usual. But this year was a special treat because 3 AP grads were speaking there for the first time. We’d like to send a shout out to Cheryl Hopkins, Marie O’Neill and Vernon Robinson for a job well done. We’re really proud of them.
Take care everyone!
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll get an email each month when it’s ready.
New Webinar with Steven – Working with Saturn Transits
Join Steven for a live webinar on how to work with Saturn transits. Saturn transits get a bad rap and in this lecture you’ll discover tools and new ways of understanding Saturn that will leave you feeling more empowered.
$20
Tony Howard graduated Summa Cum Laude in history and film from the University of Colorado. His degree turned out to be the perfect precursor to his career in astrology, where his focus includes historical research and chart analysis. His writing has been featured in The Mountain Astrologer and in two Flare anthologies: Astrology, the Next Generation and The Book of Music Horoscopes.
Tony has been researching declination since 2011 and specializes in “out of bounds” planets. He also loves working with and studying aspects, which forms the core of his work with clients. He is the founder of Astrology University.