The Zodiac Speaks

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The 21 of June is the summer solstice, first day of summer, when the Sun enters the constellation Cancer.
The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol, sun plus sistere, to stand still. The solstices (there are two each year) are the longest and the shortest days of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, from the winter solstice to the summer solstice, the sunrise occurs a little farther south each day. On the day of the summer solstice, the Sun pauses and appears to stand still in its gradual movement northward. The solstices are the farthest position of the Sun to the Earth, but because of the tilt of the Earth’s axis, the Sun’s rays in June are the strongest in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the tropical zodiac summer solstice occurs when the Sun enters Cancer. This constellation signals our need to gather relationships around us and to create a safe haven for the harvest to come. It is the season to relate, to form openings to our heart. Whatever we have planted at springtime now begins to show promises of harvest and needs Cancer‘s careful protection. We prepare for sharing the bounty to come.
Cancer, a water sign, is ruled by the Moon, the Great Mother, and her sustaining and nurturing powers are felt strongly this time of year. Cancer rules the breasts, chest, arms and hands, the parts of us that embrace and create. On the negative side, this force can mean hanging on too tightly, possessively. Cancer collects and makes boundaries, and sometimes does not discriminate for fear of losing what it has collected.
The constellations of the summer will follow one another, and there will be changes as pass through Leo into the time of harvest in Virgo. Align yourself with the movement of our Earth around the Sun.
The universe is fundamentally an interconnected whole, informed by creative intelligence and pervaded by patterns of meaning and order. Astrology reflects this sense of order and correspondence to human affairs. In this way it can help give meaning to an otherwise chaotic world.
The esoteric axiom, “as above, so below,” holds true for a universe integrated into an intelligible whole. The words of Plotinus, the most influential philosopher of later classical antiquity, speak directly to this understanding: “The stars are like letters which inscribe themselves at every moment in the sky…Everything in the world is full of signs…All events are coordinated…All things depend on each other; as has been said, ‘everything breathes together.’”
Cancer notables: Czeslaw Milosz, Kirsten Flagstad, Ann Landers, Eva Marie Saint, Gina Lollobrigida, Pablo Neruda, and Alice Munro.

The Zodiac Speaks

Welcome to Spring! This month finds the Sun in the constellation of Aries. The first day of Spring is an exact point astronomically.

It occurs when the orbit of the Earth around the Sun (the ecliptic) intersects Earth’s celestial equator, an imaginary line from our equator extended outward.

Aries is a fire sign, associated with the Ram, sacred to the Egyptians, and a time of resurrection (Easter) to the Christians. Mars is the ruler of Aries, and in medical astrology this sign rules the head.

The Aries intellect is purposeful and volatile. Martian energy inspires it, and it can be both creative and destructive. The Greek tale of Jason in search of the Golden Fleece demonstrates Aries energy best. He possessed the true Aries quality of leadership, and after many trials captures the Golden Fleece, and hurries off to seek another adventure in true Aries style.

Fire signs all look for love, and with Aries there is tendency toward complex arrangements leading to problems in affairs of the heart. It is Aries almost insatiable appetite and Martian spirit of conquest that can make for excess. This is true of both the Aries women as well as men.

The opposite sign to Aries, Libra is the balance to the self-asserting energy of the Ram. By learning humility and diplomacy, Aries can subdue its aggressive personality and learn to appreciate the viewpoint of others.

Aries asserts the individual; ego and often does battle with anyone that opposes the attainment of his goal. A sparring partner gives fuel to Aries fire, creating drama and adventure. Restless, physically active, dedicated to causes, and sometimes over-achievers. Aries symbolizes our entry into the hardships of reality from the meditative womb of Pisces.
Spring burst forth intent on the energy of new life. Little can stop this powerful flow.

Born in Aries: Joseph Campbell, Stephen Sondheim, Eudora Welty, Loretta Lynn, David Letterman, Doris Day, and Vincent Van Gogh. For more info: www.chartwisdom.com