THE MOOD: Revolution or Rev-illusion?
June brings the heat -- a kind of steamy astrological humidity that rises and shrouds and sticks to our skin. With multiple planets getting the staredown from Pluto and a side-eye from Neptune -- as Saturn and Uranus arm-wrestle alongside them -- this month asks us to break a sweat, enveloping us in a hot haze from which we will emerge with (hopefully) greater clarity.
As we begin the month, Mercury continues its capricious retrograde. You may have already noticed the classic Mercury retrograde offerings -- the communications foibles, the brain fog, the planning upsets, the reflection and review that is possible when we go backwards. The daze engulfs us further as Mercury squares Neptune, dissolving any attempts for clarity into a pool of primordial goo. The challenge is that despite the chaos, we still make conscious and unconscious choices that have profound impacts; and when Mars moves into an opposition with Pluto on June 5, s*** gets real quickly. We may not know the “right” answer or the “right” choice to make in the moment, especially when clarity is compromised. However, this transit confronts the hard reality that we must take responsibility for our actions regardless.
As the temperature continues to rise, mid-month begins a series of transits -- Mars moving into Leo, Venus square to Chiron, and a notable Moon-Mars conjunction -- that create a climate of fervent subjectivity. These transits may allow us to more deeply connect with our personal desires, offer us space for shameless pleasure and play, and move us towards healing through the pursuit of individual dignity and right relationship. Yet there is risk here, too; what happens when we can only see what is right in front of us? During this time, we can also take things exceedingly personally and relish in self-righteousness, relational prickliness, and reactivity. As our eyes and hearts radiate inward, what will you do with the immense inner view available to you?
The transit that truly brings the cosmic kettle to a boil is Saturn’s exact square to Uranus on June 14, the second of three exact squares this year. Immediately preceded by the Sun’s square to Neptune, this transit is infused with confusion. Amidst the climate of super-subjectivity, we may find ourselves immersed in illusions of who we think we are, both personally and collectively. As Saturn and Uranus wrestle between tradition and evolution, demanding our social systems to change against the forces that will it to remain the same, this climate is ripe for revolutionary fervor. Yet we must be careful to acknowledge that this revolution may be based on a dream, a myth, a delusion. We are immersed in thick heat; the kettle is shrieking; the pressure is explosive. What comes from this state of volatility may not be real, lasting, or truly in our collective best interest.
By the end of June, a window opens, and fresh air comes in. Mercury’s retrograde ends on June 21, and shortly after, both Venus and the Sun trine Jupiter, easing the tension and bringing some nourishing abundance. As the haze lifts, we may be able to see more clearly what happened, what we believed, and what we must do next in order to act with our highest integrity for ourselves and for others. Dusting off their hands, the planets then ask us: Was it a revolution or a rev-illusion?