Important astrological aspects for the month of June 2016:

• New Moon with Sun and Moon in Gemini occurs on June 4, 2016.
• Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius forms a square to Neptune retrograde in Pisces on June 17, 2016. This is the second time this square is occurring in this sequence. The first time it occurred was on November 26, 2015. The last time it will occur is on September 10, 2016.
• Full Moon with Sun in Gemini and Moon in Sagittarius occurs on June 20, 2016.
• Summer solstice with Sun in Cancer occurs on June 20, 2016.
• Jupiter in Virgo forms a trine to Pluto retrograde in Capricorn on June 26, 2016. This is the third time this aspect occurs in this sequence. The other two times were October 11, 2015 and March 16, 2016.
• Mars in Scorpio turns stationary direct on June 29, 2016. It went retrograde on April 17, 2016.

A Time of Transformation

By Misty Kuceris ©2016

Throughout the month of June 2016, you’ll experience the energy of various mutable grand crosses. The mutable energy is one of transformation and transmutation. You feel that many of the old ways of doing things aren’t working. At the same time you don’t know how to make things better. Basically, you don’t know what will change or where that change will take you. It’s as if you’re driving in stop and go traffic. First you move and think that you’re able to progress when suddenly you find that the path is congested from confusion that people feel as they go through changes.

The first mutable grand cross begins on June 3^rd when Venus in Gemini forms a square to Neptune in Pisces and an opposition to Saturn retrograde. It will end on June 7^th when Venus forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis in Virgo and Pisces. The planet creating the mutable grand cross is the harbinger of where changes need to occur in your life.

When Venus is in Gemini, there’s a lot of value placed on speaking your mind or dispensing factoids. You want to resolve problems by thinking them through and discussing possible solutions with others. But when Venus forms a square to Neptune it’s not possible to discuss matters fully. People may not understand what you’re saying. Or they don’t want to hear what you have to say because it conflicts with their understanding.

The other danger is that Neptune tends to obscure matters, unless the information involves scandals. Scandals regarding relationships or finances get revealed during this square. But matters that tend to get obscured are the facts that you need to know in order to gain a full understanding of the situation.

There’s also a danger that you may find yourself victimized by other people who aren’t telling you the truth. You need to be very skeptical of any situations which seem too good to be true. Just as you have to be wary of people who offer you easy solutions to difficult problems.

When Venus forms the opposition to Saturn retrograde you’ll begin to feel that other people are telling you what to do without giving you any reason that makes sense. You feel like that child whose parents always say, “Do this because I told you so.” You may even go through a sense of alienation as it seems that no one else can help you understand what’s happening today. It’s as if other people are telling you that your boundaries don’t matter.

What’s really happening is that you need to look at the boundaries you’ve created in your life because they are dissolving. In some instances that may not be as bad as it seems. It may actually help you move on with your life and get out of a negative routine.

On June 4^th, a few hours before the new Moon occurs, Venus forms a square to Jupiter which is another leg in the mutable grand cross. Often this isn’t as negative as it seems. Both Venus and Jupiter are optimistic planets which help you go through the difficult times in your life. These planets give you a belief that you’ll get something good from your current situation. With Venus you want to do something that brings value into your life. With Jupiter you want to find a way to bring spiritual satisfaction into your daily existence. If you feel the tension it’s because you don’t feel connected with spirit. If that occurs, slow down a bit so you can find your inner balance.

What makes the new Moon so important today is that the Sun and Moon in Gemini form a conjunction to Venus, the lead planet in the mutable grand cross. As you know, the new Moon represents the time of the month where you want to meditate on important new ventures, especially those coming up during the next two weeks. In this case you need to focus on both your relationships and your finances.

Since the new Moon is in Gemini, it’s now time to discuss important matters with your loved ones. This is not the time to put off any important discussions. You want to talk about your dreams and whether they can be implemented. You want to know if you have support from your loved ones. You also need to know what is important in their lives and how you can contribute to their success.

Financially it’s important that you are on solid ground. If there is financial stress, this is the time to create a plan which helps you pay down those bills or increase your income. If you and your loved ones were secretive about your finances now is the time to tell the truth so any problems can be resolved.

When June 7^th occurs, this mutable grand cross will start abating as Venus forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis. But before that occurs, Venus forms a quincunx to Pluto retrograde and you may feel as if you’re involved in some sort of power struggle. In actuality, if you and your loved ones had honest discussions regarding your relationships or your finances on June 4^th, the day of the new Moon you won’t feel any tension from this aspect. Instead, you may find that you need to make some changes in your plans so they can be put into effect more easily. If, however, you avoided conversations, you will find power struggles occurring as people trying to get their way.

As Venus forms the square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis and the mutable grand cross comes to an end, you realize that you need to take your experience and use that to determine your future goals. You need to pay attention to the details you know and not the dreams you have. Once you pay attention to the details, you’ll be able to understand your dreams. You’ll know how to make the right changes in your life, especially with the support of others.

Things settle down as Venus forms a sextile to Ceres on June 9^th. Both Venus and Ceres are energies of the feminine. Venus is the energy of feminine passion while Ceres is the energy of feminine determination. Here you have an opportunity to decide just how you want to approach life: both with passion and with determination. At the same time you know that is you need to take care of someone else, you will do whatever it takes to make sure that individual is all right.

The ability to heal from past pains occurs on June 12^th when Mars retrograde forms a trine to Chiron, Venus forms a sextile to Uranus, and Mercury enters the sign of Gemini.

Because Mars retrograde is in Scorpio, you’ll be able to delve into your subconscious mind and see why you are holding on to circumstances that no longer matter. You’ll be able to throw out any negative emotions and replace them with understanding.

You’ll continue to increase your understanding as Venus forms a sextile to Uranus later in the day. It’s as if you feel reborn! You come up with new strategies to achieve your goals. You feel excited about life. You may even run into some old friends who help you resolve past matters.

And, as Mercury enters the sign of Gemini, you’ll start gathering new information which can help you make sense of how you can move on with your life.

On June 13^th you start to understand how important it is that you stand up for your values as Neptune turns stationary retrograde and Venus forms a square to Chiron. If you’re an introvert, you may not feel the energy of Neptune turning retrograde. The reason is that you are already in a state of contemplating various aspects of your life. However, if you’re an extrovert you may feel as if life just got a little more sluggish. That’s because you now need to reflect on situations before you take action.

Less than one hour after Neptune turns stationary retrograde, Venus forms a square to Chiron. You may feel as if some old problems you thought you solved are resurfacing. If that’s the case, take time to find out whether this is a pattern in your life. It’s possible that rather than solving the problems you’re just avoiding them. Perhaps you’re avoiding the problems because you don’t really believe you deserve to solve them. Subconsciously these old problems deal with self-worth issues.

When Venus enters the sign of Cancer on June 17^th you feel more comfortable taking time to care for yourself and others. You want to approach life in a more nurturing way. You don’t want to take any risks. You want to be safe in your own world. It’s very important to be aware of the world around you so you don’t let other people take advantage of you.

Understanding your boundaries continues to be important later as Saturn retrograde forms a square to Neptune retrograde later in the day. This is the second time this square has occurred. The first time that it occurred was on November 26, 2015. The last time this square will occur is on September 10, 2016.

When this square first occurred in November 2015 you may have started making notes about your desires in life and your potential plans to achieve those desires. If you made those plans, now is the time to change any steps that aren’t working. While Saturn represents developing structure, Neptune represents changing that structure if it’s not working. If you don’t correct what’s not working in your life now, you’ll feel a lot of tension. You’ll even feel as if you can’t move forward in your life even though both planets are in mutable signs, the signs of changes.

This square can also represent fears in your life which keep you immobilized. If you are feeling any fears right now, it’s important to find out what’s causing them so you can release them from your life. Perhaps you realize that your life was built on illusion and not reality. Or, perhaps you find that you’ve taken life so seriously that you don’t have time to live and enjoy your world. Now is the time to find balance in your life between doing what needs to be done to pay your bills and taking time to relax so you can enjoy life. If you can’t find that balance now, you’ll be confronted with the same problem in September 2016 when this aspect returns.

Be very careful on June 19^th when Mars retrograde forms a quincunx to Uranus. There’s a tendency to take risks which could lead to injury. You need to be careful of people around you so you don’t get involved in an accident. This is not a day to rush into situations. People are feeling frustrated and looking to take out their frustrations on others. Even if you feel impatient with circumstances in your life, take a wait and see attitude because this is a day when unexpected things will happen.

June 20^th is the day of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of the second quarter of the astrological year. Normally there is a lot of energy that occurs around the solstice because it sets up the underlying theme for the next three months. This year, however, that energy is magnified. The day begins with a full Moon occurring around 7:03 am EDT. This is followed by Mercury forming an opposition to Saturn retrograde, Jupiter forming a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node, and Mercury forming a square to Neptune retrograde before the Sun enters the sign of Cancer at 6:35 pm EDT.

At the time of the full Moon, both the Sun in Gemini and the Moon in Sagittarius are at 29º32’ and the Moon goes void-of-course at 7:03 am EDT. The void-of-course period is very brief. It only lasts until 7:55 am EDT, but the impact is still felt in the full Moon chart.

When there is a void-of-course period immediately after the full Moon, you feel as if you can’t let go of situations that are bothering you. You feel as if you’re going to need to deal with them for the next few weeks. And, that’s true. In this case it becomes more problematic because Mercury starts the energy of another mutable grand cross when it forms an opposition to Saturn retrograde and a square to Neptune retrograde later in the day. Jupiter increases the mutable energy by forming a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node.

With all this mutable energy, you know that change is coming. Once again you’re not sure what that change could be. Depending on your personality, you’ll either welcome or dread the change. Mercury, ruler of both Gemini and Virgo, is the lead planet in this mutable grand cross. The full Moon has the Sun in Gemini and the Moon in Sagittarius.

This full Moon indicates that it’s important to hear what other people are saying so you can understand the true meaning behind the words. You don’t want to get involved with individuals that are distorting the truth or hiding facts from you. You also need to pay attention to those details when you relate to other people. You don’t want to get sucked into any grandiose ideas which are impractical and not based on reality. The spiritual lesson is to trust your own judgment.

The good thing about Mercury forming an opposition to Saturn retrograde at the start of this mutable grand cross is that you’ll find yourself getting skeptical if promises made seem too true to be real. As Mercury moves into the square to Neptune retrograde, you may feel that people aren’t being totally truthful, so that sense of skepticism proves to be a good thing. With Jupiter forming a conjunction to the Moon’s North Node, you realize that if you listen well, you’ll find the truth.

With the Sun entering Cancer on June 20^th, the solstice begins. For the next three months, you’ll feel the energy of this ingress as an underlying theme in your daily life.

Spiritually, the Cancer Solstice represents your soul entering the material world. It also indicates what you need in your environment to feel safe and secure. Since the Sun and Venus make a conjunction at this time, it’s very important for you to value people in your life who make up your intimate circle of family and friends. This is also a good time to learn that you don’t have to try and do everything by yourself. It’s all right to ask your family and friends for help.

With the mutable grand cross active during this Cancer solstice, change is going to occur. You can’t avoid it. You need to be ready for it. One of the ways to prepare for change is to make certain that you are taking care of those details which can increase your personal security. Start with reviewing your spiritual values and how you incorporate those values into your life. Take time to discuss matters with your family and friends so you don’t do everything alone. Don’t take information at face value. Research the facts before you act. Maintain a healthy sense of skepticism. When you feel that you’re ready to make changes in your life, take your time and develop a plan using small steps.

On June 21^st, Mars retrograde forms a quincunx to Ceres and you may question some of the plans you considered yesterday. But that’s all right. You want to come up with some ideas and think about them. You want to be flexible right now. Don’t box yourself into a corner where you can’t make changes if you need to.

The energy of the mutable grand cross ends on June 22^nd as Mercury forms a square to the Moon’s Nodal Axis and to Jupiter. This is the day when you realize that you need to release any fears which are preventing you from making changes in your life. Take the lessons you learned from the past and use them to improve your future. The good news is that you’ll find ways to see things differently. This new perspective will make it easier for you to develop the right plan of action for changes in your life.

Having a new perspective will continue on June 23^rd as Mercury forms a quincunx to Pluto retrograde and Ceres forms a conjunction to Uranus.

With Mercury forming a quincunx to Pluto retrograde, you’ll find it easier to adjust your way of thinking. You won’t let other people manipulate you. You’ll be able to pull up those past fears from your subconscious mind and let them go.

With Ceres forming a conjunction to Uranus you’ll be willing to make changes in your environment that supports changes in your life. You’ll come to terms with the fact that you can’t just throw out everything from your past as you move into the future. You’ll have to hold on to those important emotional support systems. You may even realize that you need to compromise at this point in order to secure a better future. If you do have to compromise, you’ll find that you’ll still get what you need in the long run.

On June 26^th, Jupiter forms a trine to Pluto retrograde, Mercury forms a sextile to Uranus, and Venus forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde.

The first time that Jupiter formed a trine to Pluto was on October 11, 2015. The second time this trine occurred was on March 16, 2016. This is the third and last time that Jupiter will form this trine in this sequence.

Jupiter represents the need to find ways to move into the future while Pluto represents the need to toss out whatever garbage is standing in the way of your success. If you started the process of throwing garbage out of your life in October 2015 or March 2016, you won’t find this trine very difficult. You’ve already started to lay down the foundation. But, if you’ve been procrastinating over the last several months, this trine will be difficult for you.

Pluto wants to hold on to the past because there is a tendency to fear the future. You need to understand what is causing this fear and find ways to release it. You may need to go through some counselling to know what to let go. Sometimes the negative aspect of Pluto is to become a hoarding: Holding on to what is really causing you the pain.

But, Jupiter doesn’t want to hold on to anything. Jupiter just wants to jump into the future, sometimes without any consideration about the important lessons you’ve learned from the past. This trine helps you find that inner understanding between what you need to hold on to and what you need to let go.

It’s actually good that Mercury forms a sextile to Uranus and Venus forms a quincunx to Saturn retrograde later in the day. This energy helps you become more open to changes. You might realize that you can let go of the past which is standing in your way. You might also realize that you can construct new boundaries in your life which help you develop a new path to success. Quincunxes represent the need to make adjustments in your life. In this case, those adjustments could be the best moves you make.

While Chiron turns stationary retrograde on June 27^th, Venus forms a trine to Neptune retrograde a few hours later. Chiron retrograde will help you let go of past pains. Venus forming a trine to Neptune retrograde will help you understand the spiritual need for releasing past negative emotions. Because Mercury also forms a sextile to Ceres and a square to Chiron retrograde on this same day, you also realize that you need to make changes in your environment in order for the past pains to be released.

The key to success is to understand that you no longer need to be a victim to other people’s needs. You don’t have to lose your identity in order to make changes in your life. You can also find ways to compromise so that any changes in your life come slowly and don’t upset your emotional well-being. By making the changes slowly in your life, you’ll be able to release past pains and feel good about your decisions.

As the month of June ends, Mercury enters the sign of Cancer, Mars turns stationary direct, and Venus forms an opposition to Pluto retrograde on June 29^th. This is another day where you need to create balance and move slowly as you make changes in your life.

Mercury is not really comfortable in the sign of Cancer because this placement represents the need to hold back information if directness is too hurtful. You need to consider your words. You need to find ways to support other people or others support you.

With Mars turning direct, you may feel free to vent any frustrations which have been pent up since April 17, 2016 when Mars turned retrograde. With Venus forming an opposition to Pluto retrograde it may be too easy to say things that could hurt and put you into a no-win situation. It actually is good that Mercury is now in the sign of Cancer. If you want to express your frustrations, try to be specific instead of emotional. You have a better chance of resolving matters when you tell others why you’re frustrated.

The entire month of June focuses on the need to transform your life and start making changes. But during the entire month you may not have really understood what areas of your life you need to change. As Venus forms that opposition to Pluto retrograde and Mars is finally direct, the areas of your life that you really need to change are those where you’ve let other people gain control over your well-being. Now is really the time to regain your own power and understand the importance of loving yourself and taking care of your needs.