The retrograde Mercury in Leo triggers passionate displays of expression that are sure to cause reactions from you and from others. This fiery planetary influence inspires more emotion behind words and thoughts, which inspires passionate responses, which in turn, ignites the airspace with electricity. You may or may not want to engage yourself in the thick of things, depending on your personality and mood.
On the 22nd, the Sun moves into its home sign of Leo. In the natural wheel this fixed, fire sign resides in the fifth house. Leo will describe how and where you will be affected by influences of optimism, capacity for enjoyment and self-expression. Your Sun is arguably the most powerful energy in your whole chart.
This summer is marked by three eclipses instead of the usual two and many planets being retrograde during the eclipse season. The combination of these astrological factors is something that is relatively rare and it shapes an unpredictable, dynamic and hot landscape. But before we get into the nitty gritty of what to expect, a brief summary of what are solar and lunar eclipses.
With two of this summer’s electrifying eclipses arriving and expansive Jupiter ending a four-month retrograde, it’s all systems go. Or is it? We still have five planets in retrograde motion throughout the month which brings up unfinished business to finally finish. Messenger Mercury and dominant Mars have just begun their retrograde orbits along with organized Saturn, dreamy Neptune and transformative Pluto. It won’t be easy, but we have to try to maintain our equilibrium. My advice is to focus on what you can do and not on what you can’t. Plans and goals are not going to come to fruition or really get started until September when the planets return to direct orbit. Do your research and put in place whatever is necessary, so you are ready when the energy is released. I expect after keeping things at a simmer all summer, when we finally do get a chance to get going, things will happen quickly.
Today is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Sun moves into Cancer. Cancer is ruled by the Moon and belongs to the element of water. The Moon has no light of her own; she can only reflect the light that's given to her by the Sun. In Cancer, we enter the world of emotions and feelings, as well as needs, intuition and the ability to bond with another human being. The rational Gemini self-awareness leads readily into Cancer's intuitive self-reflection and its personalized, feelings-based assessment of life. We now enter the realm of the non-rational, not necessarily irrational, but that which does not adhere to conventional logic or cause-and-effect. Feelings and emotions are like invisible forces made perceptible by external events that cause internal ripples. Our feeling state can be affected by internal psychological dynamics and includes emotions, but also includes the intuitive senses. You can have a “feeling” about something without necessarily having an emotional response to it.
