June hosts 24 dynamic aspects: 6 ingresses, 5 squares, 4 conjunctions, 3 oppositions, 1 retrograde and 1 direct station, 1 ESP (ending shadow point), 1 occultation, 1 new Moon, and 1 full Moon.

June is a very mercurial month: Mercury aspects every planet (Mercury trines Neptune on June 5). All will be pressed to take part in communication, ideas and planning. Agreements, contracts, articles, editorials, critiques and investigations will be supported. Most situations will require more thought than was previously anticipated.

Trickster or shaman, these are the energies that dominate during the first week of June. Evaluate your situations, but don’t expect them to adhere to normal patterns. Wild cards prevail in nearly every effort that is put forth. By June 11, the combined energies of nurturance and leadership join the mix. Moving on to the middle of the month, there will be a need to confront and complete whatever it takes to achieve our dreams. The need for action continues to be felt for the rest of the month. Although powerful forces remain at play, more traditional mores will motivate us to keep all transactions out in the open.

6/02 Conscious awareness is the key to this challenge. Innovative ideas offer practical options for traditional processes. Expect conventional opinions to cause tension. Be prepared for the argument, "but this is how it has always been done". Mercury squares Uranus 2:16 AM, 10:42 Gemini/Pisces.

6/02 Divided loyalties or confused allegiance can make it difficult to accomplish your goals. One faction wants total transformation, the other needs immediate action, but supported by a caring, spiritual awareness. Neither is, as yet rooted in a tangible reality. Philosophical differences need to be resolved. Mars squares Pluto Rx 12:27 PM, 23:28 Pisces/Sagittarius.

6/03 You may discover feelings of duty and responsibility, and be obliged to fulfill obligations agreed to in a less aware state of consciousness. Don’t do less than your best; this is a test. Sun conjoins Mercury 2:11 AM, 12:53 Gemini, m/p Moon/Saturn.

6/03 Attractions arise regarding future associations with those of a spiritual or artistic bent. Appreciation develops for strong relationships with calm and reliable attributes. Venus enters Cancer 8:17 AM.

6/05 Developmental projects formerly on hold may now be put into forward motion. Use traditional methods in planning your goals. Keep things simple, and avoid cutting corners. Putting others’ needs before your own is okay if you avoid damage to your self-esteem. Jupiter turns direct 12:21 AM, 8:56 Libra, m/p Saturn/Pluto.

6/06 Union of mind and spirit will help new projects begin in a healthy way. Women’s issues are at the forefront and can now be approached with exceptional insight. West coast: travel, philosophy and education can play a part in new endeavors. East coast: issues with shared resources or transformational attitudes and situations can start a whole new trend. New Moon 16:16 Gemini, west coast 2:55 PM; east coast 5:55 PM.

6/07 Challenge for unification brings negotiation talents to the fore. Much inner conflict and the need for resolution lead to breakthroughs. Keep yourself open to new perspectives regarding power struggles. Mercury opposes Pluto Rx 8:44 PM, 23:20 Gemini/Sagittarius.

6/10 Discomfort, challenge, crisis in action, use artistry based on inner values and friendships to make your way to resolution. Need for self-control, so as to avoid open disputes or violence. Mercury squares Mars 2:18 PM, 29:09 Gemini/Pisces.

6/10 . There is a great need to renovate one’s consciousness through critical evaluation. Great responsibilities may be suddenly shifted to new shoulders. Self-sacrifice can be debilitating unless you prepare yourself. Venus squares Jupiter 4:38 PM, 8:59 Cancer/Libra, Venus m/p Sun/Saturn; Jupiter m/p Saturn/Pluto

6/11 Thoughts turn to nurturing and memories of times past. Hope for the future takes a page from the past as a model. The pleasure derived from friendships can be communicated and appreciated. Just a word or two of appreciation can go a long way towards building someone’s self-esteem. Mercury enters Cancer 12:05 AM, m/p Sun/Venus.

6/11 The need for accomplishment is great. Pure energy is available to all, and may be best used for visioning the future as to how it can be made pliable for the greatest number of people. Mars enters Aries 7:29 PM.

6/13 A need to overtake previous efforts, can bring a burst of speed, or set a new record. Avoid over-taxing yourself. Powerful opponents may surface, and power struggles may ensue. Be sure to support your position with compassion and honor. Sun opposes Pluto Rx 8:15 PM, 23:11 Gemini/Sagittarius, m/p Moon/Mars.

6/14 Invoke your intuitive function or higher consciousness – your choice. This is a good time to review your inner work, or independent involvement with others since March 4. Rediscover the values that were evident then, and put them to work in your current projects. Uranus turns retrograde 3:38 PM, 10:46 Pisces, m/p Mars/Neptune Rx.

6/15 Crisis in consciousness. Ideas unfold about how to put concepts/principles into concrete form. Configure a plan, yet not quite ready to put into action. Last minute change of perception may delay decisiveness, and call for self-discipline and careful examination of your project. Keep things simple, and be clear about your motivation. Mercury squares Jupiter 12:42 PM, 9:06 Cancer/Libra; Mercury m/p Sun/Saturn, Jupiter m/p Saturn/Pluto.

6/15 An interruption of the energy of growth and development may allow changes. If you have foresight about what might be left in place if your momentum is suddenly missing, prepare your defense, or have an option ready to use in its place. Legal disturbances or moral questions may arise. Moon occults Jupiter 11:32 PM, 9:07 Libra, mp Saturn/Pluto.

6/20 As we reach the longest day of summer, receptivity and nurturance gain an amplified place in our lives. Seemingly obvious messages are given, but not everyone is paying attention. Women’s issues are brought to our attention, and activism may be on the increase. Summer Solstice, 11:46 PM.

6/21 Responsibilities hang heavily as this time of fruitful harvest reaches culmination. There is a multidimensional flavor to this week, as we complete short-term projects that were seeded two weeks ago, and seek validation on longer-term projects. West coast: completed work may not be recognized immediately, but will eventually fill a need for promotional material. There is much value here, so don’t discount it. Full Moon 0:51 Capricorn/Cancer, on the west coast 9:14 PM.

6/22 East coast: There may be a return of investments made earlier, although not exactly as they were expected – possibly in a restructured format or design. Full Moon on the east coast 12:14 AM.

6/24 A feeling of freedom from a self-imposed structure. Creative design work gains support, however there needs to be recognition before an ultimate compensation can be accomplished. Saturn ending shadow point (ESP) 2:00 PM, 27:24 Cancer, full cycle from August 5, 2004.

6/25 You may gain a new perspective through someone’s art of persuasion. Or, you could be the persuader! From another perspective, sharp critiques may be offered that bring resolution to complex subjects. Mars opposes Jupiter 6:03 PM 9:34 Aries/Libra.

6/25 Our values may be compromised if we take another’s disapproval too seriously. This is a time when family may top our list of important concerns. This can include natural relatives or an extended family, such as an interest group or people to whom we extend nurturing. Much intensity attends these issues. Venus conjoins Saturn 7:58 PM, 27:25 Cancer.

6/26 By applying your concentration and thought processes in a thorough, methodical way, you can prepare for the next two months, during which there will be much time for reflection. Pay attention to your present responsibilities, as you will be asked to explain them. Mercury conjoins Saturn 4:02 AM, 27:28 Cancer.

6/27 Ideas regarding recognition of form and design may contribute to the appreciation of love and affection in relationships. A more traditional integration of pleasure and usefulness can offer staying power during a last-minute trip down memory lane. Mercury conjoins Venus 11:40 AM, 29:26 Cancer.

6/27 If you have a good grasp of your present circumstances, use your creative abilities to further your goals. If not, then enlist the assistance of an authority or a specialist until you can get up to speed. Enthusiasm applied to your project will go a long way towards convincing others of its merit. Mercury enters Leo 9:05 PM.

6/27 You may be required to choose between several people or projects, as to where to bestow your attentions. Make sure that you nurture yourself as a precursor to investing energy in loved ones or pet projects. Venus enters Leo 10:53 PM.

June is the month of love and relationships. It is named for the Roman mother goddess, Juno (Hera in Greek mythology). Juno was the patroness of women, the sanctity of marriage and the family. She was also the guardian of money and wealth. She was honored at Rome at the midsummer harvest. In Christian symbolism June is one of two months (also October) when the Blessed Madonna and her Immaculate Heart of Love is venerated. In Babylonian and Sumerian mythology, Ishtar and Inanna were both honored as creation-mother-guardian goddesses, and symbolize the story of Venus’ change between morning and evening star. Both goddesses descended into the Underworld, and both arrange to have their husbands resurrected from death. Inanna’s husband was Dumuzi. Ishtar’s husband was Tammuz. Tammuz is also the name of the Hebrew Lunar month, which begins the Hebrew year. Tammuz has its equivalent in the goddess month of Rosea. Rosh Hodesh (Hebrew for new month) begins with a day of fasting at the Gemini new Moon.

The full Moon of June is known as the Celtic Oak Moon, the Wiccan Dyad Moon in the native American tradition – the Strawberry Moon and the Pagan Rose Moon, about which is said "Everything she touches – changes". A full Moon in June is favorable for establishing a home and other domestic procedures sacred to Juno.

The moonstone and the pearl are associated with June. Both are symbolically linked with the Moon. If a moonstone is held under the tongue when the Moon is full, it is said to enhance one’s ability to perceive the future. It is also associated with the third eye, and brings clarity to spiritual quests, helping to guide souls through the astral realm. Wearing a Moonstone is said to cleanse the lymph system. The Pearl is the symbol of transmutation. Pearls are symbolic of turning irritation or aggravation into mastery and value. Wearing pearls is said to calm emotions and increase peace of mind. These organic gems are said to absorb toxins. After wearing, pearls may be cleansed by rinsing with salt water, and gently drying with a soft cloth. Pearls are said to draw out and make manifest the beauty from within the wearer.

June is traditionally the month of weddings. It was said that a woman married in June would always be considered a bride. A Summer Solstice wedding brought a baby to birth at the spring equinox, when the cold of winter was waning. Wedding rings were put on the fourth finger because the ancients believed that finger contained a nerve going straight to the heart. As it turns out, the heart meridian has a pressure point at the junction between the ring finger and the little finger, marking the place where a wedding ring is worn.

June first is the ancient festival of Carna (also called Cardea), the goddess of hinges. When invoked, she opened what was closed, and closed what was open. She was the protector of Roman homes and the domestic comings and goings of the family. The month of June is the "hinge of the year" (which is another term for the summer solstice). Swinging on a swing was part of a ritual to encourage the growth of crops. Ancient Roman farmers hung balls, masks, and small images of human figures, called oscilla, on trees or in doorways to swing in the wind; and children would skip along, hand in hand, swinging their arms, singing songs of summer. The hinge facilitates the doorway to the inner realms, and is symbolic of turning points in one’s life. Rituals to activate one’s inner hinge are performed during June.

June 2 is the birthday of Count Alessandro di Cagliostro (1743), the famous magician, sorcerer, and alchemist, advisor to King Louis XVI.

June 4 marks the ancient festival of Rosalia, honoring Aphrodite. Worshippers made garlands of roses, on which they counted prayers of supplication. Saint Dominic started the Christian rosary in the early 13^th century AD to help an illiterate laity keep track of the repetition of their prayers. Some say that Dominic adopted it from Islamic prayer beads. The Pearls of Faith or Islam’s Rosary keeps count of the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of Allah. On "Paternoster Way" the London craft guilds of old fashioned rosaries, primarily of wood or seeds. Olive wood or pits are still a favorite, recalling the Garden of Gethsemane. The phrase, "knock on wood" comes from reference to prayers of supplication made with rosary beads.

June 7 is Vesta Aperit, the Feast of Vesta (Hestia in Greek mythology), when her temple doors were opened to married women for eight days. The rest of the year the temple was open only to Vestal Virgins. This festival honors women’s rite of passage from Virgin to Mother.

June 8 is the festival of Mena, goddess of menstruation, which honors the beginning of a woman’s fertile status. Mena comes from the Roman word for "the right moment".

June 12 is the celebration day of Hermes (aka Mercury), Divine Messenger and Conductor of Souls to the underworld. The Sun is still in the sign of Gemini, ruled by Mercury. Other mythological embodiments of this energy are Maat, Anubis, Hermes, Thoth, Odin and Loki. June 12 is also the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi, which honors the mystery of the Eucharist, the Body of Christ mystically given to the faithful at Communion.

June 15 is the Festival of Suijin Matsuri, the Shinto rite that honors the Water Deity. This includes all manifestations of Kuni-Tokotachi-no-Kami, the Divine Principle of the Water Divinity – the One: the universal, eternal, primordial, immanent divinity.

June 13 is the Jewish feast of Shavuot, the Hebrew Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks (harvest of the first fruits and the gift of the Torah), Which commemorates when Moses brought the 10 Commandments down from Mt. Sinai. This festival is seven weeks after Passover. It is a good time to reflect on the gifts of Law and Spirit that enable us to live honorably and reputably, and an excellent time to recognize and appreciate these attributes in our associates.

June 19 is Father’s Day in America (third Sunday in June). Sonora Dodd, of Washington State initiated the first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910 to honor her widowed father as protector and provider, and all the sacrifices he made in raising six children on his own. A Presidential proclamation in 1966 by Lyndon Johnson made it a national holiday. Father’s Day is celebrated unofficially in many countries.

June 19 is also the birthday of Confucius (551 BC) in Shang-ping, Lu.

The Summer Solstice (this year June 20) is also known as the Wiccan Sabbat, Litha, and is dedicated to the mother goddesses in all the cultural mythic stories. It is one of the four Solar points of the year, and marks the halfway point in the Earth’s yearly journey around the Sun. In medieval times, burning torches were carried in a sunwise direction around buildings, gardens and fields to ensure good fortune. In many religions, the Summer Solstice marks a ritual of sanctification. In the Norse tradition it is called Sonnenwende, meaning The Sun’s Turning. In the Celtic and Druidic traditions it is the festival of Alban Heruin or Alban Hefin, when the Oak King, (Taliesin - the bright Sun), symbolizing the waxing year surrenders to the Holly King, (Avagddu - the dark Sun) symbolizing the waning year. In latitudes beyond 60 degrees north, the nine days before and after the Solstice are called "Beliye Nochi", or the festive season of White Nights. The Sun around the time of the Summer Solstice never sets in those latitudes. Conversely, at the Winter Solstice, the Sun does not rise above the horizon. In ancient Lithuania and throughout central Europe, the rite called "Binding of the Wreaths was celebrated by newly married couples on the full Moon after the Solstice. The flower and leaf crowns they wore were symbolic of the god and goddess of potency and fertility invoking a blessing on their marriage.

No midsummer ritual is as famous as that celebrated annually at Stonehenge (although it has been discouraged since 1986). For many years the Druids held their Summer Solstice Service in the sacred open-air temple at dawn on the day of the Sun’s passage into summer. As the Sun rose majestically over the Hele-Stone (named for Helios, the Sun god), their sacrament was observed with rituals, candles and incense.

June 24 is the birthday of St. John the Baptist. Because he was a prophet of the messiah, preparing the way for Jesus ministry, both of their birthdays are celebrated, whereas most of the Christian saints’ death dates mark their honorings. John is said to have been touched by the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb. Their birthdays are celebrated at opposite ends of the year.

June 29 and 30 The Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul are celebrated on these days. Christ founded his church on "the Rock", as he referred to Peter. Traditionally, this day is propitious for laying the foundations of new buildings, and for pronouncing an invocation for the smooth and safe process of construction.

If there be righteousness in the heart,

There will be beauty in the character.

If there be beauty in the character,

There will be harmony in the home.

If there be harmony in the home,

There will be order in the nation.

If there be order in the nation,

There will be peace in the world.

Roxana Muise

PO Box 3948, Lacey, WA 98509