Hi and welcome to the Stella Starwoman June AstroUpdate!
Hope you’re keeping warm and enjoying the cooler weather – read on for a great winter solstice ritual to keep the blues at bay and help you set goals for the rest of 2010. You can also check out a photo taken at the 2009 winter solstice in my home town Delph in the UK.
My 2010 Tarot, Astrology & Magic & Manifestation Courses are now well underway with a fantastic group of students and feedback on the trial launch of the new Zodiac Screensaver has been very positive to date. These screensavers will be on sale via the website in the very near future with both Mac and PC versions available.
Key Astrological Events - June
Last month, mighty Uranus moved into fire sign Aries for a nine year stint and will be joined this month by expansive and broad-minded Jupiter. Aries is all about making a fresh start and in a changing world, one of our most important lessons is to value and respect the opinions of others, even if we do not agree with them. We can also reconnect with the creative and spiritual part of ourselves, parts that may have been relinquished in favour of material security.
Mars moves into earth sign Virgo on the 7 th bringing relief and closure for Leos who have alternately endured or been energised by a lengthy eight month visit from the warrior planet. All those with key planets or chart points in Leo will be able to get things moving again after several months of hold-ups, illness, revised plans and enforced rest, coupled with a good dose of anger and frustration. The Mars in Virgo period (early June to end of July) is a great time to deal with all those chores and unfinished paperwork. You’ll actually feel like cleaning out the shed, throwing out old jars from the pantry and clearing those leaves from the gutter!
Communication planet Mercury has picked up speed again following its recent retrograde phase and moves into home sign Gemini from the 10 th – 25 th June. Mercury in Gemini is a great time for mental activity and problem solving. Brainstorming, forward planning and any work involving thinking, writing or analysing data can be easily accomplished during this period.
Finally relationship planet Venus moves into fire sign Leo on the 14 th helping put a spring in your step and passion in your heart. You may feel like overindulging in food and drink or blowing the budget on a new pair of shoes or hairdo. Go right ahead! This combination is also good for performing artists and those working in the fashion and beauty industry. Venus will be in Leo until the middle of July so, if you do decide to engage in a spontaneous spending spree, you’ll have the rest of the year to pay off your credit card…..
Stella on Skype
I am now offering astrology and tarot readings via Skype as well as by phone for those of you unable to visit me in person in Melbourne. I have software to record the readings and can either burn you a CD or send you an mp3 file link by email. This service is proving popular for those living interstate or overseas. If you’d like to book in for a reading, give me a call on 03 9534 5021 or email stellaw@ozemail.com.au CLICK HERE to check out prices and services.
Gemini New Moon
The Sabian Symbol for this month’s Gemini new moon on the 12 th depicts couples dancing at a harvest festival – an image of the importance of living in tune with natural and seasonal processes. The new moon is a good time to plant seeds for the future and begin fresh projects. Classic Gemini activities include internet surfing, writing, researching, classifying facts and information, socialising, talking, thinking, working with figures, travelling and networking.
Capricorn Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse
The Sabian Symbol for this month’s Capricorn full moon on the 26 th shows native American Indians preparing for war. The keyword is aggressiveness and in this case, war undertaken to mobilise the common will. There is a partial lunar eclipse at the full moon, occurring as the earth passes between the sun and the moon and the earth’s shadow blocks out the light of the moon. Think of a full moon with a heavy cloud cover causing an eerie or coppery light and you will get a sense of way it appears. The effects of a lunar eclipse can last for about six months, usually until the next lunar eclipse. Recent lunar eclipses occurred around the time of the Haitian earthquake and the 2009 Black Friday bushfires. Full moons and eclipses both have the power to shake things up and the effects of a lunar eclipse are similar to the energy of a full moon, except much more powerful. Eric Francis of Planet Waves says:
“In understanding the symbolism of a lunar eclipse, think of it this way. Because the full moon disappears, it’s like a new moon at the exact moment of the full moon. It’s as though a month of experience is packed into two hours of real time. In computer terms, it’s a full reboot of the system.”
Mid Winter Solstice
Our cosy heaters and pot belly stoves help make the colder months warm and comfortable. Many of us look forward to hibernation and the slower pace of winter days. Not so our ancestors, who prepared for the coming of winter long in advance, knowing the challenges of finding food and keeping warm. The midwinter solstice was a vital turning point in the seasonal calendar, marking the longest night of the year and from midwinter to the summer solstice six months later, the nights would grow shorter and the days longer. Many of the customs associated with the winter solstice (and with other midwinter festivals such as St Lucy’s Day, Saturnalia, Hanukkah, New Year and Twelfth Night) originate from stories of a fierce battle between the dark and the light, where the light finally conquers the darkness. Other traditions record this as the time that a saviour or sun-child is born to a virgin mother.
Many people suffer from depression and a lack of energy during the winter months. Winter is a natural part of the seasonal cycle, and just as nature slows down in winter, we need to slow down too. In practice this means conserving energy, eating warm, nourishing foods, spending more time in bed, taking hot baths and allowing our bodies to rest and recuperate. In Chinese Medicine, the meridians associated with winter are the kidneys (yin) and the bladder (yang). The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from the blood and sending the waste product to the bladder for elimination. In winter it is vitally important to keep the kidney area warm to avoid stiffness, coldness and aching joints. Make sure your midriff and lower back are always well covered.
In Australia, our winter solstice is marked by the passage of the sun into Cancer on the 21st June. Observe the point at which the sun rises from the 21st-23rd June and you will see that it is in exactly the same place over these three days. Solstice means “sun standing still”. The winter solstice is the perfect time for a ritual to cleanse and release old energy and honour winter, the season of death and decay. And with Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn forming a grand cross with the solstice sun (material stress and tension), while the sun, moon and Neptune simultaneously form a grand trine (spiritual ease and flow), we can expect the 2010 winter solstice to be even more potent and transformational than usual.
A Warming Winter Solstice Ritual
What you will need
- Bowl of water
- Large Candle
- Small Candle or Tea Light for each person
- Glitter & Essential Oils
- Wine / Juice
Decorate a room with winter greenery. Place a large bowl of water and a lighted candle in the centre of the room. Have some golden glitter and scented oil nearby and a candle for each person. Sit in a circle with a lighted candle in front of each person and talk about what you wish to release at this dark time of the year, blowing out your candle once you have finished speaking. Once everyone has had their turn, blow out the central candle and sit in the darkness reflecting on what you are leaving behind. After a long silence, relight the central candle, which represents the sun, and sprinkle golden glitter on the water. Then each of you light a candle from the central candle and place it by the water so you can watch the glitter sparkling. Pass around a glass of wine and offer a toast to the sun, the bringer of new light. Then go round the circle again, each of you talking about a dream for the future or a new attitude you wish to embrace. Finally sprinkle scented oil on the water and choose someone to anoint each person with sunshine by dipping their hand into the sparkling, scented water and sprinkling it over each person’s hair. Hold hands and offer thanks.
Fire & Ice – The Eyjafjallajökull Volcano
Astrologers all over the world are falling over themselves to analyse the planetary configurations that led to the awe- inspiring explosion of what some call ‘the volcano with the unpronounceable name’. Eyjafjallajökull means ‘island- mountains glacier’ and for a volcano, it is fairly active, with eruptions observed in 920, 1612, and 1821-1823. Seismic activity connected with the current eruption was first detected in late 2009, but it wasn't until 14th April that the crater blew its top, heaving volcanic ash several kilometres up into the atmosphere and producing the firework show of the century. Airspace over most of Europe was closed for over a week. Millions of people were stranded. Billions of dollars were lost.
Some astrologers have linked the eruption to fixed stars positions, some to the Aries new moon, some to the parans of outer planets, some to Mercury retrograde, some to the Saturn/Pluto square, some to Neptune transits to the local area chart...... How easy it is to be wise in retrospect! I suggested earlier this year that with Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries we need to prepare for an increase in heat waves, droughts, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and other ‘Acts of God’ over the coming decade. These ‘natural disasters’ cannot be blamed on global financial crises, governments, policies, industry or any one person or group and this very thought can invoke both fear and a sense of liberation. The lesson is that whatever the astrological symbolism, we cannot control our environment, but we can appreciate the beauty and fragility of life here and now.
To emphasise this point, astrologer Christofers Flow, has an interesting article about how the powerful Minoan civilisation was completely wiped out by a volcano, 3500 years ago, leading to a shift in the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean and the rise of the Greek city states. Check it out at http://hubpages.com/hub/Ancient-Volcano-in-Eastern-Mediterranean-May-Hav...
Featured Sign-Gemini
From the 21st May to the 21st June the Sun travels through mutable air sign Gemini. Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac with keywords “I think” and “I communicate”. Gemini’s symbol is the twins, one mortal, one immortal, the dark side and the light side. Geminis are extremely curious and like to accumulate information and process data. They think at lightning speed, are versatile and adaptable and love gadgets, mobile phones, books and surfing the net. Easily bored, Geminis need lots of intellectual stimulation and often have a youthful appearance. Negatively, the Gemini individual can be fickle and nervous with scattered energy and a tendency to gossip or make cutting remarks. Some are over-reliant on logic and dismiss emotions as irrational or unimportant. When Geminis are out of balance they suffer from nervous tension or problems in the lungs, arms, shoulders and hands. Gemini’s greatest challenge is to learn constancy and mental discipline and to accept the importance of emotions in both themselves and others.
Seducing A Gemini
TIPS FOR MEN The Gemini female's brain moves at the speed of light so don't bog her down with intensity and long drawn out discussion. Keep it light. She loves to laugh and have fun so invite her out to a comedy show or entertain her with your own wit! A trip to her favourite bookstore could do the trick. Computers may seem an unlikely seduction tool, but Geminis love emails and texting. Show her your state of the art mobile phone and woo her with steamy SMS messages. If this fails, try flirting. Geminis love witty conversation and charm. Don’t expect to do all the talking though - she'll give you a run for your money.
TIPS FOR WOMEN Gemini is the sign of the twins so you may feel you're chasing more than one man! No need to panic - you simply need a two prong plan. When you invite him out, offer him a choice of activities thus cleverly displaying your understanding of his need for variety. Or how about two activities on the same evening? Then try talk, talk and more talk. The art of conversation will take you far with this man, so make sure you have a variety of interesting opening lines to win his heart. Take him out for coffee and cake in a café with lots of newspapers and magazines. He'll be in his element which should set the scene for romance!
June Moon Calendar
Launch projects at the New Moon, bring them to completion in the period from just before the Full Moon to the Third Quarter phase and wind them down and reflect on developments in the week before the next New Moon. The period between the New Moon and the Full Moon is the waxing moon (moon getting bigger and fuller). The period between the Full Moon and the New Moon is the waning moon (moon getting smaller and slimmer).
Many of you have written asking for info on the best time to cut your hair or wax/shave your legs. You can use this moon table to select the most favourable days to slow or increase hair regrowth. Full instructions can be found in my Lunar Hair Care guidelines at www.stellastarwoman.com/files/LunarHairCare.pdf but to get you started I’ve marked the best dates for waxing/shaving to slow regrowth in yellow and the best dates to cut hair for thicker, lusher growth in green. If you’re serious about Lunar Hair Care - order your own 2010 Moon Calendar then you’ll know exactly what time the moon changes from one zodiac sign to the next.
Thanks for being part of AstroUpdate. If there’s something you’d like to see featured, or have something you think would interest others, please contact me at stellaw@ozemail.com.au
PS – Don’t forget to check out your June Monthly Stars at www.stellastarwoman.com to see what’s coming up for you this month.
Happy Stargazing Stella Woods
Seducing A Gemini
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