June 2023 Astro-Highlights: Boundaries, Boundaries, & MORE Boundaries!
May 30, 2023June looks to be an exhilarating and creative month, but BOUNDARIES are a repeated theme! June is a great month to reflect on what lights you up and ensure clarity around your goals.
The month begins with the FATED conjunction of Jupiter and the North Node in Taurus, which will propel our lives in new and blessed directions! This conjunction occurs alongside a fiery Full Moon in Sagittarius that will have us wanting to leap head-first into new adventures! However, we'll need to consider whether this new venture honors our boundaries and feelings or tramples right over them!
Shortly after the Full Moon, Venus moves into the fun-loving sign of Leo, where GRAND gestures of love and full creative expression rule the day. Venus in Leo is a happy energy. However, this is also where Venus will begin her retrograde cycle in July, so pay close attention to the events that unfold this month!
On June 11, Pluto will move back into the sign of Capricorn, where it will dredge up anything that remains unfinished in the Capricorn area of our lives! On the same day, Mercury moves into speedy Gemini, where it will spend a short 15 days!
Mid-month brings us right back to BOUNDARIES as we have a New Moon in Gemini that involves Saturn, which stations retrograde on the same day! This New Moon brings courageous and creative new beginnings, but there are a few hurdles to jump first!
We then move into Cancer season on the 21st, and things start to get a little more relaxed and cozy. Cancer season looks like a nice reprieve from the more strained energies of this year, especially when Mercury moves into this sign on the 26th and helps us all be a little more intuitive and compassionate.
Finally, on the 30th, Neptune stations retrograde and although with more subtle energy, brings a period of spiritual reflection and integration.
Overall, June looks really enjoyable, especially if we can stay in tune with our wants and desires while ensuring we hold firm to our boundaries.
Energy Most Positive for Sun/Moon/Rising in:
Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Aquarius
Mixed Energy for Sun/Moon/Rising in:
Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces
Maximum Intensity for Sun/Moon/Rising in:
Taurus, Leo, Gemini
June 1, 2023 Jupiter Conjunct the North Node at 3° Taurus
June 3, 2023: Full Moon 13° Sagittarius
June 5, 2023: Venus Enters Leo
June 11, 2023: Pluto Re-Enters Capricorn
June 11, 2023: Mercury Enters Gemini
June 17, 2023: Saturn Stations Retrograde at 7° Pisces
June 17, 2023: New Moon at 26° Gemini
June 21, 2023: Sun Enters Cancer/Summer Solstice
June 26, 2023: Mercury Enters Cancer
June 30, 2023: Neptune Stations Retrograde at 27° Pisces
Jupiter Conjunct the North Node at 3° Taurus
Exact on June 1, 2023 at 6:43pm MDT
Most active May 26 through June 6
Jupiter in Taurus will conjoin the fated North Node, bringing with it blessings and opportunities that propel our lives in a brand new direction. The North Node through the sign of Taurus has been in conjunction with Uranus for the last couple of years creating a period of immense destabilization! The Lunar Nodes are currently square to Pluto and will continue to be so for several more months creating even more change and transformation on both personal and collective levels.
However, Jupiter in Taurus is a blessing amidst the change and chaos. This transit brings abundance and new experiences to this area of our lives. Although Jupiter has only been in Taurus for a couple of weeks. During that time, it’s been involved in an tense Fixed Grand Cross which has hardly felt like a Jupiter transit. The conjunction to the North Node is a huge shift in the energy, and one where the significations of Jupiter in Taurus will begin unfolding in our lives in a big way!
Many of us are likely to experience shifts in our circumstances, that bring could bring about more abundance and stability. We are likely to have experiences that enlighten us to a new path forward. Many will have opportunities arise that propel their lives forward in a brand new direction. It all depends on where this conjunction occurs in your chart, but at the very least, we must remember with a Jupiter transit there tends to be an overall feeling of optimism or hope restored. Considering the ups and downs of the last few years, more optimism and hope is quite welcome!
Full Moon at 13° Sagittarius
Exact on June 3, 2023 at 9:42pm MDT
Most active from May 28 through June 8, 2023
The Full Moon in Sagittarius is true to the nature of Sagittarius and is the fiery, “feel good” energy many of us have been waiting for! However, there are a few things to keep in mind!
This Full Moon is trine to Mars in Leo! This beautiful trine offers us not only the optimistic and adventurous energy of Sagittarius, but also the strong physical vitality, courage, and confidence of Mars in Leo! This Full Moon is when we are likely to feel lit up and excited to dive head-first into new ventures and opportunities that arise at this time.
The Sagittarius Full Moon is an energy of culmination. So this may be a time to reap the rewards for past efforts initiated under the previous new moon in Taurus cycle or the larger cycle that began at the New Moon in Sagittarius back in November of 2022. It may even be that we now feel ready enough to take what was initiated then to the next level!
While this energy certainly supports taking risks and leveling up, the Full Moon also forms a t-square to Saturn in Pisces. This energy indicates that we'll want to use caution and ensure we are taking calculated risks.
The t-square to Saturn in Pisces also reminds us to check in with ourselves on an emotional level and ensure that we are honoring any boundaries erected upon Saturn entering Pisces in March of 2023. By being mindful of our emotions and limitations now, we will save ourselves some trouble down the road.
Overall, the Full Moon in Sagittarius looks like a lot of fun and adventure! As long as we stay mindful of our emotions and stand firm in our boundaries, this moon looks to be a memorable adventure!
Venus Enters Leo
Exact on June 5, 2023 at 7:46 am MDT
Active from June 5 through October 8, 2023
When the planet of love and money enters this Fixed Fire energy of Leo, our love languages get more vivid and courageous! We spare no expense when it comes to expressions of love with Venus in Leo and we are willing to shout our love from the rooftops! Venus, in the sign of Leo, values grand gestures of love, compliments, creative self-expression, and recognition for creativity and leadership capabilities. People born with Venus in Leo tend to have very likable, warm, and gregarious personalities that can light up any room. However, if Venus is challenged in some way, it can bring either an overly prideful nature or a lack of self-love that these people must navigate throughout their lives.
Venus' transit through Leo will be extended this year as Venus slows down now to begin her retrograde cycle starting in July, which we will discuss further next month. With Venus retrograde comes a period of reflection and review for all things Venusian, including relationships, finances, values, and self-esteem.
Pluto Re-Enters Capricorn
Exact on June 11, 2023 at 3:47 am MDT
Active from June 11, 2023 through January 21, 2024
Pluto isn't done with Capricorn just yet! Today, Pluto moves back into the sign of Capricorn, where it will remain for the rest of this year. Pluto will dance between Aquarius and Capricorn until November of 2024, when it will move fully into Aquarius for 20 years!
As Pluto re-enters Capricorn, we will revisit the lessons from this transit that began way back in 2008! Wherever Pluto transits, transformations are set to occur, and those transformations take a lot of time. Pluto brings a psychological intensity or hyper-focus to an area. Pluto transits can show us where there is an obsession for power or where our shadows lie. As Pluto moves through a sign, it dredges everything up from the bottom, exposing it to the light of day. It gets to the root of whatever it touches to transform it, but this process can be revealing, painful, frightening, and yet, ultimately, empowering.
As Pluto has moved through Capricorn, we have been exposed to dark secrets involving corruption and power abuses in a sign representing hierarchy, authority, government, and big business. No doubt there is much more to come since Pluto has many months to go in this sign!
We'll want to look at the areas of our lives where Capricorn rules. Any lessons that were not completely resolved when Pluto moved into Aquarius will come back to the surface to be resolved for good.
Mercury Enters Gemini
Exact on June 11, 2023 at 4:26am MDT
Active from June 11 through June 26, 2023
Mercury gets the gift of gab when it enters Gemini, one of its two home signs. Mercury in Gemini natives have a quick mind and quick wit, which helps them excel at all forms of communication. These are the professional writers, journalists, teachers, and speakers who can articulate ideas in a way that are effectively received by others. Mercury in Gemini is a brilliant and mentally adaptable energy. Those with this placement tend to be naturally inquisitive and enthusiastic learners and will usually excel at whatever mental pursuits keep them intrigued.
Mercury will fly quickly through Gemini this year and only be in this sign for 15 days! Mercury's pace tends to echo our own mental energies, and throughout this transit, we may find that we are moving through our day-to-day activities with great efficiency and speed! Multi-tasking is a super strength for this energy; for the most part, this is a good thing! However, one of the trouble areas for Mercury in Gemini is skipping steps or not being able to see tasks through to completion. If you find this an issue, it's a good idea to double-check your work to ensure it's good.
Mercury will make a brief square to Saturn in Pisces on June 15th and a square to Neptune in Pisces on June 25th. In a positive light, the square to Saturn is a time of great discernment and critical thinking. However, this can also be a very mentally skeptical or pessimistic energy. We'll want to be mindful not to sink too deep into negative thinking.
Mercury's square to Neptune is also a brief but interesting energy. Mercury square Neptune brings a lack of clarity to our thoughts, a fogginess that is hard to overcome while this energy is strong. This is a good time to remember not to push too hard on the mental level. You'll have much more success if you let things flow freely for now and wait til this energy passes.
Saturn Stations Retrograde at 7° Pisces
Exact on June 17, 2023 at 11:27 am MDT
Active from June 17 through November 4, 2023
Saturn will begin its month retrograde in the sign of Pisces. Saturn retrograde is an interesting energy, because Saturn releases its grip a little in retrograde. It directs its energy internally while giving us a little bit of reprieve in our outer circumstances. This makes Saturn Retrograde a perfect time for going back over the Saturnian lessons we've been learning in this area of our lives to ensure that we integrate those lessons fully before Saturn moves direct and transits a new area of our charts.
Saturn transits, while often challenging, are a little like tough love. They're hardening us in a way, but also making us more robust and capable of handling things yet to come. They refine us and level up an area of our lives, but only so long as we face our fears and pay our dues.
Saturn in Pisces is helping us bring form to the formless. In other words, Saturn wants to help us realize our dreams. To accomplish this, we've had to erect certain boundaries around ourselves to protect and preserve our energy for the things we aspire to. We've also had to learn what it means to be disciplined in an area of our lives that prefers to let things flow.
Saturn has been direct since October 2022 and entered Pisces in March 2023. To understand what you will be integrating during this retrograde cycle, look at the area of your life ruled by Pisces. Saturn made it to 7 degrees of Pisces in forward motion and will retrograde all the way back to 0 degrees of Pisces. Where have you been learning to assert your boundaries? Have you been disciplined in this area of life? If so, good! You're doing the work. If not, don't waste this retrograde energy because this task will not become easier in the future!
New Moon at 26° Gemini
Exact on June 17, 2023 at 10:37 pm MDT
Most active June 12 through June 22, 2023
Wake up call!
The New Moon marks a new beginning in the area of our lives ruled by Gemini. However, there are a few challenges we must overcome first! New Moons in Gemini are an excellent time for initiating anything to do with writing, communicating, or even short-distance traveling! However, before we can get to that, we must speak up and reassert our boundaries!
The Gemini New Moon is squaring Neptune in Pisces, which indicates a lack of clarity that may result in our boundaries being tested at this time. Gemini and Pisces are mutable energies that, on the plus side, can bend and go with the flow a little more easily. Unfortunately, our intentions can get a little muddled when planets are squaring from these energies.
With the Sun and Moon squaring Neptune, this may be a period when we wake up one day and find that we have drifted too far out to sea, having lost sight of our original goal! We may feel confused or even a little "checked out" of our lives for various reasons. But it's time to check back in!
Mercury, which rules the New Moon, is in Gemini too, and tightly squaring Saturn. This is a critical energy that can snap us back to reality. What is important now is understanding, which reality we want to snap back into—the one of our making or the one we have been passively agreeing to! Gemini energy presents us with choices to make and multiple paths to consider. This could be when we are presented with an opportunity that shoots us off in a brand new direction.
However, with Mercury squaring Saturn in Pisces, it's crucial to use discernment. Is this something you really want? Or is this a distraction from your goals? Many of us may need to muster our bravery and say "no" to reassert our boundaries and clearly restate our intentions to ourselves.
The good news is that Mercury is trine to Mars in Leo, which gives us the courage to speak up and say what we need to say in a direct but kind way. Additionally, Mars in Leo strengthens our will and helps us take action on any creative endeavors we may have been putting to the side!
Sun Enters Cancer/Summer Solstice
Exact on June 21, 2023 at 8:58 am MDT
Active from June 21 through July 22, 2023
Happy Cancer season and Happy Birthday to the Cancer readers out there! The Sun’s transit through this Moon-ruled sign marks the Summer Solstice here in the northern hemisphere, a day when the light peaks before it begins to fade away in the months ahead. The Sun in Cancer is illuminating this Cardinal Water sign, which is both incredibly strong and highly sensitive. Like the symbol for Cancer, the Crab, Cancer's energy is very literally tough on the exterior in order to protect its soft, sensitive inside.
Cancer season teaches us that our emotions are our strength and our intuition is our superpower. Cancer Sun people feel things very deeply. They also tend to be VERY on point regarding their intuitive hits. Cancer's instinct is to protect the ones they care about, so if a Cancer person tells you something doesn't feel right, listen to them! They are picking up on subtle energies that others may not detect.
Cancer is the sign most connected to the home, and they tend to be emotionally tied in some way to the home, family, and especially the mother. Whether that is a positive or challenging connection depends significantly on how the Sun is aspected in the chart, of course! Cancer is also the Zodiac's most nurturing energy, and while they tend to be naturally gifted in the kitchen, it goes much deeper than that. Whether they have children or not, Cancer's are like "everybody's mom," making sure their loved ones are fed proper meals and getting adequate sleep. If you've ever gone through a hard time and are fortunate enough to have a Cancer among your family or friends, they were likely the ones checking in on you the most.
The Sun's transit in this empathic sign is surprisingly quiet, making beneficial aspects to most of the outer planets. However, the Sun will make its yearly opposition to Pluto on July 21st. Pluto is back at the 29th degree of Capricorn at this time, and the Sun will shine its light here, illuminating anything that has yet to be healed in this area of life so that we may overcome it once and for all and finally feel a sense of true empowerment here.
Mercury Enters Cancer
Exact on June 26, 2023 at 6:24 pm MDT
Active from June 26 through July 11, 2023
Mercury sped through Gemini just as it will speed through Cancer this year! However, Mercury in Cancer energy is very different from Mercury in Gemini. While the speed of our thoughts will likely continue to match Mercury's quick pace, our focus shifts to family matters, the home, and intuitive and emotional issues.
Those with the planet of the mind and communication in the romantic sign of Cancer tend to be emotionally expressive in some way. These are your natural poets and songwriters who are able to capture a feeling and put it into words, and convey it in a way that resonates on the emotional level of other people.
As Mercury transits here, we may find ourselves a little more tuned into the thoughts and feelings of other people. We may find our words to be a bit more graceful and sensitive. However, Cancer energy is notoriously "moody," although protective is a much better word. We may find ourselves extra sensitive to the words of others during this time and find that we need to retreat to our comfort zones in order to collect ourselves and find a sense of safety before returning to the world.
Overall, this transit is another positive one since Mercury won't be making any challenging aspects from this sign, with the exception of its yearly opposition to Pluto at the 29th degree of Capricorn. This tends to be a mentally intense energy that can feel very overwhelming. However, this is an energy of potential empowerment. If we can integrate the power of Pluto and channel this energy productively, we may find ourselves laser-focused and able to overcome any challenges that may have been blocking a feeling of great accomplishment.
Neptune Stations Retrograde at 27° Pisces
Exact on June 30, 2023 at 3:07 pm MDT
Active from June 30 through December 6, 2023
Neptune stationing retrograde is a much more subtle energy. Neptune is the planet of mysticism and spirituality. Its retrograde cycles are a period of review and reflection of any spiritual lessons we've been learning since Neptune went direct back in December of 2022.
Neptune's energy can be a little confusing and nebulous because it is the nature of Neptune to dissolve. But this is also what makes Neptune magical. Neptune teaches that nothing in this life is permanent. It does so by slowly dissolving anything and everything we've grown attached to in this 3D reality. However, the suffering and loss that are connected to Neptune are how we discover our soul, which exists beyond any earthly attachment. We also discover the nature of faith and our interconnectedness with all things. With Neptune, when we let go of an attachment, we find that it always comes back to us in some way, maybe even more powerful than before, but in another form or reality. There are certain things we want to know in this life—things we want concrete proof of—but we don't get to know everything with Neptune. We must trust and have faith that something greater will catch us when we have nothing else.
With Neptune's energy heightened during its station, many of us may be able to attune to the energy and get a brief glimpse beyond the veil before Neptune directs its energies internally. Beyond the veil, things aren't so black and white. Beyond the veil, we understand that there is a greater cosmic order, and we are but a part of the beautiful, complex universe. Neptune's station is a gentle reminder that we are soul's having a human experience. Remember this while Neptune is retrograde.
Written by Stephanie Weiss, edited by Heather and the Astrology with Heather team
