June 2020 - Solar Eclipse in Cancer
Each year the Summer Solstice marks the start of the summer season (in the northern hemisphere) as the Sun moves into the sign of Cancer. This summer will start with a “bang” as this year’s Summer Solstice on June 21, 2020 is marked by a unique event: A Solar Eclipse!
In this article we are going to explore:
the potentials of this Solar Eclipse on a personal level,
the impact of the Solar Eclipse on the chart of the United States of America, and
the similarities with the Solar Eclipse if 2001.
Impact On Your Personal Astrology
A Solar Eclipse energizes a chart approximately one month before and 3 to 6 months after the eclipse.
For all of us, a Solar Eclipse in Cancer has two main components.
First, the Solar Eclipse is in the sign of Cancer, which naturally rules the 4th house of home, heritage and the foundation of your identity. The planetary ruler of Caner is the Moon representing your feelings and security patterns and the manner in which you nurture yourself and others.
For all of us,
the Solar Eclipse in the sign of Cancer
energizes our feelings,
our sense of security, and
our need for belonging.
Second, in the natural zodiac, the sign of Cancer along with the signs of Aries, Libra and Capricorn form the Axis of Identity. Together, these four signs explore the themes of identity, belonging and our feelings:
first about ourselves as individuals,
then with our families,
then including our friends and relationships, and
expanding outward to our community, to the nation and ultimately to humanity.
For you personally, the Solar Eclipse will fall somewhere in your chart. With a Solar Eclipse at 0 degrees of Cancer, the impact will be felt in four signs:
from 5 degrees of Cancer to 25 degrees of Gemini, and
from 5 degrees of Capricorn to 25 degrees Sagittarius.
Once you identify these degrees in your chart, if you have planets or chart angles (Ascendant and Midheaven) at these degrees, you may potently feel the theme of the planet impacted expressed in the circumstances of your life.
If you don’t have planets or chart angles between these degrees, you will feel the eclipse in the house where 0 degrees Cancer falls in your chart.
If you are relatively on track, your life circumstances may be energized in a positive way as you pedal along the yellow brink road of life.
If you are a bit off track, your life circumstances may be disrupted in an effort to get your attention so that you make the effort to get back on track and out of the poppy field.
Solar Eclipse and the U.S.A. Chart
For the chart of the US, this Solar Eclipse will conjunct two important planets: Venus and Jupiter both in the seventh house.
Solar Eclipse Conjunct The Midheaven Planetary Ruler: Venus
Since Venus is the ruler of the US chart’s Libra Midheaven, Venus rules of the nation’s leadership and social identity. The Libra Midheaven brings the intention for the nation to embody the themes of equality and justice in the social structures of the country.
The Declaration of Independence embodied the themes of Libra with the words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”.
Over the last 244 years,
the United States of America
has been on a journey
toward achieving that goal and
we are at an important juncture now.
For the nation, the intention of Venus in seventh house Cancer is that the values of equality and justice are demonstrated through how we relate with our fellow citizens and build a shared sense of community and belonging.
The Solar Eclipse is a reminder that now is the time to become aware of the degree to which we are or are not living up to the words in the nation’s founding document and to make adjustments that lead to greater harmony, improved justice and a shared sense of community.
Solar Eclipse Conjunct The Ascendant Planetary Ruler: Jupiter
In the chart of the United States, Jupiter is in Cancer in the seventh house. Jupiter is also the ruler of the nation’s Sagittarius Ascendant.
Within the country, Jupiter inspires an optimistic vision for the future that brings people together for a shared sense of community. Additionally, the image of the United States as the beacon of freedom and the land of opportunity has been projected around the world.
The Solar Eclipse is a reminder that now is the time to become aware of the degree to which we are building opportunity and community in our cities and towns, and showing the world the benefits of freedom.
Summary
During this Solar Eclipse, we may each individually ponder where we have been, where we are now and where we want to be in the future.
Likewise, as we assess current events, it can be helpful to ponder Martin Luther King, Jr’s words:
“Let us realize the arc of
the moral universe is long,
but it bends toward justice.”
It can be helpful to ask the same questions on a collective level that we are asking on a personal level to see where we have been and how far we have come. In this way, we can begin to ponder what needs to come next.
Summer Solstice Solar Eclipse 2001 & 2020
The last time a Solar Eclipse took place on the Summer Solstice was in June 2001. Importantly, in both 2001 and 2020, transiting Saturn and Pluto were making powerful aspects to the US chart.
In the summer and fall of 2001, transiting Pluto in Sagittarius was conjunct the US Ascendant, while Saturn in Gemini was conjunct the US Descendant. These transits revealed tension between how the US projected itself into the world and its relationships with other nations.
The Solar Eclipse on June 21, 2001, prior to the terrorist attacks on September 11, was also conjunct the Venus and Jupiter in the US chart and energized the release of that tension into the open.
In Location Astrology,
for the September 11 terrorist attack,
Saturn and Pluto identified not only
the location of the attack
as New York City and
the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C.,
but also the location where
the attack was launched, Afghanistan.
In 2020 both transiting Pluto and Saturn will be in Capricorn, opposing Mercury in the US Chart. While the astrology of 2001 was connected to the nation’s identity, the astrology of 2020 is connected to freedom of speech and the notion of a free press, which is guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution.
The current environment with a 24/7 news cycle and the expansion of social media is the back-drop in which this transit is occurring where conflicting data, opinion, and conspiracy theory get all mashed up to create an environment of confusion casting doubt on all forms of truth and social authority. In the process, trust in our fellow citizens deteriorates. With Mercury in the mix, it is all happening very fast and reaction is the norm rather than contemplative responses.
The Solar Eclipse is a powerful reminder of the importance of connecting with our fellow citizens and of the peace and sense of belonging that comes as a result of mutual understanding.
In 2001, the Solar Eclipse,
Saturn and Pluto powerfully tested
our relationship with the world.
In 2020, the Solar Eclipse,Saturn and Pluto are powerfully testing
our relationship with ourselves.
Mercury Retrograde
On June 18, transiting Mercury will turn retrograde until he turns direct on July 13. Coming during the impact of the Solar Eclipse, Mercury gives us an opportunity to re-think how we understand and interpret our world and how we communicate our view of life with others.
While we sometimes speak at one another with the intention to convince the other why our view of the world is right, Mercury retrograde wants us to re-consider how we can communicate to create real understanding and come together.
May each of you continue to be well during this challenging time!