L I T H A ☼ Summer Solstice

We’ve arrived at midsummer eve, an evening of flickering candles and divination, mugwort and deep dreams. June 21 is Summer Solstice (in the Northern hemisphere) or Litha - the pinnacle of the Light, the triumphant day of the Sun, the longest day and shortest night of the year. Astrologically Solstice is initiated when the sun moves into 0 degrees Cancer, which is exact at 8:54am. That same morning, dreamy Neptune in Pisces stations retrograde until November 27, and the July eclipses are coming soon. Solstice is a day of radiance and boundless light, a time to celebrate abundance and offer gratitude. The great and shining Sun reaches its perfection and fullness, and in a moment’s time we head into the dark half of the year. It will still be summer for quite some time, but we know that the light begins to wane and the darkness starts to build. This is the wheel of the year, turning once again… Our lives, when aligned with nature’s way, pulse in this same way.

We are in familiar territory; life is constantly shifting and changing, bringing beauty and challenges, and there’s always more. That is the promise of life: the promise that there will always be more, more of everything. It’s happening in our lives as well, the unfolding and releasing, invoking and establishing. There is a constant pulsing of life flowing, waxing and waning, expanding and contracting. The Great Creatrix blinking us into into being, disappearing us, and bringing us back again. Birth, death, rebirth. We have an intimate understanding of this experience living life as householders on a path, navigating the exquisite and terrifying, holding the midline of ourselves and our true spiritual practice.

Many are going through big changes at this time, some unexpected, and the enormity of the destabilization and confusion can be overwhelming. This is a time of immense amplification and acceleration. Some of you may feel like you’ve been startled and exposed, your shell cracked open, your paradigm shifting. Remember to tune into your intuition and trust. The creative intelligence of the Universe is reorganizing you and your life; this can feel uncomfortable, even unbearable, but through our dedication to our spiritual practices we are becoming more skilled at allowing every circumstance of life to take us into the primal power of our hearts. It takes time and in the midst of it it isn’t pretty, it doesn’t feel good, and sometimes there is nothing to do but let the feelings and energies wash over you.

FEEL EVERYTHING.

Try to stay rooted in your belly and bones, with your heart open in radical vulnerability, and hold on. Love yourself fiercely and allow your compassion to turn inward as a new practice. Make art with your tears and frustrations when necessary, dig your fingers and toes into the black earth to ground, and remember that you belong. More will unfold- there’s always more to the story.

On this Solstice, make a date with the Sun… bask in the warmth and relish the sunshine in the morning or mid-day or late afternoon. At sunset say goodbye to the Sun disappearing into the sea, to be reborn in the sky on Winter Solstice. The fullness of the light breaks into the beginning of the dark in its ancient way. You don’t have to craft an elaborate ritual to mark the occasion, and in fact heartfelt, contemplative presence is all that is necessary to honor this seasonal shift meaningfully. Late in the evening, light a candle and renew your commitments and offer your blessings. Bow to the golden radiance that burns brightly inside your own heart and vow to stay true to yourself.

♡,
KK
  

*I updated this piece- originally on the website and then published in 2015 on Yoganonymous.com. It is just as relevant now.

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Capricorn Full Moon ~ You are Whole

July begins with a Full Moon in Capricorn (Wednesday at 7:19pm PDT).

In astrology, the Moon represents our emotions, what we treasure in our hearts, intuition, instinctive knowing and behavior, the unconscious, our depths, our animalistic side, our innermost selves.

The Sun in Cancer opposes this Full Moon in Capricorn. These two signs are polar opposites; typically Cancer represents the archetype of the Mother in astrology and Capricorn, the archetype of the Father. While watery Cancer represents home and family life, earthy Capricorn is the sign of public image and reputation out in the world. With Cancer we connect with our emotions and with Capricorn the focus is on purpose and duty. We can explore this polarity and find a balance between taking care of ourselves, our loved ones, valuing domesticity and asserting ourselves in the public sphere, interacting with purpose, enacting our duty and dharma in life. We can contemplate how we feel nurtured and at home inside ourselves and how we offer our unique gifts out into the world.

With the Cancer/Capricorn axis, this Moon emphasizes the theme of home. Home is that familiar place where we are safe and feel comfortable, where we can feel nurtured and relaxed, and most importantly, where we can be ourselves unapologetically and be accepted. Hopefully. If that is not your current reality you may certainly feel a heaviness in your heart or that longing to belong on this full moon, but you can work with the lunar energies. Hold a vision in your mind’s eye of what you would like to see manifest with regard to feeling secure and nested in a home that’s right for you, with people who love and appreciate you. And turn inside to the hearth of your heart. Remember that you belong.

Capricorn’s influence brings a stabilizing effect to the changing moon. There is a sense of seriousness, responsibility and determination associated with Capricorn. Capricorn moon can bring more rigidity, pessimism and materialism, but also more discipline, patience and commitment. There is a quality of authority and self-reliance with the moon in this sign. This aspect of the Full Moon emphasizes the theme of purpose. Purpose, duty, and dharma, what we are meant to do, what our work is, will be examined and reflected upon. We will be reminded to be steadfast, that we are self-sovereign, and that we are capable of handling the tasks at hand.

We also have Venus, which rules love, beauty and money conjunct Jupiter, which expands everything and provides opportunities. This aspect can bring some sweetness and positivity.

Then there’s Mars. Mars is connected to this Full Moon, which could show us where we are being overly forceful and where we could be more assertive in certain areas of life and how we go about ensuring that we feel safe and nurtured. It could also arouse passive aggressive tendencies in ourselves and others. Under this influence, people can be inclined to project, to put blame onto another, to shame, to be deceiving, to bottle up feelings until they explode. And if there are buried anger, resentments, or pain built up inside unchecked, it is possible that the harsh, dominating, violent war-like qualities of Mars can emerge.

For this Full Moon, let your emotions be felt fully; let tears flow or howls be unleashed or elation bubble up from deep inside. This is lunacy, the art of being possessed by the moon... unbridled, instinctual expression. Do not suppress your feelings and expressions for fear they are unladylike or unmanly or not pretty. Don’t be pretty. Be real. Be radically vulnerable and infinitely strong. Make a commitment to embrace unreasonable authenticity, even if it makes you unpopular or coaxes you to stand alone. There is a tribe of deep-feeling souls, spread out in far flung places. There are those that see you for Who You Are and what you offer, appreciate your oddness or boldness, await your next contribution. Believe in your instincts and embrace your intuition. This moon reminds you that you are already whole.

KK  ~ Wild Moon Wisdom Astrology