0 degrees Of Cancer = Summer Solstice

Here in the northern hemisphere it's officially midsummer when the sun first enters the sign of Cancer. This 0 degree spot is the moment of the summer solstice, the time in the solar year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, that point of maximum light and power since the days began slowly lengthening six months ago, at the time of the Capricorn winter solstice.
After this midsummer pause for breath (solstice is derived from the Latin for 'the sun stands still'), the sun's power slowly starts to wane, and it begins the journey towards the longest night in the deep of midwinter once again.

From an astrology point of view, the solstices are part of a story of two polarity points in the zodiac, Cancer and Capricorn, and the symbolism associated with both signs is blended together in one of the most famous summer solstice images, the ancient site of Stonehenge.
Cancer is ruled by the moon, and the essence of this sign is about the expression of the ebb and flow of circles and cycles. It is a sign that relates to our sense of emotional connectedness, beginning with the parent/child bond that is also the earth/human bond, and to our memories, which like Ariadne's thread tie and bond us to our origins. Our emotional landscape is built on reminders that stir the soul and move the heart in deep recognition of who we really are, and therefore what feels like home to us.
Meanwhile Capricorn is the builder. Under Saturn's influence it is associated with stones and structures, time and tradition, carrying an unquestioning respect for established paths and laws. Capricorn is about the challenges of time and mortality, and is driven by the strong desire to create something that endures, something that is carried and supported by time, rather than reduced or ravaged by it.

The 21st of June is the day of the summer solstice this year, the day when the expression of these energies are flowing through us and around us at their peak. The planet patterns to match the moment are strong and unusual, and involves the triangle of planets comprising Saturn/Mars, Chiron and Jupiter that I mentioned last time here. Now, at the moment of the solstice, the moon in Taurus makes the triangle into a square, opposing Jupiter and squaring Saturn/Mars and Chiron.
It means the two rulers of the two solstices are linking through this grand cross formation, involving the fixed signs of Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio. This is incredibly focused, dynamic, inflexible energy. If the air feels full of resistance, and certain situations feel immovable - like trying to run through water, this is the grand cross in action. Something has to give however, and this is where the solstice energy comes in, turning the tide and shifting the season.


astrology, cancer, capricorn, solstice, midsummer, stonehenge