The Shift Doctors (Tracy Latz, M.D. & Marion Ross, Ph.D.) are thrilled once again to have our good friend and guest blogger Steve Nelson return to share his wisdom. Steve is an astrologer who follows a Jungian mythological tradition. He was raised by a part Cherokee shaman Aunt Maude who learned much of her lore from Molly Runningwolf, the mother of Amanita Sequoyah, the last Cherokee medicine man officially recognized by the Eastern Tribe. Steve’s Indian name is Steven Red Wolf, his lineage is of the wolf clan, one of the 7 tribal groups of the Cherokee. Steve follows many of the Cherokee traditions especially as these relate to celebrations, the use of ritual fire and star lore. For more information about Steve Nelson see www.GaiaAstrology.com
There are several Earth changing events this month including the June 4 Full Moon Eclipse, the June 5-6 Venus Transit, June 10 when Venus returns, the June 19 Summer Solstice New Moon aligning with Betelgeuse (a star of the New Age) and Midsummer June 23-24 when Saturn moves forward and a great transformation is complete.
The month begins in an eclipse cycle that started at the May 20 “ring of fire” solar eclipse with the Pleiades and culminates in the days following the June 4 lunar eclipse. Something new and wonderful is coming through. The June 5-6 Venus Transit is an opportunity to relax down and go within to receive new divine direction and creative inspiration. This is when Venus the goddess of love and beauty goes in for her great makeover. Significant life choices are better made after Venus returns 4 days later, then the new cycle becomes conscious and new opportunities for creative expression will be revealed. Many good surprises are in store for us starting from the June 10 Gate of Inspiration when the New Venus rises. All patterns of belief and being that impede the new world awakening will be eclipsed in the weeks that follow the Venus Transit. Old patterns breaking free energy for new creation. A solar eclipse is a Super New Moon, a super new beginning that brings a great flowering when the Moon is Full. From this heavenly alignment and the June 5-6 Venus Transit – a Super New Venus – the New World is born.
The cycle of the Moon moves tides of emotion as it moves the tides of the ocean. The outgoing tide takes away what is no longer needed, the incoming tide brings forth what is seeded in the dark of the Moon. Similarly, outgoing Venus takes away whatever is not working in the realm of relationship and personal creativity. Old ways and outmoded attitudes regarding relationships and creative expression come up to be released in the weeks before the New Venus. The time when Venus is gone from the sky (June 2-9) is opportune for going within to learn the new way of the heart and receive new creative inspiration.
A New Venus rises every 19 months after Venus passes between the Earth and Sun. A Venus Transit occurs when Venus crosses the face of the Sun. Venus Transits happen in pairs 8 years apart about every 125 years and it is always the second transit that brings great changes. The 6/8/2004 Venus Transit marked the first point of a 5-pointed star formed in the heavens by the conjunctions of Venus and Sun. On 5-6/6/2012 Venus returns to where she began completing this heavenly star that signals the beginning of a new world. The last such event (2nd Transit) was Dec 6 1882 soon after which Krakatoa erupted substantially lowering global temperatures. More profound and important than physical earth changes is the great cultural, creative and spiritual awakening this 2012 Transit of Venus will bring.
The return of Venus as Morning Star is a sign of the coming of White Buffalo Woman in Native American prophecy. The rising of Venus signals the Flight of the Phoenix in Egyptian myth. The Mayans call Venus rising before the Sun Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent god of renaissance. The ancient Egyptians called Venus rising “Bennu” the Phoenix.
The 500-year renaissance cycle (the lifespan of the Phoenix) is marked by Pluto. Renaissance begins when Pluto moves through Capricorn and Venus rises before the Sun. The New Venus rising after the historic June 5-6 Venus Transit signals the beginning of the Aquarian Renaissance.
The Egyptians call their Phoenix “Bennu” and chant to invoke its return: “Ba, bak, Bennu!” This Egyptian mantra combines Ba (dove), Bak (hawk), and Bennu (phoenix). Ba is the soul, Bak the regenerated physical body, and Bennu our transcendent spirit and spiritual destiny.
Sound is key to healing and transforming. All are capable of making sounds to heal, become whole, make holy. Simply intone or chant while tuning to what is intended. Sounding out grief and pain we feel and heal and call forth healing from divine powers that be. Many people sounding together can heal the world. Remember how the singing Phoenix generates a protective dome with sound to protect Harry Potter from the dark lord Voldemort. We may need this trick too before our story is through.
Venus draws pentacles in the sky and the sepals of the rose draw the same clockwise star in their opening. Rose is the flower of Venus and rose is an anagram for eros/love. New Venus brings new love, new grace, new beauty, higher truth and power to restore natural order. Medieval nature magicians watching the rose and Venus learned to draw pentagrams to restore natural harmony. Sheriffs of the old west followed suit sporting this star in copper, the magic metal of Venus. Those with lesser badges were dubbed “tin-horned” sheriffs because they lacked the power. This is the real reason peace keepers were called coppers and later cops, it’s all in the magic of Venus.
All illusions, trappings and attachments that keep from love and creative connection come up to be cleared June 2-9 when Venus is gone from the sky. This is a time for going within to become conscious of what is real and let go of attachments that keep from true love and soulful creation. This is when the goddess goes in for her great makeover before she comes forth again to lead the divine drama of this New Age.
The drama is well illustrated in the heavens now as Saturn hangs low in the late evening just above Spica (or Arista) the bright star of Virgo identified with the star-crowned Empress Key 3 in Tarot. Saturn retrograde is Saturn in shadow represented by Tolkien’s Dark Lord Sauron and epitomizing the collective shadow or Dragon of the Age. In the Revelation prophecy the star-crowned Woman is pursued by a Dragon and aided by a great Eagle.
The Woman of Revelation represents a newly emerging collective feminine spirit that mediates the emergence of the divine masculine (the boy child) and brings in a new world. This New Woman combines the nature of Venus and the new planet Eris/Persephone now at 23 Aries in opposition to Saturn. Only when Saturn makes direct aspect to an outer (transcendent) planet is that planet’s power fully felt in the world. Now Saturn retrograde evokes the coming forth of the New Woman through direct challenge, when Saturn turns forward her way will be won and she will come to power in the world.
Midsummer June 23-24 is the time of the Union of Heaven and Earth. Then all old world shadows are brought to the Solstice fire, Saturn turns around moving forward in Libra and the shadow of Sauron passes from the world.
2012 is the shift of the Ages, the convergence of cosmic cycles that brings global integration of consciousness and the fulfilling of the prophecies of the ages, this is the time when the myths of all time come to life. A new world is being born and Love is key, the new creation is configured by the reunion of yin and yang at a higher turn of creation’s spiral, whatever these two agree will come to be.
Juno Moneta/White Rabbit Day, June 1 – Close Doors, Open Doors
New magic is afoot, say White Rabbit first today for luck through the month. The Magician pulls out another rabbit and it’s the Moon Hare, bringer of creative abundance. June is the month of Juno the Queen of Olympus who shares temple with her sister Moneta, goddess of prosperity. This is the day to close the doors we want to close and open the doors we want to open.
Full Moon Festival of Humanity, June 2-6 (exact 6/4 7:12 am) – Celebrate!
At this Sun in Gemini Full Moon and lunar eclipse the spiritual wisdom of the 5/5 Wesak Full Moon is shared through the world. Mercury trine Saturn retrograde brings old world ways of the thinking to the fore to be eclipsed.
An eclipse is Mother Nature’s editing tool: when an eclipse occurs above, things get eclipsed below, outmoded patterns are let go. Each Full Moon is a time of revelation and opportunity for healing body, mind and soul. Energy flows strongly for 3 days following Full Moon. Revelations come in dreams, chance encounters and flashes of inspiration. Stay tuned.
Gate of Inspiration, June 10 (8 am 6/10 – 8 am 6/11) – Dance to Be Free
Gates of Inspiration open every 40 days beginning with Spring Equinox. (For more information on the Nine Gates of Inspiration see our previous post at http://www.shiftyourlife.com/2010/the-nine-gates-of-inspiration-access-to-interdimensional-portal/ .) Each Gate is the Station of a Muse. June’s Muse is “the beautiful voiced” Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. She says it’s time to speak our mind. Whatever inhibits free expression comes up before the Gate to be let go. Energy clearing is done through stretching, deep breathing and dancing (3 times clockwise opens the Gate). Breathe deeply and move freely to let go old ways and become present to the power and promise of the New.
3rd Quarter Moon, June 10-12 (exact 6:40 am 6/11) – Realize Dreams
This Moon cuts away all that distracts from putting dreams into action. The 3rd Quarter integrates new ideas into creative expression; it’s time to follow our bliss and do what feels good in concert with the whole.
Balsamic Moon, June 14-17 – Make a Wish!
This is the Wishing Moon, the best time to put wishes on the air. It is also called the Witches Moon, a time to bring to mind those who need healing.
Feeling invokes healing, the deeper we feel, the deeper we heal. The deeper we feel, the more Moon magic is invoked for this new cycle. Shadows that appear before New Moon can be cleared with deep breathing while giving attention to the light within. See the wee waning Moon rising before the Sun.
Summer Solstice, June 17-23 (exact 6/20 7:09 pm) – Free the Soul!
Solstice means “still standing Sun,” it is when the Sun rises and sets at the same place on the horizon. The Summer Solstice continues for 3-4 days culminating on Mid-Summer’s Day June 24 when the Sun begins to move southward again.
Dark of Moon/New Moon, June 18-20 – Go Within
The day before the New Moon until Sunset a day after is ideal for psychic and physical house clearing to make way for the new cycle; outer activity is favored after the crescent appears. This Solstice New Moon (11:02 am 6/19) is a great cosmic spring that flows freely as we slow down. Nostradamus calls this “the day of Diana, a time for silent rest.” This is when mystics descend to drink from the magic well within.
Crescent New Moon, June 21-25 – Sow Magic Seeds
This Moon tide energizes whatever it touches; it is the time to bring forward what we wish to be realized. Farmers plant seeds after the crescent appears (Sunset June 21) when seeds become fertile on every level. New beginnings are well favored. Seeds sown in our inner garden will flourish through this lunar cycle. Moon magic is strongest from Sunset to Moonset when the New Moon shines through the 7th House. Meditation now opens doorways, wishes take wing and prayers bring blessings through the harvest season.
Mid-Summer’s Eve / Day, June 23-24 – Celebrate, Dance to the Music!
Midsummer is the peak of the year “when magic is most potent and fairies become visible.” Vital energy is elevated in plants and trees and nature spirits come out and about. Snakes shed their skins at Midsummer and we can shed old psychic skin through circle dancing and fire leaping. We leap Mid-Summer fire 3 times (a candle will do) to shed past shadows and free the soul to be in this world. Shedding body armor this way clears inner vision so fairies become visible. Toning and chanting clear the throat and open the channel of new creation. Dancing Sunwise (clockwise) clears astral shadows that impinge on our realm, dancing widdershins (counterclockwise) then brings in the energies of the new creation.
1st Quarter Moon, June 25-27 (exact 11:30 pm 6/26) – Choose
This Moon is like a scythe cutting across the sky; it’s time to cut free the trappings of the past and affirm our purpose moving forward. Sacred to the Druids, this lunar phase is pivotal in the cycle of creation. Choices made now are likely to be the right ones. Breathing deeply through the light of the crown frees energy flow up and down powering our dreams to be realized.
Bright Blessings to you on your New Creations at Mid-Summer! 
Steve Nelson, Mythic Astrologer with The Shift Doctors (Tracy Latz, M.D. & Marion Ross, Ph.D.)
***Steve Nelson is a professional astrologer who uses Tarot, name analysis, and traditional astrology to help clients understand personal myths and realize natural abilities. He can be reached at www.gaiaastrology.com
*****The Shift Doctors (Tracy Latz, M.D. & Marion Ross, Ph.D.) are available for keynote talks, classes, events or for seminars (1/2 day or up to 2 day) on personal transformation, team-building, motivation, anger management, intuitive development, or collaboration for private groups, conferences, corporations or corporate events. Contact them at info@shiftyourlife.com or find out more about them at www.shiftyourlife.com