June: A Month of Transition

 

June is typically a month of transition and contrast and 2022 is no exception. This month there’s a lot of notable activity:

 

  • June 4th Mercury moves forward after three weeks of retrograde
  • June 14th Strawberry Full Moon in Sagittarius
  • June 19th Father’s Day
  • June 21st Summer Solstice
  • June 28th New Moon in Cancer

 

First, after being retrograde since May 10th, Mercury moves forward again. Mercury is the planet of communication. Once the retrograde cycle completes, it takes a few days for things to get moving forward again. June 6 and 7th are good days to do so. Misunderstandings and mix-ups that occurred last month are in a better position to be cleaned up and corrected.

 

On June 14th we have the full Strawberry moon. It’s also a super moon, so the moon will be closer to the Earth and appear bigger than usual. Enjoy the native strawberries that will be ripening this month. They are bound to be juicy, sweet, and bursting with flavor.

 

Sunday, June 19th is the day to honor Dad’s. From a feng shui perspective, the bagua area that aligns with the father is the Helpful People and Travel gua. This is the front-right corner of your house, land, every room in your house and your workspace. This area is governed by the Metal element. Read more in this blog post.

 

Our summer solstice is Tuesday, June 22. It marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere. This is always a bittersweet day for me. The north pole reaches its maximum tilt toward the sun, and thus our longest day or period of sunlight and shortest night of our year. Once a peak is reached, a decline begins. Yang energy has been growing daily since December’s winter solstice and now the switch flips in favor of the growth of yin energy.

 

This time of year provides a wonderful opportunity to study contrasts in nature. Yin and yang energy is present everywhere and one is never without the other. Experiencing maximum sunlight hours (yang energy) just as summer begins, is a reminder of how yin and yang qualities intertwine and coexist all around us. As summer rolls out, the days grow shorter by a few seconds and then a few minutes each day.  We reach an equilibrium at the spring and fall equinoxes, with equal hours of day and night, until the cycle flips again on December 21st, the winter solstice. Thus, at the darkest time of the year, light begins to increase steadily each day.

 

We end the month with a new moon in Cancer on June 28th. New moons are a period of quiet and rest. The sky is dark for a brief period and then the moon appears with as a slight sliver of light, growing for 14 days until the next full moon. Each new moon provides a wonderful opportunity to set your intentions and strengthen them with a meditation. Then step back, allow them to gain momentum, and take notice of how things are unfolding at the next full moon.

 

Nature is an amazing teacher. Paying attention to the cycles of nature and consciously living according to the ebb and flow of various cycles can helps your life to move along more easily each day.  Some days are meant to push forward while other days are meant for quiet, reflection and rest. Generally, a day or two after the new moon, until the third quarter moon three weeks later is a good period for taking action. The one exception is to work around the void of course moons every two to three days. These periods are meant for quiet and rest. The week of the third quarter moon, continuing until the new moon is a great period for letting go and cleaning out. This is a time when you’ll be more likely to let go of clutter every month. Take note and check it out.

 

Enjoy June and the shift from spring to summer. The next few months are a time to lighten up, spend more time outside, and have some fun!