The Sun enters Cancer on June 20 and initiates the Summer Solstice. As we experience the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, we begin the annual process of achieving our next level of emotional self-reliance. The Evolutionary Astrology mantra is: I evolve emotionally with self-responsibility.

It has been a heightened Gemini solar month with the Venus retrograde cycle there, and as the Sun now moves into Cancer it is time for emotionally healing and balancing ourselves. The Moon joined Sun, Mercury and Venus in Gemini last week and the mental overload released through emotional outbursts.

Our mental bodies and emotional bodies are continually interacting and inseparable, regardless of our conditioning to think and feel they are detached. Gemini and Cancer show us how this mental/emotional interface takes place. Certain thoughts create related emotions; i.e. thoughts of money always bring up fear. Any particular emotion can bring up a repeated thought pattern; i.e. my partners always reject me; back and forth it goes.

Venus will be going direct the end of June and make the third passage through Gemini as Sun is in Cancer. We have opportunity to really become aware of our self-reliance issues and make the emotional effort to take care of our own needs. How much do you project onto your partner, or family, or society?

Venus retro in Gemini takes us all over the place. One moment we feel rich, and the next we feel poor. One moment we think our partner loves us, and the next moment they are leaving us. Underneath the duality or umpteen different possibilities, is the Venus in Gemini lesson to create a self-reliance that can go with whatever happens in our outer world.

Through its rulership of Taurus, Venus sometimes wants to get possessive and stagnant in order to feel secure. Not so with Gemini. Here comes another change – and again, it never stops. As Cancer follows Gemini, it too wants to draw energy in and slow things down.

Pay attention to where your emotional insecurities resist the impulse to grow. Healthy Sun in Cancer teaches us we are responsible for our own emotional needs. Venus retro leads us to where this needs to happen. Love, money, possessions, relationships, whatever is happening – how can you take care of your own needs? To the degree you can minimize external dependencies, you will be free to interact and love, as it feels right for you to do so.

Mercury makes a waxing trine to Uranus retrograde on June 22 at 6/7 degrees Cancer-Pisces. Make an effort to understand your own mental/emotional blend and it will amaze you. Deep emotional insight can happen here. So can the need to defend your emotional point of view.

Can you make the effort to change the repetitive thoughts and emotions you dislike about yourself? Can you accept emotional responsibility and let go of projecting it on to someone else?

Mars enters Leo on June 23 for a seven-week passage, and it likes leading the inner planet pack. Mars also likes Leo, another fire sign. It is a little more conscious here than in Aries, its own sign of rulership.

Mars has been called the leading edge of our separating desires, or our conscious desires. It really wants to go after those essential needs Venus has been revealing as lacking. The caution is in wanting our own needs met at the expense of others. Mars always has to watch selfishness, especially in fire signs. Healthy Mars in Leo can acknowledge everyone else has their own desires that they want to manifest as well.

How do we fulfill our own desires at the same time we interact with others doing the same thing? Call on Venus retro in Gemini to help with the flexibility to act in the ways that are best for all concerned. Any Mars tendencies to be too selfish will be adjusted later this summer when the next Mercury retrograde cycle brings three conjunctions to Mars and three oppositions to Uranus.

Saturn finally makes the third and final waxing inconjunct to Neptune retrograde at 15/16 degrees Cancer-Aquarius on June 24. Jupiter follows on July 9 with the third waning inconjunct to Neptune retro at 14/15 degrees Virgo-Aquarius. For a year now these three planets have been in a yod formation, an elongated triangle. Inconjuncts bring things to crises and create the tension needed to make changes.

This solar month may bring those reality adjustments we have been resisting for quite awhile. Planetary retrograde cycles usually bring three sets of any aspect hit or phasal relationship, and by the third time around we are becoming conscious of what needs to change even if we still cling to denial. Ignoring and resisting what we sense is coming only brings things to a bigger cataclysm when the changes do occur.

What has been coming up for you on deep, yet subtle, levels of awareness? Neptune, our deepest beliefs, is in detached Aquarius and dissolving the social worlds that no longer work for us. Jupiter in Virgo and Saturn in Cancer make a nice waxing sextile (the last aspect of three is August 17) to each other, and we have all these plans with family and community to be safe in our own isolated units.

The need to be secure has been strong and yet the reality of our experiences has been full of insecurity with this yod formation. One of the best examples is this war on terror that was to make our world safer and yet our reality has been the opposite.

Another example is the outsourcing of American jobs to cheaper labor worldwide. Jupiter and Saturn are learning the lesson that real security is found within, and Neptune teaches this in those subtle ways that eliminates everything in our outer worlds until we have nothing left and must look within.

Saturn in Cancer waxing inconjunct Neptune in Aquarius: how are you adjusting to the global village? How are you relating to those whose belief systems differ from yours? What changes are upon you in your family and local community? Venus retro is helping out with repeated messages about inner security and realizing what is really important in your social world.

Mercury makes a waning sextile to Jupiter on June 25 at 12/13 degrees Cancer-Virgo. First Mercury and then later the Sun interact with this yod formation over the summer. Mercury/Jupiter may want to cling to what feels safe from the past and criticize anything new. The outer planets are much stronger so make the mental effort to let go of old ideas and let your intuition come through with new ways to look at things.

Then, Mercury conjuncts Saturn at 15/16 degrees Cancer on June 26. Ohh the tug to be secure. How can you take the next step in inner security, emotional inner security? Lots of emotions will surface this solar month. Watch the tendency to isolate yourself from anyone who feels differently. The intent here is to achieve self-responsibility on the deepest emotional levels and still interact with others.

Take time to talk through the emotional patterns in your family of origin. The family dynamics are changing with the big yod formation. Can you see how you chose your situations to learn certain emotional lessons? Your insecurities are pointing out your next step of growth. May you be successful.

The Sun makes a waxing trine to Uranus retro on June 27 at 6/7 degrees Cancer-Pisces. While opposites on the zodiacal wheel, these two planets teach us so much about creativity and the courage to be ourselves. The Sun is in the midst of its first full annual cycle to Uranus in Pisces.

Can you take a deep emotional connection to Source and make it real in your every day life? Can you realize the ultimate emotional partnership is with God/Goddess? As we learn this lesson, then our personal emotional relationships can become infused with unconditional love.

We can also realize our creative spark from the Ultimate Creator and emotionally energize things into manifestation. What is your divine work on the planet at this time?

Venus finally turns stationary direct on June 29 at 9/10 degrees Gemini. The next lesson in self-reliance is becoming fully conscious here. Since May 17 Venus has been turned inward and we have been reviewing our values with regard to just about everything. From inner and outer love to sexuality to money, possessions and resources, all has been up for review.

Venus retros always work to take our intimacy to the next level of self-reliance so that we can give and receive love on an equal basis. If we find ourselves alone from a Venus retrograde cycle then our co-dependencies have reached a point that requires us to take care of our own needs again.

Venus retro in Gemini has asked us to evaluate all our relationships, beyond just our intimate levels. From friendship to work to family, we are each responsible for our own needs. Gemini has brought many messages on better ways to love ourselves. It also asks us to become self-reliant enough so that we can go with the flow in our relating to others.

Listen as much as you desire to speak, as Venus turns direct. Make an effort to really hear what another is saying.

The ultimate in Venus retros is to search for the source of all love: God/Goddess. It comes in as many ways as Gemini can think of. How can you now be an expression of this in your communications with others?

What is important to you now? Are you making the necessary changes to align yourself with your evolving values? Can you take care of your own needs in every way? So much freedom comes when we learn how to take care of ourselves. Source your frustrations, as Venus turns direct and make those little efforts that create such major shifts. By now we should be getting this flexibility in love theme.

The Full Moon of Capricorn occurs July 2 at 10/11 degrees Cancer-Capricorn, the annual time to accept emotional self-responsibility. With the Moon in the opposite sign of its rulership, we can find emotional objectivity as well.

Cancer is known for its moodiness, blowing hot and cold emotionally. One moment emotionally engaged and animated, and the next a brick wall void of any emotions. Evolution takes place through the emotional body. It is through the Moon and its sign Cancer that we get the emotional feedback and interaction necessary to create a self-image.

As we learn to become more and more emotionally self-reliant, we then find ourselves more emotionally balanced. Things do not upset us as much when our emotional sustenance comes from within. Emotional withdrawal still happens when we are trying to figure things out, yet the extremes of emotional responses are minimized as we realize we are completely responsible for everything in our lives.

The Sun’s annual passage through Cancer creates the timing to make the effort to understand our emotional world better. Bless the Full Moon of Capricorn for its help and objectivity. Listen to your gut, what are your emotions telling you? Where do you give your emotional power away?

Mercury moves into Leo on July 4 for a three-week journey. Mercury loves the fire and air signs – freedom and activity. Our mental energy becomes self-focused when Mercury is in Leo. We can channel lots of creative ideas. Take the time to run your ideas by others for feedback, and realize whomever you talk to will want to talk about themselves and their ideas as well.

Insecure Mercury in Leo will not be able to listen to others very well or take anything they say into consideration. Where are you? Listening doesn’t mean agreeing or accepting. It means really hearing what another is saying and then taking it into consideration.

Are you secure enough to listen to what others have to say and then continue on with your own ideas, adjusting them or not, as you have taken in the information?

Sun makes a waning sextile to Jupiter on July 5 at 14/15 degrees Cancer-Virgo. One by one the inner planets have been closing in on Jupiter in Virgo, and with Cancer we get to see what we cling to for security reasons.

Now the Sun relates to this evolving social world of Jupiter and Saturn. Are you full of self-criticism, and therefore critical of the world around you? Can you recognize the areas you need to heal yourself emotionally? A healthy planet starts with you.

A few days later the Sun makes a conjunction to Saturn on July 8 at 16/17 degrees Cancer. The emotional self-reliance search begins anew. Sun-Saturn is about socially maturing, or self-responsibility, which lets us relate to the world in as healthy of ways as possible.

Again and again over the last year Jupiter and Saturn have been taking us into new social realities. There is this theme to expand our family base, essentially to a global level. Not very easy to do in the consensus state. It has manifested as more political and religious lines in the sand in order to be secure.

How can you evolve your personal beliefs into a belief system based upon nurturing and healing? How can you create a social world based upon love (versus hate)? How can you support educating the souls in this world to love one another?

There are organizations dedicated to educating children and teaching them to become self-sufficient which lessens the desires to hate and fight. Find one (i.e. www.ikat.org) and support it. The most beautiful expression of Jupiter in Virgo and Saturn in Cancer is healing through love, and education is a key to achieving it. We can teach children to hate, we can teach them to love.

Jupiter makes the final third waning inconjunct to Neptune retrograde on July 9 at 14/15 degrees Virgo-Aquarius. This is about social confrontations to old belief structures. Consensus state society will use this crisis aspect in attempts to recreate the past. We see this through religious dogma feeling very threatened at the ending of the Piscean Age.

Natural laws insist we accept the global village and unity in diversity. We can suppress and distort truth; however, we cannot destroy it. Nature will have the final word. Where are you feeling confronted to evolve your own beliefs?

Jupiter in Virgo: we can support belief systems based upon hate and judgment or belief systems based upon love and healing. How and where is this happening for you? Can you love those who hurt?

Neptune in Aquarius (and Uranus in Pisces) is making us more and more aware of the interconnectedness of everything. e=mc2 What we give energy to we create. Take the tension of Jupiter waning inconjunct Neptune and energize love. Let Venus in Gemini flip the hate switch to love. Attempt it again and again until you master it.

Mercury makes the first of three conjunctions to Mars at 10/11 degrees Leo on July 10. Mercury-Mars will do this three times through Mercury’s summer retrograde cycle (August 9 to September 2) – once in Leo, Virgo and Libra. This first encounter will energize our personal desires. This is what we want and this is how we are going to go after it.

Take time out to think about where these current desires will take you. Chances are with two more conjunctions in Virgo and Libra, there are some readjustments to these desires popping up. Pay real close attention to feedback here.

Mercury makes the first of two waxing sextiles to Venus on July 11 at 12/13 degrees Leo-Gemini. To the degree we have worked through the self-reliance lessons during Venus retro, we will be able to open up and move forward with loving ourselves. Flip the Gemini switch and make that self-love effort.

The next Mercury-Venus waxing sextile will happen August 15 in Virgo-Cancer. Love ideas that are happening now will be tested at the next sextile aspect. Love yourself now, as you would like another to love you.

Mercury opposes Neptune retro July 13 at 14/15 degrees Leo-Aquarius. Here are the inner planets getting involved in the Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune yod formation again. What inspiration is coming through now? Can you fit into the larger picture, or are you trying to impose your ideas onto the world?

Mercury-Neptune can bring clarity or confusion, inspiration or delusion. Listen, listen, listen within as God/Goddess is whispering to you. What is your message to hear?

Venus makes a waning sextile to Mars on July 16 at 14/15 degrees Gemini-Leo. More letting go of the old love patterns that no longer work. We all want to be loved when Mars passes through Leo. Post-retrograde Venus in Gemini knows which ways work and which love patterns and/or partners just need to be dropped.

No more Gemini carelessness. Make an effort to love yourself the way you would like another to love you. Just say “no” to those unhealthy patterns and partners trying to rationalize your behavior one more time.

Then Mars opposes Neptune retrograde on July 16 at 14/15 degrees Leo-Aquarius. Repeat of Mercury’s opposition above only stronger yet. We can receive creative ideas inspired from God/Goddess. We can also buy into the games of the separating forces offering us illusions of grandeur.

Mars-Neptune oppositions test us with truth versus deception. The desire to be noticed and loved (Mars in Leo) tempts us to color things a little bit here and there. Before we realize it, the separating forces have tricked us into the opposite of what we intended to do, and we are in relationship trouble.

Where are you having honesty lessons in love? Can you be completely honest, as you would like another to be with you?

Venus direct makes the third and final waxing trine to Neptune retrograde at 14/15 degrees Gemini-Aquarius on July 16 as well. There are these love lessons to be worked through with Neptune. No compromising on self-love. Do what you know is highest and best for you.

We are now getting the answers to the Venus retro cycle and this aspect shows us nothing substitutes for the love of God/Goddess. These Venus and Mars interactions with Neptune retro can manifest as extreme disappointments if we have been substituting our partners as defacto God/Goddess.

We may also just be learning the next lesson in self-reliance, which is about creating a deeper and deeper relationship with Source. As we learn to do that, we will find our flesh-and-blood relationships evolving and becoming truly beautiful. We see them for the spark of God/Goddess they truly are, and allow unconditional love to take place however it needs to.

All these aspects July 16 are working to make us very clear on our love lessons. Pay attention. The keys to your emotional happiness cannot be missed if you are sincere in your desire to be happy and start with self-love.

Finally Mercury makes a waning trine to Pluto retrograde on July 16/17 at 20/21 degrees Leo-Sagittarius. Mental clarity about ourselves can happen here if we are willing to listen. We may also receive some clues to any co-dependency issues still nagging at us. What messages are you receiving?

The New Moon of Cancer is July 17 at 25/26 degrees. Here is the opportunity to initiate self-love. New Moons currently happen at the end of each solar month, allowing us to truly understand our evolving life purpose. Cancer is emotional self-reliance. To the degree you love yourself, others can then love you.

May you love yourself as deeply as possible.

Venus ends the solar month with the third and final waning square to Jupiter at 16/17 degrees Gemini-Virgo on July 20. We can understand the old love beliefs we have been carrying around and just let them go.

Perhaps the most common conditioned love belief from patriarchal conditioning is the idea we will be loved when we are perfect. So we pretend we are and put on faces and behaviors around those we wish would love us. This stems from the conditioned belief that somehow god is perfect and we humans are imperfect.

Why would a perfect anything create imperfection?

Natural laws and truths teach us that all of life is in the process of perfection, or evolving. Isn’t it only natural to observe that God/Goddess must be in the process of perfection right along with us, and to the degree each of us evolves, the entire process of creation and its Creator evolves?

Whew, what a relief! We get to be imperfect and someone will still love us. This is the Venus in Gemini waning square Jupiter in Virgo lesson. Isn’t it time you let go of those old impossible beliefs of a perfect god?

Wow, imagine a Creator that loves you just like you are right now…what relief, what freedom, what unconditional love. Can you accept it? Venus says………flip the Gemini switch.

May God/Goddess bless you through Sun in Cancer!