By: Janette Dalgliesh – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
It’s here again – Summer Solstice and longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter and longest night in the South (exact times below).
It’s the seasonal turning point for nature, the moment when we experience the longest day / longest night of the year, depending on our position above or below the equator.
In the North, a day of illumination.
In the South, a day of quiet introspection.
Regardless of where you live, you can make the most of it by taking yourself out into nature and connecting with the planet at this time of change.
And yes – that means getting your butt out of the comfy AC or the cosy heated spaces!
If it’s stinking hot or freezing cold, keep it short and sweet. But get yourself out there and do it anyway:
- gaze at nature in whatever form she shows up (beach, forest, trees by a car park, grass in the park, mountain pass)
- breathe deep and notice the feel of the air – it’s temperature, its moisture, its scent
- put a hand on your heart
- imagine your breath can connect you to nature (because it literally does – the molecules of oxygen you breath in are made up of atoms which used to be part of the rocks and trees and grass and water sources you see around you)
- as you take some slow, deep breaths – imagine your breath is a conduit of connection from the nature you’re witnessing, to your own heart
- FEEL how you belong, how you are a child of nature yourself
- do that for as long as you want (or as long as you can stand if it’s extreme weather – a few breaths will be enough)
- when you’re ready to return to your ordinary daily life, imagine that conduit is still gently connected – you ARE a biological creature and so you belong to Mother Earth, to Gaia, even when you return to your office / your car / your TV remote
- let it go, and get on with your day
In astrology, the June Solstice is the moment the Sun enters the sign of Cancer, so it’s often called the cusp of magic, and can feel like a portal into feeling our feelings more than usual.
This year the astro-weather includes a gathering of planets (called a ‘stellium’) in Aries: emo-homeground Moon, expansive visionary Jupiter, noble warrior spirit Mars, audacity expert Chiron, and asteroid Eris.
Cancer and Aries are both Cardinal signs, experts at moving forward, taking charge, leading the way.
So June Solstice always has a strong impact on Cardinal sign people (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) – but the stellium puts that on steroids.
Asteroid Eris (not to be confused with Eros) represents the rebel spirit which will speak up loud and proud about anything which contravenes your moral principles.
So you may experience some strong feelings around this time, especially around anything that has been a source of societal or political aggravation.
Don’t be surprised to find some urges to speak up, speak out, rock the boat!
But also, with Cancer activating our own yearning for emotional safety AND emotional connection, that could add some confusion to the mix.
Cancer never really wants to completely burn a bridge (even where the bridge is toxic AF). It craves the feeling of emotional safety, but it also requires a sense of emotional safety BECAUSE of its heightened sensitivity. That’s why boundaries are so important for Cancerians, and why we all may be feeling that same yearning.
So the best approach may be one of getting very selective and clear about how, where, with whom and when you do your speaking out.
(I’ve recently been very active on Twitter, especially during the Australian federal election campaign which ended a month ago with a victory for the progressive Labor Party. Despite the fabulous win, I can FEEL the desire to unleash on a bunch of flawed-but-worthy political semi-allies … and Twitter is not a good platform for considered debate! So I’m taking a break.
Family may also be craving a reunion, and at this time of year it’s worth remembering that you get to decide yes or no, and how, when and where.
They might want a whole weekend in your house.
You might only be ready for a Facetime call, or a get-together for lunch at a nice cafe.
Offer YOUR chosen option. And if you get pushback, this is where it’s going to be SUPER useful to have strong, healthy boundaries. **
Protecting one’s heart, one’s emotional wellbeing, is absolutely mission-critical for Cancerians, and at this time of year it’s something we ALL need.
That’s what boundaries are for, so this is the perfect time to improve that skill – especially if boundaries have never really been your sweet spot. **
The energy of Cancer is all about heart to heart connection, which means Cancer is esepecially skilled at the art of nurturing.
But that’s often a word which makes us cringe – not because it’s inherently bad, but because it’s so deeply tangled up with self-sacrifice and putting others’ needs first.
No!
Nurturing (literally ‘caring for and protection someone or something while it grows’) is NOT a synonym for martyrdom.
Even though our culture frequently and stubbornly keeps conflating the two.
Overall, this is a time to protect your tender emotions. You may be feeling more vulnerable than normal.
Vulnerability is not a problem.
Vulnerability is a strength.
You are allowed to ask for help.
The key is to be really freaking picky, especially when it comes to making a heart to heart connection where you share your own emotional vulnerability.
Here are some useful criteria to use when choosing:
- Who makes you feel most at home, most relaxed and safe?
- Who will definitely bring zero drama and zero judgement to the mix?
- Who feels like a safe pair of hands you can trust, to hold you if you have a wobble? Or if, like me, you’re one whose vulnerability shows up with helpless, incoherent sobbing (just ask my coach!) – who can witness that without flinching, turning away, or hastening to fix or console?
At the time of writing this, we’re a few days out from the Solstice.
In preparation, I invite you to schedule your visit with nature, think about your own boundaries, and enquire within about how you can create a solid ‘home base’ – a foundation of emotional safety from which you can connect, and speak your truth.
Enjoy!
EXACT TIMES (US Eastern timezone)
21 June 2022, 7:13PM – Sun enters Cancer; June Solstice
** If you would like to learn an approach to boundaries which helps protect your tender emotions while enabling the full heart-to-heart connection, check out my upcoming Boundaries Workshop at www.getyourmarson.com – 25 June 7:30pm US Eastern
Janette Dalgliesh is a gifted life coach and astrologer based in south-east Australia. She helps women of all kinds, from all walks of life, to set themselves free from the unconscious, toxic BS of the patriarchy in which we all grew up – through the lens of astrology, mythology and archetypes. Her signature work is Liberation Zodiac, and you will find her at www.janettedalgliesh.com
