At This Time
An overview of the current moment in space-time ~ June 2023
The Wheel of the Year:
Litha
June 20-22
The Ripening
Summer
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
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Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
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Litha is one of the four annual Solar festivals, which happen on the equinoxes and solstices and mark the high points of the seasons.
As the high holy days are major transition times, we refer to them as portals or doorways, through which we step into the next cycle of the Solar year. As priestesses, we hold the portal time especially sacred, as we bid farewell to the previous cycle and welcome the new.
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Litha themes: Marriage ~ Ripeness ~ Heat ~ Light
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“Litha is the season of expansion, when the crops burgeon forth. We forget winter’s cares and spend our days basking under the brilliant light. The Summer Solstice brings us the longest day of the year – the zenith of the Sun King, and also His death as the Holly King dethrones him and takes reign over the now waning year. From now until Yule, the light will fade into darkness.
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This is the time of lovers and gardeners. The rutting fervor of Beltane has deepened into the passionate eroticism that grows when partners become familiar with one another rhythms and moods. It is the love between those committed by heart as well as body. It is also the love of parents for their children (be they two- or four-legged!). Everywhere we look, ripeness spills out from field and forest.
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Litha is the height of the Divine Marriage, then the Oak King falls, His vigor and prime giving way to the sagacity of the Holly King, even as the Goddess prepares Herself for harvest and Cronehood.”
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(source unknown)
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In the season of Litha, we celebrate the Joy of Sacred Union!
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Summer arrives in the Northern Hemisphere this month; the Solstice is Wednesday, June 21.
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"The solstice is always a great time to honor change and reset – the ending of a cycle and the beginning of another. It is a time of celebration of the fullness of life, the harvest of what is complete and the planting of seeds of a new beginning. We always recommend doing some kind of ritual around a fire, honoring the sun and the energy of fertility and growth." ~ The PowerPath
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For more information and ideas about how to honor and celebrate Litha, check out our information page by clicking the button below.
The Moon:
Strawberry Season
The Moon will be Full in the sign of Sagittarius on June 3-4. June's full moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, in honor of the wild strawberries which ripen this month.
The Full Moon means the Sun and Moon are completely opposite each other in the sky, with the Moon fully reflecting the Sun's light. Thus the Full Moon will be in the astrological sign opposite to the Sun.
The Full Moon is a time to celebrate accomplishments, and prepare to release what no longer serves, especially in the areas related to Sagittarius, such as:
Exploration
Spirituality
Teaching
Optimism
Philosophy
Ethics
Adventures
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The Moon is New in the sign of Gemini on June 17-18.
The New Moon means the Sun and Moon are completely conjunct (or together) in the sky, with the Moon hidden in the rays of the Sun and invisible to our eyes. Thus, the New Moon will be in the same astrological sign of the Sun.
As a new cycle begins, it's time to envision new possibilities and set intentions, especially in the areas related to Gemini, such as:
Communication
Curiosity
Nerves
Duality
Wit
Observation
Hands and arms
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Read more about the Moon and her phases by clicking the button below.
The Stars:
Gemini Season and Cancer Season
The Sun is in Gemini from May 21 through June 21
The ruling planet of Gemini is Mercury, and its symbol is the Twins.
Keywords for Gemini: Quick-witted, youthful, mercurial, inquisitive, clever, communication
And the Sun moves into Cancer from June 21 through July 22
The ruling planet of Cancer is the Moon, and its symbol is the Crab.
Keywords for Cancer: Mother, nurturing, moody, empathy, defense, home
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"As we reach the end of the month, we will have three planets in retrograde, with Venus also set to follow in a few weeks. All of this retrograde energy can definitely create a slowdown and can naturally guide us to reflect and look to the past before we can move forward." ~ Forever Conscious
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Retrograde periods are wonderful times to work with RE words: reflect, remember, relax, renew, return, resolve...
For more detailed astrological information on the month of June 2023, check out these resources:
"June 2023 feels like two different months rolled into one. In the first part of the month, there feels to be this sense of up and down energy. As we reach the second half of the month, we have an incredible flow of feminine energy. This energy will guide us to work with our hearts and connect with the wisdom of feeling."
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"Emotional clarity becomes more available this month as we assimilate the lessons of the recent eclipses and align ourselves with the next intuitive step. The theme of Intuitive Choices has everything to do with stepping into the power of trusting the heart instead of the head and allowing for our curiosity and what is choosing us to be the compass instead of a plan based on a rationalized set of responsibilities and expectations. There is an opportunity to settle into right timing and the magic of synchronicity and spontaneous events that feel emotionally aligned."
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Read more about the Stars and Planets by clicking the button below.
The Elements:
Air and Water
This month, with the Sun first in Gemini and then in Cancer, we feel the elements of Air and Water deeply.
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The sign of Gemini is in the element of Air, and holds the quality of Mutable (motion).
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"Gemini is an air sign, which means energy will move from our lower chakras to our higher chakras, fueling our creativity and our desire to share. Gemini Season is a great time to focus on communication and working with our hands. It is also power time when it comes to recognizing both aspects of our being. We are a soul, but we are also a physical body. This is the nature of the Gemini Twins. One twin is mortal, the other is immortal, representing our temporary body and our forever soul." ~ Forever Conscious
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The sign of Cancer is in the element of Water, and holds the quality of Cardinal (initiation).
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"The Crab is not the largest, biggest, or most dangerous creature in the sea. It is not really an animal that we think of when we hear the words protector, and yet, despite its outward appearance, the Cancer Crab was all of those things.
The crab gets its strength, its fierceness not from its physical body, not from its knowledge, but from its heart. As our heart expands, as we connect with the love that we are, and the love that surrounds us, we too are able to find our courage, our compassion, and our strength." ~ Forever Conscious
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Read more about the Elements by clicking the button below.
Calendar
Our calendar combines the dates referenced above, as well as major cultural holidays.
Click on each event to learn more.
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TimeandDate is a wonderful reference to see exact times for your time zone.
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