With the turning of the Solar Year, we have 4 significant cardinal corners marking the advent of the seasons of the year. These quarters of the year have been celebrated down the ages, and marked as ancient harvest and earth festivals that bind us to one another as well as to the Earth, in a respectful and sacred dance.

The Solstice on June 21st (or 20th depending on where you live) is one of these 4 magical corners of the year. One of the longest days in the Northern Hemisphere (and shortest in the South), it is a day of power and initiation. The fruit is on the vine here in the north, the days are hot, and we celebrate the fruition of nature’s bounty. Memorialized at sunrise by the hele-stone of Stonehenge, Midsummer has been celebrated over the centuries by lighting bonfires to cast out evil, and to welcome in prosperity and fertility for the Summer months ahead.

This is when the Sun enters Cancer, the 2nd Cardinal sign of the astrological year, a time in which we honor our roots, our heritage, our mothers, our homes, the homeland, our ancestors and the very roots of our being. Ruled by the Moon, the sign of Cancer is also associated with the Sea, the emotions, with empathy, caring, sentimentality, as well as our emotional foundations like family, community and that which brings us a sense of belonging.

In the hustle and bustle of the outer world, we tend to overlook the importance of our inner emotional, spiritual and psychological world. This is also the place of our imagination, our dreams, our daydreams and ideals. We ignore these, not realizing that our physical health and well-being depend also on our inner well-being.

Like an anchor in a storm, our emotional foundation tethers us to a a place of safety and security that we trust will not be shaken, no matter what happens, no matter where we are. Cancer’s association is primarily with the past, with family, with our heritage.  It is also about connecting to our deep emotional roots, whether that be our common bonds, our sense of belonging, our sense of identity… it is also about our coping methods, and where and who we go to when we look for support and security.

So we might want to stop and think for a moment: Where do I go to when I need that support and security? Who and what can I depend on to be there? What changes do I need to make in order to promote or maintain greater safety and security in my life and in my community? 

The Ingress chart for when the Sun enters Cancer sets the tone for the next quarter of the year, with an emphasis on those things that support us and make us feel safe. This can involve things like the housing market, agriculture, the stability of the communities and foundations of our lives. With squares to Moon and Jupiter in fiery Aries in this chart, the current trajectory feels unsustainable if things remain as they currently are, and that some sort of change is necessary in order to restore that stability.

Aries is a proactive sign of initiative and action compelling communities and individuals to want to take some sort of action, that will help to restore the order, and return us to a state of greater stability. Much of this is being exacerbated by Venus, Pallas and Uranus on the North Node in Taurus, the sign of financial security, and also square Saturn. This is the inference of the continuation of this year-long Uranus-in-Taurus destabilization of the global economy. All these conflicting squares imply a need for some sort of Change or Adjustment in order to get us back on track.

Litha, the Cancer Solstice, and Midsummer here in the North, was honored in ancient times with fire and drums and celebration. Even as late as the 18th century bonfires were lit on the hilltops and countryside of England. And so may we also dedicate to the sun gods, dance and pay homage to the Lord of Light at this magical time of the year. And do so in order to receive the right guidance and conditions that are needed for the global security and sustainability of our communities, homes and families.

**Astrology By Lauren

**Source