This year’s summer solstice will take place on June 21, 2023 at precisely 4:59 pm Paris time. This event corresponds to the moment when the Sun enters Cancer. It’s also the longest day of the year. Solstice means the sun stops shining, and indeed, for 3 days, if we observe the sun at the same time, it will be in the same place. Then, from June 25, it will resume its southern declination, and the days will already begin to imperceptibly diminish. Let’s see how the study of the theme drawn up for this moment sheds light on the trends to come until the end of September.
A will to emancipate, whatever the cost
First of all, we can see that the ascendant of this solstice theme is in the transforming sign of Scorpio, in square to its ruler Pluto in Capricorn, in opposition to Jupiter in Taurus and square to the Moon in Leo. As for harmonic aspects, we have a trine to Saturn in Pisces and another to the Sun in Cancer, ruler of the midheaven, which is in conjunction with Venus and Mars. Pluto also forms a sextile to Neptune. What can we discern behind these influences? First of all, on an individual level, a desire to emancipate oneself, to defend one’s freedom and enjoy the pleasures of life, even if it means breaking rules deemed too restrictive. We’ll be asking ourselves a lot about the meaning of our lives and their outcomes. There may also be a growing interest in well-being and spirituality.
On a collective level, these astral configurations, notably the square of the ascendant to Pluto, indicate a rise in popular discontent in the face of inflation represented by Jupiter in Taurus and the not always openly clear desiderata of power itself in connection with international treaties. Thanks to Saturn, a return to essential and spiritual values will be felt.
Excess… and repression
During the summer of 2023, several phases will make themselves felt. First of all, a series of squares to Uranus, Mars (June 26), Venus (July 2 then August 9), Mercury (July 23) and the Sun (August 16) could well push us into excesses of all kinds, particularly in our spending. Leos could also experience professional turbulence, conflicts with hierarchy, or even a breach of contract. These squares will be accompanied by other squares, this time to Mercury’s Jupiter (July 17) and Sun (August 7), which will go in the same direction as the squares seen above, but in an amplified way. From a world astrology point of view, we could see here an attempt by the government to show more repression in the face of social movements. This could be particularly the case around July 10 and 22, when Mercury and the Sun oppose Pluto in Aquarius.
Back to family values…
Fortunately, at the same time, a very positive note will be struck by harmonious aspects to Jupiter, starting with a double sextile of the Sun and Mercury in Cancer on July 1, followed by a trine of Mars in Virgo on August 1, followed by that of Mercury on August 10. Under these influences, our home and family will once again take pride of place, and we’ll be keen to ensure their well-being and comfort. This could follow a certain return to financial prosperity and an increase in our purchasing power. On the other hand, Mars’ trine to Pluto in Capricorn on August 25 and the Sun’s trine to Pluto in Virgo on September 21 will encourage us to put our lives back in order, and return to healthy habits.
… and a desire to escape
However, this won’t happen without giving rise to certain internal contradictions, notably between a need for concrete reference points and rationality represented by the passage of the fast planets through Virgo, and their successive oppositions to Saturn (July 20 for Mars, August 2 for Mercury and August 27 for the Sun) and Neptune (August 22 for Mars, September 19 for the Sun), both in Pisces representing a need to escape, to return to nature and the marvelous, itself supported by Mercury’s trine to Neptune on July 9.
Restrictions back?
In world astrology, we’ll find this antinomy between, on the one hand, the positive aspects of Mercury and the Sun in Cancer to Jupiter, the trine of Mars and Mercury in Virgo, 10th house to Jupiter in 7th house, which could lead the government to legislate in favor of increasing household purchasing power, and the oppositions to Saturn seen above, which could, from July 20 onwards, see the return of the health themes of the pandemic and the restrictions on freedom we’ve already experienced.