On June 21^st 2017 we have the Summer or Winter Solstice. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will enjoy the longest day of the year, aka the Summer solstice. People in the Southern Hemisphere will have shortest noontime shadow instead.

No matter where you live, astrologically 21^st of June is one of the most important days of the year. The Sun is either at the highest point in the sky, or at the lowest. This marks some sort of culmination – a point of “no return”. The Sun cannot go any further than that.

Just as everything around us in the nature gets born, grows, dies, only to be born again, the Vernal solstice is a symbol of change, it is a reminder that we are all part of nature, a part of a higher evolutionary process.

In Astrological cyclicity the Solstice acts like a square, it is similar to the first quarter Moon. The Spring Equinox is the New Moon, the two Solstices are the squares, and the Fall Equinox is the Full Moon.

At this time of the year, we are being asked to make the necessary adjustments to the plans we started at the time of the Spring Equinox. This square can bring some frictions, but will also give us great resources of energy to make change happen.

This is the time of empowerment, we are even more empowered than we were at the time of the Spring Equinox (which corresponds to the New Moon phase). The Equinox (the beginning of the astrological year) marked the beginning of a new cycle.

Even if back then we could “pick and choose” what we want to do in the upcoming cycle, and we could literally swim in an endless ocean of possibilities, still back then we were not necessarily very clear about what exactly we want to do.

By now, we know what we need to do. In the last 3 months we also learned what we need to stop doing, or what we need to start doing more. It is more and more clear what our purpose for this year’s cycle is.

Immediately after the Solstice, Mercury makes a superior conjunction to the Sun marking the peak of the current Mercury cycle, a time of manifestation for our “Mercurian” pursuits. Whatever you started at the beginning of the current Mercury cycle around April 20^th will come to fruition now. Look which houses in your chart are ruled by Mercury for more clues on how this is going to affect you.

The Mercury Sun conjunction takes place at the very potent degree 0° Cancer – this is one of the four cardinal degrees, the most powerful degrees in the zodiac. Transits to 0° of Cardinal signs are the best times to take action and assert ourselves.

This is not a time to play small or hide in the house. Get out there, do what you know you need to do. Mercury will make you very articulate so make sure you speak up and tell the world your truth. Get out our your comfort one. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

If you have Gemini, Leo or Virgo ascendant you will feel especially empowered by this transit. Similar if you have planets or angles around 0° in Cancer. We will all get some exciting news of some sort, Mercury is the messenger of the Zodiac after all.

The New Moon on June 23rd will carry on the theme of this Vernal Solstice, so there is more to come this week, stay tuned!

• Solstice