Saturday, June 18, 2016

Midsummer Solstice And A Full Strawberry Moon!



This year, the Summer Solstice will happen on Monday, June 20, at 3:34 pm, Pacific Daylight Time. The Solstice means the time that the sun literally stands still, at the northernmost zenith as seen from the Earth, and it's the longest day of the year. If that wasn't enough, we also get a bonus full moon on the same day! We haven't had a Solstice with a full moon in 70 years, so it's a rare occasion.

June's full moon is traditionally referred to as the Strawberry Moon. Not because it's pink, but because that was its Native American name. It's also called the Rose Moon in some cultures. I can't think of a more romantic thing to do than pick sweet, ripe strawberries under a beautiful full moon, can you?

To have the Solstice and a full moon together on the same day is auspicious, as the full moon amplifies the attributes of the Solstice, just like a Quartz crystal will amplify other stones' beneficial properties. During our last post, we urged you to be cautious with your words and ideas. This month, because the full moon is again in exuberant Sagittarius (but just barely, it slips into Capricorn just an hour later), we think that you still need to be cautious, but if you work very hard, you can turn those ideas into reality. The Solstice itself, however, adds a mixed layer of masculine and feminine energy - the full moon is the Goddesses time, and the Summer Solstice is the time of the Sun God. This is the time for complete harmony. This is a potent mixture of yin and yang and it's more than likely that we'll all stand revealed in the light.

It's time now to be fully authentic - to be your highest you - and to completely let go of the weight you've been carrying around that no longer needs carrying. Cast out the baggage, June is a time of rebirth, of reawakening. This moon is a light upon our path, and if we are aware of our surroundings and constructs, we can negotiate our path with success. Listen to your spirit, your intuition, they're your guideposts along with the light. We liked astrologer Rick Levine's admonishment to Sun Sign Leo for the month (which can apply to all other signs), "Wisdom is knowing which road is the right one. Integrity is taking it."

We're hosting a Midsummer Solstice Celebration tonight at Hoopla! Emporium, featuring Shaman Carol Woodliff; Tarot reader Sonia Chernobieff; Doreen Virtue certified Fairy Oracle reader Alyse Korn; and a pop-up appearance by Kristen Urlacher of ArtCrush Gallery! Festivities start at 6:30 pm - Carol will lead us all in a short, earth-based blessing ceremony, and there will be tasty food and drinks available. Come join us and have a bit of fun! We plan to walk up the street around 9:00 pm and celebrate Pizza Of Venice's third anniversary with more food and their own craft beer!


Light and love to all our readers!