Full Moon in Sagittarius, 15˚34’, at 12:12 PM PDT, on June 5th, penumbral lunar eclipse. Sun, at 15˚34’, and Venus, 12˚18’retrograde, conjunct in Gemini, Mars in an exact square, at 15˚52’ Pisces. Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces, at 20˚53’, on June 13th, 7:13 am. Mercury, out of bounds, at 9˚05’ Cancer, on June 5th, then turns retrograde mid-June at 14˚ Cancer.

I was struggling back on Memorial Day to express, in words, what I saw in the upcoming sky under the June Full Moon. Memorial Day, the day we remember the people who lost their lives for our country, for our “way of life.” The day ended, as you all know, with the news of the tragic murder of George Floyd, a 46-year old black man, at the knee of the white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin.

The late, great civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr, used the phrase “Divine dissatisfaction” to describe ways in which we can address systemic racism and poverty, the social diseases of America, in his famous speech in 1967, ‘Where do we go from here?” In the speech, King declared,” Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.” With a natal Moon in Pisces in a square with his Gemini Mars in his birthchart, MLK took the personal power and initiative inherent in that square and put into action Gemini words and wisdom, a respect for black and brown, white and yellow – for all people – with the sensitivity, compassion and spiritual consciousness of a Pisces lunar soul.

We have a different square now in our current sky; one that equally challenges us.

We all know change has to happen in the spirit of non-violent activism. How can I be an ally in support of people of color and social justice, while doing what I can to keep my community safe and sane? 

You see I tend to see astrology as instructive, rather than predictive. The primary idea behind evolutionary astrology is that we can take the current moment, consider the position of the planets and the relationships between them, and try to grasp a higher potential – the best path forward – the sky offers us now.

But try as I did, the Full Moon in early June looked ominous to me back on Memorial Day, back before the streets across America exploded. Both Full Moon and Sun form a tight square, 90˚, to the planet, Mars, at 15˚52’ Pisces. The Moon is in Sagittarius, 15˚34’, at 12:12 PM PDT, on June 5th; it is a penumbral lunar eclipse. Sun, at 15˚34’, and Venus, 12˚18’retrograde, conjunct in Gemini, follow the Venus Star point, the exact inferior conjunction June 3rd. The square between Sun and Mars began the last few days of May and will last until mid-June. The Full Moon triggers it at its strongest point.

The Moon in Sagittarius is a time of fiery passion and enthusiasm, whether fighting for justice in the streets or seeking a new adventure. We may desire travel and the joy of social interaction, with the need to see friends, and to experience all life grants us, especially now in springtime. A Gemini Sun and Venus wants to embrace life’s diversity, to have a curious mind open to all kinds of perspectives, to revel in the complexity of the human spirit.

So, I knew early June would be a time of letting down our guard, dropping our masks, and letting go, as Mars in Pisces allows us to do, losing our boundaries and freeing ourselves from shelter in place.

All this after the weeks of isolation and care we have taken. What can I say…it did look ominous!

The planet Neptune is a little further along in Pisces, at 20˚53’. Mars will conjunct exactly Neptune the following week on Saturday, June 13th, 7:13 am. Neptune can help manifest the highest of spiritual consciousness and self-sacrifice, but the planet is also eager to delude us, make us wish to escape and to perhaps seek solace in too much wine, too much pleasure, too much feasting in springtime bliss! Neptune and Mars in Pisces can also move us individually to join the masses in protest, to sweep us along and encourage us to let go of Covid-19 precautions with the collective wave for social change.

During both weekends, the cosmic chemistry underscores the need to take the higher road of a Pisces Mars – act with caution, with compassion, not delusion. As King wrote, to walk in a spirit of light. What a relief to see many protestors wearing masks! It is important to keep in mind Neptune in Pisces is associated with the spread of disease and epidemics. Mars may trigger this now.

But I must say Mercury in Cancer gives me some hope too. Considered “out of bounds,” at extreme declination, Mercury is operating beyond the scope of the Sun, and can awaken in us radical new ways of relating and engaging the other; one that is emotional and protective. Think of the Cancer crab seeking protection in her shell or scurrying into her hole in the sand, finding comfort and safety in her nest, her home. By mid-June, no longer out of bounds, the trickster of communication and our guide to bringing in new perceptions, new ideas, will turn retrograde, at 14˚ Cancer.

Cancer, sign of the Moon, defends the vulnerable and feels the need to care for those close and in need. Following an out-of-bounds period of Mercury and retrograde in mid-June, how conducive a time to “think outside the box” in how we respond and care for those we love and how best to protect our community, our clan.

Despite all the tension, all the mayhem and uncertainty, we are in a season of rebirth. And it is such a fragile one. Most importantly, now is the time to reimagine our world and our part in it. All this while maintaining caution, finding connection despite isolation, and recognizing new spikes in the Covid-19 pandemic are likely. Whether in casual meetups with a few friends or in the streets marching for justice, the sky says - please, please - play it safe.

“Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.”  

Wishing you the best Full Moon.