Astronomy | Let the moon be your tour guide to the solar system this month! Mercury has fallen from view, but the four other visible planets are still a sight to behold. The moon begins its monthly rounds with the sun, with the two forming a solar eclipse on June 10. (Sadly, the solar eclipse will not be visible in our region.) On June 12, the faint sliver of the waxing crescent moon can be found alongside Venus, which is bright and beautiful in the evening twilight, growing brighter as the year continues. The following evening, the growing moon makes company with Mars. Unlike Venus, Mars is becoming dimmer as the planet travels farther away from us. It will disappear from the evening sky entirely come late August. Following the full moon on June 24 (the last of three “super” full moons), the morning of June 27 places the waning gibbous moon beside Saturn. On June 28, the moon meets up with Jupiter, king of the skies. Both planets rise in the wee hours of the morning and are high in the sky by sunrise. All these events can be viewed with the naked eye; however, a telescope or pair of powerful binoculars will reveal details our eyes alone cannot detect, such as the rings of Saturn and the “terminal line” where the shadow and sunlight meet on the moon’s face. In fact, did you know planets have phases much like the moon? Since the sun’s light reflects off a planet’s surface in varying degrees depending on the angle of the sun, the light from a given planet appears as a crescent, gibbous, and full when viewed closely.
Astrology | June 14 brings us the second of three formidable square aspects between Saturn and Uranus in 2021. Aspects between the massive, slow-moving outer planets have generational effects, changing societal and cultural dynamics in their wakes. Historically, combinations involving Saturn-Uranus have accompanied periods of entrenched opposition and rumbles of revolution, and this year appears to be no different. However, there are beneficial qualities to these times of tension. Consider the words of futurist engineer Buckminster Fuller: “Tension is the great integrity.” The principle of tension is what allows buildings to stand, bridges to span, and bodies to move. It is how music can arise from a guitar string. Tension is a composer of form and a catalyst for growth. As we move forward in the year, we are given opportunity to reconcile our personal comfort with our collective responsibility, our technological advances with our social needs, our knowledge with our values. If we meet these challenges successfully, we can utilize the tensile force available now to build a bridge to a better future.
~ Dawn Andreoni is a yoga teacher and astrologer living on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. You can find more about her offerings at celestialdawnastrology.com or follow her at facebook.com/astronotions.
