Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold
—from “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats, 1919
The typewriter is holy the poem is holy the voice is holy the hearers are holy the ecstasy is holy!
—from “Footnote to Howl” by Allen Ginsberg, 1955
“That’s between me and god,
and no, I’m not going to make content about it.”
As an astrologer doing business in the state of New York, I’m required by law to inform you that my services are for entertainment purposes only. This is because of fortune telling laws. Yes that sounds fake but is for real( and put a pin in that sentence because it’s a theme for June). Astrologers have discussed what might happen with Saturn (rules) now approaching Neptune (mysticism) in Pisces at the digital watercooler for years. Will fortune telling laws be enforced again? And what will the consequences be? And further: is regulation actually a good thing? What some call gatekeeping, others call divinity.
Or, as I’m going to put it: “That’s between me and god, and no, I’m not going to make content about it.”
I think for all of us, June is a time of great exploration. Information downloads galore. But it’s also about falling in love with our limits. Not in some act of selflessness, but because there really is no other choice at this point. June is a relief because it draws boundaries in the parts of our life that have long been boundary-less. What’s begging to be reigned in? I think the path to integration is best traveled with both discipline and hope.
What we’re watching: Todd Haynes’ Bob Dylan (Gemini, of course) “biopic” I’m Not There; and the films of Agnès Varda (because she’s a Gemini for the ages and I’m painfully under-exposed to her work, starting with One Sings, The Other Doesn’t (1977) because (see image above) it’s really giving Jupiter in Gemini!
What we’re reading: All Fours by Miranda July
What we’re listening to: Some neural nostalgia, some new, something borrowed, something blue:
Questions to ask of June (use as a card pull or journaling prompt):
What’s gotten out of control?
How to reign it in?
Who is my muse along the way?
To get to the heart of what’s happening in June, let’s talk about how we got here in the first place. If you want to blame a planet on the collective lack of boundaries, the burnout, the misery, the guy to blame is Neptune. Richard Tarnas introduces Neptune in Cosmos and Psyche as “[the planet] associated with transcendent, spiritual, ideal, symbolic, and imaginative dimensions of life.” Neptune creates utopias, ecstatic feelings, divine unions. Neptune dissolves boundaries and develops compassion. Neptune is also a nightmare, a planet of projections, addiction, escapism and funhouse mirrors. Neptune “blesses” whoever they touch with a certain je ne sais quoi. To consider: Taylor Swift and the late James Gandolfini both have strong Neptune signatures in their chart. A tortured poet and someone who plays a tortured poet on “TV” (I’ll let you decide which one is which…or perhaps it’s both/and).
Neptune spends about 14 years in a sign and with that longevity defines each generation’s trends. Neptune has been in open minded and inspired water sign Pisces since 2011 (some consider Pisces to be Neptune’s home sign, a delineation based purely on vibes). The Pisces stereotype is being a little “spacy” or “out there” and more and more over these last 13 years even the normiest among us can have a little spirituality as a treat. Seeking daily guidance from the planets—which was for hippies in the 70’s but now is for girl bosses—is one of the many trends that has reached peak saturation in this hazy Piscean time. Astrology along with the apex of “wellness culture,” green juice mania, the rise of Glossier (and the “dewy skin” look), Instagram therapy accounts, melatonin gummies, meditation apps and having at least one friend who sells CBD bath bombs for extra cash, has made us all think we’re getting “healthier” but is all that navel gazing actually good for us? The Body Keeps the Score, but where is my mind?