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Summer Solstice & Solar Eclipse

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This New Moon brings with it a solar eclipse, falling in the sign of Gemini and the lunar house of Mrigashira, culminating on June 20th at 11:40 pm PDT and June 21st 12:10 pm IST. New Moons happen when the Sun and the Moon join together, and the proximity of the New or Full Moons to Rahu or Ketu make an Eclipse. So in this busy sign of Gemini we have Sun, Moon, Rahu, and Mercury. Although many of you know Mercury has gone retrograde from June 18 to July 12th, it is still a fortification to have Mercury in its own sign of Gemini, though the Mars aspect onto the situation from Aquarius does not help and can lead to agitation and aggression.

As always, it is ideal to do spiritual practice or otherwise not much of anything during the three hours before and after an eclipse. Rituals of fasting before and during and bathing after an eclipse are commonly followed. 

For this one particularly I advise to be a bit extra cautious on Saturday, and use the day for mediation or rest. In the astrological system, another timing that occurs once a month also happens to line up today, which can make us even more vulnerable to the already unstable energy. So absolutely no big risks or decisions today!

The eclipse impacts the sign and the area of life where it occurs in a chart. People with Gemini prominence- Ascendent, Sun, Moon, or ascendent ruler- will feel this the most, especially those with placements around 6 degrees of Gemini. As this is a solar eclipse happening in the night in the US the effects are lessened here, and the impact is most strongly felt in North India, China, and Africa. These places may even see the ‘ring of fire’ created by a solar eclipse. Some astrologers are looking to these upcoming weeks and months as a sign of increased tensions on the India/China border. For a country is it considered stronger and unfavorable when an eclipse passes over it.

This year the Summer Solstice lines up with the eclipse. Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of summer. In one way, the year is divided into two marked by Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. In the Vedic system the Summer Solstice is called Dakshinayana, as the Sun begins a Southern movement and the nights get longer. It is considered a time of purification, and that these next 6 months are the time for spiritual practice and sowing the seeds of what will grow in the following cycle beginning at the Winter Solstice in December.

So many of us have been going through major shifts on a personal level, and the global shifts are profound to all. On a level of consciousness the eclipse can be a powerful transformation of our awareness and how we operate in our lives. It is common in the midst of transition to feel confused and lost, but through spiritual awareness perhaps we can have glimpses of excitement about new ways of being. New moons are always a time of letting go, and this one combined with the Solstice and the Eclipse can offer an even greater expansion if we allow it. Now is the time to hold on to our practice, and ride the waves of uncertainty with as much grace as possible.

Love and Blessings,


Mrinmoyee

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Mrinmoyee Prajna

Mrinmoyee is in a long term love affair with Mother India, the land of her spiritual birth. She has lived primarily in India for the last 2 decades, and while she appreciates most all aspects of the culture, Vedic Astrology, Meditation, and Devotional pactices have been her primary focus.

Having grown up on the East coast of the United States, she deeply sees the need for the Vedic sciences in the modern Western life. She lived for 10 years in an Indian Buddhist spiritual community in North India where meditation and seva (service) were the foundations of her practice. Here she experienced the traditional teachings passed down through a lineage that is customary in India. As her interest in Vedic Astrology grew it took her to different regions and teachers of India and the US. She has studied Vedic Astrology for the last 10 years, and has given hundreds of readings to people all over the world in the last 5 years.

She offers introductory workshops on Vedic Astrology, and retreats in India. But the main focus of her work is personalized birth chart consultations. She has studied with both traditional and modern teachers, and gives a traditional analysis of the chart combined with a modern, applicable interpretation. While Vedic Astrology is Hindu in its origins, a person need not be following that path to benefit from her readings. Advice on career, relationships, finances, ideal living locations, and spirituality are just some of the areas of life that can be covered in a session.