The Gemini Sun gives birth to the Sagittarius Full Moon on June 3, bringing relief from tensions and the possibility of an influx of optimism and expanding horizons carried by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction of mid-2023 to mid-2024.
Under this Jupiter-Uranus influence, new layers will peel off, shedding whatever remains of the more somber, agitating or depressive collective mood that has colored the last few years. But Pluto’s movement signals we may yet need to process a few things in order to release the weight of the more recent past.
The transformative fires of Pluto will roll backwards in Capricorn on June 11, in his first retrograde period since breaking new ground in Aquarius back in March. We may be revisiting events or experiences from Pluto’s time in Capricorn that we thought had been closed or finalized. We may also be asked to let go of something even more, though Pluto’s dynamic square with generous Jupiter suggests a rich bounty may be carried forward if we find our way to gratitude for what is passing or has passed from our lives. We would be wise to appreciate all its gifts, even if we are also sad to see something end.
Although Full Moons tend to bring in emotional high tides that can overwhelm us, there is much about this particular transit that speaks to a fortunate release of those tensions.
It may even signal an extended period of heart opening as Venus prepares to make her biannual retrograde through the big-hearted sign of Leo. Part of the big astrological news of 2023’s sky story is that Venus retrogrades tend to bring to the surface whatever has been only implied, or avoided, or neglected in the areas of partnership of all kinds, money matters, and what we like and are attracted to. Several aspects she will make throughout her entire retrograde journey emphasize freedom, authenticity and truth, and we should take note of any significant events in Venus-ruled spheres of life on June 5, as she first enters Leo, where she will spend the entire retrograde (June 18 - October 7). June 5 may provide some key foreshadowing of what will play out over the course of the retrograde period.
The Sun in Gemini stands exactly opposite the Moon in Sagittarius on June 3 at 8:41 p.m. US/Pacific, her glory, confidence, and inspiration radiating throughout the heavens. The cool Moon casts her maximum light just as fiery Mars finalizes an energetic meetup with inflating Jupiter and intensifying Pluto, which has been rocking our world since May 21, sparking our enthusiasm, zeal and positivity, and for some, frenzied activity or quite a bit of anger or confrontation.
This Full Moon will be an emotional climax for so many of us, as pressures are relieved and any confrontations move towards resolution, however slowly.
We may be able to recognize that we need to give things time and distance for the dust to settle and proper perspective to emerge, as boundary-setter Saturn makes a stressful T-square aspect to the Sun and Full Moon. But it may be difficult to allow the distance that is required, as the natural enthusiasm of Mars’s square aspect to Jupiter encourages a generally optimistic Sag Moon to try just one more time, or to put too much faith in acting instead of waiting. Mental Mercury’s close conjunction with insightful Uranus (exact June 4) also points to thinking differently about whatever may have been brewing under pressure of the last week of May.
For those who have experienced a more positive manifestation of the Mars-Jupiter-Pluto T-square—a force that can move mountains—this Full Moon could signal the beginning of an extended heart-opening period.
In general, the constriction and contraction of the last few years is shifting for the planet. The last few weeks may have been attended by a revitalization of creative energies, the convergence of momentum with opportunity, and some unexpected blessings (or blessings in disguise). Yet the reality principle of Saturn remains, and whether we have discovered new powers or broken the fetters on existing ones, there is always a period of learning to walk with new feet or speak in a new language. Trying to prematurely appear more competent than we actually are could fall flat. The Buddhist concept of beginner’s mind—an openness, curiosity, and a lack of preconceptions—can help steer our course forward and release patterns, behaviors or thoughtforms which could bind us, especially if we are having to let go of our habituation to limitations.
On a different note about 2023’s Venus retrograde, she will make several contacts with the liberating influence of Uranus, forming an archetypal combination, which is particularly noted in consciousness studies as a particularly enjoyable catalyst of expansion, insight, and relief from previously intractable problems. Venus-Uranus is a very good influence for using various technologies of the sacred to make journeys into consciousness and into the depths and heights of creativity and imagination for healing, insight, and reconciliation. The next two to three years will be crucially influenced by Saturn’s limitations, habits and reality principles. Expect to go for a deep swim through the province of imaginal Pisces (March 2023 - February 2026).
This summer’s retrograde offers a great opportunity to explore the poet William Blake’s observation that “the imagination is not a state: it is the human existence itself.”
The thinking mind, represented by Mercury, is ready to open to new imagination, as they conjoin with quantum leaping Uranus (exact June 4), and perhaps bring a final bit of information to light from the previous Mercury retrograde period (April 6 - May 31). Inventiveness, wild ideas, fresh or exciting perspectives may come tumbling through, as may some erratic or chaotic experiences with travel, commerce, or communications. This influence will be a fleeting one, as Mercury quickly cruises through Taurus to enter their home sign of Gemini on June 11 (until June 26). Our mental perceptions and understandings will benefit from this period, as we are available for the multiplicity of conversations and possibilities that Mercury in Gemini can offer. The only challenge may be in maintaining our focus, as our curiosity can be drawn in many directions at once. Our speech and depth of perception will be sharpened almost immediately, though, as Mercury makes a harmonious trine aspect with powerful Pluto (exact June 11).
Pluto is a bit super-charged this month, still moving rather slowly due to entering his first retrograde period since entering Aquarius in March. Although the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto spend about half the year retrograde, their slowing and stationary times indicate an intensification of their powers and qualities. Pluto is already a poster child for intensity, and transits from Pluto correspond with breakdowns of existing structures that allow a regeneration process that brings forth new life. The mythical Phoenix bird rising from the ashes is an apt symbol for Pluto’s processes, though his very slow movement means his return to Capricorn may be more personally consequential to some than others. Regardless, the topics or areas of life governed by Capricorn’s placement in your personal natal chart may be brought back into the spotlight, when he revisits the sign of Capricorn on June 12. For example, did Pluto enter your 8th House (debts, taxes, ancestral legacies) when he moved into Aquarius? If so, topics of the 7th House (1-on-1 relationships, contracts, adversaries, etc.) may now be revisited.
What we thought was completed may need more release while offering our gratitude and blessings to whatever has been, as Pluto’s dynamic square with benefic Jupiter indicates. There may a deep bounty to be harvested from Pluto’s first return to the last degrees of Capricorn (where he dwells until returning to Aquarius in January 2024), if we take time to appreciate the gifts of past structures, relations or people which are now passing from our lives, or transitioning into new roles.
Even if Pluto’s return to Capricorn doesn’t personally dredge up topics we thought were closed and finished, Venus’ approaching retrograde through the big-hearted sign of Leo heralds exciting new relationships and adventures, as well as sudden breakthroughs and break-ups. Whether this Venusian influence brings about transitions with friends, colleagues, intimate partners, money concerns or matters of art and beauty, this retrograde will expand our horizons and encourage us to strike out in new directions. Take note of Venus’s entry to Leo on June 5, as it may correspond to events which foreshadow what’s to be worked through over the entire retrograde (June 18 - October 7) period.
Venus will not be wasting any time calling attention to what lies beneath the surface of our agreements, assumptions or wishful thinking, as she makes an opposition to the evolutionary powers of Pluto (exact June 5) at her ingress to Leo. Venus-Pluto is the experience of vulnerability, exposing what we must embrace in order to get what we want. For some, this may lead to a clarification of our ultimate values—what we think we want may involve too much compromise. For others, it may initiate a fiery embrace of the bad and the ugly along with the good, in order to move towards a higher synthesis or a deeper expression of our values or our relationships.
Venus will make a dynamic square aspect to joyful Jupiter (exact June 11) not long after, an influence which will carry through the whole retrograde period and brings an air of successful heart expansions, enjoyment and indulgence. Venus-Jupiter longs for freedom to love, and demonstrates a generosity of heart and of appetites of all kinds. Given that retrogrades can also unearth challenging feelings and topics, forcing us to face fears of things like intimacy, abandonment or betrayal, Jupiter’s presence brings a soft cushion and suggests successful outcomes, or at least benefits and blessings.
Venus Retrograde Key Dates
⚈ Venus enters retrograde shadow at 12°Leo on June 18, 2023
⚈ Venus stations retrograde at 28°Leo on July 22, 2023
⚈ Venus stations direct at 12°Leo on September 3, 2023
⚈ Venus leaves retrograde shadow at 28°Leo on October 7, 2023
Venus-Uranus
There is another aspect of this summer’s Venus retrograde to consider, which emerges from the pioneering work of psychologist Stan Grof and astrologer Richard Tarnas in holotropic (“moving toward wholeness”) states of consciousness and their correlations to astrological influences. Holotropic states refer to those modes of consciousness which allow us to access personal healing as well as expanded insight into the nature of reality, spirituality and our own existence. While the body of research into planetary alignments and the types of experiences we may have in holotropic states emerges from psychedelic-assisted therapy, they may be accessed by a variety of means. Anything which allows us to access higher or deeper layers of consciousness could receive a good deal of benefit from Venus’s many encounters with the liberating influence of Uranus this year, things such as Grof® Breathwork, journeying with any kind of plant (not just psychedelic ones), vipassana or insight meditation, or ceremony, ritual or other technologies of the sacred which are intended to powerfully focus and expand our awareness.
When discussing more ordinary states of ego consciousness, Venus-Uranus is often characterized as unpleasant, socially cold and distant, or simply disruptive of the things we like, but when we engage with deeper or higher layers of consciousness—often referred to as transpersonal (beyond the ego) dimensions of our being—the Venus-Uranus influence is a fantastic heart-opener. It can correlate to the experience of a heart unburdened, a sudden relief from what has felt stuck or impossible, an easy or gentle breakthrough, and often makes the integration period following journeys into consciousness ecstatic and very enjoyable. Together with the lush sensorial experience of Venus-Jupiter which spans much of this year’s Venus retrograde, we might experience a renewed appreciation of the good things in life, and the beauty of our world.
Following are all of the dates for Venus’s interactions with Uranus remaining in 2023, including beyond her retrograde period, if you would like to take advantage of some special gifts of heart healing and insights from the cosmos.
Auspicious Consciousness Journey Dates
⚈ Venus square Uranus - June 26 to July 8, 2023 (exact July 2)
⚈ Venus square Uranus - July 29 to August 16, 2023 (exact August 9)
⚈ Venus square Uranus - September 21 to October 5, 2023 (exact September 29)
⚈ Venus trine Uranus - October 28 to November 1, 2023 (exact October 31)
⚈ Venus opposite Uranus - December 16 to December 25, 2023 (exact December 20)
The Moon represents who we are before we even think about who we are. She represents our instinctual self, and she describes our deepest vulnerabilities as well as our most profound capacity to connect with others. Full Moons amplify energy and emotions, and this Full Moon suggests a release of tensions and the beginning of an extended period of heart opening. Let’s see how the Sagittarius Full Moon impacts your own Moon placement!
Aries Moon
The sign of Aries has a reputation for adventurousness and risk-taking, and this Sag Full Moon could awaken you to the value of caution and taking aim before you shoot. The thing is, your aim is quite likely to be true under these skies, so gritting your teeth and finding self-restraint enough to chart a course, rather than impulsively pursuing an opportunity, will be rewarded.
Taurus Moon
This Sag Full Moon is speaking your language, Taurus Moon. But while you may especially enjoy opening to a feast of the senses, know that a pleasurable release from unfounded fears is also in the picture. It only requires you to let go and receive the gift of freedom.
Gemini Moon
The highly creative inventor and thinker Buckminster Fuller once wrote, “I am convinced that creativity is a priori to the integrity of the universe and that life is regenerative and conformity meaningless.” You might understand this more than most others, Gemini Moon, and the Sagg Full Moon celebrates your shimmery, shiny, shapeshifting intelligence, that you might better own and appreciate how your adaptability gives your life its integrity.
Cancer Moon
Your meditation under the Sag Full Moon is on the concept of homeodynamics, the dynamic state of balance and adaptability within living systems. Sometimes a strong illness is what restores our health to a state that’s even more optimal than before the illness struck. While your meditation may focus on any layer of your personal ecosystem that is in fluctuation, you will receive a great deal of support from cultivating your feelings of self-worth. Check out what type of meditation is right for you here.
Leo Moon
You may be entering a period in which you come to better understand your drive for pleasure, enjoyment and creative expression, Leo Moon. The Sag Full Moon is here to spotlight how you derive your sense of interpersonal and even cosmic belonging through those endeavors, and welcomes you to discover more through the act of play and imagination.
Virgo Moon
As the spiritual teacher Osho once said, “Breakdowns have the potential to become breakthroughs … A breakdown becomes a breakthrough when we are willing to explore the depths of our being, embrace change, and move beyond our limitations.” This Sag Full Moon brings tidings of recent or upcoming breakthroughs around challenging areas of your life, Virgo Moon. Rather than something to fear, be ready to welcome an enlivening breath of fresh air.
Libra Moon
How long have you waited for pleasures postponed, Libra Moon? You may be surprised as the Sagg Full Moon lifts invisible restrictions from your heart and soul, your body and mind, allowing the past to be past, and the future an unknown adventure yet to be lived.
Scorpio Moon
What a shift in perspective awaits you, Scorpio Moon, under the Sag Full Moon’s influence! As much as it may feel good to feel bad, you are invited to let your sensitivities guide you towards the laughter and a lightening of emotional energies that awaits you. You are supported to dive right into your heart’s desire … and have fun!
Sagittarius Moon
This is your Full Moon of 2023, Sagittarius Moon! Saturn’s movement into Pisces (March 7) may have made you more introspective than usual, or perhaps invoked more somber moods, and this Full Moon gives a glimpse of some of the depths you get to explore over summer. A serious mood of liberation is brewing.
Capricorn Moon
Capricorn Moon tends to struggle with vulnerability, preferring to show the face of competency and to demonstrate care by taking responsibility for others. This Sag Full Moon provides a beacon of light, radiating from your own neglected inner terrains, beckoning you to come play! Come play! It is okay to let the child within you explore the world with renewed imagination, vigor, and possibility.
Aquarius Moon
You may experience a shake out in the sphere of your friends and colleagues, or perhaps in matters of finance, under the Sag Full Moon. Wherever there is a disconnect between your values and where your energy flows in these spheres will be hard to ignore. The great news is that this shake out creates space for the arrival of what is in alignment with who you are and who you are becoming!
Pisces Moon
It’s time to kick any unwarranted feelings of victimization and helplessness to the curb, Pisces Moon! Your inner and outer worlds are being called together to find greater alignment, and the Sag Full Moon aims to free your mind from old stories that just don’t serve your well-being anymore. Queue up Aretha Franklin’s hit song “Think” and seek to “let your mind go, let yourself be free.”
Astrology Report by Erika Artemis @realimaginal
Header photo by Marina Schulze @nothinmyst
