Horse / Rose / Strawberry Moon
June hosts a very special moment in the wheel of the year, the summer solstice. Occurring on the 21st the solstice marks one of two apexes in the natural progression of shifting light throughout the year. Specifically it is the longest day of the year and immediately following it the days will begin to shorten again until the Winter Solstice in December. This swing of the pendulum has been constant for hundreds of thousands of years. Some traditions identify the solstice as the beginning of summer and here in the Pacific Northwest it truly is the beginning of the warmest season. However, in the wheel of the year, it’s the peak of summer. On such an auspicious planetary apex it is inevitable that some life lesson will surface for you on the solstice. Since Moon wisdom centers around emotions, the question of June’s Full Moon is; are you ready for the emotional swimsuit season?
In this metaphor a swimsuit represents exposure; it’s a full reveal to what we have been putting into and getting out of our bodies. The Moon symbolizes our emotional intelligence and while our EQ’s tend to wax and wane like the Moon herself, it still hovers within a range. The peak of summer cues us to have a very real moment of emotional honesty with ourselves and to look at the authentic crescendos and diminuendos of our EQ throughout the year. Imagine your thought patterns, beliefs, judgments, fears and the entire underbelly of your emotional mind being exposed. For most of us, the thought is enough to send one straight to the emotional gym for a solid workout.
Where is the emotional gym in this metaphor? Psychotherapy? Church? A meditation retreat? Only you can know what works best to prepare your mind for a true self-audit. Or maybe you don’t need to prepare… but probably you do. Some of you may choose not to take a bold look at yourself in the safety of summer’s warm and vibrant extended days. Maybe you’d rather wait for the cold dark nights of the Winter solstice to take a good long look at yourself? Either way, the apexes are natural extremes and they trigger us to extreme reflection. The reality is, life as we know it has constant velocity and perseveres to ever press forward, so we can choose to remain listless and get slapped upon the shores of time, or we can stretch out our limbs and swim in the proverbial seas of change. Either way, eventually, somehow, you’ll be asked to open the kimono of your mind to yourself for a proper inventory.
This approach may seem a bit overly ambitious and in truth it comes easier to some than to others. Take refuge in knowing that this full moon falls in the sign of Sagittarius; characterized for being direct, courageous, generous and honest, you can imagine the strength, focus and aim of the archer honing your aim for this month’s lunar pursuits. How will you rise to the challenge? Will you hit your mark of real self-awareness again and again or will you not even raise the bowstring to your cheek? For most of us it will be a few hits on the mark and many arrows that fall short. The real work is to keep pulling the bow taught and steeling our gaze to aim again.
June is also known in Celtic folklore as the Horse Moon and embodies the power and heart of the horse. Horses are an astounding amalgamation of fight or flight. Their sheer size makes them an impending presence yet they seem delicate and fragile as they canter across the earth. No wonder there has been such deep fear, reverence and fascination with them throughout time. Horse symbolizes a strong drive and can be a force that strengthens your resolve to engage in life’s challenges. Even in your vulnerability there is power, for example, a horse’s long, delicate legs can be easily damaged and yet they are the source of their great speed.
In North America horses have wild origins and still roam free today yet they are also tamed and integrated into modern society. This reminds us to seek balance between our instinct and intellect as the horse does and use that balance as the compass of your emotional core. With that intrinsic sense of direction honed, you can begin your gentle inquiries. Witness the ways you are you triggered and defensive in your life. Unravel the ways in which you are you calculating and controlled. Now ask yourself what resides in the middle of those aspects of yourself and what personal plights need you to crusade for them before it’s too late.
This is not a time to be diplomatic with your pursuits in strengthening your emotional intelligence; it’s a time to be forthright. As chief Joseph said, “It does not require many words to speak the truth.” Embrace this wisdom and live your life so that when you die there is nothing that remains to be done. You owe it to yourself Baby and there is no better time than the long days of drifting clouds and beach blankets to lay back and watch your thoughts. Learn from yourself, you know you better than anyone and you have the most to teach yourself if you can become a willing student.