Monthly Vedic Astrology Forecast

Jupiter Settles into Taurus Transit June 1 - June 30 
Full Moon in Scorpio - Partial Lunar Eclipse June 4 
Mercury Transits Gemini June 4 - June 21 
Inferior Conjunction of Venus June 5 - June 6 
Sun Enters Gemini June 15 
New Moon in Gemini June 19 
Mars Enters Virgo June 21 
Saturn Resumes Direct Motion June 26 
Jupiter - Ketu Conjunction June 30 

Jupiter Settles into Taurus Transit June 1 - June 30

Jupiter, the planet of abundance, positivity and expansion, spends its first full calendar month in Venus' earth sign of Taurus. Jupiter joins retrograde Venus, Ketu (the south node of the Moon) and the Sun (until June 15.) This is quite a conglomeration of planetary energy, which can sometimes cause the planets involved a challenge in expressing their results clearly.

Jupiter's trip around the Sun takes about twelve years, which places him in each sign for about one year. Jupiter's stay in Taurus this time will be from May 15, 2012 through May 30, 2013, with a retrograde cycle that runs from October 4, 2012 through January 30, 2013. Ketu will join Jupiter in Taurus through mid-January 2013, so it will be valuable to explore how this combination will affect this Jupiter transit through Venus' fixed earth sign.

The Sun joins Jupiter on either end of this Jupiter transit, as the Sun occupies Taurus from mid-April through mid-May every year. The Moon will make a monthly visit with Jupiter. Mars will not join with Jupiter at any time during the next year, but both Mercury and Venus will transit Taurus at both the beginning and end of Jupiter's time there.

The most impactive of the planetary combinations with Jupiter will be with Ketu and will begin this month, June 2012. By mid-June, Ketu and Jupiter will come within five degrees of orb, exactly conjuncting on June 30 and remaining within five degrees of one another through July 25, 2012.

Jupiter's expansive qualities promote growth. Ketu brings to the mix a contractive energy that promotes inner focus and self-exploration. The earthy realm of Taurus represents our physical and material environment and how we connect and relate to it through acquisition of resources. The general trend could be an expansion of resources or material property, but with an interesting twist that may involve a consolidation of energy that ultimately leads toward abundance. This means that acquisition and release will need to work together to create a more beautiful sense of abundance.

We could also see the recognition of the self or spiritual practice as a resource (Ketu in Taurus.) Ketu is known as a separative planet, so the idea of letting go as a means to acquire could be evident. Releasing material possessions as an act of spiritual acceptance or allowing relationships that no longer create a sense of abundance to dissolve in exchange for a focus on the self could be common themes in the next year, both collectively and individually. Because of the close conjunction of Jupiter and Ketu from mid-June through the end of July, we could see this type of change precipitating sooner rather than later. It may be helpful to identify where in the individual birth chart this conjunction will affect in order to prepare for the shift that this transit may cause.

Full Moon in Scorpio - Partial Lunar Eclipse June 4

The Moon reaches the apex of its cycle in the pre-dawn hours of June 4 in Mars' water sign, Scorpio. The Moon and Sun's opposition still lies close to the Rahu/Ketu axis, which causes a partial lunar eclipse, the follow-up to the solar eclipse of May 20, 2012. Eclipses always happen in pairs, a fortnight apart, one at the new Moon and one at the full Moon.

While the Moon is generally at its strongest during the full Moon, it will be conjunct Rahu, who has the power to swallow the light that our Moon reflects, and it will also be in occupation of its sign of debility, Mars' Scorpio. We may feel mixed results during this time.

The Moon will be located in the lunar mansion called Jyeshta, which means "the eldest." This lunar mansion is actually past the degree of debilitation of the Moon, which improves things a bit. Jyestha is associated with power, independence and courage; within this lunar mansion we can draw on the power of our experience to face difficulties and demons.

The conjunction of the Sun and Moon with the nodal axis, the condition which causes eclipses, can often trigger events that are "fateful" in nature. While we always have our free will to drive our actions and choices, sometimes we are faced with situations that are caused by forces that are beyond our control. These forces are often represented by the positions and associations of Rahu and Ketu.

In this instance, Mars is the lord of Rahu and Venus is the lord of Ketu, so the basis of these nodal positions carries the energy of these two planets that represent the masculine (Mars) and feminine (Venus) qualities. Mars has been strongly posited in the Sun's sign, Leo, since late October, 2011, creating a powerful, fiery, masculine position for Mars since that time. Venus is currently in a retrograde cycle which transitions her from evening to morning star status, in her own sign of Taurus, creating a feminine basis that is both stable and transitional.

Therefore the themes of power within relationship, interaction between masculine and feminine energy, and the delivery of situations that contain elements beyond personal control could arise during this powerful full Moon. Expect the unexpected amidst a combination of outer obscurity and inner clarity as you navigate the early part of this month.

Mercury Transits Gemini June 4 - June 21

Later in the day, after the moment of the full Moon, Mercury moves out of the grouping of planets in Taurus and into his own air sign, Gemini, for a quick transit. Mercury rules communication and exchange and gives each of us the ability to learn, move and adapt.

Mercury, as the quickest moving planet aside from the Moon, is associated with the nervous system and networks of any kind. The mutable nature of Mercury also causes him to be easily influenced by the aspects of other planets, so this movement out of Taurus leads him into a three month period where he will be able to operate relatively free of influence by other planets as he transits through Gemini, Cancer and Leo through August. There will be an encounter between Mercury and the Sun in August while Mercury is in Cancer.

For planning purposes, it should mentioned that our next Mercury retrograde cycle runs from July 15 – August 7 in the sign of Cancer. Probably a great time for a beach vacation, for remodeling projects in the home, family reunions or any other activity that doesn't require precise technical communication or important new beginnings.

The period of Mercury in Gemini will be good for learning, teaching, networking, writing and short journeys. Recommended activities, especially in preparation for the retrograde cycle, would be shoring up computer systems, backing up important information, vehicle maintenance, finishing up projects and important communications.

Inferior Conjunction of Venus June 5 - June 6

The inferior conjunction of Venus indicates the moment when retrograde Venus exactly meets the Sun, which happens on June 5-6 at 21° of Taurus, in the lunar mansion called Rohini. This will be a rare astronomical phenomenon, explained more here at EarthSky.org.

Venus will continue retrograde motion until June 26, then stations direct at 13° Taurus, still in the nakshatra Rohini. This station is within four degrees of both Ketu and Jupiter. This is a significant transit. Venus is strong in her own earth sign, accompanied by Jupiter, both considered to be in the same brahmin (priest) caste.

This conjunction marks the beginning of a new Venus cycle. The last inferior conjunction of Venus was October 29, 2010 in Libra and before that, March 29, 2009 in Pisces. The trend here is that each of these inferior conjunctions has occurred/will occur when Venus is in her own sign (Libra, Taurus) or exalted (Pisces.) The next inferior conjunction happens January 11, 2014 in Sagittarius, with Jupiter aspecting Sun and Venus in his own sign; still not to shabby for Venus. Overall, this trend reflects a deep collective desire to improve our ability to love and relate.

Venus signifies the beloved, art, love, beauty, comfort, charisma and means of transportation. Libra is Venus' dynamic air sign and evokes the social, harmonious, idealistic and charismatic aspect of Venus. This would have been the scene of the October 2010 inferior conjunction that marked the beginning of the cycle we are currently ending.

The new cycle begins while Venus is located in Taurus, an earth sign with a fixed nature. This is a much more settled side of Venus where the focus is on form, the refinement of material beauty, a relationship with the earth element and its manifestations. Since Venus rules love and relationship, we may begin to feel a shift to a desire for stability in relationship, and for manifesting that which may have been born in the idea realm within the last 18 months and giving it form and substance.

The associations of Venus at this pivotal time will influence the expression of Venus' energy, which is essentially connective and devotional. Venus during inferior conjunction is much like the new Moon, which is weakened by its combustion with the Sun. The separative, destructive nature of the Sun serves to end the previous cycle of Venus and provide Venus a clean rebirth. So now is the time to absorb the ideas and inspiration from the past 18 months and condense them down to seed form such that they can be nurtured in the fertile soil of Taurus under the strong rays of the summer sun. Venus will begin to move away from the Sun and become visible as the “morning star” in the eastern sky by late June, early July.

The Sun plays a large role in every inferior conjunction of Venus. This time we also have Ketu and Jupiter in attendance, far enough away from the Sun not to be burnt themselves, but close enough to Venus to make a difference. Ketu, the south node of the Moon, the victor in the May 20, 2012 solar eclipse, throws his fiery, intense, contractive energy into the mix (which should help with seed formation.) Ketu also has the power to magnify or amplify the power of the planets that it is near, so we can see it boosting the power of Venus and Jupiter, which is a good thing. Ketu is considered malefic, but if he magnifies the power of the two great benefics, Venus and Jupiter, we'll take that.

Be aware that Ketu can cause deep inward spiraling, isolation, contraction, self-doubt and feelings of alienation. With Venus' energy totally consumed by the Sun at this time, it may be difficult to feel connections with other people, which makes relationships difficult and possibly contentious. Know that intense feelings of separation could be evident and allow space for that. This is a good opportunity to examine how the self is functioning for the purpose of becoming a whole being within relationship.

Enter Jupiter, the planet of abundance, expansion and positive growth. Jupiter will be located in Taurus, the sign of fixed assets, and from there will also be aspecting all of the earth signs for the next year. Because of this we may a see a trend toward increase in material prosperity, health and comfort. It may be difficult to fully embrace the exuberance of Jupiter at first, with Venus in the midst of rebirth and Ketu standing by, practically bursting into flames because he's meditating so intensely.

The separative influence of Sun and Ketu require that we burn through some of our attachments, especially in the material realm, in order to make room for the abundance that Jupiter can bring during this next year.

Jupiter and Venus have been dancing together since Venus entered Aries in March 2012 and will emerge together as visible morning stars in early July. Venus moves on into Gemini in August, putting distance between the two planets. While not from the same camp, Venus and Jupiter share the quality of being bright in the sky and benefic in nature, bringing positive influences. This is an inspiring and positive combination that we can draw upon through July as we feed our new cycles of growth.

Use this month of June to allow a rebirth of your own sense of love, relationship, expression of beauty and devotion. Your own journey is a reflection of this collective journey and the personal choice to evolve fuels the relationships we have as earth dwellers with each other, with our planet and with other planets.

Sun Enters Gemini June 15

By the time the Sun enters Mercury's air sign, Gemini, Mercury will be far enough along to not be affected by the Sun's presence. We may see the Sun's following of Mercury through Gemini actually give us the will to carry through with the Gemini-type of activities that Mercury precipitates.

The Sun shows our soul and our purpose, so collectively we can direct our energy toward the work of communication, education, travel and adaptation that Gemini supports. The Sun spends about one month in each sign, so this condition remains through mid-July. Summer learning programs, travel, workshops and creative projects that involve writing, speaking, composition or music will all be well supported at this time.

This active, moving environment for the Sun should be helpful as we initiate our manifestations inspired by Venus. Gemini is good for adaptability, learning and the diplomacy required for navigating new places.

New Moon in Gemini June 19

The Moon joins the Sun, outside of the influence of the nodal axis this time, on the morning of Tuesday, June 19, at 4° Gemini, in the lunar mansion called Mrigashira. The only planet that creates any influence on this new Moon is retrograde Saturn from Mercury's other sign, Virgo, and this is not within any type of close orb.

The day of the new Moon, amavasya, is actually the day leading up to the exact moment of the new Moon, so in this case we're talking about the early morning of June 18 until the early morning of June 19 as the day in which we restrict our actions, turn inward, and don't expect too much lunar energy to shower down upon us. Let's think of this as Monday, June 18, as a day to rest in the closing of one lunar cycle and the beginning of the new.

We can think about Mrigashira, “the searching star,” during that day, the lunar mansion associated with three faint stars near the head of Orion. In Mrigashira, we begin our search for truth and spiritual liberation. Mrigashira is ruled by Mars, and brings the nature of the warrior into this search, imparting desire and courage to our quest. Mrigashira spans the last degrees of Taurus and the first degrees of Gemini. This new Moon happens in the Gemini portion, bringing the focus on strong communication, writing, speech and the analytical mind in general.

Perhaps we can use this time of reflection to become clear about what it is we are searching for and where to begin our journey toward that goal. As the Moon begins to wax its way through Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio we can begin our actions that support this journey.

Mars Enters Virgo June 21

After eight months, Mars moves out of Leo and into Virgo at the time of the Summer Solstice. The Sun reaches its apex of power in the northern hemisphere during the solstice as it gives us our longest day while Mars carries the power of his occupation of the Sun's sign of Leo into his new position in Mercury's earth sign, Virgo.

I'm sure Mars has mixed feelings about this, although for Mars its more about the facts than the feelings. Mars likes power, and there's a lot of power to be had in Leo, so that's been nice for Mars. Even Mars has a limit though, fuses do have a lifespan, so it may feel relieving for Mars to move his operations to a different environment for awhile.

Mars moves through Virgo from June 21-August 13, and it should be mentioned that Saturn will also be located in Virgo through August 3. On one hand, things were getting pretty dry, crispy and vulnerable to fire damage with Mars in Leo and Saturn in Libra. Now Saturn's retrograde motion has returned him to Virgo and Mars' forward motion is bringing him into Virgo, bringing some earth energy into the air/fire mix that Saturn and Mars were creating. Less volatile might be good.

On the other hand, when Mars and Saturn combine energies we are often faced with a stop-start rhythm that isn't always conducive to smooth forward motion. Mars is all fired up and wants to start his quest for truth already! In Virgo, he could potentially reorganize the world, find cures for all diseases and solve the world's energy problems, while at the same time acting as inspirational personal trainer for the world and causing a rash of worldwide fitness.

Saturn has an agenda already, having set us on a slow course of review and revision during his four-month retrograde cycle that began February 7, 2012. Saturn thinks maybe we haven't gotten the lessons he was trying to teach us during his Virgo transit; you remember, stuff having to do with personal responsibility for health and the environment.

The point here has to do with harmonizing the zealous, energetic approach of Mars that can have the tendency of disregard for consequences of action in trade for acquisition of power AND the cautious, accountable, realistic approach of Saturn that emphasizes karma, truth and detachment. A good plan may be to use Mars for small leaps forward and then to check the progress in all directions with a discerning Saturn. In order for this to work, Mars sacrifices speed and Saturn compromises a bit on caution. This is a great opportunity to put Saturn in Virgo lessons (simply put – responsibility for health) to WORK for you in your journey. That's Mars' gift, the ability to organize and transform power in practical ways.

Saturn Resumes Direct Motion June 26

Saturn may be slow, but when he sees Mars coming, he turns around and begins to head back toward Libra on June 26 while he's at 28° Virgo. Mars will catch up with Saturn eventually at 0° Libra on August 14, but in the meantime, we have Mars in hot pursuit as he treads his way through Virgo.

Saturn's retrograde period has carried him back from the early degrees of Libra to the late degrees of Virgo. As with any planetary retrograde motion, we see a further slowing and retardation of that planet's energy, even more drastic when we're talking about slow-moving Saturn. Just when we thought we had moved on, we're dragged back to previous learning situations, re-organizing our understanding and finding that we haven't really reached levels of detachment we thought we'd attained. So, finish up during this month, because Saturn's going to head forward again into his sign of exaltation, Libra. We'll have all of July to really integrate the lessons we learned with Saturn in Virgo (between September 2009-October 2011).

Jupiter - Ketu Conjunction June 30

With Jupiter moving forward through Taurus and Ketu moving his usual retrograde direction the same sign, a conjunction is inevitable and occurs on June 30, 2012 at 10° Taurus. Added to this combination is Venus, newly in forward motion, nearby at 13° Taurus. Jupiter, Venus and Ketu will actually be within five degrees of one another from June 25-July 7, so this could feel like a really “intense” time due to Ketu's amplifying quality of the Venus-Jupiter combination. Themes of expansion, relationship, self, other, connection and separation could be evident. One may feel at the same time completely alone and isolated but with a full sense of connection with all things. This is a time of beginning a new adventure toward the self, which as you get closer expands to include another and another and eventually to all beings.

Jupiter's expansion combined with Ketu's contraction shows us how to create balance within the self. We learn when to move forward and when to step back and how to shift the weight of our material existence. Venus' presence at this meeting introduces unconditional love into these actions and adjustments. With love we grow, with love we let go.