June is the 6th month in the modern calender and is named after the goddess Juno. It’s known as a month of marriage and family get-togethers as well as Gay Pride! There’s just more June in June than in any other month, which is to say that the longest days of the year reside in this month. There are more daylight hours than at any other time in the year, and we’re all affected by so much sun. It’s hard to stay inside under lock down at this time of year, but hopefully we’re all doing OK with that.
In the last few weeks, we’ve become aware of an explosion of kittens in our neighborhood. (At least 3 litters we’ve seen.) While we’d love to go get everyone fixed, there just aren’t enough funds for that, so kittens it is. We’re trying to make friends with one litter of 4 in an effort to adopt 2 of them out, and we’ll see how that goes.
Everything is in bloom right now. The peach lilies look amazing against the purple salvia, which looks amazing against the variegated hosta. You can smell my jasmine from the front porch, even as tiny as it is. I’ve also been gazing lovingly at the neighborhood hydrangeas, wishing I had a big place to drop one in our yard. Even the apple tree has baby green apples starting.
The husbear has gotten a step up on preserving and is making peach rum preserves from deliciously perfect peaches right now. His orange marmalade was a hit, so we know at least that we’ll have some sunny, cheerful preserves for the dark autumn and winter months.
Birthstones: Pearl, alexandrite, moonstone
Lunations:
June 5, 3:12pm EST Full Moon (Sagittarius) (Lunar Eclipse)
June 21, 2:42am EST New Moon (Cancer) (Solar Eclipse)
Astronomy:
June 18- Mercury goes retrograde
June 25- Venus goes direct
Celtic Tree Month:
Hawthorn (May 13th- June 9th); Matters of the heart, love, empowering relationships, fertility, union of male and female (Beltane), intimacy, passion, triple goddess, purification, cleanses the heart of negativity, under protection of faerie realm, guards wells and springs, happiness.
Oak (June 10- July 7): Solar magick, health, success, prosperity, blessings, bravery, endurance, strength, deep emotions, love, nurturing our family, mediating conflict, healing wounds, sovereignty, rulership, power, strength and endurance, justice and nobility, honesty, male fertility.
Holidays (mundane):
June 21: Father’s Day
Holidays (Pagan):
June 20, 5:44PM: Litha/Midsummer/Summer Solstice
Themes and general activities for the month: Being outside, getting sun, connecting with the fae, connecting with nature, cold showers, kittens, kittens, kittens!
Herbs I’m using: Fresh homegrown basil, rosemary we’re trying to propagate from cuttings, aloe for stings and bites.
Stones I’m using: Blue lace agate (for restful sleep), blue calcite (emotionally soothing when the world seems to have gone mad), aquamarine (with the properties of cool, clean water)
Goddess of the Month: This month, I drew Nike (Ambition). She’s here to indicate that life is a marathon, not a sprint, and that we will do better on our paths if we take a look to make sure we’re really aligned with what we’re supposed to be doing right now. Our only competition is with ourselves, and so it doesn’t behoove us to compare ourselves with others. Cheer on other people who are successful and learn from them, rather than trying to tear them down.
3 card reading:
First, we start with the 10 of Pentacles reversed. So we aren’t getting that happily-ever-after in terms of our financial and earthy stability. Things are still topsy turvy with our family lives and our ability to feel grounded and settled. That seems pretty universal right now.
Next, we have the Queen of Pentacles reversed. So we’re feeling out of control. We can’t seem to take any steps forward or make the reality that we need to make with everything being so chaotic. It’s hard to create without that firm footing that helps you grow and expand.
Finally, we see the King of Swords reversed. So not only are we lacking the grounding to grow from, our minds are getting a bit fuzzy too. This is a clear message to try and keep yourself active, physically AND mentally so that you can come away from this time sharp and ready to put your plans into action.
Our special guidance card is The Faun. That’s an indication that there’s natural magick at work, and we should let it flow as it will. Don’t try to dam up the flow or obstruct it, and we’ll come out on the other side inspired and trusting the universe.
Cherry-ripe
By Thomas Campion
There is a garden in her face
Where roses and white lilies blow;
A heavenly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow:
There cherries grow which none may buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
Those cherries fairly do enclose
Of orient pearl a double row,
Which when her lovely laughter shows,
They look like rose-buds filled with snow;
Yet them no peer nor prince can buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
Her eyes like angels watch them still;
Her brows like bended bows do stand,
Threat’ning with piercing frowns to kill
All that attempt with eye or hand
Those sacred cherries to come nigh,
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
My personal tides and goals: Personally, I just haven’t had a lot to say about much of anything lately. I’m feeling like my words are just contributing to the noise, and I’ve been pulling away from Facebook and other places where it seems like everyone is screaming without having anything new or important to say. I’ve been crying, completely blown away by George Floyd’s murder. I can’t imagine how much his family misses him and how robbed they must feel of all the time and all the things that he was going to do. By all accounts, he was a righteous man, and the anger of the black community is also righteous. I feel my privilege so accutely right now, but I can’t come up with anything good or inspiring to say. We can’t join the protests because we’re both high risk for Covid complications. So I’ll just keep my mouth shut and donate what we can spare to legal funds.
I just wish we lived in a better world where POC didn’t have to live in so much fear. It isn’t fair and it isn’t right