The summer solstice June 20/21 and super New Moon in Cancer on Friday, June 23 opens the cosmic door of our hearts to replace the wounds of the past with nurturing and love, and return to our tribal connectedness through the embrace and expression of the feminine.

This is a fantastic time to set intention about nurturing yourself, while observing the emotional processing that arises.  As old memories connected to family, the feminine, and hurtful experiences surface, observe the stories as if you are watching the movie of your personal journey, noting what no longer serves you.

Journaling can be helpful in sorting things out and having a place to express your emotions.  Time in nature will connect you to the healing and instinctual elements of the feminine that we have disregarded to our detriment.  Prayer will link you to the spiritual awareness and insights that support your transcendence.

Along with the prompting for deep inner reflection, there is an invitation to experience a stronger connection to the divine, so the practice of spiritual ceremony and ritual can be especially beneficial.  The stimulation of higher mind and new direction is there for the asking, so be sure to query the Universe.

All religions and indigenous cultures have stories of the power of going to the Earth and seeking God, and there is truth in that.   Sit with Mother Earth (the embodiment of the sacred feminine and your true mother in the physical dimension) and reflect upon her nature.  Ask how you can nurture and be nurtured, and openly express yourself to Spirit.

Neptune’s influence in retrograde during this super New Moon can affect tides and tectonic plates, as well, so entering stillness through meditation and connecting to Mother Earth can bring the alignment and perceptions to keep us safe and in harmony with our environments.

We also have a Saturn/Chiron transit going on all year that is bringing up difficult physical challenges for many.  It’s not just the healing of the physical condition that’s involved, it’s the transformation of associated patterns of core subconscious beliefs, and we are forcefully being pushed to clear self-imposed limitations and illusions.  As our deepest wounds and fears are revealed, so is the potential to feel victimized or helpless.

For me, it’s come in the form of life-altering spinal degeneration, pain, dealing with a dysfunctional health care system that has tested every nerve, and then recently taking a fall in a gopher hole and fracturing an ankle.

Facing the aging process, financial issues, and these physical conditions has brought up old patterns of aloneness, abandonment, the perception of failure, and a stark review and inquiry of this particular incarnation, among other things.  It’s also revealed my unfailing commitment to serving others, my devotion to Spirit and humanity, and the infinite resource of my soul.  Wisdom comes from all experiences, and resiliency grows in facing them.

We are all being stretched and tested, but what is different now, is making the emotional connection that opens our hearts to be more compassionate with ourselves and others, and more freely feel and express love.  In any problem I’ve faced, it is the expression of love and care; the helping hand that’s been offered; the person that’s shown up for the smallest and largest task; and my connection to Spirit that has seen me through.

Every open heart can be a vessel for a miracle, and I hope you will have the courage to open yours even wider now.  Forgive yourself, forgive others, forgive the whole world.  The Course in Miracles states:  “Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love” and “All expressions of love are maximal”.    As we heal and grow together, may this New Moon inspire you to be the love that heals, inspires, and illuminates – and may it bless your life abundantly!