New Moon Musings & Solstice Light
The Gemini new moon brought uncharacteristic shadows. Here's why.
[ One of my pictures from Solstice at Stonehenge, I think this was 2018 or so ]
Dear ones, it’s been a while since I have been able to write to you or record anything and I’m SO grateful to find so many of you still here.
IN THIS POST: The Gemini New Moon | Rituals for Marking Solstice | Archive Sounds | Cosmic Alchemy 1:1 | Summer Happenings & New Date Launches
Over the weekend we moved through the new lunation in Gemini, and it coincided with a major meteorological shift - here on the south coast the weeks of balmy tropical sunshine gave way to suffocating humidity and biblical downpours, laced with growling thunderstorms and electric feels from night-long lightning.
You may already know that Gemini is not my favourite season of the year, cast as it is opposite my own lunar astrology (more on oppositional astrology and what it means for you below), and I caught myself smiling wryly through the strange energy that seemed to stranglehold Sunday. Every year I vow to hold an open heart as the season of the twins unfolds, and every year I am reminded of the unwieldy challenge this Mercurial season offers - it’s higher vibrations of laserlike clarity, gifted ability to wrangle the word, and party-starting social butterfly mood sit in possibly the most polarising and stark contrast to its lower vibrations. These bottom of the barrel Gemini codes: mic-drop muddles, chaos theory embodied and fickle/flighty behaviour that reads as dismissive narcissim, all seemed to be running high this weekend.
However this weekend was not just a Gemini moon thing. The prevailing astrology landed the new moon in bone-crunching square with Neptune in Pisces, the ultimate cipher for smoke and mirrors, which showed up tangibly in the opaque sea mist and humid downpours that accompanied the new moon.
I noticed that everything felt extra-gruelling - in a year that just won’t let up the screw seemed to turn just a little more, especially when it came to being heard. There was vice-like pressure and strain trying to get messages across - whether simple phonecalls relentlessy dropping out or untangling misinterpreted or misunderstood texts, or reading a shade too much subtext into barbed comments. The heaviness around reputations, speaking the truth, and authenticity seemed to be showing up everywhere from our news and politics to personal fears around bad reviews, shitty emails, and complex webs of ‘stuff’ I just don’t have the answer to.
Astrology can be so helpful in guiding us through challenging times, it’s why I find it such a support, and so useful in review of a rubbish day or heavy mood.
As the dust settles on this awkward new moon, I’ve been reflecting on why it felt so tough - as LOTS of you have been sharing how unexpectedly gritty this weekend was - and trying my best to lean back from my natural aversion to Gemini season.
Neptune is the planet of imagination, dreams, illusions and what lies beyond. It symbolises a transient, intangible energy. Pisces, where Neptune is currently resident, shares many of the same qualities - as the final sign in the zodiac it symbolises the space between life and death, spirituality, and transition. The square aspect is a point of tension, challenge and dissent. Gemini is air energy, and thus shares a lot of the intangibility, as well as (conversely) a propensity for pace and handbrake turns; and the Moon represents our emotions and intuition.
So when you put it all together, the current energy recipe makes an almighty cauldron of confusion, and a distinct lack of CLARITY - a mismatch between our spiritual pings, and our earthly word, experienced through deeply discombobulated, uncomfortable emotions that are difficult to name or decode.
Sitting with this observation led me back to the need to focus on defining purpose, and developing clearer strategy. Using the power of the word in all forms to speak up, to cut through mists and misunderstandings and reclaim self-sovereignty. There’s something here about writing, speaking and feeling your own narrative in an often crowded bookstore of many other opinions and ideas, including those inside your own monkey mind.
Fortunately, this lunar cloud is already on the turn (although perhaps the weather is yet to get the memo) - today’s leading aspects have a more supportive quality with Neptune now square just the Sun, as the Moon moves away into Cancer. The change in illumination and quality of light feels helpful - things can be clearer now, and the discomfort and weighty unease of the weekend can be seen for what it is - an opportunity to reset the dial on how we speak our truth.
A pile-up of helpful sextiles (a generous, opportunistic aspect) is also here to help - particularly Mercury (the communicator) sextile Mars (the warrior and action-taker), which feels like the chance we need to take some affirmative action and state our case more clearly as we move into a different kind of light. I also really like Jupiter (expansion and luck) in sextile to Saturn (boundaries and structures) - a clear opportunity to move forward with renewed optimism and abundance through setting much stronger, clearer and intentional foundations out of this season.
Did this post resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on these words and how they make you feel, or if you can sense resonance. Also, don’t forget to share this post with someone who you feel could benefit from the reassurance or guidance of the astrological notes!
[ A solstice moment ]
SUMMER SOLSTICE IS HERE
Tomorrow - 21st June - we officially mark the longest day - the summer Solstice. We are already deep in the midsummer season however, this powerful time of year where we stay in astronomical twilight through our resting hours, the deep darkness of night never really reaching the shores of our existence.
Tomorrow the sun will rise at 4.52am, and it’s a special moment to witness, whether you are taking the pilgrimage to the southwest, or simply opening your bedroom window with an internal murmur of gratitude of the light and life bestowed on our planet by our star, the Sun. Sometimes I get lost in musing on the incredible divine fortune that our ocean planet should happen to fall in perfect orbit around this nuclear fusion of hot plasma, and at a distance that allows life to flourish with such magnificence!
Solstice has so many different celebrations and sits at the centre of many ancient cultures and traditions. From the Pagan fire festival of Litha to the Ancient Egyptian honouring of the Sun God Ra and the eagle/jaguar-form of the Mayan God Kinich Ahau, the summer solstice holds a special frequency for our connection to the very source of life.
I’m not here to tell you how to mark it, but what I do say is DO SOMETHING. In times of strain and considerable stress, gratitude really is the best tonic, creating a sense of abundance, hope and heart-fullness even amidst some seriously tough cards. There’s plenty of neuroscience that shows that gratitude is a super amazing tool for uplevelling our long-term happiness and wellbeing.
I found this really interesting article on the science of gratitude, and a great little graphic I think you’ll like. Have a look below and read more here:
https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/#brain-changes
So if you are ready to step into some Solstice gratitude, may I suggest some of the following ritual tools to support your practice this midsummer week:
TAROT
The Sun is the obvious card to work with this week, a message of abundance, bliss and joy. Who isn’t here for a bit of that!? Find the card in your deck and place it on your altar if you have one, or by your mirror, bedside, or a window where the sun shines through or sunrise is viewable.
Danielle Noel, the author of my fave deck The Moonchild Tarot, has this to say about The Sun:
“The gentle message of this key connects directly to your heart - the Sun of the body - and replenishes your life with warmth and radiance. When it’s light shines through, all avenues of personal fulfilment and success are imbued with abundance, as the Universe supports and nurtures your path…. bask in this healing, transformational energy; it has guided you this far. A time to pour all of your enthusiasm and vitality into your dreams.”
…and she poses these helpful prompts for your journal:
How can I maintain this luminous mindset & light?
Am I ready to celebrate the beautiful path of my life?
CRYSTALS
The stones most connected to solstice are CITRINE, SUNSTONE and CARNELIAN.
I LOVE citrine, it’s my absolute fave! A golden crystal of abundance, luck and good fortune.
Sunstone is a softer iteration of the energy of the sun, and carnelian transmutes the solar energy into action and is best suited for manifesting and affirmative intentions.
You might also want to explore Golden Labradorite (another personal fave); Honey Calcite, Golden Healer Quartz, Pyrite or Serpentine - this last is known for it’s clear signalling channel to ancestors and ancestry, a wonderful solstice theme.
FRAGRANCE
I blended the IGNITE fragrance for Rock & Ritual especially to harness the power of the Sun, and it’s what I’m using this week to make my mark under this potent energy. The blend contains grapefruit, lemon, wild orange, rosemary, ginger and black pepper - all the energising, activating sweet citrus, laced with warmth and amplification from the root spices and grounded herbs to balance out the heat.
I love to use ignite on myself and my altar as I set intentions, and it’s also great for cleansing and amplifying your crystals or spritzing your yoga mat or stretching space before practice.
You can buy IGNITE here - currently 20% discount as I run down the original packaging prior to relaunch!
I also love all things ROSE for the solstice - so go pick a few from your garden or treat yourself to a bunch, and enjoy the full bloom. Nothing says summer like an open rose! I also recommend my Rock & Ritual Anahata Elixir Oil if the floral rather than spicy version of summer floats your boat - a heady mix of rose, summer jasmine, lavender and palo santo it’s a more voluptuous take on our all-time MVP High Vibes scent. Roll it on your pulse points as a fragrance, soothing balm, or before meditation.
Buy ANAHATA here - also on the 20% offer!
MOVEMENT
With so much extra solar power in the forcefield, there’s no better time to burn off the extra heat with some fiery vinyasa or Jivamukti yoga, or a major HIIT session. However, especially as Solstice also brings the dawn of a new water season - Cancer - I’m always more ready for a swim than anything else. As long as you OPEN YOUR HEART, you’re in tune with the energy. So whether you are lifting weights or putting in lengths at the pool, consciously bring your attention to spreading your heart wide as you move.
If you prefer more still practices then a heart-centred meditation with hands in prayer position or crossed at your heartspace will be just the ticket.
You could also use my Summer Solstice Soundscape from the archive to soundtrack your session - the video is pretty funky but the sound is good and the soundscape begins about 55minutes into the video:
(don’t forget that as this is archive, the workshop content is relative to slightly different astrology, as in 2021 the solstice coincided with the new moon in cancer)
WAYS TO WORK WITH ME
From September, when I will finally have my own studio/shala again, I’m intending to return to weekly online workshops and sound sessions, but for now the online space is mostly about 1:1 work.
Translating the energetics of astrology to your unique blueprint is truly my purpose, and COSMIC ALCHEMY CONSULTATIONS are the space in which we work together to better understand the patterning, superpowers, and opportunities in the various layers of your life.
My signature 1:1 session is a unique spiritual consultation journey, designed to take you to the growth edge of your personal development, supercharge your creativity, and unlock your intuition.
I bring a completely real, practical and tangible approach to astrology and quantum sciences - I don’t just tell you what’s happening in your chart, I show you exactly how to apply it to the real time questions, situations and ideas in your lived world.
It’s energetics dancing with coaching.
Each session is uniquely yours and we can dial the astrology, tarot, guidance/coaching and some soundwork in and out to land on the perfect balance for the questions and feelings you’re bringing.
You can book a free call to find out more right here. Or if you’re ready to go straight to your appointment, there are a few June slots back in the mix, with more availability once again from July.
HAPPENINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
It’s been a bit of an uneven time with so much personal change, illness and relocation this year, so I’ve been working really hard to get summer events confirmed and loaded up way in advance. Calendar wrangling seems to be a major part of life right now but it DOES mean I get to see lots of your faces IRL over the next few months!
Here’s the lowdown of where you can find me for publicly available SOUND EVENTS, with very little left to add now (although Chichester, Surry and Cardiff folk, stand by!)
JULY
Monday 3rd - Brighton & Hove, 8pm at Flow State Studio **ON SALE TODAY at a VERY SPECIAL INTRO RATE!
Friday 21st - Brighton & Hove, 7pm at Flow State Studio **TICKETS COMING SOON
Sunday 23rd - North Chailey, Lewes 10am - WILD WISDOM RETREAT DAY with Betty Lewis Griffiths **ON SALE
Thurs 27th - Newquay, 7pm at Zen Den Watergate Bay **ON SALE
Fri 28th/Sat 29th - Rock Oyster Festival, 5pm at The Shankha Tent/Spa Morvoren both evenings!
AUGUST
Thurs 10th - Liskeard, 6pm at Sacred Kernow LIONSGATE EXPERIENCE with Meghan Field **ON SALE, and my ONLY Cornwall date for August.
Fri 18th-Sun 20th - Soul Circus Festival, near Stroud. Daily sessions at the sound tent!
Sat 26th/Sun 27th - Lost Village Festival, Lincolnshire.
SEPTEMBER
Fri 1st-Sun 3rd - Neon Festival, Sussex
Fri 8th - Newquay, 7pm at Ananta Yoga **TICKETS COMING SOON
Sat 10th - Newquay 7pm at Zen Den Watergate Bay, with Lou Ord **TICKETS COMING SOON
Sat 23rd - Newquay 3-6pm at Zen Den Watergate Bay AUTUMN EQUINOX EXPERIENCE **ON SALE TODAY
a final note about India…
I know it’s been a long letter today! Kind of making up for lost time…. but I wanted to finish with some updates as I am being asked a lot about this!
As many of you know, I have a life waiting for me back in south Goa and am due to return there after my UK season closer on Autumn Equinox.
There will be Goa-based sound healer training retreats to announce soon, as well as 2024 alchemy retreats (not trainings) for all budgets, and guest residencies from some of my favourite space-holders and facilitators. I’ve got some AMAZINg breathworkers, reiki masters, ceremonialists and more all booked to join me in Goa this season and I’m hoping to have lots of epic events and escapes for winter 2023 into 2024 ready for you to consider very soon!
For those looking for just a holiday in a MAGICAL place with loads of yoga, daily sound, breathwork, amazing curry, mega sunsets, glorious clean ocean and general magic, I can’t recommend my little village of Agonda and it’s surrounding environs enough.
As part of the shala setup I have two double bedrooms to rent from Oct 2023 - March 2024, so if you feel called to these lands, please drop me a message on jane@silenceandnoise.co.uk to express interest, I’ll be sharing details on the rooms as soon as I can!
with love
Janie xxx