Monday 1st June 2026
The first of flaming June, with the Moon in a Fire sign.
02.58 Evening star Mercury at 29 Gemini waxing biquintile Pluto at 5 Aquarius
04.33 The Moon is at apogee, furthest from the Earth and slowest all month.
10.01 Mars at 10 Taurus waxing decile Neptune at 4 Aries
11.57 Mercury enters Cancer today June 1st, joining Venus and Jupiter in this sign. See below.
13.33 The Moon at 24 Sagittarius waxing quincunx Jupiter at 24 Cancer
STATE OF THE SKY. (ALL TIMES ON THIS SITE ARE GMT.)
We are now in the midway zone between eclipse seasons.
More importantly we are now just 4 weeks away from the start of one of the most powerful astrological events of the 21st century. Discovered last century by French astrologer Andre Barbault the period centring around July 20th 2026 bears witness to a dynamic astrological configuration called a 'basket' or a 'cradle'. Barbault's basket involves Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto forming 4 points of a hexagon in the sky at 4 degrees of Leo, Gemini, Aries and Aquarius. Andre Barbault suggested that this coming period will mark the end (or the beginning of the end) of a long chaotic cycle, leading into a more constructive era. He expected severe political challenges, major shifts in leadership, and a reality check. My take on this is that the basket starts on June 30th the day that Jupiter enters Leo and a Full Moon climaxes. It intensifies in significance with the New Moon on July 14th. It peaks on July 20th as Jupiter opposes Pluto and makes tight favourable aspects to Uranus and Neptune. On 29th July the Sun is conjunct jupiter and then the basket starts to dissolve.
There is however a sequel. Another basket is manifest in 2027 with asteroid Ceres taking the place of Jupiter and forming 4 points of a hexagon again with Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. This peaks on June 8th 2027.
Astrologer Louise Edington notes that dwarf trans Pluto planets Haumea and Hekate are involved in the 2026 basket and Haumea is also involved in the 2027 basket.
The conclusion is that what is ahead of us is the start of a very positive event and experience, difficult to envisage right now, but there it is.
The Sun today is at 12 degrees Gemini. Mercury, and Uranus are also in Gemini. Saturn and Neptune are in Aries. Venus and Jupiter are in Cancer.
There are 19 days to the Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice. All the planets except Pluto are currently direct in motion.
MERCURY
Evening star Mercury leaves Gemini for Cancer today June 1st joining Venus and Jupiter in this sign. Mercury has his retrograde phase entirely in this sign and he resides here for a lenghty period of 70 days. Mercury squares Neptune on June 4th. Aberations. He squares Saturn on June 10th. Rules and Regs. Mercury is in his shadow from June 13th to August 7th. Mercury turns retrograde on June 29th at 26 degrees Cancer, the day of the Full Moon. Mercury is at Inferior Conjunction with the Sun on July 13th at 21 degrees Cancer. Mercury stations and turns direct on July 23rd at 16 degrees Cancer. Mercury, now a morning star, sextiles evening star Venus on July 24th. Merriment. Mercury enters Leo on Aug 9th. During this extended period of Mercury in Cancer, people will communicate through feelings, tone, and intuition rather than strictly logical or analytical means. Hearts will rule heads.
Mercury retrograde periods ahead.
Jun 29 to Jul 23, 2026
Oct 24 to Nov 13 2026
Feb 9 to Mar 3, 2027
June 10 to July 4
Oct 7 to Oct 28, 2027
Jan 24 to Feb 14, 2028
May 21 to Jun 14, 2028
VENUS
Venus entered Cancer on May 19th as an evening star joining Jupiter in this sign. She resides here for a brief but tender 25 days. Venus is conjunct Jupiter at 26 degrees Cancer on June 9th, the highlight of the residence invoking true love. Venus leaves Cancer for Leo on June 13th. Venus' next retrograde phase is the 41 day period from Oct 3rd to Nov 14th 2026 in Scorpio and Libra.
MARS
Mars enters Taurus on May 18th joining the Sun in this sign. He resides in this sign for 41 days. Mars in Taurus certainly gets stuck in. Heavy duty work and solid foundations are the order of the period. Mars sextiles Jupiter on June 28th, pushing ahead optimistically, and leaves Taurus for Gemini later that day.
Mars is next retrograde from Jan 10th 2027 to April 1st 2027 in Leo/Virgo.
JUPITER
Jupiter is in Cancer from June 9th 2025 to June 30th 2026. He is now direct. Jupiter is exalted in Cancer. His energy is focused on 'the home' and the people, places, and memories that make us feel safe and secure. This one is 'the family way'. Jupiter in Cancer cares. Jupiter in Cancer 'expands home', it centres us on 'selfhood', our place, our world domain. It 'holds together' after the energetic flurry of Jupiter in Gemini. Jupiter in Cancer spreads peace. Not a bad thought in such a chaotic world right now.
SATURN
Saturn is direct in Aries. He finally settled in Aries on February 14, 2026.
The astrology of Saturn in Aries has a focus on disciplined action, pioneering leadership, and structural changes. This transit brings karmic lessons regarding individual responsibility, courage, and self-assertion, often manifesting as intense global transformations and a need for new, bold leadership. Wars do manifest.
During this residence Jupiter in Leo will 'fire trine' Saturn in Aries 3 times, 31/8/26, 3/4/27, and 11/7/27. This is very courageous. Saturn sextiles Pluto once, March 28th 2026, this signaled a transformational tome for global structures, focusing on reforming power dynamics and strengthening foundations. Saturn leaves Aries for Taurus on April 12th 2028. Saturn in Aries forces us to build personal authority and take responsibility. Aries fire forges steel.
URANUS
Uranus is direct in Gemini. Uranus's initial residence in this sign was from July 7th 2025 to November 8th 2025. Uranus reenters Gemini on April 25th 2026 for a 6.25 year stay, leaving for Cancer on August 3rd 2032. Major tech revolutions ahead.
NEPTUNE
Neptune re-entered Aries on January 26, 2026, where he will remain until March 23, 2039. On January 26 Neptune entered Aries for the first time since 1875-during which there was the American Civil War, the unification of Germany and Italy, and the rise of spiritualism and new religious movements. Essentially, this planetary transit is a time of great shifts in beliefs and opinions, in paradigms and world orders. Aries brings the pursuit of bravery, freedom, and fresh starts. However, Neptune can be tricky, illusionary and hard to pin down, so we may not see ourselves clearly, or we might struggle with clarifying what we're really trying to change, and why.
PLUTO
Pluto re-entered Aquarius on Nov 19th 2024 and will remain there till the year 2043. He is currently retrograde.
Pluto was last in Aquarius from 1777 to 1798. Pluto in Aquarius will revolutionize society, technology, and collective power structures. This era marks a shift from Capricorn's top-down, traditional control toward Aquarian-driven horizontal power, emphasizing AI, digital rights, and, crucially, the 'power of the people'.
UPCOMING ECLIPSES
Aug 12th 2026. A Total Solar Eclipse at 20 Leo visible from Europe(far northwest Spain, low at sunset), quintile Uranus. Electric Avenue.
Aug 28th-29th 2026 A Partial Lunar Eclipse at 5 Pisces visible from Europe, Africa and America, opposite Mercury. Magic mirror on the soul.
Feb 6th 2027 An annular Solar Eclipse at 17 Aquarius.
Feb 21st 2027 A penumbral lunar eclipse at 3 Virgo.
Aug 2nd 2027 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE at 11 Leo. ECLIPSE OF THE CENTURY. ONE YOU MUST NOT MISS.
Aug 17th 2027 A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius.
Jan 12th 2028 A Partial Lunar Eclipse at 22 degrees Cancer.
Jan 26th 2028 An Annular Solar Eclipse 6 degrees Aquarius.
THE LUNAR STANDSTILL.
The Mean Lunar Node is in Pisces. We are (June 2026) at the end of a Major Lunar Standstill. This is a period lasting for three years within the 18.6 year lunar nodal cycle. The last major lunar standstill centred on June 2006, and this current one was centred on January 2025. During these years we are observing extreme northerly and southerly lunar rising and setting points on the local horizon when the Moon is in tropical Gemini/Cancer or Sagittarius/Capricorn. The next Minor standstill is 2034 and the next Major standstill is in 2043.
Latest:-Wednesday 3rd June 2026 
The New Moon is quintile Saturn.
Today's New Moon in Taurus is the 4th New Moon following the Annular Solar Eclipse at 28 degrees Aquarius on Feb 17th 2026 and the penultimate New Moon before a Total Solar Eclipse at 20 degrees Leo, hitting northern Spain, (and forming a deep partial eclipse over the UK) on Aug 12th 2026).
08.49
09.04 The Moon at 24 Virgo waxing sextile Mercury at 24 Cancer
11.06 The Moon at 25 Virgo waxing trine Mars at 25 Taurus
17.34 The Moon at 28 Virgo waxing sextile Jupiter at 28 Cancer, moon void
20.57 The Moon enters Libra
21.56
20.14
19.45
