SUMMER Solstice falls at the longest day and the Strawberry Moon rises over evenings that don't want to end. June is when the sun earns its crown. And then quietly, not dramatically, the wheel starts turning back toward dark. You'd never know it in June's long light - but the Summer Solstice is the peak, which means after this there is only descent. People who feel that give June a particular texture: generous and a little bittersweet at once. Both of those things are true.

June opens under Gemini and on the 21st the sun crosses into Cancer. Two distinct energies share this month - use the transition point as a natural mid-month reset.

Mercury turns retrograde on June 29th, a shadow period that extends into July through July 23rd. As the month closes out, begin winding down new commitments and leave room for things to shift.

SOLAR work at its most potent. Confidence, visibility, bringing things fully into the light. Not a month for hiding what you're doing or hedging your intentions. Protective magic is especially strong at midsummer - the sun at its height carries real banishing power. Charge your tools in the solstice sun. Give genuine thanks for what has grown since the Spring Equinox. The harvest isn't here yet, but you can see it from here.

Notice the shift at the solstice. Some people feel it physically - the quality of the light changes even as the light is at its peak. If you feel it, don't rush past it. The peak is where the working is, not the coming down from it.

• Jun 15th New Moon
• Jun 21st Sun enters Cancer
• Jun 21st Summer Solstice
• Jun 29th Mercury Retrograde begins
• Jun 29th Strawberry Moon (Full Moon)