June's Solar Eclipse and New Moon In Gemini Could Launch You Into the Future
The sun's annual trip through Gemini is generally brimming with curiosity, buzziness, and tons of social opps. It's no wonder it encompasses the kickoff of summer and opportunities for connection and celebration like Pride. But this year, with both a Mercury retrograde and eclipses at the heart of the season, the energy could feel a lot heavier, urging you to look backward before you can forge ahead. And that's one of the main takeaways of this month's new moon and game-changing solar eclipse.
On Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 6:53 a.m. ET/3:53 a.m. PT exactly, a new moon and solar eclipse will occur in the mutable air sign Gemini. Here's what it means and how you can get the most out of this change-spurring astrological event.
Alex Sandoval
What New Moons — and Solar Eclipses — Mean
First, a few new moon — and solar eclipse — basics. The opposite of a full moon, a new moon, occurs when the moon is not illuminated by the sun from our perspective on Earth, meaning it's not visible to us at all. And that dark, blank sky can function almost like a vision board on which you can envision and pin your hopes, dreams, and goals. Every month — and very rarely, twice a month — the new moon presents an opportunity to get clear on long-term intentions and projects.
During a solar eclipse, not only do we get a deep, black sky as a result of the moon's position, but the moon also casts a shadow on the sun. This creates even more of a "blank slate" on which you can project your long-term wishes. And because the sun will conjunct (aka pair up with) the moon during a solar eclipse — versus opposing it, as it does during a lunar eclipse — it brings your purpose, identity, and confidence (ruled by the sun) in sync with your emotions and intuition (overseen by the moon). This can make for a powerfully motivating moment in which you could feel deeply compelled to take the initiative to change course and move in a whole new direction. (See: What Your Moon Sign Means About Your Personality and Life Path)
New moons are often the jumping off point for a particular narrative in your life, and that's especially true for shakeup-bringing solar eclipses. Every eclipse is part of a series of eclipses happening in opposing signs. Last month's May 26 lunar eclipse and this month's June 10 solar eclipse are a part of a series happening in Sagittarius and Gemini that began on June 5, 2020 and included a lunar eclipse in Gemini on November 30, 2020 and solar eclipse that happened on December 14, 2020. Themes of this series include: soaking up knowledge, sharing information, and checking our belief systems.
Even if this solar eclipse isn't connecting in a significant way with your natal chart (more on that in a moment), you'll likely notice that it feels more like a full moon in that it can be emotionally-charged and shocking. But new moons — and especially eclipses — serve as crucial astrological "checkpoints" for launching into uncharted but ultimately rewarding territory.
How to Make the Most of a Solar Eclipse vs. a New Moon
Around a regular new moon, you might take advantage of the beginning of a new lunar cycle by doing an intention-setting ritual like talking through your game plan with a therapist or loved one, journaling, creating a vision board, lighting a candle, or do a visualization practice. But when you're dealing with a new moon and solar eclipse, the energy is so intensified that it can feel almost out of your hands. You could feel compelled to speak your mind, make a bold move, or stand up for yourself in a way you never dreamed you could.
Eclipses are known as "crisis points." That doesn't necessarily mean they're to be feared, but they're fertile ground for breakthroughs and big changes, whether that means moving up in your career, putting the kibosh on a toxic relationship, relocating, or being pushed to revise your health routine. These are often game-changing moments that can't really be planned for or managed in the moment.
In other words, eclipses aren't really meant to be "worked with" through rituals. This isn't to say that you won't feel like doing something concrete to lock in the intention you're holding in mind during an eclipse. We tend to see action as a balm for the kind of anxiety that comes with change — but there's no definitive must-do action during an eclipse. It's more about allowing yourself to be swept up in the tide and being open to wherever it brings you.
Themes of the June 2021 Gemini New Moon Solar Eclipse
Air sign Gemini, symbolized by the Twins, is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication. The speedy planet supports self-expression and information-gathering. People born during Gemini season come into the world when we're transitioning from anticipation-packed springtime to joyful, full-party-mode summertime. That vibe definitely informs Twins' curious, social, travel-loving, always-on-the-go dispositions. They're people people wired to flit from one adventure to the next, soaking up knowledge like a sponge and sharing what they've learned with anyone who will listen — online and off. Mercury also rules technology, so Geminis were born to be social media stars and the most active in the group chat. On a bad day, they can be dualistic, mercurial, capricious, and flaky, saying one thing one minute and the opposite the next, talking for the sake of talking, and using their innate mastery of language to sting or manipulate. (Related: How to Decode Zodiac Sign Compatibility)
This new moon and solar eclipse, occurring on the Twins and Mercury's territory, will encourage you to reflect on your thinking patterns, social lives, and communication. This is especially true, because not only will the sun and the moon be aligned at 19 degrees Gemini but Mercury is also hanging out at 20 degrees Gemini.
Generally, when the sun and Mercury get together, we get a boost of confidence around rational thought and self-expression. But because Mercury is currently retrograde, encouraging inward reflection and requiring meditation on the past, it'll be more challenging to gain clarity on the present moment. What you thought you knew based on previous experiences could be at odds with what you actually know now. For instance, maybe unhealed trauma from an old relationship clouds your judgment with a current partner. Or you're fearful that a big talk with a higher-up will go sideways, because that's what happened the last time you approached them.
Adding fuel to this storm of confusion is illusion-creating Neptune, currently at 23 degrees of the emotional water sign Pisces, forming a tense square to Mercury as well as the moon and the sun. Neptune clouds rational thought, and when it squares off against the planet of communication, that effect is amplified. Plus, when it squares off against the moon, it can 86 your motivation and turn up the volume on underlying insecurities, uncertainty, and disappointment.
That said, unlike other Gemini- and Mercury-led astrological events, you might not be feeling effervescent or completely informed as a result of the eclipse. Instead, this eclipse asks you to be in the moment, find a way to get comfortable with uncertainty, and take big changes one slow step at a time — even if that's going backward before you can go forward. It's all about harnessing those inquisitive Gemini vibes to make the most of the present and open yourself up to whatever the future holds — all while keeping your eyes trained on any truths that become apparent in spite of the fog.
Who the Solar Eclipse and New Moon in Gemini Will Affect the Most
If you were born when the sun was in the sign of the Twins — annually from approximately May 21 through June 20 — or with your personal planets (sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) in Gemini (something you can learn from your natal chart), you'll feel this new moon and solar eclipse more than most. If you want to get even more specific, check to see if you have a personal planet that falls within four degrees of the new moon (19 degrees Gemini). If so, it could feel even more like it's time to break free of an outdated pattern, behavior, relationship, or life path and take steps to creating a new one.
Similarly, if your rising sign/ascendant falls in a fellow mutable sign — Sagittarius (mutable fire), Virgo (mutable earth), Pisces (mutable water) — you'll be striving to gain clarity around your closest bonds and issues related to your sense of security and familial roots, as the new moon will affect your fourth house of home life (Pisces), tenth house of career (Virgo), or seventh house of partnership (Sagittarius). It's also worth checking your natal chart to see if any of your personal planets (your moon sign, Mercury, Venus, and Mars) fall in a mutable sign and between 15-23 degrees of that sign. In that case, you'll feel this new moon more than most.
The Eye-Opening Takeaway
New moons are usually meditative, reflective moments that are filled with anticipation, promise, and wishfulness that's right on the cusp of action. Eclipses crank up the volume on all of those themes, often propelling you into a new phase of your life. But with this being a game-changing moment that's ruled by Mercury, thoughts and words might take precedence over actions. And under Neptune's hazy influence, it'll be tough to identify facts over fiction and reality over delusion.
This eclipse is a push for communication and connection that lacks rationality and clarity. So where does that leave us? Finding a way to keep the faith, trusting that eventually (perhaps around the time Mercury is direct and revisits the same point as this eclipse on July 1), you'll better know how to proceed.
As a mutable sign, Geminis are adaptable, ready to pick up and jet off to wherever, pick up an animated conversation with whomever, and free to change course whenever the mood strikes. Though they're one of the most mentally-charged signs, they have no problem showing up playful and curious in order to make the most of any given, even fleeting moment. Similarly, this new moon and solar eclipse will motivate you to remember the past but let it go and hold your future in mind while allowing the minute details to remain nebulous. You'll need to give yourself permission to float and see what happens on the fly, just as those born under the sign of the Twins are apt to do.
And if this eclipse serves as a necessary, gulp-inducing wake-up call that recalculates your route, taking a cue from Gemini's buoyant commitment to connection can help you feel supported through the fog.
Maressa Brown is a writer and astrologer with more than 15 years of experience. In addition to being Shape's resident astrologer, she contributes to InStyle, Parents, Astrology.com, and more. Follow her Instagram and Twitter at @MaressaSylvie.
