Another big week is ahead of us, with Jupiter entering Gemini and the Uranus-Pluto square close to exact – “close enough for government work,” as they say.

And that’s where we’re likeliest to see evidence of the Uranus-Pluto contact. Ray Merriman lays it out in his weekly forecast, so I’ll refer you to him for how the details (Gemini) fit into the big picture (Jupiter). We’re also in for a major cultural shift similar to what we experienced in the mid-1960s, when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct. We even look the part, with the hippie look back in fashion. Maxi dresses, headbands, love beads, and fringed bags are all the rage again.

Right after Jupiter enters Gemini on Monday, Mercury squares Uranus and opposes Pluto. The Messenger brings news, and it’s likely to be big and a little scary. Not that we haven’t seen the handwriting on the wall for more than a year, with the Occupy Movement, Arab spring, turbulence in the eurozone, and the growing threat of global economic collapse. However, Mercury in Cancer implies a more fearful reaction to what’s happening and what may happen in the future. Ruled by the Moon, Cancer’s moods are up one minute and down the next. That tells me that the public mood is going to fluctuate wildly over the next couple of weeks in response to news generated by government and financial institutions.

Communications and relationships continue to be a major theme, and it’s where we have the biggest opportunities to evolve our consciousness. We’re still working through some old issues, some of which may extend “outside time,” which is my way of saying “past lives.” Indeed, more people may become aware of this concept and understand that those lives you think are in the “past” are happening on many levels, all at once. It helps our limited human brain to think of them in order, chronologically, but that’s not the reality. As we open up to the real nature of time, many of us are disoriented and feel “spacey,” like we’re not all here. If you feel like this, don’t fight it, just observe. Keep notes. Record your dreams. And if you need extra sleep, give in to it.

Over the past two years, I’ve had a significant increase in clients coming to me about relationships with people they recognize from a “past life.” These meetings often are the trigger that starts removing the barrier in our consciousness limiting our awareness to one place in space and time. To function “normally,” we need these boundaries. However, humanity has reached a crisis stage that defies solutions within our limited awareness. Even your personal relationships may have reached a point at which both sides are so polarized that you can’t seem to “get it together.” Expanding our concept of time will open us up to new possibilities. And if your experience is anything like mine, you might realize that some of what you needed to know was right there all along, but you just couldn’t see it. It’s a lot like being a dark or dimly lit room and then suddenly turning on the lights. You don’t see anything that wasn’t already there.

Venus remains retrograde in Gemini until June 27, while Saturn in Venus-ruled Libra – the sign of relationships – comes out of retrograde just two days earlier. In other words, they’ll both be stationed, or “stopped,” at the same time, like pausing a movie. I believe this will allow us a chance to understand our relationships and to see them for what they are. Part of that equation will be seeing ourselves more clearly and understanding how we connect.

I’ve anticipated for more than a year that we’d have some kind of mass awakening in June 2012, given the combination of astrological aspects this month. And while the Uranus-Pluto square is huge and strongly suggests global social and cultural upheaval, the retrograde cycle of Venus in Gemini combined with eclipses and a Venus transit has far-reaching implications on a more subtle level. That’s why I made the bold statement in last week’s forecast that 2012 will be history by December 21, the presumed end of the Mayan Calendar.

Which brings me to another point. On Friday, I was explaining all of the foregoing to a friend who’s not much into astrology, and she asked what you do with all of this information. Excellent question. When we know the source of certain conflicts or understand the astrological energies underlying the events in our lives, we can make better choices about how to act or react. In some cases, we might have more compassion. In others, we might decide to risk conflict by provoking a confrontation. Or we may decide to remain patient a bit longer while people and relationships unfold to a point at which solutions will be easier to find.

Getting back to this week, Mercury trines Chiron on Tuesday, just as Chiron is turning retrograde. Again, when planets shift from direct to retrograde and back again, they “stand still” for a period, signifying a sort of freeze frame that allows us to get a good look at what’s going on. For me, Chiron is conjunct my Moon by exact degree, so when he turns retrograde and then is aspected by Mercury, not only will I get a clearer idea of how this life-changing transit is affecting me, but I’ll be able to talk about it in a way that facilitates healing.

The Sun’s trine with Saturn on Wednesday is a potential trigger aspect for events related to last week’s lunar eclipse. Don’t be surprised by an initial confrontation or argument. Sticking with it and working through your differences will be rewarded, likely by renewed commitment. The Venus-Chiron square on Saturday is another potential healing aspect that requires addressing painful memories and old hurts.

On Sunday, Father’s Day, the Moon conjoins Jupiter and Venus. An honest, heart-to-heart talk with Dad over a beer will be the best gift you can give, and it could last you both a lifetime … or longer.

If you’d like to know more about what’s coming in June, I highly recommend the monthly forecast by Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer. It’s one of their best ever, so be sure to listen to the whole thing! And do check out Ray Merriman. All together, you’ll get a broad picture that helps you make the most of the momentous times in which we’re living.

Wishing you all love and courage across time,
Pat