FULL MOON COINCIDES WITH SOLSTICE FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 40 YEARS

Overnight Monday/Tuesday we come to the SUMMER BLUE MOON of Antinous ... the second Sagittarius Full Moon in succession which coincides this year with the June Solstice.

This is the first time since 1967 that the Sagittarius Full Moon has coincided with the June Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. 

For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere this is the Summer Solstice and the days start getting shorter. 

For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere this is the Winter Solstice and spring will soon be on the way. 

Regardless where you are on this blue marble we call Earth, Antinous the Moon God smiles down on your during this Solstice Full moon. 

Normally, the Sagittarius Full Moon shines forth with riches and joy. 

But this solstice is a bit more challenging because Mercury is in tense aspects to Saturn and Neptune, both of which are in a severe 90-degree right angle to each other and have been for much of this year. 

These configurations cast a pall of sadness and frustration over this normally happy Solstice.

Remember that negative energies are just that — they are energies. And energies can be channeled and transformed. 

You can turn these energies into more positive and constructive avenues. 

Look up at the big and bright Full Moon and remember that ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is smiling down at you and all of us with boundless love.

Priest Martinus, our crystals meditation advisor, and his husband Soman will be celebrating the Summer Solstice Full Moon in Glastonbury England, where they live. This is their agenda for today:

1. Rise early in the morning and climb Glastonbury Tor to welcome sunrise with dozens of other Pagans, Druids and people of other philosophies and faith systems that see solstices as significant. 

The dramatic tower on the top of the Tor (which can be seen from miles around) is the only standing part of a medieval church ruined by an earthquake. Its doorways align directly with the Solstice dawn. 

Martin will meditate on the joy that Hadrian and Antinous would have experienced knowing two such alignments are still observed today.

2. Martin will be giving blessings to his altar to Antinous. This will firstly be to honour Antinous. Secondly, Martin will be offering a prayer for all LGBTU people at this sad period of time when our community is feeling so vulnerable. 

Finally, Martin will be offering a prayer for the Pagan gathering of Gay Pagan men in the U.S. where his Facebook friend Ben Gill will having a thoughtful moot. 

They have requested a prayer for them via Antinous.

3. It is Martin's partner Soman's birthday … a Solstice Baby! So they will be having a celebratory lunch with a Christopagan friend visiting from Brighton. He will climb the Tor for sunset.

In the lead up to the solstice Martin and Soman have been busy planting plants which will rise above the soil. It is important to plant them during a rising moon to give them the maximum advantage of a rising moon.

On behalf of all the modern-day priests of Antinous … in Britain … in Europe and in the Americas … we offer blessings of peace and love to you and your loved ones for this solstice season.

ASTRO FORECAST: JUNE 16th — 26th, 2016

Antinous Astrology Forecast

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JUNE 16th to 26th, 2016

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THURSDAY JUNE 16th, 2016

This could be the luckiest week of the year for you when the convivial Gemini Sun firms a fortuitous sextile aspect with winner-takes-all Aries Uranus. Your mind will be brimming with creative ideas and new solutions for stubborn old problems. And because of Retrograde Neptune, be sure to pay attention to inspiration from your dreams!

FRIDAY JUNE 17th, 2016

On Friday, Venus leaves nervous Gemini (where Venus never feels entirely comfortable) and enters cozy Cancer. Venus is very much at home in Cancer, creating a spirit of emotional home-and-hearth sentimentalism. Even if you are the sort of gay person who has never taken the idea of "marriage" and "family" seriously before, don't be surprised if you now think of settling down and setting up housekeeping with that certain special someone. That may mean merely sharing a house or apartment together. Or it may mean planning a gay wedding and possibly even adopting or siring children. For the past month, Gemini Venus expressed love and money through words. Now Cancer Venus will express love and money emotionally.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY JUNE 18th/19th, 2016

This is a weekend full of contradictions when Saturn is at right angles to nebulous Neptune. Sagittarius Saturn encourages you to be fair-minded and just in all your dealings with others. But Retrograde Neptune in dreamy Pisces blurs all the distinctions between right and wrong, left and right and up and down. And because Neptune is Retrograde, you sense a vague nostalgia for the way things used to be and delude yourself into thinking things used to be more just and fair ... when in fact they weren't. On the interpersonal level, this means you tend to misinterpret or overlook the intentions of other people. On the larger level, this means carelessness and miscalculations can lead to accidents with far-reaching ramifications. Drive carefully!

MONDAY/TUESDAY JUNE 20th/21st, 2016

Overnight Monday/Tuesday we come to the SUMMER BLUE MOON of Antinous ... the second Sagittarius Full Moon in succession which coincides this year with the June Solstice. For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere this is the Summer Solstice and the days start getting shorter. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere this is the Winter Solstice and spring will soon be on the way. Regardless where you are on this blue marble we call Earth, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD smiles down on your during this Solstice Full moon. Normally, the Sagittarius Full Moon shines forth with riches and joy. But this solstice is a bit more challenging because Mercury is in tense aspects to Saturn and Neptune, both of which are in a severe 90-degree right angle to each other and have been for much of this year. These configurations cast a pall of sadness and frustration over this normally happy Solstice. Remember that negative energies are just that — they are energies. And energies can ge channeled and transformed. You can turn these energies into more positive and constructive avenues. Look up at the big and bright Full Moon and remember that ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is smiling down at you and all of us with boundless love.

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY JUNE 22nd-24th, 2016

The stresses of the Full Moon Solstice are intensified when Mercury is in a tight, 90-degree square angle to Jupiter. Beware of online websites that promote gross exaggerations or promises that sound too good to be true — because most likely they aren't true. Or on a whim, you might take on a large assignment on the mistaken belief that you can easily manage it, when in fact it overwhelms you. Moderation and caution are the keywords for Mercury square Jupiter. On the other hand: don't be so cautious that you fail to buy a lottery ticket — because Mercury square Jupiter can sometimes favor the underdog with unexpected good fortune.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY JUNE 25th/26th, 2016

This weekend you'll be glad you bought that lottery ticket when Lady Luck smiles on you. Lucky Jupiter and career-minded Pluto form a trine aspect which is highly conducive for prosperity. This is a good weekend to sit down and update your job applications and send out new ones. Security and self-confidence underpin your dealings this weekend.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between June 27 and July 4th when the gentle and romantic CANCER NEW MOON soothes the tensions of recent days and weeks. In ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC we call this the ADONIS MOON .... More details next time ....

RED RUBIES FOR THE MELANCHOLY MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

PUT on your ruby slippers because our astrological expert Hernestus tells me that this moon phase is the Moon of Melancholy. Don't despair though, sadness can be lessened in many ways ... and red rubies help. 

This Moon will help you to identify your sadness and find solutions to it. Crystal mediation will definitely help you to achieve this.

We all experience sadness even if it is over something trivial. Don't be afraid to embrace the emotion. Each emotion is the gate to a different emotion. 

If you constantly block out your sadness how can you ever expect to open the door to happiness? Observe your sadness and understand it. 

I suggest using any of the following crystals to assist and guide you as you meditate on your sadness:

Red Jasper - these stones will help you see problems before they affect you too directly. They also help you to be insightful about your current situation/s.

Sodalite - these dark blue stones are sometimes flecked with white and have a strong intensity. They will help release you from the emotional conditioning that you have imposed upon yourself (I am too fat, too skinny, too old, too ugly etc. etc.). They will help to bring you to the objective truth about yourself and will help you to communicate that truth to yourself and others.

Ruby - these much prized crystals (top photo) can help you to reach a positive and creative state of mind. It will protect you during times of conflict or dispute.

Love and Light

MARTIN

To get more advice from Martin Campbell and to find out how to contact him CLICK HERE.

WHY ANTINOUS LOOKS SO SAD ON SUCH A 'LUCKY' DAY

TONIGHT's Virgo First Quarter Moon is the Lunar Phase we call the MOON OF MELANCHOLY ... but don't worry ... it can be your "lucky" moon.

Each phase of the Moon represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype in ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC. The Spirit of the Moon of Melancholy is the Spirit of Despondency and Despair. It is the worrier, the pouter, the Spirit which feels guilty and inadequate.

It is the negative side of Virgo, not the caring and dutiful side, but rather the side which frets and mopes and feels inadequate for the task at hand. It is sadness for the sake of sadness, without cause. It is the Spirit of Chronic Depression.

In English-speaking countries, "Melancholy" is almost a dirty word.  Puritan upbringing has conditioned us to grin and bear it, to adopt a stiff upper lip attitude. But suppressing this feeling is as bad as wallowing in it. 

Other cultures are not so uptight about acknowledging this feeling of sadness. They realize it is a necessary part of life. It is what the French call "larmoyant" — a lovely word which rolls off your tongue so languidly. It describes a lack of joy, a vague feeling that life is not what it should be. It is Peggy Lee singing that minor-key ballad "Is That All There Is?" 

This moon signals those areas of your life where things are not going well and you have a right to sing the blues. But it also signals those moments when we wallow in self-sorrow and almost enjoy brow-beating ourselves — for no good reason.  

Don't suppress this sadness, but don't wallow in it. Instead, savor it for a moment and discern what your gay spiritual heart is trying to tell you. 

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD uses this lunar phase to invite you to reflect on those parts of your life or your living and job environment which may be making you sad. 

You may come to the realization that the sadness you are feeling is not coming from within yourself, but rather that it is originating elsewhere — coming from someone else or from some other situation.

As you know, many gay people are highly sensitive to the emotions of others, and to the "vibes" of a location or situation. You know how you can enter a space, such as a room or a house, and you immediately sense whether it is a cheerful or a sad place. You know how the sadness of others can affect you — even at great distances.

You may be feeling sadness and then the phone rings and it is a special person who needs consolation, and you realize that the melancholy you were feeling had its origins with that person, not with yourself.

Most people ignore such "coincidences." But this sensitivity is an integral part of ANTINOUS MOON MAGIC. That is why the "Moon of Melancholy" is important. It is the best time of the year for meditation and rituals concerning sadness — in yourself and in others.

Examine your own life and see if where the source of your sadness lies.

If you find the source of sadness in your life, then this Lunar Phase provides you with the energy to effect changes which will move you out of melancholy into the next lunar phase.

More about that coming up ....  

ASTRO FORECAST: JUNE 9th — 19th, 2016

Antinous Astrology Forecast

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JUNE 9th to 19th, 2016

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THURSDAY-FRIDAY JUNE 9-10, 2016

Thursday and Friday Mercury is in 180-degree opposition to Mars. Some astrologers say this is when people sharpen their swords, but we prefer to say it is when people sharpen their tongues to use as weapons! Remember that lovely line from "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde (who is a Saint of Antinous, by the way): "On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure." This is an aspect which encourages people to say vicious and intentionally hurtful things. People are overly persnickety and bitchy and downright mean. You'll be amazed how true this is.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY JUNE 11-12, 2016

This weekend you can expect fireworks in love and finance when Venus forms a sextile aspect with unpredictable Uranus. Whatever happens, it will be tinged with sadness when we come to the Virgo First Quarter Moon. This is the Lunar Phase we call the MOON OF MELANCHOLY ... but don't worry ... it can be your "lucky" moon ... In English-speaking countries, "Melancholy" is almost a dirty word. Puritan upbringing has conditioned us to grin and bear it, to adopt a stiff-upper-lip attitude ... Other cultures are not so uptight about acknowledging this feeling of sadness. They realize it is a necessary part of life. It is what the French call "larmoyant" — a lovely word which suggests there is great beauty in sadness ... For example, crying at the movies is very beautiful and cleansing for the soul ... it is cathartic and healthy ... Meditations and rituals on this night are best suited for identifying the source of sadness in your life. If you find the source of sadness in your life, then this Lunar Phase provides you with the energy to effect changes which will move you out of melancholy into the next lunar phase.

MONDAY JUNE 13, 2016

The good news is that Mercury enters Gemini on Monday. The not-so-good news is that Neptune turns Retrograde on Monday. Ordinarily, mental clarity shines bright and clear once again when Mercury leaves plodding Taurus and sweeps into Gemini — Mercury's astrological home sign for three weeks each year. But Retrograde Neptune negates all of that clarity. Pay attention to your nighttime dreams and don't overlook those persistent daydreams. Neptune turns Retrograde on Monday and begins retracing its steps through dreamy Pisces from now until November 20th. Retrograde Neptune in intuitive Pisces means there will be an atmosphere of nostalgia and yearning for a return to the "good old days" — which were maybe not all that good to start with. Nostalgia reigns during Retrograde Neptune in Pisces! On the negative side, Retrograde Neptune in Pisces causes addictive behaviour to resurface. But on the positive side, Retrograde Neptune shines a spotlight on the arts and spirituality. Don't be surprised when recurring dreams revisit you in coming weeks and months. ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is using Retrograde Neptune to remind you of unfinished dream work. This is your chance to practice Dreamscaping ... consciously manipulating your dreams. You are the dreamer. You can do anything you want to do in your dreams. So do it!

TUESDAY-THURSDAY JUNE 14-16, 2016

This could be the luckiest week of the year for you when the convivial Gemini Sun firms a fortuitous sextile aspect with winner-takes-all Aries Uranus. Your mind will be brimming with creative ideas and new solutions for stubborn old problems. And because of Retrograde Neptune, be sure to pay attention to inspiration from your dreams!

FRIDAY JUNE 17, 2016

On Friday, Venus leaves nervous Gemini (where Venus never feels entirely comfortable) and enters cozy Cancer. Venus is very much at home in Cancer, creating a spirit of emotional home-and-hearth sentimentalism. Even if you are the sort of gay person who has never taken the idea of "marriage" and "family" seriously before, don't be surprised if you now think of settling down and setting up housekeeping with that certain special someone. That may mean merely sharing a house or apartment together. Or it may mean planning a gay wedding and possibly even adopting or siring children. For the past month, Gemini Venus expressed love and money through words. Now Cancer Venus will express love and money emotionally.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY JUNE 18/19, 2016

This is a weekend full of contradictions when Saturn is at right angles to nebulous Neptune. Sagittarius Saturn encourages you to be fair-minded and just in all your dealings with others. But Retrograde Neptune in dreamy Pisces blurs all the distinctions between right and wrong, left and right and up and down. And because Neptune is Retrograde, you sense a vague nostalgia for the way things used to be and delude yourself into thinking things used to be more just and fair ... when in fact they weren't. On the interpersonal level, this means you tend to misinterpret or overlook the intentions of other people. On the larger level, this means carelessness and miscalculations can lead to accidents with far-reaching ramifications. Drive carefully!

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between June 20th and 26th when we come to the SUMMER BLUE MOON of Antinous ... the second Sagittarius Full Moon in succession which coincides this year with the June Solstice.... More details next time ....

THESE CRYSTALS FOR THE MERCURY MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

OUR astrology adviser Hernestus has prompted me that today's moon phase is the Gemini New Moon which is the Mercury/Hermes Moon for those who are companions of the Antinous faith.

Hernestus describes this moon as being about learning (about yourself or situations around or ahead of you) so you can set goals for the coming 4 weeks. 

As I indicated for the last moon phase, crystals are mostly there to help you to focus on your needs in the moment rather than helping you to achieve anything ahead of time. 

Consequently my advice is very similar to the last moon phase.

However there are some crystals which are attuned to the future so will attune you to it too. 

I recommend that you write down your wishes/desires and hold them as you meditate (with or without crystals). Focus your attention through the paper and crystal/s and back into your heart. 

I recommend using:

Sillimanite - Shown at the top of this entry, these uncommon (although reasonably obtainable) crystals help you to maintain your intentions for positive outcomes to the things you are intending for your life.

Orange Calcite - These pretty stones (heart-shaped stone above) remove fear and balance the emotion so that you are open and ready for positives to enter your life.

Apatite - These are the best crystals to use for manifesting your desires. They are both attuned to the future and past lives so you can consider the spectrum of your lives and set out your wishes for your future and your future selves. They are typically blue or yellow. Choose the blue for manifesting your desires."

Light and Life,

MARTIN

To get more advice from Martin Campbell and to find out how to contact him CLICK HERE.

THE GEMINI NEW MOON THE MERCURY MOON OF ANTINOUS

TONIGHT's Gemini New Moon a good time to set a goal for the coming four weeks. And given the presence of Gemini energy, it's an auspicious time to begin gathering the information you will need to set this mission in motion.

In Antinous Moon Magic we call the Gemini New Moon the "Mercury Moon of Antinous" because the mercurial and seemingly fickle energy of Gemini is in the spotlight during this New Moon period, amping up agitation and nervous energy.

Be patient with yourself if you find it more difficult to make decisions while also making space for others if they seem to be more capricious than normal.

If you're finding yourself indecisive, consider whether it’s because you are more clearly seeing the two sides of the proverbial coin and the fact that both of them have grace and value. Reflect upon whether it really is even necessary to choose between them; potentially you can create a structure where you are able to enjoy both paths.

Curiosity and wonder fill the air on the night of the Gemini Moon. Rituals and meditations carried out on this night are best aimed at learning and collecting information. And yet, don't be surprised if it may seem as if your attention is pulled in a spectrum of directions, since there's a heightened sense of "interesting" to the facts and figures you come across.

So if your mind begins to drift during meditation or a magical ritual, perhaps you should permit the Mercury Moon to take it off into a new direction ... which may turn out to provide the answers and results you were looking for.