On June 28, 10:52 PM ET, the Moon joins the Sun at 7º22’ of Cancer and we experience a New Moon in the sign of the Crab, an invitation to deepen our self-care and self-intimacy, and reconnect with our roots. Also on June 28, a few hours earlier, Neptune stations retrograde in its domicile of Pisces, joining Saturn and Pluto already in backward motion from our perspective on Earth.
New Moons mark new beginnings and open new chapters. The Moon is still invisible from our perspective but, from now on, she will begin growing again, receiving more and more sunlight each night. When the Moon is dark, the invitation is to turn inwards and spend some time reflecting on what seeds we desire to plant, and what intentions we desire to set for the upcoming lunar cycle. As the Moon begins growing, our seeds will sprout, to fully bloom and blossom at the time of the Full Moon.
New Moon in Cancer: Reconnecting with our Roots
New Moons happen when the Sun and the Moon meet on the same degree of the same Zodiac sign, forming what is technically known as a conjunction, a 0º angle from our perspective. This month, the luminaries are meeting in Cancer, the lunar domicile.
Cancer, the fourth sign of the Zodiac, is a Yin, Water, Cardinal archetype. As the first Water archetype, it corresponds to our first contact with the realms of emotions. It correlates to our early childhood experiences and our experience of the parental home. It has to do with our connection to our past and our roots, and to our relationship to home and family, whatever these mean to us.
Both the Moon and Cancer have to do with our memory and particularly with emotional memory: they show how our memories can be distorted by our emotions but also how the emotions we have felt determine how we tend to remember our experiences. These archetypes correlate with our ability to create safe spaces and close bonds, and with our capacity to care for and nurture both ourselves and others. In the phase of evolution corresponding to Cancer, we are contained in a supportive and protective environment that safely promotes emotional self-development and nurtures us until we feel ready to share our expression with the outside world.
New Moon conjunct Black Moon Lilith: Trusting our Primal Nature
The Sun and the Moon in Cancer are conjunct True Black Moon Lilith, the point in space corresponding to the lunar apogee, the point of the Moon’s orbit further away from Earth. In Astrology, Black Moon Lilith is associated with our primal nature and with raw expressions of sexuality: she represents an energy that has been suppressed, distorted, and demonized throughout history.
Our conditioning relative to Lilith’s energy comes up when we fear being too much, when we mistrust our intuitive, embodied knowing, and when we repress our spontaneous, instinctual drives due to fear of being ridiculed, shamed, punished, or ostracized by other people. In the sign of Cancer, the conjunction of Sun, Moon, and True Black Moon Lilith can show up as fear of expressing the true strength of our emotions, feelings, or needs due to a fear of coming across as needy or excessively demanding and other people leaving or judging us as a result.
During the upcoming lunar cycle, we will have opportunities to notice where we hold ourselves back from trusting our primal instincts and our intuition, and begin to break free from the conditioning we have internalized, particularly relative to emotional expression.
Sun & Moon square Jupiter: Need for Safety versus Desire to Expand
The Sun and the Moon in Cancer are forming a square angle to Jupiter in Aries. Squares are 90º angles that indicate tension and inner conflict between contrasting and seemingly irreconcilable urges. In this case, we feel a need to remain safe, secure, and comfortable, and we simultaneously feel a desire to take new risks, explore new paths, and expand in new directions.
This configuration can reflect a sense of urgency relative to moving forward, experiencing new things, and psychologically separating from our past, which could lead to making excessively bold moves and later feeling insecure and taking a step back. While on the one hand, we desire to feel secure enough before taking action, on the other hand, we may struggle with patience. In particular, the Sun-Jupiter square highlights the risks of overconfidence and overexpansion, while the Moon-Jupiter square invites us to make sure we are not being excessively giving or generous towards others to our own detriment.
Neptune stationary Retrograde: Developing a Relationship with the Intangible
Neptune is powerfully activated on this New Moon as it is stationary retrograde in the sign of its rulership, Pisces. When planets are stationary, they are closer to Earth and their symbolism is more relevant. Neptune is going to remain in retrograde motion until December 3, 2022, and it will represent a prominent influence in the upcoming lunar cycle.
The activation of Neptune supports our creativity and artistic inspiration, facilitating our access to the imaginal and the mystic. This shift increases our need for transcendence of the mundane and inspires us to cultivate our relationship with something greater than ourselves and focus on the subtle and the intangible. Our sensitivity, empathy, and intuitive capacities will be highly enhanced by both Neptune stationing and the Sun-Moon conjunction in Cancer, which strengthen our personal connection to the collective frequency and emotional body.
During the upcoming Neptune retrograde cycle, we may have chances to see beyond any illusions we might have relied upon. We may have to reconsider and reframe something that happened while Neptune was direct, see it in a new light, and see the Truth of it. Neptune stationing retrograde invites us to adjust, refine, rediscover, and reflect on our way to manage our emotional empathy, our capacity to tune into others’ experiences, and our energetic sensitivity and exchanges with the environment. While Neptune is in an apparent backward motion, we are encouraged to honor our capacity to surrender and trust the flow of life, and to follow our intuition even when what we feel doesn’t make sense logically.
The Mars-Eris-Pluto square: Conflict as Catalyst for Transformation
On this New Moon, Mars is in Aries and tightly conjunct Eris, the mythological Goddess of Chaos and Discord. Eris is a dwarf planet and, in Astrology, it correlates with the process of instigating change by generating conflict. Conflict tends to only have a negative connotation, yet, when navigated consciously, it can also be a catalyst for powerful transformations. Conflict can facilitate the deepening of our relationships through the creation of a foundation of radical honesty and authenticity, with both ourselves and others, which is what both Eris and Pluto are ultimately after.
Both Mars and Eris square Pluto in Capricorn. The Eris-Pluto square is a long-term aspect, which has been active for a few years and it is now being activated by the transit of Mars. The Mars-Pluto square is perfecting on July 1 and will be active for approximately ten days. This influence is a powerful motivator, which increases our drive, our willpower, and our determination to go after our goals. Displays of anger could be explosive and unexpectedly destructive, while the compulsions that emerge could inform us of repressed desires we haven’t acknowledged. Our anger could give us the motivation to take decisive action on our true dreams and desires and break free from what is preventing our growth.
To help you harness this energy New Moon in Cancer brings we have created New Moon in Cancer printable channeled “Self-Care & Self-Intimacy” journal and guided meditation audio. We invite you to use these New Moon in Cancer Ritual tools: journal and meditate together with Moon Omens Soul Family. Tap here to learn more and gain access to ritual tools.
New Moon in Cancer: Self-Care and Self-Intimacy
This New Moon in Cancer represents an invitation to reflect on how we have internalized our inner maternal archetype, and to work on self-care and self-love, refining how we take care of ourselves, how we nurture ourselves, and how we deal with the ebbs and flow of our emotions. The Moon in her home sign invites us to connect to an inner feeling of home and safety and to learn to create ourselves the safe container we crave to experience.
During the upcoming lunar cycle, we will have opportunities to reflect on what home and family mean to us, to look within ourselves, and begin a new chapter of our life with a deeper awareness of who we are and what we need. Changes may take place mostly inwards, and may not be immediately evident on the outside.
This Cancer New Moon begins a new chapter in our relationship with our past, our family, and our emotions. This lunation is an opportunity to reconnect with our roots, to develop a deeper intimacy with ourselves and our emotional world, and gain more awareness of the inner dynamics at play in our choices and experiences.
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