Cancer New Moon, July 15, 2015 at 6:24 pm PDT
This month’s New Moon is at 24 degrees of Cancer, which is about affairs of the heart and planting the seeds of love. It may seem crazy that the message from the Cosmos is about love in the midst of crisis and chaos but this guidance coming through is about how we need to respond to these challenging times.
Cancer is the astrological sign of the archetypal Mother who brings to us unconditional love and the wisdom of the heart. The current symbol for Cancer is the crab but the more ancient symbol was the turtle. For many Native Americans the turtle is the symbol of Mother Earth whom they call, “Turtle Island.” The turtle’s hard shell provides protection to its soft inner core, just as many of us have defenses around a very sensitive, soft heart. We develop this protection due to the harshness of our world and yet that soft, sensitive heart and feeling nature is exactly what needs to be expressed in the world.
The turtle also reminds us to s l o w down. When we are frantically running around doing this and that, we can get out of touch with our hearts and what is truly important in life. Since it is can be painful to feel what is happening in our lives and in the lives of others, we stay busy enough so that we can’t feel. It is an emotional defense. However, when we allow ourselves to feel, we can receive the guidance of what needs to change, and how to create that change. By deeply feeling, we experience not only pain but the joy in life as well.
If we are unable to slow down, we can be sometimes be stopped by unexpected circumstances. This New Moon is in a square to Uranus in Aries, which brings the energy of unexpected events. I know from personal experience of not listening to that voice within to “slow down.” As a result I now need to have unexpected minor surgery to my Achilles tendon. Even though it is minor surgery, I have been effectively stopped for the next six months to recover. It is important to be proactive and listen to one’s inner guidance, especially now.
Cancer asks us to surrender to the wisdom of the heart and listening to that small voice inside. When we can drop out of the mind and into the heart, that guidance becomes much stronger and clearer. The message that I, and many others are receiving now, is about trust. When we are living more in our hearts, we can make decisions based more on love than on fear which allows us to trust the process we are in. It also allows us to receive what we really need, even if it is not always what we want. A good example of this is around my personal surgery. I’ve been given instructions that I won’t be able to go up or down stairs for three months, and I was beginning to panic, since I live on the second floor. However, in the most amazing act of trust, a downstairs neighbor offered to exchange apartments during my recovery! A simple example that nothing is impossible when we can trust in the benevolence of the Universe. We will often receive unexpected help in ways we had not imagined!
This New Moon also brings a beautiful Grand Water trine involving the Cancer New Moon with Saturn in Scorpio and Chiron in Pisces. This aspect brings in opportunities to heal old family wounds through acceptance, forgiveness and compassion. It is time to let go of old emotional patterns and conditioning related to our families of origin. To do this we must first love and forgive ourselves for being imperfect humans. As we do, we can more easily forgive…and finally love others.
Finally, there is another very powerful energy present at this New Moon. Mercury, the mind and Mars, planet of action, are conjunct in Cancer and they are tightly opposed by Pluto in Capricorn. This aspect often indicates a power struggle and the arising of our personal as well as the collective shadow. Our personal shadows collectively creates the darkness in our world.
“The shadow holds our “unfinished business,” our fears, doubts and judgments, the parts of ourselves we normally avoid or hide. When we have a charged reaction to any person, situation or issue, this is a clear signal that a shadow aspect is asking to be seen and owned. It is asking us to be direct about sharing what we normally withhold and to fully experience and express our emotions. As the shadow comes out into the light, it is then possible for that energy to be transformed into deeper intimacy, love and self-acceptance.” The Mayan Oracle
Cancer, ruled by the Moon, is a sign of nurturing and in the Farmer’s Almanac, when the Moon is in this sign is cited as one of the most fertile times for planting. Let us plant the seeds of love in these changing times, for ourselves and for our world. As we listen to our heart’s wisdom we will remember who we are, why we are here and what we need to do create a new world based only in love.
artwork by Shiloh McCloud
Sibyl Star
