CANCER NEW MOON / SUPERMOON - 23 / 24 June 2017

Saturday 24 June, exact at 3.30am BST, Friday 23 June, exact 10.30pm EDT

This New Moon comes only three days after the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year and a time when the Sun (spirit) seems to stand still and we celebrate the light in the Northern Hemisphere. The Solstice represents the start of a new cycle, so it’s good to honour this time by setting some positive intentions for ourselves and the world we live in, which is most definitely in need right now! It is interesting that the brightest day of the year is occurring in the dark of the Moon, a time for turning in and letting go. It is a reminder, I sense, that we need to face the darkness in order to move into the light. There is no doubt that our collective shadow is being shown to us in no uncertain terms at the moment, but it is so much better out in the open where we can see it rather than insidiously simmering away underneath the surface. This Solstice and New Moon combination seems like a good opportunity to bring the dark out into the light and transmute it with the power of positive intention.

This is also a Supermoon, which means that the Moon is much closer to the earth and will have a much more powerful effect on our minds, bodies, emotions and spirits. New Moons are a very potent time of the month anyway, when we leave something behind in the dark of the Moon in order for something new to be born in its place. As the Moon is now in Cancer, we have a chance to leave behind old emotional patterns and habits formed in childhood that quite simply don’t serve us anymore. Much like the crab with its protective shell, we developed strategies and coping mechanisms early on to help us to survive, which protected us and make us somehow feel safe and loved. However, as we grow into adults we are no longer the vulnerable little child we once were, so these patterns tend to work against us instead of helping us as they once did. They can have an insidiously sabotaging effect on our adult relationships rather than protecting us as they once did. They are so powerful though, because they were formed very unconsciously, a long, long time ago. One could liken them to riverbeds that have been worn down, year after year, so it is very hard to make the water go in a different direction. However, during this Moon we have a chance to do just that.

Cancer represents the home, family, childhood and our ancestral roots. One of the biggest lessons of Cancer is one of finding emotional security that comes from within, rather than seeking it outside of ourselves through our relationships, family or our jobs. If our natural needs for nurturance and love weren’t met in childhood then this can create problems in our adult relationships as we continue to seek what we didn’t have as a child. Our insecurities and displaced emotions can wreak havoc as the child within us seeks reassurance and a sense of safety that was lacking in childhood. However, we will never find it outside of us. The answer lies within us and it is our responsibility to resolve these issues rather than expecting those around us to somehow make us feel secure and loved. This New Moon could well bring up issues surrounding our family and home life and could make us all too aware of both the gifts and the burdens we have inherited through the family line. It is a good time to honour our ancestors and to set positive intentions for ourselves, our family and our homeland. Cancer season definitely brings family and our childhood into focus, which is always a bit emotional!

Mercury is also sitting next to the Sun and Moon in Cancer, which could make our thought processes and communication quite subjective and emotional and once again might bring our emotional patterns, childhood, family and home life into the forefront of our minds and conversations. It really is a good time to talk about the family skeletons in the closet and to contemplate our old, sabotaging patterns formed in childhood. We just have to watch out that our emotions don’t get in the way of seeing and expressing ourselves clearly. Pluto and Venus are also forming an exact harmonious trine aspect during this Moon, which will help us to relate to one another in an emotionally honest way and get everything out into the open. Pluto likes to get to the heart of the matter and isn’t afraid to delve deep into the shadows and bring up what might be lurking there, even if it isn’t pretty. This could be a really good opportunity to be really honest with ourselves and our loved ones and to recognise our shadows and patterns and how they run the show sometimes. We may well find it easier than usual to show one another our vulnerable, insecure parts, which will greatly deepen the intimacy and closeness as we get to know one another better.

Pluto and Mars are also working up to an opposition which will be exact on July 2^nd and this could be a bit intense and passionate, to say the least!  This opposition is part of a T-square with Jupiter in Libra, the sign of balance and opposing extremes. This combination could cause any suppressed energy to erupt, such as rage and even violence. Anything that has been swept under the carpet will surely be brought out into the light when Pluto, the planet of soul power, and Mars, the warrior, oppose each other!  Add Jupiter to the mix and we could have people getting very het up about their beliefs, especially if they are of the extreme variety. Mars is in Cancer at the moment, so it is quite possible that we will be forced to defend our sense of family, homeland, roots and ancestry against the powers that be, such as the government or corporations.  Pluto in Capricorn is slowly but surely exposing the rot within the power structures of this world and so we are seeing more and more how the patriarchy is corrupt and flawed. This opposition could well highlight the imbalance between the soft, nurturing, family oriented energy of Cancer and the power hungry, controlled and controlling energy of Pluto in Capricorn as seen in some of the world leaders and governing structures of our time. The T-square could bring any grievances out into the open in no uncertain terms, both personally and collectively. It is a very good opportunity to meet our shadows face on!

This Moon certainly seems to be giving us the opportunity to bring up some old, family issues out into the open and talk about them honestly. We may have to be a bit brave and face some stuff we would much rather avoid! It may also bring up the question of what clan we belong to, aside from just our biological family. Cancer represents our inner life and is the springboard from which we go out into the world. It is the hidden, unconscious part of us which directly correlates to our self-image. Whatever happened in our childhood, the type of nurturing we received and the part we played within our family all have a huge bearing on how we see ourselves as adults. As such, this is a very important New Moon, because it brings the opportunity for an emotional rebirth of sorts. It addresses such a deep, private part of our self that has an effect on every single area of our lives, especially our relationships. We are all just little children, with our various types of protective shells, walking around in adult bodies. The gift of Cancer is learning how to honour the vulnerable child within us and nurture and nourish it ourselves, rather than demanding that other people do it for us. Once the springboard is sound everything else falls into place! This Moon is asking us to get back to our roots, as this is where much opportunity for healing lies. Cancer is a very nostalgic sign with an amazing memory, so it should be quite easy to look back!

Much love

Amy

xoxo

Picture: Two Crabs by Vincent Van Gogh