New Moon in Cancer 6*25*25

Get ready. This powerful Cancer New Moon on Wednesday morning is bringing challenges. I know, I know - perhaps it's better said that it is bringing in a different level of  challenges. These energies are primarily in cardinal signs. Therefore, the focus is shifting to each of us personally - what we are feeling and being drawn towards, as well as what we are being called to move away from. 

The Sun and Moon will be at 4 degrees of Cancer, conjunct Jupiter at 3 degrees of Cancer. Conjunctions are a blending of the energies of the planets involved. Jupiter energy amplifies things, so the Cancer energy will be especially strong under this New Moon. 

Cancer Energy: Home isn't a place, it's a feeling

The Moon is at home in Cancer, the sign it rules. Cancer is the sign of home, family, inner circle, roots, foundations, and childhood. It nurtures, protects,  and mothers. As the cardinal water sign it experiences life through the emotions. Like all water signs, it is intuitive and sensitive. But, cardinal signs are the most personal of the signs. Cancer energy can have difficulty determining which emotions are absorbed from others or the outside world and which are internally generated.  That is why Cancer energy needs both strong boundaries and a safe space to retreat to so it can tease out all the feelings.  Boundaries protect Cancer energy from being depleted from all those who are attracted to its caring energy. Cancer takes care of people. But problems arise when it tries to mother and nurture everyone. That leads to energy drains and exhaustion. Cancer can find it challenging to know when to step away from others or situations when it becomes overly invested in everyone else's wellbeing at the expense of its own. 

During Cancer season, we all are a little more sensitive. It's a good time to reevaluate your boundaries and those who you open your heart and home to. How accessible do you allow yourself to be? Do those who have full access to you value your time and energy? Are they respectful of your needs? Are they able to reciprocate in meaningful ways? Do they? Is there a balanced give and take in your relationships? Do you honor your own boundaries, or do you write IOUs to yourself, sacrificing yourself in a misguided attempt to take care of another? This may seem harsh, especially in the Season of the Crab, but denying your needs in order to care for someone else is like setting yourself on fire to keep another warm. It is denial of self, plain and clear, and the cost is steep. 

 It's also a great time to look at your self-care routines and practices. What forms the foundation of your life? What actions and spaces serve as an anchor? Do you have non-negotiables that you are committed to doing? These are practices that enhance your life and soothe you. Do you consistently invest in your wellbeing? Do you take the time you need to rebalance and reset after being out in the world? For many, self-care is practiced on a superficial level. It is seen as a fix, a reaction to a hard day or frustration with something or someone. True self-care is an act of creation, not mitigation. It is not about fixing anything. It is a reflection of the value with which you hold yourself. It is deliberate and proactive, not reactive. Effective self-care practices are investments in establishing and maintaining a chosen state of being.  From that state, you care for your dear ones from the overflow of your own full cup. 

Jupiter in Cancer amplifies the desire to feel safe, secure, and cared for. In fact, that is its focus as it spends the next 12 months moving through Cancer. While Jupiter entered Cancer earlier in June, this New Moon is the impetus to explore how you express your caring nature and what you are drawing from as you share your care with the world. What do you need to feel safe and secure? What does home mean to you? In Feng Shui, the qualities of "home" are safety, comfort, and beauty. Does your home environment check all those boxes? If not, what can you do to enhance or create these conditions? This refers to physical home/living space as well as a mental and emotional "home".  Do you feel safe? More to the point, what do you need in order to feel safe? Do you feel comfortable? Do you find your space and those in it attractive? Who are your 'family'? Who deserves a seat around your table? What undermines your sense of safety, comfort or beauty? Notice how your body reacts in different environments and around different people. Do your shoulders hunch? Do you feel a tightness or restriction in the solar plexus or throat? Do you hold your breath? It is time to acknowledge these messages and address them. New Moons are times to plant seeds and start new projects. 

The Neptune - Saturn Effect: Get serious about your dreams

Saturn, planet of accountability and discipline, and Neptune, planet of spirituality are conjunct at 1 degree and 2 degrees of Aries, respectively, and are squaring Sun/Moon/Jupiter. Squares are tense aspects that require a change in approach to alleviate some of the frustration they generate. Saturn and Neptune in Aries are keeping us accountable to our dreams. Neptune in Aries calls on us to own our creativity and explore beyond where we are now to reach a greater awareness of our potentials. Saturn is supporting this by encouraging us to take responsibility for our dreams and bringing them into our reality. 

With this square, consider what you truly want for yourself - not anyone else, just you. What projects do you want to start? What gifts do you want to develop within yourself? (Neptune in Aries) and how will you do so (Saturn in Aries)? Can you create a plan to bring these dreams into fruition? (Saturn in Aries) How will you use these efforts to nurture your foundation, your roots (Cancer)? How can you use the foundation you have (Cancer)  to support your growth (Jupiter) into a greater expression of yourself and your talents? How will you make your mark on the world? (Neptune and Saturn in Aries). How will you do so without compromising your wellbeing? How can you do so while enhancing your wellbeing?  What conditions have you outgrown? (Jupiter in Cancer). Saturn and Neptune in Aries are encouraging you to be brave and pursue what is calling you to grow. Rework your foundation so it authentically reflects who you are now and opens a path towards who you are becoming. 

"Build a strong foundation and you can reach even the most unthinkable heights."    M.J. Moores