cancer new moon
this new moon arrives at 7° Cancer on Tuesday June 28, 2022 at 10:52 PM eastern time
this new moon arrives at 7° Cancer on Tuesday June 28, 2022 at 10:52 PM eastern time
womb of potential. below is a guide into the astrology of this new moon in cancer & the signs of the times.♡
cancer new moon
in the days before the new moon…
Over the past week the moon entered its final phase of darkness before the new moon on Tuesday. The balsamic phase of the moon symbolizes the release of the cycle, the distillation of what came to fruition over the full moon and then travelled inwards to be integrated into wisdom & refined through experience. As the moon looses light it represents the surrender of control. At the end of the cycle, the plant dies and returns to the earth. Compost of this moment becomes the mineral rich soil in which the moon will begin its cycle back towards fullness again. Kelly Surtees describes balsamic moon individuals as, “Visionaries who can see beyond the demands of the immediate future. They are here to distill the essence of previous life lessons. Often quiet, retiring and resilient, they have a powerful ability to transform.”
In the balsamic phase, the Moon moved through the final degrees of Taurus at the end of the past week, into Gemini, and finally entering Cancer this morning. The information revealed through the overturning of Roe vs. Wade during this phase sent the final tide of the moon churning into darkness. I saw many friends take time away from social media to process the news. We all felt, experienced, or witnessed the collective wither, withdraw, and go dark. A sigh of rage unravelled, and then something else surfaced. The familiar reminders of support, resilience, and how to help and care for one another.
new moon in cancer arrives tuesday evening
Every month, the dark moon leads us to the New Moon. Once every year, that New Moon happens in the sign of Cancer. Cancer is a cardinal / yin, feminine / water sign. The Moon rules the sign of Cancer, and all the lunar qualities of life are replenished in the homecoming. Here we find feeling, initiation, instinct, intuition and receptivity. It represents the ebb and flow of emotions, nourishment and our connection to family & origins. In the system of the 36 decans which divides the 30 degrees of each sign into 3 equal parts, the first 10 degrees of cancer hold a specific energy. From the Javanajataka comes the image of this decan as “a woman whose words are beautiful and full of grace. holding a lotus in her hand, she stands in the water.” Austin Coppock goes onto describe,
“The waters which inundate this face of Cancer flow two ways. They both issue from the source and and return to it. They are the primordial river, which runs both forward and backward, both sweet and brackish. In the midst of this river, at the point where the waters divide, stands a maiden… This maiden, this goddess, stands at the point where the river divides. One stream flows north, carrying what we wash in it back to the source, back to the fertile womb of non-being. It is a place of cleansing and of letting go. The other branch cascades towards the future. It is a heavy, fertile water which fecundates the soil it soaks, preparing it to give life. Other texts show us the verdant side of this decan, depicting men holding roots, stems and fruits, garlanded by leaves and surrounded by trees. Within each acorn, an oak. Within each dream planted and nurtured, a forest of experiences. Thus, coming to this fork, we must decide what we will wash ourselves clean of, and what seeds we shall plant.”
In hellenistic astrology, the Thema Mundi is theorized to be the astrological birth chart for the beginning of the universe. It is from this original map that the entire unfolding of the core system of ancient astrology emerges. The Thema Mundi has Cancer rising with the Moon in the first house, suggesting that life itself must arise through the sensitive waters of cancer & manifest through the primal material of the body (cancer’s ruler, the moon). In the image of this decan mentioned above, the woman in the fork of the river holds a lotus. A symbol of what it means to blossom from the dark murky waters, the lotus provides us with a symbol of perseverance. Growth can emerge from from the unseen depths, a muddied compost of all experience. As Austin writes,
“This lotus is the beauty of creation, the potential of human life, which rises out of the mud to become something nurtured by it but not defined by it.”
the threshold of summer’s first new moon (for the northern hemisphere)
Cancer is associated with home, emotions, nourishment, the gateway of life, birth, fertility, caretaking, mother/child, core needs, sensitivities, creativity, comfort, food, life-source. With this Sun & Moon in Cancer we are given one of the most harmonious new moons of the year.
A helpful way to harmonize with the new moon is to make a list or journal about the things you would like to see grow in your life over the next 6 months to one year. Six months from now the intentions we set will reflect through the full moon in cancer (during Capricorn season of next year.) This is the only new moon in Cancer for 2022, the only time the new Moon will be in her home sign dolling out 5 star hospitality and comfort foods of the soul. Resources are available if we choose to engage with this moment. Food for thought …
What must be release back to source? Is there a place you have held onto out of sentiment that is no longer needed as you move forward?
Can you sense a place in your body, heart, mind that you are ready to clear?
Make an intention to receive the nourishment you need at this time to create a safe space for your inner needs. Some ideas include creature comforts such as food and clean sheets, quality time with loved ones, spiritual practices & self-care.
What practices can you lean into to regulate your body and nervous system so you can maintain clarity through turbulence?
Make a list of any gentle (or urgent) nudges of inspiration that arise at this time. Journal about your creative ideas and visions, process the world around you as the grounds for inspiration in this current moment.
What protection can you offer for your self, those you care for, your community? What needs protecting within you?
the astrology of it all
This moon is one to make note of.
With Jupiter at 7° of Aries at the exact moment the Sun & Moon meet in Cancer at 7°, what seeds in our life at this time will be struck by a beam of luck & abundance. Quite literally, this signals FERTILITY that comes through some sort of creative tension. The tension happening across the cardinal signs of Aries and Cancer wants to pioneer a creative path, but requires us to face the challenges that come in unchartered territories.
The skies suggest that even if it doesn’t work out exactly how we imagine, taking a risk could lead to growth & and opportunity. Something will grow. Neptune stations retrograde the morning of the 28th, signaling to return your attention to your most visionary ideals and the waters of imagination.
Is there a dream you’ve lost sight of that needs to be flushed out once again?
Is there a place that your energy could be redirected to better nourish your visions?
Is there an area of your life you could let go of control to allow more space to dream?
We are being asked to take action somewhere in our life, and a dream without a plan is just a fantasy.
a gift
Cancer is a sensitive, creative, empathetic & emotive sign. Sentimental, protective, cancer’s initiate the flow when they sense they are safe. The influence of Cancer brings the birth of the universe and then carries the cycle of life onward by nourishing and feeding its creations. Always nostalgic for the waters of creativity still fresh with the imprint of source energy & forever softening the emergence of life with the support needed for fresh things to survive in the material world. It is this vulnerable state of becoming that Cancer does so well. Ruled by the moon, moods can fluctuate like waves, and Cancer rides the wave internally holding space for both the tumultuous storm and velvet lap of waves on the shore.
Many artists, musicians, and writers have cancer influences in their charts. For this new moon I made a playlist to dive into the vibe of creatives born with significant Cancer placements. It turned into a moody montage of self reflective therapy ballads, baby making music, intimate sound scapes, and poetic rap. Offering an aura of protection for the inner child, and a cathartic release for the caretaker in need of replenishment (both exist within us). Most of the songs are new(er) releases. Everyone on the list (except Jhene Aiko who gets an honorary mention with sun/moon in Pisces triplicity) has personal planets in Cancer (meaning at least one or more of the first 7 visible planets).
In a world that doesn't feel safe for many & in the face of uncertainties, I hope that you find a moment to tune into the energy of this new moon as a threshold for sovereignty. The first step is taking care of ourselves, finding stillness and nourishment for our deepest needs, so we can then take care of those within our influence. The creativity that comes from depth within can find a way to move through your voice, your art, your message, your gifts, your care- and possibly become a place for others to feel reprieve and resonance. We can create safe spaces that allow others to be held & protected- even if just for a moment- in whatever way is possible through our unique expression. a song, a poem, a hug, a meal, a kind word, a cuddle, a cry. may this moment be the womb.
The waters might appear murky and dark at times, but it is in these waters which the LOTUS manifests through you, guided by the wisdom that nourishes you from root to rise.
…from the water we emerge. as Kendrick Lamar (Mercury, Mars and the MC in Cancer) thrums on his recent album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,
“Say hydrate, it’s time to heal.”
cancer new moon playlist
☾
☽
cancer new moon playlist ☾ ☽
Artists and Creators on this playlist all have significant personal planets in the sign of Cancer.
Topics of family, love, feelings, moods, intimacy, vulnerability, grief, trauma, nostalgia, bodies, babies, mothers, creature comforts, inner worlds, protection and ambient sound scapes weave effortlessly across genres for these cancerian creatives. the moon holds impressions, memories, experiences, and feelings of everything it passes through. One of the ancient correlations of the Moon is record keeper. The moon receives the information of the planets and passes it onwards along her journey, bringing the celestial spheres down to earth where our world is tidally locked to her gravitational pull. These artists have found ways to write their stories by absorbing the world around them and reflecting the impressions of their life through the medium of their words and sounds.
Many of the song collaborations featured artists with strong synastry patterns between water signs and cancer placements * synastry is the comparison of two charts to see how the energy of each natal chart will resonate between two or more people *. In honor of the times and the new moon, almost all the songs reflect the most recent work produced by each artist… even Chaka Khan had an album drop in 2019 (that moon/Uranus in cancer!). there’s some exceptions just for fun, but the goal was to tune into the times.
The list opens with Jhene Aiko (thematically setting the tone with Lotus though she does not have any cancer placements, her water Pisces Sun and Moon deserve an honorable mention) and closes with Raveena, a Saturn in Cancer native blurring genre boundaries to guide you into your own creative inner world.
If you aren’t into love pop ballads, lyrical confessionals, poetic rap / r&b, or the dance remixes that live on this playlist… let the epic meditation in the final track by Raveena Let Your Breath Become A Flower off her recent album “Asha’s Awakening” guide you to the reaches of your imagination in the still waters of this moon moment.
