CANCER NEW MOON, July 17 – August 1, 2023
Welcome to the Cancer New Moon, dear Friends,
Cancer is a cardinal, water sign, ruled by the Moon. It “initiates” the Summer in the North and Winter in the South, and similarly, it initiates a new season in our lives. We’re in the womb of a powerful, fertile new cycle. This is a fresh start, reset, renewal, and re-birth in the area of your life/chart ruled by Cancer.
If you’re a Cancerian — Happy Birthday! This is your new year and it seems you’re ready to create some waves.
This Cancer New Moon aligned at 2:31 PM ET on July 17 at 24+ degrees, in a trine to Neptune and opposition to Pluto. Also, other major aspects are aligning at this lunation, seeding the energy of the coming weeks. Hours before the New Moon, Mercury in Leo was square Jupiter in Taurus bringing huge inner realizations and insights. Hours after the lunation, the Lunar Nodes ingressed Aries-Libra (from Taurus-Scorpio). On July 20, the Sun trines Neptune, Mars opposes Saturn; on July 21 the Sun opposes Pluto, and finally, Venus stations retrograde on July 22.
The tide is turning. What you initiate now, is likely to have far-reaching ripple effects. Still, it’s not all smooth sailing — we’re moving through choppy waters. But with sensitivity, care, creativity, imagination, and detachment, the coming days could bring about a total transformation in a situation where we’ve previously felt powerless.
Cancer rules our emotions, our most basic needs of food, shelter, and water, as well as our innermost needs for safety, and security — emotionally, physically, materially, and financially. It represents one’s home, family, food, nourishment, mothers, children, the bond between them, the womb, women, and matters of fertility.
We can expect these themes to be surfacing at the front and center of our life and consciousness over the coming weeks.
As you enter this New Moon cycle — stay inwardly focused, and acknowledge how you feel, and what you need to feel safe — emotionally, materially, financially, and on all levels. Clarify your needs, and goals, reflect on your limits, release power struggles, be fluid and move with awareness.
Cancer is a deeply sensitive, intuitive sign. With current aspects: our intuition and psychic senses are running high. Go with the flow, nurture your dreams, and pour your energy into what you care most about. But there could also be waves of nostalgia tugging at our heartstrings. It will take awareness to not get pulled into the undercurrents of past patterns.
Significantly the Nodes shifted to Aries-Libra (from Taurus-Scorpio) just hours after the Cancer New Moon. The Nodes are the shadow of the Moon and point to our destiny, fate, karma, and a cycle of birth and re-birth. Since November 2021, the Eclipses in Taurus-Scorpio have marked a process of releasing power struggles, and past attachments, as we consciously step into new territory.
With the Nodes in Aries and Libra: our relationships are in focus over the coming 18 months. We’re in the process of reclaiming autonomy, and independence, and forging a new path forward even if it means upsetting the status quo. If we are being authentic; we can trust situations will find their natural balance. That said be conscious, not to cut your nose to spite your face. Actions have consequences and none of us is independent. The Nodal shift at this Cancer New Moon is teaching us: at best, we’re interdependent creatures and we need each other. What matters is that we’re stepping out of co-dependent patterns to engage as adults, as we are today, in the present.
Notably, on July 20, the Sun trines Neptune and Mars opposes Saturn. We’re in the flow. Trust your intuition but proceed with awareness, as you reflect on your limits and re-adjust boundaries as necessary. Doors are closing, opening, and lines are being drawn. We live, we learn, we grow. At best this is a chance to learn our lessons, but to let the past be water under the bridge. In the words of Bruce Lee, “Be like water,” and you could find your way around something that has been an obstacle.
July 21: the Sun opposes Pluto bringing powerful revelations and transformation. With Pluto at the end of Capricorn, we’re in the final throes of a long slow process, chipping away conditioning handed down through generations, society, culture, and parental and authority figures.
With the Sun (and New Moon) opposite Pluto, there’s a need to face and confront our shadow. There might be deep insecurities welling up and we’re likely feeling mixed emotions. But this is an evolutionary moment, and a chance to reclaim power in a situation where you’ve felt powerless.
Examine your family dynamics, and family ideas surrounding security, success, failure, relationships, and money. We can’t change the past, or anyone or anything outside of ourselves. And nothing and no one can have power over us unless we give it away. Consciously step out of patterns of co-dependency, parent-child, and victim-perpetrator dynamics, release power struggles, and engage with life as you are today.
As we evolve from childhood patterns, trust, that inner transformation will ripple out to transform your world and relationship dynamics. Change always comes from the inside out and this is an inner-purification process. Something that has been a source of irritation (at the least) is leaving you with a pearl.
July 22: Venus stations retrograde in Leo, followed immediately by Sun’s entry in Leo. A bold, dramatic new season begins, inviting us to dare to dive deeper into our hearts and acknowledge its most burning desires. I’ll have more to say about this in the coming days. But Venus is the planet that rules our relationships, money, creativity, beauty, and all matters of the heart. As she stations retrograde we’re entering a process of deep re-evaluation of our relationships, creative projects, and financial situations.
Her retrograde in Leo isn’t for the faint-hearted and there may be dramatic developments unfolding around her retrograde station. There might be people and relationships from the past re-entering our lives. Or perhaps we’re seeing someone’s true colors, or being revealed the heart of a situation. We’re feeling naked, exposed, raw, emotional, and vulnerable — but there’s something awfully beautiful about this.
It will require confidence, courage, and vulnerability to acknowledge our desires and to drop the ego. But the rewards of our courage will far outweigh any risks. Leo represents the “eternal here, now” and Venus speaks of love and our values. Nothing lasts forever, except love. And the value we get out of our experiences has the potential to change and enrich our lives forever.
July 23: Mercury squares Uranus, continuing a process we’ve been in since mid-June, bringing unexpected communication, insights, and realizations. Remain detached, be creative, innovative, and keep an open mind. A small adjustment or mind shift might be all that’s needed.
July 25: First Quarter Moon in Scorpio squares the Sun in Leo marking the halfway point between the Cancer New Moon and the Aquarius Full Moon on Aug 1, 2023. Let go of emotional baggage and the ego. We’re at a turning point and this is a chance for course corrections.
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To sum it up: as you enter this Cancer New Moon cycle, stay connected with your inner emotional landscape, rise above insecurities, and be gentle. Cancer is an extremely empathetic, caring, sensitive, and nurturing sign. Powerful emotions are welling up, everyone is feeling hyper-sensitive and we’re becoming aware of our needs. Boundaries are healthy, but a little sensitivity will go a long way.
This is very fertile energy, what you feed will grow. Let go of the past, and resentments, and nurture what matters to you, as you shape and bring dreams to life consciously. And where one door closes, another is opening. It might be as simple as being willing to ask for help, or what we want, or need. Just let go of expectations of others, (then you won’t feel disappointed) and pay attention to who shows up.
Cancer represents our most basic needs — and if you’re reading these words, you have an internet connection and likely have food and a place to sleep tonight. Be grateful. We may or may not always get what we want. But under these skies, there’s a strong suggestion, we will get what we need. It starts with daring to acknowledge it.
With Love,
Priya Kale
