New Moon at 18 degrees Cancer
The new moon happens on July 9/10th in cancer. The new moon is a time for intention setting. This new moon focuses on family, tribe, tradition or new tradition. The Sabian symbol for the new moon is “A priest performing a marriage ceremony”. The marriage ceremony brings together two people to form a relationship. The priest performing the ceremony brings down heaven to sanctify it. The two individuals come together to form a new “blessed” third entity. This new “blessed” third entity, forms the structure for then building a family.
But there is a traditional family – two parents a boy and a girl and a white picket fence. And there are non-traditional forms of family, of which there are so many options! This new moon provides an opportunity for forging a new non-traditional family!
This new moon is widely aspecting a number of planets. It’s sextile Uranus in Taurus. This bringing in a desire to change or a unique approach to the security that family or the tribe brings. Maybe you’ve read the Ringing Cedars books and you are considering creating your own Kin Domain. Or you’ve realized that safety means being nomadic and have opted for the van life. Whatever the approach to family, this new moon brings in an opportunity to create something unique. The new moon is also trine to Neptune in Pisces, and this brings in bringing in less of ‘sanctified tradition’ (church or government) and more ‘spiritual inspiration’ (your higher self, league of angels, or spiritual guides). This can feel like a direction that you are meant to go in regardless of how strange it may look. It’s exciting and though weird taps in authentically to your sense of belonging and connection.
But the new moon also squares Chiron and opposes Pluto. This is not an easy decision or path to take! While this new moon brings opportunities to forge a new and unique sense of family, tribe, and tradition, it also presents risks.
Chiron in Aries and has been bringing up wounding around who we are. Chiron in the “who am i” sign of Aries brings up words like self-reliance, sovereignty, personal freedom, exploration. While in Aries, the wounding comes from stepping out and expressing your core self. The square aspect to this cancer new moon, causes the wounding to flare up and brings up conflict with the family or tribe. Do you’re family allow you to be who you are? Or for the sake of tradition and socialization do they try to force a certain way of being. You may feel like “nobody put’s baby in a corner” (Dirty Dancing reference). Maybe you want to swing your hips to the sultry moves of bachata, but your people would prefer you to keep it clean with a wholesome cha-cha-cha. The thought of it makes you miserable. Like Baby, you find yourself sneaking off to the underground Latin dance classes so that you can tap into your passions and properly express yourself. It’s not that you don’t love your family, you just have something inside that needs to “be you”. At this new moon, you can set intentions for truly healing those wounds around being yourself. It won’t be comfortable. But there is an opportunity for healing.
Those risks include the risk of banishment from those who you’ve known to be family and risks of power struggles as those old structures try to maintain. The new moon is also opposite Pluto. Pluto is in Capricorn where is bringing out the powerful and controlling aspects of old and traditional structures. Governments or old institutions may try to hold onto the power. In this case, the old institution of marriage or the social structure of the tribe (or nation). Perhaps they want you to do family or belonging in the traditional way. They may say to you “only the government or the church can bless a union” and try to tell you that your intended family structure is not legitimate. The trick to getting through this energy is to create an inner union. Connect with your spiritual guidance to create your own sanctity or blessings.
All in all this New Moon is a chance to find that place where you fit, even if the path to doing so is wrought with opposition. When you arrive, it will feel so right!
Happy New Moon in Cancer!