Tonight’s New Moon in Cancer is vulnerable, tender, caring, and something of a puzzle.
The rest of the chart highlights the challenges we face, as it has been doing for some time. The Saturn–Uranus square is currently waning but still very present. Venus moves to conjunct Mars in Leo. They are separating from the Saturn–Uranus square, but only just: Uranus the revolutionary is still within orb.
We see how things are not ok. We’re not ok either. We want something done about it.
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Venus and Mars are both about desire, expressed in different ways. Together in Leo, how they act becomes more similar and also more dramatic, passionate, and creative. We have feelings. Ideas. Wants. Demands, possibly. It’s personal.
These two, Venus and Mars, are very close to the Sun and Moon, in the same degree range of adjacent signs. According to Hellenistic views, they’re too close to see each other. The term is “aversion” which means a turning away, and does imply a certain hostility (in the word’s origin and common usage).
Venus and Mars are ready to engage, act, create, express. The Sun and Moon in the Moon’s home sign of Cancer are not. The Cancerian impulse is to protect, shelter in place, hide. This New Moon seems to be asking for quiet and calm, for respite.
Of course, these two ways of being in the world are not as antithetical as they seem. Well, they are, but only if viewed from one moment in time. It’s the age-old tension between when to advance and when to retreat.
Venus and Mars say, we need to move. We must do more, gain more, face up to the forces arrayed against us.
The Sun and Moon have a compelling counter though: No army can advance beyond its supply chain. The sign of Cancer is all about the supply chain.
At this New Moon, we’re invited to check in with how we are. How do we feel emotionally and physically? Cancer is emotional and also body-based. A key Cancerian question is, Are we well nourished?
Huge issues loom in the world around us, questions about climate and the stability of our ecosystems, about political stability, infrastructure, and the capacity of our systems to handle what’s in front of them. These questions appear in the New Moon chart in all their uncertainty. This New Moon is applying to trine Neptune Rx in Pisces and then oppose Pluto Rx in Capricorn. We are definitely aware of big changes coming and how little we know.
At this New Moon, we feel how personal the political is. We feel the costs of instability in our bodies, our families, our social networks. And we know deeply at this time, that nurturing ourselves is the vital foundation for everything else.
We’re vulnerable. We can be hurt.
Some kinds of interpersonal vulnerability, the kind Brené Brown advocates, are courageous. This kind of openness helps us find and build authentic relationships. So even when it hurts, it’s worth it.
Other kinds of vulnerability need to be acknowledged as valid and addressed as important. This is true at the societal level and, at this New Moon, personally, too. Food, housing, medical care, and families are all Cancerian concerns.
Where are we overextended? Where are we doing too much? Perhaps we need to gather in our energies and focus on self care. This is an excellent choice for a New Moon in Cancer.
Where are we needing support? Perhaps we can to reach out to friends and family, check in, and see how we can access support as well as offer it. Networking isn’t just about opportunities. Networks are also about care.
Are we feeling good about our own supply chain? How’s our water supply? What about food? Medical care? As the world changes, it’s good to be proactive and understand how we get what we need. Sourcing food locally is better than relying on distant places. Understanding where our water comes from and how well we use it is also good. Taking care of the basics of wellness and addressing any issues, also worthwhile.
This is practical stuff, right? It’s very Cancerian.
We enter this New Moon phase with the Sun and Moon at 18 Cancer. This second decan comes with themes of enclosure and safety. We’re inside our walled garden, enjoying peace and prosperity. We’ll also be aware of our unmet needs as well as those in the wider community.
Overnight, the Moon enters the third decan of Cancer, where we consider how we feel about making choices. Do we hoard what we have or share it? Do we take what we need? Are we seeing the world as a place of plenty or scarcity? Are we optimistic? This extends the New Moon moment of looking at how we’re doing.
A day after the New Moon is exact, the Moon enters Leo. Having completed aspects to Neptune and Pluto, the Moon now reactivates the Saturn–Uranus square. Yep, the big issues are still there. We might get some clarity on what we, personally, need to be doing but remember we’re still in the darkness of the New Moon phase.
Before we reach the Crescent phase, the Moon enters Virgo. Here we shift into practical, everyday planning. What are we going to do? When? With what?
So we flow into the New Moon on a tide of Cancerian emotion. We explore what we desire with the Moon in Leo. And finally consider how to go about getting it in practical, everyday terms as the Moon enters Virgo.
We’ve entered a time when the night is lit only by stars. It’s fine to rest in the darkness. To check in with yourself and your closest circles of support. This is what this New Moon is about. Soon enough we’ll be figuring out what the next steps are and where we go from here.
For now, take good care.
The astrological charts are my own. The images in this post include the title,
adapted from the lotus bloom by Clarence E. Hsu,
and the following images:
the bird by nine koepfer,
abundant food by Brooke Lark, and
swans by Marc Kleen