We’re feeling ragged and raw after the intensity of last month’s Full Buck Moon (and the nose-to-the-grindstone influence of Saturn going retrograde). The good news is that the new moon on July 17 will provide some relief.
This new lunar cycle, which begins in the sign of Cancer, provides an opportunity to address our emotional needs. We are encouraged to look inward to our soft “underbellies,” the emotions and dreams we conceal behind a protective shell. As important as it is to pay attention to the lessons that the celestial bodies teach us, we are only human. We need a break to see if the recent humbling of our egos has left cracks in our hearts.
The Cancer new moon in July allows us to ask for and receive support, allowing us to feel emotionally safe and secure. It also motivates us to set goals for the improvement of our homes — both literal and metaphorical — and domestic lives. Consider the people and places that provide us with refuge when the outside world becomes too harsh. What can we do to nourish them in the same way that they have nurtured us?
If our interpersonal relationships have become codependent, the new moon is the ideal time to establish healthier boundaries. Our “shells” protect us from toxic contamination. It’s time to relearn how to say “no” and respect when others tell us the same.
A journey into the unknown
However, it will not be a smooth ride. With Pluto in retrograde and wielding its destructive yet transformative powers in Cancer’s polar opposite sign Capricorn, tending to our emotions can feel like jumping into the ocean without a life jacket. When there is power play in our relationships, our need for emotional safety can easily mutate into paranoia. The thing is, all of our relationships are a constant dance of give and take. It just feels scarier during this new moon because we’re entering new territory while still reeling from the changes.
We’ll be more aware of our fear, sadness, and anger because Cancer is an emotional sign. On the other hand, we will feel the full extent of happiness and gratitude whenever these emotions arise. It may sound like a rollercoaster ride, but the upcoming lunar event simply encourages us to feel whatever we feel without becoming fixated on it. Exaggerating unpleasant emotions can overwhelm us, preventing us from processing them properly — and we all know how difficult it is to take a step forward when we’re feeling paranoid.
To help us cope with our emotions, we should get plenty of rest in the days leading up to and immediately following the new moon. Big changes are on the horizon, and in order to move forward, we must first process the past.
Lunar nodes usher a new eclipse season
The entry of the North and South Nodes into Aries and Libra, respectively, also coincides with the Cancer new moon. The lunar nodes reveal information about our personal and collective goals. They are opposing points in the sky that are based on the positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth at any given time, rather than planetary bodies. According to the theory behind the Nodes of the Moon, we all come into this world with some underdeveloped and overdeveloped aspects of our personality. The North Node represents the traits we need to cultivate in order to balance the ones we have already mastered and may rely on too heavily. The South Node is in charge of these latter characteristics.
The 17th also marks the beginning of a new eclipse season, as the lunar nodes change signs immediately after the new moon’s peak. A series of eclipses will occur along the Aries-Libra axis. That means an 18-month learning process to balance the ram’s need for self-expression with the scales’ need for diplomacy and smooth relationships. Despite the South Node’s pull to rely on the Libran tendency to keep the peace at any cost, the North Node in Aries will push us to learn how to be more authentic and courageous in our convictions. Taking care of our inner selves during the Cancer new moon assists us in preparing for that lesson.
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