New Moon in Cancer: Radical Self-Care

Today and for the next week we welcome the influences of the New Moon in the cardinal water sign of Cancer. We are now in ‘seed planting’ time, the hours and days following the lunation in which the influences and energies take root in our lives and being. Cancer is the sign of the feminine, mothering, womanhood, nurturing, and self-care. No matter whether we are male or female, we all have a feminine side that must be honored in order to feel whole, sane, in-balance, healthy, and full-filled. Happy and satisfied.

I have been receiving intuitive ‘downloads’ about this New Moon for several days. As I’ve stated before, I never write a forecast from my head, listing astrological aspects without integration. No, I have to viscerally feel the influences of the planets – embody them – in order to relay them to you, my beloved readers. In this case, the building New Moon energies in Cancer were so potent that I was literally incapable of writing until I had passed through the vortex of channeling!

Cancer is a cardinal water sign, symbolized by the crab. Her colors are silver and purple, the stone is Moonstone. Her ruler is the changeable, intuitive, sensitive Moon.

At this lunation, the Sun and Moon are joined by a tight conjunction with Mars, the planet of action and will-to-power, and Mercury, mover ‘n shaker, communicator and neural networker – also in watery, receptive, reflective Cancer. These four planets need us to rest, to mother ourselves, to take needed downtime. A screen-free day, evening, hour. A slew of home-cooked, classic meals – comfort food. A day by the river, a hike in the forest. A languid lovemaking session with self or partner. Siestas in clean sheets. Star gazing and imbibing the sweet air of a summer evening.

However, there is a proverbial fly in the ointment. Opposing this Cancerian entourage of self-care suitors lies powerful Pluto in Capricorn. There’s a showdown, a challenge to our efforts to relax, to soothe the nervous system, release the jaw tension, and take a timeout. Pluto is the Boss Man here, compelling us to find the inner authority, new strength, from our very bone-depths. You can find it: it’s there! It may be hidden below a pile of superego garbage, but the feminine voice of self-love, acceptance and gentleness must prevail at this New Moon.

The superego may say, “No, you have to go to work, work, work. You have to finish these reports, remodel your kitchen, landscape your front yard, go to every social obligation offered, earn more money no matter if you’re completely wiped out, and pay the piper!” Pluto can be quite intimidating, a shadowy, imposing character. But if we look past the dragon breath and red blazing eyes and understand that our demons actually encourage us to find inner power, we will find something richer in the transformation: our deepest, truest authentic self, and the strength to say “No” right back.

We take a down day, or half day at least. We tell the superego, “I will get back to you. I’m resting.” We may even let him go to voice mail, and wait until he cools off before responding at all. In short, Pluto entices us to find our own power – the power to protect our own self sanctuary. Pluto forces us to honor our id, the pleasure principle, and to heed our inner shouts and tantrums that demand we give ourselves what we need.

Nothing should get in the way of self-care during this New Moon cycle. For what happens if we ignore the voice of our inner Healing Woman? We become enslaved, locked in jail cells of our own making. We go slowly mad, whether we are male or female. Our sleep is disturbed, we lose our dream time. We go semi-postal on the freeway, we yell and bicker and bitch with our mates, our co-workers, our children, the government. These are all clues that we haven’t been listening to a deeper need to self-soothe before it is too late and our efforts become twisted. We get more than a little kooky, and others notice it too. Maybe they’re also overtaxed in some way and have been handcuffed in their own minds. Maybe they need self-acceptance, too.

Perhaps we can take the initiative, exemplifying gentleness and belly-breathing until they also get the hang of it. If not, if they're too addicted to the incessant superego, we can let them run ragged and instead go solo, take a time out, hide away, turn off the phone, and trust that the world will turn without us.

If even for a moment, at this New Moon cycle, we are called to Honor the Feminine.We all need it.

Wildcat Peak

 Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, astrologer, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached for bookings at erin@erinreese.com.