ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THOSE IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA: I’ve added a few more seats to my 10-part course Beginning Astrology: Understanding Yourself & Others. The class begins on Thursday, July 27, and each class in the 10-part series will meet from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday each month (July-October 2017 & January- June 2018). The class will be closed to new members after the 1st meeting, and my next Beginning Astrology course will not be offered until at least mid-2019. Click on the link above to learn more. Or to sign up, email us at Anne@AnneReith.com or call (714) 599-0017.
NOTE: With apologies to those outside the Southern California area, this is an in-person course and is NOT available through distance learning. I hope to convert it to digital format in the future, so stay tuned!
In the Pacific Time Zone, the New Moon will occur at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 23. This New Moon finds the Moon and Sun in conjunction (0°) at 3° of Cancer. To further clarify how this New Moon will impact you on a personal level, locate 3° of Cancer in your birth/natal chart. The issues associated with that house are going to be most influenced by this New Moon’s presence.
This New Moon happens just a few days after the Solstice on Tuesday, June 20, and many astrologers feel this will increase its impact on us both individually and as a society. New Moons always represent new beginnings and a chance to set new intentions or goals in the areas associated with the sign. The keywords associated with Cancer include nurturing, sympathy, intuitive abilities, emotions, and anything involving family (e.g., home, get-togethers, food). The bottom line is that family, as you define it, is über important right now. Cancer is “the sign of the crab,” and if we envision a crab, it has claws. Those claws are used to keep out what is unwanted and protect whatever it defines as family within the circle of those claws. The shadow side or lower expression of Cancer can include heightened emotional sensitivity, dependence, fearfulness, and avoidance. Again, if we think about crabs, they seldom move forward. The way their exoskeleton is designed makes it more comfortable for them to move sideways. This can help us understand Cancer’s energy when it comes to issues of security and safety, which are other key words associated with Cancer. A crab tends to want to look carefully and examine things from all angles before deciding if it wants to advance or retreat.
Cancer can be very focused on others (e.g., nurturing our family), but another important focus with Cancer is “self.” This New Moon is asking us to look inward to better define our inner needs, especially emotional needs. Cancer is the sign most associated with the mother archetype. It’s a time when we need to nurture ourselves and may even coincide with a rebirth of our self, especially given this New Moon’s proximity to the Solstice. We become focused on the private world that we want to create, and this inner world is important! It provides the foundation upon which we can go out into the external world and create. This foundation is important because Capricorn is the sign opposite Cancer in the astrological wheel. Opposite signs complement each other; if the tasks of one sign are successful, it will enhance the tasks associated with the opposite sign. Therefore, if we have a firm foundation, then we can create externally. If we don’t, we will want to hide who we are and not go out into the world.
Because Cancer is a cardinal water sign, this will be an emotionally active time that may involve diving deep into our subconscious to find the answers. If we aren’t pleased with what we have been creating in our lives, it will be helpful to look to our feelings to guide us toward the changes that need to be made. If something feels good, it’s probably the right direction. If it doesn’t feel good, then it’s probably time to consider another option. Cancer also often indicates that this emotional analysis may require reprogramming belief systems that were installed during early childhood.
Several important aspects will influence the expression of this the New Moon in Cancer:
- The New Moon squares (90°) Chiron. Remember, squares often represent turning points that force us to make internal shifts or take action. This square will very likely make it hard to ignore our emotions. The symbol for Chiron is a key, so if we can navigate the emotional waters, we may be able to find a key that unlocks a door that previously felt impenetrable, which could lead to great healing.
- Luckily, Mercury is closely conjunct (0°) the New Moon. Mercury’s conjunction with the New Moon will help us think through our feelings and access subconscious information and bring it to a conscious level. If we have access to someone who can help us talk through our feelings with compassion, this can be very beneficial. But given this is happening in Cancer, we need to make sure that this person is nurturing and supportive. Anything less should be avoided due to the following (see next paragraph).
- Finally, Mars is in a wide conjunct (0°) to the New Moon and Mercury. This is an important planetary configuration because Mars is part of a very powerful t-square (right triangle) that will actually become increasingly influential over the next few weeks. Mars is in opposition (180°) to Pluto and both of those planets are squaring (90°) Jupiter. T-squares are like squares on steroids! They demand change. I describe them like a burr under the saddle on a horse; the horse will buck until it is taken care of. Unfortunately, the planets involved could be expressed in very volatile ways, so we need to be very conscious of our choices and watch our words and actions. The higher expression of this aspect is the potential to take action (Mars) in areas of our lives that require the re-distribution of power, which could lead to deep healing (Pluto). We can make amazing breakthroughs, if we can avoid the lower expression of this aspect, which can include aggressive actions (Mars) that use force instead of power (Pluto). Helpful signs that we need to take a step back and reconsider our actions might be if our efforts are being thwarted, if we seem to be making no progress, and/or if we are getting angry. Having Jupiter be the focal planet of the t-square shows us the way out but also the potential risks. Jupiter can be a planet of happiness and optimism, but it can also be associated with excess (e.g., impulsive actions due to its square to Mars). Again, we should watch our emotions. If we feel “triggered” by something, now is not the time to take action. Instead, we need to move away from the situation, process our feelings, and come back when we are feeling centered and grounded in our personal truth (Jupiter).
On Sunday, June 25, Mars will form a supportive trine (120°) to Neptune. Our abilities to use our imagination, intuition, and creative abilities are enhanced. We are reminded to keep moving forward, but to let Spirit help guide us along our path. Overall, this can be a good time to take action (Mars) toward our dreams (Neptune). Some astrologers say that this aspect is a good time to “pretend as if.” So, if we want to try on some new roles or scenarios, this may be a good time to do so.
Chiron begins a 5-month retrograde phase on Saturday, July 1. This time period can be like a prolonged healing session. Chiron is in Pisces, so we’ll be looking deep within our psyches for how to heal core issues. Some people refer to this as “shadow” or “inner child” work. We need to reclaim those parts of ourselves that have been relegated into the shadows because they are “unacceptable” by our parents, society, or other important people/institutions in our lives. This can be a difficult process to do alone. Whenever Chiron is in retrograde, it’s an excellent time to seek out professional help to navigate these rough waters (e.g., counseling, coaching). But given that Chiron is in Pisces, we can get lost in a fog and not see things clearly. Having someone who can look at situations objectively and support us through our healing process can be invaluable because they can help us move from fear to faith, which is Neptune’s highest expression.
Venus enters Gemini on Tuesday, July 4, where it will remain until August 1. We become very motivated by curiosity, especially in our social contacts and financial affairs. We are more open to variety, and we want to have fun conversations and social experiences. However, others may find us a bit distant emotionally. Our connections with others come through words right now rather than our hearts.
The next day (Wednesday, July 5), Mercury enters Leo for a 3-week stay. Our thinking becomes more confident. If we have a goal in mind, we want it to be a big, dramatic, grand goal! Our words become more dramatic and persuasive, but we may not be very good at listening or dealing with details. But if we like telling a good story, this is an excellent time to take center-stage.
Overall, this New Moon is ushering in a very emotional and potentially volatile time. The power that comes from astrology is that we know in advance what influences may be present and then make conscious, deliberate choices that will lead to the highest possible expression of the energies involved. But we have to use our free will and self-control to make that happen. Great healing is possible now. Coming up in August, we have a pair of eclipses that will be ushering in a time of great change. Therefore, we need to use this time period to observe how we are emotionally reacting to events around us and go inward to focus on our personal healing work in order to be ready for the upcoming eclipse season. But equally important is to not withdraw into our Cancerian shell and feel a need to defend ourselves unnecessarily. We need to find a balance between our inner work and keeping our hearts open. When we feel any strong emotions, we need to allow them time to move through our bodies. Reaching out to supportive others can be helpful because they can assist us in sorting out our feelings and options before we move forward. Now is a good time to remember to, “Learn to follow the quiet voice within that speaks in feelings rather than words” (S.R. Heller).
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THIS BLOG POST WAS WRITTEN BY
- Anne Reith, Ph.D. (AnneReith.com)
- For information about Dr. Reith’s downloadable ebooks and meditations, feel free to visit her online Store
SOME INFORMATION TAKEN FROM
- The Mountain Astrologer (magazine)
- Various online sources (e.g., www.cafeastrology.com)
REMINDER
- New Moons and Full Moons often influence us for the 3 days before and 3 days after the actual event.
NEW MOON
New Moon at 3° of Cancer
- Friday, June 23, 2017, 7:30 p.m. PDT
- Friday, June 23, 2017, 10:30 p.m. EDT
- Saturday, June 24. 2017, 2:30 a.m. GMT