photo by Werner H. Mueller

The New Moon takes place the morning of the 14th with the Sun and Moon conjunct in the water sign of Cancer. As a water sign Cancer deals with the realm of emotions and instincts, but being a cardinal sign of action, Cancer take an active role in seeking to nurture and care for others. The New Moon begins a new lunar cycle; the conjunction of the Sun and Moon in which the pure and simple conscious solar principle obscures the darker and more complex lunar instincts. At the New Moon we seek the highest form of the lunar energy, and in Cancer that takes the shape of love and protection for our family and our tribe. In Cancer we seek to make a home; not just for our bodies but also for our souls. Here we feel at home in our inner life; our inner world becomes richer and more nurtured.

New Moons are of course times for new beginnings, and the New Moon in Cancer is a good time for watering the garden and propagating new plans. Our inner gardens are more fertile as well; we are better prepared to connect with those we love and to nurture our relationships. Because the Moon is a ruler of Cancer, it is very much at home there and helps to facilitate Cancer’s work in building and sustaining safe and secure emotional environments. The Sun/Moon conjunction is trined by Uranus, adding a note of excitement and an ability to create change where needed and move forward from the past where Cancer has a tendency to become stuck.

Coming on the heels of the conjunction from Mars to Ceres, this New Moon offers an opportunity to leave past issues of neglect and self-abuse behind as we allow a purer love for others and for ourselves to flow from the source within our own hearts. Uranus in Pisces trines the Sun and Moon which suggests that the creative impulse is strong now and that flashes of insight help to guide us toward the new beginning stimulated by the New Moon. The approaching trine of Saturn to Pluto is also a part of this lunation which facilitates the transformation that is necessary in order to be able to fearlessly reveal the truths of our deeper being.

However, the approaching square of Mars and Ceres to Chiron suggests the possibility of confrontation and button-pushing that may provide the stimulus for a deeper experience of healing if we don’t run from the emotional discomfort that this confrontation may engender. Ceres, as the higher octave of the Moon, represents not only our emotional security but the safety of our very being, and the heightened sensitivity of the Mars/Chiron square will bring up any unresolved fears now. The Cancer New Moon offers the possibility of washing the emotional state clean in the pure unconditional love of the Divine Mother archetype but getting there is not always easy when Chiron is involved.