New Moon in Cancer
new moon in cancer 17.07.23 - 7.31 PM
A new moon takes place when the sun and moon are in alignment, with the moon between the earth and sun. This leaves the earth-facing side of the moon in shadow and is called a conjunction or syzygy. This is one of the reasons we can’t see a new moon, and why it is often called a ‘dark moon’. The second reason that we can’t see a new moon is that it rises and sets around the same time as the sun; a rhythm which means that it is too close to the sun’s glare to be seen with the naked eye.
This new moon is in the cardinal water sign of Cancer: the sign it rules. It is powerfully at home here. Whenever we have a new or full moon in Cancer, home, in a multidimensional sense, is the key theme. Home is not just our physical dwelling or the town we are from (a space and a place), it is also a feeling, time and an active state or state of being in the world. We have all probably experienced moments of feeling very at home, and very un-at home, in the world. Cancerian energy is all about tapping into the mainline of this sense of home. This is not just the energy of the present, it spans huge expanses of time, from right now, to our near and far familial past, and all the way back through ancestral time.
Cancer is represented by the crab. And there is much in this symbolism that speaks to how we can think about, and work with, Cancerian energy. A crab’s soft body is encased by a hard exoskeleton, which, unlike our softer, human form, does not grow (or contract). To grow, a crab must shed their shell in a process called molting.
“Prior to molting, a crab reabsorbs some of the calcium carbonate from the old exoskeleton, then secretes enzymes to separate the old shell from the underlying skin (or epidermis). Then, the epidermis secretes a new, soft, paper-like shell beneath the old one. The crab gradually retracts all of its body parts from the outer shell by a few millimeters, a process that can take several weeks, while it begins to secrete a new shell beneath the old one.
A day before molting, the crab starts to absorb seawater, and begins to swell up like a balloon. This helps to expand the old shell and causes it to come apart at a special seam that runs around the body. The carapace then opens up like a lid. The crab extracts itself from its old shell by pushing and compressing all of its appendages repeatedly. First it backs out, then pulls out its hind legs, then its front legs, and finally comes completely out of the old shell. This process takes about 15 minutes.
When a crab molts, it removes all its legs, its eyestalks, its antennae, all its mouthparts, and its gills. It leaves behind the old shell, the esophagus, its entire stomach lining, and even the last half inch of its intestine. After molting, the new shell is very soft at first, making the crab vulnerable to predators. Within a few days, the shell hardens up, and it becomes very hard after a month.
Crabs that have lost legs can regenerate them over time. The leg breaks off at a special joint. Before molting, a new limb bud, with all the remaining leg segments, grows out of the joint. After molting, the new leg is smaller than the others. The crab needs three molts to grow a leg back to its normal size.”
In the process of creating a new home – with the body as our home here on the earth – a crab must leave itself vulnerable and exposed. It must lose so much of its physicality to evolve and grow. And not only does it grow a new shell, but also has the capability to regenerate. This radical act of growth is startling because, without it, the crab would ultimately die. This new moon is calling us to look at anything in our lives which needs to be pared back for our own spiritual and emotional growth. What needs to go in order that we grow? In order that we can create a better, more authentic home for ourselves?
Because of this innate relationship between home and Cancer, it makes sense that the sign’s archetype is the mother in all her forms. Like any other archetype, there are multiple interpretations, which include: the personal maternal relationships we have in the world; our own inner mother; mythological manifestations of the mother archetype and also our relationship with mother-earth. In his Essay Four Archetypes, C.G Jung says:
“The qualities associated with it are maternal solicitude and sympathy; the magic authority of the female; the wisdom and spiritual exaltation that transcend reason; any helpful instinct or impulse...all that cherishes and sustains, that fosters growth and fertility. The place of magical transformations and rebirth, together with the underworld and its inhabitants, are presided over by the mother.”
In the growth cycle of a crab, we can see the manifestation of those “magical transformations and rebirth” Jung talks about. This really speaks to the power and necessity of inner, or self, mothering.
As well as the beginning of a new cycle on July 17th, we will also experience a nodal axis shift from Taurus/Scorpio into Aries/Libra. This marks a longer-form rythm; this type of nodal shift occurs every 18 months, and is itself part of a more expansive 18 year cycle.
The lunar nodes, commonly referred to as the North Node and the South Node, represent the points where the moon’s orbit intersects the ecliptic. The nodes symbolise our collective and individual karmic journey and provide insights into the lessons and experiences that shape our lives. Chani Nicholas put is like this: “The North Node brings increase, volume, rapaciousness, greed, and striving. The South Node brings surrender, release, giving away, and letting go.” This energetic shift from Taurus/Scorpio to Aries/Libra is significant: a cosmic focus shift.
Taurus in the North Node puts attention on the home in terms of our body, physical homes, including the earth. focus here is material (safety, security) but also environmental. Aries North Node encourages us to embrace our authenticity and assert ourselves in the world. “Who am I, really?” asks Aries.
The shift from Scorpio South Node - think deep-diving, radical transformation, shadow work - into Libra suggests a need to release excessive reliance on others' opinions, harmonisng at the expense of personal desires, and seeking external validation. It encourages us to reassess our relationships, establish healthy boundaries, and prioritize our own needs. The shift into these nodes urges us to find a balance between our individuality and our interactions with others, promoting growth through self-discovery and fostering healthy partnerships. If you haven’t already, you may want to dive a little deeper into your natal chart and see where the lunar nodes fall in your chart. You can generate a free natal chart through Cafe Astrology, Pam Gregory’s website or Chani Nicholas’s app.
This new moon in Cancer is also supported by a dreamy trine with Neptune in Pisces and a sextile with Uranus in Taurus (we experienced this aspect with a full moon in Cancer with back in January 2022 - check in with what was happening back then, if you can, especially in terms of feeling at home). Uranus – associated with breakthroughs and change – in Taurus (nurture), empowering us to open up to curiosity, change and adaptability about our lives. Cancer is very much about safety too (home=safe) and feeling safe means we aren't triggered into a stress response of fight or flight. If our nervous system is balanced and calm, we won’t become emotionally overwhelmed (emotional overwhelm is a shadow quality of Cancer). Safety inspires openness, as opposed to panic, which shuts us down. Feeling safe means that we are an ideal state to transform.
When the moon trines Neptune in Pisces, it brings a sense of emotional harmony, spiritual awareness and intuitive insights. It encourages us to embrace our empathetic nature, trust our instincts and explore the realms of imagination and creativity. This is hugely supportive in becoming vulnerable in order to grow – like a crab shedding its shell – as it brings together the qualities of empathy, imagination and sensitivity.
How to work with the energy of this new moon in Cancer? Anything that connects you to an experience of home or homeliness. The energy of home in all its multidimensional forms will be profoundly powerful with this new moon, so simply slowing down, paring back and connecting to it is a hugely powerful act. If you feel called to, this sleep meditation by Bethany Auriel-Hagan, on Insight Timer, will guide you “into a deep sleep where you are invited to relax, let go, and be renewed; awakening fully cleansed of the past and open to a fresh start”. It feels so relevant in terms of the crab-like regenerative, radical act of growth we explored earlier. Wearing a Mirai Life silk velvet eye mask will enhance the quality of your sleep and its duration after this meditation and could also amplify your experience of it.