New Moon in Cancer
New Moon in Cancer 05.07.24 - 23.57
During the new moon phase, the moon is positioned between the earth and the sun. The side of the moon that is illuminated is facing away from us. Without this reflected illumination, it appears utterly dark to our eyes, here on earth. This state of darkness – of what remains in mystery; of what is yet unformed – is deeply connected to the psychic space created by a new moon. It is an invitation to turn inwards and to incubate. To create life from the void. This new moon is in Cancer, which is the first water sign of the zodiac and is ruled by the moon.
There is something so potent about the moon inhabiting the sign it rules. It is totally at home here. Completely authentic. Cancer is deeply connected to home and what that means to us on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. In a healthy home environment, we feel totally safe. It is our sanctuary. It is also the place where we are at our most vulnerable but powerful; it is where we sleep (in our Mirari Life silk velvet eye mask) and where we dream. Within our home, we move between the worlds, or states, of consciousness, unconsciousness and the dream world. This moon is an invitation to connect to our deeper, hidden states; to connect to the security of our dream worlds and, from this place, create.
Most of us have experienced a liminal state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. This hypnagogic state is a transitional phase of consciousness, which is characterised by a fluid blend of waking thought and dream-like imagery, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy begin to blur. In 2022, a study published in Science Advances reported that we have a brief period of creativity and insight in this semi-lucid state.
“The ability to think creatively is paramount to facing new challenges, but how creativity arises remains mysterious. Here, we show that the brain activity common to the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness (nonrapid eye movement sleep stage 1 or N1) ignites creative sparks. Participants (N = 103) were exposed to mathematical problems without knowing that a hidden rule allowed solving them almost instantly. We found that spending at least 15 s in N1 during a resting period tripled the chance to discover the hidden rule (83% versus 30% when participants remained awake), and this effect vanished if subjects reached deeper sleep. Our findings suggest that there is a creative sweet spot within the sleep-onset period, and hitting it requires individuals balancing falling asleep easily against falling asleep too deeply.”
Whether we describe it as a hypnagogic state, or prefer to think of this space as a dreamworld, or metaphorical womb – or even a void – this moon is calling us to access this authentic place – our soul’s home – and set our intentions from it. Cancer, as a watery, feminine energy, wants us to create from a place of deep soul alignment and emotional wisdom. In order to get here, we may have to experience what isn’t real and true first. On 2nd July, Mercury entered Leo, which supports communication between the head (Mercury) and the heart (Leo). This opens us up to clarity from false perceptions, beliefs and stories we hold about ourselves. Get real. Be truly at home with yourself.
Neptune began its retrograde, which will continue until December 7th of this year, on July 2nd. Neptune represents the realm of imagination, dreams and the mystical. In relation to this new moon in Cancer, it strengthens our relationship with the dreamscape and intuition. The strongest message of this new moon is to create from this place; to set intentions not from the mind but from the deepest, most mystical part of ourselves. And, while Neptune’s medicine resides in this non-linear, hidden, mystical place, it also acts as a bridge between the energetic and the tangible.
“Retrogrades are spaces for reflection and reorienting. As such, when Neptune is retrograde, it asks how have you been collaborating with the dreamscape? How have you been working alongside your creative inspirations? How have you been using your imagination and connecting with the sacred? How have you been living this role of creating the intangible into the everyday?
When in retrograde, Neptune makes the world of escapism and fantasy less available. It helps us land squarely in reality. What we have been turning away from we can no longer It reveals truths we had previously clouded and asks us to look at the objective and the rational. It also ushers us into reflection, reorienting, rewriting, and reorganizing of our understanding of reality and of what we want for this life.
Neptune retrograde brings a questioning to our desires and dreams. Now that we have stepped out of the imaginal and are observing our lives with clarity, we are asked to confront what it is that we truly want? What is it that our life needs? And how can we tend to that in the one life that we have? Our desires reveal themselves when we are engaging with life. But we need to be present with life to receive from it. We need to be in it to create with it.”
How to work with the energy of this new moon in Cancer? One of the most prominent Cancerian traits is nurture. Use this new moon to nurture yourself. Create a beautiful sense of safety inside and outside of yourself. Make your home feel like a beautiful sanctuary. Take a healing bath. Eat nourishing food. Connect to people who make you feel beloved and protected; people who nurture your soul. This Louise Hay affirmation may help create that feeling of safety:
“All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe."
This moon is also an invitation to go deep. Not in a punitive way, but in a way that feels like a return – a homecoming – to the hidden wisdom of our souls. It’s often easier to access this place if we feel nurtured and safe, which is why it’s important to create that feeling first. And from this place, feel into the things that you want to make manifest in your life. The intentions you want to set. Spend time here. Sometime our dreams may not be what we have previously imagined them to be. Release any judgment or shame about what you truly want. You are safe. Write down your intentions. This watery meditation may support you in this process.
Photo by jean wimmerlin on Unsplash
Neptune retrograde quote from here