What does the New Moon in Cancer mean to you?
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The New Moon in Cancer on July 17, 2023 will bring an emotional rollercoaster to our mind, body and spirit. Cancer reminds us to feel. Cancer season is a time to slow down, be patient, and feel. Cancer season is all about slowing down long enough to experience emotions we’ve conveniently avoided until now. This is a time to be patient with yourself, get nourishment for your soul, and feel safe in the face of your own emotions.
What the New Moon in Cancer means to you
Cancer is the first water sign of the zodiac. It generates water energy. Cancer reminds us that we have the power to generate waves of emotions that can change our lives and the lives around us. At the core of Cancer lies the foundation of healing. Cancer teaches us to heal, restore and replenish ourselves. To receive these gifts, we must be willing to feel. Feelings are the basis for everything else that the energy of Cancer gives us. We must feel to hear our intuition. We must feel to help others. We must feel to grow into the next version of ourselves. Feelings are the starting point for much of what we want to manifest.
This New Moon in Cancer helps us understand our emotions about our intentions and how they affect their manifestation. If we don’t feel that our visions are already happening or can become reality, then we will have a hard time making them come true. Now is the time to channel your energy into your visions to make them come true, feel any blockages and begin to materialize them.
It is also receiving information from yourself, your intuition and the universe. Your Higher Self is connected to the wisdom that extends beyond the present moment. You are connected to the infinite knowledge of the universe, including everything that has happened in the past and the future. There is no limit to how much your intuition already knows. Any questions you have this Moon about your path forward will already be answered in your intuition. Your job is to find those answers, listen to them, and trust them.
When you work with this new moon, put aside any impulses to act or do. This is the receiving Moon. Take what you already know and let it guide you to your intentions.
Other astrological aspects affecting the new moon in Cancer
It’s a high-aspect New Moon, which means a lot of luminary vibrations are highlighted on this day. If you feel any inner or outer chaos, return to your breath and body to regulate your energy.
The New Moon in Cancer is in opposition to Pluto in Capricorn. Pluto tells us about our past pain and trauma. It reveals parts of our soul that are not healed and need attention. It also shows where we have lost our power or given it away. As you sit in the vibrations of this New Moon, ask yourself if you have somehow lost your power. Did a past event take it away from you? Do you spend too much energy thinking about the past or trying to suppress it?
Wherever our attention is directed, our energy goes. If we are locked in the past and its events, it drains our energy. We send our power to the situation or cycle that caused us trauma and do not use that power to manifest our intentions.
Notice where your thoughts go when you let them wander. Notice what emotions arise when you sit with old pain. Are you still suffering? You can feel pain, but not suffer from that pain. You may never be able to change the events of the past, but you can take away their power to hold you back. Experience your ability to restore your power. Ask yourself if you need healing work to let go of the past.
This New Moon in Cancer also works with Neptune in Pisces. Neptune helps us access our deepest dreams—the ones we’re afraid to even pursue. Sometimes a dream is more exciting when it’s just a fantasy. As we begin to shape it, it takes a different shape—one that may not be the result we originally expected. Some dreams are simply part of a process that helps us figure out what we really want.
As the Moon forms a trine to Neptune, feel which dreams you want to add detail to, and which ones are simply giving space for new dreams to emerge. Which visions are just fantasies that make you feel good or give you hope, and which ones do you want to put effort into manifesting?
When the New Moon sextiles Uranus in Taurus, pieces of old patterns dissolve. Uranus breaks up energy and shifts stagnant vibrations to make room for something new. This new Moon in Cancer brings healing energy, and part of healing is breaking with old beliefs, habits, and even comfort zones. Our pain can become commonplace and we may not know who we would be without it. This fear of the unknown can cause us to hold on to our pain for too long and let it shape our future.
This interaction with Uranus can also help us recognize places where we have patterns that drain our energy. Perhaps we give too much of our energy to others or seek external approval to confirm what we already know. This New Moon, notice if you are losing energy because of patterns that keep you looking outward. Do you give your energy to others in some way? Will changing your perspective restore your power or is it because you don’t trust yourself? Start looking for answers and change the way you exchange energy with those around you.
Finally, on the new Moon, the lunar nodes change signs for the next eighteen months on this day. The North Node moves into Aries from Taurus, and the South Node moves into Libra from Scorpio. Nodes are very active on this day and affect the energy of the new moon. With the North Node in Aries, our focus is on ourselves. This vibration helps us prioritize our soul’s purpose and mission. With the South Node in Libra, the focus is on releasing partnerships that distract us from our purpose and noticing how we exchange energy with others.
Signs transiting the Nodes add even more energy to this new Moon’s theme of empowering yourself to heal, move away from limiting patterns, and change relationships that drain too much of your energy. This relationship also includes your relationship with your pain. As the Nodes change signs, feel them illuminate the energy within you that includes your inner compass. Your intuition knows the path of your soul. It’s time to walk him.
Your invitation
The past three months have been a whirlwind of energy. They brought you new beginnings and changes in perspective, and they taught you things about yourself that you had forgotten. The season of Cancer is a time to settle in and let the body open up.
We often store repressed emotions in our muscles and connective tissue, which contributes to feelings of emotional attachment. To allow emotions to flow freely, we need to free the body and the energy it contains. Yin yoga uses longer holds than conventional yoga practice. By holding the poses, you can relax into the pose and allow your body to fully relax. Focus on your breath and use it to keep your mind centered while your body releases tension. Also, use props during this sequence. When we have support, whether physical or mental, we are more likely to release tension.
At this new moon, feel any past pain or energy drains that keep you from feeling your soul’s path. Instead, sit with your emotions, let your intuition guide you, and make the changes you need to restore your energy, strength, and the life you know to live here.
Learn more about the new Moon in Gemini, including additional astrological information and journaling tips, in the Cancer Season + New Moon Workbook, from which the above is taken. You can also learn more about your personal natal chart.
About our contributor
Jill Wintersteen is the founder of Spirit Daughter, a lifestyle brand dedicated to helping you live your best life through understanding the energy of the universe. She also writes workbooks for each full moon as well as other astrological events. Follow her on Instagram @spiritdaughter.