Artwork by Subramanya
July’s New Moon in Cancer launches us into the second eclipse season of the year. Eclipses always come in pairs--one solar, one lunar--but this is a rare cycle that features three eclipses. Two partial solar eclipses, coinciding with the July and August new moons, will bookend the total lunar eclipse that occurs on July 27th. It is an exciting time for astrological and astronomical enthusiasts alike, as the planetary aspects are especially active in the sky and the visible planets are in clear view after sunset.
Celestial observation is ingrained deep within the human psyche. The mapping and understanding of the interlocking cycles of the Sun and Moon has yielded information spurring crucial advancements in human history. As the fastest moving “planets,” the two luminaries dance together through the zodiac, illuminating the kaleidoscoping patterns of the planetary aspects. Consistent observation revealed these patterns could be tracked and projected into the future, allowing increasingly sophisticated culture and civilization to build itself upon this knowledge. From measuring time, to navigating long distance journeys across land and sea, to designing agricultural methods, observing the concurrent movements of the Sun and Moon has been essential to deepening humanity’s ecological perspicacity. Our instinctual beings are rooted in this celestial conditioning of our psychological perspective by applying order and focus to purpose.
The Sun represents that which is seen and known. It is symbolic of the waking mind, the conscious awareness, and the directed will. As its counterpart, the Moon represents that which remains unseen and unknown. While the Sun records our history, the Moon retains the mystery. The moon is symbolic of our dreaming mind, the subconscious awareness, and the instinctive nature. Neither is superior, nor would our experience of life be complete without this dual engagement, the inward lunar flow of sensation and the outward solar flow of willpower. While our culture celebrates the authoritative nature of the logical mind, it is the somatic experience of the subconscious in connection with our environment which provides the information for the mind to then rationalize. In other words, the animating essence of the Moon is the instinctual impetus for our interaction with the world, while it is the the qualities of the Sun that organize these energies in pursuit of self-determination.
The sign of Cancer is ruled by the Moon, and as such the lunar qualities are strengthened when it is in this sign. The power of instinct--a gift of our heritage that is often suppressed by the expectations of our solar-oriented society--is heightened at this time of year. As the Moon will eclipse the Sun during this new moon, the balance tips even further towards the lunar. Logical progressions become befuddled by fanciful imaginings. As Cancer rules the stomach, messages in the form of gut reactions are amplified. The Moon tests our discernment, as its influence can draw the waters of our emotional sensitivity to high tide, overflowing our established boundaries. The bright light of the Sun provides for a clear view, but in the moonlight our vision is negligible. Like the inkblots of a Rorschach test, how we interpret what we see in the Moon’s shine and shadows says more about the state of our inner being than it does about the reality before us.
The movements of the surrounding celestial bodies during this moon cycle echo these themes. Mars in retrograde weakens our boundaries, hampering our ability to assert ourselves and pursue our desires in a straight-forward manner. The Sun will move towards opposition with Mars as Mercury, the planet of the rational mind, stations retrograde. A day after Mercury’s station, the Moon will meet Mars and sit in his company for what will be the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century, casting a shadow across the landscape of logic as she goes. The authoritative attitude of linear certainty does not serve here. Instead, we must be willing to lean into our intuitive awareness, activating our sensual nature to feel our way through the cyclical lessons that emerge from the shadows of the eclipse season.
This new moon/solar eclipse, the seed of the coming full moon/lunar eclipse, occurs in opposition to Pluto. The planet of death and transformation in direct line with the Sun and Moon in the oceanic Cancer is a powerful combination of regenerative forces, stirring up emotional sediment from the unconscious. Emotions that settle this deeply into our being often do so by way of repression. There is often a pain or fear associated with these experiences, so that the logical mind reasons it is better to bury these memories. Once embedded within the body, however, they can create interference with the signals sent by our honed instincts. If their messages become part of our core processing, they will manifest as self-sabotaging behaviors, as we unconsciously seek to avoid situations similar to those which previously caused us pain/fear. Yet, without awareness of our deeper impulses, we cannot utilize their inherent power.
Cancer’s motto is I Feel. The sign is representative of the Mother (an archetype accessible within each of us, regardless of our personal sex, gender, or relationship with our actual mothers). Sitting with such deep feelings we may tap into injuries so old they defy our ability to articulate them, leaving us unable to correctly communicate our need for patience or help. However, contrary to our predilection for categorical diagnosis, the Mother knows healing is not predicated on our ability to name the disease or list its symptoms. Even though the small child does not yet have the words to explain their pain, the Mother is able to provide the healing and comfort by empathizing with her child’s feelings. The Mother intimately understands the power of staying present through pain. To become a Mother, she must first cross the threshold of her own struggle. By keeping with faith instead of fear, she transmutes the agony of childbirth into ecstasy of new life.
As we move into the next two eclipses, the Sun will be shifting into the sign of Leo. Do not rationalize away what you feel now, at risk of losing an opportunity to channel these emotions (Cancer) through a flood of positive creative expression (Leo). The recent stationing direct of Jupiter provides a welcome change in the direction of our fortune. Jupiter is in the sign of Scorpio, whose motto is I Desire, is co-ruled by Mars and Pluto. These two planets have major roles in this moon cycle, with Pluto opposing this new moon, and Mars conjunct the full moon. Emotional security (Moon in Cancer) comes from a clear vision of your desires (Jupiter in Scorpio), and an actionable plan to support your attainment of them (Pluto in Capricorn). This is the time to reflect upon whether your actions are in line with your vision, and if your vision is in alignment with your desires. Approach your endeavors reverently, with ample preparation, like a mother readying herself to bring forth new life. Stay out at night to activate your lunar consciousness. Witness the steady flow of stars across the sky to broaden your perspective and release your fears regarding social taboos. Keeping trust in the Mystery unleashes our ability to create magic. Remember Mercury will soon be retrograde--stay compassionate through miscommunications. As the Sun moves into Leo, it will become increasingly apparent how authentic creative action is the highest expression of personal joy.
