Full Moon in Cancer

Today (or tomorrow depending on where you are located in the world) the Full Moon will reach its peak at 16º of Cancer where the Moon finds its domicile position, meaning her effects are harmonised, uplifting and soothing.

The beginning of this year has a completely different tone than last year. It invites us to adapt a more mindful approach, focusing on slow and intentional action. While I personally love the psychological reset a new year can offer in terms of setting new intentions and goals for this cycle, we could argue the beginning of the astrological new year happens during Aries season in March. And, if we think about it, winter is not a season where nature feels uplifted and energised. It is a period of stillness, where hibernation takes place. So it seems a bit unnatural to think this is the time to kickstart a new chapter in our lives. But without getting too much into detail about the Gregorian calendar and its discrepancies, the fact both Mercury and Mars are currently in retrograde and considering Mars is one of the personal planets that rules one’s drive and purpose in a sign ruled by the mind (Gemini) can have a lethargic effect on people. Mars will finish its retrograde cycle soon, turning direct on January 12th, so we still have a few days left of this cycle which for many people can translate as over-watching their steps, stirring up some doubts about what they should do, what the best decision for their future is, just feeling a bit out of place and confused. I highly encourage you to write down your thoughts if you feel you have been dealing with a lot of mental activity lately, just as they pop in your head. Write them down, and let them go. Not all of the thoughts that cross our mind have to be meaningful or true to our situation for that matter. And it can be very distracting, especially if you find yourself going down the rabbit hole. 

Mercury, on the other hand, is currently retrograde in the sign of Capricorn since December 29th, the sign traditionally depicted as half goat half fish. The feminine side of Saturn, the union between practicality and fluidity. Teaching us one can be diligent and pragmatic while also highly intuitive and adaptable. In Vedic Astrology the sign of Capricorn is depicted by a Crocodile alike sea-monster creature. When we think of crocodiles, they are animals that can thrive in both, water and land. They are adaptable and slow moving. They are one of the most ancient animals that habit the planet Earth, depicting wisdom and power. Ruled by Saturn the Lord of Time reminds us that in order to decipher the future we must collect the wisdom acquired from the past, this is why traditionally Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius. 

This Mercury retrograde is guiding us to take our time to do things instead of rushing through life. The Full Moon in Cancer will create an almost exact opposition to Mercury which translates as doing the things that make us feel good, supported, or offer us something valuable or positive. While I have mentioned previously at the beginning of this article that, perhaps this time of the year is not the best to set your intentions for the new year, this Full Moon in Cancer can be the perfect time to come up with small actions or rituals that help bring us back into alignment and nourish the soul. Small actionable steps that feel easy and do not require a huge effort to be accomplished. A 10 minute walk everyday, meditation, reading a few pages, writing – whatever comes easy and natural to you. Capricorn season is a time to build new foundations so when Aries season comes, we are ready to begin a new cycle with the assets and habits we have been building and curating.

The Full Moon in Cancer is creating an activation of the IX Mansion, known as ‘The Gaze’. This Mansion has a malefic influence (the benefic and malefic definition in traditional astrology sounds more dramatic than what it actually is so please do not be alarmed by this) and we can see a strong reflection of the third Decan of Cancer which depicts the 4 of Cups in Tarot reflected in this Mansion. Christopher Warnock said: “This Mansion generally implies a negative answer to questions. It warns of approaching misfortune, particularly with regard to health and travel. The manifestation of this energy might be more inwardly directed, too, foretelling a time of depression or disappointment.”

This Mansion depicts the conflict we encounter when our emotions take over our lives. Our decisions should be based on logic or instinct, as the nature of our emotions is mutable and ephemeral. It changes, and it is ultimately a response from our bodies that might or might not be related to the situation we find ourselves in. It can be totally disjointed. This is not a time to seek answers but to sit in stillness and allow events to unfold as they should. There are things that will always be out of our control, but we need to learn to discern when we are allowing the feelings of discomfort when we encounter uncertainty influence our decisions. It is okay not knowing or having an immediate answer. The 4 of Cups is a card of meditation and reflection.

Something interesting I would like to highlight about this Mansion is its innate power for protection. When we think on the sign of Cancer, we see a crab, that has a protective shell protecting the inside. As Warnock said: “Al-Tarf gives us heed to prepare. By cultivating acceptance, emotional stability, wisdom and faith that all things have purpose, burdens grow much lighter.” This Mansion invites us to protect ourselves from what creates discomfort in our lives. If it does not make us feel good or sits well with us, we are better off without it. 

Before delving into the connections between the Tarot and this Full Moon in Cancer, I would like to highlight an interesting alignment between a few Fixed Stars during this lunation. 

Both the Sun and the Moon are in a close conjunction with two different Fixed Stars. The Sun in Capricorn is in a close conjunction just one degree appart with the Fixed Star Vega, found in the constellation of Lyra. This Fixed Star represents one’s virtue and proficiency, especially connected to creative arts. It reminds us we should immerse ourselves in every process we undertake, fully investing ourselves and our energies into what we do so we can merge our vision with our purpose. The Moon in Cancer is in a tight conjunction with the Fixed Star Sirius, used since ancient times for navigation purposes as a point of reference for travellers which is still today. The Fixed Star Sirius speaks about purpose and direction, and how if we seek to attain our dreams we first need to approach our dreams with ambition and determination.

Which leads me to… the Tarot card leading this Full Moon, The Chariot. Many people mistake The Moon card as the ruling Tarot card for the sign of Cancer since this sign is ruled by the Moon in Astrology, however, the star sign of Cancer is ruled by The Chariot in the Major Arcana system.

In order to understand this correlation we need to look at ancient mythology, where the Goddess of the moon, known as Selene sister of the God Apollo, was riding across the night sky in her chariot. In the traditional depiction of The Chariot card we find correlations to the night sky with a tapestry full of stars and references to the Moon in his armour. The Chariot represents how the darkest of nights is followed by the light of the sun every morning. As the sun rises, so do we. In order to master our purpose we must learn to balance both consciousness and unconsciousness represented by the black and white Sphinxes.

If we explore the archetype of The Chariot even further, in numerology the number 7 is composed of 1+6, meaning within the archetype of The Chariot we find a connection to The Magician ruled by the number 1. In the traditional depiction of The Chariot we find a Mercurial caduceus in the centre of the chariot, depicting the power of the mind. This element was my choice to represent The Chariot card in the Fortuna Tarot Deck to honour the powerful symbolism hidden within this card.

The Chariot reminds us we hold the reins of our future and how, in order to harness our power,  we must regain ownership over our fears as we conquer from within.

I hope this Full Moon in Cancer is filled with purpose and intention, where you choose to protect your inner peace above anything else.

Full Moon blessings beautiful souls!

With love, Maria x

Journaling prompts for the Full Moon in Cancer:

✦ What does safety mean to me?

✦ What makes me feel good and supported?

✦ How do I like being treated or supported by others?

✦ What makes me feel the most vulnerable and why?

✦ How can I help others understand my vulnerability?

✦ What areas of my life need nourishment and support?

✦ Write a personal mantra to help you come back into alignment: