Cancer New Moon & Total Solar Eclipse
Starry night sky in western Colorado
A new moon occurs when the sun and moon sit at the exact same degree in the sky, and a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun, and the earth creating an arrow of alignment. The new moon naturally tends to draw us inward. It’s a time of sacred introspection and internal reflection, but the addition of a total solar eclipse amplifies the need for us to traverse the internal landscape, and gives us greater accessibility to do so.This new moon eclipse we’re swimming in the holy waters of the 4th zodiac sign, Cancer.The waters are extra potent with the eclipse happening at 10° of Cancer, where the Moon is at home, comfortable, and understood. This energy gently encourages us to soften the resistance between logical mind and feeling body, aiding us in building the foundation, and security needed to open our hearts, allowing our feeling selves to flower.Cancer cycles often render us emotionally exposed, tired, and sometimes moody. As a collective our emotional bodies are illuminated during this solar eclipse as well as our home sphere. We may notice feelings of nostalgia with a deepened interest to explore our lineage, ancestory, old photo albums, our most treasured memories, or just a strong pull to deepen the connection to our roots.Eclipses can bring us face to face with parts of our lives that need amending or tending to, and this particular eclipse emphasizes the value of vulnerability. Finding confidence in our vulnerability gives rise to our authenticity. When we’re vulnerable, our intuition is heightened, and more closely attuned to the vibrations around us. It’s a good time to withdraw from the external world of over stimulation and recalibrate in reverence. Seek out those with whom you can share your heart, knowing it’s ok to ask for help or lean on others while also respecting when your intuition cautions you to be discerning. Our intuition doesn’t filter life through rose colored lenses but through the clarity of truth. Paying attention to shifts in our subtle body generates intelligent insight, helping us to honor ourselves more fully.The water element rules our internal terrain, and just as the moon noiselessly moves the tides, the waves of our feelings shift too. The waters of our wounds could rise to high tide, to the surface of our focus, but the eclipse empowers us to ride the waves and rewrite old narratives. We’re being invited to dive inside, to shine the light of our awareness into the caves of our being, compost our inner pollution, and come home to ourselves. Imagine Lakshmi’s garden or any place that invokes a deep sense of belonging and peace. We must do the necessary work to cultivate that sanctuary within. We must be gentle with ourselves, but also stay the course, being cautious not to avoid the rough, emotional seas.While this cycle welcomes us into a place of stillness it is shaking us out of numbness. Pranayama, yoga, aryuveda, yoga nidra and meditation help us to stay in active stillness. These practices help us to turn self doubt into devotion through discipline. After all, we need consistency and fluidity at the same time. Incorporating a routine or ritual will give us stability and a sense of agency while also preserving our flexibility through the fluctuations. Set an intention, stay hydrated, receptive, and open to opportunity!
Themes of July's Eclipse season
Finding forgiveness (self and others)
Finding confidence in vulnerability
Becoming aware of self sabotaging patterns
Accepting the paths of others
Making peace with the healing process
Trusting unexpected changes
Cultivating internal security
Nurturing home within the heart
Being gentle with oneself but also accountable
Journal prompts:
How can I make peace with the process?
How can I let go and trust the unexpected changes?
How can I nourish and mother myself so that I feel supported?
As Above, So Below
July 3 Venus enters Cancer
July 7 Mercury Stations Retrograde
July 16 Full Moon in Capricorn, Partial Lunar Eclipse
To find out exactly where this eclipse and new moon will influence you most directly pull up your natal chart on astro.com and look for 10° of Cancer. The house Cancer is in is the area of your life under review.