The New Moon in Cancer: It’s a Family Affair

"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey Today's new moon is in Cancer, a symbol of family (among other things). Earlier today I was standing at the kitchen sink and wondering how to approach my newsletter and I could see a photograph of my family taken a few years ago during a visit to Pittsburgh on a table in the other room. My mother and father are in the photo along with my aunt and her partner, and me and my partner. A photo I never imagined could ever exist when I was a teenager struggling with my sexuality. The photo is next to a vase with flowers my partner, Duane, brought home last night. Yesterday was our eighth anniversary and it feels really good to be a part of this family of him, me and Sophie (our dog). It feels secure. Safe. It's based on trust. Those are words often associated with the moon in astrology, too. It's the kind of family I imagined I would have one day, but had no idea how it would ever happen. Well I believe it happened through a series of seemingly small changes. And that's what an eclipse is about. The sun (ego) is temporarily obscured by the moon (intuition, gut) and provides us with an opportunity to step outside of ourselves and change the patterns we've created. Like the opening quotation ironically states, if we're not careful we may end up where we're going.

The Astrology of the New Moon

The new moon (July 2011 New Moon Chart) occurs on Friday, July 1, 2011 at 4:54 AM EDT at 9° Cancer. Emotional, drawn to the past, and hungry, the sign of Cancer is ruled by the moon. This connection imbues Cancer with a sense of home, ideally a place of emotional security. Cancer and the fourth house also deal with our heritage, roots, and parents. What, from your past, has shaped your current personality? How can you increase your security enough (Cancer) in order to feel confident enough to express your authentic self (Leo)? This July 2011 new moon is also a partial eclipse, which will heighten the sense of possibility that a new moon can bring. This is a time of powerful beginnings, the evidence of which you may not see for six months. Do you have faith in yourself? Can you plant a seed now and be patient until it sprouts? Astrologically we're also in the middle of another significant event- the Cardinal Cross. In astrology the four signs that begin the seasons (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are considered cardinal: they start things. Thus a tremendous amount of kinetic energy is contained in these signs. When planets move into these signs their actions and effects are likely to be more pronounced. We now have Uranus in Aries, this new moon in Cancer, Satu in Libra, and Pluto in Capricorn. These planets are all at 90° to one another and create a square. This is a highly volitile aspect with the potential to create major changes for us personally and collectively. Uranus in Aries is calling each of us to greater individuality. This new moon eclipse will invite us to break with the past in order to move forward. Pluto in Caprico is the power of governments; and the challenge Pluto receives from Uranus means that people are pushing for progress. We've already begun to see these changes collectively with the uprisings in the middle east. In those places people are fighting for basic human rights. Here in the US the topic of gay marriage has been in the news (collective conscious) quite a bit. This is another example of the Uranus-Pluto square. Progressive ideas (Uranus) is challenging the power (Pluto) of government and social norms (Capricorn). The cardinal cross will be in effect for many years to come (peaking in 2012), so these are themes we can expect to see again and again until the late 20-teens. This new moon is significant because it creates a close aspect to the other planets involved in that cardinal cross, and thus acts as a circuit that conducts the electricity. If you know where 9° Cancer falls in your chart then you'll have a better idea of how this new moon may manifest in your life. My sun is at 9° of Pisces so the new moon is casting an exact trine aspect (120°) it. The trine is an aspect that mixes the energies of the planets in ways that are satisfying. The theme of family I've expereinced today has been positive. If this new moon is making a challenging aspect to something in your chart then the experience may not be pleasant. But regardless of the sensations you experience (for better or worse) look to the underlying lesson of family, emotional support, and how small changes can alter destiny. I'm available for consultations if you'd like to explore your chart and better understand how this new moon eclipse in Cancer may affect you personally. Namaste' "Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin