New Moon in Cancer: Bringing it Home
This month’s new moon in Cancer occurs on 17th July at 7.33pm (UK time). With the Sun and Moon aligning in this sensitive water sign, we can make a deeper connection with our innermost being, as our attention turns toward the care and protection of what we hold most dear. Immersed as we are now in the warm belly of summer, the trees pregnant with their sweetening fruits, their roots drawing deep for watery sustenance, so we ourselves can draw on our own roots for sustenance and support. The sign of Cancer is under the guardianship of the moon, which draws us inwards, evoking memories of what has passed and reminding us of the familial threads that our woven through our soul’s journey. The back and forth movements of the crab and the rhythms of the Moon and tides connect us to the deep motions of the soul, and incline our attention back toward what is most fundamental to our being, to a feeling of being held, nurtured, cherished within the bosom of the Mother.
The conjunction of the Sun and Moon occurs at 24˚ Cancer, so if you have your own Sun, Moon, ascendant, mid-heaven or personal planets close to this degree of Cancer, or the other cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Capricorn) then this new moon may be espcially potent for you at a personal level.
Finding a Home
Few things in life are more important to us than finding a home, somewhere we can feel safe and secure, and we may spend much of our lives searching for this. As your set your intention over this new moon, you might usefully ask yourself the question: “what does home mean to me?” It might evoke a feeling of being at peace, a place to rest and connect, a place where we are loved unconditionally, a place of warmth and care, a place to return to. We might connect home with the feeling of belonging, of being at home within ourselves, surrounded by the natural beauty of the world. What does that look like for you?
Our actual memory of home may be very far from this ideal, perhaps being a place where we felt isolated, unloved, controlled, violated or abandoned. This betrayal of how home should have been has set in motion a whole series of behaviours that unconsciously replicate the dysfunction we experienced. As adults we often struggle to make a home in the way we would like it to be, and this struggle can be a source of deep sadness and grief. Yet most of us can imagine home as it could be. The invitation over this new moon is to nurture that ideal and, in so doing, draw it closer to our lived reality.
The Aspects to Today’s New Moon
The Sun and Moon are aspecting all three of the outer planets in the new moon chart. Separating by two degrees from a sextile to Uranus, there is a sense that we may come into this new moon touched by some kind of radical insight, and a capacity for new ways of seeing things. An applying trine (3 degree orb) to Neptune feels quite sublime and can help open up our imagination, let go of certain attachments, and help us move through grief or losses. The applying opposition to Pluto (5 degree orb) is more edgy, and requires us to look at our shadow projections. We may have to to face some uncomfortable truth about ourselves that we have habitually projected onto another. The shadow theme is doubly emphasised with Pluto also square (at the bendings of) the nodal axis, with the north node about to move from Taurus into Aries.
There are a couple of other strong aspects in the chart, most notably the opposition between Mars in Virgo and Saturn in Pisces, which suggests a tense build up of energy in the body, this could be nervous energy, which needs to be released or transcended somehow, so as not have an aggressive effect on the system. Mercury in Leo is also square Jupiter in Taurus, which stretches our thinking, and encourages us to adopt an expanded idea of personal sovereignty and abundance.
Between now and the full Moon, Venus will be entering her 40-day retrograde phase (23rd July), making her closest approach to the earth (during the Sun-Venus conjunction) on 13th August. This is time of rich, deep reflection on the nature of love, pleasure, beauty, art and all things Venusian. There is benefit to be had during the Venus retrograde phase from looking back at our relationships, and doing a bit of a retrospective. Being in Leo, we may have to reflect on times we have been too prideful in our dealings with others, or where we lacked courage or could have been more generous. The retrograde phase can also help us to understand the karmic nature of our connections. It is worth noting that Venus is turning retrograding whilst forming the point of a yod, involving two inconjunct aspects with Neptune and Pluto.
The Cancer Mantra
To help seed your new moon intention, you might want to connect with my Cancer mantra, which runs:
“I connect with the source of being, and I remember my origins.”
New moon blessings to all.
Upcoming Events
Pluto: Initiation & the Creative Process - Free Webinar
Weds 26th July: 5pm UK Time
Pluto takes us into the darkest depths of the soul, where our repressed desires dwell in shadow, where our pretenses and facades are exposed, and where the hidden treasure of our inner life is revealed.
In this free webinar, astrologer John Wadsworth, and artist/astrologer Hannah Dudley will explore the relationship between imagination, initiation and the underworld journey of the soul, and how the Pluto archetype can re-energise the creative process.
Drawing on the myths of Persephone and Inanna, we’ll explore the nature of repressed desire and how the soul’s deepest longings can re-awaken creativity. These stories open our imagination, and can reconnect us to the creative work that feels most vital and alive.
This webinar will help you:
Recognise the role that the shadow plays in a person’s artistic life
Understand the different stages of the creative process through the Pluto archetype
Open up a deeper enquiry into how you present yourself to the world as a creative being
Gain insight into the Pluto placement in your own chart
The event is free and it will be recorded. You will need to register in order to access the live event and receive the recording.
The live event has been rescheduled to Weds 26th July at 5.00pm UK time.
If you have already registered for the event that was postponed in June, then you do not need to register again. You will receive reminders and updates with the zoom meeting room link close to the date of the event. If you didn't register before, REGISTER HERE…
—-
Glastonbury Zodiac Milky Way Pilgrimage: 1st - 3rd Sept
I will be leading a two-day Milky Way pilgrimage across the Glastonbury Zodiac over the first weekend of September. This pilgrimage route, which runs from Lamyatt Beacon (near Bruton) to High Ham (near Langport). It was originally discovered by Anthony Thorley & Celia Gunn, and they used to lead pilgrims along the route. I have led the walk several times over the past ten years, but not since 2019, so I am delighted to be able to offer it again this year.
The pilgrimage involves two days of walking, and we will have a 2-night camp set up at Avalon Permaculture Gardens in Butleigh, gathering there on Fri 1st Sept where we will prepare ourselves for the walk and share delicious food together before taking transport to the start of the walk on Saturday morning. Our camp is at the halfway point of the route, so we will arrive early evening on Saturday to be met with dinner and will share stories around the campfire!
Places are limited, and there is already a lot of interest, so if you would like to take part in this very unique and transformational journey on the Milky Way path of Somerset's enchanted zodiac landscape temple of the stars, please sign up here with a deposit payment.
—-
Kairos School of Astrology Foundation Course: 2023-24
10th Oct 2023 - 18th June 2024
I are very excited to be offering a new foundation course, with live classes, and lots of dynamic new material. It will be vibrant, fun and impactful, offering a uniquely experiential and embodied approach to learning astrology online.
It is a comprehensive astrology programme that will give you all the foundational skills you need to understand the language of astrology, to interpret a birth chart, and to understand the nature and significance of planetary cycles, transits and progressions.
And alongside course tutors Gillian Crawford, Tamsin St George & Melissa Gledhill, we will be delivering that in a way that really brings astrology to life! In addition to the rich, deep material presented each week, you will also meet the signs, planets and aspects of astrology through mask, music and theatre and be invited to engage in an exploration of your own birth, including optional creative projects to deepen your learning.
The course is delivered through 27 live classes of 2 hours, run over three terms. The live, interactive classes are held on Tuesdays at 5pm UK time.