New Moon in Cancer/Eclipse No. 1

Egyptians worshiped the scarab under the name Khepri. The Ancient Egyptian Sacred Scarab – symbol of immortality – was the original symbol for the sign Cancer.

As you’ve probably seen on social media, we’re entering into an eclipse season. Eclipses set patterns that ripple through our lives for 6 to 24 months. Since the July eclipse coincide with the New Moon in Cancer, we should prepare ourselves for the beginning of big changes. We have the planets Pluto and Mercury adding crazy spice to the jambalaya. Let's make it hot!

Cancer is the sign of emotions, feelings, family, nostalgia, relationships, and nurturance. During this new moon eclipse, we are urged to consider how you feel about yourself, what’s lurking in the shadows, which connections shine the light, and how you can care for your emotional health. Are you afraid of the dark? I once read that what we hide from others we also hide from ourselves. Many of us have characteristics and traits that we do not accept. The New Moon in Cancer during Eclipse season will turn off the lights and hold up a mirror to that exposed darkness. Prepare to address the shadow of your inner self.

Lurky Loo
Fear is a powerful emotion that we often blame for our actions or inactions. Fear wears many masks, such as avoidance, and can be mistaken for virtues such as wisdom. The new moon/eclipse suggests that you are hiding behind fear and calling it by a different name: procrastination, anxiety, or even patience. Whichever costume you choose doesn’t diminished the emotional toll that fear takes on you. You’re undoubtedly feeling fear because you feel unprepared for what you imagine to be the tasks ahead. Your imagination empowers fear and your hesitation manifests other ill feelings, such as regret for allowing an opportunity to pass you by. If the opportunity connected to your ultimate goal increases responsibility that you feel unprepared to tackle, take heart. Acknowledging the truth that you feel afraid (not that you ARE afraid as feeling implies movement while the other implies an immobile presence) shines enough light to lessen the emotion thereby allowing you to focus on increasing confidence, courage, or experience to gain success.

The Egyptian Scarab Beetle was associated with the god of the Rising Sun called Khepri. Khepri represents rejuvenation, divine wisdom, and eternal renewal.

I See The Light
Take a deep breath because what you’re about to read might not sit well. Fear is unnatural. Let me explain. Young children have no experience of or concerns about running into traffic. The fear of pain, for example, hasn’t yet been learned by way of cars. Fear, therefore, is taught. We learn to fear many things from the hot stove to a clenched fist. Fear does not come from within us. In these examples, it comes from the stove or the fist, which means that fear is manifested externally. We feel the heat and fear the pain. We stay away from the stove if we "remember" the pain. Success, on the other hand, comes from within. That child who is giggling while running away from a parent during a perceived game of catch believes that they will outrun the parent and win! They believe in the success of their new, little legs. They may also believe that a driver will see them in the street and swerve to avoid colliding. They believe in your success because of their belief in their own success. It is only after seeing terrified facial expressions, yells and reprimands, and perhaps other consequences, do young children learn to fear parental displeasure, punishment, public embarrassment, shame of ignorance, and other external indications of fear. Fear becomes internalized as learned responses based mostly on emotional pain. No child wants to feel the rejection of a disappointed parent or public humiliation. And soon children learn to fear themselves for making choices that they believe cause rejection or judgment. Sometimes they start to use alternatives, like sex or drugs, to avoid feeling these emotions. Many adults carry childhood experiences of fear into their adulthood. Fear forms the core of their adult identity. But remember one thing during this moon cycle when you’re caught up in your feelings and reacting as is your norm: fear doesn’t keep you safe. Physics might in the case of fast moving machinery and human bodies! The point is, learn truth instead of fear. Calmly surrendering to reality allows you to stay alive and make different choices, like perhaps running in another direction away from traffic. Take some time now to allow yourself to willingly submit to truth in various situations, not to fear. Perhaps the truth is that you cannot handle the stress at your job. Instead of focusing on the fear of burning out (negative), focus on managing stress (positive), which might mean a massage, time off request, or vacation. Decisions made from truth will serve you better, longer.

Let It Go
Surrender and acceptance are foreign concepts if your identity is formed by fear. You might consider fear to be protection, shielding you from harm. Well Pluto has something to say about that. During this eclipse season, the planet will teach you one powerful lesson about what serves you. Pluto is that “mean mom” who pulls off the covers on a cold winter morning after she called you to get up four times already. Pluto strips you naked of the cozy illusion that fear what you wrapped yourself in, a security blanket of lies that feels so damn comfy. Pluto wants you to let go. Pluto’s purpose in doing all of this is to show you that you how to function using your inner truth, not your outer lies. Pluto is the honest friend who tells you that you don’t need all that makeup. You’re naturally beautiful and it’s time you acknowledged it too. Pluto wants you to show up for yourself.

Photo by Christian Rodas. King Tut exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Move Right Outta My Life
Showing up for yourself when you believe that you’re not enough might feel like sprinting through quicksand. You might start to tell yourself more self-defeating, soul-sucking lies that bring the covers back up over your shivering body. You might say it wasn’t the right time for that new job, you don’t really deserve that raise, he’ll act right if you don’t mention how you feel, it won’t even be an issue after you finish this drink, you’ll put the money back after the next paycheck… If it’s reckless or destructive, it’s time to admit it, leave it, and move on.

You Can’t Spell Evolve Without Love
But how? Don’t try to take everything on rightnowthisveryinstant. We’re in eclipse season and about to enter Mercury retrograde. This isn’t the time for immediate, unplanned action. It is time to prepare. The first step is always objective observation. This means noticing patterns, becoming aware, practicing mindfulness. The best preparation will start with examining our relationships and partnerships. What we do and who we do it with will have a long lasting impact on ourselves and others. The more you can learn to accept, reveal, and celebrate your inner strength and resilience to yourself the greater chance that the consequences of this eclipse season will be favorable. Look to your collaborators and collaborations for clues about what’s ahead. Prepare to work through conflicts with others. This doesn’t mean allow fear to make you withdraw from others! Instead learn a new communication skill (active listening, perhaps) that will help you to navigate tensions and achieve inner satisfaction.

Summary: Eclipse Energies
Overall, the New Moon in Cancer during the eclipse season will reveal deceptions that impact your emotional wellbeing, reveal secrets that harm your relationships, reveal patterns that no longer serve you, and reveal illusions that keep you stuck. Prepare for major surprises and transformations by accepting that everything that will be already is and has always been.

Ashe.

Tarot spread: Page of Swords (r), Hanged Man, Four of Pentacles (r), Devil, Chariot (r), Two of Pentacles (r)