After a turbulent lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, which forced us to revalue our belief systems, we now have a powerful solar eclipse in Cancer, which not only officially marks the beginning of summer and Cancer season, but also a new beginning for all.
On 20th June, we celebrate the summer solstice, also called Midsummer or Litha. The Sun has reached its highest point in the sky, shining bright on the zenith, as light triumphs over darkness during the longest day of the year. It is a time of celebration, union and extroverted vitality. Midsummer is traditionally the time when bonds are formed and unions officially established, when weddings take place and families are founded. No surprises there, as Cancer is the sign of family.
Ruled by the Moon, and extremely emotional, Cancer teaches us how to feel at home, how to accommodate, how to find our sanctuary, how to nurture and how nourish ourselves and others. Cancer season is a time for emotional work, spending time with family and close friends, finding one’s tribe, spending time near water and (re-)discovering the more private aspects of life – usually through the home.
Cancer symbolises the womb and is the sign of the Mother. Cancer season is a time to honour Mother Earth, to show gratitude for everything She does for her children, to take root and dive deep into her womb in order to go back to basics. The divine feminine (yin) is strong during this time and has to be integrated, first on the inside, then on the outside. The home is the outside manifestation of the womb, a place where we recharge, find comfort and feel secure, hence why it is traditionally held by women.
On 21st June, a few hours after the summer solstice, a solar eclipse is happening at 0° Cancer. Solar eclipses are extremely powerful new Moons that mark important new beginnings. They bring change on a personal, as well as on a collective level. A solar eclipse is a huge portal through which we have to step in, by letting go of resistance and allowing events to unfold.
This Cancer new Moon brings beginnings and changes in the areas of home, family, private life and emotional life. On a collective level, it is the opportunity to nurture and give birth to a gentler world by taking care of one another, by being kind leaders, by being open to the emotional needs of others and by creating a new sense of security for the well-being of all. On a personal level, the house at 0° Cancer in your natal chart shows more in depth in which life area these changes will be occurring.
Last, but not least, Mercury has just turned retrograde in Cancer (18 June – 12 July). The themes of mother, motherhood, family, tribe, privacy, home, emotions and security will be revaluated, re-experienced and reflected upon. Communication and thinking are based on emotions, and the retrograde effects happen internally rather than externally. Misunderstandings are likely to arise between family members, spouses and close friends. Mercury in Cancer teaches us the healing power of words and the importance of opening our inner world to others.
Five out of ten planets are retrograde in the sky at this very moment – soon to be six when Neptune turns retrograde on 23 June. The dominant elements are water and earth. Only Venus and Saturn are in air signs, but are both retrograde (“I can’t breathe”) and fire is non-existent. Yin being the dominant energy, we are witnessing the resurrection of the divine feminine: Venus emerging from the foams of the sea. Now is the time to harness and integrate this energy as a collective, in order to re-establish the balance between the divine masculine and feminine, giving birth to a more equal world as a result.
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