Full Moon in Cancer: Attending to the Soul
Happy New Year and blessings of twelfth night, and the official conclusion of the the festive season, as the moon becomes full in its home sign of Cancer (6th Jan, 11.08pm, UK time), and when the intentional seeds sown at the Capricorn new moon on 23rd Dec now reach their mature expression at full moon.
The Moon opposes the Sun-Mercury conjunction in Capricorn, with Mercury making its closest approach to the earth, during the midpoint of its retrograde cycle, making it quite tricky, introspective and not necessarily easy to articulate one’s feelings in words.
There is a tension here between the moon’s need for solace and sanctuary, inner reflection and family time, as opposed to the desire to structure and plan what is to come in the year ahead, make resolutions, focus attention on what needs doing, Capricorn-style. And putting that all together can be somewhat challenging during a Mercury retrograde period, where wires get crossed and communication channels are a little fuzzier than normal. The sextile aspect to Uranus might inspire us to think outside of the box, and be aware of ideas that are lurking on the periphery of our awareness, rather than what is directly in front of us.
Attending to the Soul
The Cancer full moon draws our attention toward the care of the soul, to how we respect and nurture our deepest places of connection, the most private parts of ourselves. It is important at this time to tend to our inner sanctum, to the cave of the heart. We are likely to be more in touch with that need for connection, and the presence of the past is strong. There is a need to remember what has gone before, to honour the ancestors and recognise the ways in which our life is also continuation of their story and how our experience as a soul is characterised by the powerful images that the family system has impressed upon it.
We honour the moon by recognising the cyclical nature of life, the returns, and the returnings; by protecting what is most precious, and remaining mindful of, and compassionate towards our complex and often contradictory needs. We would do well to call upon the soul-nurturing wisdom of maternal elders whose connection with the deep roots of life help nurture a sense of belonging, and remind of us what really matters.
Questions to Ask Ourselves Over the Full Moon
During the Capricorn new year season, it is natural to think about the longer term intentions and goals, our vocational aspirations, projects and plans. And this is the challenge of the Cancer full moon, to check in deeply within ourselves that our ambitions do not go against what really matters to us. It is worth asking asking yourself: “who and what do I care most about?”, “what touches me in the deepest of my being?”, “what aspect of my being needs nurturing right now, with care and compassion?”
How connected are you right now to your family and loved ones, or to that quiet place of sanctuary within yourself? It may be that you have been too busy protecting or defending your opinions, your reputation, or your standing in the world? You may have been justifying certain actions or behaviours by saying 'well, the ends justify the means', whilst at the same time betraying what matters most to you.
With Mercury retrograde as we begin the new year, we need to review and reconsider the way we relate and communicate. This is a sensitive time, a liminal time; it may be unclear how things will unfold, so better to release our grip on trying to control the outcome, and remain mindful to each step that we are taking along the way.
Full moon blessings to all.
