Cancer New Moon: Nourish and Protect

One Saturday when I was 14, my friend Erin and I were hanging out at my home when the minister of our church stopped by to lay his hands on my mom’s sprained ankle. As this was not standard procedure for Methodist ministers, Erin and I exchanged dubious looks. We instinctively knew what the adults seemingly didn’t – that Rev. Patliff was a creepy old man. And my mom was still an attractive woman.

After the “treatment” was over and Mom had survived it, Dad told me to find Horace so the minister could meet him. So off we trooped to the backyard. Horace was a shy box tortoise who liked to hide in the bushes, but I lured him out with some watermelon. After he’d had a few bites, I handed Horace to the minister. At which point our sly tortoise did something he’d never done before – he peed on Rev. Patliff’s shoes! Erin and I stifled our laughter as Dad grabbed the hose to rinse off the minister’s shoes, and Horace scuttled back to the bushes. But we savored a righteous crack-up later. Despite his protective shell, this intuitive creature could feel the man’s bad vibes and gave him a good dose of karma for it. And that was how our brave defender got his nickname – Horace P.

Perhaps because of my fondness for Horace P., I’ve always preferred the cute, clever land-based tortoise (or water-dwelling turtle) as a symbol for Cancer, my sun sign, rather than the cold, remote crab. Yet all have a built-in roof over their heads, reflecting a Cancerian love for home and need for protection. The shell of a tortoise is a skeletal shield that protects the creature’s tender underbelly and wards off predators, as the Moon Child’s sensitive feelings are often shielded by a hard shell.

At the upcoming Cancer New Moon (July 5, 3:57 pm PDT), we may be feeling extra sensitive and tempted to crawl into our shells, as our need for safety, comfort and protection are intensified. Those of us with Cancer planets are apt to be most affected, but anyone with a tender disposition may feel their emotions skyrocketing like the Fourth of July fireworks the night before this lunation. Yet these Cancer energies also bring tremendous nurturing energy and healing opportunities.

The Sun and Moon join at 14 degrees Cancer near Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, located in Canis Major. To the ancient Egyptians this was the home of Great Mother Isis, who radiated potent magic. Especially if you have planets around 11-17 degrees Cancer, tune in to Sirius around this lunation and you may receive an important transmission. Venus is at 22 degrees Cancer, and along with the Sun and Moon, trines Saturn in Pisces, lending empathy and devotion. A sextile from the Lights to Mars in Taurus helps keep our feet on the ground. And, Ceres (the Great Mother asteroid) in Capricorn exactly opposes the Sun and Moon, reminding us to nourish and protect ourselves and all of Earth’s creatures.

Many of us have been in a deep, introspective mode (perhaps even despondent) since Saturn turned retrograde on June 29 (for almost five months.) This is happening in Pisces, sign of the sea and its oft- turbulent waters. This transit can help us befriend the depths of our own feelings, painful though they may be. And those who are brave enough to do so may be able to uncover buried emotional treasure. During this retrograde, Saturn encourages us to set aside time for self-healing by doing forgiveness work, changing bad habits, and making more mature choices than we have in the past.

In my last essay for the Capricorn Full Moon, I posed the question: What matters most to you in life? If you know the answer, this New Moon is a good time to take a step closer to embodying your goal – and if you don’t know yet, the current Cancerian vibes can help you feel into what you want to focus on. We’ll have another Capricorn Full Moon on July 21, bringing a practical culmination of this process.

In the meantime, consider your protective shell. It might be serving you well – as it did for my buddy Horace P., who knew what to do when things felt “off.” Yet if you’re feeling vulnerable or threatened, peeing on someone’s shoes (so to speak) is probably not the answer. You may need to strengthen your shell by setting firmer boundaries or asking for what you need. And if you find that you’ve walled yourself off completely by trying to stay safe, these Cancerian energies can help soften your defenses and coax you out of your shell. Happy New Moon!