Cancer New Moon: The Mother of All Eclipses

Kimberly Baskett Gunter was terrified. It was the third time her two-month-old daughter had nearly choked to death, yet doctors still couldn’t find anything wrong with her. This time, the new mother demanded to see every specialist in the hospital. And a surgeon discovered that the baby had a serious heart condition and needed a risky surgery right away. But this option just didn’t feel right to Gunter. Despite the surgeon’s sense of urgency, she insisted that she needed a day to think about it.

So Gunter sent her concerned husband and parents home, and sat in the hospital room with her baby. “It was just me, my child and God,” she relates. “A holy sacred rage was roaring through me, a knowingness that I had the divine right and responsibility to question authority, to demand a different outcome.” As she rocked her child, Gunter slipped into an altered state and kept repeating, ‘This baby is well’. “At first it was a prayer, then a plea, then a commandment,” she said. By the time she finished hours later and fell asleep, Gunter knew at her core that the baby would indeed be well. And sure enough, it turned out that a minor procedure could fix the problem.

The experience changed Gunter’s life. “It was the awakening of the divine feminine power within me,” she explains. “Because I saw my daughter nearly die, I was divinely awakened – and have remained so.” She also received a clear understanding that the Creator wants her to use her innate power to be of service. So she now guides others, especially women, to express their sacred rage and awaken their divine spark.

We need more fierce mamas rising up on the planet right now, especially since the brutal yet galvanizing death of George Floyd. Gunter notes that in the last few moments of his life, Floyd can be heard calling for his recently deceased mother. “My sense,” she says, “is that not only was he calling out for his earthly mother, but also for the Divine Feminine that exists in all of us. I believe the reason why so many of us have been ignited by George Floyd’s death is because his death is also our divine awakening.”

The awakening of the feminine force of fierce love is a hallmark of our times – especially since 2018, when a series of eclipses in Cancer began. The upcoming New Moon solar eclipse (June 20, 11:41 pm PDT) will be the last eclipse in the sign of the Great Mother, concluding this series. As the Moon obscures part of the Sun, lunar matters such as family, roots and history take prominence. This is even truer when in Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon. This annular (ring of fire) eclipse will only be visible in Africa, India and China, but it still packs a wallop worldwide. Partly this is because it happens so close to the potent turning point of the Solstice, the longest day of the year for us in the Northern Hemisphere, and shortest for those of you in the Southern. The change of season occurs at 2:44 p.m. the same day.

As the Sun stands still (that’s what Solstice means), it opens a powerful portal through which new energies can flow to Earth. And, since this solar eclipse is sandwiched between two lunar eclipses (June 5 and July 4), its effects are heightened. Solar eclipses often coincide with major turning points like the downfall of rulers, especially when falling at the powerful zero degree of Cancer – and even more so for a Cancerian country like the U.S. (The last time there was a solar eclipse on the day of the Cancer Solstice was June 21, 2001 – a few months before the shocking events of Sept. 11.)

In other words, this eclipse is a mother! Adding a bit of a twist to an already unpredictable time, our pal Mercury will be retrograde in Cancer from June 17 – July 12. Yes, things could get even more tricky than they already are – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Lest we forget, miraculous things are born from chaos. No matter how crazy life gets, you can rest assured that it’s all part of our awakening to power. If you doubt that, simply recall Kimberly Baskett Gunter’s experience. It took the shock of seeing her baby turn blue three times – and the experts’ inability to properly respond – to galvanize this mother into claiming her power. How might you do the same when responding to life-threatening events, whether personal or global?

The Divine Feminine is arising from a long slumber, and we’re experiencing the birth pains of a new world. Birth is messy and chaotic! Yet it has a very sacred purpose. During this potent period, get back to your roots. Call on strong (especially female) ancestors who made it through great challenges. Take a “divine pause” as you search your deepest self for wisdom. Stay connected to the Earth and your body, and treat yourself gently. And, remember your true nature as a co-creator with the Divine!