Balsamic Moon: Security and Sensitivity

Cancerian depths: sensitive, self-protective, inky

Balsamic Moon in Cancer: August 13, 2012

The Balsamic Moon, last aspect in this waning cycle, brings us back into the sign of July's New Moon, sensitive and nurturing Cancer. Arriving tomorrow (Monday) evening EDT, this pause in the lunar round asks, What do we need to let go of now?

The night sky is already dark, the Moon almost invisible. We've been through the heady emotions of the Cancerian lunar cycle, reached the heights of the Full Moon in Aquarius, shared what we learned with the Disseminating Moon and now ... now we prepare the ground for the next turn of the wheel.

This Balsamic Moon is likely to feel deeply. Conjunct with Venus, in her own home sign, this Moon is deeply aware of relationships. Flowing trines with Neptune and Chiron heighten emotionality, deepening our connection with energies of both wounding and healing.

This is the mothering Moon, the Black Madonna, Kwan Yin, filled with compassion for those she loves. This Moon accepts the hurts of the tribe, showering grace and healing on all who ask.

This Moon can also feel everything she needs and doesn't have, insecure, holding on to old hurts, ready to manipulate those around her in an attempt to fill the emptiness. At this Balsamic time, we can pinpoint where we're hurting.

The push toward resolution is strong: This Balsamic Moon–Venus is part of a T-square with Pluto the alchemist and Uranus the revolutionary. No sitting still, wallowing in the past––it's time to transform, move into a new way of seeing, and especially of feeling.

The semisquare from the Sun in bright Leo adds a personal push. This Leonine Sun connects with the heart, urging us to say what we need to say, and shine our light with creativity and passion.

At the Balsamic Moon, the Sun forms sesquiquadrates (square and a half) to Pluto and Uranus, putting Leo's brilliance at the apex of a Finger of the World that says, Look! Listen! Pay Attention!

The Sun is also sextile Mars and Saturn together in Libra, a flowing but edgy connection. Mars and Saturn together can be angry, although less so in Libra, where Saturn is in exaltation and Mars is in detriment. At its best, this combination points us toward right action, the path that is responsible and fair.

Mercury, now direct in Leo, moves into a flowing trine with Uranus and semisextile with the Moon and Venus. This energy supports clear, direct thinking and communication––and can also shade into self-righteous anger, shock, and outrage.

So we find ourselves in a dark Moon phase filled with an intense combination of compassion, neediness, commitment to right action, grasping at what we desire, and ongoing pressure to change, change, change.

This is another of those choice points we seem to be stumbling over at every turn these days. We can wrap ourselves in old hurts and shake our fist at the sky, as magnificent and doomed as Lear. Or we can step into the cauldron, slake off the old, leaden shell, and rise like a phoenix at the Leo New Moon so soon to arrive.

It's hard to see in the dark, but I'm hoping for the phoenix.