Moon into Cancer: Embracing Our Traditions

mother and child

Saturday afternoon through Monday night
Eastern Standard Time

Saturday, January 7
Moon enters Cancer 4:05pm
Moon sextile Jupiter (Taurus) 5:20pm
Moon square Uranus (Aries) 5:58pm
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 8:20pm

Sunday, January 8
Mercury enters Capricorn 1:33am
Moon opposite Pluto (Capricorn) 6:23am
Mercury (Capricorn) trine Jupiter (Taurus) 1:04pm
Moon inconjunct the North Node (Sagittarius) 3:38pm
Mercury (Capricorn) square Uranus (Aries) 5:58pm

Monday, January 9
Moon opposite Sun (Capricorn) 2:30am
Moon sextile Mars (Virgo) 8:48am
Moon inconjunct Venus (Aquarius) 1:44pm
Mercury (Capricorn) sextile Chiron (Pisces) 4:12pm
Moon square Saturn (Libra) 9:25pm
Moon inconjunct Neptune (Aquarius) 10:03pm
(begin void of course) Moon enters Leo 11:35pm

For much of today, we celebrate the bright communications of a Gemini Moon surrounded by Mercury aspects. 'Tis the season of epiphany, as Jessica Murray noted on FaceBook, and the Gemini Moon ready––be open! Meanwhile, I'm here blogging about the Moon's transition into Cancer later today:

After the heady connectedness of Gemini, going home to family (however you define it), to tribe, to traditions, is a way to center and ground ourselves. The Moon enters Cancer just after 4:00pm, where her first aspect is a flowing sextile with Jupiter in Taurus, followed by a square to revolutionary Uranus. Could the message be clearer? Slooooooow down, inhale, exhale, do something wonderfully sensuous for yourself and those you love.

Later this evening, a trine with Chiron the wounded healer might gently remind us of where we're hurting. Flow with the feelings, knowing this is a path to healing. Let Mother Ocean carry your tears away.

Mother Goddess of Çatalhöyük

Sunday, we enter tranformational territory on our way to the Full Moon. The day opens with an opposition between the Cancer Moon and Pluto in Capricorn. Cancer and Capricorn are the archetypal, traditional Mother and Father, the homeplace and the outer world of achievement and mastery. The Moon rules Cancer, she is powerfully at home here. Pluto is moving inexorably through Capricorn, methodically turning up every rock under which the heavy, hurtful excesses of the patriarchy are hidden.

Now comes the Moon, saying, come home, there is love here even for the worst of you, and it's time to stop hurting yourself and all these others I love. Yes, Pluto is challenging the Moon today, but Pluto is the alchemist and so his challenge is one of deep change. What do we need to love within ourselves and the world, so all can freely enter the cauldron of transformation?

The Moon's other aspect Sunday is an awkward inconjunct with the North Node. What must we acknowledge, accept, release or embrace about our past and our traditions, so we can move forward on our life path?

Sunday is grounded in the Cancer Moon, yet filled with Mercury the communicator as well: Mercury enters Capricorn not long after midnight. In this sign, Mercury puts on his commerce hat. The patron of merchants and thieves, Mercury is the consummate trader.

Today, Mercury trines benevolent, fortunate Jupiter and squares headlong Uranus, making this a day for careful planning. Prosperity follows solid, step-by-step work today, folding in any flashes of insight that arrive but also reading the fine print. Can we form alliances and make deals that honor feminine as well as masculine traditions?

Monday opens with the Full Moon. Arriving at 2:30am in the Eastern Time Zone, she will illuminate our dreams tonight. Setting intentions for dreams about tradition, family ties, ancestry, mothering––and also fathering, achievement and our goals in the world––is strongly supported Sunday night.

This is a practical, pragmatic Moon, flowing energy with Mars still in careful Virgo. This Moon feels awkward with the innovative creativity of Venus and the future-oriented visions of Neptune, both in Aquarius. She's even squaring off with traditional Saturn, perhaps holding on to what feels safe and secure, unsure about the changes on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Mercury flows with Chiron, supporting the healing energy flowing from the Full Cancer Moon. Think of this as our time in the cocoon, morphing into an amazingly beautiful butterfly. The square with Saturn is the Moon's last classical aspect, opening a two-hour void of course until we emerge in the new, brilliant hues of the Leo Moon.

During this Cancer Full Moon time, explore connections with family, mother, ancestors, traditions and tribe, knowing that these are the cauldron from which we've emerged, bearing gifts as well as scars, now ready to move into the world in a new way.
    

Moon into: Gemini: Communicate, Network, Connect

Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon
Eastern Standard Time

Thursday, January 5
Moon enters Gemini 5:44am

merengue!

Moon semisextile Jupiter (Taurus) 6:51am
Moon sextile Uranus (Aries) 7:36am
Moon square Chiron (Pisces) 9:58am
Moon inconjunct Pluto (Capricorn) 8:34pm

Friday, January 6
Moon opposite the North Node (Sagittarius) 6:45am
Moon inconjunct Sun (Capricorn) 12:50pm
Moon trine Venus (Aquarius) 11:40pm
Moon square Mars (Virgo) 11:44pm

Saturday, January 7
Venus (Aquarius) inconjunct Mars (Virgo) 12:26am
Mercury (Sagittarius) sextile Saturn (Libra) 3:12am
Mercury (Sagittarius) sextile Neptune (Libra) 10:14am
Moon trine Saturn (Libra) 1:35pm
Moon trine Neptune (Aquarius) 2:21pm
Moon opposite Mercury (Sagittarius) 2:52pm
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Cancer 4:05pm
Moon sextile Jupiter (Taurus) 5:20pm
Moon square Uranus (Aries) 5:58pm
Moon trine Chiron (Pisces) 8:20pm

The Moon popped into bright, active Gemini this morning, I went to my first Nia dance class, and bright and active it was! I signed myself up for class every Thursday morning, so we'll see if I can make it there when the Moon's in a less sociable sign.

The aspects this morning definitely supported doing something fun and new that brings healing, with an edgy connection to Jupiter in slow-moving Taurus making it hard to get out from under the warm covers, but the sextile to revolutionary Uranus saying "Just do it!" and a square to Chiron the wounded healer saying, how many more times we gonna repeat this pattern?

Tonight's inconjunct with Pluto, well ... he might wag his finger and say I didn't do enough, while that Gemini Moon dances off to do something else.

Friday, the Gemini Moon says, TGIF! Opposite the North Node and conjunct the South, this Moon is looking for fun, not challenge––a feeling reinforced by the inconjunct with the Sun in serious Capricorn. Forget about hitting achievement targets today and focus on networking. This is a much better day for communicating and connecting than slogging through something you dread.

Friday night's aspects send the same message: The trine with Venus in Aquarius says, hey, that person looks different, let's go talk to them ... that place we've never been to, let's go there! The square with Mars in careful Virgo doesn't want to hear why none of that's a good idea.

The inconjunct between Venus and Mars just after midnight reinforces the tug-of-war between taking chances and being careful. The Gemini Moon is not a risk-taker, but not the most cautious sign in the zodiac either, so try some new, intriguing things without throwing caution to the winds.

silk painting: Auspicious Cranes

Saturday will be an even better day for networking and communicating. In fact, if there are important conversations you need to have, think about choosing Saturday. Writing, speaking, connecting in any way, shape or form––this is the opportune moment. Let's look at the aspects:

The Moon is in Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury, so we're already feeling good about connecting.  Mercury right now is in Sagittarius, opposite sign to Gemini, so our communications need to balance breadth and depth, and also maintain awareness of connecting with others while making our own position clear. A Moon–Mercury opposition closes the Moon's transit through Gemini, so this balance is important.

Saturday opens with Mercury sextiling Saturn and Neptune in close succession. The early afternoon brings that Gemini Moon into trine with the same two planets. we've got positive, flowing aspects between the Moon and Mercury to the two planets that, together, help us manifest our dreams. Saturn is the reality guy, the one who can make things happen in the world. Neptune is the visionary, keeping us connected with our biggest dreams. Quite a pattern!

The Moon opposes Mercury in midafternoon. Then, after an hour void of course, enters her home sign of Cancer. This is a time to slow down and rest after the heady socializing of the last few days. While the Moon is in Gemini, with the supporting aspects surrounding her, get your message together, and make those connections. It's time.
   

Moon into Taurus: A Slower Pace

Monday evening through Thursday morning
Eastern Standard Time

Monday, January 2
Moon enters Taurus 5:16pm

a warm spot by the fire ...

Moon conjunct Jupiter (Taurus) 6:14pm
Moon semisextile Uranus (Aries) 7:04pm
Moon sextile Chiron (Pisces) 9:20m

Tuesday, January 3
Moon trine Pluto (Capricorn) 8:19am
Moon inconjunct the North Node (Sagittarius) 7:15pm
Moon trine Sun (Capricorn) 7:43pm

Wednesday, January 4
Moon square Venus (Aquarius) 5:49am
Moon trine Mars (Virgo) 11:39am
Moon inconjunct Mercury (Sagittarius) 8:37pm

Thursday, January 5
Moon inconjunct Saturn (Libra) 2:51am
Moon square Neptune (Aquarius) 3:47am
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Gemini 5:44am
Moon semisextile Jupiter (Taurus) 6:51am
Moon sextile Uranus (Aries) 7:36am
Moon square Chiron (Pisces) 9:58am
Moon inconjunct Pluto (Capricorn) 8:34pm

This evening, the Moon takes in a deep, slow breath, exhales fully, and steps into calm and peaceful Taurus. If 2012's arrival has felt like a headlong rush into the new, we're now offered a few days to slow the pace and contemplate the year ahead with grace and good will. An hour after arriving in Taurus, the Moon joins benevolent Jupiter––tonight we can access the feeling that all's right with the world.

This doesn't imply we're going to stop changing: An edgy contact with Uranus the trickster prevents us from getting complacent. Yet, basking in the warmth of expansive Jupiter, enjoying the sensual comforts that Taurus inspires, and connecting with Chiron the healer and mentor, we place challenges and upsets in a context that also embraces synchronicity, serendipity and abundance.

Tuesday, the Moon trines both Pluto (in the morning) and the Sun (in the afternoon). The waxing Sun–Moon trine highlights our New Moon intentions in the best possible light, encouraging slow, steady progress. First, though, we can flow into whatever alchemical transformations Pluto has in store. These might require adjustments on our path (the awkward inconjunct with the North Node), but alchemy is underway.

taking it easy

Wednesday, the Moon encounters the other personal planets––Venus, Mars and Mercury––in aspects that highlight Taurus' preference for the slow and steady.

The contacts with Venus and Mercury are challenging, so that original work, creative work, socializing, and communicating might feel difficult today, like trying to make headway against resistance. Her contact with Mars in organized Virgo is a flowing trine; this will be a good day to get ordinary work taken care of.

In the early hours of Thursday, the Moon reaches her last connections in Taurus, both challenging, with Saturn and Neptune. Saturn and Neptune are both in Air signs, ready for movement and thought, while the Moon in Taurus is slower, more careful, and more grounded. Dreams Thursday morning might reflect this tug between the slower energy of Earth and the speed of Air––a contest Air will win, as the Moon pops into bright Gemini.

Enjoy the slower pace of the next few days, reveling in creature comforts and appreciating the times to come.