Cancer Full Moon

The eclipse 2 weeks ago was tied to Mercury, which continues to feature strongly in this lunation. The prominence of the Winged Messenger conjunct the Sun in Capricorn and opposing the Moon in Cancer suggests that ongoing discussion and negotiations remain pivotal. These are particularly relevant in situations where there are vastly opposing views and stances. Mercury conveys information to and from various people and places. He is very much the agent of development for ideas and actions and provides a live channel for making progress.

Nonetheless, he has a Machiavellian side and can sometimes deflect attention, play devil’s advocate, or simply stir up trouble for the sake of it. In Capricorn, he may be prone to asserting authority just to establish a rule, tradition, or principle — even when it might be outmoded — or, perhaps worse, when there is no true moral substance behind the action. But any potential troubles that Mercury might signify in such contexts may or may not come to pass, depending on the influence of other people and alternative lines of thought.

This is partly due to the sheer proximity of Mercury to the Sun. There are two points to emphasize here. The first is that, although the planet connects with logical thinking, it is mutable by nature. It can therefore adapt to anyone’s logic if it ensures the right outcome for the interests Mercury represents! He can be a bit of a chameleon and is influenced most by the nearest planet in the astrological chart.

The second point is that horary and related astrological theory considers Mercury combust in this proximity to the Sun (within 8.5° of conjunction), which effectively blows up the power that the planet might inherently possess. There may be plenty of chatter — and even contention — around certain issues then. But the real question is, how far will this affect specific actions?

Looking to where the more obvious power appears in the skies, we find the Moon in Cancer sitting firmly in its sign of domicile, indicating an easy flow and expression of all that the Moon represents: emotions, instincts, and everything that connects us in ways that, while not necessarily visible, are nonetheless significant. We may identify this powerful but often undervalued or unrecognized line of intelligence as our sixth sense, a subtle part of our psyche that communicates information about both internal and external factors. In the normal course of running our lives, we may not have the time or inclination to stop and attune to these subtle signals underlying our conscious needs.

This aspect of our nature may well surface more obviously and hold greater sway than so-called everyday rationale or logical argument. Our intuitive nature may well surface more obviously and hold greater sway than logic. In the days ahead, it may vie for pole position against the backdrop of major planets Jupiter and Saturn having entered the air sign of Aquarius earlier this month on December 16–19. Despite the promises of greater objectivity from those planetary big boys in air, the watery Cancerian Moon may have a way of subtly sidestepping any typical course of events and overriding the usual kinds of decisions that we would make — at least for a little while.

A sense of things being a bit unusual and unpredictable is also emphasized. The Moon sextiles Uranus in Taurus. Uranus is the bringer of unexpected turns of events. With their sextile to the Moon, we are offered a chance to welcome a different approach versus having one imposed upon us, as can happen with the conjunction or opposition. Anything novel, edgy, or exciting should be embraced if we are to be open to beneficial changes in our lives.

Uranus may still bring an amount of disruption with it; growth and improvement don’t necessarily come without discomfort and effort. Nonetheless, interruptions attached to a sextile might be less tricky to manage than under major or hard aspects. With a little willingness and determination, we can enter into a situation that happily sweeps us along by a supportive warm breeze, rather than being blasted by a destructive torrent!

This article is from the Mountain Astrologer, written by Diana Collis.