Wendy Cicchetti
Cancer Full Moon
The Cancer Full Moon gathers in the energy of the Sagittarius New Moon from two weeks prior rather like a mother gathering in her brood, seeing which of her children’s plans and desires are just wishful thinking, and which others follow the unlimited path of life’s possibilities.
What we want or need, and what can actually happen, are under the spotlight in the dynamics of the Full Moon: whilst the Moon is very comfortable in its home sign of Cancer, the Sun in Capricorn is rather more stiff and awkward — like an old, somewhat pained church official sitting on a stone pew. Perhaps they are used to this position, and have adapted to the ritual, limited comfort, or even aches from old age. But is there still room for growth, and for the light to come in to ensure it? The figure of the Moon in Cancer would say yes, at least in terms of the archetype of the nurturing mother.
Traditional astrology says that the Moon is dignified in this sign, a term that can be easily misunderstood or misappropriated. It simply means that the Moon’s inherent energy is not blocked, diluted, or impaired in any way, at least in terms of its zodiacal position — what happens with regards to aspects from the Sun and other planets is another stage of the story. But, as a starting point, Moon in Cancer is a lot like an established brand. We feel we can rely on it. It isn’t wrapped up in an outer coating or layer that hides a lie, or shows us something that doesn’t seem to match entirely. There is no complication here and no trickery; we have the real deal! We don’t have to work too hard with this Moon; she cares for us easily and guides us soundly. As a result, we more clearly see the path to what we must fulfil — at least, if the other planets can open some gateways, too. And if they seem to stand in the way, Mother Moon in Cancer might show us a safe way to move through the barrier.
This Moon is helped by a sextile to Jupiter in Taurus, even if the planet does happen to be retrograde. There are times, in fact, when retrogradation simply means hooking into the past, and it can be a well of treasure, not necessarily a source of pain or problems. However, either can slow us down — we might spend time admiring that treasure, after all! So perhaps we shouldn’t try to rush through this period. Instead, we can stop and count the blessings that Jupiter wishes to dole out. Based in Taurus, maybe some of them relate to finance and/ or security. Taurus is often our cue for finding more comfort in life — not just putting up with that hard, stone pew, but seeking out a comfy cushion covered in beautiful, soft fabric. We realize that we (and/or those close to us) are deserving of something special — which we might just be in a position to provide.
The Moon is also trine Saturn, which seems to be nodding towards an agreement, even if we did think that the opposing Sun in Capricorn might want to rein us in! Perhaps Saturn in Pisces is a bit more fluid and flexible, willing to see what it feels like to sit on that comfy cushion.
Even so, the Full Moon period is one when life can literally seem very full, and we might also quite like the steadying influence of the Sun in Capricorn, as we work towards a plan that can sustain us over the long term. The Sun in Capricorn and Jupiter in Taurus are both in earth signs, in any case, which place us face-to-face with earthly considerations — the need to look at the relationship of resources to potential results from a variety of angles. If we can align our wishes and assets, happiness should result!
This article is from the Mountain Astrologer by Diana McMahon Collis