Cancer New Moon 2013       

By Tracy Cook

Many years ago I studied lunar phases with Robert Buz Myers.  It is my hope that he would be proud of my work today.  Blessings to you, Buz! 

What is a New Moon?

A new moon is the beginning of a 28-day cycle.  Technically, when you look up in the sky you only see a thin section of the moon illuminated.       

And the not so technical point of view?

Well, similar to farmers and indigenous people, who have used the eight phases of the moon for eons, astrologers also utilize the different phases of the Moon.  Certainly on the New we know it is time to plant seeds.  But the other seven phases are equally important.

 

Where should my focus be during this next 28-day cycle?

When we draft a chart for the new moon we can get a sense of the energy that will be up for processing for the next 28 days. 

 

Okay what is this cycle about?   The tension around you is begging you to address your real needs.   Not made up needs but the real ones.  Are you ready to hear the calling and address those needs?   Now is the time.

 

 

CANCER NEW MOON  

NEW MOON

July 8, 2013

3:15am EDT

 

  

16 Cancer 17

 

 

Sabian Symbol: A Man Studying A Mandala In Front Of Him, With The Help Of A Very Ancient Book


 

 

 

 

Cancer New Moon  

 

 

This is an interesting Cancer lunar cycle.    We are getting a whole lotta love this cycle.  Great.    And we are getting the big squeeze by Uranus and Pluto.   Drat.

 

At the end of May we all got information from various parts of our life that said  ‘shit or get off the pot’.   I loathe that expression but honestly it is the most apropos expression for the Uranus Pluto tension.   Everyone on Earth is feeling this tension.  Uranus in Aries is prompting all of us to break out and do something new while Pluto is saying the new transformation needs to come from the inside.   

 

When I was younger and spent a lot of time in self help workshops—I used to hear people talk about doing a ‘geographic’.  Meaning they moved to avoid the pain but never fixed the cause of the pain.   Uranus in Aries, when it is rash can do a ‘geographic’ without bothering to go inward.  And Pluto in Capricorn when it is unprocessed is too focused on appearances and maintain the status quo instead of doing the inner work and shedding.   Of course, the ideal place is probably somewhere in between where we leap AND fix the problem.   You do not have to have planets at 8-12 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra & Capricorn feel this  Uranus Pluto tension-but if you do, you are getting it hard.   I’m raising my hand high over here, with Mercury at 9 degrees of Capricorn to say that I am experiencing Uranus & Pluto big time.   And because I have Aries Rising & Moon in Cancer and my Mercury is in the 10^th I gotta say I am canary in a coal mine for the Uranus Pluto square.    I would like to share my experiences to illustrate the energy that is going on out there. 

 

 My husband and I have been looking for a house for a couple of years.  Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States and not only does it have a lot of people it has a lot of square miles and a huge school district that is not the smoothest running operation (to say the least).   My husband and I were unsure about purchasing a house without knowing the location of our son’s middle or high school because it would be a pain in the ass if we bought a house where we live now and our son ended up at a middle school in the san Fernando Valley eight miles away.   Honestly, I would rather fly my son to Portugal every day than drive in traffic to the Valley.    Those commutes are had on the soul.   

 

As it turned out we figured a path for our son last April that would lock his middle school and his high school and it turned out not to be too far from our current home.    Once we locked his school we could now shop in earnest for a home.  And so we shopped and shopped and shopped and in one year we found nothing.   Sigh.    As you can imagine, Pluto on my Mercury and Uranus squaring it left me feeling we would never find a place.     We saw a lot of dumps for a lot of money.  Or we saw houses that were in decent shape but were in transitional neighborhoods, which by the way had not faired too well during the recession.    In early April I said to my husband, “Hell we might not ever find anything.  Maybe we aren’t supposed to own now.”    Can you hear Pluto and Uranus doing a number to my Mercury in Cap?    Also in April was the Aries New Moon and I had to build my treasure map and I checked with my gut and it said, “Yes put up pictures of a house you want.”  

 

After going through several magazines I was drawn to a photo.   I think it was a photo of a house in Paris with large windows and sun drenched living room.  I put it up on the Treasure Map.  About a week or so later I went online and did my one thousandth search for a house but at the very last moment I changed the parameters from single family dwelling to ---condo.    Bam!    Up came a condo in a 1928 vintage glamorous apartment building that had converted to condominiums in the 1990s.    It was two bedrooms, two baths exactly what we needed and it had a beautiful kitchen with tons of counter space and a loft like living room.   And the way the light came through the French windows it looked like the photo in my treasure map!    When I was single and newly married my husband and I lived in a big, old 1920’s apartment building in a leafy, area of town.   Whenever anyone visited me they said, “How did you find the NYC part of LA?”   It was a beautiful period for us and one that we missed, the condo was in that same neighborhood.   We went to the open house the very next day.   It was lovely.   Two bedroom, two baths but and this is a bit but, it was only  970 square feet and had NO closets.   Yikes.    Could all three of us live in that space?   We debated it much, we talked about how to build in closets but we knew it would be a lifestyle change.    We looked at each other and decided to go for it.   We put in an offer.   I will spare you the details of the escrow but yes, Pluto and Uranus were having their way with that process.   What was supposed to be a thirty day escrow turned into seven weeks.     The hurdles we jumped were typically Uranus and Pluto.  Two appraisals later and a loan rate jumping up in the middle of it, oh, Pluto, oh, Uranus you are so annoying, but seven weeks later we got the keys to the condo.  

 

And as soon as we put the first offer we began Operation: Purge.    We started with the storage unit then our current home---I went through every single item and asked,  “Is it going to the new place?  Is it going to the yard sale?  Is it going to charity?  Is it going to a friend?  Is it going to trash?”   ---Everything.   I threw out things I never would have guessed I would have thrown out, I mailed all kinds of things to friends, I took a ton of stuff to Goodwill.  I made $750 dollars at our yard sale, I took pounds and pounds of stuff to Staples for shredding.     

 

On my treasure map I have a quote I cut out from a magazine, “Items have to earn their real estate.”   Meaning it better have a real good reason to be in our house and our life.     At the same time I was doing this purging I was also purging my psyche.   I came across items from every part of my life.   I found the bill for my birth, I found report cards from grade school, photos from high school, scripts from TV shows that I worked on, props from shows I wrote, and tons of stuff from my life as Uber PTA mom.    Yes, I saved the bill from birth, but I ditched everything else.  I am starting new.   I could feel myself lighten.   How I relate to people feels different.  I can feel the change inside.   At the same time all this has been going on I have also been taking a writing class.   A very deep and profound class.   We can’t write a bunch of words and read it aloud.  The writing better be real and from a deep place or leave through the front door and don’t return.     I showed up in a big way, I needed to write from the gut.   Uranus square Mercury wanted it raw and real no matter how hard the task.   

 

So, for the last couple of weeks the contractor and his team have been working on closets and other issues and it has been tedious—and of course all this time my husband, son and I have been focused on our new life—we got a couple pieces of new furniture (a couch and a chair) but for the most part we are getting rid of stuff.   Once we lock the place and have it all figured out, we will not be buying much of anything—ever again.  I cannot tell you how liberating that feeling is inside me.  I want to focus on experiences, more traveling, more writing, less PTA work, less “Others” more “Me”.  I have beautiful connections with people whom I treasure and I will continue to have those experiences while at the same time focused on my writing and of course my family.   My son turns twelve this week and we only have a few more years before he leaves for college.  I need this time to be real and full of fun or meaningful experiences, and not full of distractions.    And speaking of family, this also leads me to one more Pluto experience.    Last week I got a call from my sister in law saying that my brother had died.   He was only 57.   He was in good health, good shape, exercised regularly and ate well.   We are unclear but my guess is it was probably aneurism or blood clot.   I am still in shock that my brother who was a really good guy has died one week ago.   But a couple days after he died I was sitting on the curb outside our new place waiting for the cable guy.  I was weepy. I called a friend to talk about my brother and naturally got misty.   I hung up and was waiting when I felt my brother next to me.  I heard him say, “Sis, the cable guy will be here in eight minutes.”  I looked at the clock on my phone it said 9:39.    The cable truck pulled up at 9:47.     I am certain we don’t die.   Pluto certainly connected me to the other side.    

 

If you have stayed with this report this long you are probably wondering why I am writing such a personal report for Cancer New Moon?    After all, I have been writing reports every month for seven years and have never been this personal. Why now?   Because it speaks to what is going on with this Cancer New Moon chart.

 

Pluto and Uranus are pushing and pulling us, as I said, “shit or get off the pot.”  We all need to make changes.  I needed to get rid of stuff and get light and get nimble and do what my soul and gut are telling me to do.    And even though I do have a planet (Mercury) between 8-12 degrees of a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) this tension is being felt by all of us.  Even those who don’t have any cardinal planets are aware of the thunder and lightening off in the distance.  They know changes need to be made because change is all around them.     

 

Cancer New Moon starts at 3:15am EDT and about two hours before new moon Saturn in Scorpio turns direct.   It has been retrograde for five months and during this time we have been looking at our resources, looking at our sex life, looking at our connections with others that are based on sharing.   Remember Scorpio rules loans and sex, which is the act of sharing.   It may not always be balanced (It is not Libra) but it is agreed upon relationship.  “I will give you ____ if you give me ____”.       We have mulled a lot about our power for the last five months and now we are ready to consider changes.   How perfect that Saturn turns direct in time for Cancer New Moon.

 

Cancer rules our feelings and emotions. It is the first water sign of the zodiac and therefore intuitive like his fellow water signs, Scorpio and Pisces.   With Cancer it is usually intuition about issues around family and home that makes the antenna go up.   Cancer rules stomach and nourishment.   When Cancer is not nourishing its psyche or soul it will overeat.    Cancer’s emotions can be very high and very low.  The planet that rules Cancer is the Moon and we all know what Moons do to our tides.   Cancers can be super excited about something and then pulled down to the pits.   What works best is when Cancer manages their feelings.   When something hits them they need to not take it personal and instead call it a “plot twist” and move on.   

 

As I shared with you, I have Moon in Cancer so I can speak to this energy with much clarity.   If something comes up during the next 28 days that feels so personal either by the person who did it or by God who seems to have it out for you, pull back and say, “I dunno why I got this plot twist but I’m moving through it as best as I can. “  Yes, have your emotions, yell, grieve, blow up, but do it quickly and move on.   And please be careful who gets your reaction.  Do they deserve it?   Are they the real enemy?  Sometimes Cancer can pull others in and it is not their fault.    Just saying as one who has been there done that.   Remember that seven week escrow I went through?   I managed a lot of my moon in Cancer emotions! 

 

Jupiter

For most of this cycle Jupiter in Cancer will be making a grand trine with Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces.   It peaks between July 17 and July 19^th  but we should start to feel it a few days after the new moon.  Energy will be coming to us that teaches us something.  I don’t mean here comes a big lesson, I mean a gentle teaching.   Maybe we have thought something simple, “I hate ____.”  But then when exposed to _____ you see the merits maybe even the joy and you find yourself changing your opinion about ____.   A practical gift (Saturn) will arrive to many people who are open to the largess of Jupiter.  Neptune of course speaks to our Woo-Woo side.   If you are afraid of your intuition or even your psychic abilities watch what happens this month.  You think of someone and they call or email you.   This will be a month of coincidences and they can be very helpful coincidences but it only works if you have your antenna up.   Be open (Jupiter) to new structures (Saturn) that might come from the ethers (Neptune).   Of course, the lame part of the trine is people get fat and lazy and don’t bother putting up their antenna and spend their time blending margaritas waiting for things to fall in their lap.  But you won’t do that because you have been advised to get your antenna up so you can be a co-creator in your new opportunities. 

 

Mars

Mars the warrior planet is up to stuff this cycle.   First of all, like Jupiter, Mars is going to make his own grand trine.  Mars moves from Gemini into Cancer on July 13^th then it travels a few degrees and forms HIS trine with Saturn and Neptune peaking between July 20-22.   We will start to feel the energy around the 15^th as Mars starts to want things  “Now”.   Since Mars is in Cancer he will be wanting our family to shut up and do things better.   Or he will want our own emotions to change.   Everyone will be tired of being sick and tired.  With the trine to Saturn in Scorpio, Mars will be saying, “What’s the problem?  And how can I fix it—fast”   With a trine to Neptune  our intuition will be speaking to Mars.  We may fix a problem we didn’t even know we had thanks to Neptune.  Again, our antenna needs to be up so that the warrior Mars can focus on that what really nourishes us (Cancer).    What is more important, being disappointed with a family member who surprise, surprise has disappointed us again or realizing this is the best they can do and making changes by how we keep them in our life.    And if it is not family who is bugging, then it will be our emotions.  “Normally, I get so scared/pissed/weepy/sad/____ (fill in the blank) when I think about _____.   Now I’m changing my responses because I need to do things differently for me. “ 

Read that sentence several times.   This grand trine with Mars/Saturn/Neptune is a gift.  And I hope you will all use the gift because later in the cycle he gets a rough.  

 

Rougher part of Mars

On July 22 a few hours before the full moon Mars will get on top of Jupiter in Cancer.   Mars is such a warrior and Jupiter is such a righteous know-it-all that I do not expect this to be a pleasant process.  Probably some world event orchestrated by  effd up d-bags will get our attention.   Personally, we should all keep our emotions in check and watch RASH actions or decisions.    It is going to be a heated period around the 22^nd.   And because God has a sense of humor we will have the Full Moon in Aquarius with a square to Saturn on the 22nd.   Yikes. When it rains it pours.   Then at the end of the month on July 27^th Mars opposes Pluto and on July 31^st Mars Squares Uranus.  Bigger Yikes.    It will be rash emotions versus a cold wall.  It will be family and roots versus break through and new horizons.   People will be looking at their history and wondering if it is their prologue.   I spoke to someone recently and asked how the marriage was going for her daughter and she reminded me that she had divorced, her mother had divorced and her grandmother had divorced and all women ended up alone.  I thought, “I was asking about your daughter not your family tree.”   But that speaks perfectly to the energy at the end of the month and I want to tell everyone who is reading this right now---you are better than any cracks in your genealogy.

 

 We are all building a new world for ourselves personally and globally.  And similar to the energy around the 22^nd there will be crazy hot global tensions.  A word of advice to everyone both globally and personally speaking--    “You break it, you buy it”.   Manage your emotions, manage your energy, do not squeeze too much in your days  especially after the 22^nd and through the rest of the month.  Drive carefully.  Do Not send that email that you are dying to send.   Take a cool off period and take everything bit by bit (thank god Venus will have moved into Virgo on 22^nd).    

 

 

As things start to heat up around the 22^nd we are lucky that at least our communication should have straightened up, Mercury turns direct on July 20^th and of course never a minute too early.   

 

Uranus

 

As we are in the middle of the trine between Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune, Uranus will begin his annual retrograde.   Uranus spends about five months of a year in retrograde motion and this year turns retrograde on July 17^th.    And of course Uranus will be hitting up Pluto for the next square on November 1.     As much as we all want to look at November 1 and say, “Four months away, I’ll deal with it then, la-dee-dah” it is actually in our face now.  The Cancer New Moon on July 8^th is making a square with Uranus and opposition with Pluto so the thunder and lightening that seems far away will be in front of us now.   As I indicated to you earlier, we need to have our antenna up to enjoy the rewards of two grand trines in the middle of the month. And we need our antenna up to guide us during the rough part of the cycle at the end of July.   But we also need our antenna up in general for the full 28 day cycle as we get information about the greater changes we need to make for a fuller life that is in synch with our real needs. Cancer rules needs.      We are not looking for perfection but we are looking for real needs to be met in a real way but NONE of those needs can be met if the need is denied or ignored.    Do you need love?  Do you need affection? Do you need more close connections?  Do you need more money?  Do you need a new resource?  Do you need a new community?  Do you need to speak truth?   How have you been denying yourself?  How have you been staying small or safe because you are afraid to make the changes inside?   How is your childhood overly influencing your life today?    How can you decide what you want and take risks to get it?   What is your antenna telling you?

 

My own story of late speaks volumes to Uranus in Aries, Pluto in Cancer.  I knew I was ready to buy a home, I knew our family could not sustain a hideous commute, I knew I had to have a second bathroom.   What changed was the size.  Instead of going for a home, we gave up a single family dwelling and went small and went condo.  My husband can enjoy riding his bike and running on weekends and not worry about a lawn or rebuilding a roof.   Yes we pay a monthly association fee but we are not burdened by other costs and other things that take up our precious time.  And time is precious which I learned by the death of my brother who died at such at such a young age.    The only thing that has gotten me through the energy of Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries is by setting a goal in context and then letting things come into view bit by bit.  I can’t see around the corners but I know what is in front of me and if I am still on track.   And the only way I have done this so far is by keeping my antenna up high.    

 

In conclusion:

We have many gifts this 28 day cycle.  Those two waves of grand trines will bring us something we can all use both spiritual (Neptune) and physical (Saturn).   And if we are unclear of the gifts we only have to feel where the rawness is in our life.  This is Uranus and Pluto doing their thing, it is a pain in the ass and hurts but we will get these gifts to help us.  Feel the pain this Cancer cycle, don’t fear it and  use the gifts to help.    And you know I’m doing it, so you are not alone.      

 

 

 

The 8 phases

 

New Moon Phase

July 8, 2013 3:15am EDT

 

 

 

New moon: Plant seeds, make calls, activate, start projects.   Activate something that will ideally lead you to more.  This is the phase where INTENT is critical.  Even if the results are not immediate, the intent is there.  You may not have all the answers or road map but you should put out your Intent.  

 

Focus:  Our emotions are guiding us to our real needs.  Not superficial needs but real concrete needs.   Are you  brave enough to acknowledge those needs and go for real solutions?   Yes.  I’m sure you can do it.

 

7/9: Sun/Mercury:  Inspired, creative, mentally charged, dynamic thoughts and creative connections.

 

Special Focus:  

 

 

Crescent Moon Phase

July 12

4:13a EDT  

 

 

Crescent:  We will receive information, we will research a bit more, perhaps get feedback on stuff that we planted on new.  Perhaps get some information that will help down the road on a seed we planted a while ago.  We can collect some data now.  Even if you think you are not getting information, stop, and re-look at everything.  Who called you?  Even the silliest things, when they come up during Crescent are note worthy.  A parking ticket?  An argument with a spouse?  A refund check from the phone company?  All of it needs to be considered a message from the universe.  How can this information help you?

 

Focus on: What information are you receiving about your diet and hygiene? What are you learning about lose ends that need tying up?  What are you learning about your schedule?  What are you learning about your nervousness?   What do you do when you get anxious?

 

 

Special Focus:

 

7/13: Mars in Cancer http://www.stariq.com/pagetemplate/t1.asp?pageid=1030

 

 

 

 

First Quarter Moon

July 15, 11:18p EDT   

 

First quarter: We do more actions based on the information that we just received.  Or we feel our instincts guide us on something.  We pursue again.  We make another call or we see someone. We mail something.  We stir the pot again.  This can be a time when we realize that the goals we planted on New need more action from us, perhaps actions that involve breaking away.   Are there people who say they have our best interest in heart but fear us growing away from them?  Maybe we need to get help from others not the usual suspects.  Some independence may need to be exerted.

 

 

 

Focus on:  What actions are taking that bring balance to your life?   Why is everyone around you on the wrong side of everything?  What is going on with partnerships? What is going on with relationships?      When someone says black do you say white?

 

Special focus

7/17: Uranus turn retrograde (12 Aries 31) 1:19pm  (see above)

7/17: Jupiter/Saturn:  Emotions and practicality combine.  Structuring finances.  Structuring resources.   Emotions are harnessed. 

7/17: Jupiter/Neptune:  Spirituality and religion are highlighted.   Finding safety in spirit.

7/19: Saturn/Neptune: Structured spirituality.  Emotions and spirituality are in sync.  Building upon dreams.

 

Gibbous Moon

July 19 9:44a EDT

 

Gibbous:

We refine our information.  We pick and choose, we discriminate, and we organize to be ‘Virgo’ like.  We sort through details.  Have we missed something?  How are we sifting through the information?  Go back and make sure something hasn’t been neglected.  Refine our actions. 

 

 

Focus on:

What details are you learning about education?  How do you bridge to other groups?  Have you missed an opportunity to reach across the aisle and make a connection?  How are you are organizing your vacation?  

 

Special Focus:

 

7/20:  Mercury turns direct 2:22pm …lord not a minute too early!

7/20: Mars/Neptune:  Actions based on intuition or spirit are pronounced

7:20: Mars/Saturn: Actions that build on family and joint resources. 

7/22 Mars/Jupiter:  Actions based on faith, education, adventure and bridging worlds.

7/22:  Sun in Leo.   Take your Leo out with another friend and have a fun meal with focus on laughs

7/22:  Venus in Virgo http://astrology.about.com/od/venus/p/VenusVirgo.htm

 

 

 

Full Moon Phase

July 22 2:15p  EDT

00 Aq 06

 

Full Moon:  We make the needed adjustments on the things we planted. Usually emotions are up and running and for those people who perhaps did not utilize the new moon and the rest of the waxing moon, this is when emotions can get the better of us.  There can often be a big emotional break, for no other reason than to get back on track.   Some partnership will offer up some balance.  The moon is bright and full and there is no room for shadows, what is reflecting on you? 

 

 

Focus on:    How can you find your strength and share it with like minded people and then do something spectacular?   Does the group of people who you hang out with share your values?   Why not?   Do you have people around you who push you to be better?  To be extraordinary?  Why not?   Does your group get your mojo?  Why not? 

 

See my blog for more on full moon.  http://tracyastrosalon.blogspot.com/

 

Special focus:

 

 

 

July 25 8:58pm EDT

Disseminating Moon Phase

 

Disseminating: Share information; find a teacher or someone who has more knowledge. Perhaps there was a big ol’ blow out on the full and one feels in need of support and help, this is the phase to reach out to one who knows more. This is when we find a rabbi or a minister or therapist who gives us more insight.   And of course, you too may be ready to teach and share your own information. 

 

 

Focus on:  How are you sharing your spirituality?  How is your knowledge of intuition being shed to others?   Where are you receiving other people’s skills in metaphysics?  How is religion being shared?  Who is sharing their victimness?

 

Special focus:

7/26: Venus/Neptune:  Love and money feels fuzzy.  Intuition guides through any confusion.

7/26: Venus/Saturn:  Money and love are in sync.  Building upon things that are valued.

7/27:  Mars/Pluto:  Argumentative,  family versus career,  emotions versus business,  home versus work.   Practical versus feelings.  

7/27:  Sun/Saturn:  Ego versus power,  drama versus stealth.   Tensions.  Frustration and lack.

7/28:  Venus/Jupiter:  Joy, big love, big spending, fun.  Creative.

 

Last Quarter Moon Phase

July 29, 2013

1:43 pm EDT

 

Last Quarter moon:  Now we do the final adjustments to the seeds we planted on new. The final call, the final letters to send, we follow all the trails that came up that still make sense.  And we let the other parts lay fallow. It is a time of action but wise action.  It is a time for living  “The serenity prayer”

 

God, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change Courage to change the
things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.

 

 

 

Focus on: What actions can you take that build on things that are practical?  What are you building?   What things that are in your family that need concrete work?   How are you stepping up in a practical way? 

 

Special focus:

 

7/30:  Venus/Pluto:  Love and power are in sync.  Flow of love brings rebirth.

7/31: Mars/Uranus:  Unrest, revolutionary feelings, abruptness, rebellious, family versus breaking out. 

 

Balsamic Moon Phase

August 2, 3:40pm ED

 

Balsamic:   We let go.  By releasing we can prepare for the new. 

 

Focus on   We release our mental chaos.  We release our need to connect.  We release our need to communicate.  We release our siblings. 

 

 

 

Special focus:

 

8/2:  Venus/Mars:  Inspired, energetic, fun, lovely.  Actions based on love excel.

8/4: Sun/Uranus:  Creative, highly inspired, daring, breaking free, drama that points towards new directions. 

 

 

LEO NEW MOON August 6 5:50PM EDT