It is that emotional time in the year when home and spiritual belonging, our roots and background are gaining in light, and their importance magnified. It starts dark and scary, Sun and Moon are conjunct, and will take months to reveal its meaning. It is the New Moon in Cancer, which happens on the 9th or 10th of July 2021, depending where we are on the planet. It takes place at 18 degrees and 01minute of Cancer, and at 02:16am UK time. This is time for introspection, moving from a thinking mode to being in the world, towards feeling what is good inside us, and a caring approach for the absolute necessities. Time, as with all new moons, to plant a new seed in order to manifest what we want in our lives. Now we set intentions for manifestation. The gentle and loving character of Cancer which is all about the home and family, and the need to protect those we love, sits somewhere in all of our charts. We are all affected by what happens in Cancer.
New beginnings will be elating and intense with the 10 of Cups. A loving card of happiness, bonding, stability and comfort. We cant ask for more. This is the absolute filler of all the cups in terms of emotions and sensitivity, togetherness and being part of a greater ancestral story. Even though new moons symbolise new beginnings, the 10 of Cups hails the completion of something long-standing. With the astrological sign of Cancer, as with the 10 of Cups in Tarot, there is history and heritage involved. And that heritage doesn’t have to necessarily mean our physiological lineage, but our emotional, spiritual, professional, adopted or actual place-hood can be part of it. We see two people with their backs turned swept on wave of colour and, indeed, we can safely say that we are going to feeling longing for home, and a strong desire for nostalgia will overtake us. Cancer always looks to the past with fondness, but also has a strong initiating drive. It is a cardinal sign connected with the archetype of the beginning of summer when everything is growing and producing. Its cardinal energy will be empowering us towards caring for our needs in an assertive way. On the everyday level it could simply mean that it’s time to visit the ancestral home, go on holidays with our family, visit relatives and bond with our closer community. Look to our intuition to appreciate what we have achieved so far, rather than our material or structural circumstances. This is the greater lesson of the day.
And just as we thought we had it all organised in our heads and hearts, the the Knight of Pentacles appears once again to remind us of our responsibilities here on planet earth. His influence is pervasive. It is action and messages that come to us in a rhythmic calm way, sometimes even repetitive, with confidence and respect for the environment around us. It’s not abrupt or sudden, but it is vigorous and youthful energy that follows nonetheless. We cant miss it. It is unmistakable. Change will follow. July is going to be a very dynamic month and this new moon will colour our experiences and our ambitions as the energies shift. There are green fields and open skies ahead of us. Obstacles will be overcome as we walk through them with purpose and determination. We are invited now to be part of nature as we move on into the future and our intentions need to be compatible with our environment. The Knight of Pentacles is hard working and protective. In this reading, as well as in the one of July, we are reminded, time and time again, of the value of those basic principles, of being loyal and goal oriented, of following our path, of sticking to the plan, of the fact that the material world matters. It matters how we do things and how consciously we do them.
Ultimately, the 7 of Wands comes along to close the circle of perseverance and fortitude by lighting our steps forward. There will be competition and challenges as the month progresses, and as the moon moves from the water sign of Cancer to the fiery sign of Leo, to bring with it the courage to follow through whatever we have started. It is the card that tells us to hold on to the energy of battle for success. The challenges may come from the outside but we have the fire within, and we can adapt according to the situation to win what we are fighting for. All cards in this spread point to the need or drive to protect. And therefore we are going to have to stand our ground, and keep fighting for what is precious to us, for what we believe in, and for what we love. We might not always find that we are ready for it, but we can do it, if we make sure we establish clear boundaries. There will be power struggles, and the need for survival will overtake all other concerns. This is not the time to worry about what others think of us, if we are liked or accepted, if we are different from others and how we can fit in. There’s a sense of solitude or even loneliness, which in itself can be a challenge. As the moon keeps moving on its journey things can get a bit more complex. The 10 of Cups representing harmony and togetherness, and the open fields we are crossing with the Knight of Pentacles, can become an enclosed space of our own making that is under attack from outside sources. But the 7 of Wands is wilful and competitive. It represents a successful outcome once we’ve been challenged. We are urged to look within ourselves and to fight for our individuation and authenticity as we move to a more self assured and stable future. This new moon is demanding of us, of our stamina to maintain control, of our appreciation of what we have achieved and the power to see ourselves to something even greater to be proud of.
Flavia