The Sun’s Lunar Journey
I adore Cancer season for many reasons; it is the start of summer, it is my birthday season, and it is ruled by the Moon. I feel an infinity for the Moon, despite being very much a day chart. The Moon in my natal chart is strongly positioned. My Moon offers a direct link from Pisces to Cancer through mutual reception, creating a stronger affinity. Mutual reception in astrology is when two planets are in the domicile, or home, of one another. In my case, the ruler of Pisces, Jupiter, resides in Cancer, while my Moon sits in Pisces. Together the Moon and Jupiter reflect one another through a trine aspect, which by nature is Jupiter’s aspect. My natal Sun is also under the guise of the Moon being born in Cancer season and my Ascendant ruler also sits in Cancer and looks to the Moon. All of this said, I do believe my underlying affinity and internal waters are being drawn by the lunar influence. And yet the Sun is also so important, the two luminaries need one another, complete each other.
SUMMER SOLSTICE
Cancer season marks the beginning of the summer solstice, a time where the sun reaches its apex in its yearly cycle. It is during Cancer season that the Sun also begins a very slow, nearly unnoticeable descent in the temple of the Moon. Each day in the northern hemisphere, while the Sun resides in Cancer, the darkness sets in minute by minute, as if the Moon herself is stealing slivers of solar energy. One day soon, Luna, will reside reflecting with a greater presence, longer and longer and at that point our own sun-kissed days will battle for attention, and we will reflect and turn inward.
Morning Solstice Devotional: Meeting the Sun and Moon at the threshhold of light.
Cancer season, which begins to initiate the return of the darkness, is equally hopeful and reflective. Like the Moon, we feel our way through this period with all of our senses. Our nose gets hints of sweet blooms that hang heavy in humid skies. Our mouth rejoices in indulging freshly picked strawberry pies and salivates on plump sweet tomatoes. Our skin feels the burning of the Sun’s apex, which heats the land longer and stronger, we glide through cooling waters that bring momentary reprieve. Our ears hear the summer hymns of crickets and chorus of birds. Our minds reflect on big summer plans and we remember, even attempt to recreate more sun-drenched youthful days. There is hope, nostalgia, and connection in Cancer season. For a moment, we too are peaking in light and equally descending in land-locked soulful memories.
Cancer Season Astrology
Astrologically, we have the planets Venus and Mercury present early on. Both planets entered the lunar temple on June 17, and both will warmly welcome the Sun on the 20th. It is on the 21st, we kick off Cancer season with a Capricorn Full Moon. This is fascinating for two reasons; one it marks the inception of Cancer season, but what is even more brilliant, is that this year we receive two Capricorn Full Moons during Cancer season! The second Full Moon comes right as the Sun will leave Cancer on July 21. The other important astrological note of this season, is Saturn, ruler of both Full Moons, will retrograde on June 29.
The Saturnian Full Moons that mark the inception and the conclusion of Cancer season have a story to tell. They are speaking from a distant, earthy, wintery temple of Capricorn, and shining a spotlight onto a lunar, feminine, water sanctuary. When the first Full Moon hits on June 21, as the Sun begins its first real step towards a wintery descent, Venus and Mercury receive a lunar opposition as well. This Full Moon could be gathering light around personal relationships, intimate desires, emotional vaults that need a breaking open and are desiring a deeper conversation. This conversation may not be emotionally comfortable, but it is the building block towards a more unified and nutrient-dense bonding. This first Full Moon may have us feeling disconnected, isolated, and confused. This is further emphasized through Saturn’s own slowing down.
Saturn’s Teachings
On the 29th, Saturn will station retrograde at 19 degrees of Pisces. Saturn moves slow by nature, and the stationing degree is an utter standstill. Saturn is asking us to really look into a matter, one of an emotional, soulful perhaps spiritual bent. Venus herself will trine Saturn on July 2, throwing her arms around any matters that may have recently left you feeling alone.
Saturn’s retrograde in Pisces will have us revisiting matters of the soul. We have been on a long journey with Saturn in this boundless water temple, Pisces. Since March 2023, Saturn in Pisces has been asking us to filter out unhealthy associations, tighten up loose boundaries, give a name and a sacrifice to that which we find holy in this world. When the Moon reaches its fullness this month, not once but twice in this most distant temple, it could really have us looking at where we feel emotionally disconnected, analyzing walls we may of constructed in the name of “safety”, and spaces that need a spiritual upgrade. In the realm of the body, the heart, the memory, what are we locking out or refusing to embrace? Have the commitments we have made still honoring our soul?
This double Capricorn lunation can provide insights and solutions. Capricorn likes to work from the ground up, steadily climbing and achieving. Consider the first Full Moon as the insight into where we may be feeling emotionally disjointed or resistant. Use the month of July and the many Venusian transits, including an opposition to Pluto on July 12, to really tune in and excavate. As the Sun in Cancer takes his final steps and enters his own temple of Leo on July 22, let’s use the Sun’s trine to Neptune in Pisces and the second Full Moon, both on July 21, as constructive transits to really connect to our self and to others we have been struggling to find soul connection with. A Sun*Neptune trine can be really quite useful in seeing “other” not as just a physical body, but an ethereal being, sharing this space in time.
Cancer Season Tarot Insights
Cancer Season Spread: Providing further insight into the astrological transits ahead.
The spread begins with the Sun reversed, this is the card drawn for “the inception of Cancer season.” The reversed Sun, symbolizes the slow descent of light that begins as the Sun hits the apex solstice point. The Sun reversed also asks us to look at what in our life could use a rebirth, which may only come from first looking at what we intentionally shut out or hide in our own darkness. Many rebirths generate from a personal crisis or when we find our original path completely devoid of any spirit or light. The Sun reversed may be fearful of being vulnerable.
The 2nd and 3rd cards are an attempt for further insight into how the season will continue-the 3 of Swords and the 3 of Cups reversed. I first notice that we have double 3’s, which alone signify a birth or a movement towards creation. The 3 of Swords can be a challenging read, yes on its surface it can signify heartbreak, or mental anguish over the loss of love. I also interpret this card as a mental blocks that keep our own heart from receiving and equally giving love. The swords are narratives that have pierced our own perception of ourselves and/or others, and lock us into perpetual heartache and grief. If we were to draw the swords out, rewrite our story, could the wounds of our heart and head heal? Could we discover our own vulnerability again? Love is making our heart vulnerable to the experience of another.
The 3 of Cups sits to the left of the 2 of Cups reversed. Another pattern, we have both Cups reversed and descending from 3 to 2, we are descending or returning back to the beginning, to two people in relation. Cups in general are related to our emotional thinking and our unconscious. Cups have a very lunar association, mirroring a crescent. Many feminine goddesses are associated with the Moon. The Cup itself is related to the feminine aspect, a container closely associated with the womb. The 3 of Cups reversed could show tensions and constraints around our need to feel close and connected to community or even to a specific friend group. This is a card of celebration, and it is inverted, and to me it shows that this Cancer season may have us looking at how we are relating to others and possibly building walls or at least analyzing walls we have constructed. Our darker unconscious material is keeping us from connecting with the greater world at large. When the crab is insecure he retreats to his shell. Again we can relate this all back to the Saturn Full Moons we will receive this month.
We should be reminded at this point, on July 5 we get a New Moon in Cancer, a new opportunity to connect with our heart and community. The Moon has often been thought to rule the people, more precisely the community or tribe. This card beckons us to loosen up, pick up the phone, reconnect to those in your circle, plan a day to celebrate the summer and life that is in full bloom all around you.
We end Cancer season with another inverted card, but it's a return to the beginning, or we can view it as a further descent into the summer. The 2 of Cups reminds us that we can find union within our self through others, this is the union of the moon and the sun, the female and the male, the anima and the animus. It is relationships that really teach us how to be in relationship to our own Self. Dysfunctional relationships can highlight a dysfunction internally. The reversal of this card shows we still have work to do, must start back at the beginning, when one became two. This is further translated to the Sun’s next move when it enters Leo, the opposition to Pluto. This to me is the gold transit, Pluto and the Sun bring tremendous opportunity for trudging up the dark material and expiditing change, but it comes from honest cathartic introspection. If you haven’t peered into the more challenging spaces as of yet, this transit may just force you too.
Wishing you all a lovely and insightful Cancer season that connects the heart and the mind, the cups and the swords. If you are curious where Cancer season is developing in your own natal chart, connect with me. Together we will navigate the stars to orient the soul.