A Tightrope Walk Between Want and Need
The Cancer sun wants us to seek comfort, but back-to-back Capricorn full moons will have us fighting our softer instincts and striving for something more elusive.
What is happening?!
The summer solstice has come and gone, which means we’ve begun a slow descent towards the darkness of winter. An uncomfortable polarity exists during June and July that will be intensified this year due to the rare occurrence of back-to back Capricorn full moons; a lunar transit through the sign of The Seagoat is always pushing us to walk the traditionally prosperous and practical route through our current circumstances, but this inevitably creates tension with our Cancerian desire to cocoon inside of easier, more emotionally fulfilling situations. We will swim a chasm of anxiety this summer, going-ponging between introverted sloth and dedicated, persistent striving for something more materially impressive.
We can expect the tension to manifest as two major themes:
1. We will want to be lazy and spend time with family and friends doing nothing
Even under the best of circumstances, we approach summertime as we would a 3-month long AirBnB in Slothtown, and 2024 isn’t really serving the best of circumstances to anyone on the globe. Like an adorable little hermit crab, many of us will choose to hide in a comfortable, custom-made space until things are no longer scary and dramatic. This might make for a quieter summer when it comes to public engagement, economic conditions, and external drama, but it could also lead to some loneliness and disillusionment for people with smaller inner circles.
2. The shadows of responsibility and engagement with big, collective problems simply will not go away, and we’re going to be pissy about it
Capricorn is a Saturn-ruled sign, and The Time Lord Planet simply cannot abide the shirking of responsibilities or tightly-set schedules. We will be unable to completely subsume ourselves in a nest of good vibes, probably because the news, our stupid jobs, and the stupid state of the stupid world will always punch holes in our pillow fort.
Vacillating on this axis has huge potential to further inflame collective tension (as do the multiple heat waves we can expect over the next few weeks) because we grow tired of the never ending fight for even the smallest bit of happiness. (It seems like no coincidence that all manner of public surveys indicate people are generally more anxious, unhappy, and pissed off in 2024 than institutions and governments seem to think they ought to be.) The high wire act between our emotional lives and our material lives could feel more unfair and exhausting than it ever has before, thanks to the magnification effect of a highly emotional Cancer sun getting sandwiched between two restrictive Capricorn moons. Be cautious around the upcoming new and full moons; these are moments where the tension is magnified, making us prone to snappishness and violence.
Why would this affect me?
The ways in which we are personally affected by planets and transits will always depend on natal chart specifics - in Hellenistic astrology, which is my chosen specialty, your rising sign provides the most accurate picture of how the planets might affect day to day living. This is because your rising sign, or ascendant, determines the rulership of your 1st house of self in addition to all the other houses of the zodiacal wheel.
Never forget that planets are the visual representation of the gods, who each represent different parts of our character. The houses that those planets move through cover the landscape of our lives, so when we speak about the nature of Cancer and the nature of Capricorn, we are also speaking of the nature of the houses they are aligned with per the ancient astrologists, the 4th house and the 10th house, respectively; two of the most important houses of the zodiac.
HOUSE OF CANCER/4TH HOUSE - This astrological house is a comforting, bohemian respite from the rest of the zodiac; the place of the womb, the mother, and our childhoods. The moon is the natural ruler of this house, which waxes and wanes like our fortunes here on earth, making this the place for emotional connections and and ancestral roots, particularly the roots of sisters and matriarchs. The 4th house is a place of primordial instincts and intuition, as well as a house that prioritizes care for other humans over any intellectual or spiritual ideals.
HOUSE OF CAPRICORN/10TH HOUSE - The 10th house is often oversimplified as being our house of career, but any place that has Saturn for a natural ruler is going to be far deeper and weirder than it lets on. In the way that the 4th house is the house of the mother and nurturing instincts, the 10th house is the house of the father - of professionalism, expertise, authority figures, status and reputation. This is also the house of goals and striving; the things we long for, even when we can’t point to any solid reason why such longing exists. This saturnine place is the house wherein those crazy fuckers who climb Mt. Everest reside, as well as anyone else who feels driven to succeed at dangerous, crazy shit for a brief, ephemeral brush with greatness.
When do I have to deal with this?
We are stuck walking the taut, irritating axis between The Crab and The Sea Goat until July 21st, when we close out our solar Cancer season with one last Capricorn full moon. Like anything else, some days will be more intense than others. Beneath this week’s umbrella theme of matriarch vs. patriarch, however, are a couple more minor aspects to watch for as the week wears on.
WED 6.26.24 - Emotionally attuned and concentrated AF Day
Mercury in Cancer squares Saturn in Pisces today, which makes this a great moment for administrative crap, problem-solving, and wrapping up necessary tasks that we’ve been avoiding. Today might also be a good day for reconciliations or more difficult conversations, because this water-dominant aspect greatly heightens our emotional intelligence. That being said, some of us will get overwhelmed by all the feelings floating around, so have a box of tissues on hand if you’ll be dealing with sensitive folks.
SAT 6.29.24 - An Aggressively Charming Interlude Day
When Venus in Cancer sextiles Mars in Taurus, as she does this upcoming Saturday, we get a flirty little boost in our relationships and public perception. Mars is very chillaxed in the feminine sign of The Bull, which means we will be less inclined to yell at people online, fight someone for a parking space, or engage in any other combative chicanery, and more inclined to ignore conflict in favor of laying in the grass all day. Those of us with long-term attachments should, in fact, invite them to a delicious picnic in the park, while the single, more carefree among us will boost the odds of a spicy meet-up just by showing up at the park alone, with some food, looking fabulous.
SUN 6.30.24 - A Day for Fringe Ideas to Exit the Fringe
The major aspect carrying over into next week is Mercury in Cancer forming a sextile to Uranus in Taurus, another femme-focused moment that encourages utilizing empathetic communication to find new solutions to old problems. Water and earth continue their complementary dance when we lean on our empathy to solve practical issues, like a patient mother teaching the neighborhood kids how to plant flowers as a way to beautify the neighborhood and reduce our carbon footprint.
Cool, what does the Tarot say about this?
Our pulls this week are heavy on caution; caution against institutional cruelty, authoritarianism in both personal and collective settings, and some very questionable motives behind financial directives, whether that is enforced scarcity or the sneaky caveats attached to shared prosperity. Looks like the shadow side of the 10th house poking through the veil of reality again. Great.
On Monday, 6.24, we continued some tough assessments kicked off by the Capricorn full moon this past weekend, and the 3 of Wands knows we cannot keep amassing projects without dropping a few as well.
Tuesday, 6.25, brings the first in a series of questionable takes by authority or institutions, which could mean anything from governmental cruelty to unreasonable restrictions from a father-figure. The scariest thing about the King of Swords when he is reversed is his utmost adherence to righteousness, even as he displays a complete lack of empathy. Lapis lazuli accompanies this asshole, indicating a need to dig deep if we want to expose the truth.
The King of Pentacles reversed could push us even deeper into polarization with authority on Wednesday, 6.26, as we begin to draw conclusions; not just about the rationale behind our oppression, but additional factors of greed and craven exploitation. A companion pull of moss agate indicates that this feeling of being ‘taken for a ride’ hits many of us in a personal way. Essentially, we begin to suspect that someone we used to trust can no longer be trusted.
Aaaaand then shit goes downhill, in the way only swords can push things downhill. The 3 of Knives shows up for Thursday, 6.27, which usually indicates disappointment at best and heartrending despair at worst, and the companion crystals of pyrite and lepidolite might point toward money trouble or fallout from bad habits. Three different knives above one puddle of blood could mean an upsetting conclusion is inevitable, even with a varied approach.
By Friday, 6.28, economic parity is a major focus thanks to the 5 of Pentacles showing us just how often we are pushed around by people with more - more health, more prosperity, and more greed, as evidenced by the King of Pentacles popping up on Wednesday. Communicative amazonite indicates that economic inequality could be dragged out into the public square, dissected, and discussed with new urgency, but it might also mean that we will have good luck receiving help and support…if we ask for it.
There is a brief respite from conflict on Saturday, 6.29, and we embrace a slightly less caustic approach when it comes to conversations and casting stones thanks to Temperance and an accompanying crystal pull of amethyst. Embrace the lull in extreme reactions and use this moment to cultivate a measured approach to whatever insanity people start spouting off about next. And spout off they will, probably the very next day! Sunday, 6.30, shows us that the King of Wands reversed still loves extremism, dogma, and immaturity, and we will be subject to those sorts of whims as we move into July.
Visit @alectochaos on IG for the full, wordy breakdown and video of each card pull, and to get the jump on the Mon - Wed card pulls. If you are into that sort of thing.
We have the same sense of humor also.
I have been in astrology since the mid 70s. I find these newsletters to be excellent. There is so much nonsense out there astrologically but this is the real deal and so entertaining. Thank you.