Cancer New Moon - Fuck it, Time to be a Hedonist
A week full of possible dread and nail-biting conversations will turn delightfully wanton and zesty by Saturday. Embody Cancer and grab this moon by the claws.
What is happening?!
Someday, dear reader, you will ask me this question and I will delightfully inform you that nothing of note is happening and you should go your merry way in a carefree world. This is not that day, because astrology, like meth-addled fascists, never really sleeps, and the gods seem to be having too much fun with us right now to ease up. Mercury, that pesky Loki of Rome, is having a grand time practically crop-dusting us with drastic headlines and breaking news, but we may see Dionysus get into the mix by the weekend to get a steam-releasing party started.
News, information, and communication will continue a hysterical trajectory, I’m afraid, as the week wears on and ideas fly about the terra sphere. This is because the blabbermouth planet remains extremely active, just as they were last week when they formed a watery trine to Saturn and spawned big emotions about deeply divisive events.
In many ways, this week is like the meme of the cartoon dog calmly sitting with his coffee in a blazing building - we are the dog right now, too busy synthesizing the information at hand to truly foment any decisive action. This synthesis is necessary for next steps, so don’t rush it; it’s okay to feel rudderless amidst major transitions.
In a more personal sense, this week will bring about honest reflection and a sort of mental composting as we trade gossip and mirror the transitions of the external world. As Mercury transits from Cancer to Leo, we will become louder and more daring in our agreements or rejections of the status quo. Cancer season reminds people of their true desires, which, let’s face it, for most of us right now are to be eating ice cream in the kitchen wearing boxer shorts and a hoodie, ideally surrounded by friends, family, and people we want to bang (I did say we’d be honest.)
We will be treated to a wise, motherly sort of new moon at the end of the week courtesy of the famously femme lunar goddesses. This is the weekend to focus on small community - strengthening relationships with the people closest to us, even if it requires vulnerability. The planets are training a spotlight on the more embodied aspects of our lives and asking how they can co-exist with the confrontational bits of collective conversations. In layman’s, terms, how do we live our daily lives in peace with all this external shit going on? For Mercury, the natural ruler of the 3rd house of Gemini, the first step to integration is vocalization. The malefic planets are in an unusually beneficial spot for this moon, which means we have action-oriented Mars and mature, orderly Saturn helping us in our endeavor to connect - at home, with neighbors, co-workers and lovers.
Why would this affect me?
Mercury affects everyone! They move between worlds so quickly that the changes we feel can be fleeting and unimportant for some, but frustrating and disruptive for many others. Hermes isn’t here to curate our information, they’re here to give it us straight and weather our reaction, and this week they have stalwart Saturn proofreading all their work, as well as Mars boosting the dissemination of ideas via fiery conviction.
Mercury as Hermes prefers the chariots of Virgo and Gemini when given a choice, but in Cancer, they encourage us to open our hearts and nourish the connections we’ve already established. This has been a running theme since eclipse season in April; the polarization between first the Aries/Libra axis. and now the Cancer/Capricorn axis.
These astrological see saws confront the universal struggle between ME and WE - what is good for the collective concerns Libra, but only individual motivation concerns Aries. Similarly, Cancer focuses on the collective aspect of home and emotions, the nuclear WE of family, while Capricorn is concerned with the more ascendant, public THEY of authoritative observants.
The major players in this crazy week will be focused on the following:
MERCURY IN LEO - Full of all the feelings from their sojourn in messy crab land, Mercury is now burning with dramatic righteousness and, as the kids used to say, ON ONE. Leo’s house is loud - picture the backstage of any drag show...that’s where Hermes is currently chilling. Expect drama, screeching, and amazing outfits.
SATURN IN PISCES - Our problematic zaddy is still waterlogged in Pisces, the house of dreams, maturity, and a touch of anxiety regarding big picture issues. While this placement can be helpful for collective empathy and intuition, it can also lead us towards a bit of cynicism and depression.
MARS IN TAURUS- Ares/Mars actually doesn’t mind being in the house of Taurus; it’s the domain of Venus, after all, his on/off again squeeze. He acts a bit like an overzealous, bull-in-a-china-shop Lothario, but is actually quite supportive of Taurean endeavors like indulgence, beautification, and natural comforts. Plus, he brings a useful, eager confidence to creative projects.
MOON AND SUN IN CANCER - Our lunar pal absolutely loves being in the house of Cancer - it is the chariot of the moon and her favorite, most comfortable home. (Remember how we all want to be in our boxers in the kitchen? That’s what the moon will be doing on Friday.) The sun is a bit more circumspect, since Apollo was known as more of a stalwart, authoritative manly-man, and that sort of fellow doesn’t really know what to do in the homey, feminine cottage of the crab. Probably fix something, I guess, while nervously watching the witchy women drink wine and eat ice cream.
When do I have to deal with this?
Astrology is forever, I’m afraid, as is the concept of the soul, but we can forge a path ahead that will be minimally painful if we pay attention to the shifting energy of the days.
TUES 7.2 thru WED 7.3 - Time to Heal Old Trauma
Mercury in Cancer trines Neptune in Pisces - People are feeling the Cancer feels, so there exists the possibility of some trauma dumping on all sides. Even for the well balanced among us, expect word salads and an inability to keep a secret, because Cancer sucks at that.
Venus in Cancer trines Saturn in Pisces - Collective empathy is at an all time high, and there might be a lot of proclamations and chatter that verges on the hysterical, because water trines make people kind of insane. Were I a weatherman, I would say we’re looking at 95% chance of showers in the form of tears. Neptune also turns retrograde today, so there could be a collective focus on actions or incidents in the past, or expressions of sentimentality regarding some past ideal or dream.
WED 7.3.24 - A Day of Active Catharsis
Mercury has moved into Leo and now opposes Pluto in Aquarius on this day, and there are going to be intense conversations with a capital C. Some of us may have a realistic handle on our facts and goals when we engage, but others might get tangled up in Neptunian dream land and succumb to wild exaggerations or outright conspiracy theories. In both cases, a foundational shift in people’s perception of an issue may be transforming the landscape in profound ways.
FRI 7.5.24 - A Day of Collective Hedonism and Delight
Our new moon arrives and offers both closure and denouement to the areas of our lives ruled by Cancer; depending, as per usual, on your natal chart. This lunar cycle is kicking off a weekend of duality - some sort of ending is spurring us to action, towards a beginning that promises important emotional payoff. There is a feeling of saying goodbye to a dream or project that wasn't working; it sucks, but it may not have been what we wanted or needed. Now, we have the opportunity to put our love toward something that actually matters, and that possibility offers a huge sense of relief. The late evenings may feel like a pressure cooker releasing steam, given the intensity of the week.
Cool, what does the Tarot say about this?
Our pulls this week begin very gently, with the 10 of Cups practically weeping Cancer energy all over the other cards. Life at home, with friends or family, offered respite on Monday, 7.1, and I suspect many people called out sick from work.
Don’t get too comfortable, however, because on Tuesday, 7.2, we reverse the focus we had toward our inner life when the 6 of Pentacles scrutinizes our value to the public and professional community at large. Now we sense tension toward the Capricorn end of this axis. Are we weighing the value of our time and effort realistically, or are we selling ourselves short? Perhaps others have been valued too high, causing collective noise around the imbalance.
Justice rears her head on Wednesday, 7.3, but it might be impossible to tell who or what she is serving, considering the thickness of Neptune’s watery delusions. Whether or not things shake out fairly, the topics of justice, vengeance, and consequence will be knocking on everyone’s forehead, demanding attention.
The Sun reversed looks seriously lazy - as though he’s letting something slip through his fingers for no good reason on Thursday, 7.4. It might be that we meet some opposition for one of our Neptunian ideas, and instead of fighting for it we’ll be tempted to roll over. It may also be a bit of Cancerian hedonism setting in, tempting us to avoid some truth or responsibility.
By Friday, 7.5, whatever odd news or emotional disappointment we’ve been burbling about all week finally settles like a rock in our collective stomachs. As always with the 9 of Swords, there is some sort of perpetual anxiety that we cannot erase. There also might be an emotional payoff on the horizon, one that begins building this evening. Cancerian seeds of community may be planted in surprising places.
The 2 of Pentacles highlights tension with resources on Saturday, 7.6, possibly a tug of war between two parties. Finally, on Sunday, 7.7, momentum begins to build. The 8 of Wands indicates force and generative passion, which looks like it will build slowly and powerfully over the coming week, tipping into burning when the sun moves into Leo. Prepare for a spicy astrological summer, y’all.
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.