Happy New Moon of Cancer!
Welcome to the new lunar month of Tammuz, which literally means tam vav zain, the completion of the two previous months of Taurus (Vav) and Gemini (Zayin). And the ruler of Cancer is one of our luminaries: the moon!
"We are challenged to truly 'see' what we usually avoid."
Traditionally, the month of Cancer is associated with family roots and healing (it’s the time zone for the famous Pinchas Shabbat.) It also marks the start of the challenging time of ben-hametzarim, the three-week period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, which is considered the most challenging cosmic window of the year.
To get a better idea of all the “whys” behind Cancer, let’s turn to the most ancient kabbalistic manuscript, the Sefer Yetzirah, or The Book of Formation:
And He made the letter chet King over sight,
And He bound a crown to it,
And he combined one with another,
And with them He formed
Cancer in the universe
Tammuz in the year
And the right hand of the soul, male and female
The key word is “sight,” as this month we are challenged to truly “see” what we usually avoid. But, let’s first take a closer look at the moon, this month’s ruler.
The only satellite of Earth, the moon represents Earth’s protection, both spiritually and physically. Thanks to the moon we recognize and count the months and the seasons. In addition, the moon lights our path during the darkest time of night. The moon is believed to have physically protected Earth from wandering meteorites in the past.
"The very reasons of our existence are questioned this month."
The moon represents who we are when we are alone — our true core self, who we really are deep down, and the most raw version of ourselves. The moon shines a light on the child within, our needy and emotional selves that seek safety, security, and nurturing. In terms of the Jungian archetype, the moon represents the anima. Originated from Latin, anima defines the breath, the soul, and the vital force. By the sound of everything we’ve heard, lunar Cancer is going to be Voyage au Centre de la Terre for us — a journey to see the depth of our psyches.
As it happens, the new moon’s chart is very watery, very edgy, and very much Scorpionic. The eighth astrological house, the house of Scorpio, is the dominant one. The rising chart is also in Scorpio, while a bunch of planets are in Cancer. Venus is rather challenged and uncomfortable in Gemini, and is also located in the eighth house.
When we speak of the eighth house, let’s just say that this is the most challenging and intimidating of all zodiac houses. This is a house that hides all things we are ashamed of — the taboos, the anger, all our emotional garbage, as well as everything we sweep under the carpet and refuse to deal with. It is also known as the house of death and reincarnation. To truly understand the eighth house, we have to accept that there is no beginning without an end, and vice versa. The eighth house is then our ability to transform, break out of our cocoons, and become butterflies. It is the true place for spiritual regeneration.
In lunar Cancer, when the moon (the subconscious mind) is the ruler, we feel very powerful forces at work to “see” into the darkest corners of ourselves, completely challenging and ultimately changing our internal layout. The very reasons of our existence are questioned this month.
What may appear to be a curse is, in fact, a blessing in disguise. As humans, we are a mosaic of the 12 signs of the zodiac, and we dislike change. The very nature of Cancer is to live in the past, because the past seems secure; it will never change. This month, our core values are shifting and it’s for the best, since we often function with very old and passé belief systems.
On a more global note, Pluto and Saturn are both in stern Capricorn, and we are faced with many drastic changes in society and all the governmental institutions are affected. What isn’t working is breaking up slowly, but surely. A lot of uncertainty and doubt lingers. Many governments are experiencing great difficulty as they attempt to stand up and unify. The old way doesn’t work anymore; we need to make space for the new layout of a brand new world. Big changes are the sum of many small individual ones.
This month, notice and clean out your internal “trash!” Mark your calendars for the three radioactive weeks, which fall between the July 20th and August 11th this year. And take care to avoid making big decisions.
Chodesh tov (Good month), everyone!
