January Full Moon in Cancer

©2017 ML Monroe

Today's Wolf Moon rests its haunches in emotional, compassionate, feminine Moon-ruled Cancer. For those, like me, who like the play of numbers, it occurred at 3:33 a.m. PST. Since this is the first Full Moon of 2017, it is setting the stage for the remainder of the year. It calls us into our truth and power.

A Full Moon in Cancer brings emotional responsiveness to the forefront ~ and that includes intuition, empathy and dreaming. You may process many emotions during this time. Let the emotions bubble up and let them go ~ they may not all belong to you. Safe surroundings and people could help with the feelings of vulnerability that surface too. Take time to recognize what newness is flowing into your life and allow it in, even if it's beyond your comfort zone. One caveat: be careful and aware of the reasons behind the choices you make. Though this is a time for newness, it is also a time for clear intentions.

A Cardinal Grand Cross joins this Full Moon, adding its energy and tension to the mix. It's formed by the Moon in Cancer and the Sun (and Pluto) in Capricorn on opposite ends of one bar, and Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Libra on opposite ends of the cross bar.

With the Full Moon in Cancer (security, emotional needs, family, home) and the Sun in Capricorn (work, outside world) crossed by Jupiter (big picture beliefs and morals) and Uranus (the unexpected, freedom, innovation), there is opportunity for conflict and high emotion. The energy of this Grand Cross is not new and will be continuing for some time to come. It's time to plant the seeds that you want to see grow and flourish over the next several years. These seeds are not only personal, they are also communal and will ripple out to the world around us.

For you who feel Pluto's influence, it may uncover some buried matters or issues with others in authority or attempting control.

In numerology, 2017 is a '1' year [2+0+1+7=10; 1+0=1] which makes it a year of beginnings. In Tarot, it is the year of the Magician, the bridge between Spirit and Humanity, and the carrier of alchemy, the stuff of transformation. The Magician signifies that you have the power to make a difference as long as you consciously make the attempt.

What emotions are surfacing for you right now? What is challenging you? In what area of your life is there tension? Where do you feel vulnerable? Who do you trust with that vulnerability? What decisions are coming up for you? How clear are your intentions as you go forward? What is beginning for you this year? What is transforming?

Cancer Full Moon

The January Full Moon is also called the Wolf Full Moon, referring to the wolves howling in the deep cold of winter. Wolves were more willing to come closer to villages to find heat and food.

This Full Moon is also the in Cancer. As it is connected to Pluto, the New Year begins with a powerful charge: Focus on what needs to shift, change, end or transform in your life. Let go and let the door slam shut behind you! Allow the old, fulfilled karma to depart ~ and with it, anyone or anything that is holding you back. Embrace the change that this Full Moon is bringing.

This is also a Grand Cross Full Moon ~ (Capricorn Sun opposite Full Moon Cancer crossing the axis of the North Node in Libra and the South Node in Aries) ~ which means that energy is moving. Even though there is change underway, do not make the changes impulsively. Follow the center path. Move forward decisively and with awareness and create the life you most deeply desire.

Change is happening deep within as well ~ and is manifesting itself through external events in your life. Balance your masculine and feminine energy to empower and support your creativity during this time.  Focus your intention and trust your feelings, your intuition.

What are you willing to release? to transform? How will you encourage your own creativity? What do you need to let go of? What do you most desire?

New Moon in Cancer

Early Friday morning, the New Moon slid into Cancer, Her home sign. In it She expresses fully as the Great Mother, the Nurturer. Cancer is the sign of deep emotions and connections and family. Both Sun and Moon in Cancer means a double dose of Mama Love!

New Moons are about letting go, shedding, renewal. This New Moon opposes Pluto in Capricorn; the God/dess of the Underworld intimating that what's arriving renewed cannot fit in the constraints of what has gone before. It's about completing projects and moving on. Whatever I cling to, thinking I'm safe and secure, is instead limiting my opportunity to grow and step into a fuller expression of my power. Pluto is all about moving through and transforming feelings of insecurity in order to assure the deeper, truer experience of inner security. Pluto is also about Power. With the New Moon in Cancer, I need to be sure I own my power in all its aspects, including the Shadow side. Which means I need to be aware of all those aspects myself.                                                        

The Cancer New Moon is part of the final ripples of the Grand Cardinal Cross ~ it is a Dark Moon in Cancer, a Cardinal Sign. My focus continues to be the Divine Feminine, observing how the feminine principal is empowered in the world. With so much masculine huffing and puffing going on in the world, from Kim Jong-un's retaliation threat if Seth Rogen's film is released to Bashar al-Assad's willingness to wipe out huge groups of his own people to Iraq's loss of control in many key areas to John Boehner suing President Obama, the Divine Mother needs to be invited in to help settle the testosterone battles. If enough of us call on the Divine Feminine, perhaps things can change direction.

How do you honor a New Moon? Have you been feeling deeper emotional connection and conflict the past few days? What do you do in response? How do you honor the Divine Feminine?

Grand Cardinal Cross

Between yesterday and today, a Grand Cardinal Cross has formed in the heavens. From all that I've read, it's a doozy. I guess that's in the nature of a Grand Cardinal Cross.

If you know the symbols in the picture, you know that Pluto is in Capricorn opposing Jupiter in Cancer AND Uranus is in Aries opposing Mars retrograde in Libra. Those four signs are the Cardinal Directions and the planets currently in them are highly influential. The nature of the Cardinal Cross is one of movement, the kind of getting up and doing something or going somewhere movement. This one has change coming through in spades ~ which will make it difficult to avoid. Our test? How we handle all the energy. Because Mars is in retrograde, it might be advantageous to simply go with the flow for the time being rather than begin anything too quickly. The cardinal nature of the cross will move things forward anyway. After Mars slows and begins direct movement (May 21st), then take the plunge to move on!

I am not an astrologer. From my perspective, an event in the sky as large as the Grand Cardinal Cross is decidedly worth noting... and worth taking into account as I move forward with plans and changes of my own. I have never been of the belief that whatever is seen in the stars is inevitable. My belief is that I can use the information to better understand what is happening or to be aware of and awake to the energies of influence. It's about the power of knowledge and of choice.

What do you believe about astrology? How do you use information like this? Do you want to know what's going on in the heavens?