Cancer Full Moon: Critical Care for The Inner Self
The first full moon of the year on January 12, 2017, lights up in the sign of Cancer and illuminates all the key cancer qualities surrounding your emotions, the unconscious, and any healing work that needs to be done. Cancer, as the mother of the zodiac, holds the space for nurturing and communing with your deep needs and desires.
That which is left untended in our psyche cries out the loudest, and like a small child, needs care from the mothering aspect within us. We are all capable of taking care of ourselves and doing the shadow work necessary to undo emotional traumas and deeply hidden complexes.
That deep work is fired up by the collusion between the Cancer moon, Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter. These four powerhouses in the sky work together to create expansive, abundant opportunities to incite radical transformation within. Taking stock of your ways of being and thinking, releasing what no longer serves you and getting honest and clear about who you want to be is paramount at this time. By following your intuitive flashes, you will be guided to transform yourself as is necessary at this time. The Cancer full moon nudges us to be kind to ourselves, listen to the messages of our psyche through our emotions and practice self-care as we do our deep inner work.
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Alchemical Ritual for the Cancer Full Moon
As a water sign, Cancer is immersed in the watery world of the emotions and our unconscious drives. On the low side, this fluid sign becomes moody and overly sensitive, seeking self-protection at all costs. This full moon ritual for Cancer accentuates the high side of sign so we express our emotions in a healthy way, allowing for receptivity, acceptance, nurturing, growth and self-care along the way.
Cancer’s ruler is the moon, the luminescent body that shines light on our dark areas, namely, the unconscious. While Cancer sometimes falls prey to the shadow with emotional instability, it also has the opportunity to heal any wounds left untended, and brings awareness to our own darkness, ultimately revealing its light. To keep Cancer’s energy elevated in this ritual, try donning white clothing and gather white stones such as moonstone and place them in the center of your ritual space. You may also place your sacred items in a silver bowl or chalice, as silver compliments the moon.
Bring in the water element in some way, perhaps by placing a few drops of essential oils in water in the silver vessel, if you have it (jasmine, lemon or sandalwood oils work well with Cancer). These essential oils can be used to anoint your third eye chakra before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and bring the hands together at the heart center. Connect to the third eye, the location of intuition and our internal moon and say the following invocation aloud:
Moon, keep my eyes open to the messages that come from within me so that I may heed their lessons in my life.
Sit quietly as you call forth a dream image. Ask the unconscious to deliver an image that you need at this moment. Be patient and pay attention. Do not force or manipulate this process in any way. Rather, stay attuned to your breath. When you receive your dream image, simply observe it. Watch it move, hear it speak, or feel its presence. Rather than impart your own meaning to it, allow it to bring meaning to you. Let it express to you what it needs.
When complete, turn the internal gaze to the third eye and chant Om three times. Place the moonstone (or other white stone) in your hand and hold it to your third eye. This is now charged with the energy of your intuition and helps to connect you to it when needed. Snuff the candles and place the stone somewhere prominently enough that you are reminded daily of the power of your intuition. This ritual allows you to find the meaning in your life, knowing that the meaning always comes from within you.
