July 17, 2023 at 12:31pm in Mexico City—New Moon 24° Cancer 56′
I’ve always loved the John Muir quote “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” When we look back in retrospect contemplating the past, we see how everything led to the next thing.
The quote seems especially apropos to Monday’s New Moon in Cancer—a celestial matriarch—whose influence will ripple throughout the next 18 months. Events, people and experiences incubated during the Summer of 2023 will take on greater importance as they weave defining threads into our future tapestry.
Nodes Changing Signs
We’re in a significant time right now. The New Moon in Cancer is the portal through which a few cosmic events initiate. For one, the nodes are changing signs. The lunar nodes are important points on the Moon’s orbit that intersect with the ecliptic (the Earth’s orbit around the Sun). In our charts, the North Node speaks to what we’re hungry for and a destination point we strive towards. The South Node has more of a surrendering quality. This is where we let go and empty out which can feel spiritual, depleting, and often a little bit of both.
With the North Node moving into Aries, we will hunger for sovereignty, independence and self initiative. The Aries parts of our charts is where this striving will take place and where we might take on a personal challenge or two. We’ll be balancing our martial endeavors with Libra’s desire for harmony in relationships, justice and feel-good collaborations. Some of the themes that will arise during this time will have to do with relationships of all kinds and reevaluating the compromises we make in them. Many of us will focus more than we have before on getting the balance right between autonomy and partnership. What’s the conscious way to be in relationship while remaining true to oneself? How can we be a great partner without over-compromising? With the South Node in Libra, many of us will be releasing outdated modes of people pleasing as we reclaim ourselves in the reach towards the North Node in self-prioritizing Aries.
Dates
The nodes have an 18.6 year cycle. We can look back to the last time the North Node was in Aries and the South Node was in Libra for an idea of the topics we might be revisiting now. This was December 2004 through June 2006. We can also think about February 2014 to November 2015 when the nodes were in opposing places. Do you find similar themes in these two time periods? They might rhyme with some of the major decisions and course directions you’ll be considering between July 2023 to January 2025 as the nodes transit the Aries-Libra axis once again.
Venus Retrograde
Another cosmic event unfolding in the nurturing web of the Cancer New Moon is Venus stationing retrograde in Leo on July 22nd. For 40 days and nights, we’ll be reassessing Venusian themes such as finances, relationships, creativity, belonging and inner peace. As Venus stations, she’ll be forming a supportive trine to the North Node in Aries and a friendly sextile to the South Node in Libra, pulling in the themes of self & other into her retrograde.
In Leo, Venus knows her worth. She’s magnetic and affectionate. She values loyalty and sincerity. Her relating style is warm, creative and genuine. At times, she can be a bit of a diva, and we love her for it! As Venus retrogrades through Leo, we will reappraise Venusian themes perhaps a bit dramatically but also with sincerity or “sincere drama” if our natal chart supports it. Where will we do the reappraising? In our Leo house as well as the two houses ruled by Venus: Taurus and Libra.
Think back to July 25—September 6, 2015 and July 27—September 8, 2007 when Venus retrograded in this part of the sky to consider past themes you might be encountering again in a new way.
Wrapping up
The new Moon in Cancer heralds future developments around personal freedom balanced by how we show up in partnerships of all kinds. We’ll be reassessing our commitments and compromises the next 18 months. More immediately, the Venus retrograde will have us taking another look at how boldly we’re letting our light shine through the containers of coin, community, connection and creativity. Sandwiched between a sexile to Uranus and a trine to Neptune, this beginning seeded in this New Moon points towards a friendly restlessness that stimulates our imaginative ideals. The New Moon’s opposition to Pluto suggests we will have to do some soul searching to reach our dreams.
Images made by me in Midjourney