Full Moon in Cancer Ritual
Today at 10:54am MT is the Full Moon in Cancer. This is according to Vedic astrology vs. Western astrology. Vedic astrology originates in India as Jyotish Shastra, Jyotish literally translates from Sanskrit as “the science of light.” It places an emphasis on the Moon sign in an astrological chart, vs. the Western focus on the sun.
Many people consider astrology to be a “woo woo” hobby. What I like about it is it takes into account my fundamental belief that everything is energy, and the moon, stars, and planets can energetically impact us in subtle and vast ways. If you think about how the moon influences the ocean tides, it isn’t a far leap to believe that the moon can also influence our bodies which are 60% water.
I like astrology and following the cycles of the moon because it allows me to live cyclically. In today’s society, we are encouraged to live in a forever “summer” mentality. We are encouraged to have a lot of energy all the time, do, do, do. Get things done, make things happen, go, go, go. We are rewarded for living in our masculine all the time. This can be very depleting and exhausting! It runs us ragged.
What the moon teaches me is to embrace the feminine more - rest, reflection, creativity, inspiration. It encourages me to honor the cycles and rhythms of nature, and taking time to stop, slow down, and reflect before moving on to the next thing. (Fun fact: starting to honor the moon cycles and spending more time outdoors at night so that your skin is bathed in direct moonlight will sync up your menstrual cycle with the moon cycles! After some intentional practice, mine is synched up so that I ovulate during the New Moon and bleed during the Full Moon.)
Full Moons are a time to rest, go inward, and reflect. New Moons are a time for planting seeds, planning, and creating intentions. Each month, we transition to a different astrological sign, so the Full Moon and New Moon has a different theme or energy.
Today’s Full Moon is in the sign of Cancer. Cancer is a water sign, and is ruled by the feminine qualities of emotions, intuition, and nurturing energy. Today, these qualities will be amplified, so it is a time of deep feeling, heightened sensitivity and emotions, and a connection with our inner self.
It is an auspicious time to go inward for some self-reflection, allow yourself to feel all that you haven’t been feeling, and nurture yourself and allow for space to heal emotional wounds.
There is also going to be a balancing of your inner self and individual needs, with the greater needs of the collective, so you’ll be more sensitive and compassionate to others’ emotions as well.
To honor this Full Moon, take some time to practice self-care and nurture your emotions. You can use the energy from the Full Moon for the next 24 hours, so don’t worry about doing it right at 10:54am MT.
Here are some practices that you can take on today to align yourself with the energy of the Cancer Full Moon:
Take a walk in nature. Leave your phone behind, and see what comes up while you are walking. It could be inspired thinking, emotions might come up - just let things come up. If you receive an inspired thought, go with it. Don’t question too much.
Meditate. Take 5-15 minutes to sit quietly and connect with your body. Notice what emotions come up when you give yourself some space. Let yourself feel those emotions. If you’d like a guided meditation, you can do this 8 minute Full Moon meditation.
Journal. Sit down in a quiet space, light a candle, play some gentle music (I like this album), and either free write, or answer some of these prompts:
What have I been feeling lately that I haven’t allowed myself to fully express?
How is my heart?
What do I miss about myself?
How can I take better care of myself so that I feel nurtured and nourished?
Take a bath. A water sign is a great time to bring in the element water to your ritual! Pour yourself a hot bath, throw in some epsom salts, and give yourself some quiet time to yourself. Close your eyes and feel the support of water - meditate on the qualities of water and notice how those qualities exist in you. At the end of your bath, imagine all the energy in your body that is no longer serving you seeping out through your pours and into the water, and let it run down the drain.
Cultivate joy & relaxation. Do what feels good - find moments of joy, create little ways you can relax. Maybe it’s a cup of sleepy tea in the evening, reading a good book, calling a safe friend, or cuddling with your partner.
I hope you enjoy some time today honoring the moon and yourself.
With (Matsu) Love,
Cara
