mothering ourselves under the Cancer New Moon
A New Moon in Cancer arrives July 17th. Feeling into this New Moon in Cancer, it feels almost like there is nothing there. But, not in an empty void kind of way. The energy is very sweet, subtle, nurturing and basic - like “keep it simple” or “care for your basic needs”. And this is supporting me to set intentions around deepening and reconnecting to my intuition as the language the body speaks. I typically do this through being in my body, taking care of it’s needs like eating well and drinking enough water but also just being present with it as a vessel during meditation and sending it extra love for all it does for me.
It’s important for me to make sure that connection remains the center of my way of living and all that I do. Keep reading to learn more…
The New Moon & Intention Setting (Revisited)
A New Moon in the sky brings us with a new beginning. It marks a brand new point in the Moon’s cycle which means it’s a fertile time for setting your intentions and taking stock of your desires, needs and what you want to focus on bringing into the material realm during this next Moon cycle.
For this Cancer New Moon, my intentions have returned to a simple place. A place of reconnecting with the music I hear inside of myself - my own intuition. To be in this process, I know I must always tap into what my body needs before I can hear anything else. When my body’s needs are met and I am in a state of recieving, magic happens inside of me. This is the magic of rest - to feel held inside of yourself is to feel whole and complete (no matter where you’re at) and feel cared for by witnessing your own process. And deep, nurturing and wise Cancer is here to support us with this.
The Meaning of Cancer - a Sign of Coming Back Home to Yourself Through Foundational Needs
As the first water sign of the zodiac year, Cancer washes over us to remind us of which we come from. Water is a sign that represents emotions and intuition so this process can feel really tender for many of us. My experience with Cancer in so many seasons past is of one that returns us to the body, my one and true home. I believe the connection here is an ode to Cancer’s animal archetype of the soft-shell crab - an animal that is always growing and changing, who carries its home on its back. The soft-shell crab is also protective, walking sideways down the sandy beach along the ocean shore. (I spoke about all of this in Ep#14 A.M. Routines & Prioritizing Self-Care with Cancer Season).
As the fourth sign of the zodiac year (a number in numerology that represents foundations including home and family), Cancer also represents our own inner foundations. I find that during Cancer season, wounds around family and ancestry are emotionally triggered inside of me. This makes sense to me as Gemini Season often connects me to my inner child and inner child healing. Cancer is also a sign that connects us to our lineage, our ancestors and our physical home and space. Over the past couple of weeks, I have felt an even deeper connection to my lineage as I learn to connect with practices like mindfulness, meditation and being present with my emotions and states of suffering. It’s made for a tender time! One that I am so grateful for and crave more of as a foundational need moving forward in a way of living this life. The more I learn about it and understand it connected through my spiritual experience of my people’s way of being, the less alone I feel.
Part of this foundational experience for me is continuing to learn how to be in my body and cultivate a sense of stability and safety in that. Being present with this in the season of Cancer and (usually during a Cancer Moon), has been so beneficial to me in this way. I find myself needing extra gentle nurturing through being present in the body, giving it extra love and care and allowing my intuition to flow freely from that healing and deep connection.
Yin Energy, Intuition & Body Speak
I truly believe that we all have innate wisdom inside of us - inside our bodies. Because it is through the body that we receive our intuitive guidance. It is also through the body which we take action on our intuitive guidance. Actions that we cultivate to create the lives we want to live in. Our bodies become instruments for our intuition. The classic notion of experiencing a “gut feeling” is just one example. I know you know there are so many others - seeing a vision, an inner knowing, hearing your guides - I could go on. We live through the ways our bodies speak to us and in this way it’s like we are learning a subtle language - a form of body speak.
This is all wisdom returning us to who we are and our true nature.
When it comes to Cancer, there is no shortage of wisdom to be experienced through being in the body and connecting to our innate wisdom in this way. This is also no surprise to me seeing as though Cancer is ruled by my Auntie, the Moon. The Moon in astrology represents our emotions and our physical body. It’s also a symbol of intuition and feminine energy (not gender). It’s “Yin” energy. The energy of which receives, a cooling down of sorts. Samantha Story shared on Instagram that in Traditional Chinese Medicine Yin is an experience of slow, cold, death, quiet, form, germination, autumn and winter. I think of that feeling I get after a nice two our paddle on my paddle board (that of a nice and even yet strenuous workout of the legs and upper body). The feeling is Yin. It is a state of rest that our body enters where our blood slows because it’s done the work to flow to our muscles throughout our body.
Yin states are important when it comes to connecting to your inner wisdom, your intuition. Because without yin, we cannot be open enough to receive. We cannot be quiet enough to listen, see or feel in our bodies the guidance that comes through of what to take action on. This is why rest is such a radical thing and a foundational need. Rest it allows us to have freedom to connect with our own divinity inside of us.
The Mother of the Zodiac
Cancer as a nurturing, protective, sensitive, home and family centered sign is known as the Mother of the zodiac. Many of us have very complicated relationships with our parents, especially mothers. Complications can look like so many things, from not receiving what we needed, having a missing or absent mother figure or even receiving too much. Even as I write this, I feel a sense of tenderness inside me for myself and for those who will read this.
One of the most potent experiences I tend to have during Cancer season and Cancer Moons is a deep desire and intuitive pull to go back to the basics with my self-care and self-nurturing. I love tending to my physical body and emotional body as a way of mothering myself. I found that once I have my physical body needs and emotional needs met, I am more available to those around me. I think this is important because our physical bodies do so much for us and are things of wonder that are always working to tell us what we need. In the world of somatic healing, we acknowledge not just the mind/body connection but also that emotions we experience are stored in our physical body - our muscle tissue. This is one of the reasons why I became a breathwork facilitator and teacher. To help others get back into the body for witnessing, processing and healing.
If you are looking to get into your body (or get back into it) I suggest trying out the meditation track below. I created this meditation a couple of years ago during Cancer season when I was navigating being in my body as a safe and nurturing experience. I shared this meditation with others and I returned to it recently to help nurture my connection with my body even deeper. I also share the affirmations below for those that are more visual.
I hope you have a beautiful experience with it and let me know how it goes! You can reach out on IG or send me an email at hello@collectiveinnergarden.com <3
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New Moon in Cancer Meditation & Affirmations
to Support You for Planting Seeds This Cycle
(Intentions for Cultivating Body Love)
Listen to the meditation above. When you are finished listening to the meditation, you can journal about your experience.
Write down anything that came up for you - if you experienced tears, how you felt emotionally and how you felt in your body as you said the affirmations or just listened.
You can do one thing for yourself to connect to and come back and listen to this meditation whenever you need to.
XO
Affirmation One
“I love my body … and my body loves me.”
Affirmation Two
“It’s safe for me to be in my body… it’s safe for me to breathe.”
Affirmation Three
“It’s safe to feel relaxed in my body…it’s safe to listen to my body.”
Affirmation Four
“My body is constantly reconstructing my cells innately, putting me back together for optimum vitally, ease of performance and abundant living.”
Affirmation Five
“My body is always healing itself.”
Affirmation Six
“My body is always supporting me in all that I do.”
Affirmation Seven
“I take joy in being in my body.”
Ready to work more intentionally with connecting to our Divine Mother? Book a One-To-One Breathwork session. I’ll create a unique experience to support you in your journey. <3
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