Happy New Year! I hope you got to spend some time cozying up and sharing the warmth with loved ones near and far. The moon will be at her peak fullness the evening of January 1st and during the day on January 2nd, 2018. What a perfect way to begin our solar New Year!
Photo by Lynne Pitts courtesy of EarthSky.org
The full moon will be in the zodiac sign of Cancer, which is related to the water element, and brings to light characteristic qualities such as imagination, emotional sensitivity, loyalty, and moodiness.
While the water-y emotional ups and downs may hit hard at the beginning of the New Year, the fact that we can prepare ourselves for this experience is totally empowering. We don’t have to give in to the fact that we’re all going to be on the verge of tears as we launch ourselves into a fresh start. In fact, the Cancer sign is a Cardinal sign - one of the three zodiac qualities that determines its effect on all other signs and how we relate to the positioning of the planets in our solar system. A Cardinal sign signifies action, initiative, leadership, and outgoing activity. With this is mind, we may feel an urge to turn our emotions into positive action, intention, or conversation.
Image courtesy of My Astral Life
You may ask yourself, but I’m not a Cancer, so how does this apply to me? The fact that the full moon at this time falls into the House of Cancer, does play a role in how we inform our relationship to the changing environment. In general, our Sun Sign is the zodiac sign we all relate to based on when we were born. It governs the qualities that are most apparent on the surface. It is what others see when they look at us - our individuality. The sun sign will inform how you are in the present and how you’re projecting yourself into the future. Think of the outwardly shining rays of the sun. Equally important, if not more so, is our Moon Sign, which is also determined by our birth chart, has a more receptive quality. Take a peek at some resources for finding out your signs below. The Moon Sign is that part of you that you see. It is your unconscious personality. The instinctual side of you that reacts before you have time to think. Often the moon sign stands for your childhood, dreams, memory, or the past.
Without even knowing what your Moon or even Sun sign is, we can all reflect based on the idea of a New Year’s rebirth - the significance of a new beginning. This full moon will bring new forces to your signs, with different motivations. Generally, with the moon in Cancer, we will see at our best, devotion, patience, and sensitivity; we will see at our worst, possessiveness, moodiness, criticism, and self-pitying.
A few tips to remember during this moon cycle until the next new moon:
You will work best at your own pace and not up against a clock
Meditate to manage your mood swings
It is a good time to do creative work
Taking a walk after a meal will aid in digestion and serenity of mind (Cancer signs are notorious for digestive issues and over-indulging in food and drink)
Look for calcium in your diet (a key mineral necessary to support Cancer signs) in the form of whole grain rye, yogurt, egg yolks, beets, watercress, fish, oysters, kale, lettuce, okra, tomatoes)
Try not to turn to sweets and numbing substances to feel good - find security in loyal friendships, romance, and creative nourishment