Full Moon in Cancer to Welcome 2023
Happy New Year friends!
So here we are, at the start of a brand new calendar year. And with the new year comes lots of both internal and external pressures to go after goals and/or intentions. Yet sometimes with all that pressure on forward momentum into the new year, we don’t truly allow ourselves moments to reflect on, learn from and release the year that just passed. We unintentionally forget to create space for the new we’re calling in.
Well, that won’t be the case with the upcoming full Moon in Cancer on Friday January 6th, if nostalgic Cancer has her way.
“Before rushing into the new, remember to process and release the old,” the Cancer full Moon reminds us. The emotional and intuitive sign of Cancer is all about feeling your feels. As someone with a lot of placements in Cancer (my Sun, Rising, and Venus are all in Cancer) I’m quite familiar with her emotional, intuitive, loyal, nurturing and empathic qualities (along with her fierce, avoidant, and self-protective qualities, too!). Cancer is ruled by the Moon so the emotions brought up by this lunation might feel even more… emotional.
Cancer reminds us that our emotions can be our superpowers, providing us with lots of important information about our inner world and connection to life. By clearing out the older emotions of 2022, we can head into 2023 with greater clarity around our innermost motivations and desires, as opposed to the external pressures of society.
Along with feeling nostalgic and emotional, this Cancer full Moon will also feel reflective and refining, because the planet of motivation and action Mars, which has been retrograde since the end October, is now joined by the planet of communication and technology, Mercury, now also retrograde.
So while the Moon is urging us to get clear on our emotional motivations (inner clarity) the external world may be feeling even extra confusing, chaotic, frustrating and slow. Remember though, that retrogrades are times of reassessment and refinement. It’s good to take things slower, to review with more dedication and to reflect on why you might be doing what you’re doing. By January 18th, both Mars and Mercury will be back direct and we’ll feel more momentum to really go after our New Years intentions right in time for the upcoming Aquarius New Moon on January 21st! (Oh and heads up, I’ve got a super exciting collaborative in-person moon circle to honor that moon, more details to come!)
The Cancer full Moon illuminates our feelings, our memories, our dreams and our frustrations, so that we enter this new phase feeling connected to our authentic motivations, while also recognizing that self-love is our safe space.
So if you find yourself feeling super moody and judgmental (of yourself or others) with this full Moon, ask yourself “Can I love myself through this moment? What would that look like and feel like?”
We’ve got this friends!
We’re learning to ground and connect with Nature to feel our wholeness.
We’re learning to lean into and embrace our emotions, in order to process and release them.
We’re learning to dance and move out stagnant energies, and to ask for help when we need it.
We’re learning to love ourselves more fully, and that integrated self-love is where the truest safety lies (which is an oh-so-Cancer theme).
We’re learning, we’re growing, and we’re living!!
Happy 2023 friends!
Read on for Journal Prompts and a Full Moon Release Ritual
with infinite appreciation,
Rachael
journal prompts Cancer full moon
What emotions, patterns or triggers are coming up for me with this full moon (if any)? What might these feelings be telling me about what I truly want?
How can I love myself through these feelings? What would it look and feel like to give myself what I need?
What is an area of my life right now that I feel needs review and refinement?
What are some of my disappointments from 2022? (burn or discard this list)
What are some of my proudest achievements from 2022?
Full moon in Cancer ritual
release the old to let in the new
what You Need:
your journal
a comfortable place to reflect and write
a candle
optional: a safe spot to burn some paper
what you do:
Set the Scene:
Find a comfortable spot to sit and reflect in. You can light a candle, play some light relaxing music, burn some incense or diffuse some essential oils to create a sense of greater connection.
Reflect on Your Disappointments from 2022:
On a fresh page in your journal, start to list out any things from 2022 that you left you feeling sad, disappointed, frustrated, confused, worried or just generally bad about. As you write them on the paper, let yourself be as non-judgemental as possible, listing these things without attaching to their emotional charge.
Now rip this page from your journal.
Clarify your Achievements from 2022:
Now on another fresh page in your journal, write down all the things you achieved and accomplished over the last year, and write down all the moments that felt extra magical too. Allow yourself to really feel into the joy, purpose and connection running through you as you acknowledge these wins!
Release the Disappointments:
In a safe space, like a pot, cauldron, or firepit, burn the paper with all of your disappointments, releasing those energies back into the Universe to be transformed.
Make Space for Growth:
As you watch the paper burn and smoke drift away, remember all that you acheived and accomplished this past year, allowing yourself to feel grateful, connected, purposeful and worthy.
Trust that what is meant for you will come to you once you make space for its arrival.
Happy Cancer full Moon friends, and happy 2023!
May we always remember the safety of our own love.
with infinite appreciation,
Rachael
do you want to help?
Let’s never forget how much power we the people hold when we come together to support and uplift each other. We the people can and do make a difference. Click on the links below for some simple ways how.
Here are some great places to get involved with or support:
Environmental Protection
Reproductive Rights
Human Rights/Anti-racism Justice
Gun Reform
LGBTQIA+ Equality
If you enjoy learning about working with the Moon’s energies, please subscribe to my monthly New and Full Moon Moonletters, by entering your information at the bottom of this page. Thank you!