The Summer Astrology Café
The Cancer New Moon – July 9-10, 2021
“Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” -Henry James
We are in that golden time of the year. The Cancer New Moon at the height of summer is always a lovely event. Summer is a time to slow down, scale back, or stop altogether. It is a time of the year to relax ambitions and expectations. The pace is gentler and our needs are simpler; a cold drink, a cool breeze, an ice cream cone, a day at the beach. “Summer is not so much a season as a melody, that tune of contentment we have as the days begin to beautifully blur.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach
Here at the Astrology Café, folks linger outside in the courtyard, around the fountain, or sitting at the stone tables under the old apple tree sipping chilled lemonade with mint or Bellini’s (fresh peach juice and champagne). The scent of Honeysuckle and Night Jasmine fill the air. It is late, but still light out and magic is in the air. Welcome back dear friend, you have been greatly missed.
If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…If you are a pretender, come sit by my fire. For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in! –Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends)
Come inside and make yourself comfortable. There are wild roses and day lilies on the tables, soft jazz playing on the stereo and the air is filled with the aroma of vanilla, butter, and maples syrup. We have Summer Soups: Fennel & Pancetta Minestrone or Thai-Zucchini Coconut. There’s Avocado Toast or Heirloom-Tomato Tartines with Garlic-Parsley Aioli on Toasted Brioche. Strawberry Salad with Baby Lettuce, Feta, & Chopped Pecans or Tomato-Beet Salad, served with Buttermilk Biscuits. For Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Expresso Cake, Creamy Lemon Vegan Bars, Blueberry, Mango & Mint Ice Cream, and Warm Peach Cobbler with Coconut Cream, plus Ginger Shortbread Cookies and Macaroons. There’s wine, Prosecco, Viennese Coffee with Whipped Cream, Green Chai or Earl Grey Tea with Roses.
Take your time and when you’re ready, follow me up the winding stairs, through the library (be careful of the cats), then under an arch, down a long corridor and up some steps to the tower. Our old friend, the wise women, the crone, is waiting for us; she has been waiting all along.
Our friend is sitting at her round wood table wrapped in her midnight blue velvet cloak. From the Bay window we can see the Cancer New Moon, a slender crystal ornament suspended in the darkening sky. The candles, placed around the room, illuminate the sacred statues and Kwan Yins; the air is perfumed with the scent of lavender and rose. Here time stand still. Can you feel it? Our friend smiles warmly and gestures for us to join her at the table. Let the conversation begin. On the table before us are Runes, various decks of cards, crystals and sacred stones. Our friend picks up the Medicine Cards. She shuffles them and turns one over. It is Turtle, Mother Earth. Listen closely; perhaps there is a message just for you.
Turtle
“In Native American teachings, Turtle is the oldest symbol for planet earth. It is the personification of goddess energy, and the eternal Mother from which our lives evolve. We are born of the womb of Earth, and to her soil our bodies will return. In honoring the Earth, we are asked by Turtle to be mindful of the cycle of give and take, to give back to the Mother as she has given to us.
If you have chosen the turtle symbol, you are being asked to honor the creative source within you, to be grounded to the Earth, and to observe your situation with motherly compassion. Use the water and earth energies, which represent Turtle’s two homes, to flow harmoniously with your situation and to place your feet firmly on the ground in a power stance.
It you draw the Turtle card; it augurs a time of connecting with the power of Earth and the Mother -Goddess within. This is a reminder of the ally you have in Mother Earth. It does not matter what situation you have created: ask for assistance, and abundance will follow.” Medicine Cards, Jamie Sams & David Carson
The Cancer New Moon
Cancer is a water sign motivated by emotion rather than logic. Ruled by the Moon, this sign is intuitive, sensitive, compassionate, romantic, and domestic. That doesn’t mean Cancers aren’t driven and ambitious; born when the Sun is strongest, this sign possesses an understated power that runs deep. They move at their own speed, feeling their way through things. The sign Cancer is associated with the archetype of the Great Mother. This caring sign requires something or someone to nurture; a home, a family, a garden, etc. The shadow side of Cancer hides behind the mask of the mother, taking care of the whole world and ignoring their own needs. For Cancers it is essential to find a balance between giving and receiving.
Summer School
A New Moon represents a new beginning; a time to set something in motion. But we’re in the season of retrogrades. Mercury is moving forward now, but Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter are all currently retrograde. Plus, Chiron turns retro July 15, followed by Uranus on August 19. In a sense, we’re back in Summer School for the next few months. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing since the purpose of Summer School is to be able to advance to the next grade. It’s an opportunity to learn, grow, refine our goals and objectives. Isn’t that what the Saturn/Uranus square is asking us to do? Being willing to let go of whatever is holding us back (Saturn) allows us to make changes and move forward with more courage and confidence (Uranus). This New Moon can help free us from old habits and worn-out patterns.
Life and Astrology are both Messy and Marvelous!
Cancer is a lush and fertile sign and during the summer the natural world is bursting with new life and fresh potential. But this New Moon has a strong undertow. Pluto, opposite the Sun and Moon, can indicate that something may be coming to an end; a relationship, a job, or a creative project. Growing means dying to some aspect of ourselves. Uranus’ square to Venus and Mars can disrupt or test a relationship. Saturn is opposite Venus and Mars, creating a challenging T Square with Uranus. It can shake us up but also wake us up.
Neptune in dreamy Pisces makes a healing trine to the Sun and Moon, reminding us to trust our feelings. Brilliant Uranus makes a supportive sextile to the Sun and Moon, encouraging us to move out of our comfort zone, takes some risks, and speak our truth. Uranus brings unexpected surprises and insights. Even small changes will be rewarded. The key is to make room for everything; celebrate it, honor it, embrace it. Messy and marvelous indeed!
“Work is not always required…there is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.” -George Macdonald
Beloved Friends, it’s getting late here in the tower above the Astrology Café. The old owl has arrived on the branch of the Alder tree outside, reminding us that our visit has come to a close. Thank you for joining me. Remember, the sign Cancer is associated with self-care, nurturing, home, and feelings. Adjust your pace. Spend time in nature, especially near water. Reach out to family and friends. Give your home some love. Celebrate this delicious summer season. Celebrate yourself. Remember, we are born to be real, not perfect. All is well, you are loved, Virginia
THE ROSES, By Mary Oliver
One day in summer
when everything
has already been more than enough
the wild beds start
exploding open along the berm
of the sea; day after day
you sit near them; day after day
the honey keeps on coming
in the red cups and the bees
like amber drops roll
in the petals: there is no end,
believe me! to the inventions of summer,
to the happiness your body
is willing to bear.
