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I feel like I’ve been done with Cancer season for a few weeks. Long before it even started. Why? Because Cancer’s associations with the search for safety and nurturing feel like a slap in the face this week with so much separation, angst, and anti-nurturing going on stateside.

I was too pissed to properly geek the astrological info for the day where public concern finally turned toward migrant families. But  part of me wondered, “is this… could this be heralding eclipse season in the sign of Cancer? Is this Mars retrograde? Rather than try and make astrological sense of the news, a lost cause at my level of astro-geekery, I’m going to stick to what I know for certain about Cancer season and what it brings.

We’ve totally switched gears with the symbols for Cancer. No more twins. No more bovine creatures. The crab as a mascot is more obvious than the symbols we’ve seen so far. We see that the crab carries their homes with them. As do Cancerians. It’s not a big leap to see that the shell (home) is important to the crab as a defense. Same with the pincers. If you don’t see the pincers on Cancerians, you’ve never lived with one.

Crabs are of the sea. The Moon, the patron planet of the sign of Cancer, is also associated with the sea. Just as water and the sea are associated with femme-ness and nurturing, so is the sign of Cancer. This sign is the natural home-maker of the zodiac. It likes things comfy, stable, and keeps family close. Cancer is the natural sign of the fourth house, the house of home and nurturing.

Conversely the sign opposite Cancer is Capricorn…

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and is the natural sign of the 10th house. These two are the parental units of the zodiac, Cancer teaching through nurturing, Capricorn teaching through restriction. We know that the sign opposite the current season matters because the full moon will always be in that sign.

Once you take a peek at what houses the Sun and Moon occupy in your chart, you’ll know what kind of messages to expect with this astrological season. And with that we also know what to expect from eclipse season. Speaking of eclipses, remember this Moon Phase graphic I made?

I shared it at the beginning of the year. This one looks a little different than the original. The original had an error for Cancer season. I went ahead and fixed it but if you downloaded it from the piece where I first shared it, you might have a copy with the error. When I shared this graphic I also shared a GCalendar of lunar events and the signs where they occur. You can add this calendar to your Gcal by clicking the plus sign on the bottom right. Here’s the ICal version for Apple users.

As you can see in bottom of the picture with the moon above, there’s a lot of eclipses coming…

With all the upcoming moon action I figured it as a good time to whip out all the moon tools, old and new. For those of you who aren’t Ultimate ‘Scopes clients, here is a checklist and a tarot spread to help you see if the next eclipses might affect you and in what ways and then if it will, how to engage those effects with the tarot. Ultimate clients can expect a walk-through of this checklist in your next Astroclimate.

As I walked through this checklist, I could see that some folks might need a refresher about how to read their chart. When I wrote an intro to natal charts and astrological terms for Ultimate clients, I didn’t go into much detail because I know that I would read their chart for them. In retrospect, it may not have been in-depth enough for the independent astrology geek. Let me know in the comments if you’d value a piece/video/audio/call about looking at your own birth chart and I’ll take a stab at it.

Another thing that I saw that could be useful is a guide for transits. Not just talking about what they mean, we did that already, but talking about ideal actions associated with each kind of transit. I will probably go ahead and just write that piece soon. Let me know if this interests you in terms of the eclipses and I’ll prioritize this higher.

It’s retrograde season too…

Well I mean, it’s BEEN retrograde season with three planets apparently moving in reverse until now. But with Mars stationing retrograde just two days before the full Moon and Jupiter stationing direct a little more than a week after that, there’s a lot of shifting. Most of the retrograde planets are slow-moving. That means we’re less likely to feel their pull in our individual lives and instead feel it on a societal level. For these slow-moving retrograde planets we may only notice their stations, when they transition into retrograde or direct motion.

Mars is a bit different though.

Mars is not a slow-moving planet. It’s one of those planets that tells us a lot about how we might feel week to week and day to day. Mars is the mascot for the part of us that says, “I want the world. I want the WHOLE world.“

via GIPHY

It’s less about the interest in acquiring things and more about the rage on tap that this character displays. Mars as the Veruca on our shoulders might motivate us to move toward what we want but it might also encourage us to bite someone’s head off. Samuel Reynolds shared some affirmations geared toward the upcoming Mars retrograde that I thought were pretty timely. Check it out at the link.

Ok, Siobhan, but what does that mean?

On June 27th we’ve got a full moon at 27 degrees Capricorn

There are some generalizations that are safe to make about these events. Full moon in Capricorn while Saturn is retrograde could leave you in your feelings. Go easy on yourself. If something seems sub-par and needs fixing, you better bring it.

On July 12th we’ve got a solar eclipse new moon at 20 degrees Cancer

The new moon eclipse in Cancer is opposite Pluto retrograde. It’s a new moon shining over a tower moment. And the moment will echo in time-space one month before and one month after this eclipse. You would do well to integrate the lessons from the 12th before the 27th rolls around. That said, there’s a whole bunch of trines this month to assist you with that integration. Rather than detail general info about them here look for how transiting Venus, Uranus and Saturn might be interacting with your natal chart. Your personal transits will be more relevant than the generalized ones.

On July 27th we’ve got an eclipse full moon at 4 degrees Aquarius

The eclipse full moon in Aquarius happens under Mars’ spell. You wouldn’t trust Veruca, the screaming child in red from the GIF above, to make meaning of your life, so don’t let Mars do it either. Keep as calm as possible. Even if you are tested. Even if you are afraid. You can make meaning of things later. Now just learn what you can from the energy that may be welling up within you.

If you’re wondering what these lunar events could mean to you more specifically, use the checklist/spread to figure that out. I’d love to know how it works out and if you share your efforts publicly lemme know so I can peek.

On June 26th Mars retrogrades at 9 degrees Aquarius

Get what you need if you can. And if you can’t, get really clear about what you desire. Crystallizing this desire sets you up to receive it when the climate is better for it.

On July 10th Jupiter stations direct at 13 degrees Scorpio

What did you expand or explore during this retrograde cycle? What needs to return back to status quo?

If you’re wondering how these planet stations could affect you, you can use The Cereal Game Method to articulate how it might affect you. I detail that method informally here. Here’s how it would look for Mars retrograde:

Mars Retrograde (Rx) in Aquarius

You have an opportunity to reevaluate, revisit, or internally explore (Rx) energy, desire, willpower, or conflict (Mars) in a scientific and collective way (Aquarius), especially when it comes to your ______ (insert house). See the link above for a chart of the houses.

For those of you getting hit hard by Grand Trines, Cancer season, or the impending Mars retrograde, like Samuel Jackson said in Jurassic Park, “Hold onto your butts.”

And now for a “Cancer” theme song.