June 21 9:08 pm EST
This full moon is about choice, concentration and power. It comes on the heels of a possibly chaotic or unexpected several weeks of Gemini season where the sheer amount of ideas, information, conversations, and changes of plan could have been simultaneously liberating and overwhelming. The multiplicity energy of Gemini opens the door to lots of possibility, but is not necessarily gifted at clear discernment and consistent focus. In order to make the most the options on the table in front of us, we must accept the invitation of this full moon: to get clear on our priorities and proceed with maturity.
The full moon comes shortly after the sun enters Cancer on the 20th, during the solstice. At only 1 degree of Cancer the sun is newly “submerged” in watery territory. And the moon also only enters Capricorn just a few hours before the totality of the full moon. So there may also be a certain level of swiftness or abruptness with this full moon, as though the “mood” has changed overnight. We may have been in one phase or preoccupation for several weeks but now we are moving on to something else.
It’s wise to take into account exactly where our attention WANTS to drift to now, and what no longer seems quite as interesting or worthwhile. These are important clues about connecting us to the best choices that are available to us. The exciting thing is that this is the first of TWO full moons in Capricorn this Cancer season- the other one falling at 29 degrees of Capricorn on July 21st. So this entire Cancer season is really strongly focused on these themes and by mid-July we have another opportunity to check in with what we are choosing and how things are working out for us. Tracking our emotions and responses as the month goes on will be useful.
The excitable and diffuse nature of Gemini season was rather turbo charged this year thanks to the ingress of Jupiter into Gemini. Jupiter in Gemini is a year long aspect that will continue until June 2025 so this sense of possibility, choice, and diversity of experiences is something that continues in the general ethos moving forward. But again, it is about seeing clearly all of the potential paths in front of us and discerning and choosing wisely.
Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn and hence the ruler of this full moon, is our greatest ally in this process. Saturn is the planet of responsibility, karma, structure, durability and effort. Saturn reminds us that when we blaze forward willy-nilly with whatever impulsively catches our eye, we may end up in a situation that is less-than-optimal for us, AND we have to take responsibility for ending up there. We can try to “ghost” or backtrack our way out of situations, but ALL choices, decisions, actions and even thoughts leave energetic traces. And we are responsible to those- this is the essence of karma. Ideally, this is part of what prompts us to choose wisely: Not just because we want to enjoy a better experience, but because we recognize the waste of energy and effort that is required to “deal with” situations we have gotten into that we now need to get ourselves out of. Saturn prefers economy of energy and effort, and we can set that intention now too.
Saturn is currently at 19 degrees of Pisces and stationing to turn retrograde on June 29th. Any planet that is stationing on the degree where it changes direction is highly powerful. So we have an elevated Saturn ruling this full moon. Saturn in Pisces (2023-2026) is offering us important lessons about getting back in harmony with our soul path, our highest karmic road. It is helping dissolve old structures (“stories”) in our psyche so that we can build new ones, ones that serve us better. Saturn in Pisces is turning up the volume on our inner knowing and intuition so that we can make important choices more instinctually without over-thinking things or falling back on old “shoulds”. We have had plenty of opportunities since Saturn entered Pisces in March 2023 to practice following our intuition, or breaking away from old structures or patterns, so that we can have a different experience.
And some of those big choices are back on the table for us now, front and center. All of this is complicated by the fact that Neptune, the planet of illusion and mystery, the co-ruler of Pisces, is also IN Pisces and at 29 degrees of that sign is in a close {albeit out-of-sign} square to both the sun and moon at 1 degree Cancer/Capricorn. So Neptune is rather playing the role of the “trickster” here. Challenging us in some ways to slide down the slippery slope, or make the “same old mistake”. Neptune is actively obscuring our vision now, which makes discernment and practicality (what Saturn is urging) even more of a challenge.
But it is a challenge that is very worthy of taking on head-first and that can ultimately offer us rich lessons and rewards as we navigate through it over the course of the next two weeks. The image of the “7 of Cups” card in the tarot is a useful one to call to mind here. In the Rider-Waite Smith deck it is depicted as a man standing in front of 7 cups, each one piled high with things of seeming value. One cup symbolizes material wealth, another one power, another one fame, another one divine union.. some of them may be a mystery. He is in the process of choosing. And the meaning of this card to is to bring our attention back to our true values and priorities because they will always be the barometer of what we choose. Consciously it may not be very clear to us. But subconsciously, what we choose shows us what motivates us and what we place value on.
Just like in the “7 of Cups”, we may not have all of the answers about what each cup holds. And we may feel stuck because we “want them all”. But what this full moon is urging us to do is to come back to ourselves, back to our own center of power and wisdom. Only from there can we easily, effortlessly, and without second-guessing ourselves select the cup that is just right for us right this moment. Whether we are pondering new romantic interests, potential creative paths, possible real estate switch-ups, or different business opportunities- the REALITY (Saturn) of the choices that are on the table for us are a bit hazy (Neptune) right now.
So it’s extra important to be patient with ourselves and return to that steady, still inner place where the answers can come more easily and intuitively. This is what Cancer season is all about. And with the sun in Cancer also conjunct Venus at 5 degrees and Mercury at 9 degrees, we have a lot of watery Cancerian energy to tap into. Cancer is all about the amniotic womb of our lives, the sensitive energetic field that holds the most primal part of us. That part has no awareness of or concern for societal norms or status markers. It is only and fully attuned to its own present moment needs. And when we are in this present and instinctual Cancerian place while ALSO fully cognizant of the metaphysical reality that we are *responsible* for our actions and their impact (Saturn) then we are in the optimal position to make the best possible decisions. The choices we make from that place are supportive and nourishing to us, but also in integrity and enhancing, rather than damaging to others and the collective whole. This is the highest expression of the Cancer / Capricorn polarity.
It is from this place that we choose “the cup” that meets our needs in the present moment and places us on our highest path forward. So what does that mean for you, here and now? We can return to the lessons we were learning over the past year while Jupiter was in Taurus. Jupiter in Taurus taught us important lessons about our values and priorities, and helped us recognize what we care to foster in the garden of our life, and what has become weeds that need to be thoughtfully eliminated. By consciously focusing on and remembering the lessons of Jupiter in Taurus, we can more easily discern from all of the choices of this Jupiter in Gemini period. And while Jupiter is no longer in Taurus, Uranus remains there- a constant beacon since 2018 to claim our individuality and authenticity and not be afraid to disrupt the apple cart as we do so.
Finally we have Mars, also in Taurus. Assertive Mars likes to move fast, but in the fixed earth sign of Taurus is slowed down considerably. We can likewise take this as a blessing. Rather than grabbing the first “cup” that catches our eye and charging full steam ahead, Mars is working with Saturn to slow down the speed so we can truly get the answers from within and then proceed accordingly. What is interesting is that just one day before the 2nd full moon in Capricorn, on July 21st, we have have Mars entering Gemini. So during that 2nd full moon we will have learned our lessons in Taurean patience and be able to expand our vision, ideally without losing sight of the insights and re-evaluations we have had.
So whatever big choices, options, decisions come up in the next few weeks while this full moon energetic is dominant are an important invitation to slow down and choose wisely. To choose from our place of inner power and knowing rather than whimsy or illusion. The truth is that we cannot take on everything all at once. Life is a series of choices and pivots and the ones we make now are important and may have far reaching consequences. With the sun, Venus and Mercury clustered together in Cancer, our bodies and our instincts are giving us LOUD signals about what *feels* right on a deep somatic level, but it’s up to us to quiet the chattering voices in our mind and external expectations so that we can align from a more primal place of wisdom. Then the Capricornian efforts and energy we put in down the line will truly be worth our while in magical ways- and this is the real reward for choosing wisely.
*art by @ramonIaasc
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