Feeing Crabby (Cancer Stellium in June and July)

Stelliums have played a larger role in 2013, starting with the Pisces stellium last February/March, then following through with stelliums of the personal planets in Aries, Taurus, and Gemini.  At the moment, Venus (June 4 - 26) and Mercury (June 1 - August 24) transit through Cancer, with Mercury going retrograde on June 26 at 23 degrees.  Mercury will go direct on July 19 when it reaches 13 degrees Cancer and it moves into Leo on August 24.  Other retrograde planets include Saturn, Neptune and Pluto with Uranus going retrograde on July 18 and Saturn going direct on July 8.  The asteroids Juno and Chiron are retrograde as well, for those of you who follow micro-astrology (which studies fixed stars and asteroids).

The Sun moves into Cancer on Saturday June 20 or 21 (depending where you are in the world), kicking off the Solstice and Jupiter moves into Cancer on June 27 staying in the water sign for 12 months (moves into Leo next summer).  Mars (July 14 - August 29), moves into Cancer on July 14, then it travels in tandem with Jupiter for approximately two weeks. Will we feel particularly athletic during that time? Also note that when I say stellium I'm merely speaking of the Cancerian energy and not orbs.  Anyone born during this time is going to have a strong and powerful Cancer signature and will either become a smothering or nurturing type.

I have already spoken about Jupiter in Cancer (June 27, 2013 - June 2014) in my previous post and many of the same Cancerian traits of nurturing, mothers, mood swings, safety, security, food, nutrition, and water sign qualities apply with the other planets transiting through Cancer.  However, Cancer colors each of the planets differently.  For instance, Venus in Cancer has to do with attracting rather than chasing after a person, ideal, or job etc...This is an old fashion placement for Venus, even demure and is super feminine since we combine the mysterious Moon energy with Venus' sensuality.  And also with Jupiter in Cancer we will be concerned about our body weight and diet.  With Mars and Jupiter traveling together in July, we will at least entertain getting physical in the athletic sense even if that's just riding a bicycle across town or strolling through neighborhoods after the evening meal.

Both Mercury and Mars in Cancer will appear touchy and overly sensitive, but each of the planets will act this out in different ways.  Mercury will act out on an intellectual level, but it will want to communicate feelings too and if the partner doesn't want to communicate feelings in an intimate relationship, both people could feel crabby and unloved.  We could see a lot of pouting and sulking with this Mercury placement.  But in the journalistic field we will read numerous articles on food security, nutrition, and analyze what's wrong with our food, though with Jupiter in Cancer, we will also look at what's right with our food, such as supporting organic farming and urban farms.  This is a good time to discuss with your neighbors plans for building a stronger local economy and creating resilience for an untenable future.

Mars in Cancer will seem pushy and competitive.  Here you find the inner child throwing tantrums and hopefully healing mothering wounds.  This Mars will feel hungry and impatient in settings where we have to wait for food to be delivered.  People also won't enjoy standing in long lines at the grocery store or waiting around for lunch breaks at work.  You'll see more people sneaking food on to public transportation (which is not permitted) and you will hear a lot of stories about entitlement programs involving food.  People are just going to feel hungrier than normal and worried about the future of their food supply.  We might even see hoarding of food or people buying in large quantities in a selfish manner, not leaving any food for other customers.

When really what is happening is that we all need to learn how to self-nurture and love ourselves so that we can extend this love and nurturing to others.  Know this, there is enough food in the world to keep all of us fat, if we chose that lifestyle.  The problem isn't the food supply, but distribution of the food and economic justice.  The only way to solve that problem is to gather with people in an inclusive group and brainstorm ideas on how to grow our own food and heal the distribution problem.  We are all deserving of healthy food, but we need to come together in the spirit of cooperation to share the bounty.  Mars in Cancer will challenge us in this way unless we act consciously.

On July 7, we experience a New Moon in Cancer at 17 degrees.  Cancer is intuitive, creative and ambitious.  How will use those qualities to move forward in our lives? Set an intention around home, food, and self-love on this day. Personally, with so many planets transiting through Cancer in June and July, it is time to take a vacation, and spend time with family and loved ones.  Look back at your personal history, but don't get caught or trapped in the stories. Cancers have a tendency to cling to the past, but now we must let go of the past gently.  When the planets move into Leo, we will feel like opening our hearts and clearing our heart chakra, but first we need to heal those childhood and psychic wounds that we carry in our breasts and stomachs.

Cape Cod, photo by Patricia Herlevi

We all carry these wounds even if we believe we had perfect parents.  Most of us, I imagine, have many issues with our parents, especially our mothers when planets transit in Cancer.  Don't deny these issues, but don't wear them like a badge of wounded honor either because that's just manipulative and controlling.  Find a life coach or a therapist and work through these issues now and lose the baggage.  The closer we move towards ascension we need to make the choice to lose the baggage or stay stuck in the third and fourth dimensions (no thanks).  When you spend time with family during this phase (if you choose to), you will notice who and what pushes your buttons.  You can at that point decide to change your behavior so that they can no longer push your buttons.  This takes some effort on your part, but don't you wish to liberate yourself from family dramas rehashed like old episodes of  The Brady Bunch?  I thought so.

Okay, so get out your swimming trunks and suits and head out into Cancerian waters.  With so many planets in water signs now, we might as well dive into the deep end of the pool.  (Neptune is in Pisces, Saturn and N Node are in Scorpio, Vesta is in Cancer and Chiron is in Pisces).  I'll see you on the other side.

If you're in Bellingham, Washington or traveling through this region, contact me for a consultation at wholemusicexp at gmail.com