In the morning, we enter the Crescent phase. The Moon is clearly visible in the sky again, bringing new clarity on what the New Moon wants to bring forward.
It’s time to ask, what are my goals for this lunar cycle?
Yet we’re in a complex and transitional time, astrologically speaking, and this shows up in the Moon’s journey around her cycles as much as it does for the big changes we’ve seen in Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn, and will be seeing with Jupiter and Neptune.
This Crescent Moon is no exception.
The Sun and Mercury are tightly conjunct. The exact cazimi occurred only six hours before the Crescent Moon. Mercury, already bright and strong in their own sign of Gemini, has now been illuminated by the Sun.
Right now, though, Mercury is so close that we’re not getting the messages yet. Mercury is invisible, swallowed up in the blaze of the Sun, still processing the new messages they’ve received.
The Moon at the end of her own sign of Cancer creates a series of complicated relationships that also may be less than clear.
This is a strong Moon, in the third decan of Cancer. She rules this sign and also this decan, and her desires are strong. This Moon wants what she wants. Her emotions are strong.
She trines the North Node in Pisces, while sextiling the South Node in Virgo: This Moon’s desires are vast, possibly cosmic, but also diffuse. Does she want everything? Or does she reach for something felt but not yet seen?
The longing we experience with the North Node intensifies the desires this late Cancerian Moon already has.
This Moon squares Venus, Eris, and Chiron together at the end of Aries. Venus is stronger here than you might think, as she rules the third decan of Aries. This particular Venus–Moon square also increases the strength of our desires, without necessarily making them clear.
The conjunction with Chiron and Eris does not clarify our understanding.
Chiron in Aries speaks to wounds we might have around claiming our desires. Maybe that whole idea is selfish–shouldn’t I care more about other’s needs than my own? What will people think?
Eris is a chaos goddess. In readings, I see her linked with the global crises we now face. What is the role of personal desire when the world needs so much? How do we choose what is most important?
The Moon is moving into a sextile with Uranus at the end of Taurus, also not a comforting connection. The last decan of Taurus brings up fears of not having what we need, of unexpected losses and disasters.
Last (but not least) this Moon remains out of bounds. Emotions may run high. We might find ourselves longing for things that seem to be too much, unrealistic, or unobtainable–but somehow, we still want them.
So what’s the opportunity here?
I’m going to focus on the strength of the Moon and the strength of Venus, making space for intense feelings with the aim of sensing what I most want, and why.
One benefit of feeling things intensely is, we get some clarity. Strong emotion has the power to override the various messages we all carry about what is acceptable, or appropriate, or achievable.
This Crescent Moon opens up a window into what we truly want. The First Quarter Moon, in just a few days, will be in Virgo, a much calmer, steadier sort of Moon. So, make some space to embrace the intensity of this Cancerian Moon square Venus, within the liminality of Mercury combust the Sun.
What do you want, in your heart of hearts? Is it one thing? Many? Clear or diffuse? This is a good time for exploring.
