Dear Sparkly Friends,
The upcoming New Moon in Cancer falls on Fri Jul 4, 2024.
The New Moon usually corresponds to the current sun sign we're passing through so we get a new beginning and a chance to deeply absorb the gifts and lessons of each sign.
Cancer is Mama Goddess energy. Cancer's ruler is the moon, so the moon is exalted, or most at home, when it comes into Cancer. Cancer is a cardinal sign which gives us direction as we enter a new season. Cardinal signs signal the seasonal shift: Aries at spring equinox, Cancer at summer solstice, Libra at autumn equinox, and Capricorn at winter solstice. All of these signs ask us to pause and thing about what we want from the next season of our lives.
Cancer, as a water sign, asks us what we need to wash away so we can have a fresh start in as the summer moves on. The element of water corresponds to the direction of West and to the emotions. If you've been a little teary-eyed since summer solstice, have some compassion for yourself. It's the time of year to let water cleanse you. Not a big surprise that this time of year a lot of people yearn to be in water be it a pool, a river, or the ocean. The mama energy of this season asks us to remember being held, and what better way to feel held than to be in the waters of the earth like we were in the waters of the womb.
When we think of Mama Goddess energy, we're thinking of energy bigger than our human mothers. No matter how wonderful or not your human mother is or was, Mama Goddess energy can hold us no matter how big our feelings are and they're never tired from working all day and putting supper on the table. Some Goddesses to connect with could be Gaia, Mother Mary, Tonantzin, Selene, or Yemaya. These Goddesses can hold us, soothe us, and cleanse us. We can pour out our problems or worries to them without holding back and worrying about their feelings. You may have gotten this unconditional love from your human mother, and you may have been deprived of that for a lot of different reasons. Even just being grown up, we don't have the ability to sit on our mother's lap and be held and protected from the world. With connection to Mama Goddess energy, it's always within your reach. As women especially, we're often the holders of space, time, patience, compassion, etc. for other people and don't always have a circle that reciprocates that to us. A reciprocal circle of friends/family is definitely worth cultivating, but sometimes that takes time and we need support now!
When I need that unconditional witnessing and support of Mama Goddess energy I go into meditation, sometimes right before I fall asleep so I'm held all night. I close my eyes and get comfortable. I imagine a woman's lap that's bigger than my bed. If I need to talk about anything, I do so in my imagination. Usually I just sit and let her hold me and stroke my hair until I fall asleep safe in her arms, knowing even in dream time I'm safe and held.
Some inquiries to ponder or journal:
What are some intentions you can set around support in your life?
Where do you give it already and where do you need it?
How balanced is the giving and receiving?
What would it feel like to receive more?
Big hugs full of Mama love and energy,
Ryan
This photo is from the Oblate Grotto in San Antonio, Texas where a reproduction of the Tepayac shrine to Tonantzin/Virgen de Guadalupe sits on top of a reproduction of the Grotto of Lourdes. Photo credit Ryan Rittenhouse 2022, all rights reserved.
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