Photo by Lanvi Nguyen.

Dear Friend and Reader:

Today’s New Moon in Cancer is the second in a row — the first was the annular solar eclipse on the solstice, way back on June 21 (okay, just four weeks ago; it seems like longer, but I guess objects in the rearview are closer than they appear).

This is an unusual New Moon for other reasons, one of which is how much presence and activity there is in the sign opposite the conjunction, which is Capricorn. This creates balance and it also creates polarity; the two are related. It is also one of the official Last Hurrahs before the massive Capricorn part of the past 12 years winds down with the entry of Jupiter and Saturn into Aquarius in December.

But let’s stick to the local news — what is happening today, which is the New Moon opposite Saturn in late Capricorn. The graphic at the right shows you what that looks like — focus on all the planets with a 28 next to them: there are three, the Moon, the Sun and Saturn.

An Invitation to Reality

Condensed New Moon chart earlier Monday. You can see the Moon-Sun conjunction top left, and Saturn on the lower right — all have a 28 next to them. That is an exact opposition.

When Saturn enters the picture, which does not usually occur when there are water sign events because it is in Capricorn, we have a call to grounding and to stand on the foundations of tangible reality. We live in a disembodied age, so the whole concept of “real” is not quite real anymore; we expect everything to be some kind of virtual or “enhanced” event and that is what we get.

Yet for this most relevant lunation — the first, after a series of three eclipses, and the second consecutive one in the sign of incarnation — we are being asked to get real. Some are being told to get real and others will have no choice. For some this will feel like pushing against the wall of a swimming pool as you turn around doing laps.

Others might feel like their back is against the wall, or like they have reached some limit they must contend with. With all these planets retrograde in Capricorn — an impressive lineup, including a sample of nearly every kind of Solar System object — there is family material that must be addressed, and for many that means past trauma.

Trust and Family Baggage

Many times the past week or so, I’ve recommended the book A General Theory of Love. This was a basic text in my Hakomi therapy training work I did with Ron Kurtz in Seattle, earlier in this century.

This book offers a useful, emotionally and intellectually grounded analysis of the problem of family baggage and how it keeps coming up over and over again, such as in personal relationships and experiences of being triggered. It talks about how the primary goal of therapy is forming trusting relationships.

What we think of as healing process is only available where trust is possible; where it is cultivated and respected and recognized as a specific necessity. I would refer you back to my article Summer of Trust: The Great American Eclipse from three years ago.

Leo Ingress of the Sun

Wednesday at 4:37 am EDT, the Sun enters the tropical sign Leo. This is the peak of the season — the peak of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and of winter in the south. Between 6:28 pm EDT tonight and the time of the Leo ingress, the Sun is void of course. You never hear about this; I have stumped even classical astrologers with the reference that I read in a trusted old astrology book by William Lilly.

When the Moon, Sun or other body is void of course, that means it will not make an aspect to any other body prior to changing signs. Through this afternoon/evening in the U.S., the Sun is directly opposite Saturn, so we have some grounding to use and work with.

What I love about the void-of-course Sun is that unusual things are possible. It’s as if a portal opens, into what is unlikely or unusual. There is also a transporting or transforming quality that can be worked with: that same door facilitates change.

Please follow Daily Astrology and Adventure for additional coverage tomorrow (Tuesday) of the Leo ingress of the Sun.

With love,