Allow me to pull on the Astrological threads and maybe weave some of them together for the Cancer Full Moon onJanuary 13, 2025, at 10:26 PM Universal Time at 23° Cancer.
The first Full Moon of 2025 graces us in the nurturing and deeply sensitive, emotional waters of Cancer, offering themes of abundance, security, and heartfelt reflection. As the Moon reaches her peak in her domicile or home sign, this lunation invites us to consider any overflowing cups in our lives, whether emotional, material, or spiritual, and ask: How can we share this abundance with others?
Cancer: Feminine Cardinal Water
As a cardinal, feminine or yin, water sign, Cancer flows with emotional leadership and intuitive insight. Ruled by the Moon, who ebbs and flows through her monthly cycle, this sign is deeply connected to the cycles of life, emotional memory, and the wisdom of the past.
At this Full Moon, the lunar influence is amplified, as the Moon finds strength and dignity in her home sign at a time when her light is at its brightest. The energy is nurturing yet bold, protective yet fearless—a reflection of the themes brought by the conjunction with fixed star Pollux.
Full Moon Cycles
This Full Moon in Cancer is a time of culmination, bringing to light the intentions planted 6 months ago during the New Moon in Cancer (Astro Mindfulness), July 5, 2024, at 14° The Astrology of The New Moon in Cancer: Are you Mid Journey? . Through its cycle, it has invited us to nurture our foundations and face vulnerability challenges with courage and grace.
It is also the culmination of a shorter cycle, which began just two weeks ago, with Capricorn New Moon: Laying the Groundwork on 30 December 2024. What plans did you revise and shift then, that you may see with more clarity now?
The Moon Family
This Full Moon in Cancer is part of a greater lunar family, a longer sequence of interconnected lunations that weave a narrative over 28 months. This is outlined by Dietrich Pessin in Lunar Shadows III.
The story began with the New Moon on July 17, 2023, at 24° Cancer, planting the seeds of intention. The First Quarter Moon on April 15, 2024, at 26° Cancer, marked a period of active growth and challenge. This Full Moon brings the culmination, insights and revelations for the unfolding story, while the Last Quarter Moon on October 13, 2025, at 20° Cancer, will signify resolution, reflection and release.
The Moon Family is most felt by those with planets or angles in the cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn or the Water triplicity between 19 to 27 degrees. You may choose to consciously work with any of these cycles and choose the length that suits how long it will take to grow your plans, ie for a quick short term goal the monthly cycle is perfect but for long term plans, look for a Moon Family that connects with the relevant planet in your chart for optimum results. An astrologer or Astro Coach can support you with this.
Aspects of the Cancer Full Moon
The Cancer Full Moon is influenced by its co-presence with retrograde Mars, both in the Moon's nurturing domicile. This alignment creates a potent emotional landscape, where themes of protection, inner strength, and revisiting unresolved emotional conflicts are brought to light. The Moon and Mars in Cancer work together to amplify emotional intensity, emphasising the need to confront and process what lies beneath the surface.
Key Aspects
* Moon Co-Present with Retrograde Mars in CancerRetrograde Mars in Cancer intensifies the emotional charge of this Full Moon and is almost conjunct within 4 degrees. Mars retrograde asks us to revisit how we handle anger, frustration, and emotional defence mechanisms. Its placement in Cancer, where Mars is considered in its fall, means it needs to recover from a place of challenge in order to rise back up. This may soften its typical aggressiveness but can add a simmering undercurrent of unexpressed tension, more passive-aggressive than outright action.
The Moon's nurturing influence offers the potential for emotional breakthroughs if we are willing to confront what we are being shown, issues we may have been avoiding. The co-presence suggests a focus on emotional courage, boundary-setting, and reassessing how we assert ourselves in close relationships.
* Sun conjunct fixed star Peacock (Capricorn, 23 & 24°): The Full Moon alignment is to have the Sun opposite the Moon, offering full illumination of the Moon and at the same time illuminating the tension between Cancer’s emotional nurturance and Capricorn’s pragmatic drive. The Sun in Capricorn, co-present with Mercury and conjunct the fixed star Peacock, brings themes of ambition, brilliance, and emotional intensity. This is a call to balance heartfelt needs with external responsibilities and a reminder to Be Fabulous and show yourself at your best. The star is the Alpha star of Pavo, the Peacock constellation, it is associated with the feathers. When it meets the Sun it works through the heart, is emotional, stimulating passion and intensity. It is driven to achieve, just like the Capricornian Mountain Goat.
* Moon Sextile Uranus in TaurusThe sextile to Uranus (23° Taurus) introduces a refreshing, albeit unpredictable, dynamic to the emotionally charged lunation. Uranus brings sudden insights, disruptions or opportunities for emotional liberation. This aspect can offer innovative ways to address long-standing issues, making it an excellent time for creative problem-solving or embracing change. Look out for opportunities from unexpected developments which may bring fresh perspectives and innovation.
* Wide Square to Chiron in AriesAlthough not exact, the Moon is separating from a square to Chiron in Aries (19°), showing that there is potential for old emotional wounds to have resurfaced and now the consequences are asking for healing, resolution or action. This tension may have highlighted areas where we feel inadequate or vulnerable, bringing an opportunity to address emotional wounds. The Moon gently encourages healing through vulnerability, even as resistance surfaces. The connection with retrograde Mars suggests a chance to revisit and heal these wounds through reflection and self-compassion.
* Whole Sign Trine to Saturn, Neptune, the North Node, and Venus In PiscesThe Moon forms harmonious whole-sign trines to Saturn, Neptune, and Venus, as well as the North Node with a sextile to the South Node. These trines provide grounding and support amidst the emotional intensity, helping us find practical solutions (Saturn), imaginative inspiration (Neptune), and a deeper understanding of our values (Venus).
The nodal trine encourages us to align with our karmic path, releasing outdated patterns and embracing emotional authenticity. It is the first lunation to connect with the newly ingressed Nodes in Pisces and Virgo so it feels good that this first contact is of a helpful and benefic nature.
* Fixed Star PolluxThe Full Moon is conjunct the fixed star Pollux, associated with bravery, resilience, and thriving in the face of adversity. Known as the “born fighter,” Pollox is caught in the eternal struggle with his twin Castor. Pollux adds courage, conflict resolution, and bravery to the lunation. It imbues the Moon’s nurturing energy with a fearless edge, a warrior-like spirit, urging us to confront conflict head-on and channel it into productive outcomes. Pollux’s influence can help us achieve success, even in challenging circumstances, and may also guide us towards the potential for spiritual growth through struggle.
A Closer Look: Moon and Retrograde Mars in Cancer
The close co-presence of the Cancer Moon with retrograde Mars brings the focus to this time of the Mars Retrograde bringing to your attention emotional energy that requires intentional handling. The Moon often acts as the timer for us on earth, and for astrologers, bringing these longer transits into sharp focus and events to a peak. While the Moon nourishes and nurtures, Mars agitates, creating a push-and-pull dynamic between the need for comfort and the call to act or protect. Mars, retrograde in Cancer can form a subtle, more vulnerable influence, as it reviews past conflicts and can help us learn to direct energy toward resolution rather than perpetuating strife.
You may find these themes coming up for you:
* Patterns of Emotional Reactivity: Are you holding onto old stories of anger or resentment that could be addressed and released?
* The Role of Protection: Are your boundaries too rigid, or are you avoiding necessary confrontation? What do you protect, how and why?
* Reassessing Action: With Mars retrograde, we are asked to reflect and review our actions, to be thoughtful rather than impulsive, ensuring any actions we do take align with emotional truth rather than reactive fear.
By embracing the Full Moon, we can find ways to balance emotional vulnerability with courageous self-assertion.
The Decan of Cancer III: The Overflowing Cup
The third decan of Cancer (20°–30°) is an expansive space where the nurturing energy of Cancer is paired with themes of fullness, abundance, and generosity. Ruled by the Moon in the Chaldean order and Jupiter in the triplicity method who are also the domicile and exaltation rulers of Cancer, this decan invites us to embrace the riches of life, whether emotional, material, or spiritual. We are asked to reflect on the blessings we have received and challenged to share our overflowing cups with those who may have less.
Austin Coppock describes Cancer III as “The Overflowing Cup” in 36 Faces. He writes, “In a world of limited material resources, the attainment of luxury for one entails deprivation for others...For those who walk this face and seek its fruits there is a karmic dilemma involved. It is therefore of vital importance in this decan to share, to invest the excess that one acquires in good works — to be a conduit for luxury, not its endpoint.” Yet, Coppock also notes that with this abundance comes the risk of emotional overwhelm—where the waves of feeling may threaten to drown us if we don't practice discernment.
Kira Ryberg, in her Guidebook to the 36 Decans, emphasises that Cancer III holds a tension between comfort and stagnation. While it encourages us to bask in security, it also asks whether we are truly aligned with our soul’s purpose or simply clinging to what feels safe. “There is an ability to experience some of life’s grandest luxuries, but there is also the potential to tangle with the Underworld and all that exists in the realm of night. Power, greed, and privilege are often exposed here and as a result, one must choose whether they shall join these forces or fight against them”
From the Wild Way Oracle deck, the card for Cancer III is aptly titled "Abundance." The imagery is rich: a beaver diligently building its home, surrounded by lush waters, under the light of the full moon with plentiful resources. The keywords for this decan are “Desire for Luxury, More Than Enough, Generosity.” The card's message is: “When Cancer III beaver shuffles in, we enjoy comfort, security, and abundance. We can luxuriate in the knowledge that we have more than enough to nurture ourselves and provide for those we care about.”
The beaver story reminds us of the beauty and responsibility of abundance. Beavers are meticulous builders, creating homes that offer safety not only to themselves but to the ecosystem around them. Similarly, this decan encourages us to share our resources and comforts with others. As the oracle card suggests, “If you provide the opportunity for others to enjoy the same comforts that you benefit from, it can be just as satisfying as basking in them yourself.” This idea aligns with Jupiter’s rulership over the decan, emphasising generosity, growth, and interconnectedness.
The Tarot Connection: 4 of Cups
The 4 of Cups corresponds to the Cancer III decan, evoking themes of abundance, introspection, and the challenge of gratitude. This card depicts a figure seated under a tree, contemplatively gazing at three cups before them, while a fourth is offered by an unseen hand.
At its best, this card invites us to reflect on the blessings already present in our lives while remaining open to new opportunities. However, it also cautions against falling into emotional stagnation or taking abundance for granted. This Full Moon asks: Where in your life are you overlooking the gifts already at your disposal?
T Susan Chang on Cancer III
"The jewel in the deep blue sea;Meaning reeled in from ennui.Lunar shadow, liquid mind.What you most need, you shall find.Inner journey: take the ride.Priceless pearls found deep inside..."
T Susan Chang’s poetic verse from Dreaming the Decans captures the essence of Cancer III: a decan of depth, discovery, and emotional alchemy. This Full Moon offers the opportunity to dive into the depths of your inner world, seeking wisdom, meaning and the priceless pearls in the treasures hidden within.
Astro-Coaching Insights
This lunation calls for both introspection and action. With Mars retrograde in Cancer, decisions and actions should be measured and thoughtful. Consider these practical steps:
* Review and Reflect: Take time to assess emotional and material security. Are you nurturing the areas of your life that truly matter?
* Heal Wounds: With Chiron in the mix, now is a powerful time to address old hurts, especially those tied to family or foundational relationships.
* Embrace Abundance: Be generous with your time, energy, and resources. Sharing your abundance enriches both the giver and receiver.
* Balance Emotion with Logic: With the Sun in Capricorn, pair your intuitive insights with practical planning, let it come from the heart and don’t be scared to add the vibrant flair of the Peacock.
* Be Bold: The influence of Pollux reminds us to face challenges head-on. Stand up for what you care about, but choose your battles wisely.
Final Reflections
As the first Full Moon of the year, this Cancer lunation sets the tone for 2025. It reminds us to root ourselves in emotional truth while striving toward practical goals. It’s a call to nurture what sustains us, share our abundance, and trust in the cycles of growth and renewal.
What seeds planted in July 2023 or 2024 are coming to fruition now? What treasures lie hidden in the depths, waiting to be unearthed? This is your time to find them.
Travel well, friends.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Cancer Full Moon
01:58 Cycles of the Moon and Emotional Growth
04:47 Influences of Retrograde Mars on Emotions
09:35 The Role of Fixed Stars and Their Impact
12:13 The Overflowing Cup: Abundance and Generosity
16:07 Astro Coaching Insights and Final Reflections
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References:
AustinCoppock.com The Decans: Images and Applications, 36 Faces
Dietrich Pessin Lunar Families III
Kiraryberg.com The 36 Decans & The Bounds
T Susan Chang Dreaming the Decans
The Wild Way Oracle deck by Astro Artistry @nicola_allan on Instagram, Twitter and BlueSky
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