Run-up to the New Moon:

When Venus and Mercury are very close in the sky, the purpose of communication is to express connection and love. These two planets became very close as they approached the end of Cancer, expressing love and caring for close family. On 28 June Mercury and Venus moved together from Cancer to Leo, the relating energy bursting in a generous wave of friendship for everyone throughout the world. Some people experienced it as a warm regenerating wave of energy across the Earth herself. The confident Leo character is dramatic and entertaining, and these qualities relate wonderfully to the enormous ‘Live8’ concert of 2 July.

‘Live8’ was created to raise awareness of the poverty in the world, giving us all an opportunity to publicly back the move to reduce poverty. It precedes the G8 conference taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 6 July of eight world leaders, discussing poverty and what to do about it. The Live8 entertainment in service to the human family is a lovely expression of the Sun, ruling Leo and now in Cancer. The Live8 concert is a huge Aquarian demonstration of individuals throughout the world giving what they are for the benefit of all. As a macrocosm focussed on the same area of life, poverty, it must influence the microcosm of the G8 group.

On 4 July, the midpoint date between the Live8 concert and the G8 conference, a probe that was launched in January this year is scheduled to impact a lump of rock near Jupiter. This rock is a comet half the size of the island of Manhattan To listen to the scientists and view a slideshow (with music!) go to www.nasa.gov and click on ‘Launch flash feature’. It’s a great way of finding out what this is all about. Taking this space probe as a symbol, are there any ideas as to what one could read for the two ‘8’s’? Certainly the subject of poverty in the world is about to be impacted!

New Moon in Cancer 6 July:

The Sun is in Cancer for one month every year, and we have the opportunity to experience the principle of nurturing everyone we regard as family, whether that be close blood relations or the entire human race. For two days every month, the Moon also transits Cancer. Emotions rise, and we discover again how it feels to be a child needing motherly love and nurture.

As the Moon reaches the Sun in Cancer, the principles of need and nurture come together, and we can learn how to nurture our own inner child. On an everyday level, we need to take care of ourselves in order to grow into our potential. We need to listen to the inner voices that tell us when to eat, take exercise, or simply stop and rest. We need to acknowledge our fears of rejection and loss, and to respect our personal truth. As we take our inner needs into account, we are able to give more usefully to others.

The month following the Cancer New Moon is about learning to listen inside to those little wants and needs, and respond to them as we would to those of a real little child. Sometimes it is not possible or appropriate to give exactly what is desired, but in kindness we would explain this to the inner child, finding an alternative that will show a loving intention. When we beat ourselves up or deny our needy side, we are turning away from our spirit, because spirit never criticises nor belittles. When we are kind to ourselves, we are far more open to hear the voice of spirit, the love that holds all that we are. This, in turn, opens us to the love that holds us all.

In the chart for Wednesday 6 July, the Cancer New Moon is at right angles to Mars, who is on the North Node in Aries, broadly trining Pluto. The Nodes at present are indicating that action needs to be expressed diplomatically, harmoniously, or its power will be destructive. Whereas, with Mercury/Venus in Leo trine Mars, if we use the energy as courage to express the positive, our discussions will produce creative ways to achieve Aquarian ideals. The astrology of this is Mars exactly sextiling Neptune in Aquarius. There is also a bunch of quincunxes in the chart, including a perfect yod – Mercury/Venus sextile Jupiter, all pointing at Uranus in Pisces. The meaning of this pattern is an encouragement to focus our discussions on the needs of others, or suffer the sense of separation that results from selfishness!

In Edinburgh, the New Moon will be at 1pm on Wednesday, the day of the G8 conference. In that place, there will also be a mass demonstration to the G8 group. May I ask you to put this date in your heart, to focus at that time on the possible wonderful transformation of our global economic policies. Behaving as one great nurturing family would enable humanity to adapt to Earth changes more easily. Policies may not change all at once, but the direction of change could now be established, not just in the hearts of the people, but also in the hearts of their leaders. Change comes about, not through anger at what is present, but through the determination in our hearts to reach and express the beauty that we know is there.

Our challenge this month
is to stay in charge of our emotions
without losing our empathy
and care,
and to use that emotional force
to make a difference
for the good in our world.

Meditation for
this New Moon in Cancer

Contemplate your inner child
to understand his/her needs,
and consider how that child,
when loved,
naturally shares with the world.