Everything You Need To Know About The Cancer Full Moon

The first Full Moon of 2017 is certainly an unconventionally electric one for a generally sleepy time of the year following the holidays. True, the Moon may be right at home in schmaltzy water sign Cancer, but the cosmos will be positively ablaze—for better or for worse—with a powerful set of planetary aspects to keep us in action and on our toes for the next two weeks (at the very least). We may be stunned by cliffhanger gambles and unprecedented, bold declarations; those who are more or less steady and cool-headed may suddenly become uneasy and flip-flop on topics and opinions upon which they were once firm, shooting a collective panic through people near and dear to them on the micro and macro scale. All outcomes will be anyone’s guess, like a roll of the dice.

This level of insecure unpredictability will create a tension in the atmosphere thick enough to be sliced. Electricity doesn’t usually surge through homey, cuddly Cancerian lunations, and this strong static charge in the air will have many feeling extra wired and unable to settle down. Don’t be surprised if you have some major trouble sleeping during the next couple of weeks—astrological aspects like the ones served during this Full Moon are trademarks of mass insomnia. And yes, it’s only a teensy, tiny bit unnerving that the presidential inauguration will go down in Washington as this cosmic firestorm is underway.   

The Cancer Full Moon, occurring tonight and into tomorrow, will be in polar opposition to the earthy Capricorn Sun. The balance between nurturance, domesticity, and a healthy private life (that’s Cancer’s domain) and status in the public eye, professional reputation, and responsibility—all governed by no-nonsense Capricorn—will likely begin tipping into untenable territory when the Sun and Moon are dealing with such a polarity. The ability to manifest luxurious creature comforts is magnified, especially if you’ve invested a healthy amount of time, loyalty, and attention to your family since the Capricorn New Moon. 

All Full Moons are culmination points; meridians of time carved out specifically to harvest the fruits of whatever seed was sown two weeks in the past with the Capricorn New Moon (see how those patterns of polarity work?), and this lunation is no exception. Since Cancer will be at the helm of this cosmic ship sailing into the future, an emotional ride can be anticipated. At best, these next two weeks will be a romantic phase prime for fertilizing love relationships (especially for Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo, and Pisces, who are on the verge of extreme passion and deep, nearly unforgiving intuition), and at worst a time of extreme emotional volatility and dependence reeking of desperation. Cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn—will feel the weight of these weeks in the extreme, along with Sagittarius and Aquarius toeing the line.  

The balance between the love for family versus dedication to one’s career or means of income will be highlighted and those most in-tune with this lunation are set up to discover the true value of our commitments to each of these life pillars and the sacrifices made therein. Since the Capricorn New Moon hit on December 29 late last year, a private monsoon has been building inside many of us relating to conflicts challenging this polar balance. The Universe is done acting as a stopgap for this intense buildup of energy and has cleared the way for the levees to break, whether you’re ready or not to handle the resulting flood. Inaction will simply not be possible anymore in this realm; we will be called to address what we’ve been bottling up by expressing ourselves and our purest feelings instead of stewing unproductively.

And yet despite the churning waters boiling and bubbling over inside of us, it will be necessary that the signs most fired up don a convincing mask of calm neutrality. Decision-making will be strained in response to a rash of bipolar energies swirling through the air. Collectively, we may notice others’ predisposition to switching rapidly between a “good cop/bad cop” approach to negotiation, stymying our ability to take a confident route, particularly in conflict resolution and peer mediation. A good handful of us will be saddled with making the best out of a bad situation brought on by hasty vengeance while channeling that “bad cop” status, so it’s vital to think (and breathe!) before launching into a reckless authoritarian mode. The chances of giving into unwise impulses brought on by emotions or a need to self-medicate—particularly of the financial variety with big-ticket luxuries and expensive shopping sprees—soar during this cycle, so be cautious with your money and do your very best to make smart spending choices.     

The possibility of folding or being bullied into tolerating unacceptable behavior as a result of feeling obligated or trapped by a bad situation or ironclad contract is also sky-high. Some who find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place—or worse, who find that they’ve been genuinely hustled or unlawfully duped—will have no qualms with invoking their rarely exposed dark side, often surprising the opposition with slamming blows straight out of nowhere and seemingly out of character for such “innocent lambs.” Don’t try to dishonestly get one over on anyone, either: Fair blowback will follow in subtle, crafty ways that will shock with a sense of sheer audacity and bravery. Any fights falling into this realm during this Full Moon phase have increased potential for tumbling into an imbalanced fugue fueled by malice, revenge, and even an unusual cruelty of spirit. Deception takes on a bold new meaning during this time, as well, so beware of becoming too trusting or gullible. The flipside of this, however, is that those signs most intensely affected by this unpredictable dance will have a magical way with their words and an almost supernatural ability to conjure up some outlandish white lies to save their own asses in compromising situations.

If we’ve been neglecting any part of ourselves in the past two weeks, this soul-level lacking will be exposed and illuminated with the caring, if overbearing Cancer Full Moon. Juggling the machinations of every part of our personal and professional lives has been hemorrhaging our most powerful energy since the New Year began, and we’ll need to give our inner life a rich emotional tuneup if we expect to make it past the next set of cosmic hurdles. Don’t play yourself: Putting your own emotional self-interests first isn’t at all easy, and others may even oppose your crusade of self-love and worship now. It’s fair to say that you might have to toss some of your core crew off the ship, at least temporarily until you can screw your head back on straight after the next New Moon (January 27).

The strong Cancer Full Moon will be in direct opposition to expansive Jupiter, planetary ruler of abundance and luck, influencing us to flirt with extreme risk-taking and gambling against our better judgment. Fortunately for the signs most prominently affected, a good nine out of 10 leaps of faith will be rewarded with success, thanks to such a generously lucky planet holding court. Should you fall into that rare 10 percent who aren’t caught by Jupiter’s gilded safety net, well, you’ll probably fall flat on your face in a rather public (and not to mention completely embarrassing) show of failure. Trust your instincts before doing anything absurdly foolish—please!

The more serious side of Jupiter’s opposition to the Cancer Full Moon arms many with an unshakable urge to share their own life lessons with the masses in an almost sermon-like way that can easily bleed into overbearing preachiness or skewed moralism. Strong opinions on basically everything are to be expected in droves now, which could compel the collective masses to rebel and reject such judgmental attitudes, simply due to malaise and exhaustion. Alternative to complete abuse of the soapbox is a strange wave of sentimentalism, not usually a trait linked to Jupiter’s influence. What is definitely linked to Jupiter opposing this Full Moon, though, is a tendency to fly off the handle with overblown, reactionary drama to less-impactful events. Headlines will be absolutely lit with neon absurdity—depending on your perspective, this could be a shameful display from the media or a fabulous opportunity to grab some popcorn and watch the clown car unload during the evening news. It will certainly be a spectacle to behold, whichever way you slice it. 

On a more positive note, Jupiter’s magnanimous influence will turn just about anyone into an exciting, gracious host. Jupiter provides fertile ground for an incredible sense of humor and a sparkling effervescence for even the most reserved among us. Consider throwing a festive bash or having a new, diverse group of friends over to your home for some lively entertaining sure to put the Fitzgeralds to shame. If that’s not possible, don’t miss social opportunities outside of your domestic realm, even if it means just heading down the street to your local watering hole with some pals for a quick quaff and a laugh. Mark my words: The people-watching will be epic. 

Since all that’s brewing in the heavens is tinged with contradiction and confusion now, a square between Uranus, the rebellious genius planet, and the Cancer Full Moon may cause many to feel especially insecure or unable to allow their roots to take hold. This might even be a very triggering time for those carrying the weight of early childhood trauma from feeling torn from or abandoned by their mother or maternal figure. Missing one’s mom is a strange quality of Uranus’ squaring off with the Cancerian Moon, so expect to feel nostalgic at the least and extremely mournful and lonely for your mom at most, depending on your history and family relationships. Definitely make time to give your mother and family members a ring if possible, or do something special privately to honor their memory.

Although this particular brand of insecurity will be undeniably uncomfortable for those who experience its constant nagging reminders of a lack of support, Uranus’ main goal is to situate you into a scorching position to forge a new kind of independence and self-reliance. We’re forced to develop by unconventional means, which can spark a childish need for constant stimulation and change. The energy is high-strung and electric around this planetary square, but it also invokes fantastical images of the possibilities of tomorrow. You might feel like you’re just teetering on the cusp of a unique discovery or a novel utopian ideal; an exciting, sizzling atmosphere is ripe for imagining a brighter future and could set the spark of progressive action toward something much more positive than the present moment.

Jupiter’s opposition to Uranus only magnifies this utopian spirit, and those closely touched by this facet may even experience seeing visions of the future. Inspiration illuminates our worldview now, but we must be conscientious of not leaning into fanaticism for the sake of our own personal freedoms. Such a forcefully rebellious aspect can be very shocking to some, but it can also bring incredible success to those who are able to harness its influence responsibly without infringing on the rights and freedoms of others. Likewise, this aspect is keen on standing up for the underdog or little guy—something that may come in handy with so many political demonstrations and protest actions planned around the forthcoming U.S. Presidential Inauguration. Uranus is known as “the great enlightener,” and it’s not uncommon for signs especially electrified by its influence to experience spiritual transcendence or an awakening of powerful kundalini energy. Just be sure to allow plenty of time and space to let the energy spit and spark; when Uranus and Jupiter link up, sex drives seem to crest beautifully engaging spiritual nurturance with sexual healing.