01 Jul Changes ~ July 1st-7th, 2019

This week, things will begin to grow and evolve rapidly. It may feel like there is a tremendous momentum moving things forward. But rather than pushing, your job is to glide upon the currents that are already in motion. The year 2019 is more than halfway over, making this a natural window of opportunity to pause and reflect. Fortunately, the Sun’s time in the waters of Cancer offers a moment of sanctuary. Let these gentle waters soothe your spirits and restore your soul. 

I watch the ripples change their size

But never leave the stream

Of warm impermanence

It is in Cancer where your mind’s ceaseless chatter finally yields to the wisdom of the heart. Think of this season as an oasis, a lush place for daydreaming and remembering life the way you wish to. Here, the harshest realities are tempered by an inner voice of maternal wisdom. You remember that true strength requires gentleness and evolution demands flexibility. 

And so the days float through my eyes

But still the days seem the same

The Sun’s time in Cancer is a period to meditate on the past, to take the time to articulate one’s sense of personal and collective history. Inspired by the desire to know the past more deeply, libraries, lineages and ancestry begin to hold more interest. 

Ruled by the Moon, the mood of Cancer season waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows. Reminiscence summons a wide repertoire of emotions, for the past is a glorious source of wisdom that is haunted by great loss. In this journey through memory, take the time to remember yourself and your loved ones well. 

Time may change me

But I can’t trace time

The wisdom of Cancer knows that to remember the past with love blesses your future with love. How much does it change you to remember your history of kindness rather than your history of violence? In Cancer season, you remember that the art of storytelling is the most primordial magic. 

With the eclipse energy stirring, this week ushers in an intensely transformational period. The narratives that typecast you in the role of hapless victim, martyr, loser or addict will demand to be rewritten. Though you can’t change the past, you can create a new story to live by. You can begin by remembering things differently.

In Greek mythology, Memory was the mother of the nine muses, the prima materia from which all creative impulses were born. The waters of memory offer a womb-like space of creation, a sanctuary where your inner voice can be heard above all others. Bless your future by remembering your past with love and compassion. 

On Tuesday, July 2nd, the Solar Eclipse in Cancer will serve as a cosmic gateway, marking a tremendous shift between eras. 

In ancient esoteric wisdom, Solar Eclipses were considered to be potent celestial events that were described as the Alchemical Marriage. In magical symbolism, a Total Solar Eclipse, represented the perfect conjunction between the Sun and Moon, a return to cosmic unity.

Astrologically speaking, Solar Eclipses bring the Sun and Moon, masculine and feminine energies together in an undulating wave of pure creative potential. 

From this moment of unity, spiritual transformation and growth is born. The internal experience of this Solar Eclipse may feel like a sudden awakening, an inspiration to shape-shift and evolve. 

Eclipse energy can be thrilling and terrifying. To better adapt to the strangeness of the rapid evolution initiated by this Solar Eclipse in Cancer, take some inspiration from David Bowie’s Changes.

A perfect accompaniment to this Cancerian eclipse week, the lyrics to Changes begin with David Bowie’s reminiscence upon his early artistic career, which he describes as…

A million dead end streets and

Every time I thought I’d got it made

It seemed the taste was not so sweet…

Bowie delivers most of the song in a conversational tone. Rather than rhyme there is a fluidity, an acceptance of whatever lyrics needs to come through. This adaptability is an important quality to have during times of great change.

So I turned myself to face me

But I’ve never caught a glimpse

How the others must see the faker

I’m much too fast to take that test

After attempting to know himself as an artist, he describes that he saw beyond the self, into something changing so quickly he couldn’t even catch a glimpse. There’s nothing stranger than when things seem to change too quickly to keep up with.

Ch-ch-changes

Turn and face the strange

But this song urges you to have the courage to face the strangeness of rapid evolution. More than any particular song or album, David Bowie is most legendary for his ability to shape-shift his artistic persona. His artistic career expressed an innate flexibility, a non-attachment to fixed ideas of self. 

To face the strange is to know that the only constant in the universe is change. Sometimes, like during eclipse seasons, it feels like the changes are greatly accelerated. But there is great wisdom to be gained from these ineffable moments, when you’re caught in between states. 

The song Changes describes a moment of gnosis, an acceptance of the gifts of the Alchemical Marriage to promote growth, flexibility and evolution.

I watch the ripples change their size

But never leave the stream

Of warm impermanence

Monday/Tuesday: Changes

The week begins with Mars entering into Leo on Monday, lighting your heart on fire with the courage to seize the day. When Mars is in Leo, your passions will rise. A new lust for life emerges, inspiring you to embody your role with a little extra flair. 

On Tuesday, the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer creates a huge ripple, opening a gateway for you to create a future aligned with what you most love and cherish. 

This is a beautiful moment in the year for you to feel contentment and connection. And many of the changes initiated now will bring great flourishes of growth followed by waves of bliss.

This Solar Eclipse is accentuated by a sextile to Uranus in Taurus, which invites an innovative and inventive attitude. Even more important, the sextile between Saturn Rx in Capricorn and Neptune in Pisces will give you the power to make your dreams into a reality.

Wednesday/Thursday: Time May Change Me

On Wednesday, Venus enters the sign of Cancer, where she becomes diaphanous and sentimental. The attractive powers of Venus in Cancer nurture a sense of stability, home, and family. With Venus in these gentle waters, you will be guided to find sanctuary and comfort, cultivating more nurturing relationships.

Thursday is Independence Day in the United States, the holiday that marks the birth of the Enlightenment era dream of a free country.

On this day, Saturn Rx in Capricorn will cross the south node, urging you to deal with an issue from the past in a responsible manner. Your effort may represent a breakthrough depending on what you’re working on. Whatever happens, the best results come from listening to your elders, respecting the wisdom of those with more experience than you.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: I Can’t Trace Time

This intense eclipse week ends with Mercury’s station retrograde in Leo. To make matters trickier, Mercury’s station occurs in conjunction with Mars, making the energies suddenly combative and provocative. 

The solipsism of the artistic temperament will become a theme. The potential for drama becomes white hot as frayed nerves, miscommunication, and a sense of entitlement easily incite conflict. Tempers may be lost and the wild impulse to speak bluntly may trample over polite conversations.

The dawn of a new retrograde cycle for Mercury in this season of eclipses indicates that you will be asked to rethink and reconsider a lot over the coming weeks. Your fixed sense of self will be challenged. Your most inflated ego identities will be confronted and provoked. 

Rather than becoming fixated on specific goal or idea, allow yourself to adapt to the many ripples and waves that emerge. You don’t know your destination yet. You’re just following the current.

Mercury’s retrograde periods are intensely creative, reflective, and intuitive times. After the initiation from the Solar Eclipse in Cancer, you should feel well prepared to turn and face the strange, without fear.

 

Wishing you all the best!

 

Much Love,

Rachel