The first Full Moon of 2023 falls in the watery, intuitive sign of Cancer on January 6th.
Cancer is represented by the Crab. The myth shares that the small Cancer Crab defended his sea creature friends in a valiant battle. Although he lost his life in the process, his memory was embedded into the stars as a reminder of his bravery, loyalty, and willingness to protect those he loved.
Whenever Cancer energy is strong, like under this January Full Moon, we are reminded of our own bravery, loyalty, and willingness to protect those that we love. We may find ourselves needing to exercise these skills in some way or to remember that we do indeed possess them.
Cancer energy is often portrayed as being soft and sensitive, but there is also a fierceness to it. A fierceness that allows us to stand up and protect all that we love and care about.
Under the January 2023 Full Moon, it is a good time to remind ourselves of what is truly important to us and what we truly care about. What is my motivation? Why do I do what I do?
Wherever this line of questioning leaves you, this first Full Moon of the year is a great time to consider ways to bring more alignment into your life. To assist you with this, try the journal prompt – “At the end of the day, what matters to me the most is…” and see what inspiration follows.
Having this Full Moon activated right in the middle of both Mars and Mercury Retrograde could also raise tension levels.
Both Mars and Mercury in retrograde can be a challenging combination where we feel stuck, foggy, and confused. Our minds may be playing on repeat, or it may be hard for us to move forward. We may even feel that for every step forward we take, we have to take several steps back.
This foggy, backward energy may feel particularly stifling or uncomfortable during this Full Moon, but having some awareness of it can help. Don’t pressure yourself to make decisions or commit to things, and release the expectation of knowing all the answers.
See if you can be ok with not knowing. See if you can be ok with releasing control. And if something doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to ask questions or take a pause before proceeding. You may also wish to avoid committing to long-term plans if you can.
All of this retrograde energy is encouraging us to move slowly, to readjust the way we have been thinking about things, and to spend time uncovering hidden truths that may be buried within us. While it does come with fogginess and confusion, it is actually a wonderful time to go within, to reflect, and to reconnect to all the parts of yourself that have been forgotten.
Honor any sensitivities that come up at this time. Allow these sensitivities to be a guide to greater compassion and self-love. Allow your sensitivities to alert you to what your heart may be trying to communicate with you.
Based on the energy under this Full Moon, it is likely that our heart is guiding us to open a little wider and to release some of the boundaries that have been imposed upon it.
The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is “the germ grows into knowledge and life,” indicating that growth, expansion, and awareness are all possible under this Full Moon.
Growth is written into the code of every living thing on this planet. All things grow. All things have an innate and unassailable desire to grow. And we are no different. Growth and expansion are our purpose, and it happens whether we want it to or not. When we can ride the waves of growth, we have a much easier time and can channel our growth into places that call to our spirit and excite our soul.
Growth is inevitable as we walk away from 2022 and move into 2023, and this Full Moon appears to be our catalyst. Be gentle with yourself as you move through the Moon’s waves of growth, and stay open to where you are led.
It’s likely we won’t really be able to make sense of any growth until the end of the month when Mars and Mercury are beyond their retrograde journey.
Our intuition is likely to be heightened at the time of this Cancer 2023 Full Moon as well, so trust your instincts and pay extra attention to any intuitive feelings that flutter into your heart, mind, or belly.
Even though it is the first Full Moon of the year, this Full Moon is still connected to the energies of last year. So, don’t put pressure on yourself to come up with resolutions and goals if it doesn’t feel aligned. Know you have time and better cosmic energy for goal setting on the way!
Instead, use this Full Moon to reflect on the year gone by, to honor ways to bring more alignment into your life, and to channel any sensitivities into wisdom, awareness, and greater compassion.
Your Cancer Full Moon Ritual is here.
