Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, and additional resources for the July 2021 new moon in Cancer.

The July 2021 new moon falls in the sign of Cancer. The Cancer archetype is emotional, intuitive, nurturing and healing. It also symbolizes “home” and all the things that home represents – not just our physical home, but also our emotions, energy, body, and the spiritual hearth of our souls.

Spiritually, the Cancer archetype is one of compassion, of recognizing that people, in general, act to the best of their abilities, limited by their education, upbringing and current awareness. The Cancer archetype knows that love and forgiveness, where possible, are the best way to respond to destructive behavior – along with firm boundaries, of course.

This is a rather shadowy new moon, offering us a chance to metabolise past hurts and set out on a journey of personal transformation. This new moon cycle can help us cope with past failures, especially if we choose to consciously confront our lives rather than to continue to sweep the more challenging things under the proverbial carpet.

Astro-tarot influences for the Cancer new moon

To throw some more light on the new moon astrology for July 2021, let’s take a look at the astro-tarot influences of this lunation. The Cancer full moon falls in decan 1, which is represented by the Two of Cups. This is to be interpreted in conjunction with The Chariot, which is associated with Cancer.

The 2 of Cups represents relationships, not just of the romantic kind, but also friendships, partnerships, and collaborative efforts. There’s a sweetness to this card, the promise of happy beginnings. The Chariot represents tenacity, focus, and strategy. But it could also represent a hard exterior mask or persona that conceals a vulnerable or confused heart.

The Two of Cups reminds me of the yin and yang, masculine and feminine, shadow and light – two seemingly opposing forces that have the potential to lead to wholeness when they are balanced. Wholeness – this is another of those words that has been overused and stripped of meaning. On one hand, we are always whole – how can we not be? – on the other, there are times when we don’t feel whole. We say things like “I have a hole in our heart”, “I’ve been broken open”, or “My heart has broken into a million pieces”. And yet, we are, as I like to remind myself, holey-whole.

{Note: I’m referring to the feeling state when I talk about wholeness.}

In every moment, we have the capacity to pick up the pieces and put them back together again. Sometimes on our own, at other times with the help of our friends or of people who are specially trained to help us put our pieces back together again (therapists, counselors, coaches).

Swimming the waters of our hurts and shadows is never easy. But ignoring it can make things much harder than they need to be. This Cancer new moon presents us the opportunity to wade into the deep. To see the monsters for who they really are – most often, the forgotten and unloved parts of ourselves that we rejected for fear that if we did not hide those parts of ourselves, we would be rejected by those we love.

Shining the light in those dark places is often the first step to feeling wholly-whole again. The invitation has been sent. Only you can determine if you will answer it.

Sabian Symbol for the July 2021 new moon

The Sabian Symbol for Cancer 18 degrees is A Priest Performing A Marriage Ceremony

This symbol would be immediately relatable to almost all of us – children and youngsters too.

On one level, it’s the coming together of two people, two families, and two sets of friends. It’s the cultural and religious sanctification that this bond is now permanent in the eyes of God (or our ancestors) and society.

But there’s more to this symbol than initially meets the eye.

While a wedding is a coming together of two people and their families, we are constantly trying to balance our dualities – masculine and feminine, light and shadow – and make sure our inner families* live together in harmony.

* Inner families – or internal families therapy – is a talk therapy that was designed in the 1990s by family therapist Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. He developed the concept of an undamaged core Self that is the essence of who you are, and identified three different types of sub-personalities or families that reside within each person, in addition to the Self. His book on Internal Families Therapy is very interesting, and while I have read and worked with the book, that is not what I’m referencing here. If you’re interested in learning more about your inner families, I think The SoulCollage® method is a much more accessible gateway in. It’s designed to “help people discover their unique inner/outer guides and challengers, and access their own wisdom to answer their life questions.” The SoulCollage® book gives you all the information you need to start on this journey.

Tarot spread for the Cancer new moon

Here’s a tarot spread to tap into the energy of this new moon cycle.

1 Me, now: Me, as I see myself

2 Holey: Where I feel broken

3 Whole: How can I feel whole

4 Me, really: Me, as I really am {Note: This card is meant to be read positively.}

5 Mama moon says

Journaling questions for the July 2021 new moon

You can use these journaling questions instead of the tarot spread, if tarot isn’t your thing. Cardslingers, you can also use these journaling prompts for further reflection:

What does wholeness mean to you?

Is there any area of your life where you feel less than whole? Why – what contributes to that feeling?

What, do you think, would contribute to a feeling of wholeness? How can you work towards making that feeling state more real for yourself?

If you share your spreads on Instagram, please use the hashtag #moontarotstories so we can connect with each other.

Take a deep dive into astrology, tarot, mixed media and developing your intuition!

Are you ready to take your self-discovery, personal improvement, and spiritual journey to a new level?

Join me for Pull Pen Paint, an interactive online course, where you will learn to trust your intuition more fully, deeply, and more intentionally.

You will learn how to use oracle and tarot cards more intuitively, journal using your intuitive insights, and even take it a step further and use the cards to spark your creative practices!

You will also be introduced to mindfulness, energetics, numerology, meditation, breath work, and other holistically connected systems that will help you to cultivate a deeper understanding of who you are so you can navigate the world more confidently.

And, to top it off, there are FOUR virtual retreats designed around the four elements, where you can be in deeper conversation + community with the teachers and other students. It’s going to be amazing! {All live sessions are recorded, so you can watch and re-watch them at your leisure!}

You will end the program with pages and pages of notes, art, and information to refer to for years to come! I do hope you will join us!