Inhabiting the Home of the Heart Under the Cancer Full Moon

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it.” ~ Bruce Lee

The moon is considered to be “at home” in the sign of Cancer, for its changing phases mirror our own inner ups and downs.  A cardinal water sign, Cancer reminds us that our emotions are a natural part of life and therefore contain wisdom.

Instead of reacting to our emotions from a place of anger or aversion, this particular full moon invites us to respond to life’s ups and downs from a wise heart.

If you find yourself “picking up the rope” of reactivity, try breathing, relaxing and feeling yourself loosen your grip.  Return to the vast ocean of your heart where, as a student of Rumi, Alana Fairchild, puts it, “there is plenty [of love] for all”:

“It takes a great spirit, one with much practice of studied rebellion, to be ready to cast off the shackles of society from a place of loving defiance rather than fearful anger.  And to playfully say to the world, ‘I have tasted your stale bread and underdeveloped wine, and have had quite enough now. I decline your offer to gorge upon such lesser fruits.  I prefer to feast upon bread, hot and fresh, and wine that is mouth-filling and unctuous.  Join me if you like. It is an abundant feast and there is plenty for all.’”

I think about our collective heart under this full moon.  There is a message from spirit that destruction, loss and catastrophe, such as that caused by the LA wildfires, open the doors to the deep care for one another that resides in all human hearts.  We are able to see beyond that which makes us feel small and separate, and touch into a larger, more compassionate awareness that is always present.

Here are several practices to help you find lasting emotional stability under this full moon:

⏾  Soothe yourself with warming activities such as baths, fireplaces, sesame oil massages, big blankets, cuddles, snuggles, hugs, and herbal teas

⏾  Establish a solid foundation around your own self-care rituals and routines

⏾ Find a home inside your heart, like the shell a crab carries on its back

⏾  Spend time at home, making it a cozy, comfortable place to be

⏾  Fill up your own cup so that it can overflow onto others

⏾  Shower yourself and others with unconditional love

⏾  Nourish your body with warm foods and fluids

⏾  Relish in a good cry through a movie or book

Here are some healing affirmations for you under this full moon (and for the two weeks thereafter):

“It is safe for me to let go and trust in divine flow.”

“I honor my body’s natural rhythm and needs.”

“I am not my feelings, I have feelings.”