CONSOLIDATION: JANUARY 2022 FULL MOON

Full Moon in Cancer
17 January 2022, 23h48 GMT

2022’s first full moon is likely to feel quite intense and emotional. Not only does it take place in sensitive Cancer, the sign where it feels most ‘at home’, but it also features a dramatic Sun-Pluto conjunction in earthy Capricorn, which could bring buried feelings or hidden secrets to the surface. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself feeling more touchy, fragile or vulnerable than usual – your inner child may be asking you to practise some good self-care now.

After the urge to go out into the world and make our NY’s resolutions happen at the Capricorn new moon at the start of January, we may now feel the need to pause, reflect and reconnect with what nourishes us – good food, family, home – perhaps even a duvet day or two.

And given the somewhat intense and jarring energies of both Pluto & Uranus, which will station on January the 18th, it’s probably a good idea to take the time to make sure you get the rest and nutrition that you need to be able to cope with any external challenges or harsh reality checks brought about by the two outer planets most associated with change. The key will be to pace yourself and allow blocks of down time for processing. Luckily, the planets will not be that busy during January’s second half, giving us all a chance to catch our breaths.

Venus will still be retrograde – in fact, she is due to turn direct just as this particular lunar month closes out at the end of January. IJoining her will be Mercury, which will be retracing its steps through Aquarius and back into Capricorn between 14 January and 4 February. This could add to the feelings of nostalgia brought about by the Cancer Full Moon whilst also increasing the desire to re-examine or rewrite the past.

Both the luminaries and Pluto form part of a larger aspect pattern – a mystic rectangle – that takes in the lunar nodes, suggesting that the next two weeks could be a great opportunity to integrate important soul lessons or release ancestral or behavioural patterns that might be holding you back.

MAJOR THEMES

CHEAT SHEET: HOW WILL THIS FULL MOON AFFECT YOU?

The first Full Moon of 2022 takes place Cancer, the sign of motherhood, childhood as well as food, roots, home, parenting, and safety/security.

This soli-lunar event calls on us all to try and find a balance between giving and receiving love, self-care vs fulfilling domestic responsibilities and obligations, as well as self-sufficiency and emotional maturity – being able to take care of ourselves and others in a healthy and reciprocal way that doesn’t lead to co-dependency or over-giving.

Use the cheatsheet below to find your rising sign and its corresponding counterpart. This will help you to identify the two life areas you are trying to balance or reconcile this month.

Sabian Symbol

This Sabian symbol for this month’s full moon talks about the need to reconcile past and future. On the one hand, there is the ancient wisdom held by many traditional cultures, our families as well as the lessons of history, all of which we stand to learn and benefit from, if we maintain a respect for the past. On the other, there is the pressing need to modernize and improve on previous precedents or ways of doing things, especially where customs, habits or traditions have proved to be less than adequate.

At the heart of both is the notion of the tribe or clan and the need to belong. Sometimes we may feel torn between wanting our family to approve of us, or to remain true to the values of our upbringing and wanting to embrace different or more advanced ways of doing things. This dilemma can often feel most accute for those who already feel different, marginalized or other in relation to society, or who choose to lead an unconventional lifestyle eg being LGBT – the desire to be accepted has to be balanced by the need to be true to onesself. This is the push-pull dynamic at work during most full moons, which always take place when the luminaries are 180 degrees apart, on opposite sides of the horizon. However, with Uranus due to station on January 18, and Aquarius season just days away, the tension between polarities may feel more accute than usual.

One of the key lessons of this sabian symbol is non-judgement – acceptance of difference, which can always help to bridge the gap between ourselves and others. We don’t all have to be the same, or live in the same way in order to get on. By exhibiting tolerance of otherness oand embracing diversity, whilst also retaining a health respect for the past, we stand to benefit most.

Key Aspect patterns

The Sun and Moon will form a mystic rectangle with Pluto and the nodes. This aspect pattern is associated with integration and the ‘constructive use of natural talents.’ Made up of two oppositions, two sextiles and two trines, it is all about finding ways to blend tension with harmony in order to assimilate important karmic lessons.

In this case, these are likely to involve our relationship to truth and power, as well as our attitudes to change. With the nodes, there is always a tension between wanting to stay in our comfort zones and being pushed to try new things or experiences. Add Pluto into the mix, and we’re definitely talking about having the courage to let go of things that no longer serve us, or open ourselves up to events or developments that may be beyond our control.

Add to that the inclusion of the luminaries, and we really are talking about personal growth and finding ways to heal, refine or transmute patterns, dynamics or behaviours that might be controlling us or holding us back on some level. Ancestral patterns or family dynmaics could also play an important role here, given that we are talking about the signs (Cancer/Capricorn) and planets (Sun/Moon) most strongly associated with archetypal maternal and paternal figures.