Cancer Season - THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

Vol. 59 // 06-27-24

Greetings friends,

I am taking a brief break from writing horoscopes, at least for this week, but perhaps a little longer. This summer solstice newsletter and the first Capricorn full moon newsletter have been sitting unfinished for too long for my liking—the only parts that need finishing are the horoscopes. However, I am going through a very emotionally turbulent time, which has made it difficult to feel inspired enough to write with the depth and detail that I prefer. Because of this, I’m going to send out this newsletter and the Capricorn full moon newsletters without horoscopes and will hopefully be in a slightly different space next week so that I can show up in the ways that I want with my writing. The transitions that are taking place in my life at present have been extremely demanding of me, and I’m trying to honor my body, emotions, mind, and heart through every experience that’s been presented to me.

I’ve hardly taken a break since starting this newsletter, and while I find so much joy in writing it, this season of life is directing much of my attention to my personal life and inner world. I hope that this short hiatus will allow me to get some clarity and restore the spaces in my life that I’ve neglected so that I may show up more authentically and inspired in future newsletters. Thank you for your support, patience, and interest, always. I’m finding great joy in my 1:1 client work at this time, and because of that and the changing of the seasons, I’ve made all my readings 15% off through Sunday, June 30th, 2024. If you are interested in meeting with me, whether in person or via a recording, I look forward to connecting with you.

I find it ironic and truthful how—you’ll read further down in the astrology section—this Cancer season is a bit different from the rest, but in its motherly essence, it urges us to return to our basic needs—to invest in what nourishes us. I suppose I’ve realized in the past week or so that I need to practice what I preach a bit more, haha, which is a contributing factor to my pause on writing horoscopes. To be transparent, this first Capricorn full moon hit me like a BUS, and I’m still acclimating to the new reality that’s been shaped following its illumination. I will have more to share next week in the newsletter discussing Saturn retrograde and Lilith’s shift into Libra, which will be vital influences in this summer’s events and thematic experiences. In that newsletter also, I’ll hopefully be in the mental space to discuss how Cancer season and these additional shifts are setting us up for this summer’s teachings. Sending you all the best and much love. Be well, my friends.

xx, Aspen

Happy summer solstice. June 20th was the first official day of Cancer season, marking the beginning of summer, a new astrological season, and the summer solstice. The summer solstice has been celebrated as the longest day of the year for many centuries and is an initiation into a new chapter of the year that we can celebrate by spending time replenishing our stores, recharging ourselves, and reconvening with our hopes and dreams. We’re encouraged to set new intentions, practice self-care, spend time outside, refresh our spaces, and celebrate in whatever ways feel best for us.

This summer solstice season quite different than the past fifteen or sixteen we’ve had, as Pluto is not in Capricorn, which is perhaps allowing us to finally feel more peace about what Cancer season wishes for us to experience: rest and replenishment. Since Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008, each of the Cancer seasons that have followed has perhaps felt more intense and has urged us to transform ourselves despite our desire to have a moment of peace. It’s as if Pluto has brought an undertone of heaviness to the home—whether that’s a physical place, a person, or a feeling—and has made it difficult for us to joyfully rest; instead, it’s as if we’ve been forced to rest because of so much intense energy. I will note that this has a more subtle undertone, as Pluto is not that noticeable on an individual level unless it’s directly contacting a personal placement through an aspect. Those who have quite a bit of Cardinal energy in their charts can probably relate more to what I’ve shared above than the Fixed or Mutable signs; this is just a subtle but significant difference that I think is important to point out.

CANCER SEASON
Cancer is the fourth sign in the natural wheel and the second Cardinal sign—Cardinal water. The Cardinal signs are the initiators who mark beginnings, which is why a Cardinal sign always starts off a new season—Aries begins spring, Cancer begins summer, Libra begins autumn, and Capricorn begins winter. Cancer governs the fourth house of home, beginnings, foundations, origins, family, roots, tradition, and childhood, and is the only sign governed by the moon. Cancer is intuitive, protective, and deeply emotionally aware. This is the sign of mothers and nurturers—those who sacrifice their personal agendas to invest in those they love or are emotionally involved with. Cancer in the chart can symbolize our complex and intimate relationships with our mother figures—the impact that our mothers or nurturers have had in our lives that is impossible to remove from us, even if our relationships with them may not always be the most harmonious. Cancer symbolizes a space within us that our mother figures and those who nurture us will always occupy. This also applies to the family unit as a whole; while we all may have lived together at one point or another—no matter how brief—there is a point where we all disperse. We may live drastically different lives from the dispersal onward, but there is still that invisible bond that ties us together and can be an intimate memory to commune in later on, no matter how different from one another we become.

Because the water signs can be represented by fluids in the external world (lakes, rivers, rain, ocean, etc.), they are also connected to fluids in the body—an example of the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm (I will have to go into that more in-depth at a later date, because wow, that’s a lot to discuss). Cancer is the mother’s breastmilk—provided to her child to build them a strong foundation, specially curated to meet her child’s needs, and given without anything expected in return. A mother’s breastmilk heavily shapes the child’s gut microbiome, promotes healthy brain and nervous system development, and lowers the child’s risk for infections, but, most incredibly, can have a lasting effect on the child’s health for their entire life—all through adulthood. Children who are breastfed can have lower chances of obesity, diabetes, allergies, asthma, autoimmunity, cardiovascular diseases, and more.

The reason I bring this up is that breastmilk is the perfect example of how we carry our mothers’ sacrifice with us at the very core of our being, and their sacrifice is a testament to our existence—us being the way we are right now. I also must note that this is not meant to be literally applied to us as individuals, as breastmilk is obviously not something that is accessible to every child in their upbringing. What I mean is that the essence of our mothers is imprinted into us and is a fundamental piece of who we are. No matter the complexity or standing of our relationships with our mothers, no matter how hard some of us may try to alienate or separate ourselves from them, we cannot escape the fact that we are our mothers’ children. Some of us may try desperately to sever our connections with our mothers, wishing to never be like them, only to realize that in our attempts to be separate, we’ve exercised the stubbornness, rage, willfulness, and determination we’ve inherited from them. In a way, Cancer season is for us to observe how the generations before us have shaped who we have become and consider how we will choose to carry on tradition or write a new one into our lineage.

There can be a strong focus when discussing this season on the home, comfort, needs, and emotions, and while that is entirely true because this Cancer season is hosting two Capricorn full moons, the first of which happened over this past weekend, we may be clearing out many of the wounds that our mothers have inflicted upon us, even if that was not their intention. In this season, we will be focusing on how we can meet our own needs and mother ourselves, which, in doing so, will likely mean that many of us are slowing down, simplifying our schedules, and taking more time to restore our minds, bodies, and souls. This is a time in which we are encouraged to nurture ourselves and gently hold space for any emotions that arise as we decompress from the busyness of life. This season may feel like the first time in a while that we’re able to take a breath, even if we are currently dealing with some difficult transitions. And these life transitions very well may be the cause of our having to slow down and take a breath.

This Difference of This Specific Cancer Season 
During this specific Cancer season, we’re invited to explore the intricate threads that weave together our relationships with our mothers or caregivers, or, on a broader scale, our families—those whom we share origins with. There may be big opportunities for forgiveness, healing, and the mending of strained relationships with maternal figures during this season, as the Saturn influence in Pisces invites us to come to terms with “what is” and allow ourselves to release any harsh opinions so that we can see more perspectives than our own. There is a bittersweet undertone to this season that I am struggling to even articulate in words that I understand. We may find ourselves empathizing with the fact that our mother figures are simply young girls who have grown up—girls with their own insecurities, issues, dreams, wounds, and aspirations—and perhaps, girls with just as complex a relationship with their mothers as we may have with them. But at the same time, we may be better understanding that while we can empathize with their experiences, we are still allowed to empathize with ourselves and the pains or issues that have been passed down to us through them. We can release our frustration toward them and also uphold our boundaries to maintain our well-being as our highest priority.

This season is for holding space for the child within us, to provide ourselves with all that we may have needed when we were small but perhaps were not given. Through this season, we’re invited to mother ourselves in the ways that our mothers could or did not, and in doing so, we may find that we begin breaking apart resentment, anger, and bitterness that we may still have for them. This season may have us humanizing our mothers more, which may feel quite conflicting for some of us as we may find it easier to justify our strained relationships with them by villainizing their roles in our lives. Some of us may even be put into situations of forced proximity with those in our family or on our maternal line, which may urge us to more deeply contemplate our perceptions of our family members and the events that have made our relationships what they are.

There may be a question posed to each of us regarding a maternal wound that we have calcified with bitterness, so we do not have to address it head-on, and the question is this: What good does it serve you to keep holding on to the past? We are being invited to let the past be the past, no matter how much pain or misfortune was experienced, so that we may invest our energy in and focus on more present matters. This is not to diminish the actions of our caregivers that may have had negative impacts on us; it is to set ourselves free. This season holds space for long-standing wounds relating to childhood to be released and transmuted so that we can be liberated from their burden and free up space for more nourishing things to grow. We may recognize through this nuanced Cancer season that the best way we can parent ourselves now is to start finding acceptance for the shortcomings of our parents and caregivers. While I’ll share more about the full moons in tomorrow’s newsletter, these moons and this Cancer season are big, protected spaces for healing to take place for deeply seated wounds, wounds that have existed for over a decade.

This is not to highlight our families’, mothers’, or caregivers’ negative qualities or exaggerate their failures. This may merely be a time in which even the most harmonious relationships with loved ones are looked at with a bit more criticism. With Capricorn and Cancer paired together, we can empathize with everyone’s experiences and emotional influences over their actions while simultaneously seeing things realistically—not painting things in a worse light, but also not making them look better than they truthfully are. We can have a profound love for our families and caregivers while also validating the experiences where we felt let down or harmed by them. This energetic time is not to pass judgment on anyone, but to accept the truth for what it is and then move forward so we can lighten any emotional weight that we’ve been carrying for a long time.

Take the time you need to process any complex emotions that arise, but I encourage you to make peace with the past and come to terms with what decisions are being shown to you at present. Although we are now in Cancer season, where the moon’s emotional fluctuation often guides our perspective, with such prominent Saturn influence, we’re being reminded that healing is a choice and is oftentimes one that requires us to put aside our stubborn opinions so that we can surrender to its flow. As a final note, I want to clarify that this is not necessarily “heavy” energy, but there are some complexities that become more prominent to us in our emotional connections and relationships. All of this discussion I’ve shared about mothers and caregivers may not even be referencing a parental figure; perhaps this applies to a partner who you’ve depended on, a friend who feels like a sibling, or a mentor who’s had a prominent impact on your life. Chosen family can be just as complex and emotionally deep as blood family, and sometimes it may be even more “family” than the family you were raised in. Think of this season as a beautiful portal to a more balanced state of mind that will allow us to understand our identities, desires, priorities, and needs much better so that we can take actions that are aligned with the fulfillment of those things. Embrace any big feelings that arise, and try to create more moments of stillness so you can better understand what they’re trying to share with you.

A Brief Additional Note: Pluto Out of Capricorn and the Summer Ahead 
In my opinion, this summer is the beginning of the real action in the karmic events of this year. 2024 is a karma year, but this season is when we, essentially, get into the thick of it, as we are experiencing three Saturn-ruled (the planet of karma) full moons this summer and one final one in the sign of Saturn, which will also be a lunar eclipse. While Pluto is out of Capricorn and will not be opposing any of these transits through Cancer for the first time in sixteen years, the two Capricorn full moons happening at the beginning and end of the season are infusing quite a bit of Saturn essence into this time, which is serving a very specific purpose. While Pluto passed through Capricorn, many of us likely accumulated burdens that, while perhaps painful and uncomfortable, have been vital pieces in our growth and evolution as individuals. We may have endured lessons that felt quite lonely and isolating—lessons that had us learning things the hard way and transforming because of the aftermath—and we may have felt like there was no one but ourselves to shoulder the side effects of the lessons, even after they subsided.

That’s not to say that many of us have not been able to heal ourselves through Pluto in Capricorn, but there may have been many experiences that required us to grow in maturity, self-sufficiency, and responsibility for ourselves—we were hardened into a more authoritative state of being. These lessons, even though some may not be able to see them presently, were vital pieces to build momentum for the direction that we’re collectively moving in with Pluto’s shift into Aquarius. Capricorn teaches us how to stay strong and determined, even in the face of hardship—to keep our sights set on the goal despite the pain. Aquarius teaches us how to alchemize that hardship into something better, to transform our pain into power; through Aquarius, we learn how to turn what burdens or isolates us into the very thing that grants us access to a higher state of consciousness.

MERCURY AND VENUS IN CANCER

Mercury in Cancer
Mercury and Venus being in Cancer will contribute to what I discussed above regarding Cancer Season, but I’ll briefly discuss how their influences will support this energetic time. With Mercury governing over thresholds, communication, transitions, expression (especially through language and word choice), thoughts, words, ideas, and the mental domain, being in sensitive Cancer will support us to have a bit more intuitive guidance in terms of how we convey our thoughts and opinions to others. This might be a time when our minds become softened and more easily influenced by our emotions, so it will be important for us to consider how we can make practical decisions that serve our best interests even when our emotions may want to guide us to choose differently. When Mercury is in Cancer, our word choice, decision-making, and thought process are more heavily influenced by the movement of the moon and our natal moon placements, which may be a helpful thing to pay attention to when it comes to having conversations with others, especially important ones.

It is important to identify the difference between emotion and intuition when our minds are more aligned with watery energy, as we may be prone to saying things that we don’t actually mean because we allow emotion to lead our thought processes. We can validate our emotional experiences and all the thoughts that follow them while also not allowing emotion to cloud our judgment. Cancer, while empathetic and nurturing, can be quite a sharp communicator when they feel their emotions have not been considered. However, this transit does suggest that we’re feeling more open to speaking from the heart and are perhaps more open to hearing others’ feelings as well. Cancer mercuries can be quite solution-oriented, as their primary goal usually involves restoring peace to the connection or home. Because of this, any conversations that we have at this time may be quite productive in our understanding of one another. This can also be a time in which we’re more aware of our mental and energetic capacities and can reassess what we are capable of managing and what we are not. We may find that the more we simplify our schedules, the more balanced our minds feel and the easier it is for us to regulate our emotional bodies.

Venus in Cancer
Venus quite enjoys Cancer, as it highlights Venus’s desire for comfort, security, and peace. Venus governs money, beauty, the senses, food, pleasure, and other things we place value on. Under this influence, we may find ourselves craving more emotional connection and feeling more emotionally sensitive. This is a supportive time for us to invest in our basic needs, especially if we’ve allowed some of them to be neglected while we pursued other things in Gemini season. With Venus in Cancer, we may feel more in tune with what our bodies need, which is why reconnecting with our favorite self-care practices is suggested. This can also be a lovely time to dote upon the people you love; we may find ourselves feeling more inspired to create experiences for our loved ones that can really exemplify how much we care for them. Venus in Cancer also tends to make food a bigger priority, which may mean that many of us will be inclined to make more meals or baked goods from scratch, and we may desire to invite others over so they can try the results of our efforts.

This is a favorable time to invest in your home space as well; we may find ourselves redecorating or changing our living spaces to be more aesthetically pleasing and peaceful. This could also be a terrific time to consider what you may be missing from your diet to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need. Venus in Cancer craves to be nourished in every capacity—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Security is a greater priority as well. This transit may have us needing more connection, physical touch, and heart-to-heart conversations, so don’t feel bad about asking for a bit more time and attention from your loved ones.

You may also consider observing your emotional relationship with money, as this can be a favorable time for us to understand how we emotionally relate to material possessions and our finances. In doing so, you might identify some foundational narratives that you’ve had from childhood that are influencing your energetic relationship with abundance and money. While we may be a bit more sensitive to the fluctuations of money in our lives, it’s important for us to allow our creative flow to be a priority over disciplined work. You might find that your creativity leads you into a new financial opportunity or opens a door for your finances to be blessed in some way.

Take this time to invest in the relationships that matter most to you and cultivate a cozier environment for yourself to decompress. Returning to our self-care routines that help nurture us on more than a physical level may boost our energy and help balance our mental and emotional worlds.

READINGS DISCOUNTED THROUGH SUNDAY!

I’ve decided to discount all three of my birth chart reading options through the weekend in honor of the changing season. All readings are 15% off through Sunday, June 30th, 2024. Book a reading with me to understand what your primary summer themes will be, get a better understanding of your chart’s energy, or help you navigate this current season of life!

10-minute recorded reading (was $45):

90-minute entrepreneurship reading (was $333):

60-minute in-person reading (was $190):

90-minute in-person reading (was $222):