When is Cancer Season?
From June 21 – July 22 each year (approx), the Sun moves through the most feminine of zodiacal signs: Cancer. Symbolized by the crab and ruled by the Moon, this solar season pulls our attention inward, to the heart. Of the whole astrological year, this is the time that the hard exterior you normally display to the world will likely crack – probably numerous times – revealing the tenderness you hold within.
Cancer has a deep need for security, safety, and a haven, to hold this unwinding. And it’s the queen of providing them too – those with their doors wide open and their teapots always topped up are often the people who hold a lot of Cancerian energy in their personal zodiac charts.
Cancer Season: the Potential for Emotional Mastery!
But this isn’t to say that feminine energy is always over-emotional or prone to emotional outpourings! In its balanced form, Cancer is an example of emotional mastery, and this season – when the Sun radiates this particular flavor of energy, and we’re each fueled by it – you get to practice what this means. But becoming a master of your emotions is only actually possible through facing personal challenges and learning and growing from them, so don’t expect it to be an easy ride!
Most people will find their emotions are heightened over the next month. This can cause cravings for comfort and familiarity. OR the need to shower these onto others (as a highly empathic energy, Cancer just knows when another needs solace, safety, and a soft shoulder to cry on). Maternal archetypes often show up strongly, as can those of the wounded child, especially if there are unresolved family dynamics to be sifted through (expect these to also rear their heads over Cancer Season).
Cancer Season: The Lunar Connection
Ruled by the Moon, Cancer teaches us to move through the phases of our life and our growth with grace. As the first of the water signs, it brings a flowing, rhythmical energy which allows us to release attachment but also be held and supported where needed.
How to Use the Energy of Cancer Season for Personal Growth
So how can you actually use this powerful but comforting energy over the next four weeks? What are some of the ways you can apply the frequency of this sign and maximize the good it can do as it moves through your life?
Well, there’s one clear route and it goes straight through the heart!
Opening your heart doesn’t mean discarding common sense and not listening to logic, but it does mean letting your heart LEAD, and perhaps putting that chattering monkey brain we’ve all become so used to over the last four weeks of Gemini Season, to rest.
So here are 7 simple but very effective ways to open your heart, tap into its wisdom and allow that strong, nurturing Cancerian energy to flow through the next four weeks of your life!
1. Be Present
It was Lao Tsu who said:
“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
The present is the ONLY place that any of us are capable of truly feeling. Because Cancer season is all about emotions: feeling them, understanding them, processing them and mastering them, it’s imperative to stay in the present. The moment you drift off into nostalgia or begin to worry about what the future holds, you take away your heart’s power to connect to the present and do the work requires NOW.
2. Practice Forgiveness
Holding onto pain, anger, judgment and a victim mentality keeps the heart locked up. Unlocking it is a process, and forgiveness can form a pivotal piece.
During Cancer season, when emotions are heightened, a lot of good reasons to hold onto harmful, fear-based emotions can seem to show up. (In fact, these emotions will rise up regardless of who and what in your life triggers them. You’re the one attaching them to your external circumstances as a secondary act, to legitimize what you feel).
Follow this link to read about the power of forgiveness, and for a simple step-by-step forgiveness method that you can use when those familiar, old emotions begin to rise.
Releasing them with forgiveness will set you free.
3. Get your House in Order!
Governing the fourth astrological house of home, foundations, family and motherhood, Cancer season is the ideal time to tend to hearth and home, and simply get the house in order!
It is incredible how liberating it is to tackle the most basic, domestic work: Tending to overdue chores, scheduling health appointments, and simply checking back in with loved ones, making time for each other and creating good memories together can be revolutionary acts! With the home in order, your attention can be given over to the important things and the heart has space to expand.
4. Try a Color Visualization
The heart chakra vibrates in resonance with the color green. Try this simple color visualization to quickly help open the heart and re-balance its energy, wherever you are.
- Close your eyes and take a moment to find your center.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, and visualize the air as the color green, filling first your lungs and then your whole body.
- Breathe out through your mouth, visualizing the air as a stream of white mist dissipating into the space around you.
- Repeat until you feel calm and in a place of love and acceptance.
For more info about activating the heart chakra using the color green, follow this link.
5. Practice Heart-Opening Yoga
Heart Opening yoga can be so potent to practice during Cancer season!
Whether you’re in the Northern Hemisphere soaking up the summer Sun or in the Southern Hemisphere wrapped up for winter, taking little time out to rebalance body, mind and spirit will not only boost your health and wellness but serve as an act of self-care. After all, your body is your first home.
Great heart and chest-opening yoga poses to try include bow pose (Dhanurasana), Fish Pose (Matsyasana) and Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana).
Yogajournal.com https://www.yogajournal.com/ is a great place to start, or just type in “heart opening yoga” into youtube and see what comes up! Or if you go to a yoga class already, ask your instructor to demonstrate some of their favorite heart opening poses to you this month.
But if yoga’s not your thing, then at the very least ensure you are walking tall with your spine straight and your shoulders pushed back. Giving your lungs maximum space to expand as you breathe will also help activate your heart.
6. Accept Love
In its unbalanced aspect, Cancer energy can become over-indulgent, mollycoddling and become depleting. At worst, it can tip into martyrdom. But balanced Cancerian energy reminds us that as well as offering unconditional love to others, it’s vital to be able to receive love too. Like Cancer’s ruling planet, the Moon, be a receiver this month. Stop, take a few breaths, rest and allow others to take care of you, as well as running to the rescue of everybody else!
So this season, learn to receive the love, care and attention that YOU need!
7. Give Gratitude
One of the most powerful pathways to an open heart is to give gratitude for what you have. This is SO simple that it can be easily overlooked and dismissed as a regular practice. But expressing daily, conscious gratitude (spoken, written or thought) is a great Cancer season heart opener, and a speedy route to emotional balance and mastery.
Do you have any Cancer energy in your personal astrology chart?
Do these any of these exercises resonate with you … or not?
Share your thoughts below, and let’s flow into the new Season together!
