Sun in Cancer

For most of this lunar month, Sun will be in Cancer.

We had a unique situation this month wherein there were two empty Moons within one sign, instead of the regular empty Moon in a new sign each month. This is because this last month was an Adhika-masa or intercalary month which occurs roughly every 3 years, to correct the gap between solar and lunar months.

Essentially, this means that a major re-alignment occurred over the past month. Traditionally this time would have been utilized for spiritual practices and to attend to any long-neglected duties, especially as they relate to one’s relationship with the divine. You may have noticed that in the material world things can get a little tricky during an Adhika-masa, as the gears of all that is solar attempt to sync up with all that is lunar. We can see this in the relationships in our lives and also with ourselves, as the more traditionally masculine or extraverted parts of ourselves are asked to reckon with the more traditionally feminine or aspects of ourselves and our personality.

The beginning of this month marks the end of that (sometimes delicate) re-alignment period, after which we are thrust into the themes of Cancer: the sign of heart and home. Though the realignment of solar and lunar qualities may have officially ended, until the next Adhika Masa, the theme of integration of Sun and Moon is still present this month with Sun in the sign of the Moon, as if the Universe is giving us an opportunity to practice what it’s taught us in the last month.

Moon will be here for just a couple of days, while Sun will remain here for the entirety of month, bringing the focus to domestic life, family, care and comfort. Sun in Cancer will highlight the fact that these foundations of life and emotional health are resources of supreme value.

Because Sun is a planet that appreciates structure, this is an excellent month to build more structure and routine into the home life. The ideal outcome of the Sun’s time here is to highlight how structure and routine are a form of care and protection—both for oneself and one’s family or the other people who may take part in your domestic life.

This can also be a time to develop a sustainable rhythm with how you interact with your own internal world—the realm of the Moon and Cancer, which rules the heart.

Cancer is also the sign associated with overall health and resilience, which tells us that being in tune with your inner life is a key factor in overall health. Particular emphasis can be placed on self-care practices which connect you to your emotions and build self-esteem. Self-esteem and sense of Self— both indications of the Sun—can be considered as a sort of structure inside which the emotions of Cancer can circulate more effectively. The Sun in Cancer gives us the opportunity to approach difficult emotions with confidence.

Luckily for us, the Sun will receive no malefic aspects while in Cancer, which means that the significations of the Sun can come through in a relatively clean way.