New Moon in Cancer
planting the seed of care
Dear New Moon readers,
The New Moon arrives this Wednesday, June 25, at 4 degrees of Cancer. Cancer is the Moon’s home sign—here, it’s most attuned to its cyclical rhythm and emotional intelligence. This lunation is blessed by a close conjunction with Jupiter, the planet of growth, hope, and wisdom. Together, the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter align to open a new cycle—not only of the month, but of the year ahead—as Jupiter begins its new journey through Cancer.
Cancer is a water sign, and like water, it moves not in straight lines, but in rhythms and swells. Its wisdom isn’t linear, but cyclical. Think of a wave washing over a rock—again and again—softening it over time. Think of seaweed growing in the tidal pools left behind. There is a hugging quality to waves: the way they wrap around what they meet, the way they nourish through contact. Cancer teaches us this kind of care. It reminds us that being close—emotionally, energetically, physically—can itself be healing.
Cancer is the archetype of the nurturer, the protector, the one who offers shelter and softness. It asks us to care for what is vulnerable, both in others and in ourselves. To say: this matters. This needs tending. This deserves to grow.
At its best, Cancer offers safety without confinement. A sense of belonging without possession. But when fear takes over, Cancer can cling too tightly—afraid to lose or to be left. This New Moon squares Saturn in Aries, bringing tension between emotional safety and self-definition. Saturn insists we grow up. It asks us to define what we need, what we’re committed to, what we’re building toward. Saturn can be stern, but it helps us get serious about what matters. Jupiter says: abundance is possible. Saturn says: but only if you show up for it.
This lunation also squares Neptune, blurring the lines between real and imagined. That’s not a bad thing. New Moons mark the seed phase of the lunar cycle—a time to set an intention and open to receiving. Intentions are fed by imagination, and imagination is hazy and elusive by nature. We can let the waters be a little muddy before they clear. Let your intuition drift, swirl, and then settle. Let an image or a phrase come and find you.
There’s quiet support from Mars in Virgo—a grounding sextile that encourages simple, practical acts of care. Fold the laundry. Cook a nourishing meal. Write the message you’ve been meaning to send. Mars in Virgo reminds us that sometimes the small steps are the most rewarding.
As Cancer teaches us to care, Aries teaches us to individuate. To define ourselves, not through separation, but through listening to the call of our own life. In her monthly horoscopes for Cancer season, my dear teacher Renee Sills speaks about the difference between individuation and individualism—and how relationships need tending and care, but they also need to tend and care for us, so that we can be who we are. We are not meant to disappear inside our relationships, but neither are we meant to do everything alone. The question is: how can we show up with more wholeness—so that our presence becomes something we can offer, not something we withhold?
This New Moon offers a gentle invitation: to feel more deeply, and to plant the seed of our own growth. A growth that comes through care and connectivity.
A Water Ritual for the New Moon
If you're near a lake, river, or the sea, you might like to honor this New Moon by immersing yourself in water. Step in slowly. Feel the water touch your skin. As you float or wade, imagine the water washing away what’s been hard or heavy. Let the movement of the water remind you of your own beginnings—whether we’re talking about the time when you were evolving as fish, or when you were suspended in the fluids of the womb. How might bonding with water inspire a new beginning in you? If you like, whisper an intention into the water. When you emerge, take a breath. Feel the air on your skin. Let it be enough.
New Moon blessings,
Annika x
Thanks for reading this post from diamonds on jupiter, a collection of writings on the art of astrology by Annika Wisniewski. Please consider sharing this newsletter with anyone you think might appreciate it.