Full Moon In Cancer 2023

We are having a Full Moon in Cancer which will be exact on January 6th and 7th depending on your location. However, it will appear the fullest on the night of the 6th for the majority of the world. This is the peak of the Lunar cycle which began two weeks prior with a New Moon in Capricorn on December 23rd.

The energies of a Full Moon builds up as the Moon increases its light and is strongest during this lunar climax as well as in the days before and after. However, it will still be a part of the backdrop over the following two weeks. Full Moon’s are a period in which we feel a push-pull between two opposing signs, in this case being the Moon in Cancer and Sun in Capricorn. It can reflect either a conflict or integration of both signs.

We can feel this opposition happening individually within us and/or we can also experience it play out around us with some people (or circumstances) expressing the Capricorn side and others expressing the Cancer side. In some cases, Full Moon’s can also reflect/trigger some sort of release or change.

Full Moon In Cancer Opposing Sun & Mercury Retrograde In Capricorn On The Verge of Inferior Conjunction

The Sun entered Capricorn on the December 21st/22nd Solstice as it always does as per the Tropical Zodiac. This is the sign of ambition, goals, achieving, status, duties, management, career, productivity, responsibility, authorities, and discipline. It is cautious, prudent, practical, orderly, masterful, worldly, business oriented, realistic, and a social climber. Capricorn can also be cold, narrow minded, controlling, pessimistic, cynical, and overly concerned with status.

The Full Moon will be highlighting its home sign of Cancer and will be bringing its themes into the equation while in a push-pull dynamic with the opposition to the Sun in Capricorn. Cancer is the sign of family, domestic needs, self-care, comforts, subjective perception, security, emotional sensitivity, nurturing, and nostalgia. It is caring, personal, motherly, empathic, vulnerable, instinctual, intuitive and protective. Negatively, Cancer can also be moody, clingy, insecure, as well as overly subjective.

Mercury (which is retrograde) is also involved in this configuration as it is in Capricorn next to the Sun and will be opposing the Cancerian Moon. This can bring a theme of thoughts vs feelings, mental vs emotional needs, communications vs personal/inner needs, and other ways as well. We may experience this conflict within ourselves and/or through our relations. If you experience this, the key will be to follow gut feelings.

At the time of this Full Moon, Mercury retrograde will be approximately fourteen hours away from its exact ‘inferior conjunction’ with the Sun which is still opposing the Moon in Cancer. This is the culmination of the retrograde and is a significant period in Mercury’s cycle with the Sun.

Certain things that happen at this time are part of a process of ridding yourself of certain thoughts, ideas, perceptions, old interests, expectations, activities, or other things that are not serving you while the potential for new ones may be seeded. It will be tied into the Cancer-Capricorn opposition mentioned above and can also have to do with other themes that have been coming up for you over previous months. For some people, retrograde related complications and frustrations can also be stronger during this conjunction depending on your circumstances or how you are applying yourself.

Full Moon Square Chiron, Sextile Uranus, & Trine Neptune

This Full Moon is in a hard square with Chiron which will also be triggered on January 10th/11th by Mercury retrograde. This can reflect dealing with dilemmas, and/or issues pertaining to our wounds, personal challenges, blockages, or negative patterns. However, at best this is also an opportunity for realizations, insights, or to see things in a different way that could be helpful in dealing with our challenges.

This Full Moon is in a sextile with Uranus which will also be triggered strongly on January 8th/9th when Mercury is in a trine with it. All of this happening in close proximity to Mercury’s inferior conjunction can facilitate insights, breakthroughs, some sort of liberation, or positive/freeing change which may be connected to letting go or changing a perception, mindset, mental focus, expectations, or something that involves communication.

With Neptune in Pisces also in an easy aspect, this can bring opportunity for transcendence, spiritual healing, or compassionate interactions that can be helpful. This can heighten the sensitivity of the watery Cancerian Full Moon. All of this combined with the inferior conjunction of Mercury is really emphasizing the need to tend to our emotional needs more so over perceptions or activities of the mind.

Venus Trine Mars Retrograde, Square Lunar Nodes, Square Uranus

Venus in Aquarius is in a trine with Mars retrograde on January 8-9th (10th in further Eastern countries). This can be a time of interactions with friends or loved ones, that may somehow have an impact on how we apply ourselves even if we don’t realize it at the time. Although this energy is more socially oriented with it being in Air signs, for some people it may also be a good time to revisit creative or artistic efforts or do some sort of aesthetic renovation or redo. Another way this can manifest is that we may get ideas or look into other approaches around making money.

Venus moves towards a square with the Lunar Nodes on January 10th/11th as it begins to be closer to the North Node Taurus then it will be from the South Node in Scorpio. It then moves towards a square with Uranus which is also in Taurus on January 14th/15th.

When it comes to Venus ruled areas such as love, friendships, social life, values, pleasures, art, aesthetics, and creativity, we may be considering the past and future. Reflecting on where we are coming from and where we are heading, or considering outdated expressions of ourselves/relations (and other Venus ruled areas) that can be holding us back at the expense of future potential and growth. We may experience turning points, or perhaps we may also feel that we are at a crossroads when it comes to these areas, but ultimately this is a time to really consider what’s in the best interest of the future. These energies may have already begun to be felt in the days prior to this Full Moon.

Afterwards as Venus approaches its square with Uranus that is occurring on January 14th/15th, we may experience disruptions, surprises, separations, rebelliousness, instability, losses, or sudden changes when it comes to the Venus ruled areas listed in the above paragraph. We (or others around us) may behave in a way that is impulsive, freedom seeking, or restless. Uranus will be nearly stationary which can amplify some of these energies.

At best this can bring some excitement and stimulation in our relations, but more likely considering the square with Lunar Nodes it will coincide with some sort of change that can help us break away from something that is preventing us from moving forward.

Mars and Mercury Both Going Stationary Direct, Sun Conjunct Pluto, Uranus Near Stationary

Mars will be ending its retrograde on January 12th/13th with Mercury also doing so on January 18th/19th, yet it will still feel like retrograde for some days afterwards. Over the following two weeks after this Full Moon, important things can still come up that can influence how we apply ourselves, what we need to change, and what adjustments need to be made. It is also common for complications to occur during these stationary periods so therefore it’s wise to be patient and adaptable. The Sun in Capricorn will be conjunct Pluto when Mercury is stationary on January 18th/19th.This can bring an energy that is probing, revealing, controlling, deep, or even intense. It can trigger fears and in some cases can also be destructive. However it can also be transformational and empowering,

At the time of the next New Moon on January 21st/22nd, both of these planets will be gradually gaining speed in forward momentum and as time progresses we will be in an increasingly better place to move forward based on what has come up for us. As mentioned in the above section, Uranus will also be going stationary direct afterwards on January 22nd/23rd which will amplify the forward momentum over the following days but can also manifest as big changes and/or disruptions.

Things To Consider

Are there any perceptions, thoughts, ideas, activities, old interests, expectations, or a type of mindset that isn’t serving you that you need to let go of? How do you feel and what is/are your intuition/gut/instincts telling you? Is there anything that you need to clear from your life at this time to help you attend to your personal/domestic/emotional needs? What do you feel is the best approach to tackle any dilemmas that you may be facing? Do you feel stuck, and if so, what can you do to feel more free? What aspects of your relations with others or values need to change?

These are just some examples of themes that could come up during this period; however, there may be other variations of this energy playing out as well.  If you wish to do any sort of intentional release connected to what has come up at this Full Moon, it is best to do so anytime after the peak of the Full Moon and over the two weeks following when it is waning. The exact moment of the peak Full Moon is at 11:08pm Universal Time on January 6th.  You can click here to see what that is in your time zone.

Written by astrologer Carmen Di Luccio

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