Full Moon Astro-tarot; nurturing healthy boundaries

The full moon in Cancer reflects our urge to nourish and to nurture at the end of a difficult year. The full moon energy is extra strong in Cancer, the sign ruled by the Moon, reminding us or asking us what, who and how we are nourished. What feeds our soul? Do we make enough space for it in our lives, allowing ourselves to receive what we truly need? Cancer is sensitive energy, easily overwhelmed by the flood of feeling drumming on the heart. The empathy and imagination of Cancer open us also to fear so that we retreat into our shells, a valid and maybe necessary response to the times we live in. 

With the full moon in Cancer, the Sun is in Capricorn, ruled by Saturn. Saturn and the Moon have a certain affinity, especially in forecasting astrology with the progressed lunation cycle echoing the timing of the Saturn return. Saturn brings necessary boundaries to Cancerian energy, reminding us that we can't give all of ourselves away, that we need to keep something back to feed our own souls. In Kabbalistic symbolism, Saturn is associated with Binah, the Great Mother, because she is the container which holds us, protects us, keeps us safe. No matter the flow and the ebb of the shifting womb, the bowl of the pelvis contains it. In the depths of winter, cold Saturn time, we let our imaginations flow and we dare to dream. We sow the seeds, in solid Capricorn earth, of our dreams of becoming. At the full moon in Cancer we water those seeds, nurturing them with the hard-won wisdom of 2020.

The dynamic of emotional and material security which has been so prominent in the last year gains new insights with this full moon, now that Jupiter and Saturn are in inclusive Aquarius. We are challenged to consider what it really means to belong, how we can embrace all of humanity, all of nature as well as embracing and expressing our own feelings.

So what wisdom does the Embroidered Forest tarot have to share with us at this full moon?

Moon in Cancer - How can we nourish our souls at this time? - Five of Pentacles

We nourish our souls by acknowledging our losses, whether we are grieving a loved one or a job or simply the what might have been of the past year. Everyone's struggle is valid, we all have concerns and anxieties it's important to acknowledge that it's not been easy, and still isn't. All that said, it's also important that we let go of a lack mentality, so often conditioned into us by the capitalist system which is sustained by invented needs and perceived lack. We've all learnt the lesson harder than ever this year that it's focusing on what we have, however little, and honouring the simple, everyday magics which bring meaning and a sense of abundance.

Sun in Capricorn - Where do we need to pay attention to our boundaries? - Queen of Swords

The Queen of Swords suggests that it's our mental boundaries which need some attention - perhaps we are over-thinking or worrying too much, or perhaps anxiety has simply become a habit. Which is entirely understandable and valid given the year we've all had but it can be easy to constantly worry about what might happen rather than paying attention to our actual reality. If we're not in immediate danger, perhaps we can take a step back, observe what is real rather than imposing assumptions or fears. The Queen of Swords asks us to think and act with discernment and clarity, to be honest with ourselves as well as with others.

Both of these cards have a tendency to "suffer for their suffering", to let the negative or the challenges define them. This can be a good thing, spurring us on to growth and change, but can also hold us back, trapping us in fear and anxiety and even making them seem normal. It's important to remember that this is a full moon, energy which has reached its peak and is ready to change - we acknowledge these energies and let them go with this full moon, ready to make space for something new in 2021.