The elusive little planet shifting into Cancer reveals how you’re really doing
Mercury moves into Cancer this morning — big whoop, right? Hard to get excited about the smaller, harder-to-see planets. The sun and moon hog all the attention. Mercury changes signs. Who cares?
I do.
Mercury is the most elusive planet in the sky. My jagged Rocky Mountain horizon only deepens the mystery. Stars must align for me to catch a glimpse of the little fella.
Yet, Mercury is important. We stoop to give the winged messenger planet our attention, only to blame it for our troubles. Retrograde is the only Mercury we have bandwidth for. The rest of the time, we pay it no mind. Get it… mind? Because that’s exactly what Mercury represents for us. Our intellect, how we think, perceive, and share our all-important thoughts. Fairly vital brain matter, no?
Whichever sign Mercury was in when you were born indicates your unique brand of thinking and speaking. Does your mind move quickly or slowly? Are your thoughts stable or fleeting? Is your tongue fiery and sharp or poetic and emotive?
My Mercury is in airy Gemini. Bouncing around, like a pinball machine, my thoughts are constantly pushing my intellectual edges. I love catching myself in self-imposed limitations. I think and write, therefore I am — very Gemini Mercury. Intentionally, I breathe into my body to balance myself; otherwise, I tend to flit away into the ethers.
As Mercury enters Cancer this morning, our collective minds head into watery, emotional terrain. Cancer is the mother archetype, revealing how we nurture people, but the crab also needs to learn how to give from a cup runneth over.
Mothers know, running themselves ragged, abandoning their needs. Bites of half-eaten chicken nuggets after the kids are done. A quick washcloth under the armpits while bathing the dirty little buggers. Sleep deprived, chugging coffee, bleary-eyed, while driving to too-early and too-late practices, both.
As the Cancer energy gets activated by Mercury, this is a supported time to check in on your self-care habits — mommy or not. Do you fill your cup up first, before focusing on everyone else? What activities replenish your stores? How often are you recharging your battery (not the iPhone one)?
I take time in the morning and evening for self-connection rituals (thanks Nancy Levin for that terminology). These are moments where I actively bond with myself. I’ve done things like walking, journaling, and meditating. I’ve had clients who paint, write a gratitude list, or once, a busy mom who took three deep breaths before opening her eyes to the day. The sensation you’re going for is, “Ah, there I am.”
Shifting gears here, when Mercury (or any planet for that matter) enters Cancer, it crosses the June solstice point in the sky. The exact spot the sun will soon reach to announce the arrival of summer, for us northerners. The sign of Cancer lives within the “sacred hoop” of stars the Dakota people revere. Many Indigenous cultures claim we incarnate through this circle of space. The June solstice marks a hallowed cross, where the path of the sun intersects the plane of our galaxy. Known as the “galactic cross,” it’s where we look out to the edge of the Milky Way. Seems like a good spot to enter our bodies through.
We live during an unusual time where both solstices occur on this special cross. Summer at the edge of our galaxy and winter at the center of our galaxy. The solstices’ locations shift over thousands of years. In fact, 13,000 years ago, they were flipped opposite from where they are now. Numerous cultures, both ancient and present, claim that world transformations occur during these unique alignments in history. It certainly feels like something huge is shifting right now. Incredulous, we’re unable to comprehend the changes coming so rapidly.
So, once again, how are you doing with taking care of yourself in this topsy-turvy world? Are you doomscrolling and actively crushing your inner peace? Are you leaning too heavily on crutches like pouring another glass, streaming another junky show, or gobbling up yet one more gummy? Or are you balancing your need for knowledge with self-care? Candle-lit baths, belly breathing, enjoying the sunset, journaling your angst, while staying centered in your body and focused on the multitude of good around you?
Mercury in Cancer wants to know.
Sheridan 💫
Life Coach, Astrologer & founder of Moon Sisters Circle
Read more of my Aspen Times astrology + coaching columns here or under the Blog link above.