updates & horoscopes for the new moon in cancer
updates & horoscopes (just for you)
hello my friends!
how are you? it has been awhile & tbh, i'd love to promise you that it won't be awhile again but I'm not sure I can do that.
For the nerds out there, I recently experienced my progressed new moon. (Which for the non-nerds is essentially a "rebirth.") I get to start my life over again. Yay!?! But it's also a lot like crawling in the dark. Over the last 4 years or so, I've become an expert at "letting go" and cutting things off and walking away from what I don't like. (It was all very "Think about your life, Pippin" and the ending of 8 1/2) But lately, I've been reckoning with what it means to start. I feel expectant. Like I could do anything. But what should I do? As much as I have been led to believe that I should find freedom in autonomy and being my own boss, I mostly wish that someone else would just give me the assignment. I'm happy to follow-through. But making something of myself? Ugahernaowfhisanlcboawfhqalkfsvnx,fhwaiofa,s.
I have big ideas & more things I want to write but I don't want to make any promises about when or where or how those will happen. Mostly because making an announcement feels like a trap. I want to make a Subst*ck or a P*treon or something that supports graphics better than TinyLetter does? Return to publishing something closer to a digital zine? But also, I'm tired. From what exactly? I don't know. Does that actually matter? I want to destroy all linear narratives and embrace the chaos of simply being. But we're not there yet. If you have advice for me (about this or about what I should do with my life (general), please feel free to leave a message in the replies/DMs/comments. Give me an assignment (please)).
Anyway, this emo newsletter of curated vulnerability is brought to you by: the new moon in cancer which goes exact on july 9th at 9:16 pm ET.
This lunation comes after a few weeks of some of 2021's absolute worst astrology. The Saturn-Uranus square (the defining aspect of 2021 which compels us to create structures of sustainablity. "Out of what?" you might ask and you're not wrong... and yet, away we go) went exact for the second time on June 14th, just after the conclusion of a tumultuous eclipse season that had us absolutely oversaturated (and overstimulated) with information. This would be enough as it is but July has brought nothing but irritation as both Venus and Mars moved into Leo, complicating these larger questions of systemic change with our personal desires. What we want is important and vital and necessary and immediate but ... is somehow still not easily achieved. There's still a lot of work to do and we must look fabulous while we do it.
This Cancer new moon breaks the tension. It's a sweet lunation, totally off axis from the dramas of Saturn, Uranus, Mars and Venus. Away from all of it. In our extremely online culture, Cancer is synonymous with vulnerability and nurturance. Like Taurus, it's a tactile place where a tweet or a DM or a poke isn't enough. We need a real hug. Or a good soup. This new moon falls at 18º Cancer where it connects with Neptune (constantly causing confusion and euphoria in fellow water sign, Pisces). What we dream up now is idealistic. Possibly hazy. But it's a comforting dream. It's OK to cry or smile or smile while we cry.
Though this new moon sets us up for a feel good weekend, things heat up again on the 13th when Venus and Mars make their biennial conjunction. The last time these two met (and reset their cat and mouse chase / will they won't they dynamic) was on August 24, 2019. That time, they met at 4º Virgo, setting us up to strategize our actions, devotions and interpersonal dynamics. This time, they meet at 19ª Leo. When it comes to what we want, things are about to get much bolder. Leos always go after it because—tragically, for them—the sun always sets. We have to claim our space in the light when and how we can.
On a personal level, use this new moon to consider:
-when you feel celebrated and when you feel defeated
-what "helping others" really means to you
-how the personal is the political but what's personal?
-who brings you back down to earth (or back to the dinner table)
-what's the assignment?
A song I keep returning to right now (and that I think speaks directly to the themes of this new moon) is "The Wind" from Feist's 2017 album Pleasure. The chorus of "Keep on the horizon!" echoes the gorgeous nostalgia of Cancer season. The sun is at its highest point of the summer; it only gets darker from here...but we can wax poetic about what has passed and what's to come at the summit for awhile.
(The wind that will bring me/Out to you/Is a wind that gets singing/Whipping at the tune/The same wind comes rushing/That later lays low/And it pulls at my edges/Then continues to blow/Keep on the horizon!/Keep on the horizon!/Keep on the horizon!
It brings hail from old water/And a storm on its knees/And flags from a revolution/That brought us some peace/And the trees for their hundred years/Lean north like calligrapy/And I'm shaped by my storming/Like they're shaped by their storming/Keep on the horizon!/Keep on the horizon!/Keep on the horizon!)
Love you all! Thanks for sticking with me through the cycle, the ebbs and flows.
xoxo, Jaime
PS: here are some assignments that I've loved receiving as of late—
-collaborating with my friend/longtime "business" "partner" David Bernstein on the astrological functions for each of the scents of Jovian
-writing a Summer Beverage Forecast for my friend Derek Smith's new venture in divine levity, Errands Magazine
-dreaming up some (writing) workshops with brilliant astrologer & friend Whitney Will for the two! upcoming Aquarius Full Moons (learn more & sign up on her website!)
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what follows are horoscopes for each sign.
if you know your rising sign, please read for that.
if you don’t know your rising sign, reading for your sun sign is totally fine.
there’ll be something there <3 (there might be something in all of them)
these horoscopes are meant to be found.
If you like what you read, send a tip!
here or to @Jaime-Wright on Venmo.
**
Aries
carving out your own personal sanctuary is your salve. the career stuff can wait. so can that post you need to post. so can the "conversation"—yes even in that situation-ship. there are rugs to be purchased, windows to be dressed and tubs to be filled with bubbles.
this new moon is yr excuse to put up ye olde away message and just vibe. let it be forgiveness from the duty to be "seen" and "heard." all of that is overrated anyway. especially when you haven't figured out where it all begins and ends. attend to your hiding place, splurge on the grocery run and add an extra egg, ok?
Taurus
achieving the BIG THINGS
GETTING OUT THERE
EXPLORING
PUSHING YOURSELF
at this point, that's easy. you embrace the sea and fly away blah blah blah
but where is your bike? is it dusty in the corner? are you missing the feeling of the boring errand? returning home afterwards?
this new moon is for idle chats with the barista, flipping through a glossy magazine, initiating a nostalgic gchat with a coworker for laughs. developing a relationship to the ordinary is necessary. not everything results in a reward. but we have to keep living everyday.
Gemini
a fondness for yr stuff and a deep nostalgia for objects you once loved comes over you today.
your rosewater toner: dreamy
your bathrobe: dreamy
your wallet: dreamy
these are choices you can hold and feel and touch and LOVE! literally love.
but you also miss your old couch. those too small jeans. that scratched record lost to a messy move. take inventory and remember exactly why you have exactly too many things worth keeping. forget what marie kondo said because there are no goodbyes when everything sparks joy.
Cancer
this lunation is a balm for your nerves. It's here to clear up the chaotic "for who?" "how much?" and "is everyone hanging out without me?" (-mindy kaling, cancer sun) drama of the last few weeks.
existence is expensive so remember to treat yourself.
all the time you've spent attaching, re-attaching or breaking free over the last several years finally meets its purpose. freedom and identity. with this new moon, you're answering to your own sense of self and way of being. here's to the ocean view that only you can see & the wind that meets your unique perspective.
commit this pleasure to memory. or even better: write it down.
Leo
this new moon brings you to the borderlands. the border is an imaginary idea, yes. but it's an imaginary place that contains abundant meaning (& any meaning we give to it. are we here? or are we there?) you're in an in-between place—one of retreats and exiles and institutions. you're here to observe rather than participate, obsess rather than run.
you feel empowered yet limited; desirous yet infertile; on fire yet floating; diffuse and despondent; inspired and ready to go. maybe this time, it's wise not to reconcile all this difference. take the respite. sit outside yourself. don't force an outcome.
you've already worked yourself to the bone but today is for napping. let what suffers fools float away.
Virgo
you can do it. this has been proven. you can do it all alone. but today's new moon suggests that friends are the best. community is key. "teamwork" is everything. etc and always. this new moon says "it's time to share" but wait! don't give it all away. Not yet. Let the audience come to you when they're ready and when you're ready.
whatever plan you make doesn't need to be executed right away. it's called a soft launch. it won't fade away if you don't let it. hold the flame. write it on the walls of your room in pink puff paint if you must.
your growth is inspiring. your expansion takes courage. why not try on recognition for size?
Libra
over the last few years, you've become extremely protective of your own personal space. it's not a scarcity complex but a devotion practice. here's to peace, to comfort and to solitude. the noise of the outside world feels like a massive threat to your temple. but this new moon dares you to venture outside again.
but wait! don't go unless there's a rhythm to the madness. your rituals are sacred even if they're scattered and confused. Impressionism is worth embracing right now, taking things moment by moment. Painting what you notice rather than what you see. Eschewing success for what feels right.
Scorpio
forgetting all of the logistics (the lists, the notes and the hard work ahead), what's making your heart beat? right now? you've lost track of your vision and yet, it's the only thing that matters. the quest is what drives you, propels you, seduces you ahead. this new moon is for embracing the pilgrimage, enjoying the entire ride. it's for reclaiming your spirituality and worshipping at the altar of whatever enchants you. making offerings of sweet honey.
seriously though: what is it that you believe in? collect yr stories, yr oils, yr prayers and be a real custodian of beauty. pick up what you can't leave behind. you can take it with you.
Sagittarius
Cancer's domain in your chart is the place of grief, loss and those unapologetically sticky power dynamics. it's also the place of collaborations, windfalls and others' generosity. it's the place where we cast spells, make a wish and hope for the best. decay and magic. magic and decay. what we want is out of our control here.
but you should still: make the deal, combine yr assets, acquiesce the debt. because hoarding everything you own won't delivery peace. magic (or decay) could though. who's going to help you achieve this wonder? your home may be nothing but a dream but there's something special there.
Capricorn
is it about you? is it about them? is it about both of you? today's new moon asks you to put the narrative outside of yourself. what if you told the story from their perspective instead? would you be the hero or the villain? and would the outcome be the same?
cancer is the domain of the other. you can't choose the context here but you do have to participate. let this lunation be an invitation and conversation. offer what you know and prepare to repeat yourself. your immediate surroundings dissolve into bliss with the right guidance. your confidence depends on the right team.
Aquarius
Are you on the receiving end of constant downloads about how and why and when the world needs to change? It's not easy to be a cypher, to be implicated, to have a duty you must fulfill for the collective. but much of the work you have to do is boring, everyday tasks. simple stuff really. on repeat. the point isn't to become numb to it all. it's to learn how to thrive.
today's new moon reminds you of the value of life's daily struggles. kissing the rain, smelling the grass and remembering you're alive. windex the pain away. pour another chemex. who could ask for anything more?
Pisces
you spend so much time making sure that everyone else feels seen. but have you forgotten your own kind of joy? you can forge your own path and spin your own pleasures and the best part is: no one has to "get" "it" but you. In fact, it's preferable if they don't tbh.
something about this moons creams cultivating mystery and escaping into the neo-noir of it all. admit your own need for eros! luxury! risk! it's that you're EVER trying to fit in but you're too often forcing yourself to blend. this is messy and freaky. go your own way.