Spiritual Freedom and the New Moon in Cancer ♋️

An odd couple

I’ve been contemplating the concept of freedom and what it means for me on my spiritual journey. What’s come up is a desire to feel free to be and express my True Self unapologetically.

Guidance from my soul has been coming through in waves and I’m attempting to capture it in words here. This post is nothing like what I’d planned, and there are several threads I’m weaving together. I hope I manage to tie it all up into a cohesive article!

As you probably know, America celebrated her birthday on July 4. Many of her citizens celebrated on boats and beaches, with booze and burgers, and by exploding stuff in the sky. I avoided all of that and turned my attention instead to the new moon on July 5th.

As a result, I was delightfully free of sunburn, dehydration, indigestion, trips to the ER and hangover symptoms this morning. 🤩 🇺🇸

Despite forgoing the festivities, the flavor of independence pervades my intentions, and I’m blending it with the flavor of nurturing that the new moon in Cancer provides.

How can I better nurture myself in order to experience more freedom?

A little side note on “nurturing”. This can be a loaded word for many of us, so I’d like to explain what I mean when I use it. I’m referring to the freely given support accompanied by a sincere desire to be of service in the exact way it’s needed.

Many of us did not receive true nurturing as kids and this might have created a conflicted relationship with the word itself or the energies it represents. It might have spurred a radical independence and an aversion to receiving altogether.

You may have been “nurtured” in ways that didn’t feel very nurturing. It might have been reluctant, obligatory, performative or downright predatory; a sort of giving with strings attached or taking camouflaged as giving; perhaps oppressive or constrictive; or something icky and slimy that can’t quite be expressed with words.

Sadly, what our caregivers provided was tainted by their own wounds and unmet needs and often had nothing to do with nurturing even if they called it that.

Or maybe you experienced helicopter-style over-nurturing, coddling, enabling or suffocating behavior that disconnected you from your power and the opportunity to learn and grow appropriately.

The dysfunctional upbringing you may have had was not your fault. Our caregivers generally tried their best most of the time, so it’s unlikely that they meant to corrupt our relationship with the very natural and normal need for nurturing. Blaming them is only a waste of energy. We can instead focus on shifting our inherited beliefs, repairing the damage, and enhancing our ability to discern when to accept support from now on.

I’m one of those who wasn’t nurtured as a youngster and grew up trying to prove that I didn’t need anything. I was not free to receive gifts and support that were genuinely heartfelt because of my rebellion. I thought nurturing was just a code work for siphoning my life force and was determined to escape it altogether.

Spiritual practice and Reiki have revealed the opportunities I’d cut myself off from with this misguided rejection of all things nurturing. I’ve been lead to Mother Nature as an archetypal force of pure nurturing without any strings or the need to prove myself worthy or owe an unspoken favor.

Does the sun not shine generously on all of us?

Do the leaves not provide oxygen without favoritism?

One of the reasons I enjoy spending time in the woods is that it feels nurturing to me. Something about being under the open sky, feeling the breeze, listening to the birds, drinking in the sight of the trees and rocks and breathing the fresh air feeds me in ways I’m only just beginning to understand.

By going straight to the sure of pure, unadulterated life-force energy, I’m learning to receive nurturing that is palatable, even enjoyable to me. The more time I spend in the woods, the more healing I’m receiving, the fuller my tank becomes, the more I have to give and the better I am able to nurture myself.

I’m making better choices about what I put in my body. I had been considering my twice monthly delivery of locally- sourced foods to be a luxury, but now I’m recategorizing it as a necessity. Each time I unpack the box, I spend a few moments in deep gratitude for the gorgeous produce, the humanely raised meat, eggs and dairy products, the farmers and others who make it all possible. I mean, look at these goodies!

I’m really basking in my “Sacred Start”, the morning practices that feed my body, heart and soul. My devotion to good sleep habits is next level and I’m so very restored each morning when I make the effort to prepare for quality rest. (I’ve just started adding a few drops of sweet marjoram essential oil to the soles of my feet before I go to bed and it’s the bomb!) I am growing more and more particular about the company I keep and the content and information I digest.

I’m tuning in more deeply to my soul for guidance and it’s amazing how simple rituals unfold organically. A few days ago, I was sitting by the creek, inquiring of myself what I need to let go of to experience more freedom. I noticed a leaf gliding upstream on the surface, making a beeline straight for me. It was so unusual, I could not help but to interpret this oddity as a suggestion.

As I waited for it to arrive, I remembered an art journaling prompt I’d recently clipped about cutting out leaf shapes, writing that which I wish to release on them, and pasting them into a “let-it-go” layout. I’m planning to do this and burn it ceremoniously soon.

When the leaf approached the shore, I picked it up and whispered into it all the limiting beliefs I am ready to surrender. I walked a few dozen yards to where the water turns from a lazy flow to a fast churn and dropped it in, watching as it (and all the unhelpful conditioning) was whisked away.

As I stood there, I saw the cute family of ducks I’ve been enjoying swimming towards me. They were paddling heartily against the current in single file. This isn’t the greatest photo, but you can clearly see what I mean.

Better get my ducks in a row, a voice in my head that I’ve come to call my intuition, said. How amazing that I moved from my original location to release my leaf in the swiftly flowing water at just the right time to witness this, because as they crossed over the threshold into the smooth, idyllic water, they spread out and got playful. I guess you only need your ducks in a row when you’re moving forward with great intent?

One minute later and I would have missed the message.

I couldn’t have planned such a meaningful event if I tried! I just showed up, sat down, clarified my intention, paid attention and followed the cues.

In this same way, I’m being led to use the cosmic energies of the new moon to up-level my receptivity to nurturing. We have a full moon in Cancer, the archetypal mother figure, on Friday, July 5 at 6:57pm eastern. Curiously, she is sandwiched in between two Capricorn (the archetypal father) full moons which seems to really highlight via contrast the qualities of being, feeling and receiving that Cancer represents.

Turning again to the pure, archetypal energies of nurturing rather than seeking them out in the human realm is a portal for me and the healing of this childhood wound. If you find any aspect of nurture to be distasteful, please consider getting the good stuff, right from the Source. This is an ideal time to tap into the forces of nature for this and to begin any new habits that your inner wisdom might suggest.

Using awareness, intention to connect to the lunar energies, and a willingness receive this nurture-flavored life-force, we can soak in these soft, healing, silver moonlight energies. I’ve recorded a guided audio practice for paid subscribers if you’d like to sit back and follow along.

It’s my hope that you’ll be inspired to listen to your own guidance and perhaps connect with the energies of nature to support you on your journey. It will probably look different than my path, and I’m not trying to suggest that you follow in my footsteps. I’m just reporting on the experiences that are helpful for me in order to reveal the possibilities of letting the soul lead the way.

If you have any thoughts you’d like to share about the distortion of “nurturing” in our culture, please leave a comment! Likewise if there’s anything you have to say about the guided practice or your favorite ways of tapping into clean nurturing, do tell!