“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” 
― C.G. Jung

Today is July 12th and our New Moon falls in the watery and emotional sign of Cancer.  The Cancer new moon concerns desires about the home, emotional security, nostalgia, and the desire to nurture. This transit is extremely potent in feminine energy, which means Women especially may notice heightened emotional and physical sensitivity at this time, and due to these strong emotions. We will also be kicking off our eclipse season tonight with a solar eclipse in the sign of cancer at 6:48pm PST. What does this mean exactly? well, our astrologer Jessica Lanyadoo says "Solar Eclipses are New Moons with the volume turned all the way up" and you can read more about the themes of these eclipses for the year with our exclusive Eclipse season Guidebook written by Lisa Stardust exclusively for The Hoodwitch when you sign up for our community Abracadabra

With heightened sensitivity at the forefront this makes for a time of inward reflection. Many people find divination and psychic work to flow smoothly at this time, tapping into the divine feminine waters of the Cancer Moon.

During this moon, Inviting friends over to cook, or do readings can be a very enjoyable experience. Creating sacred space in the home is essential, as feeling secure in your living environment can make all of the difference in how nurtured and rooted/supported we feel in life.  Cancer is the home of the Moon, our sensitive planet of emotions. Feelings can be easily hurt, especially by personal criticism, so handle with care. 

This is not a transit where it's easy to be alone, because our needs for security in love and friendship are so high, this is a wonderful time to invite close friends over to look through old photos, share a meal as well as memories. As the moon moves toward Leo, it's important to keep warmth and friendship as a priority. Be careful to avoid conflict, grudges formed now will take a long time to heal.

NEW MOON RITUAL MAGICK

Utilize the feminine energy of this moon for all spell work pertaining to:

Psychic Development

Dream work

Intuition

Visions

Emotional Balance

Women's mysteries

Karma

Reincarnation

Home & Beauty

Fertility

RITUAL

The Solar Eclipse, in the element of water has the ability to hold emotions. Water can feel and change shape based on emotions circulating in its atmosphere. This fluid element also has the power to transform and heal us. While we can get swept away in the currents of other people’s emotional needs, it’s important to ride our own waves, which will lead us to wash up on new shores feeling nourished by self love. - Lisa Stardust 

To begin, clean your bathtub, while speaking aloud loving phrases to yourself. You can also choose an affirmation, a song lyric, or a poem. Play soft uplifting music to help you unwind while you charge the bath with a crystal that opens the heart chakra, such as rose quartz, which encourages self love. Lemon offers an added level of protection, while salt promotes purification, and rose essence works similarly to rose quartz for self love. 

Before the bath, write down a list of all your favorite personal attributes. Meditate on this list and hold letter of intention close to your heart to help awaken your heart chakra, then burn paper with the flame of a pink candle. 

Enter your bath ready to focus on yourself: heart, body, and soul. As you drift deep inside yourself in the warm, herbal salt water, close your eyes and dip your head under water to open up your crown chakra, awakening your mind to the atmosphere of self love you have cultivated in this moment.  

Bath Magic Ingredients: 

• 3 cups Himalayan salt (you can also use coarse sea salt, epsom salts, Or kosher salt)
• 1 fresh lemon
• 1 cup of dried or fresh rose petals or 3 drops rose oil
• Rose Quartz for self love
• A pink candle for harmony and love

Directions:

• Pour the salt into a large bowl
• Blend in roses
• Here are three alternatives for using roses in your bath:
• -If you choose to use fresh roses, cut the flowers and stems into pieces and let them dry out for 2 hours by window under sunlight. 
• -If you wish to use pre-dried rose petals, you can pour them into your bath right away. 
• -You can also use 3 drops of rose oil, if you wish to use rose essential oil. 
• Cut the skin off of the lemon, using only the rind in the bath salt. Make sure to cut into small pieces. 
• Mix all ingredients together with a large spoon
• Store in a container with lid
• When adding to your bath, only use a cup full of the bath salt
• Soak for 20 to 30 minutes in bath 
• Melt into your own loving vibes as you care for your body, mind, and spirit, honoring the most important deity—YOURSELF! 

During  the Solar Eclipse, if you are feeling a bit more sensitive to the energy of the Sun than usual, you can use some of these recommended crystals to keep your energy intune with that of the Sun during the eclipse.

SOLAR GEMS
 

Topaz: represents life giving energy. It promotes well being, strengthens optimism, reduces fear of lack, and enhances the feelings of abundance and prosperity.

Sunstone: warms the heart and lifts/rejuvenates the spirit. Sunstone is often used for protection, grounding and enhancing life force energies.
Citrine :is particularly helpful in assisting with abundance and prosperity. It enhances the enjoyment of life and increased spiritual growth. Citrine energizes and invigorates, increasing motivation and physical energy. Citrine dissipates negative energies and promotes inner calm.

For those who may have feelings of increased anxiousness, or are in need of some extra grounding energy try Howlite or Black Tourmaline.
Howlite: Reduces anxiety, tensions and stress.  Howlite can be used to facilitate awareness, encourage emotional expression and also assist in the elimination of pain, stress and/or rage. Howlite will calm and soothe your emotions.

Rainbow Moonstone: moonstone is a stone of intuition and insight, Moonstone helps us to connect to all the different cycles we experience in life. Moonstone will help to balance the emotional body, especially any aggressive tendencies in males or females. These stones are very soothing, especially when placed under the pillow.

Black Tourmaline: Black Tourmaline is the premier stone of protection and grounding, as it possesses a psychic shield which deflects and dispels negative energies, entities or destructive forces. It is the Stone that has such power to absorb and repel negative energies from our Auric Field, meridians, and Chakra System.