Welcome to the Cancer Full Moon, the time when the spotlight is on home, family, and roots. As a cardinal sign, Cancer speaks to some of the most fundamental experiences of life. It gives us a sense of past and memory, an anchor to something deep within. The full moon is exact on December 26, 2023 at 7:33 pm ET, 4 degrees Cancer/Capricorn. That’s 4:33 pm Los Angeles, 12:33 am London on December 27, 2:33 am Johannesburg, 6:03 am New Delhi, 11:33 am Sydney, and 1:33 pm Auckland.
Full moons are decision points. They shine a light. They can demand our attention, sometimes critically so. Something comes to a resolution. The seeds that we planted at the time of the new moon two weeks before have come to fruition.
This full moon is not an eclipse, but it brings us to the midpoint of the eclipses. Cancer is a cardinal sign, just like Libra and Aries, the signs of the previous solar eclipse and the lunar and solar eclipse to come on March 25 and April 8, 2024. Eclipses remind us that time isn’t as linear as we expect to be, but a spiral. Events around this full moon may presage events to come in March-April 2024. They may also bring clarity or shine a light on events from October 2023 and the eclipses previously.
So, as an important aside to this full moon, pay attention to themes, stories, and experiences. They may be part of a larger story that has been playing out in 2023 and will continue to play out into 2024.
That said, Cancer being a sign that represents home and family in the zodiac wheel, there may be experiences that touch on exactly that. We may be planning a move, making changes in the home, sifting through old memories and mementos, or investing time in our family.
Certainly it is the season and time of year to spend with family. As the counter to the Capricorn Sun, Cancer reminds us that one of the most important things in life is a feeling of connection and belonging, a sense of roots that anchors us. While our families of origin may not always be the provider of that, we can create our own family.
Deep emotions often come up around Cancer. Despite our best attempts to reconcile the past and family, there is an ache of something unresolved or something that still pulls us back. We may be feeling this even more with the full moon as it coincides with Chiron Direct at 15 Aries. An old pain point may be very present. Do we have the courage to move on? To heal? To let go? (Read more about Chiron in On Chiron, Suffering, and Knots.)
We’ve got a lot of support in this full moon, from a trine to Saturn in Pisces, a steady hand, to a trine to Jupiter, the faith that everything will work out. Look for opportunities in this full moon, from everyday angels who help us in a time of need to feeling like we can make the best choice for our future.
Want to know what’s ahead for The Astrology of 2024? You can still get my three-hour webinar on the new year’s biggest themes to what it means for your Sun and rising sign. Learn more and watch a free preview.