It's Cancer Ingress time again, and this year we see, among other things, a combination of the much talked about Grand Cross (4 planets or more all in square to each other) and the less - if at all - mentioned Grand Trine (3 planets or more all trine to each other.) One planet - the Sun - is in both patterns and may provide a key to understanding this complex arrangement in the sky.As always, Ingress charts are all about new beginnings. The Cancer Ingress, often mentioned as the start of summer, is, of course, really mid-summer. The light in the northern hemisphere begins to wane, as we have the longest day on the day of the summer solstice. So what are we to begin as the light begins to fade?
The Sun, of course, is at 0 degrees of Cancer. It is in a separating square to Saturn, which is in an applying square to Pluto, which in turn is in a applying square (because Pluto is currently retrograde) to Jupiter and Uranus. A lot of heavyweight planets here, and all but Saturn in Cardinal signs. While many have written of this as the "Cardinal Climax" or "Cardinal Crisis", only a few have talked about the nature of Cardinal signs - they are the initiators of the Zodiac. Granted, new beginnings often require the end of the old ways, to make room for new growth. The seed must change for the shoot to come forth. But I think many have done us a disservice by focusing on the "crisis" and ignoring the opportunity.
And opportunities abound in this chart!
Squares and oppositions, of course, are always indicators of challenge and stress. Having the Grand Cross overhead, we‚re certainly feeling that, both globally and personally. The Sun Pluto opposition shows the challenge between the new beginnings we are being encouraged to pursue and the old, established ways of doing things. Yet Pluto in Capricorn is also a strong impulse to totally renovate the old order, so this may not be such a hard aspect to deal with. The Sun in Cancer wants to nurture and comfort us, and Pluto says that the old ways may not be as beneficial as we've been led to believe. The Sun is making a wide, out of sign, square to Saturn, another indicator of the old order of things. We can view Saturn as the establishment, trying to hold us back, or we can view it as our own need to come to terms with our personal responsibility. Since Saturn is in Virgo in this chart, that responsibility should extend to our making sure of the details, to "getting it right" this time, as we contemplate the changes we want and need to make.
The Sun also squares the combination of Jupiter and Uranus. These two planets conjunct each other have a strong message all by themselves. Jupiter tends to increase whatever it touches. Uranus is a symbol of the unexpected and of change, often just for the sake of change. So together they have the potential to stir up a lot things that we maybe haven't been consciously aware of. The aspect from the Sun urges us to become aware, and to bring to the front of our minds what changes are being asked for. The Jupiter-Uranus conjunction is, of course, opposite Saturn, so the conflict between change for the sake of change and responsibility is highlighted. Again, be willing to make the changes, but be aware of the need to be precise in what is allowed (or compelled!) to end and also of what is allowed to begin. All of these are also square Pluto, which puts a lot of pressure on them to actually make the changes, not just think about them.
Trines show an easy blending of the energies of the planets involved. Where squares and oppositions show challenges, trines show us where we can easily flow, where we can get support. The Sun is trine to the Moon in the Ingress chart, and the Moon is trine to Neptune, which is also trine the Sun, completing the Grand Trine pattern.
A Sun - Moon trine provides an easy blending of mind and heart. They are both, in this instance, in Cardinal signs, even though the Moon will soon move into Scorpio. Both are concerned with new beginnings, and having both our conscious and subconscious on the same wavelength helps to keep our focus on what is needed to start. Having both of the Lights in trine to Neptune brings in the potential to strive for our higher dreams of what new things we‚d like to try. Of course, Neptune is also the possibility of deception or self-deception, so keep that in mind.
So how do we pull all these energies together?
The Sun at 0 degrees Cancer is the one object common to both of these patterns. This Sun illuminates all it touches, and it touches all the planets in both the Grand Square and the Grand Trine. The Sun in Cancer wants to take care of home and hearth, to tend to the security of family.
On both the personal and the global levels, we are being hit by stresses that ask us to reevaluate the old ways we‚ve been using to take care of those issues. Pluto continues to tell us that the old ways are not working as effectively as they should. Uranus and Jupiter want us to make big changes, perhaps radical changes. Saturn reminds us to pay attention to the details, to not just make sweeping changes, but to make the precise changes with the ultimate goals clearly in mind. Neptune inspires us to make these changes for the greater good, and, hopefully, not for a brief "feel-good" moment.
We need to be willing to let go of the old ways that no longer work. Old habits die hard, the saying goes. But hard aspects in a chart push us to make those changes. The stronger the pressure, the more likely we are to make those changes. This chart pushes us our of our comfort zone - and until we're out of that zone, we probably won't make the needed changes, although others may well force them on us. Keep hold of the dreams of Neptune, use the Grand Cross push to make sure those are aspirations and not illusions, and go with the Grand Cross to make the new starts shown.