Cancer Full Moon 2026
Good night Moon
The Cancer full Moon is exact at 13°01’ on Saturday, January 3 at 4:02 am CST. This full Moon is again out of bounds at 27°N03’ declination, as are the personal planets Mercury (24°S14’), Venus (23°S27’) and Mars (23°S32’) , all three out of bounds in Capricorn. “Out of bounds” simply describes a planet’s latitude in relation to the ecliptic - any planet that goes above or below the bounds of the Sun (23°26’ North or South - the Solstice points of the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, respectively), is considered to be out of bounds. At the time of the Cancer full Moon, Saturn and Neptune remain conjunct in Pisces, at 26°18 and 29°32’ respectively, and it just so happens that Saturn and Neptune are the only planets that are never out of bounds, besides the Sun, who sets the bounds. The symbolism of this makes me giggle - of course Saturn, the planet of structure and rules would never dare to go out of bounds! And Neptune doesn’t even recognize bounds, so why go outside of them? That would be pointless and absurd. Neptune is considered to be the modern ruler of Pisces, and even if you don’t subscribe to modern rulership, there’s no denying that there is an affinity between Neptune and Pisces; as a Pisces Sun friend once quipped, “I mean, if I had a boundary, I’d use it.”
The symbolism of this out of bounds declination expresses just as you might imagine - as coloring outside the lines. Other words to describe the expression of an out of bounds planet are over the top, above the bell curve, unbounded, unrestrained, unlimited, unchecked, or extreme.
Venus and Mars are conjunct each other and conjunct the Sun in Capricorn at the time of the Cancer full Moon. Venus is at 12°14’, the Sun is at 13°01’, and Mars is at 14°32’ Capricorn. Venus and Mars are also parallel in their declination at 23°S27’ and 23°S32’. Planets in parallel are interpreted in the same way that planets in conjunction are - reflecting a blending or merging of the energies, working together in harmony, and combining efforts. When planets are both parallel and conjunct, there is an emphasis there - some call this a “true conjunction”, or a “planetary eclipse”. Whatever you call it, there is an exclamation point here with Venus and Mars, emphasizing their most extreme expression, in a way that also combines their efforts into a merging of the two energies.
Working together in harmony and the desire for union, connection, and merging is already an expression of Venus energy. Other Venus expressions include creativity and how we seek, make, and experience beauty. More challenging expressions of Venus energy include envy, manipulation, greed, melodrama and rejecting those who are not like us.
But what about Mars? Mars is the planet of courageous action, instigating, striving, physicality, catalyzing, and setting appropriate boundaries. Challenging expressions of Mars energy include unskilled expression of anger, violence, cutting ties to avoid “the work”, addiction to conflict, as well as conflict avoidance.
These two energies are at work together in the Cosmos, how can we translate that in its highest expression into our own lives? Who do we need to connect with to create and experience beauty? Have you ever gone for a nature walk with an artist? I highly recommend it! They will point things out that you may not have noticed - the way the light comes through the dried grasses, or the quality of light at different times of the year. This could be one way to connect with these energies, but do brainstorm on your own, and see what ideas you come up with to merge these two energies in your own life. Another example could be: who do you need to set an appropriate boundary with in order to be free to create, or to experience beauty?
Let’s ask ourselves, with all of these planets out of bounds, in what way can we break out of our own self-constructed boxes of being at this full Moon? How can we color outside of our own self-imposed lines? How can we tap into those sustainable Venus energies of relationship and creativity and those sustainable Mars energies of courageous action and appropriate boundaries? The energies of these personal planets are currently unrestrained in the Cosmos, and are extremely available for us to tap into and utilize in the most Capricornian, goal-directed way if we so choose. What do you need to release at this full Moon that may be holding you back from courageously creating, or connecting, or setting an appropriate boundary? It may be an attitude that you heretofore hadn’t even realized you have - let the full Moon in Cancer stir your emotions so that nebulous attitude can bubble up and assume a form of some type - something that can be named, and subsequently, released.
In Greek myth the goddess of love, Aphrodite (Venus), and the god of war, Ares (Mars), were famous for their torrid love affair, much to the chagrin of Aphrodite’s (Venus) unfortunate husband Hephaestus. Let that energy of a clandestine love affair between star-crossed lovers work for you at this Cancer full Moon, let it sweep you away from your cultural conditioning into unknown or unexpressed ideas and energies. I certainly don’t mean this literally - don’t blow up your marriage, please. Figuratively, tap into that energy of a force that seems to be otherworldly and outside of yourself and your good sense, to identify ways to help you to break out of your likely self-imposed ruts or boundaries, and become the courageous creative artist that you are.
And now I can’t help but to recount a story from Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey by Homer that involves these lovers, Aphrodite (Venus) and Ares (Mars), the Sun, poor Hephaestus, and the other out of bounds personal planet in Capricorn, Hermes (Mercury).
Hephaestus, through the god Helios (the Sun god!), became wise to his wife Aphrodite’s (Venus) wandering ways, and so he set a literal trap for her. He told her that he would be going out of town, knowing that Ares (Mars) would come sniffing around once he was on the road. Since Hephaestus was a metal-worker, he created a diaphanous metal chainmail web that he installed above Aphrodite’s (Venus) bed. When Aphrodite (Venus) and Ares (Mars) commenced with their love-making, the unseen web fell around them, ensnaring them. Hephaestus then appeared and called for the other Olympic gods and goddesses to come and witness his cuckoldry in the flesh. The gods came, but the goddesses declined, for obvious reasons. C’mon, Man! Nobody wants to see that. Oh, but the gods did want to see that - the little pervs! They all laughed at studly Ares (Mars) being trapped by decidedly un-studly Hephaestus. Apollo asked Hermes (Mercury) if he would trade places with Ares (Mars) at that moment, and “Hermes the sharp-eyed messenger replied, ‘Ah, brother, Apollo lord of archery: if only! I would be bound three times as tight or more and let you gods and all your wives look on, if only I could sleep with Aphrodite.’” (p. 231) Let me reiterate - the little pervs! But don’t despair, Aphrodite (Venus) was unperturbed by the puerile antics of the gods, and once freed from the chains, she jumped up, smiling as she went off to the island of Paphos, to be washed, rubbed with magic oil, and dressed in gorgeous clothes by The Graces at her fragrant altar and sanctuary. “She looked astonishing” (p. 232)
So let’s ask ourself at this full Mon, what unseen chains can we be freed from, jumping up, smiling, and retreating to our fragrant island sanctuary to be cared for at our altar by The Graces? How can we once again emerge cleansed, oiled, fragrant, and astonishing after freeing ourselves from these unseen chains? The Graces were attendants of Aphrodite; they were three goddesses of grace, beauty, adornment, joy, mirth, festivity, dance and song. Can you find a way to imagine into the themes of the The Graces to free yourself from these unseen chains? A fragrant bath with your favorite album, or a dress-up dance party with your most mirthful party people, perhaps?
As we know, emotions can run high during any full Moon, and the emotions associated with a Cancer Moon are of the sensitive sort, that may center around security, slights, the past, home, family, the urge to belong, or avoidance/retreating into your shell. So if you’re feeling very emotional, let those emotions flow like the river when you are in a safe space to do so. They want to come to the surface so that you can release the energy that is entwined within those emotions - as some gal pals astutely suggested recently, “scream into the void” at this full Moon. That seems to me like an appropriate and useful way to release any extreme Cancer Moon emotions that may come up at the time of the Moon’s fullness in this sensitive sign. I don’t believe it’s illegal to scream into the void, but just don’t get arrested - I won’t be bailing you out. As my dear departed mother used to say, “You got yourself in jail, you get yourself out.” Those are the rules. Luckily for my siblings, my dear departed father was a softer touch. But I digress.
Since at the full Moon we typically think of it as an excellent time to release what no longer serves us, what is being illuminated for you at this full Moon that wants to be released?
When releasing during the full Moon, I like to make it a thing. It doesn’t have to be exactly at the time of the full Moon, it can be any time in the day or night leading up to it, which is typically what I prefer, but do what you are able. If you miss the night before, do it the night of or even the day or night after, as long as the Moon still appears full in the sky, I think the symbology is there for you to work with. Take some time and create a sacred space for yourself and whoever else would like to make it a thing with you. This doesn’t have to be elaborate. Simply sitting quietly and focusing on your breath with lightly closed eyes and spine as erect as possible, or focusing on the sounds in your environment and intentionally taking this moment to connect with yourself and with the nurturing energy of the Moon, which I like to think of as our Cosmic Mother. If you have a meditative practice, feel free to incorporate that into your full Moon practice, but let the Moon guide you, don’t get too far into your solar self of Doing, but allow yourself to simply exist in your lunar self of Being. If you like to really get into your ritual practice, please do make it as elaborate as you wish. At the end of my full Moon practice, I like to make a list of what I’m releasing. I simply write “I release:” at the top of a piece of paper, and then I write down everything that came up during my quiet time with myself. And then I burn that mofo! Safely and mindfully into my little metal cauldron - let’s not set our selves or homes alight please. It really is very freeing to watch the smoke from the burning list curl up into the ethers. Some folks like to incorporate the water element by tossing the cooled ashes into a body of water afterwards, but I’m happy to scatter them to the winds, figuring they’ll make it to water someday. COOLED ashes, mind you, ok? And there, just like that you have made some space for your higher Self to lead you on to your highest and best expression of yourself. I’m a big proponent of gratitude, so I like to give thanks at the end of my practice, so give thanks to whatever Deity you feel is guiding you. If you are PTSD from CCD or whatever other childhood teachings were foisted upon you, and don’t like the thought of Deities, simply give thanks to yourself for making this time to connect with yourself and give thanks to the Universe for coexisting with you.
Because as my yoga teacher Jaki Nett likes to say that everything comes back to yoga, we’ll tie this practice into yoga philosophy, wherein which one of the eight limbs of yoga are the Niyamas. The Niyamas are virtues or individual disciplines which calm the disturbed mind. One of these five Niyamas is known as Isvara Pranidhana, or “surrender to the Divine of all our actions”. In surrendering, we allow for the Divine to work its own magic, co-creating with us. If you’d like to work with the Zodiacal houses, and aren’t sure which house this Full Moon falls in your chart, feel free to reach out to me for that information.
Surrendering or releasing by house placement topics; if the full Moon falls in your:
1st house: Self-image, personal style, Personal noise you are willing to make about how others should notice your selfhood
2nd house: Attitudes toward acquiring and using material and personal resources
3rd house: Writing, communicating, free interchange, cleverness
4th house: Attitudes toward family, Instinctive emotional motivations
5th house: Creativity, Pleasure, Romance, Self-expression
6th house: Daily work, Health and wellness routines, Known or unknown blockages or stoppages being brought to your attention
7th house: Seeking out and winning the cooperation of others for your purposes
8th house: Couple money, Inheritance, Personal needs for being and sharing with another
9th house: Experiment with life by going beyond your present boundaries, Seek out and unearth new experiences in life
10th house: Reputation, Profession, Public image
11th house: Joining with others for mutual purposes, Your needs for others in roles outside of a one-to-one companionship
12th house: Personal limitations: personal limitations can mean setting up strong internal psychological barriers which are very artfully and craftily woven by unconscious parts of self, The mental mindset you create can limit you to narrow definitions of life