Cancer New Moon: Claim Your Power

She’s been arrested three times for acts of civil disobedience related to gas pipeline construction and permitting. In one of those incidents, as seen above, retired social worker Deborah Kushner chained her rocking chair to an old police cruiser painted with attention-grabbing slogans that made folks take notice!

Mild-mannered Kushner, 67, isn’t your typical activist. Being in the spotlight goes against her reclusive nature, so at first she worked behind the scenes at the Virginia chapter of Third Act, a national climate justice organization. (One of their major campaigns, Bug the Banks, focuses on motivating the four biggest banks to stop supporting fossil fuel-related investments that drive global warming.)

Kushner told Energy News Network that she got involved with Third Act after having an epiphany one day while enjoying the lovely mountains and streams of Southwest Virginia. “I realized,” she said, that “‘Oh my gosh, it’s my turn.’ While some might see us as an oddity at a protest, elders have clout and we need to capitalize on it.”

Whether you’re standing up for the natural world or reproductive rights, the Cancer New Moon (June 28, 7:52 p.m. PDT) is a good time to make your voice heard. The Solstice just ushered in a new season, stirring up change in areas of life related to women, families and Mama Earth. Cancer is a cardinal sign, primed for action. And this New Moon sounds a call for justice, as it squares Jupiter in let’s-get-going Aries. Also, Venus just entered Gemini – placing women in the spotlight and amplifying our voices. Venus sextiles Jupiter at Tuesday’s New Moon, bringing creative options and inspiration – perhaps even epiphanies.

The Cancer New Moon pairs up with Black Moon Lilith, an archetype associated with wild, untamable and subversive feminine behavior. Astronomically, Black Moon Lilith is the lunar apogee, which describes the distance between the Earth and the Moon. In Jewish mythology, Lilith was Adam’s first wife, who saw herself as equal to her mate, refused to conform to what was expected of her and was therefore banished from the Garden. In patriarchal times, Lilith was branded a seductress and associated with deviancy. Yet perhaps she was merely ahead of her time, just deviating from the norm. Now, in this brave new world we’re entering, more women are expressing themselves in bold ways traditionally associated with the masculine. And, more men are getting in touch with the nurturing, feminine side of their nature. I’d say it’s high time for both, as there is much to be done that requires strength, courage and deep caring.

So if you’re feeling braver – or angrier – than usual right now, you’re in good company. Whether you direct this energy toward domestic or personal projects, or whether you feel motivated to champion a cause that’s close to your heart, know that you can make a difference at any age. Deborah Kushner reminds us that Baby Boomers control 70% of the wealth, and can therefore have a big influence on the future of the Earth. And we in the U.S. can champion women’s rights by getting out the vote for the November 8 election (which happens at a lunar eclipse in Scorpio with the Sun conjunct Uranus – how perfect for disrupting the status quo!!) as well as by making our voices heard in other ways.

For my part, I’ll be donating 20 percent of the proceeds from each consultation I do in the next two weeks (between the June 28 New Moon and July 13 Full Moon) to Third Act, to support their mission of older people working together to save the Earth. You can check out my offerings and order a reading here.