Our first Eclipse of 2020 comes early this year, occurring in the famously tender, sensitive and most intuitive (even psychic) sign of the Zodiac—Cancer.

Though Lunar Eclipses in general signify Emotional Times Ahead, the heightened sensitivity is amplified to an intense degree (literally), by the Moon’s placement at 20° of Cancer. Though the sign of Cancer is ruled by the Moon, this particular degree is ruled by Neptune, amplifying our intuition and bringing gut instincts to the fore.

In fact, with the Moon all by its lonesome, in direct opposition to the Capricorn “Clusterf*ck” of the Sun-Mercury and Saturn-Pluto conjunctions, respectively, we might feel like escaping—or even the need to quite literally run for cover.

Cancer is an extremely nurturing yet nervous sign, often channeling their spades of tense or timid energy by hurling themselves into various work-related endeavors—or any activity that brings them (financial) safety and security. 

But Something’s Gotta Give, as they say. And as anyone who’s seen the movie knows, Diane Keaton/“Erica” is the stereotypically high-strung yet deeply lonely Workaholic—the perfect foil character to Jack Nicholson/“Harry”’s (seemingly) superficial yet (surprisingly) accomplished Womanizer-turned-Couch Potato.

Their dichotomy as played out in this Romantic Comedy of Errors embodies the struggle for balance between Work and Play signified by this Lunar Eclipse, as it waxes full this Friday, emblematic of both personal and interpersonal dynamics in our own lives—almost to a tee.

As this Eclipse approaches, something in our lives does indeed have to give. But whether it’s a Viagra-induced heart attack or an epic stretch of Writer’s Block, we’re “forced” to slow down and put more of ourselves into fulfilling our personal needs rather than catering to external demands.

And as obnoxious as Harry/Jack appears at first, he and Erica/Diane forge an unlikely yet powerful connection: she somehow manages to keep him grounded, taking care of him (Cancer) as he recovers from a health scare, while he constantly reminds her of the importance of not just working to live, but living to work. 

Easier said than done, of course, but the takeaway is essentially this—to stop worrying so much about the hypothetical or imagined consequences of slowing down, taking a break and put yourself first for a change. 

So whether the “something” that’s gotta give in your own life involves a personal/family/home life situation or a professional one, things are coming to a head.

Yet while this may feel stressful in the days leading up and/or immediately following this Eclipse, if you can pause and reflect on whatever you’ve been doing over and over again that, you’ll notice sources of stress and worry that may need to be sent packing.

Whatever patterns you realize aren’t working for you anymore, this Full Moon offers the chance to change up your strategy a bit, as letting go of conditioned habit patterns will likely lead you to some sweet, not to mentioned well-deserved, relief. 

Moon in Cancer Opposite Capricorn Stellium: Emotional Awakening

Before we get into the Aspects in orb at the time of this Eclipse, consider that Lunar Eclipses in general are symbols of Endings, whether of a job, relationship or the ending of a home/family matter.

Yet Lunar Eclipses aren’t just about endings. They mark significant moments of realization and recognition. Though as potentially rude as certain awakenings might seem initially—let alone the dramas and intense moments of sadness involving relationships surrounding this Eclipse—they’re awakenings nonetheless, bringing buried feelings to the surface that call for some form of Release. 

Speaking of release, because of how intensely attuned our Emotional Antennae will be leading up to January 10th, it’d behoove all of us to keep in mind our heightened sensitivity, as anyone with personal planets in Cancer knows it can be both a blessing and a curse.

When analyzing any astrology chart, it’s important to take a look not only at the predominance of Element (Earth) and Mode (Cardinal), but at the relative strength of each planet by sign. In this Eclipse chart, the Moon and Neptune are exceptionally forceful, as both planets are in their native Water signs, indicating a certain level of intensity and/or urgency when it comes to whatever worrisome and even inconvenient situations present themselves to us. 

Any astrology chart in which the Moon and Neptune figure so powerfully allows us to open up and be more receptive and empathic to both ourselves and others. If we choose to tune into ourselves and tune out some of the more stressful vibes we’re picking up on, giving ourselves permission to pay attention, we may finally see “what’s really going on”—both within us and around us. 

For example, while the Sun and Mercury in Capricorn (I’ll get to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in a minute) demand we make major changes in our Career Path, altering our commutes, connections and pushing us to put ourselves out there, the Cancer Moon inspires us to retreat, regroup and (ideally) find respite from the Daily Grind. 

What’s important to keep in mind about Capricorn is that it’s not only an Earthy, practical sign, but its Cardinal nature pushes Cap to never follow (or look back), always embodying the not-so-proverbial but literal Leader. In short? Capricorns are great delegators, not because they can’t take orders, but because it’s natural for them to dictate.

As the infamous Long-Term Planners of the Zodiac, they always have a goal in mind, which bestows the natural gift of, well, Leadership. In contrast to Leos, who were Born to Rule, Capricorn is the Mountain Goat, soaring up the (corporate) ladder while paying their fair share of dues, climbing to the top through a series of seemingly effortless yet carefully plotted moves. 

The Cancer Moon wants no such thing, though, needing to recoup its energies with plenty of food, water and personal downtime (read: PTO). In fact, this Neptune-infused Cancer Moon in particular would much rather run away, absconding to a Faraway place where they feel safe, if only in their Imagination (read: Fantasyland).

With the predominance of planets in Earth sign Capricorn, all opposing the sensitive Moon in Cancer, the ongoing polarization of our Work and Family Lives—between the need to meet both external demands and find personal fulfillment that’s been building since January of 2019, if not earlier—isn’t working.

So much so, in fact, that we’ve had enough, and realizations that come into conscious awareness at this Eclipse may push us to “hit our limit” in some respect this month. In fact, with Saturn and Pluto approaching their one-and-only exact conjunction in Capricorn only two days following this Eclipse (on January 12th), such absconsion may prove quite the challenge now. 

Saturn-Pluto in Capricorn: Hitting our Limit

I’ve said this before, but I associate any tense aspect between Saturn and Pluto with Imprisonment, whether figurative or literal. And with Saturn in Capricorn as one of the three strongest planets in this chart so tightly opposing the sensitive Cancer Moon, we feel bound by duty in some respect, likely to our Work/Job/Office/Boss at the expense of whatever inner yearnings/repressed longings/personal needs that fairly demand our full attention.  

Yet there’s an even deeper layer to the contradiction of the Moon opposing both Saturn and Pluto at this Eclipse in Cancer, as Pluto intensifies and amplifies the strength of our emotions while Saturn beckons us not to compromise but compartmentalize—to bottle up our emotional self and put it on a shelf.

Any tense aspect between the Moon and Saturn is a symbol of intense restriction, isolation and the tendency to subjugate our emotions to the requirements of the so-called Real World. I’ve seen time and time again this aspect in the birth charts of my clients a strong tendency toward Depression, with an accompanying fear of open self-expression. 

Either way, with the incredible force of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, this feeling of imprisonment may end intensify, manifesting as an overwhelming internal battle between our gut instinct and so-called logic at this Full Moon Eclipse. The Sun-Mercury conjunction right next to it, also opposing the Cancer Moon, only amplifies this contradiction, making us feel compelled to choose in some way, knowing we can’t have it both ways.

For instance, it may be that we’ve been sacrificing our personal lives to the extent that we don’t know who we are anymore outside of the office. Or we may be caught up considering how our identity would change if we break away from our familial role as Mother, Sister, Father, etc. and go our own way, as Fleetwood Mac would say. 

Keep in mind, though, that with Jupiter conjunct the South Node, while we’re tempted to run toward whatever (or whoever) makes us feel most comfortable now, balance needs to be restored.

But (again), as I’m sure I’ve said before: being a “bottler” does not a Martyr make. In fact, bottling our emotions will only increase the likelihood of either tense stalemates or arguments that could be productive escalating to the point of hysterical fits or other histrionic escapades. 

Whatever choice we make involves following our gut or overriding it. So whether you allow yourself to cycle through the same patterns or continue to obsess about thoughts of things pragmatic is, of course, ultimately up to us.

But there’s an opportunity to break away from such patterns as the weeks and months following this Eclipse unfold. Can we let some of our attachments to materialistic demands go? Do we really love the line of work we’re in, or are we drowning in its demands? Is there a way to strike a compromise between the personal and professional? 

When it comes to relationships, are we desperately clinging to idealistic memories of times gone by as a means to (emotionally) survive? Are we frustrated in our attempts to reignite a fire with a match that, no matter what we do, refuses to light? Can we forgive and forget, or are we simply pretending to? These are the questions to ask yourself now.

Because we can’t recreate a past life in the present, nor can we stay hustling to meet the needs of everyone and everything the way we have. We all know we have to make a change; whether we take action though, is a different story altogether. So look fondly at all things that’ve been steadfast or bolstered our egos or past success. But do remember: to truly evolve/move forward, something (or someone) has got to give.