As the Sun joins our Lady Moon in her home sign of Cancer, Venus looks on lovingly as the handmaiden of the couple, creating a soft place to rest Their weary heads. The three planets in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces, but that is Venus’ territory as the exalted Lady of the sign, so there is a feeling of containment created when two people crave the privacy they need to join each other in a loving embrace.
Cancer season is nostalgic and reflective at its best, and with the easy flow of Saturnian energy from Pisces, at its most challenging, it can be moody and melancholic. Accepting that our moods flux and flow within each season is a good practice, and understanding where, in our own charts, the Moon finds herself throughout each lunar cycle can assist us in a deeper, reflective understanding of our bodily and emotional patterns.
Our crystal for the New Moon is named after Selene Herself. Selenite, a soft, water-soluble crystal most commonly found as a milky translucent white (but can also be clear, brown, and sandy), is a perfect partner for this Cancer season when Venus and Saturn are also present in the mix. Its soothing properties can bring a sense of calm and peace during this reflective time.
As Alice takes herself through the looking glass, crossing that reflective boundary of the mirror back into Wonderland, we can use this crystal in mediative, reflective thought to take us into our own magical realm within.
Selenite
Selene is the goddess of the Moon, our guiding light in the night sky. However, unlike the Sun, her face waxes and wanes as she moves through her monthly cycle. The soft, pliable crystal Selenite is the perfect representation of the Moon in her full glory, fostering a deep spiritual connection with the lunar cycle. The stone's chemical composition, mainly gypsum, will break down in water and damp spaces, echoing the watering home of the Moon, Cancer.
Selenite is used for gridding spaces such as your home. Place a small piece of Selenite in each corner of your home, with a larger point to form the centrepiece and then set the intention of your home as a sacred, safe space. Try to find the most central part of your house to place this centre point. Remember, before placing these crystals in your home, cleanse with sound and intention and programme the crystals with your positive affirmations for the protection of your living space.
Preparation
This meditation is best performed in the evening or at night when the Moon is visible a couple of days from the New Moon to the last sliver at the end of the cycle. The dark balsamic Moon can overwhelm the senses and take us away from our feeling of safety.
If you've had a busy day and are feeling a little stressed or fraught, it would be helpful to write down things that have bothered you or come up for you. This will help to release those constant whirling thoughts so that you have the time and quiet space to work through this meditation.
As this is Cancer season, this meditation reflects on the past and family, especially Mother Energy. If this is not the right time for you due to any difficulties, loss, or trauma resonance, use this time just to sit, be, and recharge your mind, body, and spirit in a safe space. The grid can be used whenever you are looking for peace and quiet. Do not feel you have to go into anything you are uncomfortable with.
Gather four tumble stones and a larger palm stone, crystal ball, or scrying mirror made from this material. You can use images of the crystal or keep the image in mind. Clear Quartz would be a good alternative for this one, too.
Optional extra: four clear quartz points and a black Tourmaline. A glass or silver bowl. Mineral or spring water.
Place the stones in a square big enough for you to sit in.
As an extra or even a separate ritual, take your glass or silver bowl, fill it with mineral or spring water, and place it in front of you within the square. You can hold the crystal in your hands or gaze into the water.
Clear your meditation space with sound (tingsha bells, singing bowl, or tuning fork) or with a gem essence spray. (See my article here to find out how to make your own.)
Meditation
Settle yourself in the square, your crystal in hand or bowl before you. Take three deep breaths in and out to centre yourself. Then, soften your gaze into the space just above your crystal or into the bowl of water.
As you feel yourself relaxing deeper into a meditative state, begin to cast your mind back to a time when you felt completely safe in your body, whether it be in a past or current home or in the presence of a loved one, maybe with somebody who is no longer here on this earthly plane. Feel the comfort and security that space brings you.
Consider how your body is centred in the space and how it feels when completely relaxed and protected within the field of true love. It is useful as a form of resilience to understand the difference between times of stress or anxiety and how your body and mind like to feel in their most safe, relaxed state. You can use this barometer to adjust yourself with deep breathing during your everyday life.
Sit and gaze into your crystal or water, and as you relax deeper into your meditation, you may find that you close your eyes; this is OK. Just bring to mind the crystal or the water and see where in your past your meditative state is taking you.
If you connect to the energies of the Pagan Mother Goddess or, if you prefer, Mother Mary or any other semblance of the Divine Feminine as Mother, this is a time to call on their presence's assistance.
Selene, the Goddess of the Moon in the Greek Pantheon, is most apt, especially if you are using this crystal and meditation through her season of Cancer or at any other part of the year when the Moon is strong and in a beneficial place in the Zodiac.
You can use this time to request anything that she can offer you within her powers, or if you are just looking for a time to honour the spirit of the Goddess, then this is the ideal opportunity. I always suggest that anytime you request assistance from a divine presence, this is done humbly and respectfully; there should be no demands.
They may have a message or a gift for you. They may wish to take you on a journey to show you something they want you to see. What are they sharing with you, and what message do they want you to take back into your waking state? Do you feel the all-encompassing Divine love, unrestricted with no earthly boundaries?
Spend as much time as you need in this relaxed space, breathing gently in your own pattern and taking the time to recharge and rest yourself.
Now, once you are ready to return to your room, gently open your eyes. Look back into your crystal or bowl of water and take a few relaxing breaths. Feel how your body is placed in the space and notice how safe you feel within your grid.
If you are using the bowl of water to collect the energies of the Moonlight, place it on your windowsill. If possible, find a spot that will reflect the Moonlight in the water at some point that evening. Place your four Selenite crystals around the outside of the bowl.
The optional extra of the four clear quartz crystals should point inwards toward the Selenite on all four corners, and the Black Tourmaline is the keystone placed as close to the middle of the grid at the Northern edge. Once the bowl of water has been removed, place the Tourmaline in the centre.
Once you have the moon's energies in your water, you can use them to create your own gem essence, as described in my previous article. This gem essence can be carried with you throughout the month so that you can bring about this sense of safety, security, love, and peace at times when you may feel anxious, worried, or uncomfortable in your space.
The four selenite crystals you used during your meditation can now be placed in the four corners of your room or house as a grid to keep your living space protected. It is recommended that you cleanse these crystals every month to keep the energies clear and vibrating at the crystal's level.
Saffron Dennis is an astrologer, crystal therapist, horticulturalist and tarot reader based in the East Anglia region of the UK. You can book her for a reading or as a speaker at your local or online event at divinebaytree.com