This Bath Ritual for the Cancer New Moon Is Everything

New moons are generally a time to revel in absence—the sky is dark, the mood is quiet. While it might come as respite from the social energy of Gemini season, July’s Cancer new moon is going to be a little more intense than normal.

Why? Happening on July 2, 2019 at 12:16 pm, this moon will occur with a total solar eclipse! During the eclipse, the sun will be sextile to Uranus, the great disruptor. Consider this a positive catalyst for change. What areas of your life could use a private revolution? This aspect also opens us up to unexpected surprises, which we can sometimes feel resistant to during Cancer season. Use this moon to meditate on what you want, but also to allow yourself vision to see that sometimes an unexpected path is the best way to get there.

How Cancer Season Affects This New Moon

Self-care is huge during Cancer season (speaking of, you might need these self-care items to get through this moon). Cancer energy is nurturing and protective, but it can be easy to forget that our first duty is to take care of ourselves. Sensitivities run high under the influence of the crab, so a new moon is a great time to revisit our boundaries and tools we use to process emotions.

Cancer season highlights matters of the home, family, and your sense of safety. So you also might expect the moon to highlight deep seated childhood traumas that need recovery. Creating a safe space in your life to work out issues from the past is important here. Plus, with Neptune in Pisces and in retrograde right now, it’s prime time to heal those scars from the past.

Luckily for you, we have just the ritual you need to recover some of those scars (and also help you keep level-headed as dreamy Pisces and Neptune can cloud our minds!).

Read This Now: Things You Should (and Shouldn’t) Do During a New Moon

A Bath Ritual for the Cancer New Moon

Courtesy of Twenty20

Cancer is a water sign, so it’s always nice to honor the ruling element with a salt water bath. The addition of salt (Epsom salts or even salt blends with elements like jasmine or rose) adds a physically and spiritually cleansing boost, drawing out impurities and helping you start this next lunar cycle refreshed. Lighting the right candle for your intentions help amplify them. You can also choose not to light a candle, as new moon energy is about learning that appreciating darkness helps us enjoy the light.

Ingredients:

• Black candle (protection)
• White candle (cleansing, inspiration)
• Epsom salt
• A face mask (yogurt + raw organic honey + turmeric or matcha)
• A warm bath

Instructions:

Light the black candle and focus on the negative things in your life you’d like to replace or banish. Let it burn as you meditate for five minutes, or as long as you think is appropriate.

Then, light the white candle and visualize your personal goals. Instead of getting caught up in the details, think about the sensations and feelings associated with these goals. Try to place them in your body and notice where you feel a sensation. Scanning the body during meditation is a great tool to understand how our emotions affect our bodies and physical health. When we can isolate and understand these connections, we know where to breath into during times of stress or panic.

After your bath, take some time for a DIY self-care ritual. Blend together some yogurt and honey for an at home face mask that connects and grounds you to your body. Add in green tea for purification or turmeric for a stimulating boost. Apply your mask thoughtfully, offering gratitude for all your body does for you.

New moon affirmation:

I trust in the union between myself and the universe to guide me in the right direction. I receive power by giving in to trust and exploration.

Lead photo courtesy of @brandi.van.nevel