Mariah K. Lyons is an author, designer, crystal healer, intuitive and herbalist based in Los Angeles, CA. She is the founder of the luxury grounding footwear company ASTARA and best-selling author of Crystal Healing for Women.

The Wolf Moon In CancervJanuary 6th

The first Full Moon of 2023 is this Friday, January 6th at 3:08PM PST in the water sign Cancer.

This Wolf Full Moon brings deep emotions to the surface alongside heightened empathic sensitivities and possible unresolved issues around home and family life. Adding to the undercurrent tow of emotions, Mars is still retrograding in Gemini until January 12th, as well as Mercury in retrograde until January 18th.

SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE… Both of these retrograding planets bring many questions to the forefront and ask us to slow down, give pause and pull us deeper within ourselves to receive answers. You may even feel as if you are currently under water, in a dreamy, almost liminal space, in between what was, and what is to come. This is the also the opposition of cardinal signs Capricorn and Cancer, with the sun in Capricorn, and the Full Moon of Cancer.

Work with this energy and your emotions to sift through both subconscious desires and possible blocks. This is not a time to make drastic decisions, but instead, to lean into the questions and deep internal desires surfacing to gain greater insight and clarity. Once Mars and Mercury go direct and we have the New Moon in Aquarius January 23rd, you will feel a renewed freshness ushering you into this new calendar year in deeper alignment. But for now, rest and give yourself time for an easeful transition and to stay open to the answers your heart is seeking.

OVERALL THEMES TO EXPLORE…Empathy, Nourishment, Rest

The element of water is an incredible agent of cleansing and clearing. Instead of pushing away any emotions that are arising, allow yourself to deeply feel them and stay curious to what they may have to show you. This is actually a wonderful time to access stored stuck emotions or thoughts within your body and your mind that may be preventing you from moving forward in your life. So consider this time an opportunity to cleanse and clear on a mental, emotional and physical level for the new year. Deeply nourish yourself on all levels and let yourself rest and reset this week.

Slow down, slow down, slow down.

HOW YOU MAY FEEL… Sensitive, Tired, Emotional

This moon greatly heightens our sensitivities and empathic capabilities. While this assists us in feeling and tuning deeper into the world around us, make sure not to drown in other people’s emotions or confuse their desires with your own. At the same time, pay attention to what is stirring your emotions, as perhaps it is signifying where your heart wants to go, be it a social justice cause or spending more resources or time on a particular environmental effort. Take time for yourself and listen to what is needed during these next few days to tend to your own emotions and needs.

There have been lots of shifts and changes, and ultimately, this Full Moon in Cancer is helping us to get back in touch with our heart’s desires and wishes and lead from there, not our minds or fears of the ego.

EXCELLENT TIME TO… Rest, read a book, sleep in, paint, slowly move your body, put an OOO on for another week, read your journals from last year, finally call your friend you’ve been meaning to call for months, cook a grounding and nourishing meal with friends, or family cuddle up with your animals and get to bed early.

We are in the winter hibernating months and nature reminds us that this is time of resting and nourishing the body, mind and spirit. Take time during this Cancer Full Moon to “mother” yourself and tend to your needs above all else. That way you will be rested, refreshed and ready to go once the energy shifts and it is time for full steam ahead.

JOURNALING PROMPT… What emotions feel present within my body? What emotions have I been afraid to feel? What does it feel like when I take on others’ emotions? What do I feel deeply aligned with? How does my body feel most nourished? If I were to speak directly from my heart in this moment, what would it say?

My book Crystal Healing for Women has a “Balancing Emotions” ritual that helps bring your emotional body into a space of wellbeing and alignment while allowing for release and healing.