Embracing the Full Moon in Cancer

Embracing the Full Moon in Cancer: Navigating Emotional Upheaval and Healing Our Wounds

As we’ve just moved through the Full Moon in Cancer, I’ve felt the deep emotional currents that this powerful phase has brought. It’s as if the energy of the Moon, our cosmic grandmother, has pulled us back into the depths of our emotional bodies, asking us to look at the things we’ve buried or ignored. This Full Moon was an invitation to witness our shadows, our wounds, and our pain — and in turn, to begin the process of healing.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, so this Full Moon brings a heightened sensitivity and a pull towards our emotional foundations. For many, this period has been marked by emotional upheaval, triggering old wounds, and feelings of vulnerability. Our hearts have been cracked open, and perhaps we’ve felt more exposed than usual. It’s a time when the emotional tides rise and fall, sometimes without warning, and we are left in the wake of their power.

I, too, have been feeling these emotions, and I’ve seen it reflected in the energy of those around me. Perhaps you’ve noticed these shifts — a sense of emotional chaos, moments of frustration, or an overwhelming need to cry or retreat. It’s as if the universe has given us permission to feel everything we’ve been avoiding, to confront the unresolved parts of ourselves that we’ve hidden in the corners of our hearts.

This Full Moon in Cancer brings forward old family wounds, ancestral patterns, and childhood memories. It shines a light on the places where we still hold grief, resentment, or shame. We may have been triggered in ways that felt overwhelming, like a flood of emotion rushing in, and it can be difficult to navigate. It’s like the Moon has asked us to step into the heart of our pain to understand its roots and begin the deep work of healing.

But with every wave of emotion comes the opportunity for transformation. The very essence of Shamanic Roots is rooted in understanding the wisdom of the emotional body, honouring the shadows as much as the light, and using the medicine of our emotions to find balance and healing. The emotional upheaval we’ve experienced during this Full Moon is not something to shy away from — it is the gateway to deeper understanding and liberation.

As the Full Moon faded and the light began to wane, we are offered a moment of reflection and release. This is a powerful time to engage in ritual and healing. In the spirit of this Full Moon, I invite you to take time to honour what has surfaced. What emotional wounds have come up for you? What parts of your past are asking for your attention? This is the time to sit with those feelings, acknowledging them, and inviting healing into your space.

I encourage you to use this time for self-compassion and gentle release. Create a small ritual to honour your emotions, whether through journaling, meditation, or sitting in the quiet stillness of your heart. You may want to use the energy of candlelight to symbolise the illumination of your inner world, or burn a small offering as you release the old stories that no longer serve you.

In the shamanic tradition, we recognise that healing is a cyclical process. Just as the Moon moves through its phases, we too move through cycles of growth, release, and rebirth. The Full Moon in Cancer has offered us the chance to go deep — to look at the wounds that we carry and acknowledge the emotions that hold us captive. And now, with the wisdom of the Moon’s light, we can take the next step in the process of healing, releasing what no longer serves us, and stepping into our wholeness.

As we move deeper into 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake, we are being asked to reflect even more deeply. This year brings with it an invitation to shed, transform, and go within. The Wood Snake is a symbol of deep wisdom, stillness, and transformation, but it also asks us to take time in solitude, to sit in the quiet of our own being. Much like the hermit archetype, the energy of this year encourages introspection and deep healing. It’s not a time for rushing forward or taking impulsive actions — instead, we are being called to align with the quieter, more reflective parts of ourselves.

The Wood Snake asks us to embrace the shedding of the old — whether it’s beliefs, patterns, relationships, or parts of our identity that no longer serve us. It’s a time for growth through transformation. And much like the cycle of the Moon, this year invites us to revisit the layers of ourselves that need healing, and in doing so, we find wisdom and renewal.

In this time of shifting, I received a beautiful gift: my dear partner Boyd sent me photos from the evening of the Full Moon — a stunning view of the Moon rising over the vast Pilbara region in Western Australia. There is something so profound about the way the Moon interacts with different lands, and these images reminded me of the Moon’s universal power and her connection to all living beings. The stillness of the landscape, the expansive sky, and the quiet presence of the Moon reflected the very energy we’ve all been feeling: a space of raw vulnerability, but also an invitation to heal.

As the Full Moon fades and the light begins to wane, we are offered a moment of reflection and release. This is a powerful time to engage in ritual and healing. The Wood Snake energy, along with the Moon’s influence, is asking us to shed the old and step into a new version of ourselves — one that is more aligned with our true essence. As we do so, we are able to embrace the healing that awaits us and step forward in a way that honours our highest self.

As always, I am here to support you. If you feel called to explore this process more deeply, I offer one-on-one ritualistic space sessions, where we can work together to release old blockages, heal deep wounds, and connect with the wisdom of your emotional body. The Moon and the Wood Snake have much to teach us if we are willing to listen — and in the process, we can find peace, balance, and healing.

May the Full Moon in Cancer and the Year of the Wood Snake illuminate the way for your heart to heal and for you to reconnect with your truest essence.

With love and healing,

TJ