Pouring into yourself this July
Themes for July, Cancer season, and the hazy days of summer
As we round the corner on July, we’re halfway through the year. This can tend to be the time (for me, at least) where some anxiety and panic sets in: “oh sh*t, what have I achieved this year?”
It’s the dog days of summer — hot and humid, the time of year when each day seems to drag by. But using the avatar of the sign of Cancer (which runs from June 20 to July 22 this year), July can feel watery and relaxed if we enable it to be. We can zoom out, working to reframe the question of achievement, instead asking:
how have I served myself this year? how am I nurturing and pouring into myself?
Cancer is a cardinal water sign; cardinal signs initiate action, and water signs bring empathy and emotion into the fold. July can feel like a weight, a slog that presses down on us and feels impossible to escape. By embracing Cancer energy, we start working with this summer instead of against it. We create a flow, knowing the wheel of time keeps turning, and that we won’t be here forever.
Cancer season asks us to consider what we hope to come next, and to let our creativity and imagination run loose. Cancer ensures our work for the summer season ahead is connected to our deep desires, and slows down the hustle and bustle of summer with a nurturing and calm energy. It encourages us to develop intuition around what feels right, and how to go after it.
By nature, Cancer is kind, empathetic, and understanding. After the whiplash and rising energy of spring, we can expect summer to be unrelenting. But once we hit the summer solstice to kick off Cancer season, the days start getting *shorter.* It’s the beginning of supper that is an energetic peak; from here on out, our days only get shorter, and the energy begins to wane.
Cancer is a breath of fresh air — or more aptly, a splash of water — but a warm, pleasant one. Cancer season is here to hand us a refreshment, to sit down with us and listen to what’s been going on with a kind and understanding ear. Cancer season doesn’t judge us; it lets us unfurl our grievances and gives us a new start. It’s stabilizing and unlike anything we’ve experienced in awhile.
Cancer season will be beneficial for nurturing and nourishing yourself. Cancer season is about starting those big summer dreams, and being kind to yourself in the process. There’s a blank slate here if you want it — a space to let go of what isn’t serving you, and a space to dream big around what will serve you going forward.
This can look like:
Journaling
Cleansing activities (summer clean out, rituals of letting things go, water-based activities to signify a fresh start)
Moodboarding or vision boarding — collage sounds like an awesome way to dream summer dreams
Exploring new forms of movement
Indulging in and/or creating a nourishing meal
Slowing down and creating mindful moments
Brainstorming intentions and goals
Other resources for July & Cancer season:
Themes for this year's creative work
At the beginning of the year, I wrote about monthly themes for this year’s creative work, which has rung true in some eerie ways.
As we get into the second half of 2024, consider all you’ve created in the first half. Where can you find confidence, banish fear, and move through the next stage?
This season is an opportunity to refine and deepen, getting closer to the person you aim to become.
Last year’s Cancer season post, and noting how to nurture yourself.
Last year, I wrote a newsletter about embracing the hazy days of summer and how to embrace them. This was also my first weekly newsletter, a practice I kept up for awhile … and am thinking about bringing back. It was a nurturing practice for me; we’ll see where it goes!