Deeply sensitive, intuitive and ruled by the moon, Cancers are the mom friends that everyone never admits they need. Whether you’re in the mood to be consoled, a Cancer will always be the anchor to keep you grounded. From June 21 to July 22, society dips a toe into that energy. If you don’t have any major water sign placements, the waxing and waning emotions can feel a bit dizzying. If you’re not all that excited to exit the sexy and social season of Gemini, here’s what to expect during Cancer season and how to best navigate its potentially torrential waters.

All About Cancers

Cancers simply cannot negate a need for comfort. Whether it’s in a relationship or the softness of the lights in their bedroom, they need to feel a sense of ease at all times. They’re a hard sign to lie to, as their intuitive abilities allow them pick up on energies that lie beyond the naked eye. This is also why they play much of a maternal role in their relationships. They can always tell when their loved ones are withholding emotions or are in need of a shoulder to cry on. They may shed a few tears themselves, purely out of empathy.

If you have the pleasure of loving a Cancer, know that they need to be showered with words of affirmation, reassurance and gentle affection. They’re sensitive celestial bodies that never really grew up. They cosplay as adults who don’t well up at every song they love and movie that ends happily ever after. 

How To Navigate Cancer Season

While Gemini season called for everyone to be flirty and inventive, Cancer season is a return inward. There will still be BBQs and brunches to attend, but these should also be buffered by solitude and quiet nights journaling. Spending too much time overstimulated by people and excitement can be a heavier weight on the body at this time. It’s important to have a recharging process. With the height of summer falling in this energy, here are some tips to make the best of it. 

Find a Grounding Practice 

If there’s anything to know about Cancers, it is that they’re the moodiest of the zodiac. When your emotions feel loud and disorienting, consider finding grounding practices that bring you back to the body. While joining a run club is all the hype these days, slower practices, like mat Pilates and yoga, can regulate the nervous system and calm any overflow of anxiety. Similarly, activities that put the mind in a trance, like puzzles, pottery or Lego sets, can take you out of your emotional body and into a meditative state. 

Connect With Your Maternal Side

The older you get, the more you realize moms were always right. Take advantage of this deepening season to spend more intentional time with your mom. If connecting with your mom can’t be on the to do list, consider connecting more deeply to your maternal side. Whether it’s children, pets or plants, there’s nothing more gratifying than knowing you poured love into taking care of something. Nurture with more presence, and remember to give yourself that watering too. 

Test Your Intuition

While women are typically conditioned to question their own gut instinct, it’s the sharpest compass of ownership. Beyond simply listening to your intuition, utilize Cancer season as a time to test and strengthen it. Drive to a new place and find your way back home without using GPS, guess a song that will play during a library shuffle, or check in on a person who randomly pops up in your head. You’ll be surprised how in constant communication with the universe you actually are. 

Ritual With The Moon

Being that Cancer is the only sign ruled by the moon, it’s the perfect astrological season to become more intentional. With the full moon in Capricorn on June 22, write down what you no longer are allowing to make you feel unsafe, unstable or unloved. Burn it as a form of release.

With the new moon in Cancer on July 5, draw yourself a self-love bath. Complete it with essential oils and flower petals, and visualize all the delicious things you’re calling in to make life sweeter. It’s also an optimal time to pay more attention to your own cycle and structure your routine around it. Download a period tracking app for guidance on which foods, movement, and intimacy styles align best with your follicular, ovulation, menstrual, or luteal phase.