The Cancer Full Moon for Authors

Full Moons are the perfect time to take stock of what the past lunar cycle has given us and what we’ve accomplished. Practicing gratitude is always a wonderful way to spend this time, but what else can we do as writers to tap into the energy of a Cancer moon?

Cancer is a water sign, ruled by the moon, and is deeply connected to emotions, intuition, and the home. When the Moon is in Cancer, the moon is at its peak. And tonight’s (Jan 13, 2025) moon falls on a Monday, the day of the week that’s ruled by the moon. Emotions are high right now.

I like to think of the Moon in Cancer as the epitome of work-life balance. It wants us to rest, rejuvenate, release emotions, and check in with ourselves and our loved ones. It is the astrological opposite of Capricorn, the workaholic.

So, let’s get into how we can harness its energy…

Emotional Check

Spend some time thinking about how you’ve been feeling lately. Don’t judge yourself. Just honor your emotions. They are neither good nor bad—despite how toxic positivity and “vibrational frequency” gurus may try to convince you to believe. Emotions just are. They are as morally free as the weather. But they are a barometer for your life and well-being.

What are they trying to tell you? Are you feeling defeated? Envious? Exhausted? Journal about it. Then ask the universe (goddess, god, source, your higher self—whatever you prefer here) to give you insight on how you can work through it. Pulling 1-3 tarot or oracle cards might help here.

Rest

Taking time to rest is a key part of productivity. Burnout is so prevalent in today’s highly capitalistic world. You can do a lot of damage to your mind and body if you continually skip over the rest portion of the productivity cycle. The full moon can exacerbate anxiety in some people, and if you’re one of those, heed the need to chill for a bit. Don’t repress any tension you feel. Give yourself some grace and compassion. This is not a time for hustle.

Household Meeting or Meal

If you share your home with others (this could be a partner, kids, roommates, whomever), now is a good time to check in with everyone and see how they’re doing. Cancer moons are a good time to nurture one another. Make each other feel seen and heard. Perhaps discuss how your individual goals are doing and how you can better support one another in them.

Releasing

Did something not go as planned? Did you launch a book and it didn’t get the numbers you’d hoped? Did someone on socials say something that hurt you? Is old baggage causing you to self-sabotage? Are toxic people still in your circle? Are other people’s expectations making it difficult to write what you want to write? Whatever it is, use this time to release what you cannot control and take action on what you can. Don’t let it weigh you down as you move forward in your publishing journey. Write them on a piece of paper and burn it to signify letting it go.

Baking or Cooking

Why not spend a little extra time to make yourself something comforting and warm to nibble on during your writing sessions? Or cook a nutrient dense meal to nurture your body and mind. Cancer loves comfort and being cozy.

Intuitive Writing

If a blank page isn’t something that sends you into a sheer panic, open a new doc or notebook, and just write whatever comes to mind. Maybe play with that seed of an idea that’s been poking at you in quiet moments. Even if it’s not a part of your current WIP, just see what happens with you let intuition guide you completely. Have the ambient sound of waterfalls, rain, or the ocean playing as you do this to bring in Cancer’s connection to water. (Even better if you live near a natural body of water.)

Take a Break from Social Media

As I write this blog post in January 2025, Mars is currently retrograding in Cancer and now the moon has moved into that sign as well. This energy could lead us to lash out and let our emotions get the better of us, especially in a passive-aggressive way. Do yourself a favor and don’t feed into that. Take a break and give yourself space. Focus instead on something meaningful you can do for yourself and your career.

If you need to post on socials for marketing reasons, use a third-party scheduler like Buffer, Later, or Metricool to do it so you don’t have to see the timeline at all.

Nurture Your Readers

While I know I just said to take a break from socials, I’m also going to suggest mostly that you just refocus your energy onto your readers rather than bullies, hot takes, discourse, and weirdos online. Have a newsletter, Patreon, Ream, or Facebook group? Spend time on those. What can you do to further build a relationship with your audience? Do that—constructively, not passive-aggressively. Leave the shit energy to folks on Threads and Twitter. As Chani says, “Connection and care are renewable resources. The more you tap into them, the more they flow.”

Tidy Your Office/Desk

Further take care of your well-being by spending a little time straightening and cleaning your office area, especially if you’re someone who struggles to focus when your environment is messy. Domesticity is Cancer’s domain as an extension of home. If you’re so inclined, use this time to spiritually cleanse your space as well.

Celebrate Your Wins

Practice gratitude for things accomplished and lessons learned—no matter how small! Every sale. Every new connection. Every new follower or subscriber. Every new word written. It all matters. It all moved you forward in your publishing journey. Take joy in that!


Post by Teresa Conner

Teresa is a full-time freelance book cover designer and graphic designer for Wolfsparrow Covers. When not creating graphics or book covers for indie authors and traditional publishers, Teresa can be found writing erotic romance under her pen name Torrance Sené or fueling her addictions to tea, planners, and Marvel.