A Solar Eclipse Is Coming to Shake Things Up for the Rest of the Summer

Close your eyes, relax your jaw, and take a deep breath: The new moon, our monthly opportunity to just take a break, is on its way. The lunar reset will arrive on Sunday, June 21, in the sign of nurturing Cancer. This placement would normally make for an especially quiet, restorative new moon, but this year a juxtaposing celestial occurrence will shake up the norm.

While this year has already seen two lunar eclipses, now their solar counterpart will get in on the action — an annular solar eclipse (meaning the outermost ring of the sun will still be visible behind the moon) will coincide with this month’s new moon, starting at 12:47 a.m. EDT and reaching its peak at 2:40 a.m. EDT. North Americans will, unfortunately, miss out on this spectacle, but the eclipse's path will be visible from most of Africa and Asia, plus Southeastern Europe.

Despite the restful vibes of this lunar phase, this solar event will serve as a loud and clear reminder that changes, good or bad, are inevitably on their way (in case the Mercury retrograde starting on the 18th wasn't enough of a reminder already).

Normally, a Cancerian new moon is all about comfort.

When the darkest lunar phase (literally — the moon loses all illumination when it’s new) channels its energy through an empathetic, family-oriented water sign like Cancer, you can usually expect the evening to feel relatively calm and your thoughts to turn toward your personal, domestic life. You might reflect upon your relationships with relatives or how you define “home” (and whether your current living space fits that definition).

It’s an advantageous time to set intentions around how you can best care and protect yourself and your loved ones. Look at the crab that symbolizes Cancer and you’ll know for sure — this sign’s priority is safety, figuratively and literally.

But the coinciding solar eclipse could push you outside of that comfort zone.

While the new moon in Cancer will be an opportunity for rest and restoration, the solar eclipse will make it difficult to stay paused for too long. This type of celestial event always signals some kind of change on the horizon, and thanks to the sun’s placement in Cancer, this eclipse in particular nods to a shift in our home zone — families might merge or separate, living situations may evolve, or homes might simply get a fresh coat of paint.

The frustrating thing here is that you might not recognize the change until you’re in the midst of it. In other words, you can’t exactly stop an eclipse. But, you can brace yourself — and keep in mind that change is not necessarily a bad thing. If your familial dynamics shift now, an opportunity for even closer bonds may appear down the road. If the time comes for a move or relocation, you could end up creating a new branch of your family tree, apart from but nearby the trunk. Even if the solar eclipse rattles your foundation, this is your chance to prove how well you can adapt to its movements and, if needed, even rebuild in its wake.