New Moon in Cancer: Embrace Playtime!

In my book, the Fourth of July means fun: loud, raucous, party fun. There’s nothing I love more than spending time with my close friends, cranking up the tunes, and talking well into the night while indulging in delicious food and spirits. In my younger years, this sort of hang out happened on the regular. Nowadays, it takes a major holiday to pull it off. So suffice it to say, I am especially excited for the Fourth of July.

There’s something so precious about friends coming together to enjoy the moment, as fleeting as it may be. To put down work, email, and expectations, and to embrace guacamole, late night chit-chat, and music. When I host, as I will this weekend, I can pretty much guarantee a booty shaking get down will move the crowd onto my make-shift living room dance floor—a nice break from the hours spent playing poker and other games.

My friends and I have rituals around coming together and leaving the rest of the world behind: a temporary experience where time is not, and the only thing that matters is authenticity and connection. Over the years, our tribe has multiplied, and thankfully so, because children bring the playfulness to a whole new level.  

By the end of the weekend, I am sure to feel rejuvenated, alive, and connected.

As someone whose health journey has her living life on the straight and narrow, I have to say embracing rituals around laughter, presence, and friendship remains non-negotiable to me.

Why?

I talk a lot about resilience. Yet, I still think there’s a lot of confusion about what resilience means. In this recent post in the Harvard Business Review, Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan write about how resilience isn’t how we endure, but how we recharge. They hit my core business philosophies, explaining that the journey to becoming more resilient is about embracing recovery, downtime, and not getting caught up in workaholism. Contrary to the notion that resilience is simply the capacity to turn and burn, resilience is truly about the ability to let go and recover. (I strongly suggest giving this article a read before taking off for the weekend!)

That said, even though I adore silence, truthfully I am also a super social creature that loves wailing rock music, uncontrollable laughter, and forgetting about my goals long enough to just simply be in the moment. I have rituals in my life to completely let go, and these rituals have everything to do with congregating with my friends for a gut-busting good time.

Do you have rituals in your life for the sheer purpose of pleasure?

As we prepare for the long weekend ahead of us here in the states, as well as some peak summer merriment, I encourage you to think about your rituals for pleasure, especially since the Fourth of July falls on the new moon in Cancer.

Cancer, a sign that is all about family and security, asks us to connect to what helps us feel safe, whole and nourished. Given that Independence Day and the new moon in Cancer occur concurrently, I think the astrology gods are giving us a wink.

It’s time to embrace our freedom by recharging and reconnecting to what helps us feels safe, aligned, nourished, and happy.

This new moon, let go. Don’t abandon your principles or engage in self-destructive behaviors. But instead play full out, and nourish the very core of who you are. Do things that bring the fire of childhood alive within and let you connect to your creativity, flow, and freedom. Get offline, out of your inbox, and genuinely chill out. Give yourself time to recover, recharge, and reinvigorate.

Know your limits and engage what intuitively feels right for you. If that’s an ice cream cone or a piece of cake, go for it. If it’s a top-shelf margarita, enjoy it. Let yourself feel satiated without taking it to an extreme. There’s no need for a bender or overindulgence; however, let go of punitive restriction too. The Fourth of July is about freedom, after all. So liberate yourself.

The beautiful irony is that taking a pause for the cause actually increases your health, your productivity, and your ingenuity. Downtime, vacation, and connecting with your community is essential for your success in life. Playtime is non-negotiable to adult happiness, and well-being.

Knowing this and living this in my life, is one of the many reasons I adore being a part of the Soul Camp teaching staff. So much of the happiness in my life directly correlates to the freedom I have granted myself to play, innovate and connect through the years. As an adult summer camp and wellness retreat, Soul Camp specializes in creating community and out of the box learning experiences through fun, adventure, and creativity. These experiences heal while opening up the doors of potential in the lives of the campers. I am teaching at both Soul Camp East and West, and will be getting down on the dance floor on both coasts, playing color wars, chilling by the lake, making new friends, and going deep with old ones. This not to be missed pleasure-inducing, community building, wellness retreat brings so much joy into my life—and I know it will bring joy into yours, too. Consider coming with me to camp.

Otherwise, I am heading offline until Tuesday. I encourage you to do the same. Embrace your independence, your freedom, and your liberation. Trust that play heals, that you know what is right for your body, and that taking a break from your regular schedule may just be exactly what the doctor ordered. It’s a holiday after all. Let it be holy, too.

As always, I send you, and all those suffering, my deep heartfelt love. May peace prevail. Shanti!

Big hugs,

Jenn

P.S. My July column is up on Diving Living Magazine. Learn about the astrological highlights in the month ahead, and read your horoscope too.