Since it is the play of the moon to emotionally relate to the various experiences of the universe let us use the moon to look at the myth of the
zodiac. After Gemini the Twins comes Cancer the Crab which is a cardinal sign, meaning it initiates, puts forth new creative impulses and feels its way into the filling of space. It is an water sign, meaning it is moist, prone to exploration, and sensual. Being a feminine sign it is passive in its action and responsive to the needs of others and the world.
The symbol of Cancer is the crab. The crab is a hard shell but soft fleshed being that lives in the waters of the ocean but occasionally likes to scurry along the beach. Crabs often find themselves tossed about by the waves of the ocean when they get close to the beach, the boundary between self and other. Cancer likes being in the comfort of its own ocean, but when it starts can be tossed around when getting to close to others emotions. Cancer is the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, and is a time of plenitude and good feelings. Unlike the giddy thought and dialogue of Gemini, it is more absorbed in its own emotional experience.
Cancer seeks to feel things, and exploring what it is to be an emotional being. This exploration gives it a deeply caring and empathetic nature. Because of this empathy, Cancer is the emotionally understanding of all of the signs. Cancer allows for the zodiac to transform out of the didactic thought of Gemini and from the place of the subject object fixation that is Gemini, beginning the inquiry who and what am I. In order for being to learn, it must begin to understand what its emotions and feelings are. Emotional health requires the ability to understand your feelings and how they are unique in the world. For being to evolve it must have a sense of love, nurturing, and yearning for the wholeness of life.
Cancer is ruled by the Moon. The Moon like Mercury also takes on the nature its environment. The Moon is said to translate the light of the planets and stars to the earth. Its rapid movement across the zodiac gave birth to time, the counting of days, and thus the calendar. Because the moon influences water through tides it influences the cycles of blood. Influencing the cycles of blood, the moon influences fertility. The Archetype of the Moon is naturally thus, the mother. The Moon is associated with the oceans because of its rule over tides.
The Nature of the Moon in Cancer
The Moon makes people who enjoy water, relationships, emotions, drinking, and food. When the Moon is in Cancer, have take baths, eat nutritious foods, connect with the emotions of others and yourselves, dream, start journeys, and investigate how you really feel about matters. Take care of your body through good food and nutrition. Moon in Cancer is an opportunity develop your intuition and understanding. Cancer being the nature of the Moon is best when it is allowed to feel emotional and listen to those emotions. Cancer prefers feeling its own truth and having them respected by others as a means of coming to know the universe.
Cancer becomes confused when it becomes overwhelmed by multiple emotions and does not know how to integrate them. For this reason Cancer needs a good safe home or sanctuary. Other signs of the zodiac are frustrated by Cancer’s emotional sensitivity. They teach the rest of the zodiac emotional empathy and compassion. When the Moon is in Cancer be sure to be open to others emotional needs with warm sympathy and understanding.
Being liquid and emotional, the moon in Cancer is the most emotional and intuitive placement of all sign. Thus it operates best from a place of knowing rather than thinking, but must learn to communicate clearly to the world its needs. Intuitive knowing is prior to thought and is hard to put into logic sometimes. Water signs just know, and unlike air signs do not have to work out the logic of how they know. The rest of the zodiac needs to hear the logic to understand however. Thus the work of the Cancer is to become good at communicating its emotional needs and helping others to communicate theirs.
