Paul Gaugin “Sacred Spring”

(June 20 - July 21, 2020)

In ancient times, the constellation of Cancer was known to the sky-gazers as the Gate of Man, the portal through which souls enter their bodies, and are born onto the earth. And though we tend to think of Aries as the starting point of our year, there is a case to be made for Cancer as the archetypal beginning of all things. The cardinality of the sign, coupled with its elemental water nature, implies primal creative energy. Cancer is the healing, cleansing, fertile water of life. It is the reason that civilizations originate along the banks of rivers, or worship at sacred springs. Or why life exists on earth at all: a planet without water is barren. It is our unconscious womb memories of nourishment, protection and rhythm that we seek to find or recreate once born. 

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the Great Mother. Neptune and Jupiter exalt there; Saturn and Mars have a harder time expressing their natural qualities. It corresponds to the stomach and the breasts, where we feed and are fed, where we are carried in utero, and where our vital organs are housed. Like its symbol the crab, its natives are naturally self-protective, guarding their privacy and their vulnerability underneath their shells. They need to feel safe in order to be open and candid with others, and so may need some time to warm up when in unfamiliar spaces. Paradoxically, they are usually very good at getting people to confide in them, as they are natural counselors and instinctually know how to create safe spaces and containers for others (In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the terms “safe space” and “container” were coined by a Cancer!). Their lunar nature makes them subject to fluctuating moods and emotions, and sensitive to their surroundings. It makes them the memory-keepers: many enjoy genealogical research, or hearing stories of their ancestors, or holding onto family heirlooms. Their connection to the past gives them a nostalgic, sentimental quality: indeed, for the Cancerian, tears well up readily, little microcosmic pools flowing from the same Source as the rivers of life. 

Whether you identity as male or female, there is an undeniable maternal quality to a Cancer. Many are naturally good with animals, plants or children. Cooking is one of their love languages. Consider this quote from 11th house Cancer Sun native Anthony Bourdain: “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” Well if that doesn’t say it all.

If Cancer is prominent in your chart, you are here to learn how to navigate the messy, unpredictable world of emotions; to learn trust, vulnerability and softness. You are here to learn about the concept of the tribe: and if that isn’t your actual family, then it’s your fam—the one you create in your world, and the people that you cultivate and nurture. You are here to learn how to take care of others, and to protect the vulnerable. To achieve security and a sense of home. And by that same token, be careful that that protective side doesn’t metastisize into tribalism, nationalism, insularity or over-dependence on others to get your needs met—shadow expressions of Cancer. Like the crab, you contain instincts that come from the land before time; your life is attuned to the tides; your shell protects you, but still must be moulted periodically—in other words, you will experience periods of vulnerability but they are necessary for your growth. You are an amphibious, mysterious creature and we are all more in touch with our humanity for having had you in our lives.