Astrology-Central

Cancer: Divinatory Meaning

0 degrees of Cancer is considered the beginning of the Summer season, the Summer Solstice. All Cardinal points are the seasonal changes of the solstices and equinoxes.

Cancer is the mothering, nurturing sign. It rules the womb, the house & home, the interior of all things for it is the protecting and covering principle. Cancer is the most subconscious of all signs. They are like the sidestepping crab, and nothing is direct or forthright with them. There is no reasoning with them when they are emotionally charged, as usual with Water sign natives; and when they feel threatened, they retreat into their shell. They are very intuitive, absorbing their surroundings like a sponge, to the point of being psychic. It is hard for them to separate what they feel from what they think.

Cancerians are homebodies and strongly connected to mother, home, and family. They are basically conservative and home-loving, needing the security of the nest. Men will retreat to it in times of stress, and women enjoy the maternal atmosphere to care for loved ones.

They seem to need more love than other sign. The moon’s waning causes them to feel that there is always something missing, and this leads to depression. The cure for these low moments is caring, sharing, loving, and giving to others. All emotional slights are deeply felt and retained in the emotional memory and those feelings can be resurrected any time. They tend to retreat into their shells when threatened. Cancerians must learn to let go of the past and see beyond ill feelings and wounds. This is the only way for them to find truly happiness and love. 

They love history and archaeology – the past. They often have a collection of some sort. They have a sensitive stomach, as this is the body part they hold in the tension and unsolved emotional difficulties. Outwardly they can appear unemotional, uncompromising, obstinate, but their friends may see a kindly sensitivity to other people, especially those they love. They can be over-imaginative and prone to fantasy, sometimes trying to shape their lives to fit some romantic ideal, and demand to always be first with those they love. They seek sympathy and rarely see how selfish they can be.

Cancer men have a hard time letting go of mother and their childhood. All Cancerians love to roam, but need that home to come back to, even if they don’t stay there very long. Cancer rules the public and mass consciousness. home. America is a Cancer nation and it is always trying to help others, but as all Cancerians, needs to learn reason and discrimination.

 KEYWORDS for CANCER

Medically Speaking

Cancer governs the breast, stomach, upper lobes of the liver, and solar plexus. They have a sluggish energy flow which may appear as laziness. They hate exercise and may suffer from poor circulation in later years. Cancerians are said to be liable to breast cancer and to suffer from pleurisy, dropsy, piles and varicose veins. The excitability mentioned above can lead to weak digestion, gastritis and other stomach ills, and there is a tendency to coughs and weakness of vision.

Kabbalistic Connection

The moon is unlike any other celestial body, as it changes its position each day, but remains visible nonetheless. It begins each lunar month as a thin scythe and reaches its fullest brightness on the fifteenth. From the moment that the fifteenth day is over, the light of the moon begins to wane, and this cycle repeats itself each month.

According to “The Book of Formation” by Avraham Avinu, the month of Cancer was created by the Hebrew letters Chet (which created Tammuz) and Taf (which created the Moon). The moon is unlike any other celestial body, as it changes its position each day, but remains visible nonetheless. It begins each lunar month as a thin scythe and reaches its fullest brightness on the fifteenth. From the moment that the fifteenth day is over, the light of the moon begins to wane, and this cycle repeats itself each month.

But with the Egyptians the beginning of the year is not Aquarius, as among the Romans, but Cancer. For the star Sothis (Sirius) borders on Cancer, which star the Greeks denominate (Greek word) or the Dog. When this star rises they celebrate the calends of the month, which begins their year; because this is the place of the heavens where generation commences, by which the world subsists.
—Porphyry the Neoplatonist (233-305 A.D.)

 

John of Berry’s Petites Heures
France, Paris 14th Century.

The MOON expresses our instincts, habitual reactions, emotional responses and subconscious conditioning. Through the Moon we express the principle of needing and nurturing, the desire for safety and security in relationships. The Moon is related to instincts, and is profoundly connected to the personal unconscious, and all the habitual behaviour that is looked after by this mysterious part of ourselves. The Moon shows how we instinctively react to protect ourselves and others.. The Moon represents our emotions and the need for security. It represents our early environment and particularly the way we experienced the mother. It shows our ability to be sensitive to the environment and to both give and receive emotion.

The Moon rules the brain, stomach, glands, breasts, left eye in males, right eye in females, bowel, thymus gland, menstrual cycle, depression, obesity, headache, posture.

MYTHOLOGY

The Moon, of course, has been known since prehistoric times. She has too many names to list here but throughout time she has represented the female side of our nature.

Ishtar was the Babylonian Goddess who ruled the Moon, derived in part from the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Ishtar was the daughter of the Moon God Sin and sister of Shamash the Sun God. According to legend, on a trip to the underworld to find Tammuz, her dead lover, she had shed her clothes, which caused the moon to darken. On her return trip, as she regained her clothes, the moon brightened again.

Isis was the Egyptian Goddess who was both the moon and the mother of the sun. She was depicted holding a papyrus sceptre and the ankh, which represents life.

The Greek Goddess Artemis was assimilated by the Romans as Diana who was frequently worshipped out in the open, so she could look down at her faithful.

Cancer and Capricorn are called the Gates of the Sun; Cancer is the Northern Gate, Capricorn the Southern. More specifically, Cancer is the Gate of the Moon (and Cancer is its House), the path of moist generation, through which souls descend into incarnation, just as Capricorn is the Gate of the Sun by which they ascend to bright Olympus. When a soul is born into earthly life, it descends through the Signs Cancer, Leo, …, Capricorn; on death it ascends through Capricorn, Aquarius, …, Cancer. Thus the soul visits the Signs in the same sequence as the Sun; in each case it passes through the Seven Planetary Spheres
Porphyry On the Cave of the Nymphs
Macrobius’ Commentary on the Dream of Scipio

Moon Rules :	Cancer Earthly triplicity by night
Angel :	Gabriel
Exalted Degree :	03 Taurus
Detriment :	Capricorn
Fall :	Scorpio
House ruled :	4th house
Day Ruled :	Monday and the first and eighth hour of that day
Persons Represented :	mother, children, loved ones that you nurture, people who need physical help
	Its symbol, the crescent of reception, represents the Moon as a lens focussing the rays of the sun.
Classical Astrology Data at bottom

IN THE CHART

The Moon symbolizes change and fluctuation within a birth chart. This is the planet of the home, domestic life, the family – especially babies and children, the "Mother" and other females in your life.

The Sign the Moon is in shows the specific way we react, and the kind of emotional needs we have. The Moon goes through all 12 Signs in a month. The Moon sign’s influence is at least as powerful as the Sun, showing specific habitual and environmental needs as well as ingrained reaction styles. The House the Moon is in shows the particular area in actual life to which we become attached to increase feelings of security. This area is where we are most vulnerable and defensive. However it is also this area where we experience the greatest growth and show the greatest concern for others. The Aspects to the Moon show specific emotional experiences which affect our psychological make-up. These aspects are integrated into our emotional nature to give specific reaction patterns and habits.

The Aspects to the Moon show specific emotional experiences which affect our psychological make-up. These aspects are integrated into our emotional nature to give specific reaction patterns and habits.

So if we look at the sign, placement and relationship to the other planets the Moon has then we can get a good feel for what the individual needs to survive. This is different to the Sun in that it represents what we want in order to feel special and recognized as an individual.

MEDICAL MOON

Your Sun sign indicates constitutional vigor and its elemental quality (fire, air, water, earth), your Moon sign shows the flow of this vital force and your health. The Moon predominates health matters in the female chart, as well as those caught under the influence of its emotional force. A disturbed flow of the vital force, ruled by the Moon, will cause fluctuations in vitality and ultimately disease. Your Moon sign and its aspects shows your instinctive, reflex actions, and your habits (good or bad). Moon patterns are reactions and habits set up in childhood, and become fixed unless acted upon by the individual themselves. Its location, aspects, and afflictions are one of the most important factors to consider in the health chart.

The Moon represents the personal habits, suffering, worry, and disease tendencies. The Moon sign is always very sensitive and represents the weakest part of the body. Operations should not be performed when the Moon is passing through the native’s sign. The Moon rules the body’s fluids, lymphatics, and the natural power of each organ, including its expulsive or detoxifying powers. Acquired and destructive habits are generally under the influence of the Moon sign. It rules the period of life from one to seven years, when so many destructive habits and health patterns are acquired, as for example from the parents or guardians. It shows what type of habits you may develop and how they affect your health.

Moon diseases today predominate the health chart. The Moon has a special affinity for the eyes and eye disorders, defects and errors of accommodation, putrefaction of the bowels, autointoxication; and disorders or the breasts, womb, and stomach. Moon forces harden and crystallize the body with age. Moon dominated persons are inconstant, restless, changeable, and variable, and succumb easily to infectious illnesses, colds and flu. The Moon rules the stomach. Today we see swollen abdomens due to excessive eating. Full, round bellies with visual defects reflect just how Moon bound and problematic the aspects of this orbital body is in the health astrological chart.

The Moon afflicts other planets and signs by its oppositions and squares. Ill-aspects show an inclination to little or no exercise. The less afflictions in the female nativity, the better a chance of a long and prosperous life. The Moon sign signifies diseases that are acquired after birth, particularly due to indiscretions, bad habits, and emotional proclivities. It rules the natural powers and immunity. Cancer, the malignant disease, is a Moon disease, and is prevalent in our mood-based society of foul language, nasty thoughts, toxic diet, and bad habits.

It should be noted whether the Moon is above the horizon at birth (waxing) or below the horizon at birth (waning). The health will be stronger with the Moon above the horizon, rather than below. Hard aspects (afflictions) are not as strong when the Moon in waxing or increasing in light.

PATHOLOGICAL TENDENCIES: The Moon rules diseases that are periodic, return time and again, as in epilepsy, vertigo, menstrual problems, swellings, migraine headaches, and gout. Rheumatism is a Moon disease, caused by the retention of wastes in the joints and fascia. Cancer is a Moon disease, caused not only by retention of wastes but also morbid bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Moon diseases today are epidemic, as obesity, lymphatic stasis, tissue puffiness, autointoxication, fungal/zymotic disorders, and worm infestation affect nearly all industrial populations. Moon diseases are accentuated by working under artificial lights or at night, drinking water from underground pipes and/or obtained from recycled wastes, eating devitalized food stored in refrigerators and freezers, breathing stale, foul or polluted air; and eating slaughterhouse meats.

The foods and spices that benefit Moon afflictions are those ruled by the Sun and Mars. The Sun produces fruits and vegetables which when eaten raw and/or fresh, will vitalize the individual and ward off disease. The old adage, fresh is best, aptly applies to the health rules.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: Lymphatic system, breasts, mucous membranes, menstruation/fertility/uterus in pregnancy, stomach and alimentary tract.

ARE YOU A SUN OR MOON DOMINATED PERSON?

The night is ruled by the Moon, and the Sun rules the day. The ancient astrologers believed that those born during the day are more ruled by the Sun, whereas those born at night are more ruled by the Moon. Moon activities tend to raise the action of morbid germs, while the electric action of the day tends to destroy them. Night activities are less vitalizing than daytime activities. Females and Moon people tend to suffer more at night when ill. Moon people are more restless, inconstant, and changeable. The Moon rules the personality and lower mind, while the Sun rules the intellect and higher mind. Health tends to return when one begins to "see the light".

CLASSICAL ASSOCIATIONS

The Cardinal signs are associated with initiating and starting action or being an "enterprising" individual. They are forceful and aggressive and have the will to accomplish something, often something new. They project into the world, push outward, are restless, outgoing, ambitious, like to be in charge. They are creative in the sense that they cause things and start things. — also hasty, inconsiderate, domineering, and fail to finish what they start. 

Moveable Signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn are called moveable and Cardinal: moveable, because when the Sun enters into Aries and Libra, the Weather and Season of the Year quickly varies and changes; they are called Cardinal, because when the Sun enters into any of those Signs from that time we denominate the Quarters of the yeer. For from the Sun entering into Aries and Libra the Equinoctial or the Spring and Autumne arise; from the Sun his entrance into Cancer and Capricorn ariseth the Solstice of Summer and Winter.
— William Lilly, Christian Astrology (1647)

The Moveable (signs are so called) because the time changes when the Sun enters Aries and the air gets warm after it has been cold and humid. In Cancer, the humidity goes away and dryness comes instead. In Libra the heat turns to cold and in Capricorn the dryness turns to humidity.
— Avraham Ibn Eza (1092-1167 C.E), The Book of Reasons

These signs are the 4 points of the compass: Aries is East and Spring, Cancer is North and Summer, Libra is West and Autumn, Capricorn is South and Winter. These also correspond to the beginning of our calendar seasons. Spring begins when the Sun reaches 0 degrees of Aries (Vernal Equinox). Summer begins at 0 degrees Cancer (Summer Solstice). Autumn starts when the Sun arrives at 0 degrees Libra (Autumnal Equinox). Winter begins at 0 degrees Capricorn (Winter Solstice).

HOUSES: The Angular Houses (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) correspond to the Cardinal Signs and the four directions: 1st (Ascendant) is East, 4th is North, 7th is West, and 10th is South. Planets in these houses are strong and signify someone who takes charge of her own life. These are also public houses and actions shown by these placements are of a public nature and will become public knowledge.

ARIES (rules 1st House)

Action, initiative, new beginnings. It charges right in and holds nothing back. People with strong Aries emphasis in the horoscope generally like to be first – and may even have some head scars/injuries from physically being first! Patience is a concept they do not understand. The location of Aries in your chart shows where you tend to be active, energetic, and take initiative.

CANCER (rules 4th House)

The sign of Instinctive action. It will figure out a logical solution and then do the opposite because "it feels better". It can be enormously tenacious when denied something that it wants. As soon as it gets it, it loses interest. However, Cancer is nurturing and emotionally sustaining. Without these qualities, life would be cold indeed. The location of the sign of Cancer in your horoscope shows where you tend to be moody, emotional, instinctive, and intuitive.

LIBRA (rules 7th House)

Aries acts and its opposite, Libra, reacts. Aries is individual action. Libra is joint action. Aries charges right in. Libra wants to explore all options – "weigh" the possibilities. Libra rules manners, diplomacy, and the social graces, things which make cooperation and civil society possible. The location of Libra in your horoscope shows where you tend to cooperate, seek partners, love peace, quiet, and harmony, and show "good taste".

CAPRICORN (rules 10th House)

The sign of careful, calculated, planned action. If Cancer is like pure water that dissolves and expands., then Capricorn is like a saturated solution from which crystals form. Capricorn is the organizer of the zodiac, the builder. Ruling the human skeletal system, it governs structure. The location of Capricorn in your horoscope shows where you tend to be efficient, organized, careful, and ambitious.

The Water Triplicity is represented by the lymphatic temperament exhibiting as languid, anemic, pallid, weak-pulsed, lack of red corpuscles in the blood, and deficient vascular action.

The water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) are known as emotional, plastic, contemplative. They tend to feel things very deeply and function from an emotional level whether that be in a positive or negative manner.

These are the emotional signs, those capable of exercising compassion, feeling love (and hate), and expressing affection. By their sensitivity they moderate the ideas of air, the unimaginative practicality of earth and the careless energy of fire. With their imagination and dreams they provide human life
with its religious and mystical spirituality.

Related HOUSES : The 4th (end of physical body), 8th (death & liberation of soul), & 12th (results of our choices) houses are naturally ruled by Water signs and are considered the Houses of Endings or the Terminal Houses. Many planets in these houses describes someone who is emotional, sensitive, spiritual.

Keywords: addictive, artistic, broody, caring, compassionate, controlling, destructive, dreamy, easy-going, emotional, feeling, grasping, healing, hoarding, intuitive, kind, lacking in standards or morals, moody, over-emotional, protective, receptive, revengeful, sacrificial, sensitive, smothering, spiritual, supportive, sympathetic, untidy.

In Medical Astrology and Astro-Meteorology the Water element is of the humour Phlegmatic, being cold and moist. Planets that are such are Moon and Venus.

CANCER: Cardinal Water

Cancer: In the Zodiac, it follows the air sign, Gemini. Gemini is like a toddler whose attention can be easily distracted, flitting from thing to thing. Cardinal Cancer is like a toddler who grabs on to something, won’t let go, and throws a tantrum when mommy or daddy tries to take it away. And the Cancer mood swings are legendary.

Let me give you a few tips about dealing with those who have the sign of Cancer strong in their horoscopes (the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant in Cancer). In this case, you can include those who have the Moon within six degrees of the Ascendant as well.

Cancer men who travel are known for setting up comfortable places they tend to revisit – like a girl in every port. All kidding aside, Cancerians need that security.

The house with the sign of Cancer on the cusp shows one of the places in or lives where we can be loving and nurturing, protecting the helpless (including animals). On the negative side, it can show where we can be moody and irrationally needy. This is the area of our lives where, if we can’t get our way, we tend to retreat while grasping and holding onto anything that gives us the illusion of security.

The other area of our lives where we can act like this is shown by the house occupied by the ruler of the sign of Cancer, the Moon.

SCORPIO: Fixed Water

Scorpio: This is the sign of extremes, all or nothing. It follows the air sign Libra, sign of balance. To understand Scorpio, read the novels of Dostoyevsky, who was a Fixed Scorpio Sun-Sign, and examine the characters closely.

The house that has Scorpio at the cusp is one of the places in your life where you have the greatest potential for major Good or Evil. Power is the keyword of Scorpio / Pluto and one may be driven by compulsive “subconscious forces”.

All of the fixed signs tend to be stubborn and unyielding. Taurus is that way out of sheer inertia. Like a large boulder, once it starts moving, it simply can’t stop. Leo stands firm out of pride.  Aquarius, an Air sign, refuses to budge without a logical reason. With Scorpio, it is pure emotional intensity, the kind that can rise up when one is involved in a fight to the death.

Scorpio is super secretive. Don’t ever try to pry any personal information out of a Scorpio. You have to let them coem to you in their own time. This sign is the best natural born detective in the zodiac. If you want to know the dirt about someone, find a Scorpio Sun-Sign person who knows them. 

PISCES: Mutable Water

Pisces: Pisces can be the most agreeable sign in the zodiac, mainly because they hate confrontation. People with a strong Pisces emphasis in their horoscopes seem to agree with almost anyone. If, a few minutes later, they happen to talk to someone with the opposite opinion, they will agree with them too. Then, they go off and something completely different from both. Deep down inside, Mutable Pisces doesn’t want to upset people. In fact, if you complain to a Pisces about trouble you are having with someone they don’t even know, they will start making excuses for that other person. They feel compassion for someone they never met.

Let me emphasize again that this refers only to the influence of this one sign. When doing a horoscope, you have to take the entire chart into account, and there are a myriad of other factors to consider besides the Sun-Sign. Richard Ramirez and John Wayne Gacy, both infamous serial killers were Pisces Sun-Signs, and they showed little compassion for their victims.

The House with Pisces on the cusp will be one of the places in your horoscope where you can be your most tolerant and compassionate, as well as your most imaginative, deluded, or even escapist. Pisces/Neptune can be self-destructive and refuse to deal with reality. The other place to watch for these things is the house where your planet Neptune is located.

CLASSICAL RULERSHIPS (traditional astrology)

This set of signs is ruled by Mars by day and also by night. Considered cold and moist.

Finally, the Cancer triplicity is nocturnal, comprising Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The rulers of these signs are the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter, but because Jupiter is diurnal it is substituted for nocturnal Venus.

Aries trigon – Sun, Jupiter, Saturn
Cancer trigon – Venus, Mars, Moon
Libra trigon – Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter
Capricorn trigon – Venus, Moon, Mars

Most early astrologers used all three planets, rotating their priority by day and night, but many later ones, including Lilly, chose to use only the principal rulers. Perhaps they rejected the convoluted logic that lay behind the definition of sect, or perhaps they were confused by Ptolemy who only mentions two rulers for the Aries and Capricorn triplicities, yet mentions three rulers for the others!