Cancer Season
Happy July, everyone! We're dead center of the astrological Cancer season right now. Cancer is a cardinal, feminine water sign ruled by the moon. Represented by the crab, Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac, with birth dates between June 22 and July 22.
Cancer is often described as nurturing, emotional and intuitive, deeply loyal and known for their strong ties to family, motherhood, children, and patriotism.
As one might expect by the symbolism of the crab, they are protective and deeply sensitive. Underneath their hard shell, they are soft and deeply empathetic. Like all water signs, they have strong intuitions but not always the ability to act on them.
Between the three water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, Cancer is the first, as represented by their cardinal nature. They put their emotions first and their logic second.
They lack the strategy of Scorpio and the spiritual depth of Pisces, but their raw emotions endear them to those they care about and they are a fiercely loyal ally to friends and family alike.
In his seminal book, The Inner Sky, Stephen Forrest says of Cancer, "they are a vulnerable creature, a succulent piece of meat, a morsel awaiting the predator's mouth. To live, the crab must grow a shell. He must grow a wall between himself and nature. He is too delicate to protect himself in any other way. With this armor, the crab endures."
Emotional Intelligence
Cancer feels other people's emotions intuitively, and it is often too much for them. They frequently choose escapism over the inundation of other people's baggage combined with the constant cacophony of their own needs and desires.
Done right, this sign can be more sympathetic and a truer ally than almost any other. But it's a delicate balance they must strike between feeling too much and feeling just enough to be helpful to others, or themselves.
When they feel too much, their self-preservation instinct can be triggered, and you might mistake them for a Gemini when you see how fast they disappear from commitment.
Cancer Rising
On the ascendant, Cancer can contribute a beautiful, voluptuous sensuality, to both men and women. Think Molly Ringwald, Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Ben Affleck, and Margot Robbie.
Full lips, womanly curves, a soft, inviting smile, a face that radiates empathy. Their languid, liquid eyes practically beg you to take a swim in them.
They can appear at once vulnerable and nurturing, protective and desperate for protection, understanding yet innocent. Children with Cancer rising often find themselves on the receiving end of secrets adults are seduced into revealing by the wisdom in those wise old eyes, before they realize they've said too much.
People with Cancer highly represented in their chart, be it the sun, moon or ascendant, seek security and emotional safety above all else. Trifle with their emotions at your own peril. Mock them or toy with them and they will ghost you in a hot minute. Self protection comes first, no matter how deeply they feel for you at the time.
Tidal Waters
Just like the Moon which rules their sign, Cancerian energies ebb and flow like the tides. They run hot and cold. They can be totally devoted one minute and utterly distant the next. You don't know if you've done something to offend their sensibilities or if they're just taking a longer than average siesta for self-care.
They won't be the one to initiate the conversation, but the conversation must happen to avoid extended periods of silence, which can quickly fester into discontent, until suddenly they seem to have forgetten they once claimed to need you desperately.
If you're not comfortable talking about your emotions, or theirs, this might not be the right pairing for you. These excavations of the past and subliminal present will be ongoing and very necessary to any successful relationship with your Cancerian paramore.
Where My Crabs At?
It's funny how astrological signs seem to cluster together. I have numerous Taurus, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Gemini, Sagittarius, and Aquarius friends and family members in my orbit. One Aries, one Pisces, one Libra. Cancer and Capricorn? Not so much.
Moon signs are another story. It's actually eerie how many of my friends have Cancer moon. It's like they're magnetically attracted to me. My partner, and many of my closest friends, have the moon in this watery, emotionally intelligent, fiercely protective sign. It’s like my own lunar crab army, a heavily-fortified phalanx, scuttling ever sideways.
Cancer Season
So this Cancer season, what's left of it anyway, take advantage of the long summer nights and take a dip in whatever water body is nearest to you.
Enjoy some hot, buttery shellfish, drink some wine, call your mother, and reveal your deepest secrets to someone under the light of the moon.
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