Monday, June 22, 2009

Zodiac Sign CANCER

Cancer ~ 22 June to 22 July-ish: dates vary very slightly from year to year. This is one of the mid-summer zodiac signs and a tricky one for me to write about. Even though it's my natal rising sign, I don't feel terribly in tune with it. I suspect my Sun and Moon (Aquarius and Aries) are always at odds with Cancer - two against one ! My sentimental Cancerian tendencies come to the surface at times - times when I get weepy for no good reason. I'm a wee bit shy, too, another Cancerian trait, a tendency to avoid situations where I'd feel uncomfortable. Aquarius/Aries, of course are always there, jeering in the background.

I haven't known many people with Sun in Cancer in real life. Perhaps I just don't gravitate towards them, nor them to me.

Astrologer Grant Lewi, in his "Astrology For The Millions" said, among other things, that Sun in Cancer means, first and foremost, a need for security:

Capable of great self-sufficiency, or of being a clinging vine, the Cancer branch will take the turn as indicated by the roots, which must always be in secure soil. If independence serves security, Cancer will be independent; if security depends on another, Cancer will cling. If security requires taking a chance, Cancer will take a chance - generally, if possible, with someone else's money ...."though Lewi goes on to say that the Cancerian will have as great a sense of responsibility towards another's money - as great as if it were his own......."Direct possessiveness toward what rightfully belongs to him makes Cancer outstandingly successful in business. .....Tops as home-making sign, the maternal-paternal instinct is powerful......will go to great lengths to protect mate and children."

That refers to Sun in Cancer, not Cancer rising, so it isn't surprising that I don't recognise myself there.

C.E.O. Carter, British astrologer from the past describes Cancer in this article. He specifically makes reference to Cancer rising:

I should say that Sun in Cancer is better than Cancer rising, and of course the Moon in Cancer is good. Not only kindly, but shrewd. It is not difficult to understand why it is not a very good ascending sign. Of course, as I am never tired of pointing out, it all depends on what means by "good." But the ascendant and
midheaven are the most exposed parts of the figure, and it seems on the whole desirable to have strong signs there. In these latitudes Cancer rising usually brings Pisces on to the meridian and so one gets an unusually sensitive personality. Now Cancer is certainly timid. Like the crab itself, it is apt to scurry to its hole on the appearance of danger. Yet, paradoxically, it is a lover of travel.
That's more like me - especially when I was younger, not so much now. In any case, after relocation to the USA my ascendant skewed around to Aquarius.

As usual, when writing about any zodiac sign, I have to remind myself and passing readers that there is really no such being as "a Cancerian", not in any meaningful way. A Sun in Cancer native is quite likely to have (at least) Mercury and/or Venus in either Gemini or Leo, not to mention the importance of the zodiac sign where the Moon is found, and the ascending sign. Cancerian traits, far from being text-book strength, can be very, very dilute in the Sun Cancerian personality. It would take a person with Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon and ascendant, all in Cancer, to bring about an undiluted showing of Cancer characteristics, and even then some of them could be outweighed by any remaining strong placements on angles or sensitive points. This is, of course, why those stupid experiments based on Sun signs, carried out by anti-astrology skeptics, always come up with conclusions which put astrology in a bad light.


(Somewhere on an East Yorkshire beach, 5 years ago).

15 comments:

RafaelVR said...

Hey !

I am a cancer sun person, conjunction my mars in cancer, and my moon is in cancer as well. And I have some points in cancer too, well; the majority of planets and points are in cancer. But my rising is in Capricorn. Just for the note, my cancer mood is very a winter one; I was born in a very cold day (Brazil). And yes, I agree with you about the cancer traits being much hidden in one’s personality. I myself, receive a lot of comments about my cold looking, not a cancer trait at all. But hey, cancer rising can be very demonstrative, I have a friend who’s sun and mercury is in Capricorn, he suffers from Panic Syndrome, and his rising is in cancer. Cancer as you wrote have a strong tendency to avoid situations where they I'd feel uncomfortable with, he told me that he was years closed in his room, ‘cause he thought everyone was talking about him, and he’s north node is in cancer in the first house, just an example. Not saying that what he suffers is because his rising, but its something to work on it. Just an example how a cancer retreat can go way too long causing much more problems to the person.
But anyway… rising or not, cancer is cancer, always moody and lunar. Wherever you got cancer in the chart, the more moody you are.
I am a Capricorn magnetic person, and it’s incredible. The 2 people that I had a strong emotional connection in my life are Capricorns (sun and mercury), it’s amazing to know astrology and watch closer these relations to energies.

Twilight said...

RafaelVR ~~~ Hi there! Thanks very much for your input of experience - this is interesting!

Your birthplace, Brazil is Southern hemisphere. Hmmm. This opens that mythical "can of worms" about whether the signs "flip" over from one hemisphere to the other. :-) Because your rising sign is the opposite sign to Cancer anyway, the plot thickens - both would "flip" if we are to go with that particular theory....so we're no nearer being able to say whether the "flip" theory has any validity.

Agreed that because Cancer is Moon-ruled the moods tend to be more changeable than average if Cancer is emphasised in the natal chart. There are advantages to this though - because one can be sure that a sad mood will pass quickly. :-) but a happy one the same :-(

I often think that describing a person as "moody" has taken on too negative a meaning.
Moony people have quick passing moods, which is preferable to a person who hangs on to bitterness and sadness for a long time.

Thanks again for adding your personal experience here. :-)

RafaelVR said...

Oh, my pleasure !

And yes... here we have the opposite season, and I don’t usually read much about it, but definitely has an impact on human’s behavior, altering some traits of a sign, I mean, a very busy Capricorn in summer time? Or a beach cancer who usually likes to wear comfortable cloths in the winter? Things to start out.
The oppositions are always hard to figure out in a person about what he/she really wants or a decisive conclusion, and I have Uranus opposite Venus in Gemini as well that can tell. I remember Linda Rose wrote in her blog she would have a hard time trusting someone with sun/asc opposition, like my friend sometimes tell me I present myself something that I am not (?), but it’s me…definitely, finding the balance between the strong axes. And I have think a lot about the opposition between the earth’s land season too, while others are enjoying beach time, the other part is having hard time (or not) walking on the shadow of the winter (I love winter), and blended together it’s like there is no opposition but a complement of each other as society, like me dealing with these hard aspects. I don’t know if I expressed myself the way I wanted, but that’s all.

Thanks !

RafaelVR said...

I forgot to write about the moody moon. I am in constant mood; people around me have to get use to it, specially at work (moon in 6th house-Gemini), and yes totally agree that the moody trait is being taking too negative, where you could find some lessons about being provocative happy in a minute, and a depressed moody next, finding easier to accept next time it happen, which is ‘always’ when the moon feels right. But I have my emotional stability of course, as everybody else when you are dealing with a glorious day.

Twilight said...

RafaelVR ~~~ I love the way you expressed your Sun/ascendant opposition, compared to the two Earth hemispheres:

blended together it’s like there is no opposition but a complement of each other as society, like me dealing with these hard aspects.

That's a great description!

Personally, I think the hemisphere thing is really important and researchers ought to do a little more to try to clarify how it affects people astrologically. Research into such thing is costly and complex - I suppose it's a question of $$$$$$$.

LOL - Moony emotional stability is the ability to achieve balance - like walking around on a boat in a rough sea. It takes a lot of practice, but worth the effort, I think. :-)

Wishing You Peace and Mooniness!

Wisewebwoman said...

Fascinating as always, T. I was married to a Cancer and it was literally fire and water, a lot of turmoil a lot of retreating into shell while I spoiled for a good fight.
I tend to avoid cancers but on the other hand Geminis are over the top about me, strange, yeah?
XO
WWW

Jacqueline Bigar said...

Hi Sis.
I have a Cancer Rising with an Aquarian Sun and Moon in Leo. The Moon in leo rides high like yours in Aries. Great balls of fire!
My Moon is on the third house in exact conjunction with Pluto. All passes through my writing.
I stabilize when I write though I do not express my moods there. In fact, I have worked over the years not to let others in general see my moods. I isolate when I am upset.
In general day to day I am like a pendulum moving from one mood to another, never holding on to them, knowing more is around the corner.
Thanks for a great post...again.
jacquie

anthonynorth said...

I think this is where a lot of people go wrong from both sides of the debate in Astrology. Nothing is a definite, but an indication.

Twilight said...

WWW ~~~ If your ex-husband had a lot of Cancer in his chart I can well imagine it could be a struggle, especially if his natal Moon wasn't "friendly" to yours.
Hmm - but your Moon's in Pisces I think - a hint of why you were attracted in the first place - Sun/Moon in water signs.

Gemini (Air) and Leo (Fire) are usually good together, I think - depending on what else is in the chart. :-)

Twilight said...

Jacquie ~~~ Ah - fancy that! we have similar combinations for "The Big 3" -
Airy Sun, Watery ascendant, Fiery Moon.

I tend to be the same re moods. Unless someone knows me VERY well, they're not aware of mood change.
Unless it's a real wham-bam angry mood provoked by something extreme - then they know! :-)

Glad you like the post.

Twilight said...

AN ~~~ For sure! The personality is such a complex entity, so it follows that the natal chart is likewise. any factor in isolation is, as you say going to offer an indication only. Environment and genetics have to be in the mix too.

So few detractors can be bothered to really study the subject before jumping on it to criticise - it's such a pity.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your new home.

Cancer rising. You described it very well. Despite a Leo Sun, the
Cancer rising is sheer torture. Highly sensitive, and avoiding going out.

It's good side is being highly intuitive, especially with the Pisces MC.

Twilight said...

Anonymous ~~ Hi! Thanks for adding your personal experience - always valuable to know these things are actually working in real life for others! :-)

I agree regarding the intuition which goes with Cancer rising/Pisces midheaven - there's always something to be thankful for!

e/m said...

I am a scorpio rising cancer sun and moon and a cancer to boot!

Twilight said...

e. moya ~~~ Hi there! That's a very Watery line-up you have there!
I'll bet that you're an emotional, sensitive, intuitive, maybe even psychic and artistic person? :-)