Cancer: the Crab

Perhaps you’ve noticed it already: the Turning of the Wheel is an intricate dance of unseen symmetries, dualities and contrasting forces. Especially on liminal times like Solstices, which express the culmination of an energy — and always contain a seed of their opposite. Such is the day we celebrate the power of the Sun at Litha. On the Summer Solstice, while we gather together to relish the fires of summer, the Sun itself moves into the astrological sign of Cancer, a calm, quiet and often melancholic sign controlled by the Moon.

This year, Cancer season runs from June 20 to July 22, bringing a certain introversy even as we venture out to enjoy summertime. But the Crab is not here to make us sad. As a cardinal sign (along with Aries, Libra and Capricorn) Cancer is here to usher in something new — in this case, Summer. But because it’s also a Water sign, the Crab brings with it a renewed focus in feelings, empathy and intuition; in nurturing relationships and being kind to one another.

There is, after all, inherent power in vulnerability and Cancer knows that very well.

The soulful crustaceans of the zodiac

As far as first impressions (and misconceptions) about astrological signs go, Cancer is very often quickly dismissed as “too sensitive” or “passive aggressive”. But is this an accurate assessment? As is the case with every sign, Cancer has its own specific set of strengths and weaknesses. If you were born under the astrological sign of Cancer or have your

Ascendant/Rising sign in Cancer, then the following description will probably sound familiar.

With the Moon as their ruling planet, Cancers are natural empaths. They can always sense it when people around them are discontent or distraught, even though they are often too shy to ask questions about it. They dream vivid dreams, very often with a prophetic element to them. They have premonitions and can always tell when something doesn’t “feel right”. Not surprisingly, Cancers can be great at divination — if they set their minds to it. But their timid nature makes it hard for them to upset or disappoint others, so very often they tend to ignore (or even block) their inner voice in favor of not hurting anyone’s feelings. A Cancer Tarot reader would rather reshuffle the cards than show you a card that you could perceive as negative...

Maternal and nurturing to a fault, a Cancer will happily both “mother” you and let themselves be “mothered” by you. At their most vulnerable, Cancers are as pure as children. Relationships are difficult to initiate for this astrological sign where the assertive planet Mars is at a natural fall (in contrast to Aries, Scorpio and Capricorn, the combative energy of Mars is almost non-existent in Cancer). But once Cancers are partnered up, they will happily stay that way forever and are willing to disregard any problems. Co-dependence being one of the sign’s less-than-stellar attributes, a Cancer will take a breakup (or even a fight) very badly. They can sometimes wallow in sadness before they bounce back.

Cancers are very giving people and all they ask in return is to feel cherished. They are loyal friends, trusted coworkers and doting parents, to the point where they sometimes neglect their own physical and emotional needs to please others. But they are also quick to withdraw in their shell if they feel underappreciated, unwanted or betrayed. If a Cancer is being treated badly, they probably won’t tell you in so many words: you’ll have to take their silence as a sign. That’s why many people will accuse Cancers of being “moody” — when in reality they’re just

pulling up their walls to protect themselves from further hurt.

These creative souls, much like their watery counterparts Pisces and Scorpios, usually excel in art-related environments. Singing, dancing, acting, drawing, sculpting: these are all professions where a Cancer can and will thrive. Working with kids and animals are also very popular vocations among Cancers — in fact many of them would happily eschew their career all together and become “stay at home parents” if they could. And although they may never be high-rolling millionaires or enjoy the corporate climb as much as Fire and Earth signs do, Cancers tend to do just fine when it comes to money matters. No matter how small their income, they always manage to save a bit for a rainy day. Does that make them come off as stingy sometimes, especially in contrast to signs like Leo or Sagitarrius who love to spend money lavishly on causes and people they love? Perhaps so. But in the end, a Cancer is like a reliable port in a storm: they may not look flashy but, when you need them, they’ll be there for you.

The Cancer constellation

The constellation of the Crab, or Karkinos in Greek, is actually the faintest among the twelve constellations of the zodiac. As such, it wasn't until the 2nd century CE that the astronomer Ptolemy cataloged it in his charts. Because of its dimness and its difficulty to observe in the skies, the Cancer constellation has also amassed some interesting monikers throughout the ages. Ancient Akkadians called it "the Northern Gate of the Sun" while later on, the poet Dante and many of his contemporaries refer to the constellation of Cancer as the "Dark Sign".

The myth around the constellation itself and how it came to be, is a quite unusual one. In ancient Greece, the norm for constellations was to represent heroic acts (like the sacrifice of one of the Twin’s to save the other’s life in the Gemini constellation) or sacred animals (like the Sacred Bull that became the constellation of Taurus). And yet, Karkinos has a different story.

According to myth, being the illegitimate son of Zeus however, Hercules was persecuted by Hera his whole life. The Queen of the Olympian Gods had a personal vendetta against Zeus' illegitimate children and Hercules being a famous hero, he was an easy target for her wrath.

After a long persecution, Hera managed to drive Hercules mad — and the hero, in his madness, killed his wife and children. The gods then declared that as penance, Hercules had to undergo 12 labors, ordained by the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, Eurystheus, to atone for his crimes. So even as he went on battling mythical beasts and slaying bandits as part of his 12 labors, Hera was working on ways to sabotage and kill him. An opportunity presented itself when Hercules was sent to kill the Lernaia Hydra, a monstrous snake who could sprout two new heads for each one the hero cut off. Fearing that even this monster wouldn't be enough of a challenge for Hercules, Hera sent a Crab to bite at the hero’s ankles, over and over again, in hopes that he would be distracted and perish by Hydra. According to one retelling of the myth, Hercules became tired of the Crab's constant biting, so he kicked the crustacean so high it fell amongst the stars. In another retelling of the myth, Hercules squashed the Crab under his foot, but Hera turned it into a constellation to reward it for its service. Regardless of which version of the story you prefer, the myth of Cancer ultimately serves as a reminder that a small thing can make a big difference.

The Greeks weren’t the only ones who saw potential in the humble Crab however. Ancient Egyptians thought the constellation of Cancer, also called a scarab in Egypt, was a symbol of the scarab-faced Sun God Khepri. As such, Cancer became a symbol of renewal and fertility.

Another interesting myth comes from the Far East. In Japanese folklore, the Crab (a specific type, indigenous in the area) is actually the reincarnation of a samurai’s soul and as such needs to be treated with respect.

The Midsummer Crab

So how is the energy of Cancer interacting with our celebration of Litha, the Wiccan Sabbat of Summer Solstice? As mentioned before, Litha is a tipping season: an extrovert Fire festival that contains the seed of its opposite, the introvert and gentle Water. Perhaps it will come as no surprise that a singer born under the constellation of Cancer, Lana Del Ray, has coined a song called “Summertime Sadness”...

But beyond the dance of opposites, Cancer feels right at home during Litha celebrations due to this Wiccan Sabbat’s inherent family-oriented character. During Litha, the Goddess is in her Mother form. No longer a Maiden, after having gone through the Sacred Marriage with the God during Beltane, the Goddess is now heavy with child: the God who will be reborn during the Winter Solstice. As such, Cancer energy abounds during this time. We feel the need to nurture our young, be they human children, small animals or new plants. And as we thoughtfully and lovingly spend time in Nature this Litha, Cancer energy becomes the boost we need to reconnect with our Inner Child.