Fourth Sign of the Zodiac: Cancer the Crab
Element: Water
Modality: Cardinal (initiates)
Guardian Planet: Moon
Polarity: Yin

Seasonal Connection: Summer Solstice
Harvest Cycle Stage: Pruning and Weeding
Core Question: What needs tending to?

This Lunar Zodiac Series is an exploration of the The Hermetic Principle of Correspondence “As above so below” which speaks to the connection of inner and outer worlds, and the interplay between the cosmos and earth where the microcosm reflects the macrocosm and visa versa.

Attuning to lunar time is a way to be more present with all the seasons and stages in our lives. Practicing lunar tracking and following lunar astrology adds layers of meaning with the elements and archetypal energy.

Get ready to feel into the tides as the moon enters Cancer…

the mood of the Moon in cancer

What goes up must come down, and when the moon moves into Cancer we are slowing our roll from the whirlwind of Gemini to the safe harbor of Cancer the Crab.

Here we are invited to seek restoration in our home or other safe spaces where we can be vulnerable and just feel, perhaps even cry and release some of the waters that may have become dammed up in the busyness of life.

Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac and the Moon is said to be at home in this watery sign. The Crab carries her home wherever she goes, as an armor of protection in a harsh world.

Imagine what it might be like to be a crab moving back and forth where the water meets the sand, tracking the tides that rise and fall twice a day at intervals that match the moon’s rising and setting.

Cancer flows with the tides and like all water signs, it connects us with our emotional self. Feelings often get a bad rap: “Oh you’re being so emotional” But why? Emotions are energy in motion and they need to go somewhere, expressing them can help us move energy and see what needs tending to.

When the Moon is in Cancer, notice what your own personal high tide feels like, when you may be swelling and filled to the brim, or overflowing with emotions.

Notice your experience of your low tides and what gets revealed from the ocean floor when the water pulls back the curtain on what’s been covered up.

There is a vulnerability and an inner softness that is protected by an outer shell. Notice what it takes for you to let down your guard. Notice what it is that you need to have emotional safety so that you can be vulnerable with others and share your authentic feelings. Not just: “I’m fine.”

Notice if any themes of motherhood, parenting, or bonding come up during the time when the moon is in the sign of Cancer. This may be an opportunity for healing.

When the moon is in Cancer there is a mood of: “Where is the Chicken Soup for my Soul?” Bone broth, veggie broth, a pot of tea. Any liquid that is calming and nourishing flows from the waters of Cancer. Water nurtures life and life responds to being nurtured.

In the words of the late Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh in Love Letters to the Earth, he says: “Dear mother, the moon is a part of you. As beautiful as an angel. She is a kind sister to you, always following you, helping you slow down and keep your balance and creating tidal rhythms on your body.”

When the moon is in Cancer, you are invited to notice the ways you might become more sensitive to these tidal rhythms on your own body.

There may be a heightened sensitivity when the moon is in Cancer to feel all the feels. This may or may not be true for you. The practice of self study in relationship with cycles and the symbolic language and archetypes of the zodiac can hold up a mirror to see ourselves more clearly.

The moon is sometimes associated with moodiness - the ups and downs of extreme emotions. Sometimes the moon is even blamed for our feelings, when really the goal can be to take responsibility for our emotions and see how they might be showing us how our needs may or may not be getting met.

When the moon is in Cancer it may be a time to address these unmet needs.

What helps you feel cared for, taken care of? In what way are you a caretaker for others? What are the needs of those around you? Are you expected to meet them? What fills up your cup? What depletes you? Where are the leaks that are draining you emotionally?

How can you practice not dismissing or apologizing for your emotions? And instead see them as information that helps illuminate something that is out of balance or needs to change.

Call on the Moon to help you shift the tides.

Self-Study Noticings

One experiment you can do when the moon is in Cancer is to notice your emotional tides and relationship with giving and receiving.

Describe the mood of the days with the moon in Cancer.
Did you observe any themes related to this sign show up in your life?
Were there synchronicities that caught your attention?
Notice what is true for you through self-study in relationship with cycles.

Let’s be real, the moon doesn’t “make” you feel something, but when you are in resonance with a particular sign, it can assist you in accessing a dimension of that archetypal energy within yourself.

Cancer wants you to tend to: What needs to be pruned so that your nest/home feels secure?

Listen to the original transmission:

tools for transformation

Attuning to lunar time is a way to be more present with all the seasons and stages of our lives. It’s a form of meditation.

Practicing lunar tracking and following lunar astrology adds a layer of meaning to the elements are archetypal energy.

The Lunar Wall Calendar is designed with a color-coded zodiac wheel by element to make it easy to know what sign phase the moon is in each day. This is exactly the tool that would have helped me when I was first learning to follow the moon and lunar astrology! If you want to track the moon in a simple and beautiful way, order yours in the shop.