Happy Birthday, Cancer!
Although inconspicuous in the heavens, the constellation of the Crab signifies the most significant turning point of the year!
On the Summer Solstice, the Sun reaches its zenith and enters the sign of Cancer.
People have always celebrated the solstices as turning points of the sacred calendar and marked them with rituals, ceremonies and merry-making. At this magical time, the veils between the worlds are thin, and spirits can easily pass between them.
Mythology
In Babylonian mythology, the sign of Cancer signified the doorway through which souls must travel on their way to their next reincarnation. The Celts also saw it as a threshold. The summer solstice was the holy day of the Oak King. In the Celtic tree alphabet, the oak is represented by the letter D – ‘duir’ for ‘door, threshold’, which expresses the same idea.
In Astrology, the sign of Cancer is closely associated with the primordial ocean as the source of all life. Its ebb and flow reflect the waxing and waning of the Moon, Cancer’s ‘ruling planet’.
The Moon – Cancer’s ruling planet
In Babylonian mythology, the sign of Cancer represented the gate that souls must pass through to enter their next incarnation. In Celtic mythology, it is the Oak King, who presides over this threshold. The Celtic Tree alphabet assigns the Oak to the letter D for ‘duir’, which signifies a door or threshold.
The crab, a creature of two worlds
Astrologically, the sign of Cancer is associated with the primordial ocean as the source of all life. Ruled by the Moon, its ebb and flow reflect the waxing and waning of the monthly lunar cycle. Like the ocean, our inner world is in constant motion, and its depth is mysterious and unfathomable.
The Crab makes its home on the shore, the threshold between earth and water. It protects its sensitive parts with a hard, protective shell. It does not trust easily, and its defences are up much of the time. Its claws quickly snap, even without provocation.
The astrological crab shares many of these attributes. It protects its sensitive inner world and can be defensive. Once their trust has been earned, Cancerians are incredibly caring, nurturing and loyal, but expect total loyalty in return.
