Take Me Home- The Sun in Cancer
Sun in Cancer
6.21/2014
6:51 am (EDT)
Planetary Ruler: Moon
Summer Solstice
Mysterious Course
Follow the stream
As it weaves on its own
Mysterious course.
Moon rises and waters
Of life ebb and flow back
To the shore of foundation.
Emotion wells up and
Spills out strongly changing
Everything in its path.
Relax into the current
And trust in the
Depth of its reach
The waters will heal
If you sink into their
Loving embrace.
The Sun transits into the astrological sign of Cancer, early this morning. The world will be awakening from the dreamscape and early morning rituals of preparing for work, breakfast, getting children off for activities and everything that speaks of home life and family is just beginning the day. This is appropriate timing for the Sun’s transit into the astrological sign that is the quintessential symbol of hearth and home.
The astrological sign of Cancer is one of the element of Water and the Cardinal Modality. Its planetary ruler is the Moon, whose qualities of emotion, intuition and healing nurtured by the Great Mother are overt in our mundane and spiritual efforts. The natural energy of Father Sun, that of shedding great light on whatever is in its spectrum is now cooled and comforted by the soothing waters of Mother Cancer’s natural gifts.
This solar month offers an opportunity to settle back into the arms of what nurtures you. There is maximum potential for the healing of old wounds, crafting new and deeply fulfilling relationships and feeling the warmth of Summer’s Sun enveloping you in the same warmth of a loving embrace. The astrological sign of Cancer brings this energy to the place of new beginnings and fresh starts as we explore what motivates us at an emotional level and who and what we consider home.
Additionally, this Solar month is an opportunity for alignment of the polarities of Sun and Moon (ruling sign of Cancer). This alignment occurs at the level of the mundane as well as the spiritual. When we feel safe, secure and nurtured (Moon/Cancer) we go on to display these same qualities to all we meet, shining brightly and magnetically attracting more of the same (Solar).
The caution is one of overindulging the emotional aspects to the point of overflow and over sensitivity. Feelings can quickly overtake us when it comes to family (and friends) and what was meant to keep connection flowing can quickly turn to smothering and stagnant waters. Digging deeply into our emotional reserves brings much satisfaction in the long run, but diving head first into waters that have not been tested for appropriate depth can produce a broken spirit that requires long and masterful healing.
All of the Water signs fully embrace the ebb and flow of the emotional tides. Cancer not only embraces, but to a large degree embodies water at its most human and vulnerable level of expression. We all wish for a loving home life and fulfilling relationships. This is not the selflessness of Pisces (also Water) that prefers to provide that home or the expectation of Scorpio (also Water) that believes it to be their right. In the case of Cancer this is the seeking of affirmation that they are indeed lovable unconditionally. If this awareness is achieved by loving oneself in this way and is tended well and nurtured this is the greatest gift that astrological Cancer can bestow.
The Element of Water
The Water signs express themselves through the filter and guidance of emotions. These are the most intuitive of the signs and can also be the most emotionally overwrought if care is not taken to set boundaries in place. In the sign of astrological Cancer, water is most at home moving with the ebb and flow of the moon’s pace. Those born under the sign of Cancer are generally homebodies and loyal to a fault that seek connection at the deepest of the emotional levels. These are the outpourings from the womb of creation.
A Cardinal Modality
As we have seen the energy of the Cardinal signs is one of catalyzing and initiating new beginnings. The first Cardinal sign we encountered was appropriately one of Fire and served to begin the cycle of the Zodiacal wheel and Solar Year. The initiating quality of this sign was one similar to that of striking a match, setting fire to the will to create and providing the fuel to carry that intent forward.
The Cardinal energy expressed through a Water sign initiates the emotions in a way of pushing the boundaries of these waters out beyond what would hold them hidden in the subconscious. This is the catalyzing of longing and yearning which ultimately will produce the vessel of receipt that brings to term the desired goal.
Be gentle as you rush out
Spilling greedily from
What has been opened.
My heart reaches out fervently
Seeking the embrace of home.
Oceans fill my cup of
Yearning to know the
First stirrings of love.
I am cast about on
Waters that bubble up
Tumultuous at times
Hungering for a companion.
Let these waters of need
Erode away the shores of
What holds me back from
Reaching those I hold dear.
Let the waters flow
Fully and deeply that
Carry me home to you.
The Next Step
Knowing how each sign moves to the next and the interaction between each as they evolve towards completion (and threshold of renewal) of the wheel in the astrological sign of Pisces tells its own unique story of the Wheel of Time. When we reach the last sign of the zodiacal wheel, Pisces, we will have experienced four (4) rounds of the three forms of energy expressed as the modalities (Cardinal-Fixed-Mutable). Maintaining the idea of the evolving dynamics of each of the Zodiacal signs as we move through the solar year, so too, the Triad of Modalities gains a more momentum, maturity and focus of application as we move through each of these rounds.
Cancer is the fourth* sign of the Zodiac, and begins a new Triad of the Modalities Cardinal to Fixed to Mutable, each flowing into the other. Being of the Cardinal Modality, the quality of Cancer is that of beginnings and catalytic flow. These are the first bubblings up of what will become a life giving stream of water. These are the first and tentatively offered words of love offered to one you hope will become a lover. This energy is the first bond made between mother and new baby as precious mouth cries out for the nourishing flow of Mother’s milk and comforting breast.
If we look at the dynamics of energy thus far, beginning with the Cardinal sign of Aries, we could think of the three signs that begin the astrological wheel as the quickening fires (Aries- Fire) within the body of manifestation (Taurus- Earth) that gives rise to aspiring towards the heavens (Gemini- Air). Arrival at the next iteration of a new cycle of the Triad of Modalities and beginning this new flow in the sign of Cancer aligns mind with heart and the ultimate catalyzing of what stands fully in the Light of day.
* The number 4 represents stability and foundation. This is the geometric shape of the square; equilateral sides that support and provide a stable base to expand in any direction. This is the quality of Cancer. The love we know (or lack of) plays a great role in how stable and anchored we feel in all of our subsequent relationships. The work of Cancer is restructuring and shoring up our emotional foundations so that we thrive and are able to love and be loved.
The Moon is the Ruling Planet of Cancer. Just as the tides move in a pattern of ebb and flow, so too does the energy of Cancer in affecting the mood and emotional tone of any situation. The natural tendency of Cancerian energy is that of creating foundations that flow and move in accord with what is felt. Safety and security, particularly at an emotional level are a requirement for movement out of that comfort zone to occur. The ease with which this occurs is based in what is considered home with those thought of as family being high on the list of priorities in any consideration. Trust and feeling comfortable in any situation are also attributes that require cultivation when Cancer is in full force. This is prime energy for cultivating deep and lasting connections to what you truly love and feeling secure enough in that love that you are willing to put yourself (emotionally) out there.
Read more about the dynamics of the Moon and Her changeable face in:
Preparing the Way
At this time of the year in the Northern hemisphere, we celebrate the Summer Solstice and the vibrancy of life and all that has come to fruition. This is the space of the year where we gather to celebrate educational achievements, weddings, vacations and any special occasions that offer us opportunity to be with those we cherish. We geared up for this outreach in the previous month of Gemini as we moved outdoors and became more expressive in the ways we connected and communicated. Now we link the heart of follow through in the plans and promises we made and the ways we have chosen to express our appreciation and pride in those near and dear. The vibrancy of the Sun and the heart focused energy of Cancer lights the way to safe harbor. Home becomes the place of picnics and barbecues and we gather our stores of all the sunshine and moments of interaction; knowing that the Light is waning and the home and emotional ease we have created will be our sanctuary in the winter storms ahead.
In the Southern Hemisphere the emphasis is on the beginning of the Waxing year and the return of increasingly longer sunlit and warmer days. The generating of ideas and the flow of communication expressed in the previous month was one of introspection sheltered from the cold as the armchair inventor and awaiting the burgeoning light of the upcoming Solstice. Now, as the Solar Year transits into the comfort of Cancer, what has offered the comfort of home and family is ready to be infused us as we enter a state of enlivened and newly birthed light within. These foundations of emotional stability and resource will serve well as we venture outdoors with the coming of Imbolc and Spring.
Both are states of movement and require the flexibility of expansion and contraction. This is the ebb and flow of Mother Moon and the opening to her gifts of healing and emotional attachment. The lessons of relationship gained by lighting up those emotional bonds with the outer world (Summer Solstice) or of the inner self (Winter Solstice) have opportunity to reach deeply into the core of who we are as we heal and transform how we “feel” our way through our lives. The goal is one of stimulating the flow of these precious waters to soothe and heal what will receive the full expression of strengthening and Light in the months ahead. This state paves the way for the next phase of growth and expansion when the Sun transits next into the Fixed sign of Leo (whose ruling planet is the Sun! We’re Going to Heat it Up!).
Read more about the Solstices their dynamics of Light:
WitchVox: Sabbat Articles and Poems
It’s All About the Feeling
As we transit into the Solar month of Cancer, the planets – Mercury, Saturn, Pluto and Neptune remain retrograde. The emphasis here is on the Neptune Retrograde and its watery connection to Cancer. Neptune is the ruler of the third of the Watery astrological signs, Pisces. If we wish to think chronologically, Cancer is the child who seeks the approval of family and thrives in a home that is loving, supportive and caring. Scorpio (the second water sign) is the young adult who seeks attachment in a more mature and often sexual way; seeking those partnerships that may evolve into the creation of what they desire their familial and home life to be. Pisces (the third water sign and last of the Zodiacal wheel) is the elder, who has memories of lovers and loves past, knows the expanse of their emotions and freely gives those healing waters to all in need.
This added emphasis raises the waters of our intuitive and feeling nature as we move through the Solar Month. These are the waters that allow all that you wish and hope for to be energized and supported by what you have learned about yourself through past experience and relationship. These are the waters that allow you to be fully present as you create your own space of nurturing. These are the waters that run strong and free carrying you to parts of yourself, yet unknown.
Read more about Neptune’s Retrograde:
Lifting the Veil- Neptune Retrograde
Take Me Home:
This solar month is one of connecting more deeply to family, friends and home as you relax into the healing waters that nurture and sustain you. In the chronology of the Zodiac, this is the space of time to reassess, strengthen and re-forge the bonds to those we offer our devotion and loyalty to, both mundanely and spiritually. This is also the time to allow the drifting away from you that which keeps you submerged and anchored in a way that is not productive. This is the emotional phase of the teenager who sees the world through eyes that are still trusting and at times leave them open to heartache and hurt. This is the space of first loves and having the security of family which allows you to stray a little further away from that base as you explore the world around you. Instinct and intuition are just beginning to mature and hormones flood bodies that live in a world of emotional drama and angst as they seek to define who they are.
And, so in the spirit of Cancer’s intuitive and unpredictable waters and we call forth the energy of the Sun as it continues its zodiacal cycle, once again we repeat the invocation that opened the Gate to this Temple. As you read through it think back to passions and dreams of your teen years. Think back to the perception you had of everything flowing easily through your grasp as these running waters soothed emotions that were heated and unpredictable. Think back to the joys and sorrows and the reliable and comforting support of those you considered family. Think back to what you called home; it may have been your best friend’s house, a favorite hang-out, or the venue of an after school activity (for me it was the theater and ballet studio).
What keys to the greater knowledge of RA’s power of sustained light is hidden within the heart that has felt the gift of family? This is the gift of finding your place in the world and the power of sharing this gift with others as you walk this journey of life. Use this gift wisely this month as we invoke the Solar month in Cancer and allow those fires of RA to move through you as the healing waters of enlivened energy that calls you home.
Hymn to RA
All Hail to Thee, Mighty RA
Blaze of noon day sun.
Your fiery orb high in the
Sky above as we kneel
Beneath the heat of
Your radiance.
All the Gods bow to your radiance
All the Goddesses sing hymns of praise
To Your glory and man
Lays prostrate in humility
And devotion at the altar of
Your making.
Sweet music of adoration and offerings
Brought forth from the Black Land
Rise up in praise and thanks for
Your Sustaining Light.
All darkness flees at the touch of Your hand
All ceases its movement as Your expansive
Rays stretch across the morning sky.
The lotus opens to receive Your Touch
And the sands glisten as rare jewels
As You gaze upon each grain washed
Clean in the boundless ocean that
Reflects the brilliance of your face.
All Hail to Thee
Amun-RA
All Hail to Thee
Who sits high
Above the world.
Khepra in the East
Atum in the West
Whose eye holds the
Point of Life and the
Trifold Arc of Power.
Your eyes see all and
You are the place of return
Within the glowing blackness
Of the Midnight Sun.
All Hail to Thee
All Hail to Thee
Amun, Amun, Amen!
Next Posting: Friday, June 26th.
With Arms Wide Open – New Moon in Cancer
and
Bonus Pathworking: The Hall of Cancer
Temple of the Cosmic Spheres 