CrabFest 2008 (The Month of Cancer)

Well, we're here again, ladies and gents...astrologically speaking, Happy Hour con Crab is well under way. Anyone for bisque?

Little asteroid Eros began the season by moving into Cancer on June 12. Venus followed suit on June 19. These were just the appetizers; the Sun moved into Cancer this past Sunday, June 21, and now there's a fine cluster of happy planets moving through this fourth sign of the Zodiac. What can we expect?

As a sign, Cancer is known for its nurturing, senstive, and emotional qualities. If you have a Cancer Sun or Cancer Ascendant, these qualities will be strongly pronounced. However, other planets in Cancer also bring out a touch of Crabby flavor in one's personality.

People with Venus or the Moon in Cancer, for instance, tend to be very home-loving, caring, even maternal. Think Archetypal Den Mother-- you know the type-- he or she is always running around making sure everyone is getting along comfortably, is always ready to help, is forever reminding everyone to be nice to everyone else. Sometimes, this helpful quality can turn nasty; Crabs Gone Bad are busybodies who butt their claws into situations where they're not wanted or needed.

And Cancer needs to be needed. As the first water sign in the zodiac, Cancer is a cardinal energy. Their innate oversensitivity arises from the inner drive to instigate emotion, in themselves and others. If there's not enough emotional energy floating around, Cancer feels the real need to find some, or create it if necessary.

They're just as psychic as Scorpio or Pisces. But where Scorpio senses intentional undercurrents, and Pisces senses soul overtones, Cancer senses raw emotion. If you have some secret pain that no one else will notice or touch, find a Cancer. They'll sense it, and draw it out of you eventually-- then they'll ladle tons and tons of nurturing compassion over the sore spot, until you forget it was ever there in the first place.

That's best case scenario, though. Sometimes, Cancer's tendency to spot hidden emotional wounds can result in the busybody syndrome mentioned above. Younger and less evolved Cancer energy thrives on pity, not compassion, and no reasonably healthy, decently individuated adult appreciates pity for very long. Pity is degrading for both parties; it creates a codependent heirarchy between "you poor weak thing" and "me, the superior savior."

Compassion is entirely different. It's based not in the ego of the savior, but in a sense of fellow-feeling for the common condition of all human beings. Compassion is closely related to empathy, which never secretly places either party in a superior role, but instead strives to find their common ground.

At its best, though, Cancerian energy is the most nurturing force in the Zodiac. Cancer is the sign of the Maternal, the Moon, the Universal Mother. Its opposing cardinal sign, Capricorn, is the sign of the Father; this is the conservative caretaking axis. While all the crappy stuff that can be associated with parents and parenting gets dumped on these two signs, all the beautiful tenderness, care, and stability is here, too

Regardless of whether Cancer has literal children or not, they never stop mothering. How can you spot a Cancer or Cancer Ascendant? They're the ones who always show up with a covered dish.

And thank goodness for that-- otherwise some of us would never eat at all.

So, in June and early July, expect plenty of apple pie and leftovers, lovingly double-wrapped in Saran and Ziplock (metaphoric pie, too-- just thought I'd mention.) And thanks in advance, Cancer! We couldn't survive without you.