Astrology Tea: Cancer and The Moon

Happy National Moon Day!

National Moon Day is celebrated in the U.S. on July 20th every year to honor the anniversary of the first moon landing in 1971. As humans, the moon is the closest thing we have to a galactic buddy! Not only have our fellow humans stepped foot on it, but the moon controls a huuuge amount of what happens on our planet. 

 (Image source) 

The moon is so much more than just a big, glowing orb in the sky. You may already know that the moon controls the ocean tides through a gravitational pull called the tidal force. With this knowledge, it only makes sense that the moon has an effect on us too since our bodies are made of more than half water! 

Many cultures have significant relationships with the moon and revere it for countless reasons. In Chinese culture, the moon is considered to be the carrier of human emotions and is associated with gentleness and brightness. 

In some cultures, the moon is associated with feminine energy and can symbolize the relationship between mother and child. For the Incas in South America, they personify the moon into a goddess named Mama Quilla who helps to regulate menstrual cycles. Studying how the planets affect us and their influence on the world has been done for centuries through the practice of Astrology. (1) 

History of Astrology 

Astrology is the study of the stars and the planets and their influence on humans and earthly affairs. It originated in Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC and at that time, was inseparable from astronomy. It spread to India and other parts of Asia, and developed into a very important practice in ancient China, with horoscopes for every newborn baby becoming a standard practice.

Astrology developed into the Western form that most people know today during the Hellenistic period in Greek civilization. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus shattered the geo-centric view that most of the world had at the time, leading to the separation between astronomy and astrology. Although the new development changed the way many people perceived astrology, it continued to develop into our world today as many still widely believe that celestial bodies can influence our lives on earth. (2) 

Astrology 101

When someone asks, ‘What’s your sign?’, what they’re really asking you is ‘Where exactly was the sun when you were born?’. Sun signs are usually the very least that a person would know about their own astrological birth chart.

A birth chart is, essentially, a screenshot of the sky at the exact time you were born. So if you look at your birth chart, you’ll see that you have a zodiac sign to represent, not only the sun, but where the moon, and all of the other planets were exactly when you were born. You can find your whole birth chart for free online as long as you know where and exactly what time you were born! 

Western astrology tells us that there are 12 zodiac signs that each possess different characteristic traits. Each zodiac sign is ruled by a planet, meaning that the ruling planet of each sign is what influences its’ unique energy.

For example, astrologically, Mars is the planet of energy, action, and desire, and rules our primal instincts. Mars rules the zodiac sign Aries, the leader of the zodiac, known to be passionate, motivated, and a confident leader. There are only two signs that are called luminaries, and are ruled by stars instead of planets. Leo is ruled by the sun and Cancer is ruled by the moon. Take a look at the chart below to find the ruling planet, element, and modality of your sign!

Zodiac Sign	Ruling Planet	Element	Modality
Aries	Mars	Fire	Cardinal
Taurus	Venus	Earth	Fixed
Gemini	Mercury	Air	Mutable
Cancer	Moon	Water	Cardinal
Leo	Sun	Fire	Fixed
Virgo	Mercury	Earth	Mutable
Libra	Venus	Air	Cardinal
Scorpio	Pluto	Water	Fixed
Sagittarius	Jupiter	Fire	Mutable
Capricorn	Saturn	Earth	Cardinal
Aquarius	Uranus	Air	Fixed
Pisces	Neptune	Water	Mutable

All about the zodiac sign Cancer

The zodiac sign Cancer is especially unique as it is ruled by the moon instead of a planet. Astrologically, the moon represents our unconscious minds, emotions, intuition, our childhoods, and relationships with maternal figures. With the moon being Cancer’s ruling planet, it carries this energy into the unique expression of the sign. 

When is Cancer Season? 
The start and end date of a zodiac season can vary within a couple days depending on exactly when the sun moves into a new sign. This year, Cancer season begins on June 21st and comes to an end just after National Moon Day on July 22nd. So if you were born within that time, Happy belated Birthday Cancer baby!

Symbol

The constellation of Cancer is symbolized by a crab. In Greek mythology, it is related to the crab that pinched Heracles while he was fighting the hydra. The crab was crushed by Heracles, but was then placed in the heavens by Heracles' enemy, Hera, and became the constellation Cancer. (3)

Element

Each sign is represented by 1 of 4 elements:

• Fire: raw energy, bringing light, and burning things to create new life.
• Earth: grounding, connecting us to the tangible world.
• Air: filling our lungs, allowing us to communicate.
• Water: cleansing, healing, and nourishing.

Fire and Air signs are seen as active, or masculine signs, making them more extroverted and assertive. Earth and Water signs are passive, or feminine signs, and are often more introverted, self-contained, and intuitive. 

Cancer is a water sign, along with Pisces and Scorpio. Water signs are known for being extremely emotional, intuitive, sensitive and imaginative. They are know to be able to intrinsically connect and empathize with people in a vulnerable way. 

Modality

Each sign is represented by 1 of 3 modalities, Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable and represent unique ways that signs are expressed relating to the changing of the seasons:

• Cardinal signs begins a season and include Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
• Fixed signs are in the middle of the seasons and include Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.
• Mutable signs end a season and include Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. 

Cancer is a cardinal sign, marking the official beginning of summer. Cardinal signs are known to be leaders, trend setters, and visionaries. Cardinal signs often have a go-getter attitude and have a strong influence on others.

Personal Characteristics

People with their sun sign in Cancer are known for being intuitive, gentle, emotional, sensitive, maternal, in touch with their emotions, and trusting of their own instincts. Cancers are known to be especially good at picking up emotional cues and have been known commonly to possess psychic abilities. (4)

Compatibility

In general, signs of the same element get along well. So Cancer sun's will often feel comfortable around other Cancers, Pisces, and Scorpios. Water signs understand each other better than the other signs, therefore generally leading to peaceful and understanding relationships with friends, significant others, and family. 

Along with water signs, Cancers get along well with Earth signs, including Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, out of appreciation for their stability and ability to hold space for others.  

An especially emotional Cancer may not feel as comfortable in relationships with Fire or Air signs, including Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Fire signs are known for being assertive in a way that a Cancer might view as aggressive. Air signs tend to be too dreamy and detached for a water sign that feels everything so deeply.

If you're a Cancer reading this thinking "my best friend is a Leo and my worst enemy is a Pisces... this can't be right", it it so important to note that compatibility is not determined as a whole by the sun sign. Be sure to keep the WHOLE birth chart of you and others in mind when considering your compatibility with another. 

Tips for Cancers

Cancers are know for being empaths. An empath is a person that is highly in tune with the feelings and emotions of the people around them. While this is such an amazing quality for true connection and building relationships with others, it can lead the Cancer person feeling drained of their own energy. Or even feeling emotions that don't belong to them out of a need to genuinely empathize and understand what another is going through. 

It is so important that Cancers find time for themselves to feel their emotions and allow themselves to determine what is their emotion and what they may have taken on from others. So we came up with a couple rituals that we hope can help the sensitive heart of a Cancer!

 

Enjoy a walk in nature while being hydrated with a bottle of Super Healing Flower infusion. Or bring nature inside by sipping on this in doors. 

Super Healing Flower Infusion

Cancer is known as a feminine sign. Feminine energy has long been connected to the flowers, divine feminine energy, as well as amazing abilities to promote overall female well being. Cancer is also a water sign, which may make the person especially connected to the element. Therefore, a Cancer person may already know that water is extremely cleansing for our bodies, as well as our spirits.

We wrote a blog all about the healing power of water, so check it out to learn more about how to heal with water, but in the meantime, here is a ritual to follow, made especially for Cancers to practice self-care and rejuvenate their energy: 

• Run a warm bath & Add in some Rose flower petals. Feel free to add any other flowers or herbs you have to add to the aroma. Or follow our instructions HERE for the most beautiful floral bath. 
• Make yourself a cup of flower infusion/flower tea
• As you sip on your flower tea say it out loud: "I thank this flower water for nourishing me and healing me. I feel love, joy and inner peace as I drink this flower water."
• Once you get in the bath, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and feel how the water touches every part of your skin. Get to know the sensation of water moving on and off your body, the warm and cold feelings, and how each limb feels different when submerged than it does in your daily life.  
• When you feel like you have gotten comfortable in the water, say out loud: "I thank this water for cleansing me. I allow this water to remove anything that is no longer serving me, and return it to the world with light and love. I allow this water to call back any energy that I have given away, and return it to me rejuvenated with light and love."
• Repeat that mantra as you scrub your body, intentionally calling in light and loving energy to each cell in your body. 
• Then rinse your body, imagining that you are now rinsing off all of the negative energy that may have been stuck to you. 

Super Healing Lotus Ritual

For cancers, it is extremely important to protect your energy and nourish your intuition, as too much influence from others can lead to you losing sight of your own needs. This protection can be done simply through a flower tea ritual everyday! Here is a super simple protection ritual that we like to do once in the morning, and once in the evening, to make sure we keep our own energy safe!

• Make a cup of Blue Lotus flower tea. Blue Lotus is know for it's relaxing and euphoria-inducing properties. The flower is deeply connected with intuition, making it the perfect flower for a Cancer to enjoy.
• While the water is boiling, speak your intention over it. We like to say, "When I pour this water into my cup, it will be full of light energy that refreshes my body and protects my energy all day/night" 
• Then pour your water into your cup with your Blue Lotus flower. 
• While steeping the flower, sit quietly with your eyes closed, and imagine an orb of bright, white light is emerging from the flower in the cup, and encapsulating your whole body. 
• Sit with this circle of white light around your body for a few minutes, knowing that this is your shield to protect you from any harm. 
• Then ask the shield of white light to remain throughout the day and continue to protect you, Sip on your flower tea, & Get your day going!
  
  

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 *All images credited to their original owners