Horoskopanalysen

The star sign Cancer

Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac, from 21 June to about 22 July. It begins at the summer solstice — the point at which the Sun stands highest and starts to turn back.

Where it belongs

Cancer is the only sign of the Moon, just as Leo is the only sign of the Sun. The two lights rule one sign each, the remaining five planets two each — and the whole order of rulership is built out from that pair.

That Saturn is in detriment here and Mars in fall is part of the picture: what is hard and what separates have a difficult time of it in a sign whose business is taking in and keeping.

What has been handed down

Receptivity, memory, attachment to origins and to what is familiar, a feeling for what goes unsaid. The other side: withdrawal, holding on to grievances, difficulty with change and with open confrontation.

The link with the Moon explains what is changeable here: the Moon is the fastest factor in the chart and changes sign every two and a half days. A sign ruled by it carries that mobility with it.

On the question of the “difficult” sign

There are no difficult signs. There are planets in difficult condition.

Astrology knows no ranking of the twelve signs — it knows the dignity of a planet in a sign. The Moon in Cancer is as strongly placed as it can be. Saturn in Cancer is weakly placed. Both are the same stretch of thirty degrees.

The idea that a sign is in itself a strain comes from popular writing about character and has no counterpart in the technique.

And the sun sign alone

It is the position of a single planet. The ascendant, six further planets and the twelve houses are part of it too — and the Moon, the ruler of this sign, is in a different place for every Cancer.

See also: all twelve signs, the planets.