Last night The Moon crossed the Sun in the sign of Cancer, marking yet another beginning.

The passing of the Sun into this sign also marked the Egyptian New Year that came with the Flooding of the Nile, which brought with it the nourishment needed for the start of the agricultural year.
And that is very fitting, because the Crab is the Archetypal Mother. In the Thema Mundi, the ancient Greek nativity chart of the world, the Crab was on the Ascendant. In some traditions, it was thought that souls enter this realm through Cancer and depart through Capricorn.

On top of the elements, signs are also assigned a modality and Cancer is cardinal. Cardinal, because it marks a beginning, that of summer in this case, but also that of cultivation. In fact, the Crab is all about cultivating – if we understand that process to be caring for something, because that is what the sign is all about. The Mother takes care of everyone’s needs, the Mother is protective of the vulnerable. The Mother is reactive and responsive, and attuned to safety and comfort.
But the Mother is ruled by the Moon so she’s pretty damn moody, too.

If you look at the sky, out of the 7 wanderers, the Moon is the one that changes the most often. Here today, hiding tomorrow. It might sound like a lunacy, but there is indeed a moodiness to the moon. Go figure.

However, there is consistency to this change. The Moon does her shapeshifting, but it is invariable. If there is one thing we can expect of her, it’s that she doesn’t stay the same. This applies to Cancer as well, which also brings a quality of winding about doing things before actually getting around to it.
Obviously, you can’t just start doing a thing before the comfort is achieved through feeding all the needs.
This will colour the character of any placement in it, be it an angle or a planet, but can also be seen during the time of the year when the Sun crosses through Cancer. We are more likely to bundle together, to go to the beach, or have holidays with our families.

And speaking of needs, this extends to emotional neediness. Someone who takes care of everyone also likes to be taken care of. Preferably by having their minds read, or by intuiting their body language just as well as they intuit yours.
Zodiac signs have much to do with their symbols, and one look at the Crab tells us a lot. Two steps forward, one step back. Without warning, they attack. And boy, do they hold on. Those claws are relentless, and holding on is yet another quality of Cancer. Be it a family heirloom, a person, or a grudge, they will keep it. But most of all, being a water sign, they will hold on to emotions and memories. So, actually, there was a warning, because remember that thing you did last month, when she said, and he said, and then you didn’t? Well Cancer certainly does, and didn’t like it one bit.

Luckily, the constant flooding tide of emotions will eventually fall, and all will be forgiven (but not forgotten).

The truth is, being the Mother is not easy. Ask anyone who has children. There is so much to care for, so much to remember, and so much to grow, and it all comes down to you, or at least feels that way.