The period of Cancer's influence is approximately June 22nd
to July 23rd. During the month of Cancer, the great surge of the
life-force prevalent in the previous signs stops and a secondary
growth process begins, enlarging the size of the maturing plant.
In the animal kingdom, many of the newborn, though still not completely
independent of their mothers, have grown strong enough to become
established members of the community. In Cancer, one still feels
the energizing sensations of spring but the force of the new yearly
cycle is subdued and mellowed.
Cancer is the sign of the World Mother who gives form to the
seed implanted in her womb by the Father. From the physical world,
the glyph depicts the breasts, two small circles each attached
to a semicircle. One semicircle is turned upwards; the other faces
down. This means that Cancer is constantly occupied with gathering
in the necessary resources so that her children are always given
the nutrition vital to life. So, we can see that there is a dualism
inherent in the Crab's character. On the one claw, people are
extremely generous with their feelings and possessions, but on
the other, they are constantly plotting to possess the object
of their generosity.
Cancers are born under the sign of emotional sensitivity.
Cancer is the mothering, sustaining, nurturing sign of the zodiac.
It is the sign of the womb, the house, the home, the interior
of all things. The key phrase for Cancer is "I feel."
Cancers possess highly developed protective and defensive instincts,
which are aimed at material and domestic security. The Crab carries
its house upon its back and retreats into it when threatened by
exterior forces. Cancer is the most subconscious of all signs,
everything is latent and hidden. No issue is clear or direct.
Like the crab who sidesteps any object approaching him, Cancerians
are not forthright and direct in action. Unlike Gemini, who responds
to life through his mind, Cancers respond to life through their
feelings. You cannot reason with them when they are emotionally
upset. They have difficulty separating what they feel from what
they think and can be at the mercy of their moods, up one day
and down the next. They absorb any atmosphere around them without
realizing it. They should obviously surround themselves with happy
people.
With kindness, Cancers can be directed easily, as they are
basically understanding. If forced, they become immovable. They
are averse to being told how to do things and must complete tasks
on their own. If involved in a responsible position, they are
punctual and efficient, willing to guide things to a successful
conclusion.
One of the Cancer's main goals should be trying to live more
in the present. They have a habit of worrying about the end before
beginning. They must learn that the future lies in the present.
What is done or thought of now determines what will manifest itself
in the future as a result of those thoughts and actions.
The Sun is in Leo from approximately July 23rd to August 24th.
It is the heat of Leo's sun which ripens the fruit brought forth
from the earth by the vibrations of Cancer. Man's crops are thus
developed to their most abundant state of growth before the harvest
of Virgo reaps the rewards of Man's previous efforts. Man is now
called away from his labors, for the heat of August is overwhelming.
He has a chance to pause and turn away from his usual duties and
get the strength that he will need in order to bring in the harvest.
Leo is the sign of the life-giving Father. It is through this
sign that the true personality of Man can be expressed. Leo can
call forth the courageous and masterly lord of the
jungle or the cowardly pussycat who, like the lion in The
Wizard of Oz, needs a heart to animate him with the force of life.
It is the heart, the central pulse of one's being, which is
the part of the body ruled by the fifth sign. If we examine the
glyph for Leo, we will see that the first open circle is the vein
leading to the main coronary chamber (the large semicircle). The
second open circle is the artery which takes the newly pumped
blood from the heart so that it may be distributed by the circulatory
system to the rest of the body.
We have seen that Aries, Taurus, and Gemini have paved the
way for the evolution of the tribal unit as symbolized by Cancer.
Leo is not the one elected as chief of the tribe but rather a
ruler of a tribe of his own. Leo is the sign of self-consciousness,
as Cancer is the sign of the instinctual consciousness. There
is dignity, self-respect, courage, and integrity in the evolved
individuals. They are honest, direct, and fully dependable when
they are evolved; arrogant, and egotistical when they are involved
with their own ego rather than their higher self.
Leos' faith and loyalty to those they love is very strong;
sometimes they are too attached and have to learn true detachment.
All energy and power comes from the Sun which rules Leo, but Light
and Power can warm or scorch, create or destroy. A Leo's will
must become God's will, or he is in trouble.
The symbol of this sign is the lion, denoting majesty, power,
and dignity. Leo is a kingly sign, and Leos express pride in every
movement and a stateliness that will not escape the keen eye.
Power will increase Leo's self-confidence amazingly, to the point
where the Leo seems actually to glow. As long as Leos feel that
they are in a position of authority and responsibility, they will
leave no stone unturned in order to justify the confidence that
has been placed in them. Leos function well in positions of responsibility
and management, expressing their creativity by setting policies.
Leos are practical, philosophical, and spiritual. They come
into life with an inner confidence which they radiate into their
environment. It is this quality which inspires people to place
their faith and trust in them. If self-confidence turns to vanity,
however, Leos will find that others will just as easily turn away.
Leo's virtues are big; so may be his faults. The Leo destiny
is a high one. No man can be a true leader until he is willing
to be a servant of all.
The Sun is in Virgo approximately August 24th through September
23rd. Virgo is the month of summer's harvest, for the crops have
ripened in the heat of Leo's sun. Man has rested during the month
of August so that he may have the strength to go back to the fields
and reap the bounty of the Earth. Virgo signifies movement on
the land; it is the sign of work and of rewards earned through
diligence in one's service.
Virgo is the fully ripened harvest, untouched as yet by the
farmer's hands and still filled with all the potential vitality
of the abundant crops. Thus Virgo is the virgin who, in her chaste
state, is potentially endowed with the fruits of womanhood.
Virgo's strength rests in the latency of the power contained
within the unreleased energy of her being. The glyph which depicts
Virgo is symbolic of its ruling the intestines. The coils of the
symbol for Virgo, therefore, are seen as illustrations of those
segments of the digestive tract ruled by the sixth sign.
For those born under the earth sign of Virgo, the hub of the
universe is work. They are forever seeking knowledge, which will
bring matter under the control of the mind. Through this seeking,
they learn that the mind of man is a good servant but a bad master.
Virgos have to learn that although the body must serve the mind,
ultimately the mind must serve the spirit.
Virgos are meticulous in their work, paying a great deal of
attention to detail and doing things carefully and efficiently.
They like to bring order out of confusion. In its best form, this
sign makes for efficiency and a brilliant performance of duty.
At times, however, it bestows a narrowness of outlook when the
sole concern is work. Virgos subject their world to a microscopic
analysis. Occasionally, they are engrossed with trivialities to
the extent of becoming blind to the significance of the issue
as a whole. Eventually, developed Virgos learn discrimination
between the essential and the trivial. Once this power of making
distinctions evolves, Virgos are able to become great scholars.
constructive critics, excellent editors — all exacting perfection.
The key phrase for Virgo is "I analyze."
Virgo also rules health. In this phase of their evolution,
Virgos must learn that wise men do not exhaust their body energies
by worrying, fretting, or overworking. Fears and apprehensions
can lead to illness, although Virgos have a marvelous physical
resistance to disease, once the mind develops discipline. Virgos
must be careful of being too critical. Their analyzing mind can
cause them to criticism, irritability, and faultfinding.
In the universal scheme of things, Virgo represents the sign
of the hidden Christ in every man, the seed planted in earth that
must root in the darkness and break its sheath and struggle towards
the Light. Virgo is the last of the personal or involving signs
and is the threshold of the birth of the inner man. The personality
is developed from Aries to Virgo; the soul is developed from Virgo
to Pisces.
— Barbara Joiner — Rays from the Rose Cross Magazine, September/October, 1995
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