Astrology of
Wellness
Cancer:
Ruler of Nurturing
by Ted PanDeva Zagar
Note: The author uses Sol and Luna instead
of generic terms like "sun" and "moon" when referring to the
two most important spheres in our solar system. Folk remedies, herbs, foods,
micronutrients, and other substances and therapies are included as information
and not as replacements for the diagnoses, advice, and treatments provided by
competent wellness professionals.
Sol, the star binding together our planetary family, marks summer's approach by ascending ever higher into the skies hovering above Earth's northern hemisphere. By the 21st day of June, this "luminous cloud" of Ezekiel reaches its lofty throne, reigning for but a day (albeit the longest of the year!) at this heavenly apex.
Because light and warmth are so necessary for the development and maintenance of life, the summer solstice marks the beginning of the season known to overflow with a symphony of colors, a rainbow of sounds, and a joyous dance performed by an endless variety of plants and animals.
Cancer
Appropriately, this day also launches the zodiacal sign of Cancer (June 21-July 22), ruler of motherhood and the nurturing which accompanies the child-bearing capacity. This is the month honoring the home, the homemaker, and the family.
We look not to Sol but rather to Luna as the ruler of the Cancerian Crab, for the cycles of both woman's fertility and our moon's phases stretch over a 28 day period. That Luna is the celestial mechanism which drives the reproductive processes in a number of terrestrial species has long been apparent to many
skygazers. The Cancer-Luna connection was made dramatically evident on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot upon Earth's nearest neighbor. The Cancerian artist formerly known as Cat Stevens (b. July 21, 1947) scored a hit with "Moon Shadow."
A mirror whose reflective face alternately narrows and widens in endless round, Luna directs varying degrees of solar radiation to us Earthbound creatures. It is this vitally important function which casts Luna as the governess of all matters of a reflective nature. Fitting, then, that a
Cancerian, the French engineer Etienne Louis Malus (b. June 23, 1775), would become the first scientist to describe the polarization of light by reflection. The Crab also reigns mightily over the art of scrying (i.e., tapping into higher realities by casting one's gaze upon stilled waters, into quartz crystal balls, etc.), the functions of recollection and memory, and the photographic arts.
Because astrology is a study of the union and interplay of opposites that make up the manifest universe, no surprise here that Alfred Stieglitz (b. Jan. 1, 1864), the father of modern photography, was a Capricorn (the sign opposite Cancer).
Invariably, the nature of each zodiac sign finds physical expression through the biological workings of its associated body parts. Great Mother Cancer governs the breasts, the first source of food for mammalian species; indeed, mammals are thus named after the milk-secreting glands of their lactating female members. Once weaned, the human animal benefits from an all plant diet, as befitting both its higher compassionate nature and its anatomical and physiological design. Foods containing a more concentrated protein (flesh, milk, and eggs) overstimulate estrogen and testosterone production in women and men, respectively. This can result in higher incidents of breast and prostate cancer. A nutritionally sound, more humane alternative to the standard Western diet is one that substitutes soybean "meats" and "milks" for their factory-farmed counterparts. The genistein found in the soybean readily binds to estrogen receptor cells, thus actually helping to prevent what a flesh-and-milk diet is now known to cause.
Because Cancer is associated with the female who provided us with our first food, the Crab governs the stomach, pancreas, and digestive processes. Fresh or dried papaya aids in the breakdown of protein, while herbal teas brewed from peppermint or chamomile help to settle upset stomachs.
As a water sign, Cancer also governs our hormone-driven emotions, and pistachio nuts have been said to improve our moods. Lastly, Cancer governs the elbows, and the topical application of a few drops of lavender or sassafras oil can ease pain in those joints.
To read the other signs
covered in this series, click here.
Copyright
©1999 by Ted PanDeva Zagar, Wellness Astrologer
NOTE: This article
(part of a series)
was published in ASTROLORE, an astrological magazine
published quarterly in Britain. |
