Temple of Cancer

June 25, 2022

Why is the Zodiac sign of Cancer associated with home, mother, child, emotions, vulnerability, nurturing, the moon, water, the crab, etc?

Let’s look at the temple of Cancer and its role in the evolutionary and individuation process.

First lets recognize that the womb was our first home. In endless embrace, we were effortlessly nourished, warmed, protected, and loved by a literal and consistent heart beat. We felt complete connection and undifferentiated at every level. We are everything and everything is us. This can be considered the beginning and is the general spiritual lesson of the temple of Pisces.

Then something happens. Hormonal cascades enact a positive feedback loop that press and move us through to the birthing process. Our environment contracts and we reach a massive threshold that marks the initiation into separation, individuation, and experience in relationship to other. Suddenly we have a name, an identity, a location and culture we respond to, fluctuations in temperature, hunger, tiredness and awakeness, and for the first time, may actually be left alone. This initiation experience carries the spiritual lessons of the temple of Aries.

Because we are now separated from the womb, and have the capacity to experience the space between satiation and complete emptiness (literally through hunger, touch deprivation, exposure to the elements, etc.) we navigate the territory of security or insecurity. Will I survive with the available resources I am completely dependent on receiving from an outside source? Am I worthy of surviving and thriving, when all I can do as an infant is exist? At this point, the consciousness of the infant is still entrained with its environment and those who care give. Although the body is separate, the mind is dealing with the sensation of safety or danger related to survival. This is the grounding that we receive from the Temple of Taurus.

As our brain develops, we begin to understand that we are separate. We begin to notice near / far, I prefer / I do not prefer, yes / no, I have this / I don’t have this. Contrast. Polarity. Me and them. Our hemispheres of our brain are separate and cross communicating. Things have names. And we are encouraged to use our words. Our mind develops to serve us in getting our needs met and our preferences understood by others. This is the development and growth of the Temple of Gemini.

So now we get to the Temple of Cancer. We have individuated enough to understand that we are separate, alone at times, in a world that is either secure or dangerous, and that we might experience things we like or won’t like. It gets tender now. We feel the deep emotional vulnerability of this truth. We seek the home of the womb again and the comfort of safe embrace. We want to know that no matter what, even if life is hard or scary, we are loved and feel connection and nurturing. Cancer is the way we create this for ourselves. It’s the behaviors that get us picked up by our caregiver. It’s the moods that protect us and help us get our way. It’s how we cope with our separation / individuation. It’s the complete surrender in the arms of the one we feel safe with. This is true nurturance. This is the well of love love that is rarely ever found fully.

The earth and the moon were once one. The mother and child were once one. And for a sweet moment in Cancer, we long for that oneness again. This fulfillment of surrender facilitates the Creative explosion in the temple of Leo, and the full maturing of individuation in Virgo.

For now, let’s consider our relationship with this Cancer energy. There are so many things to think about regarding the womb space, safety, resources, control, freedom, danger, and our deepest need for connection and surrender in the most physical way possible.