Cancer (astrology) - Cancer Sign

Cancer( ♋️ ) (Greek: Καρκίνος,Karkinos Latin: Cancer) is the fourth astrological sign, which is associated with the constellation Cancer. It spans the 90-120th degree of the zodiac, between 90 and 120 degrees of celestial longitude. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area on average between June 22 and July 22, and under the sidereal zodiac, the Sun transits this area between approximately July 15 and August 15. The symbol of the crab is based on the Karkinos, a giant crab that harassed Heracles during his fight with the Hydra.

Astrology

Along with Scorpio and Pisces, Cancer forms the Water Trigon. The Water Trigon is one of four elemental trigons, fire, earth, air, and water. When a trigon is influential, it affects changes on earth. Cancer is said to be the house of Neptune and the exaltation of Jupiter, both astronomical bodies having influence over those born under Cancer. In Vedic astrology the sign has name Karka and its Lord is Moon.

Associations

The sign of Cancer is said to be associated with the characteristics: water, phlegmatic, cardinal, northern, nocturnal, tenacious, intuitive, and fruitful. Those who are born from June 22 to July 22 are born under Cancer. Cancer is a northern sign and its opposite southern sign is Capricorn. Places that Cancer is associated with are the sea, rivers, brooks, wells, wash-houses, marsh grounds, and trenches. The areas of the body that Cancer governs are the breast and the stomach. Cancerians are said to be people of sensation and feeling. They tend to go by their own intuition as opposed to reasonable advice. They are highly spiritual beings but can be emotional and are usually very caring at times.

Mythology

Greek mythology

The story of Cancer the Crab is said to be connected to Hercules. Some storytellers say that during Hercules' fight with Lernaean Hydra, Hera, sent a crab to snap at Hercules' toes because Hera had sworn to kill Hercules. Hercules was able to kill the crab by smashing its shell with his foot. As a reward for its efforts serving her, Hera placed the crab in the sky and it became Cancer.

Chinese mythology

In Chinese star lore, Cancer is in the 23rd of the 28 mansions or xiu. This mansion is called Gui which roughly translates to "ghosts". The Chinese divided the sky into four quarters, each with its own direction, season, and mythical creature. Cancer exists in the Red (Vermillion) Bird of the south. It is associated with summer.

Notes

Works cited

• Allen, Richard Hinckley (1899). Star-names and Their Meanings. G.E. Stechert. p. 107. Retrieved October 28, 2014. 
• Astronomical Applications Department (2011). Multiyear Computer Interactive Almanac. 2.2.2. Washington DC: US Naval Observatory.  Longitude of Sun, apparent geocentric ecliptic of date, interpolated to find time of crossing 0°, 30°....
• Atsma, Aaron J. (c. 2015). "CARCINUS : Giant crab of Lerna". Theoi Project. 
• "Cancer". Windows to the Universe. n.d. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• "Cancer". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• "Cancer horoscope". Stung Limited. Retrieved May 19, 2016. 
• French, Sue (March 2001). "What a Crab!". Sky & Telescope. 101 (3): 93. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• Harkness, Deborah E. (1999). John Dee's Conversations with Angels: Cabala, Alchemy, and the End of Nature. Cambridge University Press. p. 70. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• Lilly, William (1835). An introduction to astrology, rules for the practice of horary astrology [an abstract of Christian astrology]: to which are added, numerous emendations, by Zadkiel. Oxford University. pp. 14, 60. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• Ridpath, Ian (n.d.). "Charting the Chinese Sky". Ian Ridpath. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 
• Shoemaker, Mrs. Mabel (McGeorge) (1904). Astrology. Penn Publishing Company. p. 27. Retrieved October 28, 2014. 
• Smith, Robert Cross (1828). A manual of astrology, by Raphael. Oxford University. p. 64. Retrieved October 28, 2014. 

External links

• The dictionary definition of Cancer at Wiktionary
• Media related to Cancer at Wikimedia Commons
• Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (over 300 medieval and early modern images of Cancer)