Tammuz - Cancer (June 22 - July 22)
Sign: Crab - Cancer Feels Mode: Cardinal Water, Feminine Planet: Moon Energetics: Cold/Damp
Body Correspondences
- Breasts
- Stomach
- Mucosal Membranes
Understanding the Crab
The Crab symbolizes home - emerging from the waters and living on the edge of the ocean and land, the in-between zone. Cancer needs both protection and security (the shell) and also needs to shed outgrown structures to find new spaces to grow and flourish.
At home in both water and land, physical and spiritual worlds, Cancer seeks to balance these two forces in life. The quest is to embody the spiritual and integrate it physically.
Herbs for Tammuz
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) - Vision and dreaming herb, a spiritual ally. Opens the doors to intuition and the dream world that Cancer naturally inhabits.
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) - Nourishes and moistens mucosal membranes, enables other herbs to harmonize, fusing properties into a cohesive whole. Like Cancer, it brings things together.
Frankincense (Levonyah) - Represents potentiality, unity in diversity. Sacred and protective.
Acorus Calamus - Grows in water and aids endurance and mental clarity. Perfect for a water sign that needs grounding.
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) - Acts as an astringent on tissues that need extra boundaries and tone. Helps when Cancer's waters become too diffuse.
Keywords for Cancer
- Sovereignty
- Balance
- Visionary Warrior
- Boundaries
The Deeper Teaching
Cancer's cardinal water initiates emotional understanding. The challenge is maintaining healthy boundaries (the crab's shell) while remaining open to the flow of feeling and intuition.
The stomach, ruled by Cancer, is our emotional center - where we literally "digest" our experiences. When we can't process our emotions, it often shows up as digestive disturbance.
The breasts represent nourishment and the Moon's nurturing quality. Cancer reminds us that to care for others, we must first nourish ourselves.