Keywords & Cancer in a Nutshell (including a bit of technical stuff)
Cancer is the sign that kicks off the summer, aligning with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The first day of Cancer season, the Summer Solstice, is celebrated by contemporary witches and pagans, some of whom visit Stonehenge and attempt to recreate what little we know about ancient pagan rituals (i.e.: of the ancient Celts and Druids) at this world-renowned stone circle. Since it begins a season, like Aries, Cancer is a cardinal sign. Cancer is also the first water sign of the zodiac. (Unless you’re an oddball like me who launched this entire series with the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces, which is also a water sign). What can I say, the alpha and the omega/the beginning and the end? 🙂
Since it is a water sign, Cancer is associated with the emotions, the body, and it is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is one of the most intimate placements in anyone’s birth chart, second only to the rising sign (also known as the helm and the first house).The Moon changes signs every 2-2.5 days and it is associated with cyclical change; constantly moving, ebbing and flowing like the tides it governs. Because she is in a constant state of flux, the Moon symbolizes the impermanence of life (of the physical world). Bearing this in mind, Cancer, as the Moon-ruled sign of the zodiac, tends to be extremely sensitive and empathic. The negative expression of this hyper-sensitivity is that Cancer folks can at times be rather moody (sometimes for no apparent reason). Cancers also can suffer from sudden and extreme mood swings which tends to be rather jarring for friends and family members who may not understand that their emotions are in constant motion. Remember, what are emotions but e-motions/feelings in motion. 🙂
In traditional Hellenistic astrology there was a teaching device called the Thema Mundi, which was essentially the birth chart of the world. Without getting too into the weeds, the details of the chart are actually impossible, but they serve a didactic purpose. In this chart, Cancer and the Moon are placed in the 1st house (on the ascendant/rising sign), meaning the identity of the world/earth as we know it is Cancerian. In some ancient traditions like Hermeticism initiates supposedly were taught that mortal souls entered the earth and their bodies through a sort of cosmic portal or gate in the Cancer constellation (see this fantastic article by April DeConick, a prominent scholar of Gnosticism, a similar esoteric philosophy to Hermeticism, all about this!). So, in a manner of speaking, Cancer (like Pisces) could be described as the cosmic womb. (As you can see, Pisces and Cancer have a LOT in common. Another connection is that both signs are associated with the Moon card (major arcana #18) in the tarot! The “traditional” card, from the Rider Waite Smith deck, even has a crustacean on it. While the card’s crustacean looks more like a lobster, it is closely related to the Cancerian crab). 🙂
Were you born during Cancer season (June 20th – July 22nd)? If not, do you have other prominent Cancer placements, besides the Sun, in your chart? Take a look at your Moon, Ascendant/Rising Sign, and Ascendant Ruler (the planet ruling your rising sign). For instance, if you were born with Cancer rising, this sign falls under the Moon’s domain. Perhaps the Moon in your birth chart is in its home sign of Cancer. (This is a real life example, inspired by my younger sister who has a Cancer Moon and a Cancer Rising Sign…A lot of crab energy!). 🙂 In any case, see if this archetype really speaks to you!
Don’t know which planets rule which signs? Check out this chart (also captured below) which enumerates planetary rulerships, both ancient and modern:
Positive attributes:
- Empathic AND Empathetic (NOTE: At the risk of overgeneralizing, Cancerian folks tend to make great listeners and would be fantastic therapists).
- Nurturing
- Tender
Negative attributes (the shadow side of Cancer…!):
- Defensive
- Manipulative
- Moody
For more keywords, see here.
6 Renowned Cancer Writers (Fiction)
- Octavia Butler (born June 22, 1947, died in 2006)
- Charlotte Perkins Gilman (born July 3, 1860, died in 1935)
- Ernest Hemingway (born on July 21, 1899, died in 1961)
- Cormac McCarthy (born July 20, 1933, died in 2023)
- George Orwell (born June 25, 1903, died in 1950)
- V.E. Schwab (born July 7, 1987)
For more Cancer writers, both fiction and nonfiction, check out this list.
6 Fiction Recommendations
| TITLE | AUTHOR | Call No./# of Minerva copies | Why is this a Cancer read? |
| Family, Family (2024)
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Frankel, Laurie | FRA | A novel by a BIPOC author all about family and domestic drama, perfect for Cancer season. What I love about it is that this maternal figure isn’t the perfect mom. I think it’s important to push back against impossible ideals and this book (alongside numerous others) addresses motherhood from less stereotypical perspectives.
For more books about mothers and motherhood, from a variety of angles, check out my 2023 Mother’s Day blog post! |
| The House in the Cerulean Sea (Bk. 1) (2020)
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Klune, T.J. | KLU Bk. 1 | This LGBTQ+-authored book with an endearing LGBTQ+ protagonist is a delightful cozy fantasy book all about found family. Family is a very Cancerian theme, and this novel queers the concept of family in delightful heartwarming ways. 🙂
If you loved this book as much as I did you may enjoy the recently published (2024) sequel: Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Bk. 2).
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| Lily and the Octopus (2016)
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Rowley, Steven | ROW | A fantastic book by an LGBTQ+ author who was born in Maine.
All about human-animal relationships and the profound emotional bonds between us and our pets. This book has ALL THE FEELS, which is perfect for watery, emotional Cancer season. |
| Mastering the Art of French Murder (Bk. 1) (2023)
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Cambridge, Colleen | MYS CAM Bk. 1 | A historical cozy mystery series starring none other than Julia Child, a.k.a. “The French Chef.” 🙂Much to my surprise she has very little Cancer energy in her birth chart!
Whimsy, culinary delights, and Julia Child in Paris…and murder, of course. Really, what more to ask for during Cancer season? Considering that Cancers tend to nourish themselves and each other with elaborate and decadent meals, why not indulge in this sinfully decadent novel? |
| Nightbitch (2021)
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Yoder, Rachel | YOD | This satirical novel recently adapted into a movie starring Amy Adams as the (anti)heroine, probes the psyche of a young stay-at-home mother who succumbs to rage and becomes convinced she is turning into a wild dog.
Once again, I think of the Moon card from the tarot and its canine imagery: it shows a tame dog and a wolf, both howling under the glow of the moon. This novel seems to capture the tensions between our veneer of civilized humanity and our raw bestial nature (hidden carefully behind our everyday masks or personas). How apt for Cancer season!
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| The Road (2006)
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McCarthy, Cormac (a Cancer author, born July 20, 1933, died in 2023) | McCAR | This Pulitzer Prize-winning book (by a Cancer) is about a father-son bond in a post-apocalyptic world. This is just to illustrate that while in traditional/Hellenistic astrology, which was highly gendered/reinforcing of rigid gender binaries, Cancer was associated with the mother, anyone can be a maternal figure (nurturing), including fathers. 🙂
If you’ve already read this, you may enjoy this recent (2024) graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy’s 2006 literary masterpiece by French cartoonist, Manu Larcenet.
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6 Renowned Cancer Writers (Nonfiction & Poetry)
- Anthony Bourdain (born June 25, 1956, died in 2018)
- June Jordan (born July 9, 1936, died in 2002)
- Helen Keller (born June 27, 1880, died in 1968)
- Carmen Maria Machado (born July 3, 1986)
- Oliver Sacks (born July 9, 1933, died in 2015)
- Henry David Thoreau (born July 12, 1817, died in 1862)
For more Cancer writers, both fiction and nonfiction, check out this list.
6 Nonfiction Recommendations (including Poetry)
| TITLE | AUTHOR | Call No./# of Minerva copies | Why is this a Cancer read? |
| Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution (2023)
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Bohannon, Cat, Ph.D.
(Check out this fabulous book talk with her on Youtube courtesy of the Chicago Public Library) |
613.0424 BOH | Cancer is a very maternal sign and it also is very embodied. So, a book about the female body and human evolution is almost too perfect of a read for this season.
For a similar (but much older read) check out the late Bryan Sykes’ 2001 The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry.
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| Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story: Remaking Life from Scratch (2021)
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French, Erin | 92 FRE | Cancer folks love to nurture themselves and others with food. So, a chef’s memoir is a fantastic read for this time of year.
While Erin French’s birthday is not publicly known, she may or may not be a Cancer, she is from Maine! Check out her restaurant, The Lost Kitchen, in Freedom, Maine. 🙂 |
| Frida & Diego: Art, Love, Life (2014)
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Reef, Catherine | 4 Minerva copies | This book is all about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, two famous Surrealist Mexican painters (and lovers with a tempestuous relationship), who shared prominent Cancer placements.
Frida Kahlo (she was born on July 6, 1907 with her Sun in Cancer ruling her ascendant in Leo and her entire birth chart by extension! She also died in Cancer season on July 13, 1954). See her birth chart here. Diego Rivera (he was either born on December 8, 1886 or December 13, 1886, the latter based on a baptismal record. Either way he was Cancer rising, and possibly had a Cancer moon, too!) See here for his two possible birth charts! All that astro. rambling to say, both of them had a lot of Cancer going on in their charts and in their lives. 🙂 Check out this 2002 biopic, a fantastic film starring Salma Hayek as Frida.
Finally, for THE authoritative biography of Frida by art historian, Hayden Herrera (albeit somewhat dated © 1983), check this out!
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| Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are (2024)
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Boyle, Rebecca | 523.3 BOY | A book all about our Moon (the “planet” – well luminary – ruling the sign of Cancer). This book is simply PERFECT for Cancer season.
Whoever designed the book cover over at Penguin Random House, the publisher, must have done their homework, as it fairly closely resembles/references the Moon card (major arcana #18) from the 1909 Rider Waite Smith tarot deck. (See below):
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| Robin (2018)
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Itzkoff, Dave | 92 WIL | A fantastic biography of the late Robin Williams. Not only was Robin a Cancer, but all three of his big three placements were in water signs: Cancer Sun, Pisces Moon, and Scorpio Rising (see his birth chart).This indicates just how intense his emotions were, all of which he channeled through his unique sense of humor and his comedy.
Check out this profoundly moving video of Robin communicating via sign language with Koko the gorilla (who was, herself, apparently also a Cancer!)
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| The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness (2015)
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Montgomery, Sy | 594.56 MON | Like Pisces, Cancer is associated with the ocean, especially the animals that live there like the octopus: a rather alien creature.
Octopi are known to be extremely intelligent and this author, Sy Montgomery, offers a window into their equally rich emotional lives. If you REALLY want to cry, I would highly recommend pairing this book with the award-winning Netflix 2020 documentary, My Octopus Teacher, by South African filmmaker and founder of the Sea Change Project, Craig Foster.
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Genre-Specific
During Cancer season, read anything that is nourishing for your soul (and your body) and anything that will appeal to your emotions. Here are a few genre-specific suggestions:
- Books about ancestry…especially about the motherline or matrilineage!
- Books about food and cooking (i.e.: cookbooks of any type, but since Cancer season falls during the summer, summer-y cookbooks would be especially apt).
- Cozy Mysteries (often food related – light and nourishing for the soul & foodies…Like I said, the way to a Cancer’s heart is through food. This is something Cancer has in common with earthy Taurus). 🙂
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- Another trait shared with Taurus: home decorating/interior design appeals to Cancers.
- Self-help books, especially around popular psychology…To my mind, books about healing the wounded inner child are especially Cancerian.
- Stories about family/domestic fiction (including found family, but especially more traditional family units.) Also, check out this fantastic list of 8 novels that explore complex family dynamics.
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- The dark side of stories about family and romantic relationships is domestic abuse (trigger warnings abound here!). For example, check out Carmen Maria Machado’s – herself a Cancer – memoir about an abusive former partner.
- Tearjerkers of all genres are a big hit during Cancer season, especially moving stories about animals.
