Moon in Cancer

If our Moon is in Cancer, coming to terms with our lunar needs is particularly important, since Cancer is the sign of the Moon. Our basic well-being is therefore dependent upon our connection to our lunar source. If we were either deprived or over-indulged as children, we may have become excessively attached to food, home or nurturing figures who cared for and comforted us. When we are in touch with our needs and feelings, we may be inclined to: a) eat or seek oral gratification; b) expect others to cater to us; c) cry incessantly, either in self-pity or in an attempt to compel other people to be more responsive to us; d) cling to people or possessions; e) withdraw into a private world. An alternative pattern is to seek vicarious satisfaction through compulsively nurturing others. It may be easy for us to become helpless little girls or boys or even Big Mommies or Big Daddies, but difficult to experience full satisfaction or to respond to others in ways which do not infantilize them but instead respect their integrity and individuality. If we have squares or oppositions to our Moon, we may have erected powerful defenses against our needs both to nurture and to be nurtured, and may as a result experience psychological or physical (often related to the stomach, uterus or breasts) problems which require us to learn to care for ourselves more fully.

Our Cancerian Moon suggests that one or both of our parental figures may have been maternal, protective and empathic, capable of internally perceiving our needs and satisfying them. However, if our Moon is afflicted, our lunar parents may have unconsciously been influenced by their own unmet needs and encouraged us to remain helpless and dependent upon them for gratification. Such parents are frequently martyrs, doing for us what we needed to do for ourselves, or paying excessive attention to their own emotions and physical ills in an attempt to gain from us the sympathy and consideration which we ourselves may have needed to experience.

As a result, we may have learned to give ourselves internal messages which lead us to feel sorry for ourselves, to indulge our pain, to expect too much from others, or to become overly attached to food, home, loved ones or other external forms of security and gratification. One of our most important tasks may be that of fully mourning the symbiosis our inner child never had or inevitably had to relinquish as part of maturation. We may have to experience the depth of our needs to nurture and be nurtured, and as adults to establish patterns of behavior and interaction which fulfill those needs without catering to them. Our lunar lessons may also include: a) contacting and communicating our real needs and feelings; b) building an inner foundation of security; c) overcoming behaviors based on helplessness or which use helplessness and neediness as weapons; d) learning to support the adult as well as the child in other people, and to love without possessing; e) devoting ourselves to self-nourishment rather than giving undue attention to giving and receiving in relationships.

Moon in Cancer: You may have an impulsive tendency to trample on or ignore the feelings of others when you habitually seek to fill your emotional needs first. If you indulge in the Cancerian world of self-centered emotion, it may be difficult to see beyond your own needs to the solutions offered by others for emotional balance. Wanting others to pay attention to you can lead to feeling crushed if you are rebuffed. This can result in a negative self-image, of feeling unable to create positive and nourishing emotional situations in your life.

When you take responsibility for creating the emotional closeness you need, you may notice that the methods you have been using do not work. The truth is that others cannot provide your fulfillment because you already have a surplus of emotional fullness. Your lesson is to empty your own cup first so that it can be refilled. You can do this by discovering the other people who exist in your universe.

After first choosing to sacrifice your emotional demands, you can fill the cups of others by discerning their needs for self-confidence and by encouraging them to assert their feelings. When you give your attention to others and fill their needs for personal closeness and empathy, you find yourself experiencing the tender intimacy and security you want.

You have a basic insecurity and fear of needing to be taken care of by others. You fear needing someone else's sympathy to survive. There are active subconscious fears of sustaining a physical injury or handicap that might prevent you from being able to take care of yourself; or you fear becoming too old to take care of yourself of having to rely on family members to do things for you.

Such fears lend urgency to your need for an emotional 'parent' figure to rely on for protection and care. Thus, family is extremely important in this incarnation and is subconsciously related to basic survival. This insecurity results in unhealthy patterns of manipulation through dependencies, clinging, and controlling family members by being overprotective.

The lesson here is to enjoy the nourishment of intimacy and empathy without accompanying debilitating bondage. To do this you must learn to rely on authority within yourself. Tendencies to cling need to be redirected to 'clinging' to goals and ideals that are larger than your personal life. Then the sense of dependency will shift to depending on yourself to hold true to your goals and ideals.

Since you are learning that there is a 'higher authority' you can rely on to take care of your needs, you are able to release family members from these debilitating dependencies. In this way you open yourself to experiencing true intimacy and loving closeness because the clinging attachment has been replaced by an atmosphere of freedom, support, and confidence in your family member's ability to achieve great heights and to take care of him- / herself.

Moon in Cancer: The Moon in Cancer takes himself seriously, feels he is 'destined' to fulfill a certain role, and is loyal to family tradition, or at least to family members. He may battle them himself, but will brook no interference from outsiders. He must think of how outsiders feel, think, react.

There is 'unconscious' selfishness evident. The native appears to feel that others are too sensitive to accept favors or show appreciation. The astrologer should attempt to make him see the situation as it exists and to see persons in light of their everyday problems. The Moon here depicts one who seems, somehow, to believe that others truly understand what he means by some kind of osmosis. The native should be taught greater respect for hard, cold facts, including the economic ones. He needs to be taught to have greater interest in what others think, feel, need, hope, dream and aspire to accomplish.

The native reacts inwardly; he takes a kind of fierce pleasure in brooding, pondering the 'toughness' of the world in general and his associates and friends in particular. His family and security mean much - but he often appears to do everything in his power to endanger his chances of success. He is a puzzle, but an interesting one - he wants to know himself and the world. He is creative, sensitive, strong in the belief that he is 'special'; but he seems fated to wander in many directions. He wants comfort in his home but tends to complain if things go too smoothly.

The native, a bit like the Sun in Leo, needs an audience, wants to impress others and requires recognition, but is suspicious of the source once it is received. He can do more to harm himself than any enemy would dream of doing.

His need for a creative outlet is evident: he would make a good writer, painter, one who deals in an unusual manner with liquid, food and the thoughts of others. He can be found in news, advertising and public relations, and in affairs connected with security, marriage and real estate.

He is a complicated individual, although he will deny it, insisting that he is simple and easy to get along with if only others would understand him. The astrologer's job is to make the native play his part in the role of understanding - including family, finances, and members of the opposite sex who want to receive as well as give a feeling of well-being. The Moon in Cancer is sociable, emotional, changeable, and sensitive to the point of being psychic.

Moon in Cancer: The Moon rules the sign of Cancer, and this emphasizes your experience of deep emotional intensity. One likelihood is that as childhood conditioning influenced the development of your later adult personality and behavior, you will have stronger connections to parents and your current domestic or family life than do people with other Moon placements.

Your foundations exist in emotional depths, so you have a great need for security and stability within anything that evokes emotions and feelings. Relationships need to be reliable, trustworthy, and relatively predictable, in actuality as well as in appearance, because you possess a degree of psychism that operates on feeling levels; if a partner is unhappy and discontented, even if this is not openly communicated, you will feel it through the subtler senses. Excessive absorption of others' moods and feelings, both positive and negative, will influence your behavior and state of well-being. This will probably register through the stomach / solar plexus / heart area of the body, and you may be advised to psychically protect yourself from all external and unwanted influences.

As most of your life is conditioned by deep feeling responses and childhood behavioral patterns, you will benefit from a greater understanding of them. Look especially toward your mother's influence on the formation of your values, attitudes, and beliefs. Review existing memories related to emotional suffering - those about which you may still brood - and look at any unresolved emotional wounds; note how you often overreact to others' personal comments, how you tend to imagine 'what they think / feel' about you; and explore the fluctuations in how you relate to people. Observe how you evaluate others and experiences through emotions and intuitions; realize how your attitudes, beliefs, and values are connected to emotional biases; see the emotional power shaping your major decisions, and how your reactions are generated by emotions.

You may experience emotional instability, ranging from denying needs to emotional possessiveness, dependency, and suffocation of intimate partners and family. Accepting the needs of Moon in Cancer is vital, as they will persist through your life. Only an understanding of how they operate within you will diminish the compulsive unconscious nature of much of their activity. With greater clarity, you should perceive these patterns activated within you, then choose how to respond more consciously, instead of simply allowing the dominance of automatic reactions.

You need to love and be loved, to experience a deep contact between yourself and partner or family. Allowing this will strengthen your sense of security. Excessive dependency should not be indulged, because these traits will make you too vulnerable to others' inconsistent behavior and liable to emotional manipulation. Your tendency to retreat into an inner shell should be modified, so that it does not prevent expanding your social activities or releasing person al potential beyond a restricted familiar environment. You need greater self-confidence to move beyond challenging situations and make new progress, instead of remaining within repetitive habitual circles.

Moon in Cancer: You are highly emotional and very sensitive. From day to day, your emotional state fluctuates noticeably, and you might discover that the Moon's changing phases affect you significantly. Unless many of your planets are in air and / or earth signs, you may 'wear your heart on your sleeve'.

Inclined to let your heart rule your head, you can have trouble making rational, detached decisions. Actually, your intuition is quite keen and you'd be wise to trust it. You have the ability to tune in to what other people are feeling, and are quite psychic.

Security is of primary importance to you, but often you feel your life has no inherent stability. Thus, you may attempt to find security in external things: family, country, money, your home, traditions. Your family provides a sense of belonging, as does your country on a larger scale. Your home offers protection from the dangers of the outside world. Because you fear being dependent, you can be overly concerned with having money, and believe wealth will bring you the security you desire. Or, you may look to your partner to take care of you.

At the centre of your universe is your family; and your children are your pride and joy. Naturally maternal and nurturing, you adore all children, not only your own, and are a strong supporter of the traditional, nuclear family.

The emotional attachments you form are strong and binding. You cling tightly to other people and it is almost impossible for you to separate your own needs from theirs. This is especially true in the case of your partner and / or children. This Moon position symbolizes the archetypal mother, but your tendency is to be a 'smother' to those you love. You are willing to devote yourself entirely to your loved ones, but your love is not unconditional. You never want your children to grow up. With partners, you can be every bit as possessive and jealous as someone who has Moon in Scorpio. Even friends and employees are seen as part of your extended family, and you expect their complete loyalty and dedication.

Because you feel vulnerable and defenseless, you sometimes imagine threats to your security that are not real. A difference of opinion or lifestyle can seem downright dangerous to you. For this reason, you find it hard to tolerate individuality and diversity - in your family, workplace, city or country - and tend to view others as being either with you or against you.

Both the Moon and Cancer are associated with the mother, and your mother is very important to you. Regardless of your age, it is unlikely that you've severed the umbilical cord. Your tie to her can be either positive or negative; even if you were orphaned at an early age, the loss of your mother is a significant, underlying dynamic in your life. If you live near your mother, you probably see her frequently; if career or other demands take you far from home, you undoubtedly miss her greatly.

Your own role as a parent is very important to you, and you are protective, nurturing and devoted to your children. However, you may have trouble seeing your children as individuals, and need to guard against thinking of them as extensions of yourself. You also worry too much about your children and can be overly protective of them.

Providing nourishment to others is one of your fortés; you are probably a good cook, or at least enjoy cooking. The 'Jewish Mother' cliché certainly describes you, and you demonstrate your love for family and friends by feeding them. You enjoy having family and friends over for dinner, and no-one goes away from your home hungry. You also like to eat and appreciate fine food. However, you must guard against a tendency to use food as a substitute for emotional nourishment, and try not to overeat when what you really want is love and attention.

Going out on the town doesn't appeal to you much; you'd rather stay home with your family or partner, and prefer that others comes to visit you. You especially like to celebrate holidays in your home. Your home is important to you, and you want to own the nicest one possible. Your home serves many functions for you: security, status, stability; a place where those you love can gather. Because permanence and family traditions are important to you, you'd probably like to continue living in or near your childhood home even as an adult, if possible.

Moon in Cancer: Maternal, sympathetic, but sometimes patronizing, you naively trust your feelings, but you are apprehensive in matters outside your control.

Your sense impressions are very accurate, but you do not often act upon them. Your mind is meditative and your reactions are slow and uncertain. Sensitive to outside influences, you pick up negative vibrations from others; this can make you moody and unhappy if these feelings spill over into your personal relationships. You hide your true feelings and strong emotions under a hard shell.

You have a great deal of placid affection and passivity that results in a special love for home and family; this is your primary attachment. You are inclined to gentle, peaceful, romantic love rather than grand passion. This position of the Moon promises a very deep and strong bond with the mother. If the umbilical cord is not severed in time, relationships may be problematic.

You are very intuitive and overly sensitive to outside influences; you sense conditions, both consciously and unconsciously, and are often psychic. You are easily imposed upon, and when this happens you feel a deep resentment. You love your home, and you always need a home base to retreat to; yet you often travel and make changes in your life. Your domestic, nurturing nature likes to take care of others, and you are very understanding of their feelings.

The Moon in Cancer is thrifty, economical and careful with property and money. You don't like to see these misused or wasted. Artistic, creative and dramatic, you have a natural flair for music, poetry and dancing. Your love of home and family can also express itself in true patriotism.

In a man's chart, this placement of the Moon can be a bit too emotionally sensitive. In looking for a partner, he is attracted to a woman who is more mother than mate. A woman with the Moon in Cancer is easily hurt and tends to dominate the home situation.

Moon in Cancer: The Moon is the planet which rules Cancer; therefore it is quite at home here. The Moon rules the inner person, therefore like those who have the Sun in Cancer, your reactions to people and places are very strong, and this will automatically be taken into account in any decisions which you make. Your feelings are very sensitive, which means that you link in very quickly to other people's feelings to the point where you can feel whether they are unhappy or in pain. You can sense a 'funny' atmosphere as soon as you walk into a room. Unless there are very conflicting forces on your chart, you should have the usual Cancerian ability to listen sympathetically. In business, you would have an instinctive feel about a deal which was about to go wrong - or go right!

The negative side of this coin is over-sensitivity. Like the other feminine water signs of Pisces and Scorpio, you can take things too personally, brood, sulk and shut yourself off from others. They say that Cancerians' moods change with each tide, but this is an exaggeration. Women with the Moon in any of the water signs will be very susceptible to period problems and hormone-related mood swings. The very worst aspect of this placement is that you may indulge in emotional blackmail by shutting off from others and sending out disapproving vibes. On a very bad day, you might be beset by feelings of paranoia or the kind of envy which would make you behave in a thoroughly resentful manner. You can also be over-critical and fault-finding on occasions. This kind of behavior is rare because you are much too kind and thoughtful a person, far too receptive to the needs of others to be this unpleasant for long.

You have the ability to adjust yourself to your surroundings and fit in fairly well with other people (water signs find their own level). You may complain about the situation you find yourself in, but you will make the best of it and will often find a way of changing and manipulating the circumstances to suit yourself. Remember Cancer is a cardinal sign and the Moon represents one's instincts. Your instinctive reaction is to put things right and create a better atmosphere. Some people are starters and others are runners; the ability to initiate projects and / or to see them through would depend upon a variety of factors in your birth chart, but your instinctive reaction is to set things in motion and then encourage others (or find someone else) to see them through. If you are really stuck for an answer to your problems, you can always look a bit pathetic in the hope that someone will take pity on you and help you solve them.

You are considerate towards others, especially your family, whom it would be almost impossible for you to desert - you would only do so under extreme duress. I think that you would try several times to put things right before giving up on them. You have patience with children and young people, and are probably very fond of animals. You are not entirely selfless; it is only when you are settled and satisfied that you can relax and give sustenance to others. Your greatest requirements are for emotional security, for example through a partner you can rely upon, harmony in the home, and friends who help build up your confidence. Lack of confidence in your own abilities and feelings of relative worthlessness are your worst enemy, and it's these that can make you feel jealous and resentful towards others, often quite without justification.

You like children and enjoy having them around you, and are not only good to your own children but kind to other people's as well. However, you greatly resent having other people's children being dumped on you. Your gentle inner nature responds to the vulnerability and honesty of children. You may remain a bit too close to your own children after they have grown up, or you may want them to be independent but find that you can't get rid of them! Alternatively, your own mother may continue to smother you long after you have grown up! It may be quite difficult for you to forget your own childhood as you have a slight tendency to live in the past.

You react to any difficult situation by worrying. You genuinely worry about your family; also money, health, the state of the nation and the imminence of nuclear war. There is a tendency for you to attract parasitical people who hang themselves on to you and make demands upon you. This is most evident among those of you who have your Sun or Ascendant in a steady Earth sign or an enthusiastic Fire sign. Fortunately for you, you are astute enough to be able to spot these types coming and to off-load them far more easily than, for instance, a soft-hearted Moon in Pisces person could. When you care for someone you are very good to him / her if he / she is ill; being kind and sympathetic, you can become worked up on his / her behalf if you think that he / she is being hurt by someone else. Unfortunately, unless there is a lot of strength elsewhere on the chart, you won't actually do anything practical to help.

You might be sensual but you are not greedy. You don't have a large appetite for food; you prefer small amounts that are very well cooked and presented. Your sensitive stomach may reject spicy foods. (One Moon in Cancer friend tells me that he cannot eat raw onions.) You probably enjoy good wines, but there is no evidence of this Moon placement leading to overindulgence. You could be a good cook yourself, but this will depend upon other factors in your birth chart, and also upon your lifestyle. You hate scenes and rows, and are easily upset by harsh, discordant noises. You can put up with any amount of chaos around you at work, but you need peace and harmony in the home. You may have the Cancerian trait of collecting things, ranging from valuable antiques to junk. You don't like losing anything - or anyone.

Your senses are all strong, especially that of hearing - you really hate discordant noises. The senses of smell, touch and taste are well-developed, and you could be long-sighted. Sexually, you absolutely come into your own. The whole concept of an experience which involves all the senses plus love and affection is just too much for you to miss. Being basically kind and thoughtful, you should be a considerate - even a practiced lover. The fact that you are the faithful type possibly mitigates against much variety in sexual experiences. Two of my friends who happen to be married to Moon in Cancer subjects tell me that their partners are good lovers.

You enjoy the company of new people and visiting new places, but also you have an attachment to old ones. You enjoy gossiping almost as much as your Gemini cousins do. You have a habit of observing the behavior of others as a form of self-protection. Being emotionally cautious, you are slow to fall in love and open yourself to the prospect of hurt and rejection. Others may fall in love with you because you have an immediate understanding of their problems. You seem to know others psychically. If the one who falls for your sympathetic attitude expects you to go on and solve his / her problems, he / she may be disappointed. This rather depends on your Sun and rising signs.

Being cautious, you may react in a slightly hostile manner towards new people. if you have something very outgoing, such as Sagittarius, on your Ascendant, there will be an open, confident attitude; however, the caution will still be there hidden away underneath. You are basically honest both with your money and in most other senses; you can be trusted in any kind of confidential situation and with any information. However, one less pleasant attribute is that you can occasionally display a touch of smarminess, flattering those whom you wish to get around or out of whom you wish to make capital. This is a successful ploy in most cases, but it won't wash when dealing with people who are particularly perceptive.

You can be slightly mean in small matters. This peculiarity also applies to the Moon in Pisces and Scorpio. My friend Linda tells me that she gets annoyed when her children waste toothpaste and she saves the last bits of used bars of soap, jamming them together so that they can be completely finished off! Both solar and lunar Cancerians find it hard to get rid of anything. Once in a while you decide to turn out the cupboards only to put almost everything back again. There is too much sentiment attached to your junk for you to be able to throw it out. You need a base to operate from; therefore, not only your home but also your office are important to you, and you don't want these to be disturbed or 'cleaned-up' too much. Unless there is a strong dose of Libra or Virgo on your birth chart, you are not over-fussy about the appearance of your home; you could make a home anywhere.

Your likes and dislikes are strong. You also have courage in odd places where others lack it. For instance, you are adept at asking questions, probing, finding out what makes people tick and keeping up-to-date with the local gossip. You are not above giving a gentle form of 'third degree'.

Lunar Cancerians have a long memory; therefore, you can hold a grudge if you are hurt, but you also remember those who have helped you. Being rather sentimental, you like to remember birthdays and anniversaries and you feel peeved if yours are forgotten. Your intuition is very strong, and this may just be a helpful tool in everyday life, or you can actually be drawn towards psychic work of some kind. Quite a few lunar Cancerians have paranormal or psychic hobbies. Because you can be trusted with secrets, you could work as a psychic consultant of some kind where you have to listen to people's confidences. You like the countryside and really love the sea. If a Cancerian Moon is very prominent in your birth chart, you could choose a job on or near the sea. Another of your interests is the past. You may study history or collect things which have been around for a long time such as antiquities.

In relationships, you play the part of parent and may take an over-responsible attitude to others and try to organize them too much or dictate to them too much, or play the child hoping to be forgiven for bad behavior just one more time. This too many jump back one generation, and you may be on the receiving end of this behavior rather than dishing it out yourself. It is natural for you to worry about those about whom you care. If backed up by other planetary factors, you could be a blamer and complainer in a relationship - this would be especially true if there was a strong Pisces factor somewhere on your chart. Unless there are other factors on the chart, such as an emphasis on the sign of Libra, you will be a hard and conscientious worker. Your inner nature leads you towards the kind of job where you can be helpful. Many lunar Cancerians work in hospitals, in schools and with the elderly; others are attracted to the world of business. Some of you are drawn towards the field of antiques, rare coins, stately homes or genealogy. Insurance may attract you because of its 'protective' image. Many of you retrain later in life if your original career ceases to be viable of if you find that you lack certain qualifications which would help you to get up the career ladder. Many solar and lunar Cancerians run small businesses, shops and small agencies. Being good with your hands, you could work as a plumber, carpenter etc.. Lunar Cancerians make excellent teachers too.

You will not stand in the way of a partner who wants a career; in most cases, you are only too willing to see him / her get on, and you will help if you can. Your sensitivity means that you could make a good salesperson or business executive, personnel manager or counselor. Politics may appeal, as could accountancy. Most of you have a theatrical side to your nature, and might be drawn to the world of entertainment or sports. The drawback to this is the irregularity of work and the general uncertainty of this field. Being a worrier, you would probably be happier in a secure job while singing and dancing during your time off. You would be a good partner for a very go-ahead person, but you haven't really got the stomach for high-risk or slightly criminal ventures.

The Moon in this position suggests that your mother gave birth to you easily. Your parents' home will have been comfortable, and the relationships there will have been pleasant. The chances are that you are the eldest in your family (although this is much more likely if the Ascendant were in Cancer). The background and history of your family is important to you, and you may try to trace your family tree. The family may travel a bit, taking you with it, but there is no evidence that you moved home a lot. Mother may have been traditional and ordinary, but possibly over-protective towards you.

This Moon position suggests strong health with good recovery from illness and operations. The weak areas associated with the Moon in Cancer would be chest, breasts and stomach, but the Moon is not the most obvious indicator of health in a chart.

You are very much in tune with your body; therefore, you would feel pain almost before something began to go wrong! Unless the Moon is very afflicted and there are other very important factors on the birth chart, there is no reason to suppose that you are any more susceptible to the dreaded disease of cancer itself than any other sign.

Moon in Cancer: The Moon is always the third most important factor of a birth chart; but because it rules Cancer, its influence is considerably increased when placed in this sign. The well-known natural defensive system, which is such a prominent characteristic of those with a Cancerian Sun sign, will be equally - if not more powerfully - present. Defensiveness will be the immediate reaction, not only when the individual is challenged, but also in less threatening situations.

The emotional and intuitive levels are second-to-none, and those with this placing should learn to trust in and rely on them - their instincts will not let them down. However, it is important that you look for other practical, down-to-earth indications in the chart, so that these marvelous facilities can be controlled and not allowed to dominate in a negative way.

The Sun or Mercury in an Earth sign, for instance, or perhaps a trine aspect to Saturn from the Moon itself, would be or enormous help. Such a stabilizing influence is necessary because, in addition to a powerful intuition, there is plenty of imagination that, triggered in a negative way, can be expressed through worry.

When worried, the individual will tend to think that the very worst has happened. He or she may not necessarily have a depressive outlook, but apprehension over loved ones can cause these powerful responses to build up out of control. For instance, if a child is unexpectedly late home from school, the subject will soon imagine that there has been a serious accident. Nevertheless, both sexes tend to make excellent and loving parents.

From a physical point-of-view, the digestive system will be upset by worry, and it is frequently the case that those with this placing have very sensitive skins, whatever their ethnic coloring. Caucasians will quickly turn beet-red in the sun, while the other races will find it difficult to get rid of even quite minor scar tissue. Protection from the sun, and additional care over cuts, insect bites and so on, is absolutely essential.

The past is a frequent subject for reflection and nostalgia; and the subject's childhood background may be allowed to dominate his / her outlook on life. Coming to terms with the attitude and treatment received from parents, whether that was beneficial or difficult, may take longer than for other Moon sign placements.

The family instincts are very powerful indeed, and these people often have to face problems when their children have grown up and want to leave home. Such an occurrence runs contrary to much that is of instinctive and genetic importance to them. At such times, they will have to call upon other, more forward-looking, areas of their charts to help them through any period of emotional and physical readjustment that is needed.

The Cancerian tendency to hoard is another strong instinct for the subject with this placing. As a result, clearing out the resulting clutter can be a chore that is avoided at all costs, perhaps because hoarding such items adds to the individual's much-needed sense of security.

There may be quick changes of mood, which can frequently be disconcerting for loved ones to witness. Women with this placing may suffer in an above-average way from premenstrual tension, but should try hard not to let it dominate their lives.

The face is usually round, with a quite literal moon-like shape and glow to it. When the Moon is placed in Cancer, no matter what its house, it can influence the individual's facial expression: a tiny frown-line may appear between the eyebrows.

Moon in Cancer: The Moon in Cancer is in the sign of its rulership, indicating depth and intensity of the emotions. There can be strong ties to the mother, the family, and the home. Natives with this configuration may be good cooks and homemakers and concerned parents. Domestic security and marriage are important for their emotional well¬being.

Individuals with the Moon in Cancer have a sensitivity to the moods and feelings of others that can border on the psychic; their extreme sensitivity to others' opinions and reactions may lead them to imagine slights, even when not intended. Consequently, they are inclined to withdraw and brood.

If the Moon is afflicted in Cancer, there may well be excessive emotional instability and a tendency to smother the children with love, to the point of wanting to dominate their lives.

Moon in Cancer: You have a caring though potentially clinging soul. You have the need to be safe and secure with Other - but this could become dependent and suffocating. You have the instinct to make home and family - but there can be a restrictive resistance to the unknown. Your mother is seen or expressed as being very maternal, but could be emotionally manipulative.

You naturally respond towards Other with a strong urge to make him / her feel he / she belongs and is cared about. You respond to Other's emotional situations with great sympathy and support. You respond in a hospitable and congenial manner that puts Other at his / her ease.

Your inner child reacts with hurt and sulks if Other should fail to appreciate your subjective idea of what an emotional relationship should be like; by swamping Other with the attention that you need rather than the space that he/ she needs; and in a cloying and overly sentimental fashion, in an attempt not to feel threatened.

You gravitate towards Others who need mothering or supporting in an emotional way and / or who tie you to the home; Others who act as a mother figure to you in that they look after you instinctively; and romantically-minded Others who seem to be one or more of your dreams come true.

You can get caught up in relationships which lean on you with little thanks, recognition or return, thus forcing you to be more self-motivated or selfless; in being overly dependent on Other, who eventually wants his / her own space, and so then rebels; and in situations where you have mistakenly put all your eggs in one basket, so that you have to learn to cut your losses.

When you are alone, it is usually a highly unpleasant experience for you, and so therefore something which you try to avoid at all costs. This is because, for you, life means always having someone close to you, be it a whole family or one Other in particular. You simply do not like being alone, and can often limit or undersell yourself because of such a need to belong. Being alone is rather like being a little bird who has been tossed out of its nest by a cuckoo. But should this highly unwelcome situation come upon you, it will be because your self-diminishing neediness has reached a critical point where those needs much be looked at for what they are, and why they have come to rule your life so much. In 99.99% of cases, it will be something to do with your mother. She gave you either too much or not nearly enough - and so you would have to find a way of breaking those ties and being more, but not too, emotionally self-sufficient. You take yourself very seriously, as a person to be reckoned with. You feel that you understand others and that you deserve to be understood yourself; yet you frequently feel misunderstood. Things are very clear to you; your intuitions are powerful, and whether right or wrong, they convince you utterly and are likely to control your actions. Sometimes your hunches are way off track, especially if emotions are involved. You regard your inner nature as something precious, to be guarded from the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'; and are all too likely to think the slings and arrows are aimed at you when no-one else in the world is even thinking about you. You exude a desire to be understood, to be loved - also, to understand, and to love, if you have objectified your approach, which you must do if you are to be happy or successful. Your tendency is to withdraw, to meditate; and meditation often turns to brooding, brooding to depression. Activate your sympathies by becoming interested in others. Deserve their understanding by acting so that they can understand with approval. Forget yourself, your emotions, your reactions; harness your instincts to other people's problems or to creative work in business, science or the arts. To use, to become, to prove, to love must replace in your nature the deep tendency to be content with to have, to be, to know, to expect. No doors are closed to you when you have turned your understanding outward to the world - and no doors are open to you when you turn it exclusively inward. Know yourself first, through pain and struggle if necessary; and once you know it, don't brood about it; get to know something else.

Moon in Cancer: You have a very sympathetic nature, and you are always willing to listen to someone else's problems and sorrows. While you are young, you may be very involved with people who are in emotional difficulties, which can be a great drain on your personal strength. As you get older, you learn to avoid such people even when you are attracted to them.

The best way to handle this problem is to take a middle road, if possible. You will derive great satisfaction from helping and comforting a troubled lover, which is fine as long as you can avoid letting your partner's problems take over the affair. In a balanced relationship, you can be a refuge for your partner without becoming a doormat.

You may find that you are often involved in several relationships at once, not because you want variety but because you are so unwilling to let go of a relationship that is finished. Old lovers tend to linger in your imagination, which can get in the way of current involvements. Once you have established a relationship, although the quality and nature of your love may fluctuate considerably, it will never die.

Moon in Cancer: Because Cancer is the sign most strongly connected with the Moon, you can be very strong and secure emotionally. Being close to your mother is especially important, and you need a lot of love and affection from her as well as from others in your family. When you're older, you'll be very good at giving the same kind of support to others and taking care of people in need. Even in youth, you may do this with your friends or younger brothers; and you probably like to play games in which you pretend to be the mother or father. Later in life, you may play the role of parent to many people.

Feelings are more important to you than logical thinking, which seems cold or boring. You get very attached to certain ideas, points of view and even objects, for reasons which others don't always understand. They don't realize that if the things you care about are not worth it, you will find out for yourself soon enough.

You are easily hurt by criticism, especially if you feel that someone is criticizing you rather than your actions. It’s not that you are weak or fragile, but that you are unusually sensitive to other people's feelings. You often know how they feel before they say anything; and you care very much how they feel.

Moon in Cancer: The Moon in Cancer is the strongest position of the twelve, for here in its own sign it operates freely with no contradictory, defeating or frustrating characteristics to diminish its natural function. The best placement is in the fourth, where it performs with undiminished power.

You with the Moon in Cancer respond to daily life on a highly emotional basis. All the commonplace events filter through your instincts; and much of what occurs is unconsciously linked with past conditions as far back as childhood happenings. More than any other sign, you, the Cancer native, were shaped and molded by your early experiences. As a child, you absorbed the atmosphere, whether pleasant or unpleasant, loving or no-loving; and these instincts are a deep part of your adult responses to life. Any unfamiliar emotional events may cause much stress and unhappiness, for you do not know what to tie them into from your past.

You are, consciously or unconsciously, psychically tuned in to others, picking up their reactions, moods and feelings. Sometimes this ability can be helpful in understanding them, but at times it can be overwhelming, so that all their hurts and pains are absorbed as your own. Your greatest instinct expresses itself freely in your desire to care for others - your children, your mate, your family, your friends. Whatever their problems might be at the moment, they are assured, in talking with you, of a warm, sympathetic response.

You long to have your loved ones close by so that you can reach out and touch them, hold them in a snug embrace. For a woman, such closeness can often be exaggerated into rampant negativity. There is the familiar sight of the mother who clutches onto a grown son, discouraging his attempts to break away and function on his own. She may often substitute his presence, his companionship, for that of a husband lost either through death or divorce. Or she may enslave a daughter, keeping her in bondage to insure against the loneliness of old age. The negative part of the Cancer Moon is unable to face being alone, bereft of family. This type of woman may resort to all kinds of subtle or overt manipulation, including financial ones, to bind the son or daughter to her until she dies.

The Cancer father, while he may not depend on such emotional extremes, is often deeply loving of his daughters, and may find it difficult to accept their departure from the household when they marry or strike out on their own. But for you, the Moon in Cancer person, whether male or female, these energies can be used positively to maintain the family circle in a close, rewarding relationship.

Because of your love of home and familial history, you hold onto possessions, collecting memorabilia about the family, old photographs and letters, which you carefully tuck away in a safe spot. You are wounded and upset at any well-meaning tactful suggestion that you weed out and discard some of this accumulation. These mementos, links to the past, represent a necessary part of your emotional security. You are also frugal, able to construct something out of very little. Women are especially adept at creating decorative pieces, and often manufacture articles out of bits and pieces that a Moon-in-Virgo person would have long since thrown out. In a choice between spending money for luxuries or family activities, you choose the family activities with no hesitation. This frugality, however, does not necessarily carry over into food, for you love cooking and serving bountiful meals for your family and friends. Whether male or female, this is your way of telling them how much you care.

Your home is your retreat, your sanctuary, your refuge against a brusque and heartless world. Throughout your life, it will be extremely important to you. Many times you will not care to leave it for the pleasure of traveling. Being in alien surroundings, strange motel rooms and unfamiliar beds does not appeal to you at all.

Moon in Cancer: Too sensitive. Must not react to feelings of those around them: subject to moods. Easy-going and sociable. The need to mother others very strong. Everything experienced held in feeling memory. Introverted on subjective levels. Conservative. Operates in a deliberate social way. Can be carried away by tides of emotions. Far too sensitive in response to environment. In a male chart, would attract a feminine more mother than mate.

Moon in Cancer Woman: Your feelings are strong, but you're very moody with a lot of ups and downs. That’s because you have a great imagination and your sensitivity tunes you in to other people’s feelings. You can get upset because someone else is upset. That’s why your home and family are important to you. You feel secure in the bosom of your family, and you're at your happiest there. Even if you don’t have a close natural family, you’ll create your own out of friends and lovers. You're not big on going out. You’d rather stay home where it’s nice and safe and comfy. You like to cook. The kitchen is probably the most used room in your house. Food is the best medicine for the inevitable bumps life hands out. A good meal can soothe and comfort, and You have a tendency to overeat because food can be a substitute for the love you are missing at the time.

You like to make homemade things - jams and jellies or knitted objects. And you like an assortment of memorabilia from your past, way back to high school and babyhood. You’ve got pictures everywhere, and little things that remind you of the things you’ve done, the places you’ve been, the people you’ve known. High-tech and stark modern design leave you cold. Cozy collectibles are your style. You like whatever’s old-fashioned, homespun, folk, or just plain comfortable. Especially if someone made it just for you. You crowd your home with cherished little things you’ve been given or discovered somewhere.

Your mother was an important person in your life, probably the strongest influence of anyone. Mothering is a theme in your life, and nurturing and caring come naturally to you. You like to have things to care for, even plants or pets. And you love children. You like to hug and pet them and you like to be held and hugged.

Intimacy doesn’t frighten you; You crave it. You need a man who’s comfortable with intimacy and with providing you with security, especially the emotional kind. You want him to appreciate your femininity, and if he’s into bringing flowers and candy, he’ll never want for a good, home cooked dinner!

Moon in Cancer Woman: Since Cancer and the Moon embody one of the female energies, women usually respond to it more easily and express it in a more obvious manner than men do. Women with this placement enjoy being mothers and homemakers, and are comfortable in traditional female roles (unless they also have Aquarius or Aries prominently figuring in their charts). They show their emotions openly and are able to empathize with others' feelings.

Moon in Cancer Woman: You look for a mate who will enthusiastically share your love expression and who is as much of a homebody as you are. You need someone who can reinforce your efforts to beautify your home, often with do-it-yourself projects ¬sewing, needlework, hand woven rugs, canning the vegetable crop, painting the kitchen, building a garden walk - and who will understand your dedication toward making it a place of beauty and serenity stamped with your personality and individual touches. You would be miserable with a husband who didn't care about the furniture arrangement, was bored with your discovery of an antique bedstead, cared nothing about gardening, and was inept at household repairs.

Moon in Cancer Man: You love to eat. Plenty of food and provisions in the house make you feel secure, and you need to feel secure, especially at home. You're a sensitive man with strong feelings and you're not afraid to show them. You can appear macho when you're trying to hide your sensitivity, but you’ve got a sweet, gentle, imaginative side that can be moody and loony. But you cover it up with a tough shell because you're very protective of yourself, and of those you love. Basically, you're extremely affectionate when you don’t feel threatened. You're a natural-born father and you love children.

You're very attached to your home and you like a homey atmosphere of the traditional kind. You'll opt for furniture that’s comfortable over the fancy designer stuff. You want to be able to relax on the couch and in the chairs. Stark or cold, the high-tech kind of thing doesn’t appeal to you at all. You like cozy. Usually you choose a decor similar to what you grew up with.

Your mother was a big influence in your life and you're still deeply connected to her. She was a good mother of the traditional sort, and you look for some of her qualities in the women who attract you. You like feminine women who would be good mothers. You also like women with a psychic, dreamy, or imaginative side. You especially like them if they enjoy cooking. The way to your heart is definitely through your stomach.

Your quest for security includes owning land and property, your own home and what’s in it. You need to feel that these things are safe and there for you when you come home. Your environment has to be a place where you can feel comfortable being close to your lover and your family.

Intimacy doesn’t scare you like it does some men, but you do have to overcome a certain amount of shyness and insecurity before you can relate on an intimate level. But once you’ve attached yourself to a woman, you hang in there through thick and thin. Sometimes you hang on too long, for you prefer the familiar to the new and untried.

Moon in Cancer Man: Men with this Moon position may project this energy onto the women in their lives, and might seek mates who provide them with the maternal nurturing and emotional support they desire. You may attempt to find a substitute mother in your partner. Like the woman with this placement, you are a devoted and protective parent, but are less likely to reveal your feelings.

Frequently, the man with Moon in Cancer attempts to satisfy his needs for security by working with a large, established company where he can feel he is part of a bigger family.

Moon in Cancer Man: You desire a wife who expends her energies in the home, who devotes her time selflessly to you and the children, cooks superbly, and delights in planning family get-togethers. While you appreciate and love her for her womanly qualities, you would definitely discourage her from any participation in the women's liberation movement.

Your emotional security depends on allowing your feelings to show. When you feel like crying, you cry. When you are depressed, you withdraw and sulk. Whatever your emotion of the moment might be, you allow it full sway and always expect your loved ones to respond and understand what you might be experiencing at the time. You vitally needs such reaction, for you seek emotional expression in love - in a warm giving and receiving, hugging, kissing, handholding, cuddling the babies - all very physical, all very real.

See also: Moon in Cancer; Moon in Cancer

Moon in Cancer: William Blake, Jimi Hendrix, U.G. Krishnamurti, Maharaj Ji, Willie Nelson, George Orwell, Ramana Maharshi, Will Rogers, Babe Ruth, Paul Simon, Suzanne Somers, Abbe, Cheri, Donny, Fergus, JerGar, JerryH, JerryP, Joze, Kyle, Leif, Sarik