On the Full Moon in Cancer
On January 6th, 2023 at 4:06 pm MT, the moon will be full at 16 degrees of Cancer. Due to the nature of full moons, the moon is in the opposite sign from the sun—Cancer vs Capricorn. I am intimately acquainted with these signs and their axis, as I was born in the late 80s with a Capricorn stellium, and with Jupiter exalted in Cancer. Popular, contemporary astrology calls opposite signs “sister signs,” I think this oversimplifies these signs dynamic.
In the case of Cancer and Capricorn, we can learn a lot from the planets they’re associated with. Cancer, being the first sign in the Thema Mundi, was associated with the Egyptians with the flooding of the Nile, so they ascribed its rulership to the Moon, which controls the tides. Capricorn, being opposite Cancer, is the first sign associated with Saturn, the furthest, visible planet in our solar system. The closest celestial body vs the “furthest” … Cancer is stereotypically known for being warm and welcoming (read: not necessarily trusting), where as Capricorn is cold and distant. So where are the commonalities in these “sister signs”? Both signs, Cancer being a water sign, and Capricorn being an earth sign, are considered Feminine, Nocturnal, or as I prefer, “Yin.” They are both Cardinal signs, being associated with the Summer and Winter Solstices.
Often, those acquainted with the modern rulership scheme are surprised to find that Aquarius is the other sign that Saturn rules in the Thema Mundi / traditional rulership scheme (as the ancients were unaware of Uranus’ existence). How do we reconcile the rebellious, revolutionary Aquarius with that old devil, Saturn? We can think of Capricorn and Aquarius as two sides of the same coin. The Rebel (Aquarius) cannot exist without the Establishment (Capricorn) to rebel against. The Outsider (Aquarius) cannot transgress if there are no boundaries (Capricorn) to transgress against. Saturn, being the furthest visible planet is thought of as the Boundaries of our Solar System.
For me, the most interesting illustration of these signs and their dynamic comes in when we compare their associated cards in the Major Arcana. The Golden Dawn gave the Chariot the hermetic title, “Lord of the Triumph of Light,” which seems to refer to the association with Cancer and the Summer Solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) — the day with longest hours of sunlight. They associated the card with the Hebrew letter ח “cheth” meaning fence or enclosure—ultimately derived from the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “courtyard.” The Chariot itself is a sort of enclosure that separates the driver from the beasts pulling the Chariot (in the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) Tarot card, the Chariot is driven by sphinxes), and those walking along the road. This “enclosure” can be further extended to Cancer, the crab’s exoskeleton.
Capricorn is associated with the tarot card The Devil, or the “Lord of the Gates of Matter.” The Gates of Matter refers to the Gates of Hell, where the chthonic Devil resides, but “matter” also hints at Capricorn’s earthy nature. The Devil is associated with the Hebrew letter ע “ayin” or eye. Traditionally the Luminaries (the Sun and the Moon) are said to rule the eyes (right and left, respectively). And yet, here is the sign opposite the moon being ascribed the letter than means eye. Furthermore, the sign of Capricorn is assigned to the geomantic figure “carcer” — or the prison. In the Rider Waite Smith Tarot Card, the Devil is depicted as having the Lovers (or Adam and Eve) bound and chained to his throne. He is the prisoner, but also the Eye — as the bottom point of the inverted Pentagram points directly to his Third Eye.
Carcer and Cancer would seem to be related to the same Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root, but surprisingly they are not… Cancer, comes from the root *kar— meaning “hard” — like the crabs exoskeleton, whereas “carcer” comes from the PIE root kr-kr or (s)ker—meaning “circular” or “to turn, bend.” — like the walls of a prison.
What is the real world example of The Devil — or an eye + a prison? The Panopticon, or a prison in which the prisoners are always being surveilled by the prisons’ central observation tower. If you are reading this, you are unlikely to literally be in a prison… But we are on the Internet, in which algorithms and cookies have been deployed to surveil the things we look at, and try to sell them to you. The Devil has long been associated with materialism, and it seems incredibly apt that Capricorn season seems to coincide to the most materialistic time of the year (at least in the United States). A time in which we are pressured to spend money to give our family members the perfect Christmas gifts, or the perfect decorations for the perfect Christmas dinner… and then into the New Year, where our resolutions usually entail spending money on gym memberships, exercise equipment, and new diets / meal plans…
So if The Devil speaks to the boundaries of our material and celestial world, what does the Chariot enclose, other than the Chariot Driver? Cancer is associated with the breasts and is considered a maternal sign, therefore it can be associated with the milk within the breasts, or the child enclosed in its mother’s arms. The geomatic character associated with Cancer are Via - the way, and Populous - the people. So we can also think of The Chariot / Cancer enclosing a group of people—a family, a tribe, a nation. A courtyard, and I say this as a transplant to New Mexico, so I think I speak with some authority, is a little bit of outside, in the middle of your house. What do you do in a courtyard? Spend time with your family, friends, nature…
The New Moon is often thought of as a time to set intentions which will grow as the moon grows, and Full Moons are thought of as a time for being intentional about things you want to let go of… So what can we learn from this Full Moon in Cancer?
Get a jump on your spring cleaning and start purging material goods that make your living space feel like a prison.
Spend more time embracing loved ones, enjoying nature, or just being online less.
Reassess your boundaries… anytime Saturn is playing a part in a lunation this is never a bad idea.