Crabs live in the inter-tidal zone of the oceans, where tides rise and fall twice every day. This is the most dynamic and changeful place on earth, but also the most nutrient rich. Because of the constant change, Crabs have developed a hard outer shell for protection. You Crabs can use the hard outer shell of your home as your protection. But it's more than just that. Typically, your sensitive Crabs can hold your feelings quietly behind your own walls.

Crabs also have large pinching claws, and your Cancerians can hold onto things, especially from the past. You are fiercely loyal and have a difficult time letting go. But you are also quick to bring those you love inside the safety of your outer shell while you nurture them. Your love is protective, but unless tempered, can be smothering.

Your motto could be, "A good defense is the best offense." Like a Crab in its cave, your attack can consist of baiting your opponent into your territory. What appears to be a retreat to others can be your best aggressive tactic. As you feel your way through life, building your security by developing your home and family relationships, remember that unexpressed anger can turn into resentment and depression, so find someone you can trust and share your feelings.

Element: Water

Astrologically, the water element symbolizes emotion. Water runs deep; it seeks its own level and will flow until it has found it. The cycle of water is endless with the snows falling in the mountains and melting. The mountain streams join to make the great rivers that run to the sea. The tides and currents churn the oceans. Similarly, our feelings are flowing as they connect the present with past experiences. Sometimes the waters are so deep that we cannot put words to our feelings.

The water of Cancer is that of the changing tides. Regular rhythms that bring food and nurture the creatures who live there. But this is also about the water of a smoothly surfaced lake. No movement is apparent, yet beneath the surface there is movement, currents and much hidden activity.

House: Fourth

The Fourth House is related to the mother. It is where we are nurtured, and takes in not only our real mother, but all those who nurture us -- especially early in life. This is the house of childhood surroundings. It is where we retreat from the noise of the outer world.

Key Planet: Moon

The Moon is always changing, not even the same two nights in a row. It races around the Earth once a "month," and as such we are familiar with her regularly repeating patterns. Women's menstrual cycles are naturally tied to the lunar rhythm, putting them in closer touch with the subconscious realms of the Moon. But to man and woman alike, the Moon is the key to our feelings and our emotional cycles. As the key planet of Cancer, the Moon symbolizes our basic needs -- how we need to be nurtured and how we nurture others.

Greatest Strength:

Your ability to nurture others

Possible Weakness:

Fear of the past repeating in the future

Straight Talk

Communication is a theme in July, but it isn’t always easy or straightforward. Unflappable Mars enters fussy Virgo on July 1, moving into your 3rd House of Communication. This encourages you to assert yourself, yet you’ll likely do so cautiously and only when you’re sure that you’re right. Chatty Mercury in talkative Gemini squares eccentric Uranus on July 5 and trines fuzzy-thinking Neptune on July 6, exciting you intellectually but making it difficult to be precise. Venus trines Uranus the same day, enticing you to reach so far conceptually that it’s hard to make your point. Mercury enters moody Cancer on July 10, intensifying your thoughts and increasing your emotional attachment. In contrast, beautiful Venus enters dramatic Leo in your 2nd House of Self-Worth on July 12, motivating you to be generous. And the Sun’s brilliant trine to Uranus on July 14 ensures that the spotlight will shine on you.

Keep in Mind this Month: Although the main emphasis is on rational communication, you don’t always need to separate your personal needs from your more intellectual pursuits.

Continue >