Cancerian Archetypes

I am writing about the Cancerian Archetypes today, even though we have only just experienced the crossing of the Sun into Cancer in the Summer Solstice, because the next two weeks will be taken up by writing about Wimbledon.  This is the sixth of my new series specifically on astrological Archetypes.  It is time to embrace the potential of this sign, turning the spotlight on its Archetypes.  It’s the peak of the light and we have had a heatwave these last few days, record-breaking temperatures!  A reminder that we need to work on net zero, on behalf of Mother Earth.

A few words about Cancerians: they are associated with tides and rhythms, together with their ruler the Moon.  That also links them with nocturnal life and creatures.  Above all, they resonate with the divine feminine.

So, following, are some thoughts I highlighted back in my 2015 blog, and then some examples of Cancerians and their Archetypes, including from history:

“Inner Child

According to Caroline Myss, she sees four core Archetypes which are with each person, and one of these four is the Inner Child.  The Inner Child is a force which is very much a part of new age work, witness the popularity of the books by John Bradshaw on the subject.

Another new age leader who makes the Inner Child central to her work and vision is Chris Griscom of the Light Institute in Galisteo, New Mexico.  I could quote her all day, and frequently do, but will make do with one quote for now:

“A child is naturally a being of wonderment, a being that experiences lightness, who does not hold pain.  The child’s frequency is too high to hold those darker, heavier emotions, even when the external world begins to impinge upon the child with adult imprints that the child records as anxiety, fear, anger.  The natural state is to let go, to constantly let go, because the child lives in the brain patterning of the hologram.  The child does not have that left-brain imprint in glue.”

Caroline Myss details several varieties of Inner Child:

The Eternal Child

The Orphan

The Wounded Child

The Divine Child

The Nature Child

The Magical Child

She hints of many more, but says that “you can only have one in your support team”!

I have also spotted one, and that is the “Performing Child”, as encouraged by pushy parents, and that is a combination of a Cancerian and Leo Archetype.

Whatever your own Inner Child Archetype, it is essential to stay in touch with it.

The Mother

The Mother Goddess is central to the sign of Cancer.  Of all the Goddesses, Mother Mary is the most intrinsic.  But in her virginal side, she has joint rulership with the sign of Virgo.

The Caregiver

In her 2013 book, Caroline Myss presents 10 new Archetypes for the modern age (look what you started, Carl Jung!).  One of these, the Caregiver, is related to the Mother, strongly associated with the sign of Cancer, but also has associations with the sign of Virgo.  Cancerians and Virgoans practically prop up the caring professions.

Myss advises that if this is one of your Archetypes, and you are compulsive about helping others, then your task is to learn self-care:

“Your challenge as a caregiver is to care enough about yourself to find out who you really are – to be willing to look closely and experience the deeper level of your inherent need and desire to care for others.”

Vishnu the Preserver

Caroline Myss points out that “Although the caregiver Archetype seems to be more prevalent in women…Many men who become teachers or coaches, or who enter rescuing professions such as firefighting and emergency medicine, have a genuine need to serve and care for others through their career choices.”

Cancerians have a special talent for cherishing the artifacts of antiquity, re-upholstering and upcycling, important in this throw-away age.  The male Hindu God, Vishnu the Preserver expresses this cherishing quality very well…In an early incarnation apparently, he appeared as a Turtle. [one of the animal totems of Cancer]”

The Parent

The signs/planetary associations of Cancer and Leo correspond to The Mother (the Moon) and The Father (the Sun).  Capricorn also has resonance with The Father, with its ruler Saturn.

However, parenting in general comes under the sign of Cancer, and particularly for a Cancerian male fatherhood is a key human experience.

The Antiquarian

Cancerians are often to be found restoring and preserving antiquities, in a cherishing manner.  Think “The Repair Shop” – a Cancerian institution if there was one, but also with Chironic associations.  So, antiques experts, furniture restorers, come under this sign.

The Genealogist

The ancestors are of enormous importance to the Cancerian, and those who look into their family tree are responding to the Moon and its sign.  The new advances in DNA research enable new professions to explore the benefits of “Who Do You Think You Are?” and “Long Lost Relatives”, let along “Born Without Trace” and “DNA Journey” – all current television programmes benefitting from this study and expertise.

The Paediatrician

Specialisms within medicine include The Paediatrician, the Obstetrician, and The Midwife.

The Wise Woman

The sign of Cancer does not have a monopoly on wisdom, but relates strongly to this Archetype through its main animal totem The Owl.  The Crone is also a related archetype.  It has the depth of the divine feminine, and wisdom obtained through maturity.

Historical/more in-depth Examples:

The Feminist

Malalai Yusafzai (b 12/7/97)

Even before she was shot, she was standing up for the right of girls to attend school in her native Pakistan.  But On 9 October 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai as she rode home on a bus.

I wrote in 2013:

“On 9th October 2012 she was shot in head and neck by the Taliban, sustaining life-threatening injuries, and transported to hospital in Birmingham.  The North Node sextile her Neptune at the end of Capricorn at the time, highlighting the refined political idealism in her chart.”

At that time, I did not have her birth time, but now I have the transits are revealed to be even more significant: Mars square to her Ascendant, close to her Pluto, Neptune opposite her Ascendant, Saturn on the cusp of her 3rd House of short-distance travel (a bus journey).

My blog was written around her 16th birthday, when she addressed the U.N. and received two awards, including one for International Development for her work for female rights.  At the age of 17 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

On her birthchart I wrote:

“Malala is a Cancerian, and though many Cancerians shun the limelight, others become ambassadors for women’s rights, deliberately or unwittingly.

The Sun sextiles the North Node in her chart, giving a karmic mission of the theme of Leadership.  Mercury trines Pluto, making her a deep thinker who looks the truth in the face. Mercury also opposes Uranus exactly, which is controversy in communication, not being afraid to tell the truth no matter what it costs …  Jupiter also sextiles Saturn exactly – good balanced judgement: the combination of optimism and realism.”

To which I would add that her ruler the Moon is exactly conjunct her Mars with her available birth time, depicting her wounding but also her fighting spirit, the Warrior Archetype, the female warrior (not a specific archetype for Cancer).  Neptune closely trine her Midheaven indicates her role in the world as a spiritual leader of inspiration.  It is worth noting that she achieved this status while still a child, the portion of life attributed to the sign of Cancer, though through traumatic means.

The Novelist

Hilary Mantel (6/7/52 – 22/9/22)

Rich in imagination, Cancerians are often drawn to writing, specifically the novel form.  I often find that for people with its ruler, the Moon, rising, a person has a talent for writing novels (whatever their rising sign or Sun sign).

Hilary Mantel is probably one of our greatest novelists, and a rare double-Booker-prizewinner (for “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up The Bodies”.  She therefore wins my prize for Cancerian Novelist Archetype!  I have, of course, written about her before.

I wrote, back in 2013:

“What has interested me about Hilary Mantel since I first set eyes on her is her astrology, and her past lives!  As soon as I saw her on television, I was hooked.  With her round face and big blue eyes, she looked like the textbook Cancerian which she is.  Moreover, she had Cancerian health issues, centring around the female reproductive system (endemetriosis)…

…From the beginning, I had thought her level of interest and the detail plus the imagination of her original book “Wolf Hall” must have been written with some level of past-life recall, with an interplay between her conscious and unconscious mind. She may well have observed the material she writes about at close quarters, at the time it was played out.  And that is how I feel about several writers of the historical genre (fiction or non-fiction) who tend to write about and specialize in a particular era.

Hilary Mantel and Regression

Hilary wrote about her “brush” with regression in a Guardian article of January 2010.  She was not comfortable with her practitioner (you do need to choose a practitioner you are comfortable with), but did experience enough to grasp the issues involved and own her feelings about it.  She writes about being aware of her own current life at the same time as experiencing the past life (which is what I aim for when working).

In her own words:

“…I was aware of everything around me…yet I was on board ship, I was in a railway car, I was in an alien land.  I was still inside Sara, or she inside me, when she reached her 70s and her heart failed”.

Hilary had three planets in Cancer, Uranus exactly conjunct with the Sun, plus Venus.  Her Mercury exactly sextile Saturn illustrates her intensive historical research and application.  Her Jupiter exactly sextile Uranus gives her the Entrepreneur Archetype (not a specific province of Cancer).  And with Pluto conjunct the South Node, she was able to somehow project far into her memory banks and that of the collective history to produce her outstanding work.

The Patriots

Nelson Mandela (18/7/1918 – 5/12/2013

Dalai Lama (b 6/7/1935)

The sign of Cancer is intensely loyal to its ancestors, family, tribe and country, and in this respect The Patriot is a fitting Archetype for the sign.  Both these two men have represented their country and their race in a profound sense.

A few years ago, I wrote:

“…The first analogy that comes to mind astrologically is that Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama are both inextricably linked in their work and lives with their love of their own country.  They are both Cancerians, and have the common touch which the sign of Cancer often has (witness another kind of Icon, Lady Diana).  The Dalai Lama’s link with his homeland of Tibet is made more poignant of course by virtue of the fact that he left it while still a boy king.  Nelson Mandela had to leave his in a different way, through incarceration on an island, but lived to see his beloved South Africa again and triumph in its healing.”

Nelson Mandela had Jupiter, Pluto and the Sun in Cancer.  Here’s a very Cancerian description from his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom”:

“I enjoyed domesticity, even though I had little time for it.  I delighted in playing with Thembi, bathing him and feeding him, and putting him to bed with a little story. In fact, I love playing with children and chatting with them; it has always been one of the things that make me feel most at peace. I enjoyed relaxing at home, reading quietly, taking in the sweet and savoury smells emanating from pots boiling in the kitchen.”

The Dalai Lama has his Ascendant and Sun (double Cancer), South Node, Pluto in Cancer.  Like Hilary Mantel, he has the South Node conjunct Pluto: his appointment as the 14th Dalai Lama depended upon an age old tradition of tuning into a child that remembered certain objects relating to that office from past lives.

He has the Moon conjunct Neptune, a sign of extreme sensitivity, and with the Moon being his ruling planet, Neptune brings the Piscean element of Compassion, a key tenet of his Buddhist faith.  His Sun is exactly trine Jupiter, a planet taking him into the realm of Religion, and the exactitude of the trine elevating his status and power of achievement.  It also depicts his joyfulness (by Jove!).  Where the exquisiteness of his current incarnation is also highlighted is a close sextile between Jupiter (Religion) and Neptune (Spirituality), giving him the ability to combine and balance the two wisely.  He also has the wisdom, balance and judgement of Jupiter trine Saturn.  His Saturn, on the cusp of the 9th House of Foreign Lands may be symbolic of his exile from his homeland, Tibet.  Both he and Nelson Mandela have favourable links between Pluto and the Midheaven (Persona in the World) – the Dalai Lama has the trine, while Mandela has the sextile.  I think that speaks volumes about the nature of their profound service to mankind.

The Drummer

Ringo Starr (b 7/7/1940)

Mick Fleetwood (b 24/6/1942)

The drummer is the establisher of rhythm, say within a group, just as the Moon and the tides establish a rhythm in the background of our lives.  Ringo Starr of course was the drummer for the iconic Beatles, while Mick Fleetwood as drummer, held his “family” Fleetwood Mac through many changes.

Ringo has the Sun conjunct Chiron in Cancer.  His Sun is exactly square his Nodal Axis, often seen as a group based aspect: in this case as the most low key Beatle, he ceded his power (the Sun) to the group karmically.  His Mercury conjunct Mars meant that he had quick mental reactions and delivery, essential in drumming..  Mars in his chart is also exactly conjunct Pluto, a huge powerhouse of energy.  Venus on his I.C. in his 4th House indicated a life based on music and with a profound love for his home city of Liverpool.

Mick Fleetwood

Like Ringo, Mick has a vigorous connection between his Mercury and Mars, in this case a sextile.  That may be a useful adjunct to the Sun in Cancer for a drummer.  In his autobiography “Play On”, he gives a good description of this dyslexia, his sideways (the crab) Cancerian mindset (showing his Mercury in Cancer) and its route to drumming:

“I’m quite convinced that the brain I have comes from my mum’s side, because my mother and her kin have a very different, very wonderful way if thinking – one that’s not suited to stereotypical ‘straight thought. My sister Susan had the same issue that I do, and like me, she found a way to turn it into something positive and creative. She became an actress and made it a part of her art .

…What I didn’t know was that my dyslexia would later serve me well once I turned to playing drums. It wasn’t clear to me until years later, when I really began to think (I) about drumming, which was something I found myself doing quite naturally. After I’d become known for drumming, and had a ‘style’ that people talked about, I began to ponder, wonder what exactly that style was. By nature what we drummers do is manage a series of spinning plates, but I realised quite quickly when I found myself talking shop with other plate-spinners that my methods of keeping my plates spinning are entirely my own. When I tried to explain it, they thought I was having a laugh at their expense or entirely mad.

That made it all crystal clear to me – my drumming was an extension of the blackboard syndrome. I really had no idea, nor the ability to explain in musical terms, what I was ever doing in a particular song. Upon further reflection, I’ve realised that all of this stems from my learning disability, and now that I’ve made something out of my irregular way of processing information, I’m damn glad. Dyslexia has absolutely tempered the way I think about rhythm and the way I’ve played my instrument, or any other for that matter, and that’s the long and short of it”

In the context of the “Drummer Archetype”, it was worth quoting at length!

Notice that three of my specific examples were born around 6th/7th July, which gives them a connection of the very special Fixed Star Sirius, sacred to the ancient Egyptians, and our brightest nearest star.

So, in summary, in contemplating your own link to the sign of Cancer and for those you know, you can explore for the next month, this segment of the zodiac, while the Sun is in Cancer (until 22nd July).  You may notice that with your Cancerian family, friends and acquaintances, some of them have more than one of these Archetypes.

“As we touch the child inside ourselves, we begin to access that bridge.  Maybe it shut down in you when you were two; maybe it shut down in you when you were seven.  It’s not dead. It’s just disconnected from you.  It’s just encased in a butterfly within a cocoon, and as all the great teachers have said, ‘Become the child, and you will know God.’ “

~ Chris Griscom

Next Week: Wimbledon – Week 1

Aspects

There are 11 Aspects this week, so let’s crack on!

This morning Mars was sextile Jupiter, a gung-ho aspect, which may have inspired Donald Trump to bomb nuclear sites in Iran, and then wax lyrical about it.  I hasten to say this is normally a positive aspect, not an incitement to war and aggression.

This aspect brings expansive activities, such as running in the park, or strenuous gardening, or the pursuit of any sport or leisure activity with gusto.  Hubby is tidying up the garden, with the edge slightly taken off the heatwave.  You’ll be able to find that extra drive, for what you are wanting to achieve.  Pursue your enthusiasms!  But whatever you do, think carefully, before pursuing a trigger for uncontrolled repercussions.  Normally I would not need to add that, but even a positive aspect can be put to mis-use.

You’ll be slowing down in the evening, with a square between the Sun and Saturn.  Even the international rhetoric may be more subdued, as the realization of the repercussions sink in.  There may be disappointing or deflating news, delay or frustration, such as criticisms about hasty actions. The Sun-Saturn square is an opportunity to think through what you are doing, and your strategies.  If you are making economies, are they the right ones, based on your optimum values?  A more reflective evening.

Tomorrow (Monday 23rd), you may feel confused by opposing ideas and thoughts, as Neptune squares the Sun.  The issue of taking out Iran’s nuclear capacity for instance, may be a polarising one.  You might be becoming wise to the smoke and mirrors of this type of aspect. There may be new considerations and issues arising, more sensitivity to consider, in your own life.  How much energy can you give to the consideration of events abroad, while attending to your own healing and those of other around you? You may be feeling a little confused, lost, or even  dizzy.  If you are on a journey, take a moment to stop and reflect, over coffee at a service station on the motorway for instance.  It’s a good moment to surrender to the divine, and ask what you are supposed to be learning from the experience, seeking out where the illusion lies.

More conundrums for Tuesday (24th) with a square between Chiron and Mercury.  Mini-crises may feature in the earlier part of the day, needing problem-solving skills, and solutions which may be to hand, like dock leaves near nettles, or may require soul consultation, digging deep.  Cut yourself some slack, and do what you can.

Fortunately, things may pick up and perk up in the afternoon, with the Sun conjunct Jupiter, one of the most favourable aspects of the year.  It takes place at 3 degrees Cancer.  It is an aspect of hope, or even celebration.  It will certainly be lucky for some.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.  It coincides with Mick Fleetwood’s birthday: play your “Rumours” vinyl!

Midweek, on Wednesday (25th), we have a New Moon at 4 degrees Cancer.  It’s a pure and simple chance to get back to basics with our home, family, roots, locality, emotions and ancestry.  Where it falls in your chart can give you extra clues about placing your intentionality, your hopes and wishes. Develop any Cancerian Archetypes you find worthwhile, from the list above!  A good day to bake a cake.

Mercury sextiles Uranus on Thursday (26th), a bright aspect for the mind.  Connect your lower, logical, mind favourably, with your higher, intuitive, mind.  This is a is a sparky way of thinking, and  may feel like a breath of fresh air, if it is not your default position. Telepathy, intuition and the power of surprise are benefits of this aspect.  This aspect can amaze you and help you find that “wow” factor, or unusual ways of articulating your message.

By early afternoon, you may benefit from another sextile, that of the Sun with Mars.  You may feel you can get things moving physically, if they had been slow or stalled.  The energy and fuel is in supply, and the will is there.  This aspect favours the masculine elements of life, e.g. men, cars and dogs.  There may also be an aspect of competitiveness about it.  However, a word of warning to warmongers: don’t.

In the evening, Mercury enters Leo.  This placement favours applying the mind to ways of finding leisure and enjoyment in this summery, holiday season.   Find novel ways to do so. For example, take up a new hobby!

Last but not least, Saturday (28th) brings a constructive trine between Mercury and Saturn.  A government leader somewhere may consider their actions carefully…(!).  This aspect combines mental work with practicality, and brings focus and realism to the activities of the  mental plane.  So, it is a good day for making plans.  Serious conversations can also safely take place under this aspect.

Mercury also trines Neptune on that day, and things may fall into place spiritually, with some higher insight. This may result in an increased readiness to talk about a sensitive subject.  This trine brings mental inspiration, transcendent wisdom, higher harmony, spiritual journeys.  It’s a kind astrological note to end on.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – gung-ho, then slowing down
  • Tomorrow – confusion
  • Tuesday – conundrums; later, luck
  • Wednesday – new beginning
  • Thursday – bright minds; bushy tails;
  • Saturday – practical thought; spiritual insight
Date: Jun 22nd, 2025 · Comments RSS · Tags: Archetypes