Happy Summer Solstice + Cancer Season
Summer and Cancer season begins June 21
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The Summer Solstice has finally arrived here in the Northern Hemisphere and with that also comes the Cancer season.
The summer solstice (also known as the midsummer solstice) marks the longest day of the year where the sun reaches the maximum height in the sky.
Because the weather is typically warm, Pagan groups would traditionally plan an outdoor ceremony that often included a bonfire. They would also do a fire-leaping ceremony where young men and women would jump over the flames. The old wives tale behind it claimed that the higher you could jump, then the higher the grain crops of the season would grow.
Decorations used would involve things like: sun discs, coins, circles made out of foil, crystal balls, sunflowers, and more to symbolize the sun, as well as crystals, lights, and prisms to symbolize clarity.
The summer solstice, similar to the sign of Cancer, is focused more on the feminine. Any guided meditations or rituals done are generally to be focused on goddesses, heroine figures, and female rulers. Practices should also have a focus on the themes of honoring and setting intentions for light and clarity.
Cancer is the first water sign of the zodiac. When a zodiac sign’s element is water, it means that it has a quality to it in that it moves like the waves of the ocean, it is hard to contain or grasp, and it is always flowing. Water signs are generally more focused on the emotional aspects of the human experience.
Cancer is ruled by the moon. When reading someone’s astrology chart, the moon provides information about the persons inner world and emotional experiences (the exact opposite to the sun, which is all about how a person “shines outward” to the world).
Cancer is represented by the crab. If you ever sit and watch a crab move on a beach, you’ll see that crabs tend to be very indirect. They’ll move sideways in order to get to where they want to be rather than take a more direct approach. Crabs also have a hard shell in order to protect themselves from their very soft and sensitive interior, which is also something that the sign of Cancer is well known for.
Cancer is a part of the Cancer-Capricorn axis. The two signs on any axis are opposing each other, so they are the opposite in many ways. For example, Cancer is very indirect and Capricorn is very direct. Cancer is unstructured while Capricorn is all about structure. However, at the same time, there is a common theme between the two signs because they are on an axis.
The general theme for the Cancer-Capricorn axis is all about legacy. It’s about creating something that is lasting that can be passed down for generations. Cancer is at home in the 4th house, which is all about home and family, while Capricorn is at home in the 10th house, which is all about career. So the main differences is that, with Cancer, it’s all about creating a legacy within the family and home. It’s a more private and personal experience. With Capricorn, on the other hand, it’s all about creating something that has a more public or outward influence that has a lasting impact.
One way to make sense of it is to think about what we tend to be doing at the time of year of each zodiac sign. During both Cancer and Capricorn seasons, we are often spending time with family and friends at social gatherings. During Cancer season, it’s all about picnics, bonfires, and being outside. We might even spend time at the beach or in a pool. During Capricorn season, it’s a lot more material focused. It’s the time of year when we have Christmas, New Years and other winter holidays. It’s more focused on gift giving, eating large meals, staying in, reflecting on the year, and goal setting (aka New Years Resolutions). Many of the practices done during Capricorn season not only take place with family and friends, but also on the collective level. People put lights on their houses, candles in windows, seasonal music is played, and so on in order for the season to have a more “everyone from this group of people are celebrating together” tone to it, while the practices during cancer season are a bit more… relaxed, flexible and laid back.
There’s far less structure and expectation during Cancer season. It’s a time of year to just enjoy the warm weather, spend time with family and friends, and have fun in whatever way you’d like to without much need for any structure or expectation.
So… enjoy this Cancer season. Relax. Hang out by the beach or at a pool. Maybe have some BBQ or light a bonfire.
Allow it to be whatever you want it to be, and, in the process, you get to create all kinds of memories that can be remembered for a lifetime and, perhaps, passed down as stories for others to remember and enjoy as well.