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Cancer Astrological Case Study - A Deeper Understanding Of Self
July 6, 2008
Most criticisms of astrology are long on opinion, short on actual demonstration and reason.
I’ve always been one to tinker with things a bit before gradual acceptance or outright dismissal.
And astrology has always been one of those subjects that fascinated me. Now before you go jumping to any conclusions here, the kind of astrology I’m talking about is REAL astrology… with numbers, formulas, calculations, and charts… not that stupid commercialized crap you find in newspaper horoscopes and in the back of Cosmo.
Yes, there’s a difference. A big difference.
Most people don’t even know the “real” brand of astrology exists. The limitations of their criticisms go something like this:
“Horoscopes are silly. Any one of those descriptions could fit pretty much anyone. Cancer, Leo, Aquarius, Aries, it doesn’t matter - They’re all too vague to be useful.”
or…
“How can you describe the behaviors of everyone who’s ever been born with only 12 personality types? There are certainly more types of people out there than twelve.”
or maybe…
“I don’t believe in astrology. There’s just no way any of that could be true. I believe we’re fully in control of our destinys.”
or even…
“Since the 12 signs system was originally created thousands of years ago, the Earth’s orbit has gradually changed by about 30 degrees, thus rendering all calculations based on the old system off by an entire sign.”
All common arguments, all equally ridiculous - except perhaps for the last one.
First of all, astrology is not like a God - something to be “believed in” as if it were some kind of ethereal mist. No. Instead it it based on exact measurements of observable celestial bodies. Very reproducible and very testable. The only caveat of this is the demonstrability depends largely on the knowledge and skills of the one doing the test. Meaning, you can’t expect to just come out of a 2 hour class and start throwing this stuff around by the end of the day. Just like anything else worth knowing, it takes months, years of study to get really good.
Second, just because there are 12 astrological signs does not mean there are only twelve personality types. It only means there are 12 sun signs - twelve divisions of the sky, together forming a 360 degree 3d view. In addition to the 12 sun signs, which are based on an approximate 30 day span in which you were born, there are 2 other factors in astrology that most people are not aware of: the location (longitude and latitude) and time (hour and minute) you were born. These 2 factors act as “modifiers” to your base sun sign. So if you’re a Cancer (like me), it is not enough to just leave it at that; Cancer traits will describe my base default personality - my temperament - but will not suffice for many other things. You need ALL the data in order to form a complete picture of yourself that makes sense and actually works.
Third, anyone who says the personality descriptions are too vague to be useful and could apply to anyone is either: 1. Not looking at correct information, or 2. Basing their comments on those silly tabloid horoscope sections which were not created by real astrologers, but by writers trying to make their publication sell more copies by being interesting. In a moment, I’ll do a breakdown of Cancer traits, compare them with myself, and show just how accurate they really are.
But first, the issue about the Earth’s orbit gradually skewing off by 30 degrees over the last few thousand years, while true, does not affect astrology. This is because modern day astrologers (real ones, at least) take into account actual real-time sky data when calculating - information that can be found in almanacs and on the internet in NASA databases. One astrologer I went to here in St. Louis had 6 books out on the desk simultaneously, busily thumbing through all of them and making comparisons as I fed him my data. This man was no “guesser” nor was he a mystic.
Ok, so anyway, I used the excellent, though shoddily designed website Astrology-Online to read about the traits of a Cancer, and below I will go almost line-by-line quoting you what is said, then following it with a comment from my personal life.
The Cancerian character is the least clear-cut of all those associated with the signs of the zodiac.
Hmm, just as a fun note, this may explain why I’ve historically had such a difficult time finding a place in the world that seemed most natural to me. Anyway, moving on…
It is a fundamentally conservative and home-loving nature, appreciating the nest like quality of a secure base to which the male can retire when he needs a respite from the stresses of life, and in which the Cancerian woman can exercise her strong maternal instincts. The latter tends to like and to have a large family.
A person could argue here and say “Yeah but everybody likes to have a nice place to relax at the end of the day and get away from it all. That’s just common sense.” However, this comment fails to realize just how strongly attached a Cancer is to his place over a “normal” person. It’s not just a box with 4 walls to spend time in when not outside, it’s a WAY OF LIFE and more importantly, a SENSE OF IDENTITY. A Cancer will take a stronger interest in making his abode “perfectly match” how he views himself (or wants to view himself) down to every detail he wears and every piece of furniture he buys. No detail is left unexamined. No thought not considered. While it’s NOT true I desire a large family (or at the time of this writing, I do not desire ANY family), I am also male and it mentions this is a characteristic of the Cancer females only.
“Nest like” is an appropriate adjective for the Cancerian home, for its inhabitants tend to favor the dark, mysterious but comfortable type of house which has something of the air of a den about it, a place which belongs to the family rather than existing as a showcase to impress visitors.
Here is a photo of a room in my place… need I say more?
That is not to say that the Cancerian is unsociable, just that for them there is a time to socialize and a time to be solitary, and this is part of the apparent contradiction in their nature.
If not dealt with actively, this tendency can lead to sociopathic behavior. I’ve met other Cancers who were the same way. Think of them as a kind of loner who occasionally comes down off his perch to mingle with the natively social folk. This is out of genuine interest, not an attempt to appear “normal.”
Outwardly they can appear formidable - thick-skinned, unemotional, uncompromising, obstinately tenacious, purposeful, energetic, shrewd, intuitive and wise, sometimes with a philosophical profundity of thought verging on inspiration. Their intimates, however, may see a very different character, one with a sympathetic and kindly sensitivity to other people, especially those they love.
It this were a movie, it’d almost be cliche… but to a Cancer it is the living truth. Think of it like a Clint Eastwood “new stranger in town, lone man with no name” - calm, cool, tough - yet secretly goes home at night, reminisces about the past and philosophizes about the future… over Vivaldi and hot pasta - sometimes with a tear.
They are able to identify with the situations of others because of the keenness of their imaginations.
This is true, but can be a two-edged sword. More on this later.
They are often over-imaginative and prone to fantasy, sometimes trying to shape their lives to fit some romantic ideal.
This is more true than most people closest to Cancers realize. Spaghetti Westerns, James Bond, trenchcoated 1940’s private-eyes, and the like all play a vital role in helping the Cancer articulate what it is he wants out of life. Why? Because more than anything he wants to live a romanticized ideal. He’ll buy anything, do anything that will move him closer to real life “riding off into the sunset in search of the next adventure” or “games, girls, and guns” romanticism. He wants his life to read like a novel and feels he’ll be a worthless insignificant speck if he doesn’t succeed within a reasonable time frame. This is serious business here, folks - real life-or-death stuff. Don’t take it for granted.
They are appreciative of art and literature, and especially of drama, where the spectacle and ebb and flow of action and feeling particularly excite them. They may themselves possess considerable literary, artistic or oratorical talent. Their sharp ears and talent for mimicry can sometimes give them success on the stage, though their tendency to be emotional may make them overact.
This only serves to reinforce the romantic ideal. Cancers are good writers, actors, and can move crowds with speeches. They have a certain way with words; a grasp over the more subtle elements of language. This is because despite the cold outward appearance, they are in fact very attune to emotions, especially the base instincts coming from the “reptilian brain” section of the mind. I can relate to other people very easily through imagination and visualization, guess what they are feeling, and then write about it as if I actually felt it myself. This helps in sales situations or any other time when persuasion is required.
Interestingly - because they give the impression of being down-to-earth - they are often fascinated by the occult and are more open to psychic influence than the average.
In my opinion, the “down to earth” thing is merely a shield - a social mask - covering the true feelings underneath. I’ve been fascinated with the occult and psychic stuff for years - ever since I was a little boy playing in my grandma’s living room. Even back then I wanted the ability to make myself invisible and cast spells on people and affect their lives… sometimes for their benefit, sometimes to harm them. Interesting side note: I always have, even to this day, liked myself to be a “dealer of justice” - a sort of vigilante of the universe.
If they can reconcile the personal conflict of their urge to be outgoing with the reserve that causes them to withdraw into themselves, then at best they can inspire a generation, especially the youthful part of it, by their idealism. A job in which they can express this, and in which they can do well, would be as a leader in a youth organization.
They’re not kidding here; it is a very harsh conflict to be reconciled - often teetering on the verge of sociopathic behavior, but never quite making it over the edge in any real sense. Interesting though how they mention leader in a youth organization; there was once a small part of me who wanted to command and inspire an army of little people. But this conflicts with my current view that children are essentially spoilers of my romantic idealism - e.g. it just wouldn’t be the same movie if James Bond had a toddler in tow. Therefore, at the present time, I simply don’t see how they fit into the world I want to create. This disappoints a lot of girls, but I see no real solution around it. At least not right now.
In their personal relationships they are mentally a mixture of toughness and softness, often emotional and romantic to the point of sentimentality in their fantasies; but in real life and in marriage, their loving is not so sentimental but tenaciously loyal. Even if they have affairs (and they may do so, for the male in particular is open to sensual stimulation), their first loyalty remains to spouse and family, of whom they regard themselves as the protector.
Loyalty and trueness to my word are, for some reason, very important to me. There may be some issues in the world certain types of people would view my stance as “unethical” on… but one thing they can never argue against is my sense of loyalty - and if I say I’m going to do something, there must be a catastrophic event (physically or emotionally) for me not to have done it. Their comment on loyalty in affairs is interesting, because I might be inclined to view an affair as something “extra” merely to satisfy some desire completely unrelated to the goals of the “family team”… this making it somewhat acceptable… UNLESS, of course, I specifically made a pact - a promise - not to do ever do it. Paradoxically, however, I might view a similar transgression against me more personally and therefore feel inclined to some brand of vengeance. Call it a double-standard if you will, but it’s the truth.
Both the Cancerian man and woman love unreservedly, giving much and asking little in return - in fact, one of the most important lessons they have to learn is how to receive gracefully. They are too easily influenced by those they love and admire, and swayed by the emotion of the moment. They are also loyal friends, the negative side of their faithfulness being clannishness, the narrow patriotism of “my country right or wrong”; and closing ranks in suspicion and coldness toward outsiders.
Yes, I’ve always had a difficult time accepting compliments gracefully. I like and enjoy them just as much as the next guy, but there is a sense of “don’t say that, you’ll jinx it” that goes along with them - feels like a spoonful of bitter sugar. And yes, it is quite easy for a Cancer to get “caught up in the emotion of the moment” - which makes certain sales pitches and emotionally charged situations things to watch out for. And while I am not particularly loyal to ANY country or ANY political party (I’d always rather be in control of my own than join some other guy’s thing), there is a definite sense of clannishness that’s followed me around over the years. I’ve always wanted to form little clan-like groups of people under my control - which is what probably attracts me to business and, more remotely, an “evil genius” sort of underworld-empire-fantasy.
Cancerians have a retentive memory, particularly for emotionally laden events which they can recall in detail for years afterwards. they are strongly governed by childhood memories and since they live intensely in the past in memory and in the future in imagination, a chance meeting with someone for whom they had an unrequited love, even if they thought they had conquered the feeling, will easily rouse the emotion all over again.
Fond memories stick around in vivid detail… but so do past wrongs. I can carry around a hidden grudge for an amazing length of time. However, it’s also true that time erases pretty much everything, so give it long enough and it’ll probably go away. I’m not sure if anyone could wrong me so seriously that I’d dedicate the rest of my life and every waking moment to ruining theirs, but who knows? I’m not gonna say it couldn’t happen. To say that would presuppose I know everything about my temperament… which I do not. Now you might say “yeah but Greg it’d be your personal and conscious CHOICE if you did something like that” - and I’d tend to agree with that. Yes, it would be my choice, my temperament merely providing the jet-fuel. And that is something very important to understand about all of this and astrology in general: astrology only says what is LIKELY to happen or how you are LIKELY to behave… it does not dictate events in solid stone. Just like in quantum physics, it is a set of probabilities.
The Cancerian has many potential faults. They can be untidy, sulky, devious, moody, inclined to self-pity because of an inferiority complex, brood on insults (very often imagined), yet are easily flattered.
I’m the opposite of untidy, however sloppiness (as long as it is not on any of “my” things or in “my” home) does not bother me in the least. In fact, sometimes I feel more comfortable in the messy environments of others than I do in my own perfectly sterile ones. But that’s a lot less true today than it was several years ago. Seems to be fading, as my own restrictions on myself have been loosening. Moody? Inferiority complex? Yep, and yep. I used to think I was not moody at all, until I started to really pay close attention to my feelings… then I could see it all quite clearly. I have a swing of “up” days, weeks, months… and “down” days, weeks, and months. Sometimes extreme. My mom always said I had a difficult time finding the “happy medium” in most circumstances, instead always opting for some kind of wild swing in a particular direction. Like going from super clean, weashing hands many times per day and taking 2 showers per day… to letting myself go for several days without a shower, bath, or sometimes even forgetting to brush my teeth; things that would’ve been unheard of only months before. These days, I am a lot more balanced, but still carry with me some of that old “swing” behavior, though on smaller scales. Also, it is true what they said; I can brood on insults (often figments of my imagination) for days, and can even recall them months, sometimes years later, if the memory is triggered somehow. And yes, I am easily flattered and always welcome it - though I will most certainly play it down when given.
They can be tactless and difficult yet, because they are normally ambitious, they will curry favor by floating with majority opinions, outlooks and fashions of the day. As a result they often change their opinions and loyalties and, indeed, their occupations, and lack stability.
I think this “lacking stability” comes from having a hard time finding a place in the world that both makes sense and is admirable, fitting into the romantic ideal spoke of earlier. Yes, ambition certainly plays a central role. I’ll do anything if I know (and I mean really BELIEVE) it will move me closer to that ideal.
They are easily corrupted and, because they are convincing romanticizers, can make successful confidence tricksters. Their romanticism in another sense make them ardent supporters of causes, for example a football team with whose heroes they can identify in a world of fantasy.
Ah, here it is at last; all the mimicry, and attention to emotional detail, while being more easily brought over to the “dark side” than others, makes for excellent con man career potential. Now isn’t that just wonderful? Well, it’s true… I can vouch for it all. And this issue of supporting causes is important too, though at the time of this writing I can’t say I’ve ever found a cause I’m willing to throw everything into, other than the cause of Me, Myself, and I. But that’s not to say I wouldn’t WANT to find such a cause. Sure I would. That’d be great. I’d probably want to be in charge of it though.
Their abilities fit the Cancerian for a wide range of occupations. As they are interested in what people are thinking and able to judge what they can safely be told, they can be good journalists, writers or politicians, though in this last capacity they are more likely to remain in the background rather than attain prominent positions of power. They may, indeed, change their party affiliations. They can serve in other departments of public affairs, especially those which involve looking after others, for example in any kind of service from welfare and nursing to catering - their own love of comfort and good living makes the Cancerian an excellent chef or housekeeper. They sometimes have a penchant for trade or business and are often successful as a captain of industry. This is because they are excellent organizers with a good sense of value and economy which they may combine with a flair for inventiveness and originality.
This last one here, this “captain of industry” is where ol’ Greg’s interests lie. I want to be the leader, the top man, the “go to guy.” I’ve always been interested in business and its seemingly unlimited potential. This combined with being a writer all my life is why I publish and sell books right now as my main income source. Isn’t it strange how all the little Cancer pieces come together? As for the politics, my name “Gregory” literally means “The Watchman”… and I can see myself behind the scenes rather than out front as they say, at least with respects to politics. I don’t think I could ever play their stupid games of pander; the only political environment I could see myself having a prominent position in is a sort of “No B.S.” Hitler-style Fascism. That way there would be no systems of pandering… no silly social games to play… and a guy could just step in there and get done what needed to get done without hassle.
The romantic side of their natures make them enjoy grubbing about in places where exciting discoveries may be made (old stamp collections in attics, etc.), and if they can do this professionally as a secondhand dealer or specialist in antiques, they will be happy. More common occupations which suit some subjects of Cancer are real estate broker, gardener and sailor.
Yes! Exciting discoveries! One of the things I love. Which is why I love exploring and love science. This is interesting because I was talking to my friend Jason Summers (an Aquarius) the other day about our mutual interest in science; his comes from a desire to find universal truths and purpose, while mine stem from a desire to explore, break new ground, and make new discoveries. It’s more about excitement and thrill and possessing secret esoteric information than anything else - information that may someday be used to construct my top-secret doomsday super-weapon, thus bringing the world (or at least a significant chunk of it) to its knees. All for no other purpose than the thrill, the romanticism of it all. Madness? No. Just a boy playing “cops and robbers” on a grand scale… and doesn’t care if he wins or loses; only that he has fun and makes an impact.
Physically they are average to below average in height, with a fleshy body and short legs in comparison with the rest of them. Their hair is usually brown, their faces round, their complexions pale, their foreheads prominent, their eyes small and blue or gray in color, their noses short, perhaps upturned, and their mouths full. They sometimes walk clumsily.
I do sometimes step clumsily. I do have a longer torso, making my legs appear a degree shorter than they would. I believe I am average height (is 6 feet, 1 inch tall average?)…I have blonde hair that has turned brownish-blonde over the years. Prominent forehead that I usually cover with my choice of haircut (the haircut is vitally important; it’s the thing that keeps the face within ideal Fibonacci proportions)… blue eyes, short nose, slightly upturned. Nice mouth. Yep, I’d say that fits me close enough.
Ok, so there you have it. I’ve just ran through everything they say a “Cancer” is supposed to be, and guess what? 95 to 98% of it matches me, minus a few small details. And you know what else? If I go on there and check out the OTHER astrological signs… none of them describe me; they each describe a different base temperament of a different person. They’re there for a reason.
Go read yours. You may discover things about yourself or ways of describing yourself that you never considered before. The best site I’ve found to read the sign descriptions is Astrology-Online.com - they’re not very good at the matches between signs, but they are excellent at the individual sign traits.
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Tags: astrological, astrology, cancer, horoscopes, july, life lessons, personality, pseudoscience, rising signs, science, strange stuff, sun signs, temperamentTopics: Personal, Strange & Unknown |
July 6th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
[...] i Recommend Family - Finding Your Family Heritage! | Finding Your Family Heritage! wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Most criticisms of astrology are long on opinion, short on actual demonstration and reason. I’ve always been one to tinker with things a bit before gradual acceptance or outright dismissal. And astrology has always been one of those subjects that fascinated me. Now before you go jumping to any conclusions here, the kind of astrology I’m talking about is REAL astrology… with numbers, formulas, calculations, and charts… not that stupid commercialized crap you find in newspaper horoscopes and in [...]
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:20 am
One astrologer from star-IQ said that millionaires don’t belive in astrology but billionaires do. I guess he got the point …and you as well…
Nick
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:58 am
Ha, I’ve never heard that quote before… interesting
August 25th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
[...] back, I wrote a fairly in-depth look at the psychology of a Cancer man because, well, I’m a Cancer myself and if you are too (or if you are considering dating one) [...]
September 7th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
this is me as well
The extreme insane over sensitivity can seem like a gift sometimes, because you seem to catch things that not many people do
but its so exhausting
i never learned how to control or hone it and its wreaked havoc with my life
add on top of that the exact oppopsite of what a cancer childhood should be,
IE warmth & plenty of support & friends
and i live like a hermit now at 24
I’m not sure what to do anymore
i have no real place, i dont fit in anywhere
afraid of everything….
i hate this
worst sign EVER
September 7th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Hey Scott,
Yeah I know what it’s like. But I’ve come out of it and I’m still coming out of it. I’ll write some more stuff in the future about how to do that. I know there are a lot of guys out there just like us.
–Greg