Cancer II
The Three of Cups/Decan 11 of 36/ 1 July-12 July
The Moon Invites Mercury into the Chat
Cancer II | 1 July-12 July | 10°00’ - 19°59’ Cancer
“Once upon a time, when the world was as wild as the talons of a hawk, as fresh as the backside of a baby and as beautiful as the sun rising…”
Cancer II:
Tarot card: Three of Cups
Cancer II
Planetary Ruler: Moon
Decan Ruler: Mercury
One of my favorite examples of the magic of this card, was written by the phenomenal teacher, tarotista and artist T Susan Chang. On her blog (of which I link every decan in the Golden Dawn decan title link) she writes about the idea of “scarcity mindset” of the #5 cards in tarot. In the pathway on the Tree of Life, the 5 connects to the 3 through the pathway of The Chariot. She writes “3 of Cups is the result of adding "magical thinking" to an "abundance mindset". The Magician represents the connection between "As Above" and "So Below"; the Chariot represents the vessel which bears the soul between Above and Below. So, safe conduct of the soul between realms is a theme of both. Perhaps we are only free to move when we feel truly secure. Perhaps the secret of generosity is to know we are so intrinsically well protected we have no need for self-defense. (Recall that Jupiter's exaltation degree is hidden at the center of this decan.)”
As I’m writing this, Jupiter is in its last few days in Cancer. In less than 3 days the greater benefic will move into fiery and steadfast Leo, having spent the past 386 days in exalted Cancer. All of the Cancer decans will miss Jupiter being present in the watery sign, but maybe we all need a break from the grandness in this place. Mercury, as the decan lord and storyteller of the Sun here, can reminisce about Jupiter’s year long journey. Mercury will be retrograde throughout this decan and I can’t help but think it will be dominated by the Jupiter story of Cancer. I’m already talking about it today! (June 27) Maybe this will be our experience of Cancer II this year: talking about the last year and wondering what abundance we have to appreciate. Looking back at the moments of celebration, kinship, revelry in a way to stir up more of that in the coming year.
A few months ago, I connected individually with two women astrologers in my area and I wanted them to meet each other. In the initial email of introduction, I titled it “3 of Cups, Asheville Edition” and through email and calendars, we organized a time to meet at a local tea shop. Jupiter was in the Cancer II decan when we met. When the day came, we all sat together with our various drinks and raised our glasses. I exclaimed “THREE OF CUPS!” to my laughter and their wide eyes. Tarot is so wonderfully obvious and this card especially is one I recommend you recreate during the next week. Keep this card posted in a public space so that you can see it’s image often. Find two friends, tell them I sent you, and that I told all three of you that you’re supposed to dress up and clink glasses together then yell “THREE OF CUPS!” Bonus for being barefoot with abundance on the ground. Post a picture or send it to me and that will feed Mercury with the lunar nectar they desire during this time.
Remember: Decans are a 10 day “week” and at some point during that decan/week if you take the time to honor the things you’re noticing, that is all that is asked of you. Stay calm & keep walking.
Cancer II is communicative, connecting, celebratory, reflecting, libatious
Austin Coppock names it “A Walled Garden”
The Golden Dawn titled it “Abundance”
Teucer of Babylon writes of the second decan of Cancer “the married man will be wealthy, and he will benefit from the affairs of others, and he will be grieved by his wife.”
The Magician (Mercury) & The Chariot (Cancer)
Decan Transit:
This time is Mercurial and this planet of communication will be in Cancer during the all of this decan.
Mercury in Cancer 26°05’ - 21°10’ Retrograde
As Uranus & Mars get closer together for an exact conjunction of 3°52’ Gemini, around July 3rd & 4th, Mercury will be antiscia at 25°29’ in Cancer. There’s some hidden connection that Mercury may bring forward during this conjunction. Mercury is the host of this conjunction, so the retrograde motion will inform the way this aspect is expressed. We all get to find out just what that will be. Since Uranus is involved, famously unpredictable and surprising, it’s hard to pin down just what this loud aspect will find form in. Look to the place in your chart that Gemini covers and you’ll get a hint as to what topics may be live wires. If you’re in a Mercury ruled year (like moi) or if you’re a Mercury ruled person (Virgo & Gemini risings) then you/we may be the lightning rods for this transit to our concentric circles of community. The Aliens that land will want to speak to us first, is what I’m saying ;)
After that day, the only major aspect Mercury makes is to the Moon in Pisces (Trine), the Moon in Aries (Square) & the Moon in Taurus (sextile). By the end of this decan, the Sun will have moved very close to Mercury, about 1° away, where it will Cazimi with the sun (but that’s for the next decan story)
Natal Chart Consideration:
In your own chart, look to see if you have any planets or points in 10°00' - 19°59’ Cancer. The Sun will be traveling through & activating these degrees. Also consider if you have your natal Mercury in aspect to 10°00’ - 19°59’ Cancer: Mercury in Capricorn will oppose the Sun; Mercury in Scorpio & Pisces will trine the Sun; Mercury in Libra & Aries will square the Sun; Mercury in Taurus & Virgo will sextile the Sun.
Personal Work:
If you’re writing during this decan, here are some journal prompts for this solar moment in the decan story.
Look at the image of the Three of Cups card and write down what it reminds you of? Who are the people in the scene? Are you in there, if so, what age do you see yourself as?
Write three pages of an imaginary story, set in any time period, of these three characters? Are they celebrating the night before a great battle? Are they youths who are ready for independence and their young adult lives? Are they three crones remembering the joy that lives in their hearts? Are they three facets of one person who generates the engine of celebration?
What does this card look forward to? What does it lament? Can you find this card in some form for each day of the decan? Catch these moments with a butterfly net.
For further connection to Mercury, as the decan ruler, you can focus your practice on Mercury’s Day (Wednesday) & Mercury’s Hour. July 1 & 8 are the two Mercury days during this decan but you can work within Mercury’s hours on any day. Find the planetary hours for your location with this link: Planetary Hours Calculator Link
Bonus points for choosing Mercury’s hour ON their day for a special honor. They like the color orange, patterns, coins, stamps, metal shiny bits, tennis balls, small tangerines, multicolored stones, old fashioned toys
Resources:
The powerful Martin Shaw leads this three voice storytelling on Valemon, The White Bear. There’s a wildness in Cancer II that reminds me of storytelling like this:
As a part of this project, I’ve invited new writers to share their voice on a decan. To close out this post, I hope that you will check out Teri’s wisdom on Cancer II
Teri Nudelman | Cancer II
These posts are always free. To support this work, you can become a free or paid subscriber, share this work on your socials & tell your friends.
As a paid subscriber, you are given an invitation to the Decan Dream Covey. This level of membership allows more community chat, additional articles & monthly decan+dream meetings that you can attend live or asynchronous.
Thank you for constellating with me
End Credits:
Cancer II Natives
1 July Keigo Hayashi (musician) 2 July Hermann Hesse (novelist) 3 July Franz Kafka 4 July Bill Withers (singer-songwriter) 5 July Edie Falco (actress) 6 July Frida Kahlo (painter) 7 July George Cukor (film director) 8 July Jean de La Fontaine (fabulist) 9 July Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph (composer) 10 July Camille Pissarro (painter) 11 July Leon Spinks (boxer) 12 July Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skater)
🌙
spell it,
Christa