Sea of Tranquility

.... Sea of Tranquility

this is where Apollo 11 landed with
the first man on the moon,
during Cancer cycle ~ 20th July 1969.
Look at that Cancer symbol on its side, 69!

after gemini phase of on-the-go hustle & bustle,
we tire of all the socializing and movement.

Longing for peace and quiet,
to touch hearth, home & center,
the great Cosmic Wheel
brings us to Cancer...

this part of the cycle calls for mindful, sensitive response,
for unpacking, settling & inner attunement,
for familiar surroundings that don't tax our system,
that allow us to "hear" ourselves think and feel.

the raison d'être of cancer
is not outer adventure or thrill-seeking
but to Go Within,
building shelter from the storms at large,
cultivating serenity & security,
connecting with Spirit, for protection & guidance.

Here is interiority and the intimate, personal sphere.
we construct foundations & homes,
form families, tribes, close circles,
re-connect with ancestors
and ancient memories.

In his book the Sacred and the Profane, Mircea Eliade
reminds us that the settling of lands,
and the founding of cities & homes,
are the ways that spiritual-religious beings
create a world
thru the consecration of Center,
thru the establishment of Sacred Space.
It is an act of organizing primordial chaos

Consider the Vedic ritual for taking possession of a territory:
possession becomes legally valid thru the erection of a fire altar
consecrated to Agni.
"One says that one is installed when one has built the fire altar.
All those who've built the altar are legally established."

consecration, settlement, nesting.

Founding a World
to assure continuity, renewal & survival.

a little Cancer I know well was asked
"why don't you answer people when they talk to you?"
(referring to casual acquaintances met on the street)

Close to feelings & intuition,
this spirit tunes in, scans and sounds.
It picks up on every nuance,
ultra-sensitive to atmosphere, ambiance.

like Crab, this delicate sensing needs protection, armor.
Fluid, it needs insulation and containment,
to assure the necessary focus.
Crab moves slowly, surely.
Yet watch how fast it scitters away when threatened.

Cancer does not relish jolting surprises or breezy relationships
(like fire or air signs.)
Pure Cancer will not thrust itself upon the world,
but waits on intuition, instinct & circumstances for direction.

quiet, yin lunar energy
beautiful, warm, round
like a soft, full belly

fertile, creative, gifted

Shadow Cancer in the Sea of Tranquility
tends towards inertia, passivity, lack of dynamic.
One Cancer admits his favorite activity
is "eating in front of the TV".
This spirit can wander off into memories,
daydreams and fantasies,
can space out or "sleep",
at inopportune moments.

Tranquil often means avoiding direct, frank dialogue
and open conflict.
But this often ends up in tangled, unspoken
misunderstanding and bad feelings.
Martyrdom lurks here, along with guilt and manipulation.

another sea of the moon is called
Mare Insularum
or Sea of Isles
this insular/island theme
takes us straight to the heart of Cancer

It is the Island of deep self, the Island of Center,
that safeguards the integrity of this sign.

yet Shadow Insularum suggests:
if it's not ME / US
then it must be THEM.
Cancer may become very clannish,
shutting out the stranger, the unknown.
Fear & hesitation of how to respond to the unfamiliar,
to something outside the by heart realm .

Similar to shadow Taurus
we get stuck in familiar "feels-right-to-me" routine,
comfort, security, habit.
Agoraphobia strikes and nowhere is quite as safe as
Home-Sweet-Home.

When secure, open & attentive,
Cancer is our seashell of remembrance
the faint yet familiar Ocean-Echo
calling inward, calling to Center

this is where we seek & hopefully find
Home, the Holy Center
the Heart of the world.