June 20, 2020—Solstice marks the day in the Northern Hemisphere where the Sun reaches his zenith and begins his descent. The Moon’s reign begins to lengthen as the Sun enters Cancer, the Moon’s domicile. In Cancer, the solar self dims as we fold into kin. We remember the past, regaling stories steeped in nostalgia. We carry the memories of our ancestors who continue to pour through our smiles, voices, facial expressions and gestures. Like the tides, Cancer’s emotional states ebb and flow.
Cancer is the expression of mother’s milk when her baby cries. It’s the Kleenex box next to the diary. It’s the evening sky when it divides into layers of pink and blue. Cancer is the vulnerable belly our dog offers for a gratifying rub-down. It’s the instinct to block the blow and protect the defenseless. It’s the sense of danger felt in our gut, grown wise from years of experience. Cancer is the mother tongue, the dining room table, the cuisine of the old country, and the smell of grandmother’s kitchen. It’s the prayer we cry to god, goddess or to mother when we need to feel safe. Cancer is the stone that sinks back into the well of memory and then deeper into the tear in the veil we all come from.