As social engagements ramp up, the Crab’s soft underbelly reminds us to remain soft and easy, even as we guard our own time. It’s the dichotomy of safety and sensitivity, of protection and vulnerability. Despite its thorny exterior, the Crab, of course, has a soft, sensitive underbelly that literally feels every bump on the road. Cancer is symbolized by the Crab, with its hard protective outer shell that provides a home wherever it goes. At the solstice, then, we can recognize the sun as well as the moon.

During Cancer season, taking time for introspection and nurturing the self can help us get back in touch with our heart’s true desires. In this season of bounty, our practices become a conduit for exploration of the abundance within a means to tend our inner gardens so that we may maximize the intake of our spiritual harvest.Ĭancer season asks us what it truly means to come home to ourselves, and to create the conditions to thrive in that nest.Īs the fourth sign of the zodiac wheel, Cancer symbolizes the divine feminine and is ruled by the moon, and is associated with the third eye (Ajna) chakra in Vedic astrology. While this playful and relaxed season may feel busy for its rush of social events and vacations, Cancer season is an opportunity to consider exactly what enables a sense of security and safety, even in the throes of external obligation. The summer solstice kicks off Cancer season on June 20 or 21 of every year-the beginning of a kind of spiritual homecoming. Summer’s on: the season of lush blooming, levity, and play.

Reprinted with permission: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Sections of this article appear in The Yoga Almanac: 52 Practices and Rituals to Stay Grounded Through the Astrological Seasons, March 2020, New Harbinger Publications.

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