The Symbolism & Psychology of Cancer

The mythology associated with Cancer is surprisingly brief. The sign is represented by the humble crab, whose role occupies only a few lines in Greek mythology.

During the second of his labours, the hero Heracles was engaged in battle with the Hydra, a monstrous serpent. Seeking to hinder him, Hera, queen of the gods and goddess of marriage, motherhood, and the home, sent a giant crab to attack the hero. The crab’s efforts were futile. Heracles crushed it beneath his heel and continued the battle. Yet Hera, pleased by its loyalty and devotion, honoured the crab by placing it among the stars as the constellation Cancer.

The crab serves Hera, the great goddess. It stands not with the hero but against him. Where Heracles represents the masculine principle—the urge to conquer, achieve, overcome, and master the world—the crab serves the feminine principle embodied by Hera: marriage, family, belonging, protection, and the preservation of life.

About the Zodiac Series

Most astrology focuses on personality traits: Aries is assertive, Taurus steadfast, Gemini curious, and so forth. Yet far less attention is given to why these traits emerge, what psychological tensions they express, and how they are meant to develop.

This lecture series approaches the zodiac through the lens of Psychodynamic Astrology. Rather than treating the zodiac as a static collection of traits, it views each sign as a psychological potential, developmental challenges, and a transformative process.

Through mythology, psychology, and symbolic analysis, this series explores the zodiac as a cycle of transformation, revealing not only aspects of character but also the deeper processes shaping human development and destiny.