Cancer Females: Beyond the mother archetype

Chances are whenever you read a description about Cancer females it will read something along these lines, " loves to cook, enjoys taking care of others, warm and maternal". Although these characteristics can describe the personality traits of some Cancers, it does not encompass the entirety of a Cancer woman. Like other water signs Cancers are a bit of a mystery to outsiders. Hard on the outside and soft and vulnerable inside, like our zodiac symbol the crab.

Out of all the signs in the Zodiac, Cancer is the sole symbol of motherhood and femininity. Cancers embody the feminine mystique in many ways. Often this will be embodied in a warm or maternal nature but at times this is not always the case. Both sexes tend to gravitate to more traditionally feminine roles. Such as jobs that involve caring for others or in fields such as teaching or social services.

But lets move beyond the mother archetype. Despite the fact that many Cancer females embody these maternal characteristics, not all do, and this post will explore the Cancer female in a new and different way. Cancers are much more than mere mothers, at times we are also the vulnerable lost little girl,  at other times we are the whore, and still at other times we can be a mystery, even to ourselves. This post will delve into the Cancer female and hopefully help readers to get past the traditional way of looking at this sign.

Through both my personal experiences (as a Cancer female) and through the study of the zodiac I have tried to learn more about my sign. I am not the best example for this post, since I often act like a typical Cancer most of the time. Meaning I am close with and protective of my family and friends, conservative, shy and uninviting to outsiders, cautious, defensive, and vulnerable. When people get to know me they realize this and often tease me for being a stereotypical Cancer. However, through my research on astrology and experiences with other Cancers I have noticed that the sterotypical mother archetypical of a Cancer does not always make sense because not all Cancer females are as "motherly" or as "conservative" as many astrologers believe.

Many Cancer females are the complete opposite of motherly and instead can even can exhibit very selfish and childish behavior. At times, some Cancers can act as the "wild child" and be completely reliant on others for support, both mentally and monetarily. Cancers truly do feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, more so then any other sign, although Capricorn probably comes in a close second. In Cancers there is a naturally occurring deep rooted sense of guilt; guilt as to never being a good enough person, or at least living up to our families ideals.

In general, Cancer is not an independent sign. Or to clarify, Cancer is not a sign that wants to be independent, we want to be wives, mothers, daughters, etc. More so we want to be protected and loved. Most Cancer women want to be taken care of in order to avoid the troubles and pressures of the world. The world can seem like a big scary place to most Cancers, filled with mean, insensitive, uncaring people. By acting like little girls it allows Cancer to escape the reality of the world.

One of Lindsay Lohans
 lyrics from her album,
Confessions of a broken heart:
"And I carry the weight of
the world on my shoulders
A family in crisis that only grows older"

One famous Cancer is Lindsay Lohan, I'm sure my readers would consider her behavior and attitude towards life to be neither motherly nor responsible. Lindsay Lohan struggles with drug issues, alcohol dependencies and has had many unsavory and even homosexual relationships. Traditional interpretations of Cancer would not describe her behavior as being normal for the sign. And yet Lindsay Lohan is in many ways a very stereotypical Cancer, even though a traditional interpretation of astrology would declare Lindsay to be an exception to the rule.

So why does Lindsay Lohan, as well as many other Cancers, act like this? How does a sign that is known for being maternal and responsible develop addictions? Why do so many female Cancers act like wild children? Often the reason for this behavior can be attributed to Cancers females not having  the emotional maturity to take on the maternal role. Emotional maturity, is too taxing, draining and most Cancers are not emotionally ready for it. In order to avoid or escape what at times feels like their obligations to the world many Cancer females will act like spoiled little girls.

Often Cancer females will turn to various addictions such as drugs, alcohol, food, and even men in order to escape what they view as a painful reality. By allowing themselves to become addicted to certain things Cancers can escape the pressures they face. When they're high Cancers don't feel vulnerable, no wonder that Lindsay Lohan's drug of a choice is cocaine, a substance known for enhancing and improving the mood of the user as well as giving them a g-dly feeling. Same concept with food as a moof enhancer, since having a full stomach or even just a full kitchen makes Cancer feel safer and protected.

Many Cancers often turn to our own mothers in time of need. For a sign that is known for being maternal of others we often need our mothers more then any other sign.  Think of the example of Lindsay Lohan and her own mother, a tumultuous co-dependent relationship in which Lindsay is allowed and rewarded for acting like a child. This type of negative co-dependent relationship can also carry over to a Cancer's relationship with a man as well. By allowing a man to take charge, Cancers can avoid responsibility something that many are not emotionally equipped or mature enough to deal with.

Oftentimes for Cancers coming from a broken home or the by product of a divorce or stressful situation they can act like children as well. Going back to my sister's post I want to point out this section out on co-dependent relationships, "a combination of immature thinking, dealing, and behaving that generates self-loathing. That self-loathing is acted out through self-destructive or unduly self-sacrificial behavior in adult years. To anesthetize the emotional pain, codependent adults try whatever makes them feel better -- alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling. They become addicted to relationships and will do anything to hold onto them, fearing the emotional abandonment that happened during childhood. They put aside what they want to please the other person, remaining in harmful situations far too long.In choosing a partner, they gravitate toward what is most familiar -- a dysfunctional mate".

Cancer females often have trouble leaving their mothers for this reason. In the case of weaker or non-existent mothers, Cancer women will gravitate to other dominant (or suffocating) figures. This can include men or even other stronger and more dominant women. At times this can result in Cancers entering into extremely dysfunctional relationships, with men or women. By relying on other people, or worse in some cases becoming addicted to others (which will be discussed in another post) Cancers can remove themselves from reality.

This is not to say that all Cancers will act like children, abuse drugs or alcohol or fall into dysfunctional relationships. But many Cancer females who are not emotionally mature can fall into this type of self-destructive behavior. More so than almost any sign in the Zodiac, Cancer is one the most sensitive. Not only behaviorally but also physically as well. Addiction comes naturally and most Cancers have to fight these impulses on a daily basis. Most Cancers with enough emotional maturity can control their impulsive feelings and know better then to drink or do drugs. But for those Cancers who lack emotional maturity and want to appease their childish impulses these addictions are their only way of escaping what seems like a harsh or cruel reality.

In conclusion, I want to point out that not all Cancers are like this. This post is an exploration of Cancer female beyond the mother archetype that is espoused by almost all traditional astrology. Many Cancers, including myself, veer more towards the maternal figure than the self destructive addict. Like our ruling planet the moon we go through emotional cycles. At times full and bright, we view the world as rosy and optimistic, and at other times we barely have a sliver of optimism left. Many Cancers will never engage in such self destructive behavior in their lifetime but others will. I am hoping this post will shine some light on what is considered a very touchy subject in the astrology world. My next post on Cancer females will be a discussion on addictions, impulse control and love.