Peter Damian talks about the ‘homes and hearts’ of Cancerians being ‘safe havens’ – a cardinal water sign ruled by the moon. This sign is a sensitive sign which embodies our feelings and need to be nurtured – the homemaker par excellence!
There’s some ‘deep stuff’ going on here though – Achilles mother, Thetis, didn’t want him to go to war so she dressed him up as a girl? Letting go can be difficult. Kahlil Gibran says, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself…” Musically, try ‘Grandmas’ Feather Bed’ (sung by John Denver) and ‘Memory’ from the musical ‘Cats’ (for the sense of nostalgia associated with this sign).
Bach Flower’s Clematis is for the dreamy, absent-minded quality associated with Cancer. And think of Australian Bush Flowers’ Sturt Desert Pea for issues around long-held grief/letting go and Red Suva Frangipani for emotional overwhelm. Cancer’s tissue salt is Calc-Fluor – a good one for maintaining elasticity in our bodies.
Image Courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at freedigitalphotos.net
Scorpio – a sign of depth, intensity and transformation (fixed water and ruled by Pluto). The energy of truly facing our desires and the power of them in our lives. Alan Oken talks about three levels of Scorpio which are intertwined: the scorpion (grappling with the shadow), the eagle (aiming high, driving hard) and the dove (transcending the ego, transforming the pain).
Find the themes in Hades’ abduction of Persephone and Perseus’ slaying of Medusa. Musically, try Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’, Roberta Flack singing ‘Killing Me Softly’ – or think of Franz Liszt and his drive to ‘conquer the keyboard itself’ in his practice.
Scorpio’s Bach Flower is Chicory – for working with those overly-possessive and manipulative qualities. Rough Bluebell (Australian Bush Flowers) helps with the right use of power, with Pink Mulla Mulla helping to heal deep wounds in the psyche and open us to trusting. Calc-Sulph is the tissue salt associated with this sign – for excessive discharges, spots and boils.
Image Courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at freedigitalphotos.net
Pisces’ energy (mutable water) tends towards drifting and dreaming – the chameleon of the zodiac and ruled by the planet, Neptune. A sign, “… related to the purification of the emotions and mental images that have accumulated over the centuries,” according to Stephen Arroyo – about our collective connectedness.
The Voyage of Odysseus and his 20-year journey home is a good one to contemplate for that sense of life taking us where we hadn’t intended. Also look at Dionysus and other myths that relate to sacrifice and transcendence. John Williams’ ‘Flight to Neverland’ from the film, ‘Hook’ (in fact film music in general has this feel) and ‘Out of the Depths’ by Terry Oldfield are a couple of examples to try musically.
Pisces’ Bach Flower is Rock Rose, addressing night terrors and extreme fear. Australian Bush Flowers’ Angelsword helps with cutting through spiritual confusion and accessing our Higher Self, with Fringed Violet offering auric protection. The tissue salt associated with Pisces is Ferr-Phos – for iron levels in the body.
Image Courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at freedigitalphotos.net