The overall theme or lesson of the Full Moon Cycle of Cancer is the bonds of family mother and child specifically but not exclusively. This chapter deals with personal soul connections; the dedication and sacrifice persisting from one lifetime to the next to preserve life and family. Follow the lunar phases in the minor cards listed in this chapter to understand the benfits and disadvantages of dealing with the preservationand maintenance of family for positive or negative in the physical world. See how the cards relate to the theme of the miracle of family.
The Magician represents the first full moon cycle after Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice or Yule is the cross-quarter day that signals the return of longer days in the Northern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice is the day when Mother Earth gives birth to the Sun child. Many Solar Deities have their birthdays at this time. Hathor birthed the lion-maned Sphinx; Isis gave birth to Horus. Celtic goddess Rhiannon gave birth Pryderi (golden haired colt who was the Sun). The Persian solar/savior god Mithra was said to have no mother born from a female rock December 25th and called “the unconquerable Sun" he was adopted by the Romans in 307 AD as the "Protector of the Empire". Mary gave birth to Jesus, who became assimilated with these older deities, thus the reference to the 'Sun' of God.
The Scarab eats dung and transforms the filth into fertile soil- it is but another mother's traditional job to clean and renew. This card emphasizes the importance of Renewal and Rejuvenation Powers of life and of Birth. These powers are seen as the Mother bringing forth life from a dark womb. Birth is the magical event that transforms spirit into the material world.
The magical newborn who is in tune with the universal energies at the moment of it's birth, is imprinted with his/her personal rules caught in this moment of birth for the rest of his /her life and documented in the natal chart.
Which leads me to an interesting story about a hunch I had relating to the Star of Bethlehem being an astrological configuration. Some years ago I had a friend with a very advanced astrology program run a search for a Fire and Water trine over Bethlehem. A trine is an astrological term used when three planets aspect each other in three signs having the same element. To find a fire and water trine you would be looking for a chart with planets aspecting in all three water signs, Scorpio, Cancer and Pisces as well as all three fire signs, Leo, Sagittarius and Aries. I asked her to find me a fire and water trine between 1000 BCE and 50 AD. A fire and water trine would not create a true star of David in the sky but the symbolism would be significant to a people waiting for the return of the Messiah, in my mind. In her search she came up with January 5 in the year 02BCE. There was only one fire and water trine in the whole time frame I gave her. This seemed to me to be what I was looking for. Conflicts arose with timing however because Herod was supposed to have died in 4BCE according to historical records. This was two years too early for the story of the three wise men to work into my "star" theory. Then a couple weeks ago a documentary on PBS came on that stated a correction in King Herod's date of death they (this documentary) revised the date of death to 01BCE. This makes an astronomical chart containing a fire and water trine a very feasible star (Star of David) for the natal chart of a" once and future king". The three Kings 'from the east' sometimes called Wise men or Astrologers whose gifts represented the three factions of Jews in ancient Israel The Essenes (love) myrrh The Sadducees (rich land owning Jews) gold, Pharisees (law) frankincense.
What is still interesting to me is the" Eastern origin" of the story. This implies that the story was being told from a place different than Palestine. When I used to hear this story as a child these Kings came from some place else...we three kings from orient are. But these were the local Jewish authorities. The fourth King Herod was the "bad" king not to be trusted. (Was this a Roman perspective?) But further research showed that Herod was the appointed King of the Jewish people. Appointed by Marc Antony an ally of Egypt and in direct opposition to the emperor Augustus. Antony and Augustus who were at war only 28 years earlier. Last but not least the 'holy family’ fearing 'Herod' or (maybe it was Rome) fled to Egypt to be safe. Herod also was the owner of Masada where the last of the rebels against Rome eventually committed suicide. Masada had been a favorite rendezvous spot of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. I also find this to be an interesting political connection since Herod was appointed King of the Jews by Marc Antony back in the days before the death of Julius Caesar. After Caesar's death Antony joined forces with Cleopatra against Rome. Was Herod still an ally of Antony and Cleopatra during their conflict?
I believe this was politics with a spiritual edge. The Jewish kings were searching for King David's return. I think he did return. But he had evolved and the law of "might as right" that David had established by slaying Goliath was the law Jews and the Roman's had adhered to. This law was unjust. Jesus/Yeshua came back to enforce the old law of Karma. Balance an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. Which is a natural law not really needing any human intervention. The law what goes around comes around being more in line with the laws of Karma. But also Jesus was teaching people how to release themselves from their karma by turning the other cheek. Defeating your enemies by allowing them to defeat themselves with their own bad karma.
This may not have been what the "the three Kings /astrologers /Jewish authorities" expected when they looked for the Star of David in the sky. But Jesus did play the role of the traditional Savior gods like Horus and Mithra casting light on the shadows within.
Other names: Mother of child couples; Mary (Jesus Christ); the Great Goddess; Isis (Horus); other Mother Goddesses of Transformation; Nana; Rhiannon; Pryderi; Earth and Sun, Khepera, the self made one (Egyptian sun of the morning)
Symbols: Eye of the creator; the child; sparrow hawk; eagle; lion; Phoenix
Attributes: Omnipresent; omniscience; omnipotence
Full Moon in Cancer key phrase: "I Feel"
In a Reading: This card represents the magic of life. It represents a person who has the ability to create whatever they wish from the materials in their environment. When seeking information about timing this card would represent the beginning with a long road. This card symbolizes one’s personal energy moving outward rather than being externalized.
