Cancer (Crabs) Tarot: The Chariot
The fourth entry in my examination of the connections between Astrology and the Tarot is a sign that holds great personal significance for me: Cancer. I suppose I should clarify: Cancer is my birth sign; the personal significance is not (thankfully) because I am afflicted with the disease that shares its name. Although I understand how there might be confusion, especially following the incredibly moving “Stand Up To Cancer” tribute from last week’s All-Star Game.
Moving back to the superficial/mystical, the Tarot card associated with the astrological sign of Cancer is The Chariot. This card is #7 in the Major Arcana, and it depicts… well, a chariot. The Universal Waite deck (with drawings by Pamela Colman Smith) has some cultural confusion in its imagery: the chariot itself is occupied by a blonde figure in plate armor, with a couple of European castles in the background, but the chariot is being pulled by Sphinx-like figures wearing decidedly Egyptian headdresses. I must say that the whole picture kind of reminds me of the “White Egyptian” image that’s circulating around the Internet, which is not actually from an American textbook, but it’s still a good example of whitewashing history.
Digging deeper, Arthur Edward Waite, in his book of commentary accompanying the deck, says that Sphinxes were not always depicted as drawing the chariot, with white horses substituted in some 18th century versions. He goes on to surmise that the figure in the chariot “is really the King in his triumph, typifying, however, the victory which creates kingship as its natural consequence” – so in other words, a conquering power. Indeed, Waite continues later in the book: “he is conquest on all planes – in the mind, in science, in progress, in certain trials of initiation… He is above all things triumph in the mind.”
I’m not sure how well this interpretation links with my understanding of Cancer as a sign. On the one hand, as a Water sign, Cancer is concerned with mind and emotions. But I’ve never associated Cancer as a “conquering hero,” especially where the mind is concerned. I, for one, have never felt like a conqueror in regards to my emotions, and I’m a Cancer in both my sun and my moon sign.
The disconnect continues when we look at the corresponding card in the Baseball Tarot: Control. Not only is the concept of “willpower” somewhat alien to my experience of the world as a double Cancer, but the illustration on the card – a baseball player running towards the viewer – doesn’t fit with how the term “control” is most often used in the concept of baseball, i.e. a pitcher’s ability to command their pitches. Which is even more ironic, considering Cancer has had a historically weak pitching staff, going all the way back to the 1970’s.
However, the card’s description in the accompanying book by Mark Lerner and Laura Phiips gives some more context. “We are dealing here with focus, an ability to avoid all distractions, to tune out the roar of the crowd, the shouts, taunts, and jeers, and harness total energy for the immediate task.” This card deals more with the concept of “self-discipline” that is necessary for success in not just baseball, but arguably any worthwhile pursuit. “Control cannot be gauged by physique, rippling muscles, or swagger on the field. It is far more subtle and involves coordination of mind, body, and spirit.”
All in all, this card represents the primacy of the mental space that is appropriate to Cancer. When it appears in a reading, it is supposed to point the person to their goal, and remind them that accomplishing it requires a mix of thinking and feeling, intuitive and logical, and that this synthesis should be approached with a calm awareness. Good advice, but easier said than done… especially for Cancers.
Next time, we’ll continue our trip backwards through FABL history, as we look at the 1998 season.