Karmic Saturn in Cancer

Your karmic Saturn in Cancer holds the secret to manifesting your soul purpose.

Cancer symbolizes your karmic responsibilities, duties and obligations. Its shows you what you need to do, and how to structure your life to achieve your soul purpose.

It’s about facing your karmic (Cancer-related) fears. Then step-by-step… living empowered Cancer. Think of it another way…

Saturn in Cancer is the karmic reality you need to face about yourself. And once you do that, it becomes your bridge to accomplishment in the material world: the answer to your “how”.

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Fears to face: Your emotional (family) needs

Commitment to make: Healthy connections with others

Clues to how to “do” your purpose in the real world

With karmic Saturn in Cancer, you’re here to expand your capacity for AUTHENTIC EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. So first seek to understand your family dynamic – and then, get to know your heart.

Saturn is ruled by pragmatic, uber-dependable Capricorn. In its highest sense, Capricorn is the “stable, dependable father”. But when stressed, Capricorn can also be rigid and emotionally cut off.

Saturn symbolizes the area of life in which you’ll feel some constriction. And also where you’re being called to face reality. So “doing” your karmic Saturn is not meant to be easy peasy. Especially when it’s in sensitive Cancer, Capricorn’s opposite sign: it’s an emotional balancing act.

Saturn abhors laziness. But these earthy energies also reward effort. Your progress will be in proportion to how much effort you put in to turn your Saturn around. Progress may be slow, but don’t give up!

Your karmic Saturn in Cancer is asking you to face your FAMILY WOUNDS and emotional inadequacies.

First by PROTECTING and NURTURING YOURSELF. And then by opening your heart to AUTHENTICALLY CONNECT with OTHERS.

Does Cancer scare you a bit?

Does the mention of “family wounds” and ”connect with others” make you feel a bit squeamish or scared? Or anger you?

That’s understandable. Saturn’s dampening influence can make anyone shy and awkward. Difficulty relying on others is a symptom of karmic Saturn in Cancer.

But committing to your Saturn not only helps shifts your wounds and fears – it’s the key to manifesting your soul purpose. You can read more about the role of Saturn in karmic astrology here.

Yes: manifesting your Saturn will require some emotional fortitude. But your efforts will be worth it. In time, you'll develope a well of emotional strength you’ll eventually offer others.

How Cancer karma might show up in your life

From a karmic point of view, Saturn in Cancer symbolizes past lifetimes where you didn’t “do” Cancer in a healthy way. Instead of embracing your feminine side and creating a secure and comfy home, you may have got caught up in negative Cancer.

In response, your soul may create situations to bring this to your atteniton:

• You continue in the extremes of negative Cancer: you’re hyper sensitive, co-dependent and needy, unable to love yourself; or
• You over-compensate by cutting yourself off from having an emotional life, rejecting your need for family (but lonely in your shell); or
• You project your unhealthy Cancer by creating a family who deeply wounds you, but who are really showing you a part of your karmic (soul) self that needs to be faced and healed.

Cancer is a water sign. It’s creative, compassionate – and honours the past. Combined with Saturn, it’s seriously protective, emotionally grounded and has the potential to be a great parent.

However when cozied up to Saturn, at first it can be closed off. You may have trouble trusting others or be caught in negative Cancer: either cutting others off to protect your heart, or being emotionally clingy (setting up more rejection).

What healthy (flowing) Cancer looks like...

Healthy Cancer seeks emotional security through family (including soul family) and a secure home base. It’s drawn to nature, the water, creativity. It knows when to fiercely protect, and when to lighten up and play. Cancer honours it’s ancestry, and may have an interest in the family history, or the history of it’s country.

When it’s flowing, your Cancer will help you form and nurture healthy relationships. It’ll help you be receptive, vulnerable and claim your feminine side: whether or not you’re a woman.

Healthy Saturn in Cancer forms secure emotional roots and families. It’s your emotional foundation... upon which all of your relationships will unfold.

This is an amazing potential, right? But when you have Saturn in Cancer, it’s like your thrusters are being throttled. Giving and receiving emotional support feel blocked. Which is why Saturn in Cancer often shows up (first) as parental abandonment, and not receiving the family support you deeply desire.

The gold... of having Saturn in Cancer

The ““gold” of Saturn in Cancer is that it forces you not to rely on others for emotional stability. Instead, you'll find self-love, security and emotional self-acceptance within yourself.

You'll reverse your co-dependency. You'll make inner security a permanent a possession of your soul. And from this solid emotional ground, you'll have the strength to offer your care to others, with a compassionate understanding of their pain.

Are you a man with Saturn in Cancer?

Tending to and relaxing your emotional life tends to be more difficult for a man. Good for you for asking these questions! But if you embark on this journey, you’ll balance the masculine and feminine sides of your nature. You’ll find true inner serenity. And this will deepen all of your relationships. Here's a good place to start: Emotionally Intelligent Husbands Key to Lasting Marriage

Does this resonate for you so far? If so, what’s the source and what can you do to transform your Saturn in Cancer?

Possible Saturn in Cancer past lives

“Psychic energy does not vanish, it just takes another channel.”

– Saturn: A new look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene

Here are some past lifetimes that might relate to karmic Saturn in Cancer. Hint: these themes may also be symptoms of present Saturn challenges.

• Overly emotional, co-dependent “smother” mother, who demands emotional validation from others, and who (unhealthily) depends on her husband to make and manage money.
• A mother who was authoritative, cold, rigid, strict, narcissistic, focused on material support, but not emotional support.
• A mother (parent) who was alcoholic, addicted or otherwise impaired or absent, creating a burden in the family.
• Someone who committed suicide due to parental or family rejection.
• A fisherman or sailor always on the water, who ignored family, spending all the time at sea.
• A cook or caretaker, whose creations nourished others, but not themselves.
• A woman who abandoned a child, leaving them to fend for themselves in orphanages or foster homes (or that heartbroken child who was abandoned)

Recognizing your karmic Saturn in Cancer in your life

“What we hate in others is consciously living within us.”

– Saturn: A new look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene

Your fears, projections and overreactions in this lifetime may have their roots in past lifetimes.

Your fears

• Fear of emotional intimacy and being vulnerable, so you build walls and your relationships suffer (but inside you feel emotionally isolated and lonely).
• Extreme fear of divorce, disappointment, raising a child alone, so you are paranoid (self-fulling prophecy) or avoid relationship and family altogether.
• Fear of your children leaving home, judging or distrust of mothers and nurturing women.
• Fear of witnessing or judging other’s emotions, lack of healthy empathy and compassion.
• Fear of being hurt so you’re tempermental, sulky, moody, hypersensitive “HSP”, depending on others for your emotional well-being.

Your projections (karmic mirrors)

• You are (or know) a dependent woman with no financial skills whose husband died, leaving a financial mess for her to clean up.
• You experience family as a burden or painful disappointment, due to absent parent, narcissism, illness or addition such as alcoholism.
• You have difficulty creating a supportive, stable family (because family security was never imprinted properly in you as a child).
• You have an emotional compulsion to accumulate land… i.e. using the material to fill an emotional need.
• Even though you don’t need to, you live in an unattractive, cold, stark home that is not comfortable or nurturing and you resist making it beautiful.
• You suspect or know that your chronic physical illnesses, are due to emotional blocks.
• You are a child from a broken or alcoholic home, you were raised by a single parent due to death or divorce), you grew up believing that the family dysfunction was “your fault”.
• You have “rose coloured glasses” when it comes to family, or you reject family altogether.
• Any of the above descriptions, in other people around you! And those people drive you nuts...

Your overreactions

• Fear of being emotionally shut off, so you overcompensate by having no boundaries in relationships, or you “need to be needed”.
• Avoiding relationship or family entirely, not letting anyone in.
• Resistance to family and domesticity, yet craving family and connection.
• Either “tied” to family or place of birth, or indifferent and detached from it.
• Emotional pain due to feeling of being unloved or unwanted. Here's Dr. Gabor Mate on Attachment and Authenticity: this four minute video brought me to tears.
• An emotional pack rat terrified of letting go: you hold grudges, never forgive, cling to or over-romanticize the past.
• Shut down and emotionally withholding when not feeling safe.
• Freezing up, unable to read or understand other people’s emotions, affecting your relationships with spouse and children.

Three steps to claiming empowered Cancer

Keep in mind that these aren’t really a linear “process”, it’s a lifetime unfolding. But hopefully, they're a good place to start.

Step one: Read up on Cancer

Read about the energy of Cancer to understand its highest potential – and it’s pitfalls. Notice your emotional reactions, that's where the growth is.

Step two: Face your Cancer fears

When fears of vulnerability come up, take that as a clue. Stay open to receiving insights on your present or past life that might help explain your symptoms. Tears mean yes.

Step three: Commit to empowered Saturn in Cancer

When you’re looking for “How” to launch a venture, make a move, manage a situation: look to healthy Cancer. Choose a career, where you’re connected with or helping others. Or a business, where your sincere care of your clients, is the basis of your material success.

Activities that align with healthy Saturn in Cancer

(Are you already doing some of these? Awesome!)

Transform co-dependence (or emotional isolation) into nourishing relationships.

Here are some other ideas:

• Psychologically, spiritually, do everything you can to become the nurturing, stable parent you never had! Kick Saturn in the butt... (smile)
• Study attachment theories, and healthy interdependency in relationships.
• Learn to sail, or boat, or enjoy cottage life: prioritize living on or spending time on the water.
• Invest in real estate (if you see this as nurturing a property or tenants for your future security – i.e. it’s about more than the money).
• Investigate your family history, ancestral healing (epigenetics or trauma handed down though generations) Here's a good article to start: Mystery of Inherited Trauma
• If you have no family or children at the moment, decide to care for something, anything: pet, plant, fish – your home or garden!
• If you’re about to be living in an “empty nest”, explore self-care (or any thing on this list).
• Nest! Create a beautiful, nurturing, comfy home. Become an AirBnB host, creating a beautiful experience for others.
• Travel or create art! Explore oceans, lakes, boats, sea creatures… or make a business out of these types of interests. Saturn would love that.
• Work at home! Or create an office or company, with a family feel.
• Create your “soul family” with dear, trusted friends - whether or not they'rE related. Become a foster parent.
• Volunteer to support single or abused women, single moms, broken families or orphaned children (pick the cause that resonates…)
• Design a family tree album, or a photo gallery to honour your family history.

Remember. Saturn in Cancer is not about being “overly emotional”. It’s about creating authentic connections. Being a caring parent – by first being a mother to yourself.

FYI, I’ve written a book about (my) ancestral wounds

My north node is in Cancer in the 12th house, so part of what I’m here to do is understand not only my own emotional life, but my family karma. My memoir Back to the Water is my personal exploration. If you’re an empath, or a sensitive “odd duck” in your family, perhaps you’ll resonate with my story.

References and further reading:

• Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil – Liz Greene
• Discovering Your Soul Mission – Linda Brady
• Twelve Faces of Saturn: Your Guardian Angel Planet – Bil Tierney

Want to go deeper?

If you found this helpful, why not book a private karmic astrology session with me. I work with professionals on an awakening journey who want to consciously align their personality with their soul.

By the way, practising karmic astrology is one of the ways I “do” my own Saturn in Aquarius. Aquarius rules astrology, among other things.

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Take me to:

North Node – Life-changing descriptions of the North Node, by sign and house.

Saturn in karmic astrology – Empowering perspectives on Saturn – your unique bridge to accomplishing your soul purpose in the real world.

Book a private karmic astrology session with me now (or just read about my sessions).

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