Welcome to the Discipline of Freedom Podcast exploring how to create your spiral of success. Integrate the magical and practical, mystical and material at the intersection of creativity and commerce, consciousness and communication through the lens of astrology, yogic alchemy and brand strategy with your host Eilish Bouchier, Creative Director, Vision Activator, Brand Pioneer,
The 4th sign of the 12 zodiac signs is Cancer. Cancer feels all the feels. It’s the emotional and intuitive sign - the homebody of the zodiac. It’s how we create belonging and security. They love to create cozy, safe spaces that serve as their personal sanctuaries, then spend lots of time in them. Cancer’s curiously are the most financially responsible signs of the zodiac - nothing like making sure your money’s in order to make one feel secure eh!
Cancer is ruled by the moon. The moon rules our emotional body. If your moon is not satisfied no matter how successful your life looks it won’t be fulfilling. The moon rules over one's emotions, but also over the fourth house, which represents home, family, and foundations. So you’ll want to know where Cancer is in your chart to see where you feel most at home and then look to see which house and sign your moon is in too. For me it’s my 5th house of play, creativity and pleasure. Does it now make more sense that I want you to own your story and feel that beautiful sense of belonging to yourself Liberated to create the future of your dreams empowered by your history, instead of it weighing you down. And of course I want to inspire and entice you into your power in a playful way. Coercion is not my way.
So let's set the scene
Ruling Planet: Moon - it pulls the tides it’s not a stretch to propose it could exert a bit of a tug on us too. And you know that the full moon is the busiest night of the month for police.
Mantra I feel Feeling Good Nina Simone
Energy Polarity: Yin/Feminine
Element: Water - emotions are energy in motion
Quality: Cardinal - which means it starts things, initiating energy. First sign after a change in season. It’s taking what the previous season (Aries, Taurus and Gemini had created delivered and making something new. In the northern hemisphere we’re heading into high summer and in the south into deep winter.
Anatomy: Bet you knew it rules the chest womb, stomach (gut seat of intuition) and breasts, which means that a positive attitude to your body, reproduction, and parenting— your inner child, your own children and the children of the universe,”
Metal: is of course silver Gemstone: Moonstone and ruby, pearl. I love the story that Caroline Casey the astrology told about oysters being taken from Maine to Minnesota and the oysters still followed what scientists are calling their internal lunar cycle. Scientists know it’s linked to the movement of plankton (their food) but they don’t yet know the full story.
Colour: Whites, blues
Scent Rose, lilies and Jasmine,- nurturing and romantic." When they’re moody and feeling a tad insecure try a little chamomile and yarrow
Flower white roses of course elegant, understated, and universally adored. White roses symbolize purity and innocence, just like a Cancer's sensitive nature. My faves are David Austin roses
Today, we're diving deep into the nurturing waters of the Cancer archetype. So grab your favorite cozy blanket and get ready for a heartfelt journey of belonging and security.
Ah, Cancer, the loving and caring archetype of the zodiac. This compassionate water sign knows how to create a sense of belonging and security in every aspect of life. But just like the ebb and flow of the tides, Cancer's journey can lead them to both skillful and the stormy waters of unskillful expressions.
When skillfully expressed, Cancer is the embodiment of emotional intelligence, intuition, and deep empathy. They create safe and nurturing spaces, making others feel at home wherever they go. When people feel at home they unwind, unfold and relax. It’s more than skillful to create this energy of trust and love in your business. However, when unskillful, Cancer can become overly protective, prone to mood swings, and overly dependent on others.
Aligned transformation and growth in work and life can only happen when we feel secure.
On my own archetypal journey I’ve often feel like I’m too “out there” or too much for my friends, family and even clients. It’s my Aries pioneering sun and My Pisces rising that leads through integrating the mystical with the mundane. And there's nothing mundane about me however practical I am. In my family, I’ve always felt like the black sheep because i had to do it my way and as someone who has travelled and worked in so many countries. I was constantly finding me way in.
I’ve always traversed worlds but never quite belonging in any. In my creative circles they see me as too freespirited ain’t that a joke and in corporate while they wanted and paid me well for my innovative and creative mind many saw me as too ahead of the curve. I often feel like I’m speakiong a foreign language because my work is integrates the magical and practical as a business and brand astrologer and pioneering how we communicate business and brand with embodied leadership.
But here’s the archetypal journey that will always move us form victim from victoirous if we answer the call. Not belongin was a stroy I told myself and the stories we tell ourselves influence the stories we tell others right????
Bottomline the more I trusted and accepted the imperfeclty perfect being i am the more I could see that my family and friends and clients just loved me - wholeheartedly and loved my way of seeing and doing business and branding and getting results that were real for them.
You see here’s the rub - belonging and trust starts with us.
We have to love, belong and trust ourselves before we love and trust others. Otherwise it’s always conditional. When we’re cool with us we are so much more cool with others choices and decisions because we no longer take them personally and that’s very much a cancer thing -otherwise we’re darting for cover like those crabs.
And in our businesses, it’s our job to create safe spaces for our clients to feel like they belong, because that’s when the deals get done, and the transformations are possible. No one gets naked until they feel safe. . Belonging in every areas is created from knowing we have shared values, shared experiences, and we value the results we both need.
We create space for what matters for ourselves and others as the foundation for aligned transformation and growth to happen.
Leaders don’t take up space they create it and hold it for others to do the work that’s necessary to fulfill their mission.
We all need the Cancer Archetype in our businesses to create space as a sacred container and hold its boundaries as we do what’s necessary on that transformational journey.
So as Cancers develop on their archetypal journey, they dive deeper into the principles of the Yamas and Niyamas in life, love, and work. we covered the principles of working with these disciplines and devotions in the first two episodes of the podcast. Cancers embody the Yama of Ahimsa, non-violence, through their compassion and ability to create harmony in relationships - in their skillful expression. If you’ve got strong cancer in your chart this may be a skill you need to cultivate on your archetypal journey. In their nurturing nature, they cultivate the Niyama of Saucha, purity, as they create safe and clean and secure environments for themselves and others.
Now, let's explore the natural skills, gifts, and experiences a Cancer brand possesses. A Cancer brand is nurturing, caring, with a well developed intuitions and high EQ. They excel in industries that focus on providing well-being, family, and personal growth. From health and wellness to hospitality and childcare, Cancers create spaces and products that make people feel cherished and protected.
Let's meet the archetypal characters of the Cancer brand:
The Nurturer: brand showers its customers with love and care, making them feel like part of a family. They excel in industries like spa and wellness centers or homeware brands that create cozy and comforting products. A prime example of the Nurturer archetype is Dove, a brand that promotes self-love and body positivity.
The Caregiver: This brand takes care of its clients' needs, providing solutions and support every step of the way. Think of healthcare brands, such as Johnson & Johnson, that focus on the well-being and safety of their consumers.
The spaceholder: This brand is fiercely devoted to its customers' safety and security. They excel in industries like home security or insurance, providing a sense of protection and stability and in consultancy, healing and transformational brands. A classic example is ADT, which emphasizes the peace of mind that comes with feeling protected but smaller companies like mind, body, green. All governments and banks, schools and hospitals should come under this archetype too. I’ll let you decide how true that feels for you
Now, let's talk about the senses for the sign that feels it all: emotions, colours, sounds, smells, and tastes associated with Cancer.
Emotionally, Cancers evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, and love. They create an atmosphere of belonging and safety, where people feel seen and understood.
In terms of colors, Cancer is associated with soothing shades of blue and soft pastels, reflecting their calming and nurturing nature.
As for sounds, the gentle lapping of waves or a soft lullaby perfectly captures the essence of Cancer's caring and peaceful vibe. I’ve included my Cancer playlist in the show notes.
Home filled with the smell of fesh coffee, home-cooking, children and family around invokes feelings of comfort and security, which resonate deeply with Cancer's nurturing energy.
In the market, Cancer archetypes are perceived as loving, caring, and dependable. They attract clients who value emotional connection and seek a sense of belonging. Ideal clients for a Cancer brand are individuals looking for a safe and supportive space, seeking solutions to their emotional needs and yearning for a sense of security in their lives. So if you want to provide these qualities you need to speak to those who value the structure and peace of mind this affords. Capricorns who sits on the opposite axis to Cancer are the builder archetype. They value these qualities as they focus on building and sustaining their empire.
Now, let's explore the tarot cards associated with Cancer. The Chariot card embodies Cancer's protective and nurturing qualities, representing the emotional strength and determination they bring to their journey.
As for a mythical archetype, Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility in Greek mythology, embodies the essence of Cancer. Demeter's love for her daughter, Persephone, and her nurturing role as the Earth Mother exemplify Cancer's caring and protective nature. In the Greek myths Demeter’s love for Persephone who was kidnapped by Hades gave us the season.
To immerse yourself in the Cancer essence, surround yourself with cozy environments like a snug living room or a warm kitchen filled with the smell of home-cooked meals.
Before we finish let’s put all this in context and how you can use astrology in your work and life. . If your new to astrology. It’s important to know that there are 12 signs, 12 houses and 10 planets. These are placed differently and interact with each other differently for every single one of all 8 + billion of us. So remember no matter what sun, moon and rising sign you are, you are all 12 signs and you have energy in all the 12 houses of the zodiac. Now depending on your chart placements. You have more potent and less look at me parts of your chart/life. Your natal chart is a snap shot of the sky at the moment you gasped your first breath. You can think of it like a blueprint or a starting point and you have the free will to choose how you will live out this destiny by your design. You do this with your daily choices of thoughts, words, and actions. Consciously or unconsciously. If you are listening to this you are choosing consciously, with intention and attention by your design. So. Signs are personalities that express themselves differently in each house aka area of your life. Planets are characters and they express themselves differently depending on the house and sign they are in too and like siblings their placements for different relationship with each other. Some of those planets get on like a house on fire while others throw water on the other’s ideas, others are overtly challenging and others are quiet cheerleaders.
But for the purpose of our work here your sun sign is your essence it’s your archetypal journey to shine your brightest in this lifetime. Next The moment of your first breath determines your rising sign, with your unique pov and how others see you lead your business and life. Your MC - usually in your 10th house is the Mid heaven the midday sun of your chart so how the public sees you, how you show up professionally - what you want to be known for. If it’s in Capricorn you’re a business/empire builder if it’s in Cancer you might well be a super Mom.
Your ideal clients can be found on your descendant -which is opposite your ascendant. And don’t think all your ideal clients are all from the one sign, however they will embody these qualities.
Your moon is your emotional body which is how you create resonance and connection in emotional branding and all branding is emotional branding. You do this in the french meaning of the word coeur - wholeheartedly. In the Maori culture when you present yourself at a maorae, you introduce yourself as the son of and the daughter of. You present yourself as a representative of your lineage which carries a certain responsibility doesn’t it.
So for example, I’m an 2nd house of self worth and income, Aries sun sign (a pioneering archetypal) energy breaking new ground by integrating business and branding with astrology and somatic work with a 1st house of identity Pisces (dreamer archetype) rising who helps people fall in love with their vision and align their actions to realise it. SO the more I lead from my magical and practical gifts the more I can help my clients who feel they are missing the integration between the imaginal and mundane resonate with my work.
My MC is Sagittarius (explorer archetype) - how I ‘show up and shine’ professionally and publicly, Helping people fall in love with their visions (beyond what they can imagine for themselves) and guiding them to create a pathway to their realisation. look for your 10th house, Its what you’re known for. Can you see how my rising sign and MC are connected here? - yours will be too. The thing I find most often in my work is that people are afraid to dream, or they’ve become so busy doing what they think they should be doing - usually creating what their parents, peers or partners think should be their dreams - they have lost digh of or have no idea what their own dreams are. My ideal clients sit on my descendant - Virgo (sage/healer archetype) for me with all their mind bending (for me at least) data gathering, analysis, strategy and resource allocation. And, no shade we all need to track and analyse data in this algorithm driven world. Also, this doesn’t mean that all my clients are Virgos but they embody these Virgoan qualities. And in me, they see this doing things her way, free spirited, creative, spiritual being and they want some of that because they are likely exhausted and burnt out trying to achieve it all the linear and logical way and are now ready to do business and life with less stress and more flow. They want more fulfillment and meaning, more balance and flow because let’s be honest we all know what happened to jack of all work and no play with those perfectionist Virgoan qualities. Do you remember the kids animated movie over the fence. For me, Hammy the hamster with his clipboard and to do list is the perfect illustration of VIrgo. They’ve no sooner woken up from hibernation than he’s on their case to make sure they have everything gathered, sorted and prepped for the next one. And my moon btw is in Scorpio - my clients know I can hold them in that dark mysterious unknown space where creativity is born.
Alright, beautiful souls, that concludes our journey into the loving world of the Cancer archetype. Embrace your nurturing nature, create safe spaces for yourself and others, and remember that love is the foundation of all belonging. Until next time, let your heart guide you on the path to your liberation and compassion.
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There are two ways to work with me. You can book an Astro blueprint session to discover how your chart reveals your strengths and gifts - your who, why, what, how, and for whom and explore my one-to-one coaching, Get insight into what makes you truly unique and how to work with that to design your work, love and life your way or join my moon deck to step into your cosmic flow working with the cycles of the moon
Thank you to Aeode for the beautiful music, titled yesterday's freedom. You can find Aeode Spotify and on iTunes.