Tapestry of the Gods
Volume III
by Michael D. Robbins

Astro-Rayology
in progress

Interpretations of Famous People by Ray, Sign and Life Emphasis
With Explanations of All Astrological and Rayological Elements

Venus in Cancer

Venus in Cancer or Venus in Relation to Cancer

(from Esoteric Astrology)

The Function of Venus in Relation to the Sign Cancer:

“The power of Venus in this sign tends to make the mind the servant of the personality and this is aided by the forces of the third Ray of Active Intelligence. Thus the stage is set for the appearance of the soul in form.” (EA 340)

Specific Expressions of Venus in Cancer

Venus in Cancer for the Undeveloped and Average Man

1. Venus in Cancer—the Love of Form:
As a general statement, the combination of Venus with Cancer produces a love of the form, and form life. Venus represents ‘love’/desire, and Cancer (related to the Moon, to the last solar system and to the third and seventh rays) clearly rules matter and the life of form. This is one of those influences which contributes significantly to the process of reincarnation, by means of which the soul (symbolized by Venus) enters into the “flesh”, or form, (symbolized by Cancer). Cancer is the “doorway into life of those who must know death” (the “death” of form life), and Venus in this sign points with specificity to the process of individualization and to the first incarnation of all members of the human family.

2. Venus in Cancer—the Veiling of the Soul:
Cancer is one of the signs most associated with the veiling process, with obscuration. Venus is, symbolically, the soul. During incarnation, the soul (Venus) descends into the veils (Cancer). Its light is, thereby, obscured.

3. Venus in Cancer—Love of the “Near and Dear”:
Venus in Cancer links affection and love to the instincts of the lunar vehicles. One ‘loves’ (or, more properly, desires to give affection to and receive affection from) the “near and dear”, the familiar and the family.

4. Venus in Cancer—Possessive ‘Love’:
Cancer, in early days, seeks to “have and to hold”; upon the Mutable Cross, Venus functions in terms of interest and affection. Therefore, with this combination, what one ‘loves’, or desires, one seeks to hold, to possess.

5. Venus in Cancer—Possessive Love within the Family:
Possessiveness in ‘love’/desire is applied especially to family members, to whom there is a definite attachment. In early days, this is not the love which gives freedom and scope to relatives, but, rather, tends to bind them.

6. Venus in Cancer—Correlatively, the Need for Special, Exclusive Relationships:
The energy of Cancer is often directly related to the personality, and is, hence, personal energy. Cancer craves closeness—not so much with respect to soul and spirit (this happens later), but closeness in the personal sense. The urge is for personally intimate exclusive relationships, with special, cherished people. The soul is definitely a captive to the mass consciousness and instinctual nature.

7. Venus in Cancer—Environmental Comfort:
Venus in Cancer inclines those it rules to seek comfort, pleasantness and beauty in the immediate surroundings, producing the cocoon effect—a “little Eden”. This is a form of selfish, self-protection. One “feathers one’s nest”. Harsh reality cannot intrude. One is spared from having to deal with the light of the soul.

8. Venus in Cancer—Under the Spell of Kama-Manas:
Cancer is an influence which stimulates the solar plexus and the emotional vehicle powerfully; Venus represents the intellect, the mind. In this combination, the thinking mind comes under the spell of strong feelings and emotions. These adhere to the mental process rendering objectivity difficult.

9. Venus in Cancer—Sentimentality:
Since this position distorts thought with feeling, clear evaluation suffers. People, places the things which are close are over-valued and not seen with any true objectivity. Invested emotions cause a clinging response, where a more reasonable attitude would demand release. For reasons of sentiment, however, binding connections are retained.

10. Venus in Cancer—the Union of Family and Money:
Venus, as ruler of Taurus, and symbol of that which has value, is clearly associated with money, just as Cancer is with family. Often financial dealings within family are least objective, most emotional and most stressful. Money is a symbol of the third aspect of divinity, and is that which promotes survival and the continuance of incarnation (Cancerian issues). The soul in incarnation is subject to the laws of the third aspect, and Venus in this sign symbolizes that subjugation with all its frequent difficulties and attachments.

11. Venus in Cancer—Miscellaneous

a. An old Victorian home
b. The love of old furniture
c. The family photo album
d. Love of the familiar
e. Keeping all the old greeting cards
f. Mother love; an attitude of loving attachment to mother
g. “I want a girl, just like the girl, that married dear old dad.”
h. Possessions and money; family money; “piggy bank”
i. Partner could be motherly and, in the case of a man, the choice of an older woman.
j. Marriage within the family—to relatives, for instance.
k. Well-behaving personality; civilizing influence; genteel behavior in the family
l. Fashion food
m. Tasteful clothing
n. Keeping up harmonious appearances. “Be well-behaved; you are at home”. Nothing unpleasant is allowed to enter the home.
o. A nice day on the ocean or near the water—emotions are beautiful.
p. Personal love. The glamor of “up close and personal” The violation of privacy .. (But this is Cancer in general)
q. Dining in the moonlight. Romantic
r. More beautiful if it is old or if it occurred in the past.
s. Falling in love with someone from the past.
t. Hungry for personal love.

Venus in Cancer for the Advanced Man

1. Venus in Cancer—Growing Objectivity About Lunar Life:
The growing intelligence represented by Venus confers upon the advanced individual increasing vision and objectivity with respect to the lunar vehicles. Venus represents the capacity to stand back and see everything as if reflected in the “mirror of the mind”.

2. Venus in Cancer—Soul Light upon the Ancient Past:
Cancer rules the subconscious responses characteristic of mass consciousness. Under the clear beam of Venusian light, these emerge increasingly into the lighted area of consciousness. Mental light, fortified by soul light, is throws upon the ancient, subconscious patterns of lunar response

3. Venus in Cancer—the Opportunity to Begin Separating Manas from Kama:
The incarnated mind begins to gain some independence from the forces of kama, and achieves greater objectivity within the field of sentiency. Sentiment no longer prevails.

4. Venus in Cancer—Personality Integration—Making the Personality Whole:
Venus becomes positively activated within the lunar field, unifying and harmonizing the lunar elementals, thus contributing to personality integration. Cancer “makes whole”, and Venus is a fusing and blending power. Sacred planets have the function of fusing the personality, and this is especially so of Venus (and Jupiter). The integrating individual builds within matter and form (under Cancer) guided by the light of the soul which Venus begins to transmit to and through the form.

5. Venus in Cancer—From Instinct to Intellect:
Cancer rules the instinctual, lunar nature. Venus (though a lesser Being by far than the Lord of the Constellation Cancer) manifests powerfully in relation to our planet because it is so close—both physically and psychically. There is an analogy here between the disproportionate effect of constellations and planets (planets being equal to or greater than constellational effects), and the visual and absolute magnitudes of stars. Stars of greater absolute magnitude seen dimmer because they are father away. Stars of lesser absolute magnitude (but greater visual magnitude) seem brighter and more important because they are closer. In any case, the intellect of Venus begins to dominate the instinctual tendencies fed by Cancer. The intellect grows in power within the personality—fortified, additionally, by the third and seventh rays of Cancer. In any case, this combination offers the opportunity to illuminate the instincts, alchemically transmuting them at first into intellect, and eventually (during the stages of discipleship and initiation) trans-substantiating intellect until it becomes intuition. The power of Mercury will also be involved in the transition to intuition.

6. Venus in Cancer—the Beautification of the Personality:
When this combination operates externally it represents the beautification of the home or immediate environment (perhaps also of one’s community or, even, nation). On a higher turn of the spiral, the form and expression of the personality are beautified.

7. Venus in Cancer—a Musical Combination:
Venus is the planet of art and beauty; Nep-tune (the “higher octave” of Venus) is the ruler of Cancer and one of the most musical of planets. Venus in Cancer (manifesting something like a Venus/Neptune aspect) and has a strong affinity for musical expression.

8. Venus in Cancer—Culture and Refinement in the Home:
The Master Morya has considered modern homes as nurseries of vulgarity. Increasingly, however, the higher human values (Venus) are taught and exemplified in the intimate surroundings of the home (Cancer), with the result that all of society will eventually be elevated. This combination indicates the capacity to bring culture and refinement to the near and dear ones linked by the instinctual nature and “ties of blood”.

9. Venus in Cancer—Miscellaneous:

a. Gradual transition from feeling and kama-manas towards a more mental approach. More light for the personal.
b. The process of personality integration using the mind.
c. Harmonizing the personality fields
d. The ajna center in relation to the personality and personality integration
e. Beautification of the familiar surroundings, the home.
f. Harmonious behavior in the home
g. Preservationism; the restoration of old homes and sites
h. The arts for children
i. Artistic talent passed on hereditarily
j. Mother as the carrier of culture
k. Building in beauty; architecture
l. Fine arts—if traditional. Appreciation of ancient cultures for their contribution to beauty
m. The arts of indigenous people
n. Tenderness

Venus in Cancer for the Disciple/Initiate

1. Venus in Cancer—the Redeemer of the Humanity:
Venus is the soul descending for purposes of redemption into the mass consciousness ruled by Cancer. This would only be so in the case of the initiate, free from the mass consciousness, and able to use the liberated powers of Venus for the purposes of elevating the lunar realm.

2. Venus in Cancer—Ancient Glamors Clarified:
Venus brings light, clarity, lucidity. Cancer (as it applies to the three worlds) rules the emotional and physical planes—the planes of glamor and maya. In Glamour: a World Problem we are given the “Technique of Light” for the dissipation of glamor. The focussed beam of mental light used in this technique is related to Venus. At the second initiation Venus is powerful, seeking to clarify and elucidate the ancient, glamorous situation imbedded within long sub-conscious patterns of lunar response.

3. Venus in Cancer—Venus Counteracts the Moon:
In relation to all three vehicles of the personality (as well as to the personality as a whole) Venus in Cancer can demonstrate a counteraction to the lunar way—a counteraction to instinctual response. The light and love of the higher mental plane stands opposed to the normal unconscious or sub-conscious response of the lunar vehicles.

4. Venus in Cancer—an Ajna-Solar Plexus Interplay:
With Venus in Cancer there is accentuated a relationship between the ajna center (Venus) and the solar plexus center (governed by Cancer and its ruler the Moon). The ajna center (Venus) is the seat of higher personality and the solar plexus of the lower—“the lunar orb is a symbolic way of expressing the solar plexus” (TWM 98). The instincts (solar plexus) are alchemically transmuted into intellect (ajna), and thence (for the disciple/initiate) into intuition governed in part by the heart center. Lower lunar instincts become, through this elevation, “soul instincts”.

5. Venus in Cancer—an Important Stage in the Process of Soul Infusion—Building the “Lighted House”:
Cancer is the “house”; Venus is the light which is to pervade the house. Cancer is to build the “lighted house”, but this depends upon the light of the soul; the “dark light” of matter will not suffice. When the “house” is fully alight, soul-infusion has occurred.

6. Venus in Cancer—Building the Lighted House on Higher Planes:
The causal body is the “Holy Place”, the “Temple of Solomon”. The personality is the “Outer Court”, and also the “Tabernacle in the Wilderness”. The personality is, for the soul, the “home away from home”—really, a “home” in the wilderness of the three lower worlds. Venus in Cancer represents the attempt to make a “home” for the soul in an inhospitable place—the lower worlds. The inner “Temple” however, is also a “home” for the incarnating soul, and Venus in Cancer can be seen as related to the building of this higher “Lighted House” as well as to the building of the outer and lower “lighted house”. The causal body as a higher “home” is also ruled by Cancer, and not only by Leo.

7. Venus in Cancer—The Beauty of the Causal body:
As the causal body develops it become an object of increasing beauty until, on the eve of its destruction, it manifests as a gorgeous display. The causal body, like all vehicles is ruled in part by Cancer and its culminating beauty by Venus.

8. Venus in Cancer—Soul Relationships in the Home:
For the initiate parent, the physical home becomes a place of soul culture. It is so possible to let instinct rule the home; the guard is down; the point of tension is reduced; the demands of the lunar vehicles are unrestrained. But the disciple and initiate will seek to counteract this tendency, and apply the refining ray of Venus to situations which, so often do not prove either elevating or edifying.

9. Venus in Cancer—Preparing the Personality Vehicles for Initiation:
Many are the necessary preparations, and long it takes. Venus in Capricorn represents true initiation (the transfiguration). With Venus in Cancer, it is as if the personality vehicles are being slowly prepared for infusion by a greater light represented by Venus in Capricorn. These vehicles must become accustomed to the growing light. Venus in Cancer can represent a waxing soul presence within the form. The combination can, of course, be utilized by one who has already experienced the transfiguration, in which case this combination is that of the “light bearer” or “light bringer”, who descends into the veils with the light received upon the mountain top.

10. Venus in Cancer—the Five over the Four:
As stated, just because Cancer is a powerful constellation, and Venus is a mere planet, does not mean that their effect upon the human being will be proportional to their absolute status. In the case of this combination, we have a symbol of the elevation of the fifth kingdom of nature (represented by Venus) over the fourth kingdom (represented by Cancer, the fourth sign) The implication is that the disciple or initiate can think about membership in the fifth kingdom even while enwrapped in the fourth.

11. Venus in Cancer—the Irradiation of the Form:
The Solar Angel (Venus) is immersed in form (Cancer); the form becomes more radiatory as a result. The light and love of the soul are reflected into and through substance.

12. Venus in Cancer—the Relationship Between the Fifth Manifested and the Fifth Unmanifested Creative Hierarchies:
The Cancerian Creative Hierarchy (the fifth unmanifested Hierarchy) has a definite inspiring connection upon the Capricornian Hierarchy (the fifth manifested Hierarchy). Both are related to the Christ impulse—the Cancerian Hierarchy (ruled by Neptune) expressing the Christ impulse more abstractly and in relation to the entire cosmic physical plane (and with reference to the cosmic astral plane), and the Capricornian Hierarchy expressing the Christ impulse more concretely in relation to the three worlds of human evolution. Venus is directly involved with the Capricornian Hierarchy, and indirectly (through numerical affinity) with the fifth unmanifested Hierarchy. Interestingly, Neptune is the ruler of the Cancerian Hierarchy, and Neptune is the higher octave of Venus, and the planet into which Venus most probably resolves. (cf. TCF 405-406)

The following words of the Tibetan describe something of the relationship between the Cancerian and Capricornian Hierarchies:

“The fifth Creative Hierarchy (also numbered 8) is on the verge of liberation. It is peculiarly connected with the tenth Creative Hierarchy, with the constellation Capricorn and with the human personality which veils and temporarily hides the Christ principle behind both form and mind. Eight is, under some numerical systems, regarded as the number of the Christ.” (EA 37)

13. Venus in Cancer—the Creation of Humanity:
Venus has an archetypal connection to Cancer because Cancer represents for the soul (Venus) the “doorway” into incarnated life. The “Angel” (Venus) is becoming human (Cancer—the fourth sign in relation to the fourth kingdom). Esoteric history also tells us that some of the “gods” (i.e., the “Angels”) actually incarnated directly into the substance of the then humanity by clothing themselves in physical bodies. Venus in Cancer is one of those combinations (Venus in Virgo is another) that represents “heaven” coming to “earth” and “God” becoming “Man”.

14. Venus in Cancer—The Makara in its Lower Manifestation:
The Makara are a dual Creative Hierarchy, one aspect connected with the Solar Angels and the other with the personality of the human being. Venus and the Solar Angels are intimately related, as Cancer is to the lunar vehicles.

15. Venus in Cancer—Love of Humanity:
For the disciple and initiate, who have worked themselves through and beyond the mass consciousness, Cancer represents the “One Humanity” as a field of service. Venus in Cancer indicates that the love and light of the soul (Venus) can be offered in service to the human race (Cancer).

16. Venus in Cancer—the Ashram:
The Ashram is the advanced soul’s internal “home”, and is, in part, ruled by Cancer. As a soul, the disciple is Venus. Venus in Cancer, thus, represents not only the exile of the soul in a “home away from home” (the outer three planes), but also the soul’s true home (now upon the buddhic plane). Cancer, it should be remembered, is esoterically and hierarchically ruled by Neptune, a co-ruler (with Mercury and Jupiter) of the buddhic plane. The Ashram is, therefore, the soul’s refuge (considering the soul, really, as the Triad). The lower and false reflection of this refuge is the physical home as self-protective shelter.

17. Venus in Cancer—Philanthropy:
Cancer cares, and, as well, transmits two financial rays—the third and the seventh. Venus (as ruler of Taurus) represents money and, in general, that which is of value or symbolizes value. Together they can indicate the giving of money under soul impulse, which works out practically as philanthropy. Jupiter in Cancer is another philanthropic indicator.

18. Venus in Cancer—Miscellaneous

a. Gradual transition from mentality as applied in the personality to soul influence within the personality, towards the mental. More light.
b. The process of the integration of soul and personality using the focussed, illumined mind.
c. The clarification of the kama-manasic response.
d. Clarity is emerging into mental field—it is an integrative tool for personality and of personality with soul.
e. The refinement of the lunar vehicles. Venus cultivates the lunar lords.
f. The cultivation of soul values within the lunar vehicles.
g. Preparation of lunar lords for being pure instrument of the soul in preparation for initiation.
h. Extracting something of value from ordinary experience; this will go to the building of the causal body.
i. Soul relationship in home—no longer so personal. Soul relationship among one’s intimates.
j. The love and light of the soul are in the house immediate environment
k. Inviting people out of the dark into lighted places; spiritual hospitality
l. Attraction between people through the quality of the light.
m. Love of humanity. Seeing the good. Appreciating ‘people’. Treating all like one ‘soul-family’
n. Home for the soul—the Ashram.
o. Philanthropy in relation to the culture and the arts.

Individuals with Venus in Cancer

Alexander the Great
Dante Alighieri
Elias Ashmole
Prince Louis de Broglie
Robert Browning
John Calvin
Judy Garland
Mata Hari
Herman Hesse
Alduous Huxley
Lyndon Johnson
Carl G. Jung
Helen Keller
Amadeo Modigliani
Benito Mussolini
Bonaparte Napoleon
Florence Nightingale
Norman Vincent Peale
Robert Schuman
Meryl Streep
Nikola Tesla