Mars in Cancer

Mars in Cancer has been considered a debilitated Mars placement for a very long time. It’s not difficult to understand the reason behind it: Mars - the red planet - the symbol of war and strong masculinity, finds himself in the home sign of the Moon - Cancer - the cardinal water sign embracing all about femininity, emotional life and motherhood. What a contradiction! Certainly it’s not an easy aspect, one must acknowledge the manifestations of Mars and Cancer in their own’s internal and external life, so that one can bring out the best of the two.

There’s an old movie that embraces Mars in Cancer’s spirit that I want to share with you today. Don’t let the poster distract you, this movie isn’t a chick flick! I have to admit that I watched it several times in high school (back in the days when Keanu Reeves was a thing to teen girls), but my brother who is 10 years senior also watched it with me, and we loved sharing our theories about how time worked in this movie and what the ending meant. So, if you are looking for a good old movie to watch this weekend, The lake house can be a great choice!

The story takes place in Chicago with 2 parallel timelines: one in 2004, the other in 2006. It is about an improbable love between Alex Wyler, an architect living in 2004 and Dr. Kate Forster, a doctor living in 2006. It seems that there’s something magical with the house by the lake where they lived, one before another, that allows them to communicate with each other through the chasms of time.

The movie is thought-provoking, and you may want to watch it again multiple times to really understand the plot and the ending. However, the Mars in Cancer’s vibes are just so palpable that you won’t need that much effort to feel them.

Our male lead Alex Wyler is a simple man. He doesn’t seem to have a lot going on in his life, save for his busy work schedule. As the plot thickens, we have glimpse of his childhood and why he has become the person he is today: his father is a renowned, egocentric architect, who was probably emotionally abusive toward his own wife and children. Alex and his younger brother grew up without a father figure to look up to, and their mother passed away early leaving the kids to their own devices. There’s something very gentle, loving, very motherly about their brotherly love. Alex, in a sense, is a mother substitute for his younger brother. When they were at Alex’s lake house to celebrate his return to Chicago and buying of the lake house, he tells his younger brother as a matter of fact:

«Dad knew how to build a house, not a home».

Mars in Cancer people treasure their families a lot, if not over anything else. Oftentimes home people, they would prefer spending time with their loved ones, or having people coming over for a delicious home-cooked meal than spending time hanging around with friends and eating out. If you ask the reason why they work hard, they would tell you without a doubt that they want the best for their loved ones. In group settings, Mars in Cancer people always pay attention to details so that nobody is left out or not taken care of. Remember the last time you got a road trip with your friends? That sweet friend of yours who cooked for everyone or asked everyone if they had their share of food is surely a Mars in Cancer.

Mars in Cancer is one of the most faithful people you can find, perhaps to a fault. At a subconscious level, they have a clear image of their life partner (who usually ressembles their mother, or are spouse materials) and would only fall in love with the people having these attributes. Since they usually don’t do well alone, they can choose to be in a relationship for emotional codependency and become emotionally attached to their partners. However, if they find their ideal husband/wife materials, they can be quite in synch with them and even obsessed about their significant other (not unlike Moon in Scorpio in that aspect, but without the sexual obsession).

I found it interesting that Jane Austen’s Persuasion was brought in the movie on several occasions, and was one of the key moments that proves their Alex and Kate’s love. Persuasion is very Moon in Scorpio, and I will discuss about it in another post.

Mars in Cancer is very sensitive: they have a wide range of emotions that fuel their actions and life projects. However, they can be quite petty and passive-agressive too, just like the Alex’s salty reactions when he first met Kate after being pen pals for months, and she happened to be in a so-called relationship with another man:

Kate : He's not my boyfriend.

Alex : What is he, then? Your brother?

Kate : Oh, we have a comedian! What, did you eat clowns for breakfast?

Alex : Wonderful. Our first fight. You could write about it and go sing it in San Francisco (Spoil alert: Kate had a boyfriend in high school whom she eloped with to San Francisco to become a singer).

Mars in Cancer is caring in the most unconditional way. Just like Alex, he felt how lonely Kate was, suddenly he developed a sense of duty and quiet love towards her, despite the chasms of time separating them, even if it means holding onto a small hope and renouncing all female attention at the present moment:

«Don’t worry Kate, we will be together in time.

I will find a way to be with you and take care of you».

In the era of individualism and self-glorification, Mars in Cancer is such a breath of fresh air. These people are family-oriented and place great importance on education and traditional family values. If they choose to have children, their children would be very well-educated and well-mannered, as they strongly believe societal changes must come from each nuclear family. At work, they are people who value work-life balance. Mars in Cancer as business owners are also the best leaders you can probably find, not only because of their goodwill but also of their empathy to women in general and women with younger kids in particular, which is not exactly a priority in a patriarchal society. Their lack of competitiveness can make them appear to be pushovers at times, but when their moral values and ethics are at stake, they will do everything in their powers to protect them at all costs.

Are you a Mars in Cancer person? Do you know any Mars in Cancer in your life?

P/S: Keanu Reeves was born on September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon (https://astro-charts.com/persons/chart/keanu-reeves/), making him have Mars in Cancer. I suggest that’s what gives him his gentle charm and sweet character.