Mercury in Cancer

SO receptive a sign as Cancer is not wholly suitable to Mercury, who easily “loses himself,” one fluid in another, so to speak. The result is often seen in poor memory, particularly in old age, although, if the planet be well dignified, the mind may be singularly {198} retentive, particularly in the matter of history. In fact, the tendency is often to assimilate precedent, and rather to refer to antiquity than to reason upon actualities. It is good for such persons as may be occupied in what may be called the by ways of life. Dealers in antiquities, bibliophiles, bookworms, and to a less extent, lawyers, may find some advantage in this position.

There is in all cases a decided lack of the sense of actuality, and, above all, of originality. Yet the intuition is often exceedingly good; such people may know, without being told, and without knowing how they know. The understanding is usually excellent, and the sympathy is easily excited. On the other hand, where these people dislike, the feeling is intense; they cannot endure the company of those who are not in harmony with them. Yet, although sensitive, they are more tolerant than the average person. The contrast in this respect with people who have Mercury in Scorpio is singularly well marked; for the latter, although they may deem it politic to conceal their contempt for inferior minds, keep inwardly the most extraordinary bitterness. Mercury in Cancer is really tolerant; its natives have the sense that opinions are, after all, not of supreme importance. They are, too, not always aware of their own defect of memory and lack of logic. Here one must pause, confronted by the fact that the most marvelous memory in the world, that of “Datas,” and the most powerful rationalizing mind of modern times, that of Bernard Shaw, both came under Mercury in Cancer. But the Mercury of “Datas” has Venus in exact conjunction, and his memory is purely detached and self-sufficient, and exclusively historical. He remembers dates, and dates only; and he remembers them in a mechanical manner, absolutely, and not because of their relation to other matters. This is in fact the precise type of memory indicated above as characteristic of this position. The case of Bernard Shaw is explained by the exact trine of Neptune to Mercury, which gives him his extraordinary faculty of detecting the falsity of conventional thought.

It may also be mentioned that the effect of Cancer is to make Mercury sway to the purely passive side. The mind is unusually impressionable, and though the inscriptions thereupon be “writ in water,” yet for the moment they sway the native. There is little real stability in the mind, and yet it falls easily into habit, which may be {199} obstinate if subjected for long periods to a single stress. The position inclines to mental idleness, and any powerful will can easily obtain dominion over the mind of the native by appealing to the senses rather than by argument, which arouses obstinate resistance. All this being peculiarly contrary to the best attributes of mind, we must regard Cancer as one of the less fortunate positions for Mercury.

The following well known persons were born with Mercury in the sign Cancer:

Alexander Dumas

Lord Tennyson

George Bernard Shaw

Robert Schumann

Henry Ward Beecher

Mark Benson

John O'Hara Cosgrave

William Gillette

Harrison Grey Fiske

Harrison Fisher

John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Calvin Coolidge

George M. Cohan

Booth Tarkington

Elbert Hubbard

For the benefit of those who are not in possession of Raphael’s Ephemeris, or who are not able to interpret the symbols contained therein, the years when Mercury is in Cancer, are as follows:

From June 15th through June 30th 1840

June 7th “ June 25th 1841

August 6th ” August 8th 1841

May 31st “ August 7th 1842

May 31st ” June 13th 1843

July 14th “ July 31st 1843

July 8th ” July 21st 1844

June 30th “ July 13th 1845 {200}

From June 21st through July 5th 1846

June 13th ” June 28th 1847

June 4th “ June 26th 1848

July 15th ” August 10th 1848

May 29th “ August 4th 1849

July 12th ” July 27th 1850

July 5th “ July 18th 1851

June 26th ” July 9th 1852

June 17th “ July 1st 1853

June 9th ” June 26th 1854

June 1st “ August 9th 1855

May 28th ” June 21st 1856

July 13th “ July 31st 1856

July 9th ” July 23d 1857

July 1st “ July 14th 1858

June 23d ” July 6th 1859

June 13th “ June 28th 1860

June 5th ” June 25th 1861

July 23d “ August 11th 1861

May 30th ” August 5th 1862

July 13th “ July 28th 1863

July 5th ” July 19th 1864

June 27th “ July 10th 1865

June 19th ” July 3d 1866

June 10th “ June 27th 1867

June 2d ” August 9th 1868

May 28th “ July 1st 1869

July 11th ” August 2d 1869

July 10th “ July 24th 1870

July 3d ” July 16th 1871

June 23d “ July 7th 1872

June 15th ” June 30th 1873

June 6th “ June 25th 1874

July 30th ” August 10th 1874

May 31st “ August 7th 1875

July 13th ” July 29th 1876

July 7th “ July 20th 1877

June 29th ” July 12th 1878 {201}

From June 20th through July 4th 1879

June 11th “ June 27th 1880

June 3d ” June 28th 1881

July 10th “ August 10th 1881

May 29th ” August 3d 1882

July 11th “ July 26th 1883

July 3d ” July 16th 1884

June 25th “ July 8th 1885

June 16th ” July 1st 1886

June 8th “ June 26th 1887

May 31st ” August 7th 1888

May 29th “ June 15th 1889

July 13th ” July 30th 1889

July 8th “ July 22d 1890

June 30th ” July 13th 1891

June 21st “ July 4th 1892

June 12th ” June 28th 1893

June 4th “ June 26th 1894

July 18th ” August 10th 1894

May 29th “ August 5th 1895

July 11th ” July 26th 1896

July 5th “ July 18th 1897

June 26th ” July 10th 1898

June 18th “ July 2d 1899

June 9th ” June 26th 1900

June 2d “ August 9th 1901

May 29th ” June 25th 1902

July 13th “ August 2d 1902

July 11th ” July 25th 1903

July 2d “ July 15th 1904

June 23d ” July 7th 1905

June 15th “ June 30th 1906

June 7th ” June 26th 1907

July 27th “ August 12th 1907

May 30th ” August 6th 1908

July 13th “ July 29th 1909

July 7th ” July 21st 1910

June 29th “ July 12th 1911 {202}

From June 19th through July 3d 1912

June 11th ” June 27th 1913

June 3d “ August 10th 1914

May 29th ” August 3d 1915

July 11th “ July 25th 1916

July 3d ” July 17th 1917

June 25th “ July 8th 1918

June 16th ” July 1st 1919

June 7th “ June 26th 1920

August 3d ” August 9th 1920

May 31st “ August 7th 1921

June 1st ” June 10th 1922

July 14th “ July 31st 1922

July 9th ” July 22d 1923

June 30th “ July 13th 1924

June 21st ” July 5th 1925

June 12th “ June 28th 1926

June 5th ” June 28th 1927

July 14th “ August 11th 1927

May 29th ” August 4th 1928

July 12th “ July 27th 1929

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