I think, for me, cancer 4H moon is one of the archetypes that is the deepest and hardest to understand.
I have a few questions and I would love to hear your thoughts.
As far as I understand it, it’s the projector portion of the projector and not the lens.
The lens feels like it would be 7H (persona), 1H (instinctive self) and 10H (public personality?)
It is the emotional center. And fittingly it’s situated at the ic which to me sounds like it’s the core of our human self. Trine to the soul (8H) and i guess Pisces too (higher self??)
And since it’s square to 7H 1H and opposite 10H it implies a tension with our relationship to the phenomenal world.
Since it’s inconjunct 9H I feel like maybe this is where it gets interesting and our core beliefs create a friction or maybe ego (subjective i) has friction with our beliefs.
Why is it that i can feel my ego coming out when someone does something that goes against my beliefs? Mine feels stubborn. Could be cause my moon is in Taurus 9H. I’m trying to separate myself from the equation. Maybe a cancer moon would feel this more emotionally?
But how does this ego seem to project its stubbornness if it’s only a projector without a lens? Is it because the ego (cancer archetype) projects through the above lenses (1,7,10)? Can we say that all of our physical world personality manifestations stem from ego/cancer?
When you can feel someone’s ego (negative sense), is it a mixture of a negative manifestation of cancer/4h/moon ? Would positive ego be called an alignment? An alignment with our inner self as they say?
Can we find if we have a negative or positive self image through the natural zodiac affecting our natal 4H moon cancer placements as well as the aspects?
Would anyone have anything to add to help me understand the complexity of the image we have of ourselves/ego/emotional center?
JWG taught that the ego serves as an integration function within consciousness in that it is analogous to a lens on a movie projector. Without the lens there would just be diffused images of light. The ego, then, correlates to the distinct self image that the Soul creates in any given life. The ultimate intention is to align the individual ego with the Source through progressive spiritualization. This creates of a metamorphosis of the egocentric structure which is symbolized by the water triad of Cancer (ego) Scorpio (Metamorphosis) Pisces(Source/spiritualization).
From my understanding the core, or heart, of the 4th house/Moon/Cancer archetype is that of emotional security, and what constitutes, or is linked with emotional security for any given Soul. We can all become insecure when our emotional security is threatened, and act out in immature ways that we do not feel good about (this triggers the 10th house polarity point-emotional maturation and self responsibility). Also, with the natural square to Aries learning to respond to react in a way that reflects evolution instead of staying stuck in the loop.
The intention of this archetype is to progressively shift emotional security from external sources to internal sources. In this way, external sources of dependency are eliminated and the Soul learns to nurture itself from within so that a positive self-image takes hold. I do not know of any indications in the birth chart that determine if the Soul has a positive or negative self image, but the more the Soul purges external dependencies and learns to self-nurture the better the self-feelings and more positive the self-image.
Let me know if this makes sense.
Namaste,
Deva
Hi Deva,
Thank you so much — yes, this really makes sense and deepens my understanding.
I was speaking with my mom recently about the ego, and I’ve been trying to link the EA definition of ego with the way we use the word in everyday language — like when we say someone is “in their ego” or acting arrogant. It feels like what you’re describing bridges that: when emotional security is lacking, especially from within, the ego structure becomes more unstable or distorted. That seems to be when those more defensive or egotistical traits arise. It kind of sounds like the Capricorn cancer axis.
My mom and I talked about things like pretentiousness or social image — which I now see could relate to the square from Cancer to Libra (seeking validation from others), and the opposition to Capricorn (external status or social veneer in public). And maybe Aries plays in too — as impulsive reactions or trying to force identity when the emotional core doesn’t feel safe.
Would it be accurate to say that these signs Aries, Libra, and Capricorn — act as lenses or outlets for the ego (Cancer) to express itself? (Can I do this with all signs?)
And that when emotional security isn’t being generated internally, the ego distorts through those signs? Maybe that’s what we often label as “ego” in a more negative sense — but it’s really emotional insecurity driving projection?
Thanks again:)
I just caught an error I made in the teaching while I was reading the essay book. The ego is the lens and not the projector. I thought, subjective consciousness and ego were the same thing. But it says subjective consciousness is the projector and ego is the lens. As you said ego is the integrating function. It’s hard because it feels like a personality. But it’s just an integrating function.. and I guess if integrates through emotions? Also hard because I thought I read the same thing about the sun. It integrates all the planets. Makes sense that they’re together. Is there diff between the two ways they integrate?
I’m not sure if I understand subjective consciousness very well, but I imagine it to be something like a thought or a belief. Kind of an airy idea of ourselves. I guess that’s why the words self image were used. And through the ego we are able to quantify subjective consciousness ? Is it like a denser version of the soul kind of like how mars is to Pluto?
It did makes sense to me that the ego is also like a projector, and the lenses being our personality7h, instinct 1h and societal personality 10h
Where does the subjective consciousness come from? Is the subjective consciousness the ego of the soul?
There’s just something that is hard to grasp for me about the moon. It feels too vast and hard to pin point.
Also, if we see life “as we are” meaning through the lens of ego.. it sounds very similar to Sagittarius. We also see through our beliefs. Can you help me differentiate between the two?
I think I’m really interested in perception. Which I thought was a sag function. Maybe the inconjunct between 4H and 9H are a factor in how we see the world? So then 7H and 1h must be. I could see how the comparison (and mirroring?) of 7H would filter how we perceive the world around us but I’m not sure about 1H.
I seem to always get stuck on the moon and the sun.
It’s funny right after I wrote the last comment I remembered this video of JWG speaking about the moon and it has everything you said and the response to my questions!
The only one I have now is the dofeeence between the integration that the moon does with that of the sun. I’m not sure if I understand the difference between their integrations. What is an integration? To me it’s taking something and processing it so that it becomes a part of you.
Here is the link to video:
https://youtu.be/fkhwJ74PVBg?si=PdwrirvcvHis_vYp