Cancer 6

"The two stars in the eyes of Cancer are of the same influence as Mercury and are also moderately like Mars; those in the claws are like Saturn and Mercury".- - Ptolemy". . . in Cancer nine stars, . . ."- - Ibn-EzraCancer the Crab is a winter Constellation, and can be best viewed in the night sky during the month of February. In mid of April Cancer can be observed best in the evening. Cancer is a small but important zodiacal constellation. It was the fourth constellation of the ancient zodiac, east of Aries, Taurus and Gemini, but is now fifth, since the first point of Aries, the point of the astrological Spring Equinox, has moved west into Pisces.In 1531 Halley's comet was discovered in this part of the sky. In the summer of 1895, all of the planets, except Neptune, congregated here--an extremely rare event.

In Greek Mythology the Crab plays a minor role in the Labours of Hercules, (Heracles in Greek). Hercules was the son of Zeus, the chief of the Greek gods, born of a mortal woman of great beauty named Alcmene.Zeus' wife was the goddess Hera. Hera hated Hercules because of Zeus' infidelity and also because Zeus had allowed Hercules to suckle at her breast while she was sleeping. The divine milk of the goddess made Hercules immortal, but earned him the eternal wrath of Hera which dogged him through his life.At one point Hera cast a spell over Hercules, so that in confusion he slaughtered his own children. In atonement the gods required him to spend twelve years in service to King Eurystheus of Mycenae.

The King set Hercules difficult tasks to perform, one task after another. The tasks were so difficult that indeed they appeared to be impossible, but the great Hercules accomplished them nevertheless. These tasks have become known as the Labours of Hercules.The second task that Hercules had to accomplish was to slay the Hydra. The Hydra was a multi-headed snakelike monster. The swamps of Lerna was home of the Hydra, an enormous water snake with nine heads (one of which was immortal), and with breath that would kill on contact. With the help of Athene, Hercules located the monster's lair, and the ensuing struggle was a standoff. Hercules grappled with it and slashed at it with his sword, but as soon as Hercules cut off one head of the monster, two more grew back.

The Crab joined the dreaded Hydra in battle against Hercules. It was only a bit part, but one which secured its immortality. At Hydra's plea, a giant crab emerged from the swamp and bit into Hercules' foot to distract him in the midst of his struggle with the Hydra. Hercules promptly killed the animal by crushing the Crab with his heel. But only with the help of his charioteer Iolaus, was Hercules able to defeat the Hydra. Iolaus' burning torch prevented the heads from growing back, so that Hercules at the end could slaughter the monster, then cut off the Hydra's immortal head, killing it as well. He then dipped his arrows in the Hydra's blood. The slightest scratch from one of these arrows would bring instant death to his enemies. The goddess Hera rewarded the Crab by placing it among the stars. But, because the Crab failed to defeat Hercules, the gods did not give him bright stars to mark his constellation.