The crab animal has quite an enduring association with the moon and its goddess. This is particularly evident in the old Greek religion, whose moon goddess is linked to the crab. This association is also present in astrology, particularly in the Cancer zodiac sign. What ties the crab to the moon, its goddess and the astrological sign of Cancer?
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What is Crab?
First, what is the crab? The crab is a crustacean with a hard exoskeleton and ten legs, the front of which are claws. Crabs live in the ocean, in freshwater and on land. Due to the structure of their legs, crabs walk sideways. They are omnivores, feeding on algae, plankton, mollusks and detritus. Some species of crab live in social groups, while others are solitary.
Crabs use their claws for defense, food gathering and communication. Like armor, their tough shell also gives them protection. However, in order to grow, they must molt and shed this shell every so often.
The Crab Animal Under the Moon
There’s something about the crab that associated this creature with the moon. In particular, the crab’s molting behavior, along with its capacity to regenerate lost claws and limbs, mirrors the moon’s cyclical nature as the heavenly body waxes and wanes with the passage of time. This connection made the crab a prominent symbol of the moon, along with the qualities of resilience and adaptation attached to the heavenly body.
The crabs’ habitat likewise associated them with the moon. The moon’s gravitational pull controls the ebb and flow of the tides, and crabs are creatures of the shore. They live in an environment where their daily existence is affected by these tidal changes. Their life in the sea, which is subject to the tide, symbolically connected them to the moon.
Moreover, crabs are nocturnal creatures. They are usually more active at night when the moon is visible. Their emergence during moonlit nights further solidified their symbolic connection to the lunar cycle.
From whologwhy, CC BY 2.0
Dislike of the Crab Animal
While people admire the moon, there are things about the crab that are not to their liking. First, crabs have a hard, spiny exoskeleton — along with claws and stalked eyes — which some people find unsettling or creepy. Their sideways movement can also seem unnerving. Crabs also tend to be defensive, and use their claws to pinch if they feel threatened. People who experienced pinching by a crab often develop a fear of them.
Selene and the Crab Animal
The moon goddess Selene, known as Luna among the Romans, was the first of the Greek goddesses to be associated with the crab. Selene personifies the moon itself, and is depicted as a beautiful, radiant goddess who drives a chariot across the night sky, illuminating the world with her silver light.
With the crab’s association with water, tides and lunar rhythms, this creature became symbolically linked with Selene. The moon’s own connection to the tides — which are due to its gravitational pull — ties Selene to the ocean and the creatures that inhabit the tidal zones. Accordingly, the crab, which lives in such an environment, became a natural symbol of Selene’s lunar influence.
As a creature that molts and renews itself by shedding its exoskeleton, the crab also mirrors the lunar cycle, which Selene governs. As Selene’s moon wanes and waxes in the sky, so does the crab regenerate itself.
Artemis and the Crab Animal
Another important lunar goddess is Artemis, known as Diana among the Romans. Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, the god of the sun, and in later traditions took on the role of the moon goddess. Thus, in place of Selene, the virgin huntress and protector of wild animals was later associated with the moon.
Besides the crab’s pre-existing links to the moon, Artemis’ influence extends to the crab through her dominion over nature and the creatures of the wild.
Additionally, Artemis’ image as the mysterious goddess of the wild — who punished those who intrude into her domain — aligned with that of the crab, which hides within its shell when threatened.
The Cancer Zodiac Sign and the Crab
In astrology, the moon is the ruling planet of the Cancer zodiac sign, whose symbol and literal meaning is the crab. The crab indeed mirrors the traits of individuals born under Cancer, as well as those associated with the moon.
Belonging to the water element, Cancer embodies the emotions and intuition, both of which are governed by the moon. People born under this zodiac sign are deeply emotional, nurturing and protective, which mirror both the qualities of the crab and the lunar goddess Artemis. Cancer individuals are sensitive, and withdraw like the crab into their shell when threatened. Indeed, the moon’s role in shaping human behavior, particularly the emotions and moods, reflects in the sign of the Crab.
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Hercules and the Crab
One of the most famous stories involving the crab is that of Hercules, also known as Heracles. In the second of twelve labors that Hercules had to carry out, the hero had to slay the Lernaean Hydra, a huge serpent-like creature with nine heads, each of which would grow back if severed. To ensure the failure of the hero, the queen of the gods sent the giant crab.
Hera loathed Hercules — who her husband fathered by another woman — and tasked the crab to aid the Hydra during the battle. However, although the crab pinched Hercules’ foot, it did not significantly hinder him, and the hero quickly crushed the crab beneath his foot.
The Cancer Constellation and the Crab
In gratitude of the crab’s attempt to assist the Hydra, Hera placed the crab among the stars. Thus, this story explains how the constellation of Cancer came to be.
From Till Credner, CC BY-SA 3.0
The same constellation marks the position of the Cancer sign in the zodiac belt. In this manner, the astrological rulership of the moon over the sign of the Crab extended to the constellation that the Greeks imagined to be a crab. This further connects the moon to the crab.
From AnotherGypsy, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Crab Animal Lives on in Astrology
The association between the crab and the moon lives on in astrology, particularly through the zodiac sign Cancer. Symbolized by the crab and ruled by the moon, the Cancer zodiac sign is attributed with the power to make people emotional, intuitive and nurturing. Traditionally associated with the moon, these traits highlight the enduring connection between the crab and the heavenly body.
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Popularity of the Lunar Crab Today
The connection between the moon and the crab remains quite popular today, particularly in the context of astrology. The symbolic link between the moon, emotional depth and the crab continues to resonate with people who are interested in spiritual beliefs. Hence, in much of contemporary society, the crab is firmly embedded in people’s thought as a creature of the moon: a being that reflects the moon’s rhythms in its own life and behavior.
Do you appreciate the crab? Share this article with your friends and let them know how deep and ancient the story of the crab goes.
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Moon Goddess in a Novel
The author wrote this article as he worked on a novel, which features a character inspired by the moon goddess, as represented by the Cancer zodiac sign. The novel reveals the Cancer characteristics in a fictional setting. However, this book is still in its fourth draft. In the meantime, you can check the author’s existing nonfiction work, Power Birthstone, and discover the hidden meanings of your birthstone and zodiac gems.
Learn about your birthstone and zodiac gems
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