Cancer III: Too Much of a Good Thing?

I’m continuing my series on the 36 Decans of the Zodiac with Cancer III, the final decan of Cancer. Cancer is a water sign, ruled by the Moon, and it's a cardinal sign, meaning it likes to initiate. I covered the meaning of Cancer in detail in the first part of this series on Cancer I . What sets this decan apart from the other two in Cancer are the planets ruling it. Here, it’s the Moon and Jupiter, alongside the Moon ruling the sign itself. So we have Moon, Moon, and Jupiter — bringing a lot of nurturing energy that’s expansive, optimistic, and growth-oriented.

Think about the mom who insists you take a third piece of cake after you’ve already had two, saying, "No, honey, eat it, eat it." That’s the energy of this decan. People with points or planets in this decan might grow up with some privilege or abundance, and the question becomes: what do they do with it? For example, Bill Gates and the poet Lord Byron both have connections to this decan. There’s a lot to dive into, and I hope you enjoy it. If you do, please like and subscribe—it helps others find my content.

Transcript (modified and expanded)

The first step in exploring this decan is to look at the planets that rule it. Here, the Moon rules under the Chaldean order, and Jupiter rules under the triplicity system. Since Cancer as a whole is ruled by the Moon, this makes Cancer III a Moon-Moon-Jupiter decan. The Moon represents nurturing, creating safe emotional spaces, and helping things grow—it’s that strong “mama” energy. Since Cancer is a cardinal sign, there’s an active drive to nurture and care for others in this decan. Then we add Jupiter, known as Zeus in the Greek Pantheon, which brings abundance, optimism, and faith. Jupiter’s energy is about wanting to help and generously bestow goodness on others.

When we put these planets of generosity and nurturing together, we can almost get too much of a good thing. This idea is reflected in the tarot cards associated with this decan. I’m going to start with the Thoth deck because I like how it uses language—it includes words at the bottom of the cards to describe them. If you compare the Thoth card for Cancer II (the 3 of Cups) to the Thoth card for Cancer III (the 4 of Cups), you can really see the shift. The 3 of Cups represents the middle part of Cancer, a moment of abundance. The water is flowing, calm, and dynamic. It feels beautiful and balanced, and the card is even named "Abundance."

Three and Four of Cups, Thoth Tarot

But when we get to the 4 of Cups, we see "Luxury." What’s the difference between abundance and having almost too much? The 4 of Cups shows a stagnant quality. The water looks gray and less vibrant than in the 3 of Cups. The water beneath the cups is troubled, and the cups themselves feel heavy. As Crowley describes in his book on these tarot cards, there’s a sense of decay or overindulgence. He doesn’t use the word “decadence,” but it’s something close to that—an excess that starts to tip into decline.

We also see this reflected in the Rider-Waite images associated with this decan. Take the Three of Cups: three young women in harmonious embrace, raising their cups in celebration. They’re surrounded by a lush harvest, with fruits and greenery underfoot, symbolizing abundance and joy. There’s a dynamic quality to the card, which fits perfectly because water wants to move and flow—it’s an active, dynamic element, and Cancer is a water sign. In this card, the water is flowing, and the energy is vibrant, communal, and celebratory.

Three and Four of Cups, Rider-Waite Tarot

Now compare that to the Four of Cups. From a numerology standpoint, the number three represents movement and flow, while the number four introduces the square—a structure that contains and stagnates. And water doesn’t like to be contained; it wants to move. In the Four of Cups, we see this stagnation clearly. A young man sits under a tree, arms crossed in a posture of rejection or indifference. Three cups sit before him, and a hand emerges from a cloud offering a fourth, but he doesn’t seem interested. The scene feels static and muted compared to the lively Three of Cups. The grass is sparse, and the tree provides shade, but there’s a sense of withdrawal or apathy. The card carries a heavy energy, capturing the feeling of "this is enough" or "I don’t want more," even to the point of emotional fatigue or dissatisfaction. This shift from flowing abundance to stagnation illustrates the energy of the Four of Cups.

Just to bring in another perspective on the Four of Cups energy, there’s a well-known astrologer and Jungian analyst named Liz Greene. She’s written multiple books and created the Mythic Tarot deck, which I really like because it uses ancient Greek myths to tell the stories in the cards. She describes the fours in the tarot like this: “The focus of the fours in every suit is ‘divine discontent.’” Even when everything seems happy and rewarding, there’s an underlying sense of doubt and suspicion.

I like this quote because it ties perfectly to the example of Lord Byron, the famous Romantic poet who has his Moon in this decan. Byron was known not just for his poetry but for his larger-than-life persona. His writing often reflected themes of existential angst and a sense of alienation, as though he didn’t quite belong, even among the elite circles of his wealthy class. Despite his immense privilege—he inherited a fortune, traveled extensively, and gained fame for both his work and his personality—there was always an undercurrent of dissatisfaction in his life.

Byron is often described as a playboy, though it’s more accurate to say he embodied the archetype of the Romantic hero: passionate, reckless, and restless. He indulged in extravagant pleasures—lavish meals, endless travel, and numerous love affairs—but even as he sought fulfillment in these experiences, there was a sense of emptiness that lingered. He famously wrote, “I am so changeable, being everything by turns and nothing long”—a line that captures his restless spirit.

This decan carries a similar energy: a longing for something more, even when surrounded by abundance. It’s like the hangover after too much wine or the point where indulgence in luxury becomes hollow—when the joy that once came so easily begins to fade. Byron’s life and poetry reflect this tension between abundance and dissatisfaction, illustrating the Four of Cups’ "divine discontent."

As Austin Coppock notes in his class on the decans—people with planets in this decan often have the potential to be artists or poets. These are individuals who, by virtue of privilege or financial support, may have the freedom to pursue creative dreams or explore ideas without the pressure of making their work commercially viable. They often have enough time and resources to create art purely for the sake of self-expression, without concern for how it might be received or whether it will generate income. From my own experience with clients who have planets in this decan, I’ve noticed this to be true. They may come from a background of wealth or privilege, allowing them to pursue paths that are unconventional or uniquely their own.

Bill Gates is another example of this decan’s energy. He has his rising degree here, and his life reflects many of its themes. Gates was born into a privileged background—his father was a lawyer, and his mother, Mary Maxwell Gates, was a prominent businesswoman. One of the most significant opportunities of Gates’s youth was his education at Lakeside School, a private prep school in Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Gates first encountered computers, which were still incredibly rare at the time. The school’s Mothers’ Club had raised funds to purchase computer time on a General Electric system, giving Gates and other students a chance to experiment with programming. This early exposure laid the foundation for the technology that would later define his career.

After high school, Gates went on to Harvard—an opportunity made more accessible by the elite education he had received. But what stands out about his story is the freedom he had to leave Harvard when he decided to pursue his vision of creating and selling computers. Financial concerns didn’t constrain him; his family’s wealth provided the safety net he needed to take risks and focus on innovation without worrying about how he would support himself.  

And then, as I said already, Lord Byron had his Moon in this decan of Cancer. He was a Cancer rising, and I believe his ascendant was in the first decan. Byron, in addition to his title and wealth, was able to travel extensively and become a celebrated poet. But what’s particularly interesting about him is how Liz Greene’s concept of the number four and the Four of Cups—representing divine discontent—comes through in his poetry. While Byron had immense privilege, he often bemoaned the fact that he grew up in a bubble of wealth and felt unable to escape it. This existential angst runs through his work, especially in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, where he reflects on the emptiness of privilege and his search for meaning beyond material wealth and social status. His poetry vividly captures this decan’s themes of longing and dissatisfaction, illustrating the deeper quest for fulfillment that transcends worldly success.  

Now, one last thing—or a couple of last things—both of which are fascinating to consider here. The first is that both Lord Byron and Bill Gates have a Jupiter-Pluto connection in their charts, which is often associated with wealth. Pluto, as the god of the underworld, is also tied to the cornucopia of abundance, and when paired with Jupiter, the planet of expansion and fortune, particularly in a positive aspect, it can signify great wealth in a person’s life. Bill Gates has Jupiter conjunct Pluto, while Lord Byron has Pluto trine Jupiter—a smooth, flowing aspect that represents ease and opportunity. This shared astrological context adds another layer to their stories of privilege and abundance.

As a side note, in astrology, there’s a concept called the "rule of three," which states that when multiple placements or aspects in a chart point toward the same theme, an interpretation becomes more reliable. Here, we see this principle in action: Jupiter-Pluto contacts, which are strongly tied to wealth and abundance, parallel the energy of planets or points in the last decan of Cancer, which also deals with themes of privilege, nurturing, and material security. This repetition of similar symbolism strengthens the interpretation and underscores the significance of these individuals’ astrological patterns.

The other point to note is the shadow side of this decan, beyond the discontent we see reflected in Lord Byron’s poetry. People who have Saturn or Mars—traditionally more challenging planets—positioned in this decan may experience struggles with wealth, especially in their youth. They might grow up in poverty or face significant financial challenges early in life. Even if they eventually achieve wealth, they may wrestle with how best to use it, often feeling a pull toward generosity and helping others. However, this can lead to its own complications, such as giving away too much or unintentionally enabling others, like an overbearing or over-nurturing parent. These conflicts around wealth and generosity are another dimension of the complex energy associated with this decan.

Now one last thing—or a couple last things—both of which are super interesting to me. The first is both Lord Byron and Bill Gates have Jupiter-Pluto context in their chart, which is also a sign of wealth. Because Pluto is the god of the underworld, but he's also the god of the cornucopia of wealth. And when he's with Jupiter, especially in a positive aspect, it can often lead to somebody having great wealth in their lifetime. Bill Gates has Jupiter conjunct Pluto, and Lord Byron has Pluto trine his Jupiter. That's a really nice flowing energy. So that's interesting.

The shadow side of this decan goes beyond the discontent we see in Lord Byron’s poetry. People with Saturn or Mars—two traditionally difficult planets—in this decan may struggle with wealth, especially early in life. They might grow up in poverty or face serious financial challenges. Even if they later achieve wealth, they may wrestle with how to use it. They tend to feel a strong pull toward generosity and helping others, but this can create problems, like giving away too much or enabling others in unhealthy ways, similar to over-nurturing. These tensions around wealth and generosity are a key part of the complex energy tied to this decan.

For example, I have a client who is a Scorpio rising with Mars in the third decan of Cancer, meaning Mars rules their chart. This client grew up in poverty but later came into money. They came to me to discuss how they found themselves enabling siblings with substance abuse problems—buying a house for one sibling and giving large amounts of money to another, only to perpetuate the issues. This highlights the shadow side of having a more challenging planet in this decan. In this case, the lesson was learning how to handle wealth responsibly and avoid over-mothering or giving away too much. This behavior often stems from a genuine desire to help but can also be tied to unresolved feelings from growing up with less and then suddenly having access to abundance later in life.

Those are just a few ideas about the decans. If you have an important planet or point in this part of your chart, feel free to drop a comment—I’d love to hear your story. Have a great day, and I’ll see you when I cover Leo I in about 10 days. Thanks!

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