I have always delighted in telling anyone who is interested, and also those not so interested for that matter, that I am a typical Cancerian. If ever there was a loony, moody, hypersensitive, emotional human crab, which is what Linda Goodman says someone born under the sun sign of Cancer would be, yours truly is that loony, moody, hypersensitive, emotional human crab. I know some of you would shake their heads in disbelief at this statement of mine and disagree with it, except of course the ‘loony’ part of it, which most everyone would agree to with vigorous affirmative nods  of their respective heads. The other adjectives would then become a topic of a hot debate over a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of whiskey for those of you who have a lot of free time on their hands, which thankfully enough not many seem to have these days.

What those who might have lots of free time on their hands, plus a cup of coffee, tea or whiskey, might not take into account when they get down to their hot debate, is the schooling yours truly has received in that most excellent of schools called Life, where the lessons do not end till the last breath. Such lessons well learnt from the School of Life effectively mask whatever inherent traits the zodiac sign has stuffed you up with at birth, hoping to make you this or that or whatever sort of person. The discipline of this highly acclaimed school leaves the chief of the Zodiac Signs frustrated and fretting and fuming, not to mention brooding, at those inherent traits that you were ever so carefully stuffed up with at birth, going wastefully down the drain in the years following.

I remember the first time I laid my hands on the oh-so famous book The Sun Signs by Linda Goodman. My eyes almost popped out of my head. I started nervously at each sound and looked around to try and detect the spies the author had set on me, for how else could she have written all that about me?? In spite of getting all stirred up about her ability to have known me without ever having set eyes on me (or did she move around invisibly like Mr. India??) there were a couple of things she had jotted down about me in her book that made me chuckle in glee. Hehehe… she didn’t know me that well after all. So there.

Those born under the zodiac sign of Cancer are attached to their homes (of birth) she says in her book. This is something she is lyrical about when writing of Cancerians. All I can say in response is B***s***. Another point that she gives equal importance to is the protective nature of Cancerians, a mother hen who clucks around her brood and does not let go. In reply, I merely raise my eyebrows, (both together, since I know not the single eye-brow lifting trick which seems to come so naturally to some or even  the eyebrow wriggling trick of the Malayalam movie thespian Madhu), in an amused manner and ask, “Oh yeah?? Sez who??” which incidentally, is the title of my book (thank you for the excellent suggestion Bob) to come out in the very distant future when I have compiled all my blogs that ask the same question. Anyway, I digress.

Yesterday when the heat and dust of Mother’s Day was at its peak, I came across this, astrological write up about Cancerian Moms.

The Cancer Mother (June 21 – July 22)
If you were to single out one sign as the mother hen of the zodiac, Cancer would clearly take the sash. (Oh yeah?? Sez who??) Like her sign’s symbol, the Crab, a Cancer mother is all about home. Her attachment to it ensures she creates a warm environment for her children, and her own emotional sensitivity, a common Water sign characteristic,  points to a mom who has all the time in the world (that is, when she is not blogging of course) to sit down at the kitchen table and help her children sort out their feelings — all while somehow managing to whip up her kids’ favorite comfort food (only if they refuse have take-away food), because Cancer is nothing if not nurturing!

A Cancer mother needs to be reminded, however, that she can’t protect (who has the time??!) her children from everything. After all, a house should be a home, not a fortress from every possible danger the world has to offer. This loving sign is well-intentioned, but often runs the risk of raising sheltered children who are either fearful or naive when they leave the nest. (Hahahahaha!! I haven’t heard anything funnier. Why would I raise sheltered children when I was waiting eagerly to kick them out of the nest??)

I couldn’t help Rolling On The Floor Laughing Out Extremely Loud when I tried to picture myself as this well-intentioned over- protective, clingy clucking mother-hen raising a sheltered and equally clingy brood too scared to step out into the world. Oh really?? How far from the truth was that??!! And I have a sneaking suspicion that if ever my kiddos have a complaint against me it would be that I hadn’t pampered and cosseted them enough.

All my life, I have detested and resisted being a Geminian with a passion. When people told me that at 25^th of the month, I was a ‘cusp’ I vehemently ruled out any possibility that I could be harboring Geminian traits in me. The very thought made me shudder with revulsion. I did not like Geminians nor wanted to be one. Period. But I still decided to read about Gemini Moms anyway and boy was I taken by surprise.

The Gemini Mother (May 21 – June 20)
A mother born under the sign of the Twins is likely to have well-informed kids (Yayyyy, very true), because Gemini is ruled by information planet Mercury, which is sure to make for some interesting chats around the dinner table! (How true!!) A Gemini’s kids can also be quite talkative, because this communicative sign values conversation. (The kiddos talkative at times and certainly communicative) And because Gemini is the “androgynous” sign of the zodiac, this mother is equally adept at understanding the pressures her son or daughter is going through at every age. (True, true, true!)

But a Gemini mother has to make sure she touches down on solid ground every once in a while. (Hmmm… does she really have to?? I mean its so damn cool being on Cloud Nine!) This social sign will no doubt be devoted to making sure her kids are having the times of their lives, but it’s easy for her to let them run a bit wild. (Errr…) That’s because Gemini isn’t always good at being firm or consistent (No, no, just the contrary!) — and that famous Gemini duality can cause confusion when it comes to discipline. (I guess I will have to get my kiddos’ feedback on that one, after all I have been called a Hitler Mom while they were younger)

Now I realize something. The part that I disagreed with so very much in my Cancer profile was all the while nestling unnoticed by me in the Gemini profile. No wonder, because by the Indian calendar I am a Gemini (Mithuna) born. Sigh and I have to accept the fact that however much I look askance and with trepidation at Geminians, when it comes to motherhood, I lean more towards being a Gemini Mom. Oh well.