Leo, Cancer, and The "Nested" Heart

November 2022

Copyright © by Judith, 2022

The ancient Greeks discovered that our twelve zodiac signs are physically correlated to twelve horizontal body zones. However, this tradition, known as “Melothesia” may enjoy far earlier roots. Papyrus scrolls from the tomb of Ramses V (1150-45 BCE) explicated ascendant constellations (by the hour) to body parts. Although not the precisely same concept as Melothesia, one can assume a strong correlation exists. 

The first sign Aries corresponds to the head, whereas the last sign Pisces to the feet, completing the zodiac circle. I’ve written quite a bit about this in previous articles, omitting some curious anomalies. It later occurred to me that sign zones within the body trunk evince considerable interactive blending between their zones. These seeming inconsistencies within the simplistic “chocolate layer cake” body-zone model, reveal that the Greek designers were indeed intentional in their anomalies. Today, we will focus on the remarkable positioning of the  Cancer-Leo Body Zones.

Cancer correlates to Body Zone 4, supposedly positioned directly above Leo’s to Body Zone 5. Cancer rules the rib cage breasts, sternum, lower lung, pericardium, pleura, axillae, thoracic duct, uterus (when pregnant), mucus membrane, and stomach. Leo governs the heart, aorta, spinal sheaths, gall bladder, and thoracic spine. Obviously, these two zones actually overlap here and again - and are even positionally reversed in the case of the stomach and heart! For instance, the Cancer- ruled Body Zone 4’s stomach and lower lung rest lower in the body than does the Leo-ruled heart, positioned in Zone 5. Additionally, both signs, plus Virgo, strongly influence the liver. Leo (with Capricorn and Saturn) is said to govern the gall bladder, whereas Mars rules the bile.

This Cancer-Leo positional anomaly appears an egregious error if one does not consider how the ancients regarded the role of the two Lights of Heaven - Luna and Sol. These “Lights” (as we know them today), stood apart from the planets. Astrologically, the Sun was conceived as the source of all life and light: The Center. Center itself. Sol and Luna were the sole two commanding “Lights” of heaven, the overlord and lady of day and night. Sol, and ‘his’ sign Leo, always govern the heart. The Sun governs this sign, and the Moon governs the sign Cancer. Leo is the domicile of the Sun, and Cancer is the domicile of the Moon.

“Zodiacal Man” reveals that Body Zone 5  (Leo) is actually surrounded by Body Zone 4 - Cancer, with both zones occupying relatively the same band width! In this one case, we see two Body Zones occupying mostly the same space- one internally, and one externally, as in a circle with a circle around it. They appear thus to work in a cooperative manner. See illustration 1.  

Most other Body Zones stack one above the other (approximately). Here, it appears more as though we have one Zone (5) surrounded by the other, somewhat (see comment on anterior/posterior, below).

How does this reflect in the body?
The Leo-ruled heart is surrounded by the Cancer-ruled pericardium. Similarly, the Leo-ruled heart is protected and enclosed by the Cancer-ruled ribcage.

The Sun-Moon dance can be either viewed frontally, or, on a horizontal axis through the body. Frontally, draw a circle around the heart region, in the center of the chest. This is “Leo=Sol”. Surrounding this, draw a larger circle, encompassing the breasts and rib cage. This is the sphere of “Cancer=Moon”. 

See Figure 1.

Internally, on the horizontal axis, one can envision ‘Leo=Sun’ as the physical heart center, with a horizontal circle swirling around it, representative of ‘Cancer=Moon’, extended as a thick slice through the body. (It is essential to note that signs and planets are not the same things, nor always govern the same body parts. In Leo-Sun’s case, however, they both govern the heart. In Cancer-Moon’s example, they both rule the breasts and stomach.) See Figure 1.

Astrologically, Sol is the central Vital Force and Luna distributes Sol’s Vital Force. In this paradigm, these two govern the body more so than any planet. Classic medical astrology depicts this unique status and function by embedding Leo’s Body Zone 5 partially within Cancer’s Body Zone 4. And, in practice, it works!

To reiterate, the Leo-ruled heart is encircled by the Cancer-ruled ribs and pericardium. Body Zones 4 and 5 work best envisioned as nested circles, more so than as stacked layers. There is one exception. The thoracic spine and upper back are under Leo (on the body’s exterior posterior); whereas and the Cancer ruled sternum is on the body’s exterior anterior). Here, we note an interesting posterior/anterior effect! See Figure 2. 

Notice how Leo’s internal organs (heart, aorta,), lie fully within the thoracic cavity, with only one outlier - the Leo-ruled gall-bladder lands in the abdominal cavity (this organ is actually co-ruled by Leo, Virgo, Capricorn, and Saturn). Conversely, only some of Cancer’s interior organs share thoracic space with Leo (lower lung). Many Cancer-ruled organs are located lower down, in the upper abdominal cavity (stomach, spleen, pancreas). This reverses normal melothesian body zone order, by placing some organs of zone 4 beneath zone 5, rather than above! Thus, the Body Zones and organs of the two only Sun and Moon-ruled zodiac signs are observed to intermingle, invert zones, and share zones…mirroring the complex monthly Sun-Moon dance of the heavens. 

Cancer is also held to govern the diaphragm, that flexible, membranous structure that separates these two great cavities of the body. 

Two other sign groups enjoy posterior-anterior effects. These are Libra and Scorpio; and Sagittarius and Scorpio. 

“Zodiacal Man’s” nested circle zones and ‘his’ anterior/posterior shared co-zones will be adequately depicted and described on my new Medical Astrology Wall Chart, due out by December (hopefully)! 

Zodiac signs also rule functions, as well as body zones. Their functional rulerships are apt anywhere in the body as required, regardless of their positionally associated Zones. For instance, the Pisces-ruled lymphatic function roams throughout all twelve body zones, whereas Pisces governs Body Zone 12: the feet. 

Functional rulership explains why, for instance, the liver, while residing in the shared Cancer-Leo region, appears to be influenced so strongly by Virgo. The liver’s role partakes of much of Virgo’s discernment and selection function. When confronted by a tiny food molecule, the liver asks “What have we here?”  So, we say that Virgo “rules” the discerning functions of the liver. We also know Virgo is strongly associated with the liver because we can repeatedly verify a Virgo emphasis in multiple cases of liver disease. 

Leo, as the hottest sign of the pantheon, concentrates heat. Thus, Leo governs the heat of the liver. This is no small matter because the liver supplies about 30% of the body’s heat! Intense, concentrating heat can relate to Leo when found anywhere in the body! Similarly, we know that Cancer’s medical function is to protect, nourish, store and hoard. The Liver’s glycogen storage might well be considered a Cancer function. Cornell assigns the liver’s upper lobes to Cancer, and lower lobes to Virgo, probably due to their Body Zone influence. I can see no other reason for him to do so because no known difference in liver lobe function pertains. 

A closer examination of the traditional Zodiacal Man offers us many surprising and useful insights.

Next month, (or soon), we will examine the interworking of Zones 8 and 9, (Scorpio and Sagittarius).

Learn more about the astrological timing of herbal harvest, tincturing, and administration in Astrological Herbalism Decoded!

Medical Disclaimer: Use this celestially timed recipe exclusively with your physician’s consent and their specified contraindications. We cannot give medical advice, direction, or prescription. This recipe is for educational purposes only, and wonderment. We are not responsible for the misuse of this recipe.