Many years ago my friend somehow convinced me to babysit her young son while she went to a concert. Her son was probably eight or nine at the time.

In an effort to keep him occupied, I took him for ice cream. Before even ordering the ice cream, while standing in line, his excitement was so great he jumped up and down, hand attached to my hand, the rest of his body in involuntary motion.

Later, with ice cream in hand, he continued the jittery behavior and did what many children do – he dropped the top portion of the ice cream from the cone.

What struck me at the time was how ice cream could make a kid so crazy, even before eating it. Did ice cream emit a secret, addictive scent, I wondered? I’ve wondered then and since if there isn’t a chemical in ice cream that functions as a highly addictive stimulant and that can be emitted and absorbed without actually having eaten the ice cream.

Here in Columbus, Ohio’s capital, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has gone beyond popular. Jeni’s is probably the sole reason friends who have left Columbus return for a visit. They barely step out of the plane or car when they ask, “Can we go to Jeni’s?”

Milk and Sugar

Ice cream is comprised of mostly milk and sugar.

Milk is what we first eat as children. Milk comes from the breast of a female beast. Milk, then, is mothering and is the sign of Cancer.

Milk contains lactose, a sugar. Sugar provides pleasure. The planet of pleasure is Venus. Venus rules both Taurus and Libra.

So is ice cream a Cancer, Taurus or Libra?

The milk we use here in the states comes mostly from cows, which suggests Taurus. However, the compulsive comfort we seek from ice cream feels a lot like the sign of Cancer, an emotionally dependent sign.

As someone who’s never been extremely fond of ice cream, I find that when others eat ice cream, they are very demanding that I eat ice cream too. I’ve noticed this my whole life.

I don’t find this same thing happens when my friends eat hamburgers or candy bars. When my friends eat hamburgers or candy bars, they don’t seem to care if I’m eating a salad or a piece of cake. Rejection of ice cream, on the other hand, causes great stress to the friendship.

In addition to its compulsive power, ice cream creates a strong desire to share the experience.

I’m going to go with CANCER.

Cancer is a cardinal water sign, the sign of family, mothering, nurturing and belonging. Feeding milk to an infant through one’s body is the ultimate nurturing behavior.

Mothering gone wild are the individuals (both men and women) who are overprotective to the point of being suffocating.

Cancer is ruled by the moon and reacts emotionally to all external stimuli and craves emotional security and comfort. The child clinging to the leg of a parent is experiencing Cancer-like desire for emotional comfort. As the child grows he removes his hand from mom’s leg, but the feeling doesn’t go away.

Ice cream, then, is the ultimate comfort food.

Oh, and there’s the land of milk and honey, which is essentially the land of ice cream.