Summary
Cancer is the mother archetype of the zodiac. Cancer, a cardinal water sign, is a strong contender in business and relationships because it combines assertiveness with emotional intuition.
It has deep roots in the past, and its main goal is to build a family and keep things safe at home.
In times of threat, like a true crab, it retreats into its shell or fiercely defends its loved ones.
Cancers are caring, nurturing, and motherly at heart, even though they can be moody sometimes.
Everyone has some zodiac Cancer sign characteristics in their birth chart.
Table of Contents
Motto: I feel.
Psychological Need: To give and receive emotional warmth and security
Best Quality: Tenacity
Downside: touchiness, timidity, clannishness, restlessness, indolence, overemotional, over-sentimental
Keywords: domesticity, sympathy, sensitiveness, artistry, tenacity, protectiveness, caring, nurturing, maternal
Cancer Sign Dates: approximately June 21 – July 22
Cancer Characteristics
Protective Nature
Cancers have a hard shell like a crab’s that keeps them safe from the outside world. They have a big heart and are sensitive and weak at the core. Because of how fragile they are and how much they always want to feel safe, they tend to take a defensive stance.
Indirect but Determined
They find it difficult to be direct, preferring to raise issues in a roundabout way. But once they care about something, they are very determined and won’t give up, which surprises people around them.
Family and Home Importance
Family is very important to them, and they usually keep a tight relationship with their closest friends and family because they need a peaceful home to feel safe.
Nostalgic
They always think back to their childhood, when they learned how to show affection. They live in the past so much that they sometimes miss out on opportunities in the present. They also have a strong tendency toward nostalgia.
Intuitive
Cancers are intuitive, sentimental, and very good at figuring out what other people are thinking or feeling. They love nature and care about the environment, and it hurts them when there is a natural or environmental disaster.
Complex Personality
They usually have a complicated personality with frequent mood swings, which makes it hard to get to know them so well. They can be withdrawn and moody just as quickly as they can be kind and loving. But when they figure out how to control their extreme sensitivity, it becomes a fabulous weapon that lets them live a life that is both intense and emotionally satisfying.
Top ↑
The Cancer Walk
The Cancer Man
Cancer men are usually stocky, round-faced, and have a wide range of facial expressions. Many have dimples and smile easily. Their gaze reflects a kind and sensitive nature, although they sometimes avoid direct eye contact.
They need to feel safe at all costs, so having a home and enough money is very important to them. They value their privacy highly and find it difficult to open up to others.
Many Cancer men are very close to their mothers and keep in close contact with them.
Cancers are creative and intuitive by nature and make decisions based on how they feel. Most of the time, they make good decisions, but sometimes they wait too long to act on them.
They hope to start a family. Many women like Cancers because they’re easy to get along with.
The Cancer Woman
Cancer women, like their male counterparts, have a round and expressive face, and their eyes reveal their emotions at all times. With a strong bone structure, they walk hunched or straight and proud, depending on their mood. They find it difficult to maintain a consistent weight and are generously proportioned.
They let themselves be carried away by their feelings, and they feel very secure in the company of family and friends. They find it very frustrating not to have someone on whom they can pour all their affection, and if this situation continues for too long, they become depressed. They are susceptible and vulnerable, and they are easily offended, even when no one means to hurt them.
They have an abundance of creativity and an overflowing imagination, which explains why they excel in the field of design. Their intuition serves as a guide, allowing them to fully understand others. They are extremely protective of themselves, and it shows whenever they have to make a choice.
They’re also known for having strong maternal and protective instincts. They also stand out because they have strong instincts to care for and protect their young. They want to have children and take care of their family.
Top ↑
Cancer Fashion
Cancers find it difficult to know which style looks best on them, so they choose their clothes based on how they feel. They don’t want to spend too much money, so they put off getting new clothes as long as they can. They don’t mind wearing second-hand clothes, which they pair with accessories they’ve picked out with care.
Even though they have great taste when it comes to fabrics and colors, they don’t wear clothes that are too flashy because they prefer to be seen as discreet. Because of their attachment to the past, they don’t pay much attention to fashion and prefer more traditional styles.
Some Cancer men care a lot about how they look and sometimes spend a lot of time making themselves look good. They tend to wear well-fitted shirts and casual pants, so they look both sharp and laid-back. They look great in clothes that have a nautical theme.
In the workplace, Cancer women prefer to wear comfortable suits that are easy to move around in. For casual situations, they like to wear clothes that are feminine and have soft lines. They find it romantic to wear long dresses and love to go out at night in the moonlight.
Cancer Home-life
For Cancers, home is a place to get away from the busy world outside and relax. They spend a lot of money to make the place feel cozy and welcoming. Because they are too sensitive to the hectic pace of big cities, many people prefer to live in the countryside. They prefer to live near water and in houses with a bit of history.
They are avid collectors, and over the years, they tend to accumulate fine antiques. This passion, however, sometimes leads them to accumulate a lot of decorative objects, which end up piled up everywhere. Cancerians are not exactly tidy, and their home can end up looking a bit disorganized.
They love food, and their kitchens are usually big and well-stocked. They also like gardening, so many of them spend a lot of time taking care of their gardens and plants. They highly value privacy and are fierce defenders of their territory, so they do not tolerate nosy or noisy neighbors.
Cancer Finances
Cancers are very cautious with money. As a result of their strong attachment to their possessions, they are often guarded and suspicious. They are sometimes reluctant to buy even basic necessities because they feel insecure and vulnerable when they run out of money. Money gives them security, and they do not hesitate to invest their time and energy until they have a substantial bank account.
They have a good intuition for business and are gifted entrepreneurs. They prefer to handle their own finances unless they can fully trust someone with a lot of experience. They are attracted to investments of all kinds but tend to avoid risky ventures or ventures with unpredictable futures.
Many supplement their income with a profitable hobby, such as buying and selling antiques or trading of various kinds. They have great judgment, and often their hobbies turn into businesses. As they accumulate wealth, they relax and enjoy the good things in life, which they share with their family and friends.
Top ↑
Cancer Fun and Leisure
Driven by their collector’s passion and their love of antiques, Cancers spend part of their free time browsing flea markets and second-hand shops in search of something interesting to buy. If they get more serious about this hobby, they also go to auctions.
Cooking is another of their favorite pastimes, and they love to invite their friends over for a meal. They are energetic and creative in the kitchen, and they are not afraid to add their own personal touch to traditional recipes. When they feel tense, cooking has a therapeutic effect on them, helping them to relax.
They also enjoy sailing and boating, and many Cancers enjoy fishing on occasion.
Although they are very homely, they also love to travel. Many Cancers invest in a recreational vehicle (RV) or a spacious camper van, enabling them to travel with the house on their backs.
Very close to their family, Cancers are always willing to devote a good part of their free time to them and to spend a vacation abroad with them.
They show an extremely protective attitude towards their family and get angry when someone criticizes them. Cancerians, who have an excellent memory, appreciate being congratulated on their birthdays and appreciate people who always remember the dates.
Appetite rules their general mood, and they hate skipping meals. They tend to be shy, and they become even more withdrawn in the face of others’ displays of extroversion. They don’t like living in a noisy area because they value peace and quiet more than anything else.
Cancer in Love
Cancers are very sensitive and exercise great caution before falling in love. They’re afraid of being hurt, so they need to feel comfortable and secure with their partner before they can show who they really are. They look for a relationship that is stable, and when they finally find it, they cling to it with all their strength.
(Read more about Cancer in love.)
Cancer Compatibility With Others
Cancers get along very well with other water signs. There is an unspoken understanding between them, which enables them to foresee each other’s needs and desires and to achieve happiness.
They also usually have good relationships with earth signs, who balance out their sensitivity and give them the stability they want.
Fire signs know true passion, but their lack of sensitivity can be a source of conflict. In addition, they are extroverted, which does not go well with the usual shyness of Cancers.
Air signs, on the other hand, are too cold and analytical for Cancers, who are easily carried away by emotions. This is a significant difference that can make communication difficult between them.
See Cancer compatibility with each sign.
Top ↑
Family Relationships
Cancers like to be part of a close-knit family, which helps them feel safe and like they belong. They are jealous and protective of their blood ties, and they feel inextricably linked to their family members, the only people with whom they feel truly at ease.
Cancer Children
Cancer children have expressive faces, reflecting their constant mood swings. In a minute, they can go from being happy to being scared or sad, and their parents never know whether to laugh or cry.
They eat a lot, and when they are babies, they want to be nursed as long as possible. The first years of childhood are especially important for them, and they need to feel loved and safe during that time.
As they get older, they tend to pull away and dwell on the hurts they’ve been through. To help them, their parents will have to be very sensitive.
Cancer at School
They are very creative, but they need to be encouraged to use their strong imaginations to make music, paint, or write.
They learn easily at school, but it’s hard for them to adjust to places that are too loud or hostile because they value peace and quiet more than anything else.
They like to explore nature and are very responsible when they have to take care of a pet. They behave well and respond well to discipline, as long as it’s not too harsh.
A Cancer Parent
Cancers are great parents, even if they are overly protective. They shower their children with love and attention, no matter how old they are. In fact, some Cancer parents are reluctant to see their kids grow up and find it hard to accept their independence.
They worry about everything and make a big deal out of a small problem. They make a mountain out of a molehill. If one of their kids gets a minor infection or fails a class, they can’t sleep or eat.
They can’t stand to see their kids suffer, so they sometimes overindulge them. Some Cancers should be aware that painful experiences are just as important for a child’s development as pleasurable ones.
They are very responsible parents who are involved in all aspects of their child’s development. They are patient with them and talk to them often to keep the peace in their home.
A Cancer Sibling
Cancers care deeply for their siblings and seek to protect them. People who are more independent might find their Cancer sibling to be too smothering, but they always appreciate their help and kindness.
People around them find it hard to deal with their mood swings. On the other hand, they need privacy and their own space. They are very sensitive, so a sibling who is too open and outgoing might intimidate them.
After they move out, they keep in touch with their siblings and reminisce nostalgically about their childhood.
Top ↑
Compatibility in Friendship
Cancers are shy and secretive, but those who get to know them well become like family to them. They need to feel safe in someone’s company before becoming friends, but they eventually let down their guard and become loyal and affectionate friends.
A Cancer Friend
Cancers like their friendships to grow slowly. They don’t like being forced to get close too soon. But once they get to know someone and feel comfortable with them, they can be surprisingly fun and playful. They are great imitators who like to watch others and pick up their movements and gestures.
They like to hang out in cozy places and eat with their coworkers whenever they can, either at home or in restaurants where they can talk at their own pace.
They are very concerned about others. They’re horrified when their loved ones are hurt. They’re very intuitive and can immediately guess what’s happening to them. Their friends can always count on them in times of need.
Cancer Loyalty
Cancerians are selfless and loyal friends who are unlikely to let anyone down, not even those who deserve it. They, on the other hand, expect the same from others and are deeply hurt when they are betrayed or abandoned. They like long-lasting friendships, and it hurts them to have to break off a relationship.
The line between loyalty and jealousy can be blurry for many Cancers.
When their friends do something on their own or are seen with other people, they get offended and withdraw back into their shell. Some Cancers should hold back and try to see things from an outsider’s point of view. If they don’t let their friends have some freedom, their friends will feel suffocated and leave them.
Cancer Friendship Compatibility
Cancers get along well with earth signs, which give them great stability. Their friendship, which is never too intense, is usually long-lasting.
They have a lot in common with the other water signs, although the relationship between them can be explosive.
They would learn to be more direct and daring from the fire signs. However, Cancer signs consider them coarse, inconstant, and prone to abandoning them at any moment.
Air signs, who are always rational, could teach them to see things differently. However, Cancers will never be able to trust them since, with the exception of Libra, air signs find it very difficult to commit themselves.
Top ↑
Planets in Cancer
Each planet and the ascendant express Cancer in slightly different ways. Planets in Cancer will be colored by qualities of emotional sensitivity, reserve, moodiness, and self-protectiveness.
- Ascendant in Cancer (Cancer Rising)
- Sun in Cancer
- Moon in Cancer
- Mercury in Cancer
- Venus in Cancer
- Mars in Cancer
- Jupiter in Cancer
- Saturn in Cancer
- Uranus in Cancer
- Neptune in Cancer
- Pluto in Cancer
- North Node in Cancer
- Chiron in Cancer
- Part of Fortune in Cancer
- Black Moon Lilith in Cancer
Everyone is a Bit of Cancer Zodiac Sign
In your birth chart, Cancer is found somewhere along the circle of houses. There are lines known as “house cusps” that divide your circle of houses into 12 slices.
Whichever house cusp is in Cancer is the house where you are most like a Cancer. This is the area of life where you’re most protective and nurturing. You may be drawn to creating a safe and comfortable environment in this house. It can also be where you’re most in touch with your emotions.
See descriptions for Cancer on house cusps.
Top ↑