The zodiac’s fourth sign is Cancer; Aries symbolises the beginning of life, Taurus the fertile soil for growing, and Gemini a way to communicate your thoughts.

When summer arrives early in the calendar year, all of nature awakens to life – plant life flourishes, and animals build their nests to raise new life. Therefore, Cancer brings everyone together to support and nurture one another.

Those born under the sign of Cancer are between the dates of June 21st and July 22nd. Cancer is an astrological sign that has intrinsic qualities of nurturing life through each of us being together.

For those individuals who are associated with Cancer, there is no more significant place than your home to protect you through turbulent times. As the home protects us from storms, Cancer is also a protector of souls.

Special Insight: The special connection to the “Soul” of Cancer is that it gives the “Soul” its very most immediate place to belong after it has “experienced” all three preceding signs from Aries to Gemini. Cancer teaches the “soul” what it means to be a part of something to love, create family, and find out that there is one other living thing that cares about you.

For those born under the sign of Cancer, there’s much more than simply doing something; it’s all about having a connection to their emotional security.

What Makes a Cancer?

There are three components that create the uniqueness of Cancer: the Sign’s element, the sign’s modality, and the ruling planet of the sign.

Element (Water): Cancer is a water sign.

As a water element, Cancer is associated with water because the element of water symbolises emotion, intuition, and deep sensitivity. Just as the tides of the ocean change, so does Cancer’s emotional world, where they can be up one minute and down the next.

Because Cancer is a water sign, they are able to sense other people’s emotions, without anything being said. This connection to emotions makes Cancers incredibly compassionate and understanding of other people.

Special Insight: Water can communicate without having to talk.

Similarly, Cancer communicates with others using their emotional sensitivity rather than verbally. Rather than having to hear everything that a person is saying, Cancers are always observing other people’s body language and noticing any little change they may have and how it affects them.

Modality (Cardinal): Cancer is a Cardinal sign.

Cancer is in the cardinal modality. Cardinal signs are known as the initiators of the zodiac. They are responsible for initiating new cycles and helping create direction. Cancer also marks the beginning of the summer, which is associated with warmth, growth, and the building of emotional connections between people.

While Aries represents physical movement/activity, Cancer represents emotional movement/activity. They initiate relationships, families, and communities that will help provide stability in the lives of others.

Special Insight: Cancer leads by caring for and protecting others.

Cancers will lead not through loud and aggressive forms of leadership, but rather through nurturing and providing safe environments for those people that they love and are responsible for helping, during difficult times.

Ruling Planet (Moon): Cancer is ruled by the Moon.

The Moon is the ruling planet for Cancer. As the Moon represents our emotions, instincts, and inner life, it also has a strong influence over the tides in the ocean, through the same rhythmic cycle. This is why Cancers frequently exhibit emotional sensitivity and mood swings.

Cancers often experience their emotions very deeply. They carry with them the meaning of emotionally significant events for many years, and they experience very intense, emotional attachments to people and places.

Special Insight: The Moon teaches Cancers to value their emotional memories.

The Moon reflects the sunlight; likewise, Cancers reflect the emotional environment that surrounds them. Cancers absorb the feelings from the people they’re interacting with and will respond to the emotions with care and compassion.

The Cancer Personality: Strengths and Gifts

All astrological signs have difficulties with emotion, and Cancerians share this struggle too.

Moodiness

Because of deep emotion, Cancer’s moods can change very quickly.

Small things may affect Cancer much more than others would anticipate.

Special Insight: The way Cancer feels about an event often relates to how emotionally charged that environment is.

Cancer is an emotionally sensitive person, and can easily absorb the emotional energy within an environment, thereby affecting their feelings.

Overprotectiveness

Sometimes Cancerians have a tendency towards excessive control of the people and things around them through worry as a means of protecting loved ones.

Cancers will often worry endlessly about the well-being of family members or will try to control the outcome of situations to protect them from getting hurt.

Special Insight: The protection that Cancers provide comes from a place of love, not out of control.

By learning to trust in the ability of others to be independent, Cancers are able to have healthier relationships.

Holding Onto the Past

Cancers have a strong memory, especially about emotional situations. They can often relive their past memories of both joy and pain.

Special Insight: For Cancers, the past is their foundation of security. Through their memories of the past, Cancers are reminded of the times when their life felt secure and predictable.

Cancer in Love and Relationships

Love for Cancer is an intimate emotion used to form a sense of family.

The Emotional Connection

Typically Cancer tends to take relationships seriously.

In addition to loving someone, they also want to form a relationship with someone they care about on a deep, emotional level.

Special Insight: Cancer believes that love is about forming a home as a couple.

They want their partner to feel supported, valued, and safe.

Cancer as a Partner

When in a committed relationship with someone, a Cancer is nurturing and affectionate, as is Capricorn, which they will show by taking care of their partner by cooking for them, remembering special occasions or creating a cosy home.

Special Insight: Cancer expresses love through the act of caring for someone, but also through their emotional presence.

They express love by making their partner feel like they have a safe, secure, and loving home.

Compatibility: Who Gets Along with the Crab?

There are a number of signs that naturally complement Cancer’s emotional personality.

Cancer and Taurus

Both signs value comfort. They typically feel at home together.

Cancer and Pisces

Both being Water signs, these two share an emotional connection based on compassion.

Cancer and Capricorn

As oppositional signs, Capricorn provides organisation for Cancer’s emotions and vice versa.

Career and Money: The Cancer Professional

Cancer signs excel in jobs that involve helping, mentoring, and caring for other people.

They usually want to work in places that are more of a community than a competition.

Cancer is the Natural Caregiver

Cancer is naturally gifted at anything that involves caring for people.

They are very good at being good listeners, providing helpful and nurturing guidance to people, and creating an environment where people are comfortable.

Special Insight: Cancer provides an additional layer of emotional support and connection to the organisation.

When there is a Cancerian present in the workplace, it tends to raise the morale of the workers and build stronger working relationships among employees.

Career Choices for Cancer:

Health Care/Nursing: Their compassion provides a sense of safety for the patients they care for and makes them feel secure.

Psychology / Counselling: They have a deep understanding of emotional challenges.

Teaching / Childcare: They provide nurturing environments to help children grow.

Hospitality / Culinary: They enjoy creating a warm and welcoming environment.

Health and Wellness

Chest, stomach, and digestive cancers are connected to the signs of cancer.

Typical health concerns include:

• Aversive food intolerance
• Binge eating due to emotional issues
• Discomfort from stress in the stomach
• Special Insight:
• Emotional health has an effect on the physical health of individuals with cancer.
• Individuals with balanced and supported emotions will have a relatively comfortable body.
• Cooking, being near water, or spending time with others can provide emotional balance.

Advice for the Cancer Soul

You have exceptional qualities of sensitivity and compassion. These are tremendous abilities to help create emotional safety in an otherwise unpredictable world.

Also, don’t forget that supporting others does not mean you have to bear the emotional burden alone. Permit yourself time to rest and renew your spirit.

Your nurturing character builds families, friends and communities by helping others to feel appreciated and cared for.

Special Insight: Without Cancer, we would live in an unkind and disconnected world; your job is to build homes that feel secure for hearts, help develop the strength between people in relationships, and protect the love of one another throughout all seasons of life.