Zodiac guide
Cancer
- Element
- Water
- Modality
- Cardinal
What is Cancer?
The datum: Cancer is a water sign, cardinal in modality, ruled by the Moon. Here's why — like every cardinal sign it opens a season (the summer solstice); water rules emotion and memory; the Moon, which changes sign every two and a half days, is the planet of feeling and of home. Example: someone with strong Cancer usually needs a place of their own to come back to, even if they travel a lot.
Its strength
At your best your tenderness heals what others can't name: with family you hold things together without anyone noticing the effort, and in love your intuition knows what the other person needs before they say it.
Its challenge
When you close off too much, you pull away from affection out of fear of losing it, or get hurt over something nobody actually said. Santosha — contentment with what's already in front of you — brings you back to the person who's actually there.
Signs it flows with
These signs form sextiles or trines with this Sun sign. It is a starting affinity, not a verdict on a relationship.