Glyph:
Symbol: The Crab
Gender: Feminine
Element: Water
Quality: Cardinal
There is a marked difference between those born with the Sun in Cancer to those with Cancer rising. The Cancer rising subject has a rounded body shape and characteristically chubby cheeks. The Sun-in-Cancer person is often slim and of medium height or a little taller, with strongly marked features and an expressive face. Many Cancerians have lines on their foreheads from quite a young age, and they can become quite lined and craggy looking in later life. Think of Harrison Ford, or what Tom Cruise might look like in later life. Cancerians have a ready smile, which accompanies their wonderful sense of humor. If they can keep their sweet tooth under control, these subjects remain reasonably slim; otherwise they can become overweight. Most Cancerians have quite thick hair and the men keep much of their hair as they grow older. Some have extremely sensitive skin and the men are prone to “razor-rash,” therefore many Cancerian men give up on the idea of shaving and sport a beard instead.
Cancerians need a base, preferably a fully paid-up mortgage and a small business. They don't necessarily want to stay indoors very much as they enjoy getting out and about and traveling, but they definitely need a place to come home to. They love their families and they try to maintain good relationships with all generations within the group. Cancerians can be crabby and moody at times and some can be extreme bullies who use their considerable intuition to press other people's buttons or degrade those who they consider a threat. One rather unpleasant aspect of their character is that far too often they victimize the wrong person, choosing to make a victim out of the one person who doesn't pose a threat and who has no escape route.
Cancerians are so friendly that they have many acquaintances, but only those whom they really trust are allowed to get really close to them. They are cautious, slightly introverted and happiest when among family members or with their very few real friends. Cancerians are extremely loyal to their families and they will do everything in their power to look after them. Sometimes this is taken to extremes and they find it especially difficult to let go when their growing children become independent. They do all they can to help their parents when they get older.
Cancerians need base, a home and sometimes also a business that they can call their own and that they can retreat to. A room of their own or a corner of the house to themselves are also sometimes necessary. Having said this, they love to travel, to visit friends and go out to events in their locality. These people are not big spenders and they always try to put something by for a rainy day. Cancerians have a natural aptitude for business and for dealing with the public, but they are usually too shy to put themselves on display or address an audience. They do best in business when linked with a more adventurous partner. Cancerians love things that have some kind of history attached to them, or that have a sentimental value for them, so they may deal in these things or become collectors.
Cancer is a water sign, which means that they often react slowly to events. If you call out to these people, they turn ’round slowly or take time to answer. They filter everything through their emotions and their reaction to everything tends to be emotional rather than strictly rational. They can get upset over nothing, or take a casual remark as an insult and they can become moody, depressed, self-pitying or sarcastic and confrontational. The other side to this coin is that they sympathize readily with the plight of others. They are kind hearted and sympathetic and they have a rare talent for really listening to what others are saying. They are loyal to those who are good to them, they take responsibility well and they can make the very best of friends, relatives and colleagues at work.
Cancerians are drawn to the idea of having a business of their own and they have a knack for providing the goods and services that the public wants or needs. Therefore, these subjects often end up with a small business, or a shop that provides useful goods or specialized services. Property and real estate fascinate many and others are interested in insurance, so these are fields that can attract them. Many enjoy working with small children, so Cancerian women with small children of their own may turn being at home with them to their advantage by making a living out of looking after people's children in addition to their own. Some Cancerians teach, often specializing in financial subjects, geography or history. Others work in banking or business, especially export or anything else with a foreign connection. A few find their way into the armed forces, especially the navy. Their attachment to the sea can take them into careers in the merchant navy, fishing or on a cruise liner.
Cancerians are cautious and they like to have something behind them to fall back on, so they save for the future. Their entrepreneurial instincts often take them into business where their intuition and feelings about people and trends can be very helpful, but this can work against them, as there are times when a cool and logical attitude would suit them better. Cancerians rarely waste money on gadgets or unnecessary items, but they ensure that they have the equipment they need for their work or their homes. If they can afford to do so, they spend quite freely on travel.
Many Cancerians work from home and they love to be surrounded by their families and to have friends dropping in. If the Cancerian spends at all freely, it is on the household, the family and on home comforts. A comfortable and attractive home is a must for these people but they rarely turn this into a show place or behave obsessively about decor or tidiness. The Cancerian home is a pleasant, comfortable and welcoming place. These subjects love entertaining and most are excellent cooks. Some go in for old fashioned skills such as jam making, bottling fruit and making relishes or chutneys and they enjoy baking bread and cakes, so the first thing that hits a visitor to a Cancerian home is the delicious smell emanating from the kitchen. Most Cancerians collect a great deal of junk during their lifetimes, so they need plenty of loft space, cupboard space and a garage or two to keep it all in.
Many Cancerian relationships have some element of parenting in them. Some take on the role of parent to a partner, while others look for someone who will mother them. Most Cancerians have children of their own and also pets to care for. Apart from these considerations, most Cancerians like being married and they enjoy family life. If this goes wrong, they can live alone for a while, but they are social creatures who like getting out and about; sooner or later, they will find themselves a new partner. Some Cancerians are so difficult to live with that they kill off potential partnerships almost before they start, but others bring their kindness, their caring nature and a wonderful sense of fun to their relationships. It takes a lot for these people to give up on a relationship or even to admit to themselves that it is no longer viable.
The word cancer is so feared that at one point in time, American astrologers used the term “Moon child” to represent this sign. I have known Cancerian people who have suffered from cancer and others who have not and I have known plenty of people from other signs of the zodiac who have gone down with this disease. However, it is slightly more prevalent in this sign than in others. Therefore, if you are a Cancerian and you feel that there is something wrong with you, do check it out, if only to put your mind at rest. A more likely scenario for this watery sign is rheumatism or arthritis. Colds turn to bronchitis, especially when the Cancerian is under stress. Having said all the above, this is not an especially sickly sign and young Cancerians suffer far less illness than children of other signs.
Most Cancerians love the sea and ships and all appreciate holidays near or on water.
Most of these subjects enjoy looking after small animals, especially if their children like them.
Cancerians rarely drink much alcohol, and if they drink at all they prefer quality wines and spirits. Their downfall is their sweet tooth, which means that they are much more likely to overdo things with chocolate cake than with booze.
These people can get themselves in a state over nothing, especially if they have planets in nearby Gemini.
Cancerians love nothing better than a good old gossip with their friends or family, and their phone bills are at least as heavy as those of any other sign of the zodiac. They rarely give up on their friends.
The first decan is also Cancer, but the second is Scorpio and the third Pisces. Read through the brief descriptions below and then turn to the chapters on Scorpio and Pisces for more.
Pure Cancer. Home is where the Cancerian heart is and the family means a great deal to these people but they do need to escape from time to time. Cancerians enjoy short trips and outings, novelty, eating out and seeing new faces and places. They can switch from being the most sympathetic listener to being moody, crabby and cantankerous.
The Scorpio influence adds depth to the emotions and it can unfortunately add a sharp tongue and unnecessary feelings of resentment. These people make excellent researchers and their high level of intuition can make them quite psychic. They are extremely patriotic, which means that they may become experts in the history of their country (especially the military history).
This adds mysticism, intuition, imagination and psychism to the Cancerian character. I have one friend who has put her strong imagination to good use by writing books for children. This adds a creative, artistic and sensitive streak. These types can be a bit defensive. They are far less money-minded than the other two types and less inclined to make a success of a business enterprise.
The first dwaad is Cancer, so no change here. For all other dwaads, read the chapter on the sign in question and also the brief descriptions given below to see what adjustments or additions are made to the original sign.