Star Sign In Spotlight: Cancer

The constellation of Cancer was sent by jealous goddess, Hera, to sabotage Hercules as he fought Hydra, the water serpent. Hera hated Hercules as he was one of Zeus’ illegitimate children, and forever resented him as a reminder of Zeus’ infidelity. Sadly, Cancer’s efforts to thwart Hercules were unsuccessful as Hercules managed to destroy Hydra and subsequently crushed the crab to put an end to the battle. Due to the crab’s sacrifice and allegiance to Hera, the goddess wished to immortalise it and thus cast the image of Cancer amongst the stars for all eternity.

As remarkably sensitive and intuitive individuals, Cancer is often described as one of the most misunderstood zodiac signs of them all. They are deeply empathetic people and therefore take on the immense burdens of their friends and family’s problems; they possess a level of empathy that most of us are unable to and naturally provide endless comfort for those who are suffering. They are also known to form extremely close bonds with their loved ones and as a result, are fiercely protective over them. Generally speaking, Cancers are some of the most loyal and sympathetic people in the zodiac. 

As Cancer is a water sign, they are ruled by their hearts and emotions. Sometimes this can make it challenging for them to blend into the ‘reality’ of the world around them, as they perhaps don’t think with their heads as much as they should. Furthering this, as Cancer is ruled by the moon, their emotions and behaviours are significantly impacted by lunar cycles. The moon itself is a deeply mysterious and cryptic entity that has been believed to be connected with higher, spiritual realms for thousands of years, meaning its close bond with Cancer can account for much of the esotericism within this sign. As a result, when raising Cancer children, it is incredibly important to nurture their sensitive and mysterious natures for they are most apparent and most vulnerable in youth; impatience, ‘tough-love’ or a lack of thoughtful communication will only serve to produce unfavorable personality traits in adulthood as Cancer children flourish when provided with emotional outlets.

In sum, Cancers strive to support others just as much as they seek to avoid confrontation. As such, their incessant protectiveness can make this difficult for them as they battle the desire to defend their loved ones while maintaining peace in the environments around them. They make a fantastic shoulder to cry on and are genuine in their efforts to find solutions to the issues faced by friends and family. However, just remember to return the favor - Cancer will appreciate it more than you will ever know. 

Love and relationships

It is not unusual for a Cancer to feel frustrated when their partner cannot read the subtle nuances of their emotions. Cancers don’t always wish to divulge their innermost thoughts and lay all of their cards on the table - this directness and vulnerability does not sit well with this sign. Rather, Cancer much prefers their partners to put in the effort and decipher how they feel. For some other signs, this trait may be perceived as petty or even manipulative, when in reality, Cancers just wish to see that their partners truly care.

In addition, Cancers are fiercely loyal in their relationships and a breach of this loyalty is likely to turn Cancer’s world upside down. Unlike the flighty Gemini or spontaneous Aries, Cancers seek a partnership that will last a lifetime. Using dating apps, meeting strangers at the bar and short-term holiday flings are practically a thing of nightmares for most Cancers. Instead, they find far more joy in envisaging the beauty of a stable, comfortable relationship that spans many decades. With this in mind, letting go from a failing relationship can be incredibly difficult for this sign. Nobody enjoys breakups, especially those that aren’t mutual, but a breakup will impact Cancer far more profoundly than the rest of the zodiac. At the end of the day, Cancer’s love love. They love to be loved and they love to give love. 

Friendships

If you have read the above, it will come as no surprise that Cancers make deeply protective and loving friends. They seek to not only provide a listening ear, but to find a productive solution to the problems of friends and family. As they are such deep and intuitive individuals, they can often relate to the issues of others around them. This empathy goes a long way and is remarkably comforting for those in need. Naturally, therefore, the ‘mom’ friend of the group is likely to have at least some Cancer in their chart. 

Bearing this in mind, it is crucial to avoid treating your Cancer friends as a doormat. As they are willing to give endless amounts of love and support, it is not uncommon for this sign to be taken advantage of emotionally; once Cancer has soothed a crisis or comforted someone in distress, the worst thing to do is to leave them high and dry. Remember to return the favor and acknowledge that these exceptional empaths have issues of their own too - it just may take a little extra work to get to the crux of it. 

Travel

When it comes to travelling, Cancers are fairly diverse in their preferences. Some are complete and utter homebodies, while others enjoy visiting rogue new destinations. Where all Cancers converge, however, is in the desire to travel with people and not alone. 

Drawing on this, Cancers love to travel with the intention of helping others. Whether this is by providing a comforting shoulder to a complete stranger, spending the day with a lonely local or even partaking in a foreign volunteering scheme, Cancers simply want to spread their healing to those all over the world.

Career

Cancers make incredibly dedicated, hard-working and dependable employees. While their loyalty and eagerness to please can get them far in some fields, these traits can actually hold them back in more competitive, high-flying careers. That being said, Cancers typically do not thrive in fiercely cut-throat or power-driven environments. Regardless, they commit to the tasks set for them unwaveringly and provide immense amounts of encouragement to their peers and colleagues, making them fantastic workers.

As innate caregivers, Cancers flourish in philanthropic careers. Nursing, teaching or roles in therapy are therefore very well suited to this sign.

Most compatible with?

Taurus

Taurus and Cancer make a beautiful balancing act when paired as a romantic couple; as Taurus is blunt, stubborn and occasionally a little deaf to the emotional needs of others, Cancer makes a perfect counteragent of sensitivity and compassion. Moreover, the physical intimacy of Taurus provides the comfort that Cancer so desperately desires. Generally speaking, Taurus provides much of a relationship’s ‘practicalities’ and thus teaches Cancer to avoid getting lost in their thoughts and emotions. In turn, Cancer teaches Taurus the invaluableness of tact. 

Scorpio

While the differences between Taurus and Cancer prove to form harmony, Cancer’s similarities with Scorpio forms an intense and passionate connection between these two souls. As they are both water signs, they find unity in their high levels of emotional intuition and in their ability to relate to others. Interestingly, however, Scorpio is able to provide some of the fire that Cancer lacks, and thus provides this relationship with endless excitement.

Pisces

Similar to Scorpio, the watery connection between these two signs translates incredibly well when placed in the context of a romantic partnership. Pisces are similarly emotionally intelligent and constantly strive to provide comfort and support to their loved ones. The same is true of Cancer, making this couple a doting and nurturing pair.

Least compatible with?

Gemini

The fervent desire to seek new challenges and daring adventures can become overwhelming to the sensitive Cancer. Cancer would much prefer to build a stable and loving relationship, while Gemini seeks the thrill of romantic game-playing. However, above all, Cancer would struggle most with Gemini’s changeable personality. The inconsistency in Gemini’s moments of seclusion and bursts of sociable energy would ultimately prove jarring for the slightly more hesitant Cancer.

Libra

These two do not make a strong pair. While they may fare better in a friendship, their approaches toward romance may lead to more downs than ups in a partnership. Cancer will struggle to understand Libra’s nonchalant attitude towards emotion and Libra will in turn find Cancer’s sensitivity tedious and unproductive. Unlike Taurus, these two signs clash far more than they balance.

Sagittarius

Sagittarius’ bold and spontaneous approach to life can often leave Cancer feeling hurt by careless words or ill thought out actions. For Sagittarius, Cancer’s intense emotional reactions can throw them off course and cause discordance in their relationship. Additionally, and similarly to Gemini, Sagittarius can find the prospect of a long term, committed partnership rather daunting. In other words, they do not want their life to be predestined for them. While Cancer may admire Sagittarius’ thrilling adventures, they would rather not join them on the journey.

At the end of the day, the zodiac is not to be understood as a rigid set of rules that categorize who we are and who we are compatible with without any room for deviation. After all, we are all special in our own unique ways and cannot be confined in a box. However, the zodiac provides hints and sometimes scarily accurate insinuations about who we are at the core. By taking the suggestions of the zodiac into account, we are able to seek greater clarity and understand our relationships to a greater degree than could be achieved otherwise.