Cancer strengths and weaknesses:
| Considerate | Defensive |
| Supportive | Moody |
| Nurturing | Self-indulgent |
| Intuitive | Selfish |
| Mothering | Smothering |
| Good with the public | |
| Sensitive | Overemotional |
| Tenacious | Clings to people and things |
| Conservative | Negative |
| Traditional | |
| A homebody | Withdrawn |
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Here’s the glyph for Cancer: a 69 turned on its side. It resembles a crab with its claws raised in a defensive posture.
Cancer is the cardinal water sign. Like its opposite sign
Capricorn, Cancer is an active, ambitious, goal-oriented cardinal sign. However, Cancer is also an intuitive, emotional water sign.
Since the sign Cancer is ruled by the Moon, which governs emotions, any planets in Cancer in your chart show where you are emotionally sensitive, moody, and always changing, like the Moon. In fact, every Cancerian should have a calendar that shows the phase and sign of the Moon each day, because they respond so strongly to the Lunar rhythms.
Cancer is a natural at mothering. The Moon governs the home, and the condition of the home and surroundings is important to Cancer, for better or for worse. The mother also has a strong influence.
Cancer indicates concern with the past. You’ll often see folks with planets in Cancer who collect antiques or study history. They often hold on to things regardless of their outworn-ness or outdatedness. This goes for material possessions, as well as situations and relationships.
Cancer in your chart shows a place where your strength is nurturing others.. but also where you feel so soft and vulnerable that you put up your defenses, and scoot sideways around difficult issues. This can create barriers if you avoid issues that need to be confronted directly.
Every planet in your chart indicates a need. Cancer needs something or someone to take care of. The trick is to be aware of this need and develop healthy, nurturing relationships, rather than unhealthy dependencies.
Chart reading tip
For more information about your Sun in Cancer, read the sign of the
Moon, Cancer’s ruler, in your chart. This will add further information to your delineation of a Cancer Sun.


Molly Cliborne

1 · christine · 11 March 2006
I am a wiccan but cant do spells the way i am supposed to on full moons what do i do?
2 · Ann · 11 March 2006
If every Cancerian should have a calendar that shows the phase and sign of the Moon each day, because they respond so strongly to the Lunar rhythms, where can I get one?
Ann
3 · Britney Skye · 13 March 2006
Hi Ann,
I like to go to www.janspiller.com – her website is awesome and on the homepage, everyday she has the Sign the Moon is in, the phase, and a description of each.
I have cancer rising, so I am also really sensitive to the moons cycles. I recommend a book by Jan Spiller called New Moon Astrology, too, its great for wishing under the new moon to change the current circumstances in your life.
Have fun!
Britney :)
4 · Molly · 13 March 2006
Thanks Britney.. there are lots of places to find this information. You can go to amazon.com and search the words “astrological calendar” to find several choices.. My favorites are the Jim Maynard calendars.
5 · Ann · 29 March 2006
I finally got my Jim Maynard calendars—just in time for today’s Solar Eclipse! Thanks for the recommendation, Molly. And Britney, I’m enjoying Jan Spiller’s website as well. Thanks much.
Ann
6 · Molly · 29 March 2006
Fantastic Ann!
One suggestion I have for all Cancers is to keep a Lunar journal for a few months.. after a while, you may begin to notice you kick ass when the Moon is in “x” and feel mopey when it’s in “y”. Once you understand how the energy works for you, you can use it to plan important events.
Maynard also gives good planting days, I think that’s awesome.
You can also keep an eye on Skywatch. Lance, the author of Skywatch, taught me to read charts and is my most valued mentor.
7 · Jake Cunningham · 29 March 2006
Hi Molly, Does the same advice you gave to Ann (above) about keeping a lunar journal apply for Cancer Risings as well? I have my rising as 27 degrees cancer.
I was also confused about this. My rising is 27 degrees cancer but Leo takes up most of my first house, so does that mean I have alot of Leo qualities as well?
Thank you, Molly
-Jake Cunningham
Boulder, Colorado
8 · Molly · 30 March 2006
Hi Jake—Yes, I absolutely think Cancer risings respond to Lunar rhythms. Cancer Moons too.
And yes, having Leo in your first house does suggest Leonine qualities, but not as strongly as if you had Leo on the ascendant. Unless you have first house planets in Leo.
9 · Jake Cunningham · 30 March 2006
Hi Molly, that makes sense, thank you for the clarification!
I have Venus in Leo in my 1st House! :)
10 · Ann · 1 April 2006
Molly – thanks for the great suggestion on the Journal. Like another of your readers, I too enjoyed the Treasure Map on the new Moon! Surprising and fun!
11 · alexis · 16 May 2006
Hi,
I am a cancer lady (1979) w/ aqaurius rising. My fiance is a libra (1973) with a cancer rising. I love him very much but sometimes I have an urge to leave. Will I always have an urge to leave when the going gets tough? Are we suited to each other?
12 · Molly · 17 May 2006
Hi Alexis— This is a case of not enough info.. I really can’t tell anything from the info you gave me. And I don’t tend to go in-depth here in the comments anyway. If you want to take a close look at these issues, please get in touch with me about scheduling a personal session.
Best,
13 · olga · 12 October 2006
when do you think i would get married.tried so much but invain.born 2/7/1973
14 · Molly · 12 October 2006
Hi Olga—
When will I get married, is not the kind of question I can answer.
What’s stopping me from getting married? How am I limiting myself? What kind of marriage works best for me? These are the kinds of question I can answer.
You have an Aquarius Sun and Venus, Aries Moon, Mars in Sagittarius. These signs are the most independent and free-spirited.
Does this mean you’re too independent to have a relationship? I don’t know.. but maybe so. We all know we want to receive love, but so many of us never learn how to give it. And eventually the time comes when we have overdrawn our emotional “bank accounts” and we aren’t accustomed to making deposits. And this is why relationships fail. I don’t know if this is what has happened with you. There may be other reasons.
There’s a lot here, Olga. I hope you’ll get a professional reading from someone, because you’re at a crossroads in your life that I just don’t feel right about getting into here in the comments. It’s too deep, I don’t know enough, and it would take too long. And you may just be looking for an easy answer. But if you really want to get into it, I’d suggest getting in touch with a professional for a reading.
15 · Annie · 11 November 2006
Hi,
sometimes I feel it’s hard to really grip what is essential to being a Cancer. Actually the whole concept of Water… I have the Ascendant, Sun, Mercury and Venus in Cancer in the twelfth house. Apart from that, most of the planets were in Earth signs, only Saturn and Neptune in Fire and Pluto in Air when I was born. I know I have great difficulty with spontaneity…
But I guess there must be a way to get the most out of these watery planets and turn them into a creative means of living and being.
Has anyone some clear concepts of Cancer and the twelfth… or are clear concepts just not something that belongs in this area?
I’m thinking that it has to do with receptivity, soul, poetry, vision, dreams, feelings, fluidity… my heart smiles with all of these but why must I feel so lonely and disconnected? How shall one work to get more connected to the fire an air principles?
Well, thanks for this site Molly, it’s a great place to be!!
16 · Curtis · 4 February 2007
It’s interesting what you say about Cancerians responding to Lunar rhythms. Both my Moon and my Ascendant are in Cancer (Sun in Pisces), and I usually feel sick/overemotional when the moon is full, and at my best at first quarter.
A question from curiosity: With the combination of forces in Cancer like I described above, is it possible that I would be more Cancerian than Piscean? (If I’ve phrased that correctly.)
17 · Molly · 6 February 2007
Hi Curtis— Yes, Cancer may be a stronger sign, especially if the Moon is in your 1st house.
18 · carley · 21 April 2008
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF EARTHLY MAGICK.
19 · alicia · 22 April 2008
I am a cancer with a leo rising .. it says cancers are with drawn and i can be when i feel defensive but most of the time im the life of the party and leader of m y group.. is that cuz of my rising sign?
20 · alexxis · 24 April 2008
Hi molly,
I have a cap sun, a cancer moon and aquarius rising.
I find that all the things that i held as my security are ALL falling apart these days.
I want to keep afloat and i know i will.
How can i use my aqua rising or cap sun to balance my cancer moon??
I am learning to slowly control my emotions but at the same time i find that maybe i come off as closed to others so i dont enjoy the same quality of relaitonships with others anymore…..
Everyone appears defensive or put off by me!!
Why?
21 · Molly · 26 April 2008
Alexxis, I suspect you may have some major transits going on, but I cannot tell from the info you gave me what they might be. A good natal chart reading might help you with these questions.
22 · LaHelen · 19 May 2008
Hi :)
My zodiac sign is Cancer, I would like to know how many planets my sign has?
Thanks !
Elena
23 · cory · 10 August 2008
hi molly,
i am cancer and i was wondering if it is true that people can water bend and the moon was the first water bender and if people can water bend can u tell me some web sites to learn to water bend i am new at this.
24 · kimmy · 11 December 2008
hey im a cancerian.. last night was a full moon & i was outside the moon came out from behind a cloud when i looked at it i felt safe,calm,strong,free also when i looked at it i had a flashback i was running through trees & all around me i could hear howling <like wolfs> it only lasted a few minutes (the flasback felt like it had a happned 2 me in real life)could it be a pastlife comeing back to me? is this normal?
25 · Danielle · 12 January 2009
Do water signs make it difficult for one to be diplomatic, are emotions too strong to be diplomatic? With two earth signs as my sun (Capricorn) and moon (Taurus) and my Saturn, Mars, and Pluto in Libra, why do I not feel diplomatic. Why do I feel too aggressive, confrontational even? Is my Cancer rising too strong?
26 · Winni · 4 September 2009
Hi,do I look at everyday sign or the day when I was born?