The Sun in Cancer gives you the desire to care for others, to nurture them and mother them. You have a great deal of empathy which gives you a sensitive understanding of where others are coming from. You are generous and patient with others.

You are governed by emotions and feelings. Domesticity is important to you, as is a harmonious family life. You have a good memory for family matters and can become the custodian of your family's history. You remember the names of even distant relatives and how they connect with the current generation.

Your sensitivity to others can be problematic. You respond to other's moods, with the result that your own moods can wax and wane like the moon. You do not like conflict, so when people oppose your ideas and values, you tend to agree outwardly whilst inwardly feeling distrustful and discontented. You scuttle sideways and withdraw into your shell. When you are roused to anger you can attack by nipping or niggling at another's sore spots. Your over sensitivity to others can lead to fits of despondency which, in turn, lead to procrastination in the face of realities. You must learn to have the courage of your convictions.

Your tendency to worry can lead to problems with digestion. You should eat well-cooked food and take time over meals. You may develop fluid retention as you age, with a tendency to put on weight around the stomach. You need plenty of fresh fruit and salads. You need to work in a caring profession as a channel for your energies. Psychiatric nursing, social welfare counselling, childcare, mothercraft nursing, primary teaching are all possibilities. It is important for the male Cancerian to work with his caring nature, even if these careers are more traditionally female domains.

Although you seem to be willing to sacrifice much for others, you do count on expressions of gratitude and can get quite crabby when these are not forthcoming. This is particularly so with regard to your relationships with immediate family. Your mothering tendency can lead to smothering those closest to you. You must learn to "love without asking anything in return" and allow those you love their independence.

Those with the Sun in Cancer can be attracted to and learn from those with the Sun in Capricorn. Your contemplative and emotional nature can benefit from the hard-working practicality of your opposite sign. If a Cancer has an interest in you, they will drop subtle clues. Don’t expect them to be forward, as they don’t know how to be. Since they have a tendency to be old-fashion in beliefs, the perfect date would be tickets to the theater, a romantic restaurant, or a cultural event. As they tend to be romantic day dreamers, and reflect in the past, bring up some old stories so that they can relate some of theirs. Show an interest to this sentimentalist when they bring out their collections or old pictures.

They thrive on admiration and praise. Let them know how much you admire them. Compliments will get you everywhere. Ask their opinion, and be sure to be sincere about hearing their response. Keep in mind that a Cancerian hates rejection and is extremely cautious about making any commitment. They will try to avoid giving an answer, and whatever you do, don’t try to rush them into one. Usually if the answer is no, they will go to all lengths to avoid the subject. The Cancer has an excellent memory and a jealous nature. Because they can recall situations in their past very easily, it would be a tremendous mistake to ever be insincere to this person. To them betrayal is devastating, and it will take a very long time for them to forgive, and to top it off, they may never forget. Once emotionally wounded, there will always be a void in the relationship. Emotional and financial security is of the utmost importance in this relationship. They don’t like frivolous spending, since it means a loss of control and security.

If you can give an enormous amount of attention and constant reassurance, you have found the perfect mate. In return you will find Cancer to be affectionate, romantic, sympathetic, imaginative, and quite seductive. Although they tend to want your complete devotion, if they are in love, they will cherish and protect their partner always. Home is where the heart is for Cancer, a great nurturer and protector of family, home and tradition.

This sign is ruled by the Moon, and the Crab's emotions often swing with the cycle of that shimmering orb.

Catch that mood on an upswing and you are likely to encounter a caring and devoted soul who can easily take the lead in romance. The strong-willed, persistent Crab will usually get its way, but that's not a bad thing, since it usually means being drawn into a "shell" which is rife with carnal pleasures. As is natural to a Water sign, Cancer's moods can flow like a meandering river or rage like the highest seas.
Either way, the Crab rewards brave sailors with a seductive nest in which to test many moods, feelings and emotions.
Scarlett O'Hara, that great protectress of Tara, must've been a Crab!

Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac, is symbolized by the crab and ruled by the Moon. Persons born under this sign are called Moonchildren, and justifiably so. If you really observe the full Moon on a clear night, you will see in it some striking similarities to the Cancer people you know. First, notice the face of the man in the Moon. Is he smiling or frowning? It may be hard to tell, but if you study his countenance long enough you may decide it is a little of both. Or is his visage one of worry? of apprehension? The longer you look the more it seems to change expression, as if seen through a watery looking glass or as the reflected image on a tranquil lake. Drop a dreamlike pebble into the watery glow of its image, and through the ripples of your heartstrings, it will create a thousand emotions, so real you can't deny them, yet so fleeting they escape your grasp. Just as the Moon may defy all your attempts at analysis, you can still feel the cool steady outpouring of lunar iridescence, like torrents of emotion, beckoning your heart. Indeed many lovers, young and old alike, have found romantic inspiration under its permeative rays, and artists, poets, and musicians have, through the ages, found enchantment under its enigmatic pallor.

Cancer natives can be just as enchanting. Looking into their sensitive, aqueous eyes is like gazing into deep, limpid pools of ceaseless emotion. Most often you will notice in their expression an appealing softness, a look of tenderness or a sentimental longing for times past, but, as if from some unseen cue, their mood can suddenly turn to cynicism, surprise, or hurtfulness. Cancers' emotions are as changeable as the Moon itself, waxing and waning with the prevailing emotional atmosphere around them, and sometimes as moonbeams, which break through passing clouds and are blocked again from view, their moods can fluctuate from moment to moment. They'll have their share of emotional ups and downs, but underneath it all is the Cancerian emotional fortitude, which can be as enduring as the Moon's perpetual gaze upon us.

In physical appearance, Cancerians will fall into one of two types: the Moon or the crab. The first is easiest to recognize and will give every indication of the Moon's appearance. The catchword for this type is "round." They'll have large, round eyes, round face, round body, even rounded limbs. Just think of the man in the moon, and you can easily recognize the wide-eyed impressionability of this classical Cancerian type. The second is a little harder to recognize, but with a little practice, you'll spot him in a crowd, too. This type exemplifies many of the physical characteristics of the crab. They'll have a rather broad cranium, bony in appearance, with a large, overhanging brow. The eyes will be somewhat smaller than the first type, usually set far apart, but still very round. They'll have a large or wide mouth which seems to be grinning even when their face is completely relaxed. The jaw may be prominent in some way, sometimes resembling the mandibles of the crab, and the teeth may appear loosely joined in the mouth or irregularly spaced. Both types are usually short with rather wide shoulders, and many Cancerians will tend to be plump, though pleasingly, remaining true to the image of their ruling planet, the Moon, or of their zodiacal mascot, the crab. The crab type, however, much like his namesake, will have a more rugged exterior than the Moon type whose appearance will be more delicate.

The Cancerian temperament is a veritable kaleidoscope of ever-changing emotion. During the course of a conversation, you may notice passing fleetingly across the faces of July-born, scores of distinctively different emotions, no two ever repeating themselves or being expressed in exactly the same way. Quite simply, Cancers exude emotion. Upon meeting one of these Moonchildren, you immediately get the sense of a strong emotional aura or presence about them which reflects their mood at the moment. If they feel ecstatic, you can't help but feel ecstatic yourself, sometimes without knowing why. Many Cancerians, when they are happy, can have a shrieking, almost hysterical laughter, and only the coldest of hearts could resist its charm. When they are depressed, however, you had better be careful not to get dragged into the doldrums yourself. Don't invite your Cancer friend to your party if he's sounding a little depressed over the phone. He'll soon have your whole merry affair turned upside down with his Cancerian blues. No other zodiacal native has so permeative an emotional aura as to either lift your spirits to ecstatic heights or to fill you with clouds of gloom, depending on their mood.

Cancerians are incurable romantics. You'll often find them buried dreamily in a romantic novel or a good book of poetry or classical romantic literature. They'll find it hard to resist a good movie classic, a period film, reruns of nostalgic shows from their childhood, or a love story. Some of them will go through their TV guide religiously each week, marking off selections they don't want to miss. Don't be surprised when your Cancer friend comes into work a little bleary-eyed one morning from having stayed up the night before watching a tearjerker on the late, late show. They love to dream of far away places and times past and will talk about historical events as if they were actually there. Most Cancerians, in fact have a special reverence for the past, and if you ask them to tell you whom of all people they admire most, they'll most often rattle off names of several prominent historical figures. Nearly every Cancerian has a treasured collection of nostalgic bric-a-brac, old letters, or sentimental keepsakes which he'll guard as if they were the crown jewels. A tattered remnant of clothing from the high school prom, a pair of worn-out sneakers, or a flower carefully preserved between the pages of a Bible might be considered old junk to other signs, but the Cancerian holds them as treasures dear to his heart.

'Home is where the heart is,' and this idiom has no greater ring of truth than when describing how the Cancer feels about his abode. Home is where he dreams, lives, plays, loves, and it is the only place he truly feels secure. Though they may travel extensively or have to spend extended periods away from home, all Cancerians needs a berth to call their own. No one is more adept than they at making a home feel like a home. With a special knack for creating an air of comfort, coziness, quaintness and charm, July-born will decorate and furnish their homes as if they plan to spend a lot of time there, and they usually do. Like the real crab who builds his watery burrow beneath the protective ocean depths, human crabs will tend to make their homes a restful sanctuary from the real world. Upon entering a Cancerian's home, you can immediately get the feeling of a time and place past, when life moved at a slower pace and there was more time for intimacy and family life. You will notice more than a few antiques which your host will expect you to praise lavishly, and there will usually be some handmade articles or wall decorations from family members, relatives, or grandchildren. Furnishings of real wood, pewter, or brass (never plastic or contemporary materials!) which the Cancerian has gathered in his many travels, will tastefully accent each room. Just as the real crab, who peers from his underwater burrow to view the rays of sunshine penetrating his aquamarine environment, Cancerians are fascinated by the interplay of light and color, and stained glass, crystal, or an aquarium are likely to be figured prominently in their home decor. Once he has furnished his abode to his liking, and has surrounded himself with all the accouterments of domestic life, the Cancer native is quite content to let the rest of the world go by.

Cancerians have a special knack for creating a "homey" atmosphere no matter where they happen to be. Even at work their engaging conversation and folksy humor tend to create an atmosphere of 'down home' comfort and familial camaraderie among fellow employees. Some of them will remind you of your Uncle Lou or Aunt Martha, and it is amazing to discover how many July-born have acquired the nickname 'good ole' in front of their names. In their jovial moods, they'll be cutups and practical jokers to no end. No one enjoys a good joke more than a Cancer, and if he's not laughing hysterically over someone else's antics, he'll be performing some of his own. Their innate understanding of human emotion allows them to see through the pretenses of other signs and find the underlying humor in almost any situation. Not particularly given to role playing or social dictates, but preferring to remain true to themselves, Cancerians can exhibit all the playfulness and capriciousness of a child.

As happy-go-lucky as Cancerian natives can be, there is always lurking in the background of their personalities, fears of some unknown dangers or forebodings of disaster in the future. As if from some hidden cue, these crabs can suddenly retreat into the watery burrows of their inner consciousness and not be seen for days. Just when you begin thinking you may never see them again or that they've taken an unannounced trip to Alaska, up pops the crab from his hovel beneath the sand as if he had never been gone. Try and question him about his absence and he'll probably not know what you're talking about or remark non-committally that he's been here and there. There is a private, reclusive part to every Cancerian you'll never know. Because of their extreme emotional sensitivity, they secretly fear ridicule, and would rather retreat than defend themselves. As with real crabs, whose soft insides are protected by a hard outer shell, there is an emotional vulnerability within all Cancerians which they try to mask by a tough exterior. Sometimes expressed as crabbiness (the derivative for this word is no accident), their attempts at coldness are never completely successful, for the Cancerian warmth of heart always manages to come through.

Cancerians are never truly happy unless they have someone or something to care for. There's a strong maternal instinct in both sexes, and if not looking after children, they'll be babying their friends or loved ones. They'll act as if you're forever starving, trying to stuff you with lots of good wholesome food or tempt you with piping hot bowls of minestrone soup. Of course you'll oblige. The Cancerian domestic charm is irresistible. As hosts they'll reawaken in you childhood memories of mother's homemade chicken soup, Sunday afternoon get-togethers with relatives, or grandma's apple pie. Food somehow represents security to Cancerians, and they won't rest easy if they think you're not getting proper nourishment.

As great and numerous as they may be, Cancerians' accomplishments may sometimes go unnoticed. Their efforts are certainly no less worthy of praise than those of other signs, but July-born are generally too unsure of themselves before large numbers of people to actually seek after the raves and admiration of others. Just as the Moon has no luminescent capability of its own, but must depend on the Sun for its reflected brilliance, Moonchildren would rather bask in the reflected glow of their loved one's accomplishments than seek the limelight themselves. No parent feels greater satisfaction at his son's or daughter's graduation than a Cancerian, and no sign shows more interest in developing their children's talents and abilities. As mates they'll be more supportive of their spouses' careers than any talent agent, business partner or promoter ever could be. The idiom, "Behind every great man, there's a great woman," could probably be more correctly written, "Behind every great soul there's a son or daughter of the Moon." Like the ebb and flow of ageless waters, the crab's emotions run true and deep, lending encouragement, support or sympathy when needed. They'll give much, asking only your appreciation in return. Looking into the tender eyes of July-born, you may feel compelled to say "I love you." After all, it's what these natives need to hear.