Cancer Zodiac Traits and Compatibility
December 05, 2023 11 min read

Cancer Zodiac Traits and Compatibility

By Lady Saoirse

Discover the Cancer dates, Cancer ruling planet, element, and how those contribute to their personality, and their dark traits. Find out which of the zodiac signs are the best love matches for Cancer and learn how to get your Cancer Horoscopes today.

What is a Cancer?

What is a Cancer?

Cancers are born between June 21 and July 22. They are the very first Water Sign and this means their traits are the rawest, least refined ones. Some people would say this makes them undisciplined, but that just means they have the most rudimentary of the traits, and they might not seek to tame those. Their symbol is the crab, and the famous crab that specifically represents Cancer is Karkinos, who was asked by the goddess Hera to attack Heracles for her. The crab was destroyed by Heracles and placed into the sky by the goddess in honor of its devotion. Like Hera’s crab, Cancers do whatever they can for people who they care about. Their ruling planet and element help decide their positive and darker traits. Their best matches for relationships are surprising, and Cancers themselves are full of even more surprises!

Cancer Traits

Cancer Traits

Cancer’s ruling Planet is the Moon. It is associated with love and beauty and it can create positive and negative characteristics because it creates a lot of emotions. When emotions become overblown, we can have a distorted sense of what is happening, and cancer’s need reassurance when this happens. Cancers emotionally bond because of their ruling planet, and they also have to watch to make sure their emotions don’t control them. The Moon is not really a planet, but a satellite that reflects the light of the Sun. It controls the tides of the oceans and protects the Earth from the Sun’s radiation. It stabilized the Earth’s tilt and rotation and it made our planet wobble on its axis. All of these things have created a stable atmosphere and environment, which supports life on Earth.

The Moon also establishes and stabilizes Cancer’s moods, tones, and mindsets. The Moon makes Cancers understanding, patient, and sensitive to other people’s needs. It also makes them tender hearted romantics who love to be wooed and romanced. On the other hand, however, the Moon can make them clingy to the point of being codependent, and it can also make them prone to jealousy. It can cause them to overthink things, and this can make them worry too much. It can also make them hold on to past hurts and hold grudges. Read about your Moon Sign here: What Moon Sign Am I?

Cancer is a Water Sign. The Element of Water creates even more sensitivity in Cancers. Being one of the Water Signs means Cancers are imaginative, emotional, compassionate, and they feel things very deeply. This can be good or bad. Their feelings will make them sympathetic enough to help someone in need, but it can make them prone to be taken advantage of by a good sob story. It can make them have mood swings, and it can make them prone to despair. Being a Water Sign also means Cancers are very in touch with their psychic abilities. They may call it instincts, but they can sense good and bad feelings, and they can sense just what it is they need to do to help the people they love.

Cancer Traits Female

Cancer is considered a feminine sign, with the classic attributes of sympathy, emotions, nurturing, with kindness typically being more noticeable in women. They can be shy in public, opening up more with people who they are comfortable with. They love to focus their energies on hearth and home, preferring to build a cozy nest of their own where they and their loved ones are safe, well cared for, and feel loved. They love to have heart to heart talks, preferring to discuss problems than to break up, and they seem to always be ready to listen to people’s troubles. Motherhood suits female Cancers, and they may even adopt “children” of other species to love and nurture. They can be a bit overbearing at times, but they do that out of desire to help solve problems and let people know how much they care.

Cancer Traits Male

Male Cancers balance their nurturing qualities with being assertive, seeking success, and being a bit more outspoken when they feel it is called for. Cancer males can be old fashioned gentlemen, who believe in wooing lovers and being chivalrous. They will be thoughtful, and caring, and while Cancers are known for being adaptable since they are Water Signs, Cancer males can be taken-charge when they want to be. While Cancers are typically very in tune with other people’s emotional cues, Cancer males may be a bit clueless compared to Cancer females, so you may have to be more upfront and less subtle about expressing your feelings about something. They focus on security, and they see success in career and finances as a way to ensure this. They will work hard to support their loved ones, and nobody they care about will never go without anything if a male Cancer can help it.

Cancer Bad Traits

Cancer Bad Traits

You would think such loving, caring people were perfect, but nobody is, not even Cancers. Their sensitive emotions can turn to mood swings, and their moods can turn dark. If they get upset and they are not appeased quickly enough, they will name every last offense the person they are upset was ever guilty of. They don’t mind holding grudges and reminding people of all the things they have done for them the minute they are displeased. They can be more interested in proving they are right than in avoiding arguments, and they won’t stop arguing until you leave the conversation or tell them they are right. If they get upset enough, they will yell, and keep yelling until they have out yelled everybody they can. They might apologize and be genuinely sorry, but if they want to, they will do it again.

They can be painfully shy to the point of being antisocial with everybody except for a select few people, and they sometimes demand that these people devote all their free time to them. They can be manipulative when they want to be. Knowing all the secrets of their friends and family means they know just what to say to try and demand people accommodate them, and they won’t feel bad about bringing up past hurts if it gets them what they want. They can worry themselves into hypochondria and terrify themselves into believing the worst when everything is just fine. They sometimes expect people to know what they are upset about even if they did not tell them, and they may feel betrayed if a lover is not being as romantic as they hope. They believe their worrying helps make them better prepared for when things actually go wrong, and they feel if their loved one upset them, they deserved a tongue lashing. They can be so secretive, they withhold necessary information, and they can outright lie if they feel like it. To read more about how the signs keep secrets, read here: How Do the Signs Keep Secrets?

Who is the Best Match for Cancer?

Who is the Best Match for Cancer?

Everyone is! At least that’s what a Cancer might tell you. These versatile signs can be flexible to accommodate the people they love, but not all signs can accommodate Cancers unless they try. Some people believe that fellow Cancers and other Water Signs Scorpio and Pisces harmonize effortlessly in relationships and other people say that Earth Signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are the best matches for Cancers. Fire Signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius have to mind their manners and watch their tempers don’t flare to work things out with Cancers and Air Signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius have to watch their moods and words. While some people insist that they should only commit to relationships with other signs that harmonize naturally with them, any conflicts that arise can be worked out with a Cancer if both people try.

Aries

Aries are known for their fiery tempers, but they can have seemingly unlimited patience with the people they love. Cancers don’t mind testing that patience and are shocked when an Aries finally loses their temper with them. Both signs love to have fun, and great sex, and if they can control their own worst habits, this can be a fantastic long-term relationship.

Taurus

Both Cancers and Tauruses love to nurture people, relax at home, and protect the people who they care about. They both prefer to focus all their time and energy on their partners. They both get to know people over long periods of time and build trust slowly. They take their time to commit, and they appreciate the attention, loyalty and trustworthiness of one another. This is one of the best combinations for both signs.

Gemini

Gemini

Cancers and Geminis might excite one another when they first meet, but it can be a match made in hell. Cancers are emotionally sensitive, and they need a partner who won’t go out of their way to upset them. Geminis can be very blunt, and sometimes these blunt remarks hurt Cancer’s feelings. Geminis are also known for loving to laugh, and sometimes, they make fun of people, which upsets Cancers even if they are not the ones being made fun of. Both signs are serious about having fun though, so if Geminis can focus on being kind and Cancers can forgive an occasional tactless remark, these two can work things out.

Cancer

Two Cancers bring the same things to the relationship, and it can cause problems because they can clash. They can also be one another’s best friends because they understand each other. Two Cancers can either love one another for life or suffocate one another until they break things off. To read more about how the signs break up, see here: Breakups with Each of the Signs

Leo

Leos have to watch their tempers, so they don’t hurt their Cancer’s feelings, but this is usually a great combination. Both signs build their lives around their partners, and both lavish all the attention and love in them possible. This is one of the best matches for both signs.

Virgo

Virgos are highly protective, and Cancers need a lot of reassurance. Virgos need somebody to remind them to relax and rest instead of just working constantly. Cancers have the ability to listen and understand when Virgos get anxious, and they give Virgos the desire to take time out to decompress. These two are the perfect couple.

Libra

If you want to know what to wear to attract a Cancer man or woman, a lovely Libra might know. While Cancers don’t fall for people solely based on looks, beauty does not deter them, and Libras seek to surround themselves with beauty and live beautiful lives and so do Cancers. Cancer’s mood swings bother Libras, but Libras have mood swings too, which bothers Cancers. If both signs can keep their own emotions in check, and be patient with one another’s, they can be partners for life.

Scorpio

Both signs are fiercely loyal to loved ones, and Scorpios will make the protection of the people they love their top priority. Cancers love the protectiveness, and they respond to it by focusing all their love and devotion to their Scorpio. Both signs are deeply emotional and get hurt easily, but both signs can say harsh things when they are upset. If these two focus on watching out for each other, they can be together forever.

Sagittarius

Are Sagittarius and Cancer compatible? Sometimes, they are, but not when Sagittarius wants to “tell it like it is” and share every tactless opinion they have. Cancers don’t mind following their partner’s lead, and Sagittarians love to be in charge, but Sagittarians can be frivolous, and Cancers are entirely too cautious to tolerate that. These two can work things out if they discuss things rationally and make smart decisions together.

Capricorn

Cancer woman and Capricorn man compatibility is one of the best matches in the zodiac. A Capricorn man and Cancer woman or even a same sex couple that is a Cancer Capricorn combination may find their soulmate in each other. Capricorns take a no-nonsense approach to life and are excellent problem solvers. Cancers appreciate having a partner who can come up with solutions, so they don’t have to worry. They will focus all their love and adoration on their strong Capricorn, and this is one of the best matches in the zodiac.

Aquarius

Cancers can find Aquarians idiosyncrasies unsettling, and the attention Aquarians naturally draw can make Cancers want to hide. While Aquarians are pretty good at reassuring people, a Cancer might find the unique worlds Aquarians create and live in too different from the conventional ones and they may run away. Aquarians won’t be tamed, and don’t like Cancers trying to make them more conventional. Especially open minded, unique Cancers can harmonize with Aquarians, however, so all is not lost.

Pisces

Both of these signs share the need to nurture, protect, and love a partner. The trouble is, a Pisces will need some alone time, and their Cancer may feel neglected. Compromising on how much time together and apart they spend will solve this problem and keep these two sensitive lovers together.

When a Cancer comes into your life, you might wonder what you did to deserve to find somebody so loving and loyal. They are kind, hardworking, frugal, and always thinking about what they can do to help the people who they love. Cancers might be the ultimate lovers, but people have to be sensitive and caring to be with a Cancer. Not everybody is as considerate as Cancers are, but any issues that arise can be worked through if two people really love each other.

Would you like to know which of the zodiac signs have the best love compatibility for you? Our talented love psychics can tell you all about it, so reach out to get a reading today. Make sure to sign up for your Cancer horoscopes sent right to your email’s inbox from us at SpiritualBlossom!

About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for Pagan Pages emag.