A few months ago, a friend of mine asked me whether my zodiac sign was fixed or cardinal. She was really into astrology and the metaphysical. I never really thought about it and had no idea what that even meant. I knew I was a cancer but never dabbled in astrology. I told her there is no way everyone born under a particular zodiac sign can have the same traits. Afterall, we’re individuals. Naturally, I’m curious and a lifelong learner so what did I do? I dived right in and picked up every book I could on astrology. It’s really a fascinating world and there is so much more to it than just looking at a sun sign. I am born under the zodiac sign of Cancer.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Positive Traits: Loyal, Protective, Intuitive, Caring, Sentimental, Charming, Creative, Faithful, Tender Hearted
Negative Traits: Overly sensitive, moody, Insecure, unpredictable, resentful
Most compatible in love: Virgo, Taurus, Pisces, Scorpio
Cancer Traits:
- Loyal: We are loyal to a fault. I am reserved and it can be difficult to connect with me in the beginning but once I open up, I’m committed for life. Whether friendship, business, or love. However, it takes a long time to fully gain my trust so don’t expect me to offer unending loyalty within a month. We do whatever it takes to help those we love, sadly sometimes that means we turn our backs on our own judgement. This is a lesson that needed to be learned for me personally. Although we offer loyalty to the people we love, don’t think you can betray our trust. A cancer will stick by you for life and forgive many times, but once we are done, we are done.
- Intuitive: I can walk into a room and read everyone I meet within seconds. I know intuitively who I will connect with and who has bad vibes/intentions. Some people say I don’t give other’s a chance, but I have this uncanny ability to pick up on all the nonverbal cues and can detect the slightest emotional changes in another person. I can see right through someone so why waste the time and energy? We don’t like small talk. We are natural empaths. It takes a lot of energy for me to talk to someone and invest in them. It also took a long time for me to learn to guard my energy.
- Protective: I am extremely protective of those I love, to a fault. I guess you can say it’s similar to a parental instinct. I’ve learned that the protective nature can be a bit overbearing at times for others but we truly just want the best for the people we love and we do whatever it takes to see that happen.
- Honest: I’ve learned that honesty is not something most people are able to handle. If you’re looking for someone to tell you the truth but are afraid to hear it or cannot handle what that truth is, never ask a cancer. We have zero filter. It’s not to be malicious and we try not to say anything harmful, but the level of honesty can come off as harsh. We can’t and don’t lie. It’s not in our nature.
Being a cancer when you’re younger is difficult. I struggled with managing my emotions and understanding them because I didn’t grow up in an environment where people were very emotional. Looking back, I lived in a lot of the negative cancer traits because of that. I was moody, clingy and insecure. As I grew, I learned how to guard my energy and I’ve shifted into the positive traits. It took a lot of growth and lessons for me to get here but I can tell you now, I finally understand myself and I like this version of me the best.
LOVE
I’m going to compare these compatibility matches to dances and songs. Bare with me!
So how are we when it comes to love? Well, I had to learn some very hard lessons on this front. We’re hopeless romantic. We are extremely committed in romantic relationships because we are so loyal. We give and give and give. Because we are instinctive, we have no trouble being honest and we have no issue communicating about what or who we want or how much we care about that person.
When I read about compatibility for a cancer, I was a bit surprised that over and over these four signs came up: Virgo, Taurus, Pisces and Scorpio.
Pisces + Cancer: It would seem these two water signs are compatible on paper. Both signs are tolerant and sympathetic, but the bond is mostly emotional. I dated a Pisces once and I can see the compatibility as far as the ability to understand each other’s emotions, but they are dreamers and cancer’s need stability. If you’re comparing this combination to a dance, I’d say it’s the tango.
Cancer + Cancer: The merengue of the combinations, it’s familiar but complex. This is a union geared at family, commitment, and comfort. I dated a fellow cancer; we even shared the same birthday. He was a great friend and there was an understanding again when it came to emotions. But for me, I find water signs together difficult. When you have two people who manage emotions the same — during the hard times there is no balance, no one able to step back and look at anything logically.
Cancer + Scorpio: this is an extremely emotionally intense match. It’s a relationship based on passion and sexual attraction. If they agree on the same goals and can control the emotional aspect, they can last. This zodiac combination is Salsa, it’s fast and spicy.
Cancer + Taurus: I have never dated an Earth sign (Taurus or Virgo). My father and my boss are Taurus’s. I like them both and we get along well. They’re calm, reliable and patient. Easy to talk to and committed. This partnership tends to be a happy one due to the mutual enjoyment of the security and comfort of home. This is a Waltz, it’s familiar and rhythmic.
Cancer + Virgo: I don’t believe I know any Virgo men but from my own research it appears that this is the most compatible sign for a cancer. Apparently, Virgos are drawn towards pragmatic, stable and comfortable home lives and this is what Cancer brings to the relationship. And Cancer’s love harmonious and non-dramatic relationships with their partners, which is what Virgo brings. They understand each other’s need for space and time to recharge. They’re both reliable and a relationship between Virgo and Cancer will be built on the grounds of honesty, trust, loyalty, devotion and unending care from both ends. From my research, the Virgo/Cancer combination is like Bachata, slow, suave and romantic. This match makes me think of the song “The Bones” by Maren Morris — they move slowly to build a solid foundation based on friendship that is so strong, nothing can break it.
Personally, I fit into a lot of the the description for Cancer. However, I still need someone who is willing to give me space when I need it to recharge my energy. We can sit in the same room, but I need space to do my own thing and I’d like you to have that space as well without feeling that it’s personal or that you’re not loved. Someone who can effectively communicate their need for space as well without just disappearing. You hurt my heart when you just disappear and not express that you need time to process the information I presented to you.
While it was fun researching some of this, it’s important to remember that one sun sign zodiac combination does not guarantee a match made in heaven. People are made up of a combination of their environment, the people they’re surrounded with and their own life experiences. This is why not every cancer will be the same but I’m sure they do share many familiar traits with each other. I will probably pay a little more attention the birthdates of people I meet after this but it won’t be a deciding factor on whether someone will be a good match for or not.
