Cancer is the first Water sign of the Zodiac. It is Cardinal (Initiating) in nature and is the only Sign ruled by the Moon. The sign of Cancer is the Crab. Being a Water sign the energy of Cancer relates to others via it's emotional nature. A Cancerian needs to feel warmth and acceptance and feelings from others. They won't feel at home relating on a rational or intellectual level. They need to know above all they that they are safe and accepted and cared for by the other person. Like the Crab that is their sign, they have a tough exterior but a soft inside. The Crab also needs to live near water and can't survive anywhere else.
The aspect of a Cancer needing to feel safe can often cause them to hark nostalgically after times gone by. The past can't change and is somehow something the Cancerian can fall back upon when the present seems too frightening or daunting. Countries have a sign associated with them for the date they were formed. America has it's Sun in Cancer. We can see a hint of this Cancerian nature with this country in it's love of sentimental movies, dreaming of bygone idyllic times and sports stars and that perfect family life and suburbia that seemed to exist somewhere in the past. Whether it ever existed we are not so sure but to a Cancerian the idea and the memories are enough. Some scientists say that Water has a memory and this is much of what Homeopathy is based on. The Cancerian is connected with this memory of Water. You often will find Cancerians with a love of old photos or movies or interested in their family roots.
Indeed the home and family are what provide the Cancerian with stability and security. They are known to treasure their own homes and have difficulty going off into the unknown. They make their homes warm and inviting and are some of the very best cooks and people to provide hospitality. A good family life is essential to them and they make natural and instinctive parents. Part of this comes from the Cancerian rulership by the Moon. The Moon is cyclical, waxing and waning and is connected to the rythms experienced on the Earth. As the archetypal Mother symbol it is very much connected with the Women's menstrual cycle and the tides and other cycles experienced on Earth. For this reason Cancerians seem to have an instinctive and intuitive understanding of the rythms of nature. Infact Cancerians are so connected to the rythms of the Moon that their energy will increase as the Moon waxes and decrease as the moon wanes. Chances are the Werewolf is a Cancerian during the day time !
The energy of Cancer is Cardinal in nature , which means Cancerians have a desire to start off new projects. They have great new ideas and can often become leaders in their field. They are known to be leaders in the fashion industry. They are also as we said some of the best cooks and some of the best nurses as they can feel the pain others are experiencing. On the shadow side of Cancer they can be some of the most needy people. They often need constant emotional reassurance and feedback, they can also use emotions to blackmail people and be emotionally manipulative.
Cancerian energy will modify the expression of the planet that may lie in this sign. See How It Works section. With Venus in Cancer, the person will like to nurture others or be nurtured by them. A man with this may attract a mothering type figure as a partner. His home and family will be everything to him. He may find expression of his artistic nature by drawing upon his emotions in acting. With Mars in Cancer, a persons strength will be at the emotional level, they may use emotional blackmail or on a more positive side their strength may show itself when one of their family needs them or someone is being mistreated. With Jupiter in Cancer the energy of Jupiter connected to discovering life's meaning may find itself expressed with finding value and understanding in the past. With Saturn in Cancer a person may find difficulty in expressing their emotions or may need a very structured home life to feel secure.