Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac, for people born roughly from June 21 to July 22. It is a cardinal water sign ruled by the Moon: caring, intuitive and protective, with a deep love of home and family. Its symbol is the Crab and its tarot card is The Chariot. Read today's Cancer horoscope.
Cancer at a glance
| Dates | June 21 – July 22 (varies by a day; see the finder) |
|---|---|
| Element | Water: emotion, intuition and empathy |
| Modality | Cardinal: starts things and takes the lead |
| Ruling planet | the Moon |
| Symbol | The Crab |
| Tarot card | The Chariot |
| Opposite sign | Capricorn |
Are you really a Cancer? Exact sign finder
Sign dates shift by a day from year to year. Enter your birth date (and time, if you know it) and we calculate where the Sun really was, so cusp birthdays get the right answer.
Cancer personality: strengths and challenges
Cancer in love and compatibility
Cancer loves deeply and protectively, building a safe nest with a partner. Emotional security and feeling needed matter most. The growth point is saying what it needs directly, instead of hoping a partner will guess.
| Match type | Signs | Why, in traditional astrology |
|---|---|---|
| Easiest matches | Scorpio, Pisces, Virgo, Taurus | Signs of the same element, or of the element that complements water, tend to understand each other easily. |
| Opposites attract | Capricorn | The opposite sign has what Cancer lacks: strong attraction, and something to learn from each other. |
| More friction | Libra, Aries | Signs three apart ("square") have different needs; it can work, but takes more compromise. |
Sun signs are only one part of compatibility. For a reading based on your birth cards instead, try the tarot love compatibility calculator.
Cancer careers
Cancer tends to thrive in caring and protective roles: nursing, teaching, social work, childcare, hospitality, cooking, real estate and family businesses.
Cancer tarot card: The Chariot
In the tradition of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, each zodiac sign is linked with a Major Arcana card. Cancer's card is The Chariot. Reading it alongside your sign adds another layer: its themes often echo the strengths and lessons above.
Born on the cusp?
Born on June 20 or 21, or on July 22 or 23? The Sun changes sign at a different time each year, so use the sign finder above with your birth time to know whether you are Gemini or Cancer, or Cancer or Leo.
Cancer horoscope
Read the Cancer horoscope today, the weekly Cancer horoscope or the monthly Cancer tarot horoscope, each with a tarot card drawn for the sign.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dates for Cancer?
Usually June 21 to July 22. The exact start and end change by a day or so from year to year, so people born on those edges should check with the sign finder on this page.
What is Cancer's element and ruling planet?
Cancer is a cardinal water sign, ruled by the Moon.
Which signs are most compatible with Cancer?
Traditionally the other water signs, Scorpio and Pisces, and the earth signs Taurus and Virgo. Capricorn, the opposite sign, often brings strong attraction.
What tarot card is Cancer?
The Chariot, the card of willpower, protection and moving forward.
Why is Cancer ruled by the Moon?
In traditional astrology the Moon rules Cancer because both are linked with feelings, home, memory and the cycles of emotional life.
Other zodiac signs
Sources and further reading
- Zodiac · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Astrology · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms (2nd ed., 1998), chapter 25: the solar position formula used by the sign finder
- How our readings work: randomness, use of AI and limits · The Mystica
Written by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: October 25, 2026. Astrology is a traditional belief system; personality descriptions are offered for reflection and entertainment, not as scientific findings.