Complete Astrologer

Books For Cancer Kids (And Kids At Heart)

Hughes, Alfie's World.  If you have small children and you haven't discovered English author/illustrator Shirley Hughes, you should check her out.  Cancer children in particular will appreciate the safe, homey domestic world of Alfie and his little sister, Annie Rose.

Stevenson, A Child's Garden of Verses.  Sweet, lulling poems about playing by the sea shore, imaginary worlds, and all the flights of fancy that Cancer loves, but always with home to come back to.

Dicamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  Written by a Newbury Award-winning master.  An absolutely heartbreaking, tender tale about the power of love, that has inspired a devoted following.

Stewart, The Gardener.  A Caldecott winner, and a gentle story of gardening, love, and family.  Written by a husband and wife team (she wrote it, he illustrated it).

How To Find Emotion In Your Chart

Cancer's are known for their deep emotional natures, and their desire to nurture others.  The place where Cancer falls in your chart indicates the area of your life where you will be deeply in touch with your own emotional needs and history - or at least, you'll have a desire to plumb your own depths.

In your own birth chart, look for the Cancer symbol in the outer ring, where the numbers on a clock would go.  It looks a bit like the yin and yang symbol.

Now, notice how your birth chart is divided into 12 pie pieces, or "houses".  The twelve o'clock position on the wheel corresponds to the tenth house.  (Confusingly, the houses actually begin at 9:00, and progress counter clockwise, but don't worry about that.)

At what "time" does Cancer fall in your chart?

Cancer at 1:00 (Ninth House):   You have a natural love of learning - you feel at home and comfortable in a classroom. You have a deep interest in understanding the story of your ancestors and their place in history.

Cancer at 2:00 (Eighth House):   One of the more psychic placements of the zodiac, you intuit the feelings and emotions of those close to you with piercing accuracy. 

Cancer at 3:00 (Seventh House):  You're drawn to a Cancer type of lover:  quiet, reticent, alluring, and deeply giving and loyal once committed. 

Cancer at 4:00 (Sixth House):  You have a healthy sense of self-care.  You recognize your need for solitude and rest. You sincerely enjoy being helpful to others as well, offering your personal blend of mothering when needed.

Cancer at 5:00 (Fifth House):  You're a subtle, romantic charmer as opposed to a brassy diva.  Somewhat shy in the field of romance - you don't like gambling with your heart.

Cancer at 6:00 (Fourth House):  You've got Cancer (and probably many other signs as well) in its natural place in the zodiac. Home is all about comfort to you - it's filled with photos of loved ones, drawings by your children, mementos of days gone by - whatever feeds your soul.

Cancer at 7:00 (Third House):  You learn by feeling things, rather than reading, studying, or observing.  The way you feel about something is as important to you as what you know about it.  Maybe more so!

Cancer at 8:00 (Second House):  Your confidence stems from emotional security and strength.  You value a peaceful home and healthy family relationships.

Cancer at 9:00 (First House):  You're a "Cancer Rising".  Your outward, social style is like Cancer - see our 10 favorite qualities above!  While this isn't the "real" you, you've got a strong Cancer influence.  Use it and love it.

Cancer at 10:00 (Twelfth House):   Sensitivity and compassion describe you to a T.  You're so sensitive, you feel the joys and sorrows of those around you, and those of the world.

Cancer at 11:00 (Eleventh House): Your friends are Cancer types: mothering, nurturing, shy, helpful, and just a little wacky.

Cancer at 12:00 (Tenth House):  Cancer is on your "midheaven", the most public point in your chart.  Natural career fields: investing, finances, nursing, and anything connected with the home, shelter and comfort: restaurants, hotels, catering, food.

Quickie astrology like this is fun, but of course, no astrological placement can be read in isolation.  A gifted astrologer looks at your chart in its entirety to provide a true analysis.

Can't find Cancer in your birth chart?  Need a free birth chart for you or a friend?   Email me: Carole AT CompleteAstrologer DOT com, for the low-down.

Ten Things We Love About Cancer

1.   No one shares our joys and our sorrows like you, the most sensitive friend and partner.  You  wrote the book on empathy.

2.  Then, just when we're getting too weepy, you crack us up with your loony, lunar sense of humor.

3.  You're the family historian; the uncle who did the genealogy of the entire clan; the cousin who organized Aunt Gertrude's 80th birthday party.  You don't let us forget our roots.

4. When we've got a bad cold, a bruised ego or a case of the blues, you're the next best thing to MOM.  You're the friend with the tea, the home remedies, and the firm command: "You need some rest."

5.  As a mother or father, you bring that caring, nurturing instinct out in spades.  No one relishes the role of parent more than you - and your children reap the benefits of your love.

6.  As a lover, you've got that hypnotic, yin-yang aura about you. You've got your Sun (masculine) in Cancer, but you're ruled by the Moon (feminine).  You have the potential to balance this duality like no other sign, blending love, sexuality and spirituality in graceful and mysterious ways.

7.  As a friend, you're the one who invites us over for Italian Night, and everything is prepared from scratch - from the bread to the red sauce to the garlic-infused olive oil.  Yum.

8.  For such a sensitive, retiring type, you've got a surprising knack with finances and an enviable savvy with investments.  Grrr - if we didn't like you so much, we'd be jealous.

9.  Home is almost sacred to you - a place where you retreat, recharge, revitalize, and re-emerge.  Like the crab, your home is the shell that protects you from the outside world, whenever you need it.

10.  Like the crab, you comb the beach after the rest of us have trooped home, finding the pearls that the rest of us ignored, gathering the precious treasures that we barely notice, and holding them up for us so that we can stop, look, and appreciate rare beauty and sweetness.  What would we do without Cancer?