Did you learn that you're a Cancer moon and want to know what that says about you? Sun signs usually get all the attention, but moon signs can help you learn about the more hidden, private sides of your personality.
Read this guide to learn all about what moon signs mean in astrology and how you can find your own moon sign. We'll then take a look at Cancer moons specifically and explain how moon signs can affect everything from how you feel about yourself to how you spend your free time. We end with an overview of personality traits of a Cancer moon with each of the 12 sun astrology signs.
What Are the Astrology Moon Signs?
What is the moon in Cancer meaning? Even some astrology experts don't know that much about moon signs because they're much less discussed than sun signs. You can determine your sun sign based on your birth date; sun signs (also known as star signs) are generally just referred to as "signs." So, if you were born on, say, April 16th, then your sun sign is Aries and you'll likely tell people you're an Aries when asked about your sign. Each sun sign lasts about a month, although the months don't match up perfectly with the standard Gregorian calendar that most of the world uses.
Moon signs (sometimes called natal moon signs) are a bit more complicated. They refer to the position that the moon was at in the sky at the time of your birth. Compared to the sun, which passes through each of the zodiac signs once a year, the moon moves more quickly and passes through each zodiac sign once a month. This means that the moon moves into a different zodiac sign about every 2 to 2.5 days. Therefore, to know your moon sign with full confidence, you need to know the exact time of your birth (although knowing just morning/afternoon/evening can work in a pinch) as well as your city of birth. The moon can be in one position in the morning and move to another position that puts it into a different sign by the evening. Once you have this information, you can learn your zodiac moon sign here.
If you have a Cancer moon sign, this means that, at the moment of your birth, the moon was in the Cancer position. Your moon sign can influence quite a bit about your personality, even though they aren't nearly as widely discussed as sun signs.
Knowing your moon sign will help you learn more about your inner self. While your sun sign affects how you appear to others and what you aspire to be (such as your personality, how you interact with groups, your future goals, etc.) your moon sign tells you more about internal, private characteristics. You can study it to learn more about your emotional energy, natural instincts, common anxieties, hidden fears, and what you need to feel secure in the world. Your moon sign will influence how you interact with others (especially in close relationships), how you view the world, and how you feel about yourself.
Cancer Moon Personality Traits
What does having a Cancer moon sign mean for your personality? If your moon sign is Cancer, it means you also have Cancer qualities in addition to the qualities your sun sign gives you. You can learn all about the Cancer sign here, but in this section, we'll specifically discuss how having a full moon in Cancer sign will impact you, as opposed to a Cancer sun sign. As we mentioned above, moon signs primarily impact the inner, private self, as well as close relationships.
Cancer Moon Sign: How You View Yourself
Your self-confidence and your feelings about yourself in general can be strongly impacted by your moon sign. And if you're a Cancer moon, your relationship with yourself can be a little complicated. You know that you're a good person who is thoughtful, smart, and an excellent friend, but you'll also struggle with self-doubt. All Cancers, whether sun or moon signs, have a tendency to get caught up in negative feelings and general moodiness. A Cancer moon can also keep you emotionally distant from others so that you don't have anyone close to you to cheer you up. Even if your sun sign is known for cheerfulness, your Cancer moon can make it challenging to really feel great about yourself at times. Fortunately, however, these moods never last long, and you'll go back to remembering all the great things about yourself.
Cancer Moon Sign: Fears
If you have a Cancer moon sign, your greatest fear is likely appearing vulnerable. While Cancer suns and moons are great at solving friends' problems, they have a very hard time opening up about challenges they're facing themselves, even to people they're otherwise very close to. The thought of sharing their struggles is enough to strike fear into the heart of the bravest Cancer moon. To avoid this, they'll try to turn the tables and focus on others' problems (which they genuinely do want to help with) or simply shut down any line of questioning that they don't like. This is too bad because, if Cancer moons did make an effort to share their struggles, they'd find that their close-knit group of friends would be more than happy to help without judgement.
Cancer Moon Sign: Comforts
For Cancer moons, comfort is all about old favorites: friends, food, pastimes, etc. Their ideal way to relax is by rewatching their favorite show in the comfort of their own home, possibly with a best friend or two. When looking for comfort, Cancer moons don't want to try the hot new restaurant or trendy new show: they want tried-and-true things they love. For Cancer moons, comfort also often means alone time. Although they value their close friends, having a Cancer moon sign means that you often need to be by yourself in order to fully relax and recharge. This can cause you to cancel plans with others at the last minute. It's important to be careful not to do this too often lest you damage the relationships you've worked so hard to develop.
Cancer Moon Sign: How You View Close Relationships
Your moon sign also impacts how you view and pursue relationships, both romantic and platonic. If you're a Cancer moon, that means you value a small number of close relationships. You have no interest in being with the popular crowd or having a sea of acquaintances. You value depth over breadth in all your connections. Once you have those close friends/partners you tend to hang on to them for life, but you can also get lonely while working to make new friendships deeper. In fact, the thought of getting to know someone new can be so overwhelming that you decide it's not worth the effort and instead spend time by yourself or people you already know. It's important to remember to remain open to meeting new people so that you don't miss out on potential future friendships. Remember, all connections start from square one, and they take time and effort to develop into the deep relationships that matter a lot to you.
Sun Pairings With Cancer Moon Sign
If you've ever felt certain characteristics of your sun sign don't fit your personality, it could be because you're not taking your moon sign into account. Your sun sign generally dominates your personality, but moon signs also influence the type of person you are. Below are brief personality overviews of each sun sign paired with a Cancer moon. So, if you were born on January 16th and learned there was a moon in Cancer during your birth, you'd look at Capricorn Sun + Cancer Moon sign to see what the pairing says about you.
Aries Sun + Cancer Moon
This pairing can go several ways. Aries are known for hot tempers while Cancers are more likely to burst into tears when upset, and this can create emotional imbalances in someone with this sun/moon pairing. However, these differences can also complement each other, with a Cancer moon lending some loyalty and tact to smooth out Aries' rougher edges.
Gemini Sun + Cancer Moon
People with this sun and moon pairing can struggle because Cancers and Geminis are such opposites. Both signs are often emotionally distant, and when a Gemini has a Cancer moon sign, they can have an especially hard time opening up to people. However, Cancers do connect on a deep level with a small group of close friends, and this characteristic can encourage a Gemini to pursue closer relationships with a select group of people they feel they can trust.
Taurus Sun + Cancer Moon
This is a strong, stable sun/moon pairing. Both Taurus and Cancer are loyal, kind, and honest, so there isn't a lot of turmoil between the two signs. A person with Taurus sun and Cancer moon signs often feels deeply at peace with who they are. However, because both signs are often introverted and reluctant to open up to others, finding people they feel comfortable around can be an ongoing challenge.
Cancer Sun + Cancer Moon
All Cancer traits will be heightened in a double Cancer pairing. This means a lot of loyalty, kindness, and creativity, but also very strong emotions and a tendency to be closed off and pessimistic. A person with both a Cancer sun and moon won't often feel at war with themself, but they may occasionally be overwhelmed by the strength of their feelings.
Leo Sun + Cancer Moon
Leos are known for their big personalities, natural leadership abilities, and selfless natures. Leos are generally very popular, but adding a Cancer moon to the mix can make them even more likeable. The Cancer moon makes Leos less overbearing and also more willing to take their own needs into consideration. This pairing is often win/win for everyone.
Virgo Sun + Cancer Moon
This is a solid sun/moon combination. Both Virgos and Cancers are thoughtful and kind, so these people will rarely struggle with their moral compass or how to treat others. Additionally, a Cancer moon can prevent a Virgo from being especially hard on themself (a trait they're known for). However, both signs are also prone to negative thought patterns, so they'll have to make an effort not to let pessimistic feelings get the better of them.
Libra Sun + Cancer Moon
There's potential for a lot of different possibilities here. Libras are free-thinking social butterflies who flit from one thing to another. A Cancer moon can help control some of that flightiness and help them develop more lasting relationships. Alternatively, though, the strong, upfront emotions a Cancer moon brings to the table can clash with the natural Libra desire to avoid conflict and unpleasant feelings. If the person with this pairing can't sort out their contrasting sun and moon signs, they may struggle with these competing traits and have difficulty sorting through their emotions.
Scorpio Sun + Cancer Moon
Both Scorpios and Cancers express their emotions very strongly, so people with this sun/moon pairing may occasionally be overwhelmed by intense feelings. However, once they're able to manage those feelings, they'll benefit from the other way these two signs are similar. Both are loyal and honest, and the relationships they cultivate tend to last a long time.
Sagittarius Sun + Cancer Moon
Sagittarians are smart, funny, and often popular with others. However, they can also be commitment-phobic as well as reckless with their decisions. Having a Cancer moon keeps the positive Sag traits like honesty and intelligence strong while adding a steadiness and loyalty they don't normally have. This can create Sagittarians with a lot of the positive qualities and few of the negatives.
Capricorn Sun + Cancer Moon
This can be a rough pairing. Capricorns are known for their heads-down attitude of getting the job done without a lot of drama. Cancers, while no slouches, are much moodier, and a Cancer moon's strong emotions can catch a Capricorn off-guard. Additionally, both signs can be emotionally distant and prone to pessimism, so there's nothing there to encourage a more cheerful attitude that Capricorns often need.
Aquarius Sun + Cancer Moon
Aquarians are true originals who march to the beat of their own drum and aren't troubled by the expectations of others. While not quite as "out there," Cancers are also unconventional and can be drawn to unique ideas. Cancer’s natural empathy and Aquarius’s drive to help others come together to make this sun/moon pairing one of the most emotionally perceptive of the Zodiac. They are excellent observers, taking in everything around them to better understand the world and make smart decisions.
Pisces Sun + Cancer Moon
A sun/moon pairing between these two water signs generally makes for smooth sailing. Both Pisces and Cancer are in-tune with their emotions, considerate of others, and loyal to the people they care about. Additionally, a Cancer moon's natural hardworking traits can help counteract the laziness Pisces occasionally succumbs to.
What's Next?
Want to learn more about the Cancer sign? Check out the 7 key Cancer traits, both positive and negative, that you should know about.
How compatible is Cancer with each of the other astrology signs? Our guide to Cancer compatibility ranks how well the crab sign gets along with all the others.
Still learning about the astrology zodiac symbols? We've got you covered! Here's our quick introduction to the zodiac and all 12 signs.
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Holly R.