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Water · Cardinal

Cancer

The Crab, the 4th sign of the zodiac year, usually printed as 21 June – 22 July.

A hand-coloured star card of Cancer: a pale orange crab seen from above with both claws raised and eight legs spread, the star cluster Praesepe marked at the centre of its shell.
Cancer · Sidney Hall · Urania's Mirror; or, A View of the Heavens, London, 1825
Element
Wateremotion, intuition and attachment, in the tradition
Modality
Cardinalthe signs that open a season, traditionally read as initiators
Traditional ruler
the MoonAssigned before the outer planets were found
Modern ruler
the MoonSame as the traditional ruler.

When the sun actually crosses

The moment the sun enters Cancer and the moment it leaves for Leo, each year from 2015 to 2026, in UTC to the minute.

20 Jun 00:0020 Jun 06:0020 Jun 12:0020 Jun 18:0021 Jun 00:0021 Jun 06:0021 Jun 12:0021 Jun 18:0020122016202020242010202620 Jun 00:0020 Jun 06:0020 Jun 12:0020 Jun 18:0021 Jun 00:0021 Jun 06:0021 Jun 12:0021 Jun 18:00201220162020202420102026
Where the sun crossed into Cancer, 2010–2026, in UTC. The marked years are the ones where a 29 February has fallen in between and pulled it back by most of a day.
YearSun enters CancerSun leaves for Leo
201521 June, 16:38 UTC23 July, 03:31 UTC
201620 June, 22:34 UTC22 July, 09:30 UTC
201721 June, 04:24 UTC22 July, 15:15 UTC
201821 June, 10:07 UTC22 July, 21:00 UTC
201921 June, 15:54 UTC23 July, 02:50 UTC
202020 June, 21:44 UTC22 July, 08:37 UTC
202121 June, 03:32 UTC22 July, 14:26 UTC
202221 June, 09:14 UTC22 July, 20:07 UTC
202321 June, 14:57 UTC23 July, 01:50 UTC
202420 June, 20:51 UTC22 July, 07:44 UTC
202521 June, 02:42 UTC22 July, 13:29 UTC
202621 June, 08:25 UTC22 July, 19:13 UTC

VSOP87, checked against published equinox and solstice times.

Which dates can be Cancer

Since 1920 the sun has entered Cancer on 20 June, 21 June or 22 June, and left it for Leo on 22 July or 23 July (UTC). On those dates the sign depends on the year, and in a crossing year on the hour; each date's page gives every year.

In the tradition

In Western astrological tradition, Cancer is classed as a cardinal water sign. Cardinal signs are the signs that open a season, traditionally read as initiators, and water signs are traditionally associated with emotion, intuition and attachment. Its ruling planet in that tradition is the Moon.

These are associations reported from tradition, not claims about anyone born under the sign.

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