Emotion is the pitfall of Cancer people. As changeable as their ruler, the Moon, these subjects may shift in minutes from stable, normal, "happy" individuals into victims of deep navy blue feelings of gloom and doom. There's a quality of charming despair in Cancerian moodiness which can not only break hearts, but can sometimes actually win them.

Cancers make fabulous partners for home-loving people. The Cancer's nest is where he feels safest and at his most secure. As security is the main preoccupation of most Cancers, a good home with comfy furnishings, a few kids and dogs and a built-in wall safe is about the best thing that can happen to them. In this atmosphere of cushions and curtains Cancer thrives. For the Cancer subject, home is love is home is love, etc.

Cancers are good at making money; they hold executive positions and assume responsibilities with aplomb. You will rarely find a poor-but-happy Cancer. Cancerians very seldom decide to throw it all up and become a hippie or a freelance bohemian. They don't necessarily like the system or the constraints it places on them, but of all the signs of the Occidental zodiac, Cancers are the most capable of placing nose to dull old grindstone and keeping it there. The Cancer wants comfort for himself, but he also enjoys providing for his family in a generous way.

Cancers are traditionalists. Where you might have hung a supremely abstract painting over your mantelpiece, the Cancer will have put portraits of his dour-looking grandparents, which he dug out of the attic because nobody else wanted them. They will surely be framed in antique frames and will hold the place or honor in Cancer's heart. Cancer prefers antiques to formica and longs for his son or daughter to become a doctor, a lawyer or a sure-fire accountant.

If you have a Cancer for a friend, you know what loyalty and devotion mean. Cancer people usually make their friends young and keep them for life. And, as Cancers are fairly intransigent, they are easily hurt if the friends in question do not return their devotion. They will forgive. But Cancers never forget.

If someone asked me to describe the worst aspect of Cancer subjects, I would not say "moods" or "grabbiness." Instead I would have to speak of the Cancer's tendency to hypersensitivity. Cancer is easily offended and susceptible to criticism the way six-year-olds are susceptible to chicken pox. A tiny word of criticism can bring on one of Cancer's legendary moods and the criticizer may go on the black list for quite a long time.

Cancers are jealous too. They own the people they live with and are possessive to a fault about their loved ones. They are not, however, tyrannical about this weakness. The idea is not "I bought you and therefore I own you." No. It's more like "I love you so much and care so profoundly that I cannot believe you dared be attracted to that other (less serious) person." Cancer is also easily hurt by cutting remarks. In love, Cancer gives his all. It's impossible for him to understand someone who doles out their love in tiny eye-dropper doses.


Pragmatic and down-to-earth, Ox people are motivated to work hard and have no respect for lazy or careless people. Although they can be easily trusted and find it easy to put trust in others, they are not dependent on friends and family and would rather find an answer or a solution themselves than to ask these people for help or guidance. However, others can, without a doubt rely on Oxen, who are always honest and meticulous about their responsibilities. While they do not feel the need for many distant or acquaintance-oriented friendships, they value the strong bonds they share with their partners and families, and make close friends that last a lifetime.

Though they are quite open-minded, once Ox people have made a decision about something, they rarely change it. This is a defining characteristic that can be seen as obstinacy, but it is actually the way an Ox learns to be strong, brave and straightforward. It is the way the Ox learned to take on tasks and responsibilities and how he learns to be reliable for others. Oxen are more comfortable with the well-known as opposed to the unfamiliar. Yet, beneath their unpretentious, tranquil exterior lies a heart of gold and a motivation to prosper.


Unusual creative talent characterizes the Cancer born in an Ox year. Moreover, they persevere to develop their artistry to the fullest. Famous geniuses abound in this sign. A refined sexuality combines tenderness with strength. Major people with major gifts. It is no coincidence that many, many famous and respected artists of all sorts were born under the twin signs of Cancer and Ox. Here is the personification of determination. The profound sensitivity of Cancer coupled with the Ox's down-to-earth strength of purpose creates in this creature an emotional forcefulness unparalleled anywhere else in the new zodiac. This person always tries harder. The Ox side of this subject's character endows him or her with formidable powers of tenacity and innovation. Cancer lends even more creativity and adds a hefty dose of feeling to the cocktail. These folks go after what they want with acute single-mindedness. For a Cancer/Ox a task is a chore is a rule is a religion! What must be accomplished must be, and there are no two ways about it, no shortcuts, and no tricky escape routes. This often famous person's sex life is of the utmost importance to them. Yet, he or she maintains a discreet distance from prying press and flashing paparazzi. Intimacy, to this busily creative person, is just that. Intimate. Private. Secret and oh-so sensuous.


Wood is characterized by the color green. Wood heralds the beginning of life, springtime and buds, sensuality and fecundity. Wood's influence affects the liver, the gallbladder and, by extension, the digestion. Wood needs moisture to thrive. Its two opposite yet equally emotional forces are rage and altruism. The Wood person will be expansive, outgoing and socially conscious.