Both Cancer and Capricorn are stereotyped in a kind of gender traditional way sometimes, making the relationship between the two a bit tough to pin down. The traditional thinking around Cancer and Capricorn goes something like this: Cancers are emotional so they like to eat and take care of people. Capricorns are practical and they like to provide. Now, I don’t doubt that there exists Cancer Capricorn relationships of this flavor but I also know that this particular dynamic of nurturer and provider is extremely hetero.
People are people. We don’t fall into one kind of dynamic in relationships. So let’s explore Cancer Capricorn relationships a little deeper than the standard issue hetero norms.
In my view, Cancer and Capricorn relationships boil down to one thing: security. Both Cancer and Capricorn are about security and both of them will feel secure in some ways and insecure in others. Cancer and Capricorn are opposite signs and this means that they will feel secure and insecure in opposing ways. But guess what? Both Cancer and Capricorn have a tendency to look through security through control.
For the record, I think that Cancer and Capricorn are fantastic together. Yes, sister signs are opposites and oppositions are hard aspects. But oppositions are still aspects between two signs that share the same modality and are of compatible elements. That means that they have sympathy.
The thing is, Cancers feel like they are in control. I’m not even kidding. Cancers don’t have this reputation because they don’t look like they are in control from the outside but that’s because Cancers don’t actually care about trying to control how they appear. Cancers feel in control on the inside because they self regulate by crying, sleeping, and laughing.
When Cancer is lonely, they seek people out. When they are socially overwhelmed, they become reclusive. They cry when they are sad and they yell when they are mad. Cancer will even moderate their emotions by looking for a little melancholy rain on a hot summer day or wrapping themselves in a cozy blanket on a cold one. Cancers are self regulating and self healing. They have a huge amount of emotional control.
Capricorn is the opposite. Capricorns usually look like they are in control, like they have moved beyond what plagued them in the past, like they know what they are doing, and love to get involved in these big projects that are very challenging but impressive. Capricorns shoulder the responsibility that Cancers find more difficult to take on. They take on struggles for other people. They look strong. However? Capricorn is a little baby on the inside. They often don’t know what to do with their feelings and they sometimes don’t even know what they are feeling at all.
This has to do with change. Cancer is the sign of the summer solstice and Capricorn is the sign of the winter solstice. They both have to do with change. That’s all cardinal signs. All cardinal signs have to do with change.
As the sign of the winter solstice, Capricorn is about moving together with people. During the cold season, you have to rely on the village. As the sign of the summer solstice, Cancer is about independence. You can go your own way when the weather is nice and the land is fruitful.
Do you see what I’m getting at here? Capricorn is actually highly anxious about people abandoning them on the inside. That’s a trait that Capricorn has as a zodiac sign (not necessarily individual Capricorns) because it is a winter sign. Because Capricorn season is about fearing abandonment and togetherness, Capricorn will try to mobilize big groups and promote unity.
That’s why Capricorn cares so much about what you do. Because it matters to them. What you do matters to them if they are in relationship with you because Capricorn tries to move together with people.
And Cancer? Cancer is actually less afraid of being left behind than Capricorn. I know, I know. This goes against the normative thinking about Cancer as a zodiac sign. Cancers are supposed to be these yearning little crybabies who don’t let anyone go. No. That’s not Cancer. Cancer will attract by expressing vulnerability but that’s not who Cancer is as a being. Cancer as a being is emotionally strong because they are self regulating.
The erotic attraction between the two is often very exciting. Cancer really seems to like the quiet type. They like the type who is a bit repressed but a freak on the inside which is exactly what Capricorn is. Capricorn just loves people who get aroused emotionally easily and readily for them and Cancer is the sign that gets aroused the easiest.
So, real talk. Here’s what Cancer and Capricorn are like when the relationship is going sour: Capricorn keeps drawing away or trying to break up too soon. Cancer clings and feels tormented because they know that Capricorn needs nurture that Cancer can provide that Capricorn won’t accept. Capricorn feels emotionally drained by Cancer because they tend to feel overwhelmed quickly. Capricorn moves across the country because Capricorns like to change everything at once. They both heal and then endlessly nostalgic Capricorn moves back. They keep breaking up and then getting back together.
And here is what Cancer Capricorn relationships are like when it’s going really well: They nurture and assure each other because both love to be taken care of. Both love expectations and consistency because they want security for themselves and their people, taking and giving control when needed. Capricorns feel empowered to make big changes and the assurances that they give Cancer about what will not change and what they will return back to also reassures themselves in ways that they didn’t know they needed. Cancer wants to nurture Capricorn but they retain their independence by not giving into their need to be needed. By doing this, Cancer feels genuinely attached without that attachment becoming too much to the point where they second guess it or stop feeling it.
Relationships are just relationships. They go well sometimes. They have hard moments.
No matter what, Cancer and Capricorn relationships will be deeply meaningful to one another. They’re going to nest together and change together. They’re going to encourage each other. Both Cancer and Capricorn are extraordinarily changed when they encounter and learn to love their sister sign. Both signs are nostalgic. Neither forget anything.
