CANCER HOROSCOPE

You’re sure to fail if you stick with the same old same old – and even you know that you’d be doing this more out of habit than because you believe in it. The First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius falls at a strange angle in your solar horoscope. Sagittarius energy doesn’t easily blend with Cancer energy because of the archer’s disdain for comfort zones. It presses you to color outside the lines without any guarantee of things working out. Ironically, sticking with the formulaic means you’ll lose, so you have no choice but to take a chance. And this risk may wind up making all the difference.

You can expect a lot of family drama during the time that Mars will be in Cancer (September 4 – November 3). This will involve some querulous sibling, rancorous in-law, or bleating black sheep. Naturally, you will want to steer clear of any conflict, but this may not be an option. The best thing would be to try to listen to what this person has to say with an open mind and a sympathetic heart. Just because the delivery is wrong (this person is notoriously brusque or whiny) doesn't mean that the message isn't right, and that could wind up being a message worth listening to.

You’re under pressure to act – and to act decisively – when there's a Last Quarter Moon in Gemini on August 26th. You'll have no patience for people fussing over technicalities, contingency plans, and disclaimers. This will all strike you as irrelevant and annoying. Nevertheless, there's something valuable about the information that an expert is trying to impart, and even if you can’t make sense of it in the moment, it would be wise to circle back later. Mercury, the planet of communication and ruler of the Gemini Moon, is playing a pivotal role and promises to translate those hieroglyphs into easy-to-follow action steps.

The Full Moon on August 19th brings yet another rude awakening; however, this one's good. Uranus is known as the planet of revolution in Astrology, but it becomes the planet of revelation when it squares a Full Moon. In your efforts to create a different life for yourself, it looks like you may be falling back into familiar patterns. The point of all the changes you've made since Jupiter entered Gemini last May was to turn over a new leaf, not build a new nest from the same foliage. Embrace the spirit of exploration and adventure, or you could wind up replicating what came before.

Creativity is often fueled by heartbreak. Whether it's a means of expressing something incommunicable, a way of coping, or a soulful response to a wrenching loss, creativity springs from this rich soil. The First Quarter Moon in Scorpio on August 12th shows that this is the time to build something from your pain—be it past or present—because what you've experienced resonates with what people are going through. One of the great lessons that Cancer has to teach is that a broken heart doesn't stay broken. Like the Moon in its cycle, it emerges from the darkness to love again.

You know you did something wrong, but can’t quite figure it out. It’s not unlike adding up a column of numbers and getting a different answer every time. You pore over every detail, but the solution stubbornly resists you. Welcome to Mercury retrograde. Mercury will be retrograde from August 5th to August 28th. Planet of the mind, Mercury becomes a brainteaser when it’s retrograde. What you want to watch out for is insisting that the rules still apply and that it’s reality that’s wrong. Think Alice through the looking glass. Get into the spirit of exploring the ridiculous and you could discover the sublime.

You're being given an out and you should take it. You may not like admitting defeat, but you can recognize when you're losing ground. Not only does the New Moon in Leo on August 4th provide you with a means of escape, but its sextile to Jupiter shows that you can hitch a ride on somebody else's coattails. Evidently, there's a co-worker or client who just received an enormous opportunity. It's great news for them, but it looks like they're going to need help if they want to make the most of it – help that only you can provide. This is right up your alley.

It's funny how people can be right but in totally the wrong way. It's kind of like the teacher who was so dreadful that you'll always remember him as a shining example of what not to do. On July 27th, you'll see that a disparaging critic, unforgiving parent, or harsh boss serves a higher purpose in life, and that's to wake you up to the wonderful gifts you possess. You'll never get this person's support and approval, and that's the point. Trying to please him diminishes you, while rejecting his negativity forces you to assert yourself and do what you know you're capable of doing.

Cancers are often accused of being timid and playing it safe. It's because of your tendency to blend into the background. What people forget is that your zodiac sign is ruled by the Moon, named after Diana the Greek goddess of the hunt – and, as any hunter knows, you don't want to give yourself away by being conspicuous or making noise; what you want to do is lie in wait until your target moves closer. This is something that everyone will see for themselves on July 18th when you finally make your move and seize a prize that nobody knew you were even interested in.

Don't be so quick to clean up after the latest debacle. You're always the one to salvage the situation, to smooth over the ruffled feathers with soothing words, or paper over those cracks in a relationship, so perhaps it's time to let things be for now and see what the other party is going to do? You may think that he doesn't care, but there's good reason to believe that he does. He's just never been given the opportunity to show it. Sit on your hands if need be, don't do the talking for him, and you will see him reach out to you.