The Cancerian temperament is a veritable kaleidoscope of ever-changing emotion. During the course of a conversation, you may notice passing fleetingly across the faces of July-born, scores of distinctively different emotions, no two ever repeating themselves or being expressed in exactly the same way. Quite simply, Cancers exude emotion. Upon meeting one of these Moonchildren, you immediately get the sense of a strong emotional aura or presence about them which reflects their mood at the moment. If they feel ecstatic, you can't help but feel ecstatic yourself, sometimes without knowing why. Many Cancerians, when they are happy, can have a shrieking, almost hysterical laughter, and only the coldest of hearts could resist its charm. When they are depressed, however, you had better be careful not to get dragged into the doldrums yourself. Don't invite your Cancer friend to your party if he's sounding a little depressed over the phone. He'll soon have your whole merry affair turned upside down with his Cancerian blues. No other zodiacal native has so permeative an emotional aura as to either lift your spirits to ecstatic heights or to fill you with clouds of gloom, depending on their mood.

Cancerians are incurable romantics. You'll often find them buried dreamily in a romantic novel or a good book of poetry or classical romantic literature. They'll find it hard to resist a good movie classic, a period film, reruns of nostalgic shows from their childhood, or a love story. Some of them will go through their TV guide religiously each week, marking off selections they don't want to miss. Don't be surprised when your Cancer friend comes into work a little bleary-eyed one morning from having stayed up the night before watching a tearjerker on the late, late show. They love to dream of far away places and times past and will talk about historical events as if they were actually there. Most Cancerians, in fact have a special reverence for the past, and if you ask them to tell you whom of all people they admire most, they'll most often rattle off names of several prominent historical figures. Nearly every Cancerian has a treasured collection of nostalgic bric-a-brac, old letters, or sentimental keepsakes which he'll guard as if they were the crown jewels. A tattered remnant of clothing from the high school prom, a pair of worn-out sneakers, or a flower carefully preserved between the pages of a Bible might be considered old junk to other signs, but the Cancerian holds them as treasures dear to his heart.

'Home is where the heart is,' and this idiom has no greater ring of truth than when describing how the Cancer feels about his abode. Home is where he dreams, lives, plays, loves, and it is the only place he truly feels secure. Though they may travel extensively or have to spend extended periods away from home, all Cancerians needs a berth to call their own. No one is more adept than they at making a home feel like a home. With a special knack for creating an air of comfort, coziness, quaintness and charm, July-born will decorate and furnish their homes as if they plan to spend a lot of time there, and they usually do. Like the real crab who builds his watery burrow beneath the protective ocean depths, human crabs will tend to make their homes a restful sanctuary from the real world. Upon entering a Cancerian's home, you can immediately get the feeling of a time and place past, when life moved at a slower pace and there was more time for intimacy and family life. You will notice more than a few antiques which your host will expect you to praise lavishly, and there will usually be some handmade articles or wall decorations from family members, relatives, or grandchildren. Furnishings of real wood, pewter, or brass (never plastic or contemporary materials!) which the Cancerian has gathered in his many travels, will tastefully accent each room. Just as the real crab, who peers from his underwater burrow to view the rays of sunshine penetrating his aquamarine environment, Cancerians are fascinated by the interplay of light and color, and stained glass, crystal, or an aquarium are likely to be figured prominently in their home decor. Once he has furnished his abode to his liking, and has surrounded himself with all the accouterments of domestic life, the Cancer native is quite content to let the rest of the world go by.

Cancerians have a special knack for creating a "homey" atmosphere no matter where they happen to be. Even at work their engaging conversation and folksy humor tend to create an atmosphere of 'down home' comfort and familial camaraderie among fellow employees. Some of them will remind you of your Uncle Lou or Aunt Martha, and it is amazing to discover how many July-born have acquired the nickname 'good ole' in front of their names. In their jovial moods, they'll be cutups and practical jokers to no end. No one enjoys a good joke more than a Cancer, and if he's not laughing hysterically over someone else's antics, he'll be performing some of his own. Their innate understanding of human emotion allows them to see through the pretenses of other signs and find the underlying humor in almost any situation. Not particularly given to role playing or social dictates, but preferring to remain true to themselves, Cancerians can exhibit all the playfulness and capriciousness of a child.

As happy-go-lucky as Cancerian natives can be, there is always lurking in the background of their personalities, fears of some unknown dangers or forebodings of disaster in the future. As if from some hidden cue, these crabs can suddenly retreat into the watery burrows of their inner consciousness and not be seen for days. Just when you begin thinking you may never see them again or that they've taken an unannounced trip to Alaska, up pops the crab from his hovel beneath the sand as if he had never been gone. Try and question him about his absence and he'll probably not know what you're talking about or remark non-committally that he's been here and there. There is a private, reclusive part to every Cancerian you'll never know. Because of their extreme emotional sensitivity, they secretly fear ridicule, and would rather retreat than defend themselves. As with real crabs, whose soft insides are protected by a hard outer shell, there is an emotional vulnerability within all Cancerians which they try to mask by a tough exterior. Sometimes expressed as crabbiness (the derivative for this word is no accident), their attempts at coldness are never completely successful, for the Cancerian warmth of heart always manages to come through.

Cancerians are never truly happy unless they have someone or something to care for. There's a strong maternal instinct in both sexes, and if not looking after children, they'll be babying their friends or loved ones. They'll act as if you're forever starving, trying to stuff you with lots of good wholesome food or tempt you with piping hot bowls of minestrone soup. Of course you'll oblige. The Cancerian domestic charm is irresistible. As hosts they'll reawaken in you childhood memories of mother's homemade chicken soup, Sunday afternoon get-togethers with relatives, or grandma's apple pie. Food somehow represents security to Cancerians, and they won't rest easy if they think you're not getting proper nourishment.

As great and numerous as they may be, Cancerians' accomplishments may sometimes go unnoticed. Their efforts are certainly no less worthy of praise than those of other signs, but July-born are generally too unsure of themselves before large numbers of people to actually seek after the raves and admiration of others. Just as the Moon has no luminescent capability of its own, but must depend on the Sun for its reflected brilliance, Moonchildren would rather bask in the reflected glow of their loved one's accomplishments than seek the limelight themselves. No parent feels greater satisfaction at his son's or daughter's graduation than a Cancerian, and no sign shows more interest in developing their children's talents and abilities. As mates they'll be more supportive of their spouses' careers than any talent agent, business partner or promoter ever could be. The idiom, "Behind every great man, there's a great woman," could probably be more correctly written, "Behind every great soul there's a son or daughter of the Moon." Like the ebb and flow of ageless waters, the crab's emotions run true and deep, lending encouragement, support or sympathy when needed. They'll give much, asking only your appreciation in return. Looking into the tender eyes of July-born, you may feel compelled to say "I love you." After all, it's what these natives need to hear.