Rising Signs: Cancer Rising

Cancer is a sensitive water sign, with a hard outer shell. For this reason, Cancer rising people are often considered distant and aloof.

Since the rising sign or ascendant affects first impressions, some might mistake you for a cold, ornery type. If they catch you in a bad or overwhelmed mood, you won't likely win friends or influence people.

Your crusty carapace is merely protection, though—underneath you're a big softy. Your challenge is to show your true sensitivity in the right moments and with the right people. 

A Defensive Stance

With Cancer rising, you are sensitive and kind, but wary of those you first meet. You like to feel out a situation before deciding exactly what to do. It usually takes a while before you drop your guard.

In fact, many Cancer rising people lead lonely lives because of this sensitivity. If you've experienced a traumatic wound of some kind, or if your parents didn't respect your boundaries, it can be tough to trust again. You may feel like your ability to build relationships is out of whack somehow.

It's critical to choose the right people to let into your life. Instead of hiding, you can cultivate friendships with those who have the same high standards as you. Create a cushion of space that makes you feel safe. This will allow you to carry your home with you as you go out into the world.

You have a vulnerable look that makes others want to protect you. And you're very nurturing toward friends and family when you feel safe. You have a silly sense of humor and are able to read people and know what's really going on.

This gives you the ability to intuit when to speak or act and exactly what to say. When you are tuned into your sixth sense, you're a master of timing.

Strong Feelings

Your water sign emotional intelligence makes you the kind of communicator who makes a deep impact. When you're at your best, you know how to reach the hearts of others. Your imaginative gifts may be applied in the arts, or you may enter one of the healing professions. You're a leader who wins respect in a quiet way.

If you've suffered and lost trust in people, you can be defensive to the extreme. By nature, you deal with strong moods that change constantly. You often lose perspective when you're consumed by your own powerful feelings.

With Cancer rising, you're especially vulnerable to intoxicating addictions, whether people or substances. You might find it hard not to drown your sorrows, or to lubricate your social persona with libations. But that can add to a state of depression and make it harder to come out of it.

You can be over-the-top and effusive in your reactions. But that vivid response to life is what also makes you so endearing. At times, you wear your heart on your sleeve, and you may need to do some work to establish healthy boundaries.

You thrive in a family setting or with a group of solid friends that feel like family. Once you have a secure home base, you can move out into the wider world with more confidence.