Cancer (Karka)
Cancer (Karka) is a movable water sign ruled by the Moon and symbolised by the crab. It stands for emotion, nurture, home, family and memory.
Also known as: kark rashi, karkata
Karka is caring, protective and intuitive, with a deep attachment to home, mother and roots. Like the crab, its natives can seem guarded on the outside while being soft within, and they remember kindness and hurt alike. Emotional security is the foundation of their confidence.
Cancer is the heart of Kalapurusha. Jupiter is exalted here, most of all at 5°, and Mars is debilitated at 28°. The last pada of Punarvasu, all of Pushya and all of Ashlesha fall in Cancer; Pushya is regarded as one of the most auspicious nakshatras.
For Cancer rising, Mars rules the 5th and 10th houses and is the yogakaraka. As a Moon sign, Cancer is the Moon’s own home, giving sensitivity and imagination. The Sun’s entry into sidereal Cancer, around 16 July, is Karka Sankranti, which traditionally begins Dakshinayana, the Sun’s southward half of the year.