CANCER

Vacation Guide for Cancer

Dear Cancer, you are a romantic water sign, and you are usually happiest when you vacation near water. A few ideal destinations for you in America might include Cape Cod, Cape May, Lake Tahoe, Malibu Beach, Palm Beach, Miami Beach, The Finger Lakes or Lake George.

Or, consider a vacation on the pretty island of St. John's, or to countries such as Mexico, Amsterdam (with its charming canals) or the beautiful Lake Como, Switzerland. For an even more exotic adventure, think about going to a place like Tahiti or Bali.

Your sign rules the study of ancestral roots, so you might enjoy a visit to the country and city where your grandparents were born and grew up. A visit New York City and its immigration museum on Ellis Island would also be fascinating for you. If you go, take a moment to see if there is a computer record of your ancestors' names.

You are also a spiritual being, dear Cancer. Make your vacation a pilgrimage all its own to a holy place, such Rome, Nazareth, Tibet, Mecca, Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Alternatively, you might enjoy a spiritual retreat at a monastery, cloister or ashram.

Cancers do cherish privacy. Big, commercial hotels aren't your style. Book a stay at a small inn, bed and breakfast, private cottage or bungalow. If you have a kitchen, buy local vegetables and spices so that you can try your hand at regional specialties‹Cancers often make great chefs. The more you feel at home while you're away, the better. If you must travel to a big hotel, bring accessories that make the room feel more personal‹framed photos of the one you love, a fragrant aroma-therapy candle or your favorite pillow.

Your sign rules the family, and you like to celebrate holidays and events. Why not create a trip around a special family occasion, such as a graduation, engagement or wedding? If a long vacation makes you homesick, aim for shorter one and go away more frequently. The moon rules your sign, so generally, it is best to plan your departure around a new moon, symbolizing a fresh start, and return near the full moon, representing closure. This will keep you in better sync with your natural inner rhythms and the universe.

As a frugal-minded Cancer, you don't like to have to pay a penny more than necessary on vacation. You will always be willing to do the research it takes to find great bargain travel packages on airfare and lodging.

Oh, and don't forget to bring your camera. You are a sentimental soul, dear Cancer. You love to look back with pictures of your trip with fondness, even if it rained every day! When you are on a vacation, you always put more emphasis on the people you are with rather than the places you visit. You can be happy anywhere. In that respect, dear Cancer, you could teach us all a thing or two!

The Cancer Man: June 21 - July 22
by Susan Miller
A family man at heart, your Cancer loves children, roots, and sees home as a haven. When traveling he is prone to get homesick, even in this day and age. A water sign, Cancer is highly emotional and sympathetic. He can be moody. The changing moods of Cancers are one of their greatest charms, and as mutable as the natural landscape. If is raining, you still know the sun will be out soon. Although they are worriers, they have kind and giving temperaments. Cancers also have excellent memories, so anything special that you do for him won't be forgotten.

Your Challenge

If he is divorced with children, you may have to work hard to be as important to him as his kids. To Cancer, blood is thicker than water, and you may not have first place in the pecking order. If you are married to a Cancer, he can easily get caught up with family and chores and forget that he is a red-blooded male with sexual needs. It is hard for him to remember romance when he is up on the roof, hammering shingles, so it's up to you to proposition your handyman with an alternative, naughty use for his duct tape.

How To Handle Him

If he is a single dad, see the sexy side of his role as father. Knowing what he's like when he interacts with his kids heightens, by contrast, the intimacy he shares with you.

Things To Do, Gifts To Buy

Cancer is the only sign that will customarily make a trip to the grocery store to get ready for a big date (even if you are married, you can still have a "big date"). You'll find him filling up his cart with exotic fruits (mangoes, strawberries) and at the dairy case (whipped cream), among other areas. Making love in the kitchen always ignites his deepest fantasies, so by all means surrender amid the salad makings. He may want to cook and eat together first. As one Cancer man who is very dear to me has whispered more than once: "Cooking isn't about cooking--it's pure sex!" And the person who said "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" was obviously referring to a Cancer.

Spilling wine over your breasts and letting him watch as you slowly lick it off will excite him, something which could occur around dessert. Cancer rules the breasts (every astrological sign rules a different part of the body), so don't wear your high-necked blouse on the night you want to start a private little nuclear reaction. This is man who admires some cleavage and will make you glad you have dþcolletage to display!

If you want to present him a token of your love, frame a new black & white portrait of you in a pure silver frame for his desk. (Cancer rules silver--plus memories and loved ones are also under this sign's domain.)

One Last Idea

If you want some private time with your Cancer man outside of home, seduce him near water (Cancer is a water sign), perhaps on a deserted beach or on a private yacht. Just about every Cancer I have known needs to be near water to feel completely relaxed and ready for love. Kidnap your beloved and whisk him off to the shore, and be sure to pack a basket of goodies and don your little red riding hood cape--with little or nothing on underneath!

The Cancer Woman: June 21 - July 22
by Susan Miller

With her soft translucent skin and lovely shoulders, your Cancer lover makes a knockout entrance to any club wearing her sleek, dþcolletage slip dress, as only a Cancer lady could carry off. But in case you think you can easily date this beauty, be forewarned that she is no pushover. The Cancer woman is careful about who she gives her heart to, because once she commits, she gives her all. Your lunar lady is truly feminine, and lucky for you, of all the signs, Cancer is the most nurturing and protective of those close to her.

Your Challenge

Her ruler, the moon, rules the changing emotions--so she can be a moody person. This may make it hard to figure out how she feels about you in the early days of your relationship, because at times your stock will appear to rise and fall. If you marry her, this will not be a problem for she will be very loyal to you, and often put your interests ahead of hers. Your lunar goddess takes responsibility seriously. If she is a single mother, her children will come first, and you may have to wait in line. Yet it is this side of her--her mothering instincts--that you probably find so appealing in her.

How To Handle Her

Nothing comes before her spouse and her children in a Cancer woman's life and thus, she often she forgets her own needs. Here is where you can lavish attention on her. She is a bit of a worrier, and will often second-guess herself about decisions she has made. Reassure her that her judgment is sound, and help her focus more on the future, less on the past. (Cancer rules tradition, and this why she is so marvelous about creating a warm and loving family life--she knows she is building memories!) Holidays and birthdays are important to her, so don't put her down for wanting to make them special. Instead, support her.

If she seems down and suddenly you find yourself on the outs with her, talk gently with her to get back into her good graces. Harsh tactics would be the wrong approach to take with her. Keep your temper under control and don't be demanding. Her gentle feelings over-respond to criticism and in the heat of argument you could say something which could crush her irreparably. Cancers have excellent memories and she will remember everything you said, unfortunately whether you meant it or not.

Things To Do, Gifts To Buy

The Cancer woman's home is her nest and is highly important to her. Offer to paint her living room or to give her a hand moving furniture around if she wants a new look. If she is divorced with kids, take everyone on an outing (she will be thunderstruck that you are attentive of her children, and love you for the gesture). Later, help her locate a baby-sitter and take her to a small and cozy family-run restaurant where the food is delicious and the lights are low. (Cancers are not comfortable in large, high-key, fancy places. She wants to focus on you, not the surroundings.) If your table has a view overlooking water, so much the better, for water rejuvenates Cancer in a way that other signs simply can't fathom.

The Cancer woman will enjoy reminiscing, so think about recreating the first time you made love together, perhaps by going back to the same place or by celebrating the anniversary. Or, give her a beautiful album filled with snapshots of the two of you that you've been collecting.

When making love, the Cancer woman is fragile and feminine. Because she often puts others first, a little pampering would be a smart idea. To seduce her properly, whip up a surprise gourmet dinner and serve it to her on a small table decorated with flowers and white table linens set up in the bedroom, a place she isn't used to eating. Have chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert and feed her each by hand, one by one. Hide a love note or special card under her plate--Cancers are sentimental. Be especially careful about what you say to her during lovemaking, for anything she construes as negative could hurt her deeply---teasing is not for her.

Give her an exquisite strand of pearls (Cancer is a crab, a little sea creature like the pearl oyster) or a skimpy, slinky, expensive nightgown in one of her moon colors--silver, creamy white or pale, smoky blue. She would also adore flowers--but instead of sending her red or pink roses, make your bouquet a variety of flowers in Cancer's color--snow white--tied with a gorgeous thick white satin ribbon.

You'll eventually discover (if she likes you) that she has beautiful, firm, fully-rounded breasts (the part of the body the sign rules) which, in bed, she adores having her man fondle and admire. Paint them with thousands of kisses and caress them gently.

Cancer Man

Have a professional portrait taken of yourself in black & white or sepia tone, and present it to him in a silver frame for his desk. Or find a beautiful keepsake photo album with many pages for his snapshots--he is more sentimental than you think.

Surprise him by chartering a day of sailing and bring along a home-made gourmet picnic lunch. You could find a great old print of a sailing vessel and have it framed for his study. Many Cancer men like to cook, so select a cookbook written just for guys. Or give him a set of lessons on French or Thai cooking--he will be intrigued. Give him a new coffee maker, a deluxe toaster-oven, new placemats to replace his ratty ones, a starter set of sturdy pots if he's a bachelor. Send him an old fashioned pecan pie that you bought or better yet, made yourself.

He's a homebody, so give him a digital satellite system for direct television to give him a wide variety of channels. Silver is his lucky metal, so give him a silver or silver plated key ring to keep his keys organized. Cancer likes to save their money, so you might give him a United States Savings Bond. You may think that's a boring gift, but he will be touched by your thoughtfulness and impressed by your patriotism!

Cancer Woman

A sensitive Cancer woman would love a book of poems. Better yet, present her with one poem you've written with a fountain pen on parchment paper--she'll keep it forever. Both pearls and silver are ruled by this sign, and either would flatter her delicate, translucent skin. If you buy pearls, make them cultured, the very best you can afford for your little sea-creature cancer. If you are her lover, a locket would appeal to her too. Be sure to slip a photo of yourself inside and engrave "I love you" on the back.

If you buy her a nightgown, make it silk charmuse in pearly white or smoky blue-gray, edged in lace. Send her to the most talented black & white portrait photographer you can afford to have her picture taken. Prior to her sitting, give her an appointment with a top metropolitan hair stylist and make-up artist. That would make a hit!

Send her white roses, acanthus or gardenias, or plant bulbs of paper whites or narcissus for her garden. Her cooking skills are renowned, so pick out some new kitchen gear for her. Here you have endless options, and even practical ideas are good ones. Copper pots, a set of steak knives, a wooden salad bowl set, an electric wok, a cappuccino machine--browse a department store for ideas! If you know her decor colors, buy her a set of designer sheets and matching comforter or a brand new set of placemats. The Cancer woman is sentimental, so silver or glass candlesticks would be just grand! Or choose an antique, hand-painted keepsake tin to hold cookies you bake yourself and share with her. Handmade is often the best gift of all.

Cancer: Time Inside Your Little Shell

When a Cancer is stressed out, the little crab will pull his shell over his head and refuse to discuss things with anyone. This is Cancer's self-protective device, and friends and family have probably gotten used to this in you. Water signs need regular time alone, especially in turbulent times, so don't discount this need if you yearn for it. Still, Cancer needs tender loving care in tough times, so don't stay out of touch too long. If you love and trust a partner, get the affection you need, even if you can't get the words out.

Cancers have the capacity to remember events and details well, but this can occasionally get in your way when you allow your past to overly influence your future. Some new experiences are just that--new--and you won't have any past references to prepare you or guide you. Whether you buy the wrong car, make the wrong recommendations at work or handle a relationship less diplomatically than you should have, as a Cancer you will tend to later beat yourself up with Monday morning quarterbacking. In other words, your "coulda, shoulda, woulda" tendencies hold you back. Let go, little crab! Don't torture yourself that way!

Realize too, that emotionally, you are a delayed reactor. Cancers tend to stay in situations long after they have outlived their usefulness, mainly out of habit, misplaced loyalty or fear of making the wrong decision. As one CEO once remarked, to double your successes you might have to double your failure rate. Life is a creative process, and as such, there will occasionally be some wasted effort. That shouldn't stop you from pressing forward!

Your secret asset is your profound intuition, so use it to find solutions. It is waiting to help you. Don't ignore that tiny inner voice of yours that wants to be heard, no matter what your intellect is telling you. If you are pulled in two directions, follow instinct over logic. The reasons usually do appear later, and should give you confidence to continue to follow your hunches. Your cardinal nature will boost your ability to deal with change and help to investigate a number of opportunities.

Cancer is soothed by walking barefooted by the sea, collecting shells, or sailing. If you do feel like a little company, make it someone as equally sensitive as you, perhaps a Pisces, or a practical Capricorn, someone who will not criticize you or tear you down. Perhaps the two of you would like to go rowing, and pack a little picnic that you can enjoy in a quiet, private place.

In the beginning period of your stress, when you first hear that your boss is on your case, that your girlfriend wants to date others, that your kid is getting terrible marks--your stomach will start refusing food. Eating rice pudding, vanilla custard, mashed potatoes, bananas with sugar and cream and other comfort foods from childhood are your best bets (pick one) until you get a grip. Later you will be feeling better and can add other items to your diet.

Cooking is a favorite activity of Cancer, so you might want to fool around in the kitchen even if you don't feel much like eating yourself (certainly you won't find your family complaining). The creativity will engross you and give you pleasure. Cancers enjoy all parts of the process: carefully going over the recipes in your favorite books, shopping for the ingredients, even going apple picking for the perfect apple pie or fussing at the green market for the freshest herbs, the creative work in the kitchen, and the finally, the closeness you achieve with adoring family or friends at your table.

Your moon-ruled sign would enjoy playing with a child as a great way to let go of tension. Mind a cute little baby for an hour or two, and soon you will have forgotten your problems while you bounce the baby on the bed or crawl around the floor playing hide-and-seek. You'll soon be giggling together and singing songs. Borrow a 6-year-old and go to the circus--your stress will disappear, guaranteed. Even older children are a real plus for Cancers, since they can communicate with them easily. Some people find peace with pets--Cancer finds it with children.

Since you are very sensitive to your home surroundings, when you feel blue, try rearranging your furniture. Buy a new red pillow for your couch, put a hand drawing of a sailing vessel over your desk, or buy a copper bowl to whip egg whites the proper way. Draw up dream plans to renovate your kitchen, bath, or new guest room, when things improve. The process of fantasizing about what you would like to have happen next will be highly productive for you. Take a friend to the boat show and imagine owning your favorite craft. Dream about the work you really want to do, and see yourself in the environment, down to every detail--smell the rich hot coffee in your cup, see your office and even the view out your window. Yours is a creative sign, and fantasizing is one of your best methods to effect change.

Fitness for Cancer

Your Ruling Planet: Cancer is ruled by the moon, the planet that governs emotion, compassion and the nurturing of others.

The Part Of The Body Your Sign Rules: Cancer governs the stomach and for women, the breasts.

Your Metabolism: Low

Your Health Profile:

Cancers worry, and when they do, their tummies feel it first. This is due to a sensitive stomach. Never eat when you are emotionally stirred-up. Some Cancers overeat in an effort to find comfort from food, other Cancers avoid food altogether when emotionally upset. Find a course for yourself that is moderate, neither too little or too much eating when you're not feeling your best.

Cancer is sensitive to the phases of the moon, which can cause them to feel moody. Give yourself--and others--a little slack near full moon periods! You may need a little more privacy during that time. Be sure you are getting enough of the vitamin B series of nutrients, which help you deal with stress.

Cancers have a very sensual nature--more so than many of the other signs. If a sport or exercise program "feels" good in a physical sense, it is likely to stay a part of your routine. You may love water sports, since Cancer is a water sign and finds being near water is akin to going back to the womb. Don't disregard the power of water for you--it works magic on your nerves. Swim, run on the beach, sail, wind surf, or try white water rafting--anything water-related! Avoid fitness programs that are overly-regimented, which you will rebel against. You particularly like exercise that has a steady, rhythmic flow. Aqua-cize, calesthenics that are done in a pool using the weight of the water as resistence, could be soothing and strengthening at the same time.

Cancer may be the most nurturing sign of the zodiac, but creating and tasting those delicious meals you cook up for your loved ones may be hard on your waistline. Don't stop cooking--you enjoy it and you're great at it! Instead, switch to lighter fare. Check out recipes that combine great flavor with interesting texture (Cancer's standard of excellence) and experiment!

Women: watch your salt intake. You could have particular problems with water retention, giving you painful breasts and increasing the symptoms of PMS. Schedule yearly mammograms after the age of 40, sooner if there is a family history indicating possible problems. Careful with your eating habits, as I mentioned above. If you develop an eating disorder, get help.

Finally, Cancer men and women of all nationalities have some of the most radiant, beautiful and translucent skin, which usually makes them look younger than they are. However, since a Cancer's skin is delicate, it could be damaged by sun. (After all, moonlight is your specialty--not daylight!) Be sure to regularly use a moisturizer that includes a sun screen, even if you live in a northern climate with gentle light.

Your Biggest Asset:

A strong sixth sense. Let your intuition guide you to the right sport or workout rather than be influenced by the latest trend.

What Drives You Crazy:

Interruptions. You need to work out somewhere where others won't distract you--or bug you.

Health Risks:

Allowing yourself to become so busy taking care of everyone else's needs that you forget to care for yourself. Also, Cancer has a propensity to look back with regret. Keep your eyes on the horizon, Cancer, not what happened in the past! For example, if you were heavy and out-of-condition as a child, you can still reinvent yourself, making yourself slim and fit now.