Love, Marriage, and Compatibility for Cancer

Bride and Groom, Image Courtesy of Witthaya Phonsawat, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Shaya Weaver

Traditional astrologers believe that Cancers are most compatible with Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces, and least compatible Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius, but what do the actual marriage and divorce statistics say?

Mathematician Gunter Sachs (1998) conducted a large-scale study of sun signs, encompassing nearly one million people in Switzerland, which found statistically significant results on a number of measures including marriage and divorce. Castille (2000) conducted a similar study in France using marriage statistics collected between 1976 and 1997, which included more than six million marriages. Findings from these studies are summarized below.

Marriage: Cancer Men

The Sachs Study

Sachs found no statistically significant results for the signs Cancer men are most likely to marry or divorce in Switzerland. However, they are least likely to marry Aries women and least likely to divorce Cancers. The following is an overall ranking from most common to least common marriages with Cancer men (* indicates that the result is statistically significant – in other words, too large to attribute to random chance):

1. Pisces
2. Aquarius
3. Gemini
4. Virgo
5. Scorpio
6. Cancer
7. Leo
8. Taurus
9. Sagittarius
10. Capricorn
11. Libra
12. Aries*

It’s no surprise that two Cancers are inclined to stay together. These signs share a love of cozy domesticity and often outdoor activities as well. They usually prefer natural surroundings and nature-based activities to noisy, chaotic big-city venues, and they tend to be reliable, sensitive to one another’s feelings, and able to take care of each other in times of crisis.

It’s also unsurprising that Cancer men are least likely to marry Aries women. Aries bluntness and insensitivity can be upsetting for Cancers, and because these are both cardinal signs, there is a tendency to clash. Cancer may view Aries as selfish, while Aries believes that Cancer overreacts.

The Castille Study

Castille found that Cancer men in France are most likely to marry Cancer women and least likely to marry Libra women. The following is an overall ranking from most common to least common marriages with Cancer men (* indicates that the result is statistically significant):

1. Cancer*
2. Gemini
3. Scorpio
4. Leo
5. Virgo
6. Aquarius
7. Pisces
8. Sagittarius
9. Capricorn (same marriage rate as Sagittarius)
10. Aries
11. Taurus
12. Libra*

The higher-than-average rate of marriage with Cancer women is unsurprising because two Cancers are likely to share lifestyle preferences, ways of relating, attitudes, and values.

Finding Libra at the bottom of the list is also in line with traditional astrological beliefs. Cancers tend to prefer a direct approach to addressing emotional issues or differences of opinion, so they are able to bring up difficult subjects and start stressful conversations, whereas Libras tend to evade anything unpleasant if they can find a way to do so. Cancers like to clear the air and want to talk everything out completely (even things that would be better forgotten), whereas Libras avoid dealing with emotionally charged issues even when there is a strong need to do so. This can lead to a communication breakdown as Cancer desperately tries to draw Libra out and Libra evades because she doesn’t want to have a stressful conversation.

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However, if the two individuals have very compatible rising signs or moon signs, opposing tendencies will be be minimized and compatibility enhanced.

Marriage: Cancer Women

Sachs Study

Sachs found no statistically significant results for the signs Cancer women are most or least likely to marry, but they have a higher-than-average divorce rate with Aquarius men and are least likely to divorce Tauruses and Cancers.

The above-average divorce statistic for Cancer women and Aquarius men accords with traditional astrological wisdom. Aquarius seeks change and novelty, whereas Cancers like to have an established and secure home base. Also, Aquarians tend to be emotionally detached, whereas Cancers have intense moods and feelings. A Cancer may not get the reassurance, compassion, and personal attention she needs from an Aquarius because Aquarians tend to be independent and sociable, preferring to spend their leisure time with groups of friends rather than one person. With the Cancer-Aquarius pairing, Cancer may feel insecure while Aquarius feels irritated or oppressed by Cancer’s need for reassurance.

Cancer women’s tendency to stay with Taurus men is also in line with traditional astrological beliefs. A typical Taurus can offer security, loyalty, reliability, and a solid domestic environment, so these two signs have the potential to build a good life together.

Why do Cancer women marry Taurus men more often than Cancer men pair up with Taurus women? Perhaps the strength and stability Taurus provides are more important to Cancer women than they are to Cancer men.

The following is an overall ranking from most common to least common marriages with Cancer women:

1. Scorpio
2. Leo
3. Taurus
4. Pisces (same marriage rate as Libra)
5. Libra
6. Cancer
7. Virgo
8. Sagittarius
9. Gemini
10. Aquarius
11. Aries
12. Capricorn

Although there weren’t any huge differences in marriage rates from one sign to the next, Scorpio, a sign considered to be very compatible with Cancer, tops the list, whereas Cancer’s opposite sign, Capricorn, is at the bottom.

Castille Study

The Castille study found the highest rates of marriage between Cancer women and Cancer men, but the lowest rate in France is, surprisingly, between Cancer women and Pisces men. The following is an overall ranking from most common to least common marriages with Cancer women (* indicates that the result is statistically significant):

1. Cancer*
2. Taurus*
3. Aquarius
4. Capricorn
5. Virgo
6. Leo
7. Sagittarius
8. Gemini
9. Aries
10. Scorpio
11. Libra
12. Pisces*

The top two most frequent marriage pairings are matches that are considered to be very compatible: Cancer-Cancer and Cancer-Taurus. Typical Cancers and Tauruses share a love of the natural world and tend to avoid huge parties or noisy clubs, preferring to entertain at home, visit friends in their homes, or get out into nature (gentle walks or rugged hikes and other more intense activities, depending on the individuals). They share a love of good food and domestic comforts, and both like to create a stable, cozy home base.

Finding Pisces at the bottom of the Cancer women’s marriage list is surprising, as astrologers consider these two signs to be very compatible. However, Cancer women often seek assertive, decisive partners and Pisceans tend to be neither assertive nor decisive (there are exceptions to this rule: Pisceans who have their ascendants in fixed signs such as Taurus or Scorpio; fire sign such as Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius; or the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn tend to be more dominant and forceful).

The Best Match for Cancer

The best match for Cancers of either gender is apparently another Cancer, and for Cancer women, Taurus as well. Aquarius, Libra, and for Cancer women only, Pisces, appear to be less favoured pairings in some cases. However, Cancers who find themselves romantically entangled with one of the less compatible signs should not despair. Plenty of relationships and marriages between supposedly incompatible signs have lasted.

It’s important to keep in mind that these are statistical tendencies; this doesn’t mean that every romance between incompatible signs is doomed. For example, out of 6,498,320 marriages encompassing all possible sun sign combinations in the Castille study, there were 964 more marriages between Cancer men and Cancer women than would be expected if sun signs had no effect, whereas between Cancer men and Libra women, there were 465 fewer marriages than would be expected if pairings were random. However, there still were many marriages between the supposedly least compatible signs.

Astrology is complex, and there is more to take into account than just sun signs. Two people with incompatible sun signs may have highly compatible rising signs or moon signs that can make the difference between a bad match and a good match with a bit of an “edge” that keeps things interesting.

*  The methodology of the Sachs study has been criticized and remains controversial. I have found no critiques of the Castille study thus far.

Further Reading

For more on Cancer, see the Cancer Personality Profile. To see personality and marriage profiles for all the sun signs, visit the main Astrology page. T

References:

• Bugler, C. (Ed.). (1992). The Complete Handbook of Astrology. Marshall Cavendish Ltd., Montreal, 1992.
• Castille, D. (2000). “Sunny Day for a Wedding.” Les Cahiers du RAMS.
• Sachs, G. (1998). The Astrology File: Scientific Proof of the Link Between Star Signs and Human Behavior. Orion Books Ltd., London.
• Woolfolk, J.M. (2001). The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need. Madison Books, Lanham, MD.