Aquarius and Cancer are each generous star signs, who are kind to those closest to them and wistful in wanting to see the world become a better place.
On the one hand, Cancer is a family oriented and money savvy star sign that has plenty of love in their heart to offer lucky Aquarius.
Meanwhile, Aquarius themselves sees all of humankind as his or her family, and has lofty goals of altruism and uncovering thrilling new discoveries to push society forwards.
There’s some common ground here, but wildly different outlooks under the surface that could cause issues in the long term.
This Aquarius and Cancer compatibility overview will help you understand both the pitfalls and promise of an Aquarius Cancer relationship, seeing things from both points of view.
Aquarius and Cancer compatibility overview
In classic astrology, Aquarius is represented by the water carrier.
This individual, as seen in the constellation for Aquarius, was responsible for fetching the water for entire communities, or to nurture crops, and would do so by navigating some of the world’s driest and most treacherous places.
You’d think that association with water would well suit the crab, the symbol for the Cancer star sign.
Crabs live in the depths but can scuttle on land too, speaking to Cancer people’s versatility, and their pincers clasp onto things tightly – just as people of the Cancer star sign clutch to possessions, people and money with a tight grasp.
The thrust of the matter is that Aquarius is actually a star sign ruled by the air element, despite its connotations of carrying water.
Cancer, as a water sign, is highly intuitive and emotionally sensitive, whereas Aquarius, as an air sign, is a lover of freedom and lofty ideas, moving swiftly.
Imagine the elements at play when thinking of Aquarius and Cancer compatibility. Water, as found in Cancer, can drown out flames, drench earth into mud – but it cannot contain the air.
Air will always be above water, and if brought beneath the surface will form bubbles to escape its grasp.
You perhaps see where the issue rests here – water wants to contain air, and air refuses. Likewise, Aquarius will always escape the clutches of Cancer, and refuse to fall prey to the crab’s claws.
So important is freedom to the functional Aquarian identity that Cancer’s attempts to hold onto the relationship securely will prove stifling, creating problems.
Thanks to a mutual appreciation of kindness and respect for the human spirit, these two signs have some common ground, and plenty to teach each other besides.
Nonetheless, this push and pull dynamic between heart and mind will cause much friction for the Aquarius Cancer pairing.
Matches between the Aquarius woman and Cancer man
Aquarius women are keen individualists and love to meet those who embrace their uniqueness and show them new ways of thinking and seeing the world.
How wonderful, then, to meet the Cancer male – a man in touch with his feelings and the expression thereof, without apology.
This sensitive soul will intrigue an Aquarius woman, but as is often the case with an Aquarius and Cancer relationship, caution on both sides is advised to avoid misunderstandings.
The Cancer man shifts emotional states swiftly, going from upbeat and cheerful to cranky and morose.
There are inner tides in play here that affect the flow of his fluid-like feelings, and the entire thing will confuse the Aquarius woman greatly.
Care must be taken to appreciate the Aquarius lady isn’t responsible for these shifts in his emotional state.
Similarly, hers is an outlook of the head rather than the heart, and her life is busy and fast moving, spread across multiple areas she prioritises equally.
To an Aquarius woman, a relationship is nice, but it’s also just one aspect of the far bigger picture.
Suffice to say, the emotional needs of the Cancer man, even if he doesn’t admit having them, might feel this distance unkindly, yet Aquarius never means it as such.
An Aquarius woman can expect frequent contact from the Cancer man, in calls and texts, and he will want to see her often.
How she interprets these advances is up to her, although it’s unlikely he’ll make the first move, and even if he does, it’ll be with such subtlety that even her honed mind might not see it.
Nonetheless, his sensitivity endears him to her, and he’s not lacking in strength, protectiveness or passion either.
Only the Cancer trait of clinginess, more even than the mood swings and feels trips, threatens to upset the relationship most of all.
Aquarius women need to be free to pursue their own goals, keep in touch with themselves and find their security in life through vast mental frontiers.
The Cancer male has the opposite idea, wanting to build a home and family together almost from the outset, and digging his claws in to drag the Aquarius female to his watery depths of grand emotion and a cosy home life.
He finds security in having a place for everything and everything in its place, and clutches to what he’s won tightly.
The Aquarius lady has no time for being enclosed in this way, and could take drastic steps to elude capture.
The good points:
- Emotionally enriching conversations and dates are guaranteed
- The Cancer man’s sensitivity is a breath of fresh air for the Aquarius lady
- A Cancer male is adaptive, and can tune his personality for any occasion
- Cancer men often keep house well – no scruffy bachelor pads here!
The bad points:
- Insecurity leads the Cancer man to act out – he likes knowing you’re his
- The Aquarius woman gets tired of reminding the Cancer man he is loved
- Cancer men are more homebodies than Aquarius women, who move too fast
- His emotional intensity can be overwhelming for the more cerebral Aquarius woman
Matches between the Aquarius man and Cancer woman
Cancer women are often pretty, and some astrologers cheekily admit that their association in zodiac symbology with motherhood, nurturing and the moon often make them buxom too.
Their sensitivity and kindness will strike a soft spot for the Aquarius man, drawing his eye to a fellow practitioner of the altruistic arts.
Likewise, she will be drawn to his cool and collected nature – something the Aquarius man might not even realise he exudes.
That’s because he’s spending much of his energy in his own mind, dancing about with ideas and finding new ways to forward his agenda – one of bringing good times and inspiration to those surrounding him.
It’s likely that the Aquarius man has unconventional looks or a deeply unique way of dressing that sets him apart in a crowd at a glance.
His fun-loving ways also entice the Cancer woman, who is always keen to see reasons to feel uplifted.
It’s likely the Cancer woman has already begun flirting subtly with the Aquarius man, and he’s so locked in his own mind he often doesn’t notice.
With any luck, the two will get there eventually, yet at the time of the relationship, extreme care must be taken of the severe differences in emotional expressiveness these two exhibit.
In short, declarations of romance and feeling will be a trickle from the Aquarius man, when the Cancer girl would much prefer a flood.
He’ll find the need for this baffling, and likely risk feeling smothered by her own emotional praise and deep confessions of affection.
Hers is a sensitive inner soul, and these declarations aren’t made lightly – yet he’ll find no response is enough to assure her that what she says means as much to him as it does.
Things can get messy, and her outbursts, mood swings and possessiveness won’t mesh well with the Aquarius man at all.
Luckily, their shared love of kindness, of putting others first and of creativity and the arts can cement over some of these cracks. Otherwise, there needs to be a great deal of tolerance for one another’s differences.
The good points:
- The Cancer woman is feminine and flirty, and always fun to be around
- A mutual love of generosity and making the world a better place helps this couple shine
- Cancer women are talented cooks and beautiful homemakers
- Cancer women are loyal and loving, making them entirely unlikely to stray
The bad points:
- Aquarius needs absolute freedom, yet the Cancer woman wants a dependable partner
- Ever-shifting emotions make it impossible for the Aquarius man to feel a solid footing
- The Aquarius man isn’t emotionally communicative, and the Cancer woman thinks he’s disinterested because of it
- The Aquarius man bores easily, putting pressure on the Cancer woman – who just wants peace and stability
Aquarius and Cancer friendship compatibility
Aquarius and Cancer, when deep and romantic emotions aren’t necessarily in the mix, find that friendship is easily built on and sustained.
Part of this is due to Aquarius individuals being blessed with a dry wit, which Cancer folks adore, but also the kind of gregarious and charming personality that seems to mesh well with just about anyone.
An Aquarius making enemies is a seldom seen sight indeed, and while Cancer folks are known to hold grudges and find it bitterly difficult to forgive, they find tremendous inspiration in how Aquarius people can rock up wearing who knows what and effortlessly strike up a chat with goodness knows who – likely making a few friends by the time the night is through in doing so.
The Aquarius individual can definitely help Cancer folks out of their crab-like shells in this regard, showing them that people aren’t always out to get each other.
Aquarius won’t always understand or even appreciate Cancer folks’ more moody and morose moments, but will enjoy their company regardless and likely crack enough jokes to break through even the most legendary of Cancerian sulks.
Arts, sciences and humanitarian concerns hold great appeal for this pairing in friendship, as does working with animals and plants.
Anything that helps the Cancer’s nurturing ways to shine is going to prove very appealing to the Aquarius, who wishes we all could be as giving and big-hearted.
Cancer people should be wary that Aquarius, as an air sign, moves like the wind. After a few solid weeks of hanging out and having fun, they could find this Aquarius individual suddenly impossible to reach and pin down.
It could well feel like the Aquarius has abandoned the friendship, giving Cancer the cold shoulder and inspiring a suitable sulk as a consequence.
Yet the thought of Aquarius spurning anyone, if Cancer really stops to think about it, is simply inconceivable.
Aquarius is the great egalitarian, spreading his or herself equally among many people, ideas and projects – and never favouring one above the other.
The Aquarius friend will return as boundless and happy as when he last saw the Cancer friend, and things will kick off again as though there was never an interruption.
As with matters of the heart though, if the Cancer begins to dig in their heels and close up their claws around the Aquarius, disputes might well ensue.
Emotional excess is incredibly difficult for Aquarius folks to tolerate, but they could likewise learn to see how their flightiness affects people too.
Aquarius and Cancer marriage compatibility
Despite the misgivings perhaps being shared in this article, in truth, many Aquarius and Cancer relationships make it to marriage, and thousands of them enjoy success and longevity.
Again, it’s all a case of knowing what to expect, what ground to give and what to stick by, and how to make the compromises that let these shared qualities shine bright.
Put simply, Aquarius passions run a lot cooler than those of Cancer, who feels everything with absolute depth and sincerity.
The fact that Cancer emotions run so close to the surface, despite the people themselves hiding inside their shells when life feels cruel, helps Aquarius feel confident that everything is in the open and nobody is playing mind games.
Cancer likewise knows that Aquarius doesn’t play games, but nonetheless finds Aquarius a tricky read.
Their cool exterior could seem like a facade, but the truth is that Aquarius people are so detached from much of mundane reality that even love doesn’t affect them the same way as some people.
Aquarius people may seem like they’re not invested in the marriage as a result, when in fact they appreciate greatly the work Cancer spouses do in creating a happy, stable home to relax and be close within.
The dark secret of Aquarius is that they find love a messy and terrifying emotion, so find it difficult to measure it and express it – it’s not something of the mind, so not of their nature.
Many of the biggest clashes of interest in an Aquarius and Cancer marriage will crop up in the realm of freedom versus security.
The Cancer soul is one that likes to keep what’s been hard won very close at hand – that means money, family members, pets and, of course, a husband or wife.
To a Cancer person, displays of closeness come forth as big sweeping gestures of commitment and security, keeping the partner close always and identifying with the marriage as a core part of their identity.
To the Aquarius though, this kind of outlook is bizarre and sometimes even frightening.
The Aquarius star sign is one of finding new ideas for society through the exploration of individuality and even solitude.
The idea of being clutched at and pored over, however loving and attentive it may be, feels stifling.
The need for freedom of movement is sometimes so strong they may recoil from hugs without meaning to, causing the Cancer partner to feel spurned.
Aquarius must definitely learn to let their guard down, but likewise, the Cancer partner would do well to show trust and allow the Aquarius the distance necessary to feel free to pursue their own interests.
Nasty surprises will still crop up – the Aquarius might leave town for a week and only think to tell the Cancer spouse a few days before, for instance, and feel surprised that this is an issue.
Tolerance from both sides gives this marriage longevity, as well as introducing newness often to keep the lively Aquarius imagination sparked.
Aquarius and Cancer: Common issues and problems
As already discussed, a great deal of the Aquarius and Cancer incompatibilities stem from their very different approaches to life and love.
Where Cancer looks to secure what’s theirs, Aquarius belongs to no-one but humanity, and expects to be able to freely move like the wind that represents them.
One aspect of the interplay between Aquarius and Cancer that can also be explored – either driving a wedge between them, or encouraging respect for their differences – is tradition versus the daring and new.
Cancer souls are in love with marriage, raising a family and their related ceremonies due to a love for tradition.
Big Christmas dinners, birthday gifts and heartwarming family celebrations are all a key part of their personas.
Likewise, they like old school ideals like gentlemanly conduct, RSVPs via the mail, and sending get well cards.
Aquarius, meanwhile, is all about helping humankind reach the next plateau of development.
Because of this, these individuals can often find traditions stuffy and amusing at best, and stifling and distasteful at worst.
They’re here to invent new things, and move with the times. Fixations of the past hold little appeal or practical use.
Both Aquarius and Cancer are also very stubborn, and see their way as the correct way forward.
Disagreements between these two are unlikely to be resolved simply, as neither wants to give up the high ground.
Cancer digs in their claws, and Aquarius becomes holier than thou – and in the end, both seethe and bubble with resentment.
My expert opinion and final thoughts
While the hurdles to happiness may seem many, they’re far from insurmountable for the Aquarius and Cancer partners, especially when their shared trait of determination is brought into play.
Turning that stubbornness each of these star signs has into shared strength towards outside challenges is one of the best things about the Aquarius and Cancer match.
Compromise and sacrifice may well be necessary to really get this connection off the ground, however, yet there is much to be learned from doing so.
Big-hearted Cancer can prove to Aquarius that surges of emotion aren’t to be feared, and Aquarius can show Cancer how putting oneself out there isn’t a guarantee of heartbreak and treachery, whatever their pasts have otherwise taught them.
The instinctive behaviours innate to each star sign must be kept in mind throughout the relationship however, especially long-term – and Cancer always wants it to be long-term, no matter what they say.
They dwell in deep watery emotional depths, and long for open communication of feelings and heartfelt displays of loyalty.
To Aquarius, there is seemingly no point in these overblown displays of affection or cooing at one another in the dark, and the thought of being dragged to the depths feels trapping and scary.
Reassuring the Aquarius that freedom is theirs, and that the Cancer only means love when being so adorably overblown, will do much to ease understanding for both parties.
This is a match that can either grow through its intrinsic differences or be hopelessly divided by them – yet will prove entirely rewarding to those investing the soul work to make the magic happen.
If Aquarius can nurture Cancer through the more sullen days, and Cancer can realise that Aquarian absent-mindedness doesn’t mean a lack of love, there’s a wealth of positivity to explore here.
Positivity is, after all, everything that both Cancer and Aquarius want to see more of in the world, so who better than one another to help bring it into reality through shared compassion and conviction?
Aquarius and Cancer compatibility score: 5/10
Contents
- Aquarius and Cancer compatibility overview
- Matches between the Aquarius woman and Cancer man
- Matches between the Aquarius man and Cancer woman
- Aquarius and Cancer friendship compatibility
- Aquarius and Cancer marriage compatibility
- Aquarius and Cancer: Common issues and problems
- My expert opinion and final thoughts
- Aquarius and Cancer compatibility score: 5/10
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