Karka is a water sign ruled by the Moon and a movable sign: it feels deeply and acts to protect what it loves. Its symbol is the crab, soft inside a hard shell, moving sideways rather than head-on. Jupiter is exalted here, at 5°, because wisdom is most complete when it is joined to care. Mars is debilitated, its aggression softened into protectiveness.
Cancer holds the last pada of Punarvasu, all of Pushya, considered the most auspicious nakshatra, and Ashlesha. It is the sign of home, mother, nourishment and memory. Its gift is care; its test is not holding on too tightly.
