A Guide to the Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

An astrologer dishes about the empathetic element.

In astrology, each zodiac sign is unique. However, signs within the same element will share certain similarities. For instance, water signs—Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces—lead with emotion. Family-oriented dreamers and artists, water signs are the emotional—and sure, sometimes moody—empaths of the zodiac. Unlike fire signs, who are generally action-oriented, water signs like to consider how their decisions will affect others before they make any moves.

In tune with their feelings, water signs usually have no problem deep-diving into spirituality. Additionally, they often pour their experience into their favorite creative outlets—whether that's writing, painting, sculpting, drawing, or composing music. From your most artistic, empathic, even slightly psychic bestie to the nurturing therapist born to make patients feel cared for and seen, the water signs in your life can guide you toward making the most of your inner life and most intimate connections. People who have water sign placements tend to be among the most emotionally intelligent, intuitive, and spiritual in the zodiac.

Ahead, find a primer on what it means to be a water sign and what you need to know about each.

Cancer (June 22-July 21)

Symbol: Crab
Ruling House: Fourth House of Home Life
Ruling Planet: The moon, which oversees intuition, emotion, and security
Compatibility: Cancer often hits it off with a similarly intuitive Scorpio, creative Pisces, or caregiving Virgo.

The first water sign—and fourth sign overall—Cancer is known for being nurturing, sensitive, compassionate, self-protective, and security-seeking. They're also giving, loving, and goofy, displaying an ingratiating sense of humor. Cancers tend to prioritize making most people in their lives feel even slightly more comfortable and secure, so you can rely on them to offer a shoulder to cry on. Think of Cancer as the zodiac's purveyors of care packages, sentimental emoji-peppered emails, and warm-hearted talks over a steaming mug of chamomile tea.

These characteristics reflect themes covered by the Fourth House of Home Life, which Cancer rules. The Fourth House covers our domestic lives, our nests, how we were parented and might parent (literally or figuratively) in our lives, and emotions and memories from childhood that might color your current reality.

Cancer is also the cardinal sign of the water group. Cardinal signs are the go-getters of the zodiac but can struggle with follow-through. That said, Cancers have a big-picture-planning perspective and think in an artistic, ambitious way. They're the friend who is great at initiating bold plans, even if those plans sometimes fall through.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Symbol: The Scorpion
Ruling House: Eighth House of Emotional Bonds and Sexual Intimacy
Ruling Planet: Mars, the planet of action, energy, and sex, and Pluto, the planet of transformation and power
Compatibility: Scorpio tends to gravitate toward a similarly deeply feeling Cancer, emotionally intelligent Pisces, or driven Capricorn.

The second water sign—and eighth sign overall—Scorpio is the fixed water sign. On one side, fixed signs tend to be the most resolute, which makes them great to have in your corner. On the other hand, though, fixed signs can also be quite stubborn. Scorpios are known for being extremely private, even secretive, about subjects they consider near and dear to their hearts. Scorpios are also intensely sexual, whether or not they're willing to open up about that. They are fiercely magnetic, often managing to effortlessly command the spotlight.

The Mars- and Pluto-ruled sign is comfortable with the darker side of life and death and capable of wading into big emotions and deep-rooted psychology. These characteristics reflect themes covered by the Eighth House of Emotional Bonds and Sex, which Scorpio rules. The Eighth House covers your deepest emotional connections—including the mental, physical, and emotional sides of that—as well as death (taken literally, as well as natural endings and losses in life), rebirth, transformation (think surgeries or psychotherapy), and joint resources (a.k.a. money involving others, like inheritances or investments).

Scorpios appear fearless and even a bit prickly at times, which can be perceived as intimidating, but it's a veneer. They simply need to warm up and trust you to open their hearts. Once they do, they're the friend that you can count on for life. (Remember that fixed nature.)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Symbol: The Fish
Ruling House: Twelfth House of Spirituality
Ruling Planet: Neptune, the planet of dreams
Compatibility: Pisces gets on well with a similarly spiritual Scorpio, nurturing Cancer, or beauty-loving Taurus.

As the third water sign—and twelfth, final sign overall—Pisces is compassionate, romantic, artistic, intensely empathic, and sensitive. They're the obvious creatives of the zodiac; when they channel their emotions into their favorite art form, they feel more centered and enlightened. This could mean they're into, and perhaps even excel at, a wide variety of forms of creative self-expression—from dance to music to writing or reading poetry and acting on stage or screen. (In fact, astrology holds that the motion picture industry is a Neptunian realm.)

People who have Pisces placements feel so very deeply and might struggle with blue moods. They might also be drawn to psychology and metaphysical or energetic practices (think Reiki, acupuncture, or aromatherapy). They also tend to have an innate psychic ability. These characteristics reflect many themes covered by the Twelfth House of Spirituality, in which Pisces rules and deals with your true, deep-rooted identity, your subconscious, and your spiritual side.

As the mutable sign of the water group, Pisces placements are flexible, open to going with the flow, and typically interested in hearing every side of an issue before making a decision, much like fellow mutable signs Virgo (earth), as Gemini (air), and Sagittarius (fire). While mutable signs are the most adaptable, this can sometimes read as wishy-washy.

The Bottom Line

Water signs are empathetic and creative, and they always feel their feelings. However, your sun sign is only one part of our astrological self—so pay attention to other facts, like your rising sign. This way, you’ll see that you’re not a body full of emotions; you’re also a fiery go-getter, an airy intellectual, and a down-to-earth pragmatist.