The Top Mistakes Cancers Make In Relationships (& How To Avoid Them)

Water signs are the zodiac’s most sensitive souls. That’s part of what makes dating a Cancer zodiac sign such a deep and heartfelt experience. While there’s much more to relationships than zodiac signs alone, looking to the astrology of love can help us all get on a more cosmic wavelength when it comes to romance. If you were born under the sign of the crab, knowing the most common mistakes Cancers make in relationships and how to avoid them can make your love life flow a lot easier.

If you’re dating a Cancer, prepare to feel loved and nurtured in a new way, as Cancers are natural caretakers who know how to make someone feel safe and comfortable. Cancer is a water sign, which explains why they’re so empathetic and almost psychically in-tune with their partners. Cancers are fantastic listeners and devoted lovers who appreciate building secure emotional connections. So while it may take a while to get to know a Cancer who’s hiding behind their crabby shell, it’s all worth it once you gain access to their gentle, compassionate, and kind=hearted spirits and the fulfilling relationship that comes along with it.

As an astrologer, I know that every zodiac sign has a unique way of approaching things in love and a different set of struggles to overcome when dealing with romance. And when it comes to astrological dating advice for Cancers, the best thing to do is to avoid making the following common mistakes in relationships.

1. Letting Their Moodiness Run Wild

Cancers are the singular zodiac sign ruled by the moon, which is always changing form in the sky — and this planetary association reflects a Cancer’s ever-changing moods, too. But no one wants to be at the whim of someone else’s fluctuating emotions, so Cancers should be extra communicative about how they’re feeling to ensure their partners know exactly where they’re at, even if it changes every five minutes.

2. Pining Over The Past

Nostalgia is a big theme for Cancers, and they spend a lot of time thinking about the past and being wistful over time gone by. But dwelling on past relationships and romanticizing ex-lovers can be damaging to a current relationship. Cancers should make sure they’re not living in the past and be willing to let go of lost loves so they can be present with their new one.

3. Being Oversensitive

As one of the highly-emotional water signs of the zodiac, Cancers sometimes have a tendency to take things too personally, which could make it hard for a partner to bring things up with them. Having lots of feelings can lead to feelings getting hurt more easily, so if a Cancer feels sensitive or offended by something, they should bring it up ASAP and clear the air.

4. Getting Clingy

Emotional connections can get deep with a Cancer, which can sometimes lead to clinginess within a relationship — because once they’ve latched onto the object of their affection, they won’t want to let go! However, space is an important element in any successful partnership, so Cancers should make sure they’re allowing their partner to have independence.

5. Parenting Their Lovers

The moon in astrology represents our maternal instincts — and because that’s Cancer’s ruling planet, they sometimes have a tendency to parent their partners. Being nurturing, supportive, and comforting to someone is great, but constantly babying or coddling them is another story. Cancers should make sure they’re not being overbearing or taking undue responsibility for things their partner should be doing for themselves.

6. Putting Up A Quick Defense

Because of how sensitive Cancers are, they’re often quick to draw when it comes to defending themselves, and they’ll retreat into their protective shells at the first sign of a threat. However, it’s important to allow for open communication in relationship — so Cancers should practice listening to their partners’ grievances without interpreting them as a personal attack.

7. Expecting Partners To Read Their Minds

Cancers are naturally intuitive and emotionally in tune, which gives them a nearly-psychic sense of empathy for how others are feeling. However, not everyone shares this gift, and it’s sometimes easy for Cancers to forget that, especially when a partner doesn’t react to something the way they’d hoped. Cancers should be sure to speak up if they want to set a boundary or need a specific type of support. Otherwise, they could end up disappointed.

8. Being Passive-Aggressive

If a Cancer doesn’t want to deal with something, sometimes they’ll simply retreat into their shells and ignore the problem. But this attitude often leads to behavior like ghosting or giving people the cold shoulder. If you’re a Cancer, make sure you’re taking responsibility for yourself and addressing issues head-on instead of acting out in passive-aggressive ways.

9. Needing A Lot Of Security

The sign of Cancer is associated with the fourth house of the zodiac, which is all about home, family, foundations, and security. That said, if they’re going to commit to someone, they want that person to be the real deal — and they want promises of a future together. But for some people, “forever” feels like a foreign concept, even if they really love someone. Cancers should remember that love can be real, even without a guarantee.

10. Closing Themselves Off

As the sign represented by the symbol of the crab, Cancers have a protective built-in exoskeleton where they can hide to protect their gentle hearts or simply retreat from the outside world. But if they close themselves off every time they feel tired, sensitive, or introspective, it can be hurtful to a partner — so Cancers should be sure they’re not putting up walls with people they care for.