Welcome to Cancer season 2020, everyone! As the zodiac's resident cardinal water sign, the season of the crab is here to plunge us into our feelings, get us in touch with our roots, and encourage us to nurture ourselves and the people around us. The Sun moved into Cancer's territory on June 20 (which was also the first day of summer) and will cycle through this sign until July 22 — and we kicked off this year's Cancer season with a bang, as a powerful new moon eclipse took place just one day after Cancer season began. Hopefully we took this as an indicator of how intense and transformation the season to come has potential to be.
Cancer is perhaps the most maternal and family-oriented sign of the zodiac, so don't be surprised if you feel like staying close to home and surrounding yourself with your closest comrades over the coming month. "Cancer season is all about families, family get-togethers, and family vacations — or perhaps this year, staycations," astrologer Leslie Hale of Keen.com tells Bustle. With everything going on in the world, we could all use a loving touch to soothe us or an empathetic ear to listen to our woes. And that's what Cancer season energy is all about. It's maternal, gentle, and nurturing, here to give our emotions space to come forth and breathe and encourage us to lead with empathy.
Two days before Cancer season began, Mercury retrograde summer 2020 kicked off, too, joining a whole slew of other retrograde planets that are spinning our summer in all sorts of directions. The slow-down caused by the retrogrades mixed with the usual Cancer season moodiness could be a recipe for summertime sadness — or simply a command to up your summertime self-care. "The key during this year's Cancer season will be to remain calm, balanced, and maintain a positive attitude," Hale says. "The world is shifting and changing, but ultimately, it will be for the better."
Here's the scoop on how Cancer season 2020 will affect each zodiac sign so you can take advantage of the deep summer feels.
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Love: Up the communication with your lover this month, Aries, and think before you speak if you want to avoid arguments or even break-ups. With Mercury retrograde for most of Cancer season, we all need to be more thoughtful with our words — and it's even more important for an impulsive-tongued fire sign like you.
Career: Your ruling planet Mars just entered your sign, so you'll be feeling totally recharged and rearing to go when it comes to reaching your career goals over the coming weeks. Get ready to hit the gas on all your work and personal projects.
Friendship: Your focus is on work right now, Aries, so you'll probably slow down on the social scene this month and spend more time at home with family, roommates, or your besties in a more low-key setting.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Love: With your ruling planet Venus finally out of retrograde as of the beginning of Cancer season, you're feeling ready to indulge in the earthly pleasures of love. Plan a sensual night to reconnect with your partner.
Career: It might be hard get super motivated and charge forward with large scale work projects, so focus on the little tasks instead of the big ones. Catching up on e-mails or tackling smaller projects will help you make the most of this time.
Friendship: Cancer season is a great time for you to let your social nature shine. Try to make small talk with colleagues or neighbors, and make some calls to catch up with friends who you haven't touched base with in a while.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
Love: You're feeling all kinds of lovely right now, Gem! Embrace your more sensitive side through Cancer season and allow your pleasure to take the front seat. Get dolled up and seduce your crush.
Career: Money is definitely on your mind, so take stock of where you're at financially and figure out if you're being paid what you're worth. If you think it's time for a raise, wait until the last week of Cancer season when Mercury ends its retrograde to have that conversation.
Friendship: You're a social butterfly, but what do you truly value in your friends? You'll likely find yourself sifting through your IRL friend list to figure out who in your life is really worth your time.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Love: You're so busy taking the spotlight through your birthday season that you may find that you're not super focused on love right now. That's OK! Give yourself some time and space to collect your feelings and figure out what you want before making any commitments.
Career: This could be a big month for you career-wise, Cancer! While it's not advisable to make any big moves while Mercury is retrograde, it's a good time to revisit past projects and think about ways to move forward once you hit the last week of the season.
Friendship: With the Sun shining in your sign all month long, it's a beautiful time to be social and express yourself with your friends. Whether you throw a social distanced celebration for your birthday or just gather with your pals via video chat, connecting with friends is a must.
Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)
Love: You're craving a social element within your love life, especially after months of being isolated, so find ways to engage your romantic relationship with your social circle, even if it has to be socially distanced! Plan a double date picnic outdoors or catch up with some mutual friends over a Zoom happy hour. It'll help to revive the spark.
Career: It may feel like things are slowing down career-wise, but think of this month as a much-welcome breather from the craziness that's been happening. Use this time to focus on learning some new skills or setting some loftier goals for yourself.
Friendship: While you're enjoying showing your friends some affection, you'll likely feel a little extra introverted this season. Word of advice, though? Embrace it — because Leo season is coming up next, and you'll want to party all month long once that transit hits.
Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)
Love: You're having a bit of a love affair with work right now, Virgo — and while that's great for your career, don't let your love life suffer because of it. Open up to your partner about work and find common ground instead of separating these parts of your life completely.
Career: Even with your ruling planet Mercury retrograding, you can't be stopped — you're on fire career-wise. You're feeling passionate about your professional goals right now and are working well with others. Call on the power of teamwork to polish up your ideas and make them the brightest they can be.
Friendship: Your social senses are naturally high this month, Virgo, so take advantage of it. Instead of just chatting up your coworkers and replying to a million stories on Instagram, plan something with friends to remind yourself that you're still part of a community — even if you're social distancing.
Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)
Love: Love can truly take you to faraway places — even if that's within your mind and heart, Libra. Don't put the potential for romance in any sort of box right now. Your ruling planet Venus (which is the planet of love) is finally out of retrograde for Cancer season, so anything in your heart is possible now.
Career: Cancer season brings a booming energy to your career now, Libra! While Mercury retrograde may force some slow-downs at work, your passion and energy can more than make up for those setbacks. Express yourself and refine your public image now, and it'll be well received.
Friendship: Because of the extra sparkle and focus you're putting toward work, you'll likely find yourself naturally gravitating toward friends who understand your career path or share a similar one. Get feedback and support from the people you trust right now.
Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)
Love: Love is all about intimacy for you right now, Scorpio — but that's exactly how you like it. Shallow and surface-level affairs aren't really your style, as you much prefer to go deep and get real with someone if you're going to give them your time. Just be sure to set boundaries so you don't totally drown in the romantic intensity.
Career: You've got an itch for a vacation right now, but with the pandemic plus Mercury retrograde taking place this season, it's not an ideal time. Save the vacation for later in the summer and instead focus on revamping your workday and reworking your to-do list to make your schedule feel more fresh and functional.
Friendship: You're craving mental stimulation, and your friends can be a really fulfilling source for it this month. Ask friends if they're interested in starting a book club to dive deep into the current social justice issues we're facing.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)
Love: Love is majorly on the brain for you this season, Sag. You're pouring your all into your closest romantic relationships or perhaps even making things official with a crush — and you'll finally feel like the all the challenges you've faced romantically are paying off.
Career: This isn't the most charge-forward season for you when it comes to work, so instead think of it as a time to slow down and clean house so you can get moving on fresh goals later this summer. Try to finish up old, lingering projects and be sure you don't owe anyone an overdue e-mail or deliverables.
Friendship: Right now, you're more interested in heart-to-heart connections with your closest friends than you are being the life of the party, Sag. Allow yourself to get deep and intimate in your conversations — just be sure to set proper boundaries with friends so your vulnerability doesn't get taken advantage of.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)
Love: There's a lot of focus this month on your closest partnerships, and you're likely having some serious convos with your lover. While things may not feel spectacular and sparkly in love with all these heavy sentiments coming forth, trust that this is a necessary step in having an open and more honest connection.
Career: Mercury retrograde is confusing us when it comes to work matters all through Cancer season, so focus on making your communication with supervisors and colleagues crystal clear. One-on-one discussions will be easier to navigate than large group meetings.
Friendship: With love and work both taking up a lot of your energy, Cancer season is a good time for you to slow down and connect with only your closest pals. Keep things low-key and allow your connections with friends to be healing and from the heart.
Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)
Love: Ooh, Aquarius, you may not be the Cancerian feely type, but this season you are 100% flirt. Get ready to have some fun in love and hit the dating scene if you're single. If you're in a relationship, plan some pleasurable outings and try to seduce each other all over again.
Career: Cancer season is all about tackling the smaller projects on your to-do list, Aquarius. You're inspired to get organized at work, and are feeling super motivated when it comes to catching up on correspondence of all sorts. Take advantage of this burst of clarity.
Friendship: Your friendships will feel best this month if they're focused on wellness and are supportive to your need for self-care. Connect with friends who inspire you to be the best and healthiest version of yourself, and avoid the energy vampires.
Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20)
Love: You just want to cuddle up at home with your partner during Cancer season this year, Pisces — and that's OK! Call on Cancer's nurturing nature and embrace the most comfortable parts of your relationship by planning lots of cozy nights in together.
Career: You're feeling super motivated to make your money, move forward on your passion projects, and get your finances in order, Pisces — so take advantage of the motivation. You'll gain even more traction during the last week of Cancer season, when Mercury retrograde ends.
Friendship: This is a super fun season for connecting with friends over your creative endeavors, especially for a naturally art-loving type like you. Share your ideas with friends to gain even more inspiration, and do something creative and social like a daily drawing challenge or a virtual art class.
