While July 18th to July 23rd are the days when the Sun can change signs, the Cancer-Leo cusp date range extends from July 19th to July 25th. If you happen to be born on one of those days, you are “on the cusp” of Cancer and Leo.
Leading with Cancer
If you happen to be born “on the side of” Cancer, then Cancer traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Cancer is the crab. As the Cardinal Water sign, these individuals initiate using their emotions, their caretaking instincts, and their desire to heal. They are at their best leading people who share strong emotional bonds (first and foremost, the family), need to be nurtured, and need to develop emotional intelligence. They must learn “emotional balance” to manifest their best results. Being near Leo makes them more playful and creative, which helps these Cancer individuals keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity.
Strengths of Sun in Cancer on the Cusp of Leo
Unlike full-on Cancer individuals, these people can be more extroverted and playful. Positively, they will be more outgoing and willing to be competitive, which can help them be more successful in engaging publicly with the world around them than what you might see with a typical Cancer.
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Weaknesses of the Sun in Cancer on the Cusp of Leo
A Cancer Sun near Leo can pick up some of the insecurity and narcissism that plagues the shadow side of Leo, which can rob Cancer of his or her natural altruism and empathy, leading to a need for unhealthy attention that a full-on Cancer would not seek.
Leading with Leo
If you happen to be born “on the side of” Leo, then Leo traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Leo is the lion. As the Fixed Fire sign, these individuals work hard to be creative, playful and recognized. They are at their best performing, competing, and acting heroically. They must learn self-discipline to manifest their best results. Being near Cancer makes them more responsible and dutiful, which helps these Leo individuals avoid arrogance and bullying.
Strengths of Sun in Leo on the Cusp of Cancer
Unlike full-on Leo individuals, these people can be more reserved and thoughtful of others. Positively, they will be less selfish and more caring, which can help them be excellent leaders and very good friends, making them much more nuanced and self-aware than what you might see with a typical Leo.
Weaknesses of the Sun in Leo on the Cusp of Cancer
A Leo Sun near Cancer can exhibit manic-depressive behavior, where the depressive energy comes from the shadow side of Cancer, which can rob Leo of his or her natural positivity and exuberance, leading to self-doubt and unnecessary worry that a full-on Leo would not express.
The Points Involved: the Moon and the Sun
Each sign has a ruling astronomical point. The Moon rules Cancer and the Sun rules Leo. So, the Cancer-Leo cusp individuals merge or blend the Moon/the Sun.
The Moon represents your Soul Path, your emotional drive in life. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals how we give and receive love, give and seek emotional nourishment, and try to manifest our spiritual and soulful purpose alongside our primary drive (the Sun).
The Sun represents our primary drive in life, our Life Path. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals our lifelong energetic identity through the Quality of the Sign’s influence and the Quest of the House.
These individuals will have a more balanced masculine and feminine energy, instead of leaning heavily into the feminine energy of Cancer or the masculine energy of Leo. They can move more comfortably and fluidly with the management of their Soul Path (the Moon) and their Life Path (the Sun).
Cancer-Leo Cusp Compatibility
Cusp individuals can work very well in relationships. They have a connection to two energies as part of their natural design. Imagine that each sign has its own language. A “pure” Cancer individual talking to a “pure” Leo individual may really struggle to communicate. The same way someone who only speaks Portuguese might struggle with someone who only speaks German. The cusp individual is bilingual and can speak both languages, which makes them very valuable to society. Essentially, they can translate between signs.
Here we discover why the simple model of compatibility or incompatibility is insufficient to explain real relationships out in the world. There is a good chance that “cusp sign” individuals are involved where two signs that should work well together do not, and two signs that should struggle together, actually work.
In the first case, the influence from one of the extra signs causes friction; and in the second case, one of the extra signs smooths out the friction. Therefore, basic compatibility measures are just starting points for understanding how any two people might relate.
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The Cancer-Leo individuals have a much wider range of compatibility because they can work well with water and fire signs. And, they can complement earth and air signs. If they happen to lead with Cancer, then they will favor water and earth connections (Scorpio, Pisces, Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo). If they happen to lead with Leo, they will favor the fire and air sign connections (Aries, Sagittarius, Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini).
The Bridge Between
One useful way to understand the progression of the signs, starting with Aries and going all the way through to Pisces, is to see them as a series of evolving steps. Cancer is the “I nurture” sign of the Zodiac and Leo is the “I create” sign. Individuals with Sun signs in the middle dates and degrees of the sign are here to work on the central energy of that sign. But individuals born on the cusp are here to work on the transition from one energy to another.
Therefore, the Cancer-Leo cusp individuals are here to learn how to discover “where they belong”, starting with the “roots” of their family, and how to “create the life they want”. On the positive side, this “in-between” cusp energy gives them a broader view. On the negative side, they can feel “caught” in-between, making it harder for them to find a place that is a perfect fit.
