Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces Explained

Seeing as horoscopes are trending these days, chances are you know a thing or two about your zodiac sign. I’m a Pisces, which is represented by the celestial fish and characterized by emotions that change quickly and intuition that’s second to none. Like Cancer and Scorpio, Pisces is a water sign. But what exactly does that mean, and how do water signs differ from the rest? Read on to find out.  

Everything you need to know about water signs

In astrology, there are 12 signs of the zodiac split between four elements: water, earth, air, and fire. Sagittarius, Aries, and Leo fall under fire; Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus connect with the earth; and Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are our resident air signs. This leaves the water signs: Cancer (the Crab), Scorpio (the Scorpion), and Pisces (the Fish). These delicate placements along the zodiac wheel are all about connecting to inner emotions and finding a deeper meaning — which is exactly why they’ve earned a reputation for being highly sensitive empaths. Before we dive into more common water sign traits, here’s a quick breakdown of each sign.

Cancer (June 21st — July 22nd)

Cancer is a cardinal sign, meaning those born under this deeply caring sun sign are able, like other signs with a cardinal modality, to take decisive action and become visionary leaders. They’re known for being sensitive, compassionate, nurturing, security-seeking, loving, and empathetic — essentially, they can effortlessly pick up on the emotions of others. Conversely, the Crab tends to be, well…a bit crabby. In other words, their moodiness can easily get the better of them. 

Famous Cancer personalities include:

• Tom Hanks
• Vera Wang
• Princess Diana

Scorpio (October 23rd — November 21st)

Of all the zodiac signs, Scorpio is the most misunderstood. Due to their incredible passion and assertive nature, the Scorpion is often mistaken for a feisty fire sign — and this fixed water sign shares a ruling planet with the fire sign Aries: Mars. That said, this fixed sign’s intense energy stands second to their intuition, and although they may seem a bit guarded at first, they experience intense emotions. 

Here are a few famous Scorpios:

• Bill Gates
• Whoopi Goldberg
• RuPaul

Pisces (February 19th — March 20th)

Governed by the elusive Neptune — the planet of fantasy, dreams, and universal love — Pisces are deeply connected to the world around them. This zodiac sign is mutable, meaning the dreamy fish is flexible, adaptable, and has no problem with change. In other words, these fishy folk are fluid. What’s more, as the last sign that makes up the zodiac, Pisces are something of an “old soul” and have lots of sage wisdom to share.  

Well-known Pisces include: 

• Drew Barrymore
• Molly Ringwald
• Cindy Crawford

What character traits are most common in water signs?

Although the cosmic Crab, celestial Scorpion, and ethereal Fish carry unique qualities, they all share the same water element, meaning they definitely have some commonalities. Here are the traits most common in water signs. 

They are super intuitive. 

While everyone is fully equipped with the power of intuition to some extent, the crab, scorpion, and fish have antennas that are more attuned than most. These signs tend to have intense dreams and visions, as well as intuition that is basically a psychic power. Much like water itself — which ebbs and flows — water signs can easily acclimate to any circumstance, and, as a result, they have high emotional intelligence and reliable gut feelings. They’re also not easily fooled. 

They have intense emotions. 

Those born under a water sign are no strangers to emotion. In fact, they tend to feel things rather intensely. On a positive note, their overly emotional side can provide them with great insight and wisdom into human experience. Additionally, it allows them to be immensely empathetic, which helps the crab, scorpion, and fish form strong connections with others. Sometimes, these water signs can get so overcome by their powerful emotions that it feels like a freight train just hitting them all at once — and when they feel overwhelmed like this, they can find it extremely difficult to think clearly, stay focused, and make rational decisions.    

They can be unbearably moody.

Don’t let their sweet, nurturing, and sensitive disposition fool you — these zodiac signs are dynamic when it comes to their emotions, and they won’t hesitate to show you how they feel. In other words, they wear their hearts on their sleeves. Water signs are aligned with emotions, so their feelings tend to hold a central theme in their lives making the crab, scorpion, and fish more sensitive to changing emotions than other zodiacs, which often manifests as moodiness. 

They are incredibly creative. 

Water signs are highly creative and unbelievably innovative. They have a special way of looking at things and can turn even the most monotonous and dull things into art. These sensual creatures don’t follow conventional norms and have a quirky way of doing things. Of all the zodiacs, those with a water element attached to it are often considered the artistic ones of the bunch.  

They are deep thinkers.  

You may catch the crab, scorpion, or fish acting withdrawn, but the truth is that they’re probably just daydreaming or deep in thought and mentally a million miles away. Water signs are prone to overanalyzing everything and anything — this can make life much more complicated than it needs to be. They have a terrible habit of coming up with obstacles and problems that don’t actually exist or aren’t nearly as bad as they’ve tricked themselves into being. 

They get distracted easily. 

Water signs can be a wee bit wishy-washy and all over the place — especially when it comes to making important decisions. In fact, too many options tend to be a water sign’s arch nemesis, as they can leave them overwhelmed and in a tizzy. They also tend to get distracted easily and can go from paying close attention in one moment to daydreaming the next. These fluid water babes don’t do it out of rudeness. They just can’t help themselves sometimes.

They need their alone time.

Connecting with others is an essential thing for water signs, but it’s also really important that they have their space to recharge and connect with themselves, too. Since Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces can easily tap into their emotions, these fluid signs have to be careful with their vulnerability and selective about those to whom they reveal their true selves. This awareness and understanding makes them quite introverted and private, only sharing themselves on their terms with loved ones they can truly trust. 

They have vivid imaginations. 

If there’s one thing for sure when it comes to water signs, it’s that they have a unique way of looking at the world around them. This special perspective, combined with their colorful imaginations, creative nature, and out-of-the-box thinking, makes them exceptionally gifted as musicians, writers, actors, cooks, and anything involving creativity. 

The Bottom Line

Unlike the other three elements, water signs have big feelings, colorful imaginations, and impeccable intuition. Their emotions flow like water, and they can never really gain the emotional stability and tranquility that the earth signs (like Virgo and Capricorn) have. 

We’re also pretty sensitive, which can be bittersweet. For one, we have empathy like it’s nobody’s business. Feeling blue? I’m your gal. Need a shoulder to cry on? Use mine. Gotta vent? I’m all ears. But on the other hand, the extreme sensitivity that comes with being a water sign can cause a whole lot of hurt — especially when we take things too personally. In short, water signs are intuitive, nurturing, empathetic, and introverted. If you’re a Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, and this doesn’t sound like you, there’s a good chance that your birth chart is full of other signs and astrological elements. The key is to understand how the elements in your chart blend so you can find balance and live a harmonious life.