Cancer horoscope dates

Cancer Horoscope Dates: June 21 – July 22

The Cancer horoscope dates run from June 21 to July 22. If your birthday falls anywhere in that window, your Sun sign is Cancer — nurturing, intuitive, and deeply feeling — the zodiac’s protector and homemaker. Below you’ll find the exact Cancer dates, what happens if you were born on the cusp, the three decans of Cancer and how they shade your personality, plus a quick snapshot of the sign. For the full personality profile, love matches, and more, see the complete Cancer zodiac sign guide.

Cancer at a glance

DatesJune 21 – July 22
ElementWater
ModalityCardinal
Ruling planetthe Moon
Symbolthe Crab
Sign beforeGemini
Sign afterLeo

When does Cancer start and end?

Cancer season begins on June 21 and ends on July 22. You may see the dates listed a day earlier or later on other sites, and that’s not an error — the Sun doesn’t change signs at the same clock time every year, so the exact start and end can shift by about a day depending on the year and your time zone. For almost everyone, the June 21 to July 22 range is exactly right. If your birthday lands on the very first or very last day, read the cusp section below.

Were you born on the Cancer cusp?

Born right at the edge of Cancer? Then you were born on a cusp — the changeover point between two signs. The first day of Cancer (June 21) sits on the Gemini–Cancer cusp, and the last day (July 22) sits on the Cancer–Leo cusp. Astrologically there’s no such thing as being “half and half,” though — you are still fully one sign or the other. The only way to know for certain is to check the exact moment the Sun changed signs in your birth year, because a birthday on the boundary can fall under either sign depending on the year and the hour you were born. If you were born on June 21 or July 22, a quick birth-chart lookup will settle it for good.

The three decans of Cancer

Every sign is divided into three decans of roughly ten days, each with a sub-ruler that adds its own flavour to the core Cancer personality. Here’s where you fall:

  • First decan (June 21–July 1): the purest expression of Cancer, doubly ruled by the Moon — the most classic Cancer traits.
  • Second decan (July 2–12): shaded by Scorpio (sub-ruled by Pluto and Mars), adding a Scorpio twist to your Cancer core.
  • Third decan (July 13–22): shaded by Pisces (sub-ruled by Neptune and Jupiter), adding a Pisces twist to your Cancer core.

Cancer personality in brief

As a water cardinal sign ruled by the Moon, Cancer is nurturing, intuitive, and deeply feeling — the zodiac’s protector and homemaker. That’s the short version — for the full breakdown of Cancer traits, strengths and weaknesses, love and compatibility, the Cancer man and woman, career, and mythology, read the complete Cancer zodiac sign guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Cancer horoscope dates?
Cancer covers birthdays from June 21 to July 22.

Is Cancer the sign for someone born on June 21?
Yes — June 21 is the first day of Cancer. Because it’s a cusp date, anyone born exactly on June 21 should double-check their birth year to be certain, but it falls under Cancer in most years.

What sign comes before and after Cancer?
Gemini (ends as Cancer begins) comes just before Cancer, and Leo (begins as Cancer ends) comes just after.

Explore more: read the full Cancer zodiac sign guide, or check the horoscope dates for the neighbouring signs, Gemini and Leo.