Karka (Cancer) Rashi

The 4th sign is Karka (Cancer). Parashara describes Karka as follows:

     “It is pale red. It relates to forests and represents Brahmins. It is strong during the nights. It has many feet (i.e. it is a centipede rashi) and has a bulky body. It is Sattvic in disposition (seen in gods) and it is a watery rashi. It rises with its back and is ruled by Chandra.”

Chandra(Moon) is the ruler, and Karka is a movable, watery and female sign. Chandra is a significator for water anyways, so Karka is highly associated with water and the characteristics of water. It is nurturing, supportive, sensitive and emotional.

The symbol of Karka is a crab, a water based animal that is always on the go looking for food. The symbolism of the large scissors of the crab seem inappropriate for Karka.

People with a prominent Karka in their chart are changeable, and continuously moving around creating new associations. There are ups and downs like the tides, and the emotions play an important role in everything.