What the Cancer symbol โ๏ธ shows
The Cancer glyph โ๏ธ is two curled strokes lying on their side, one above the other, a bit like a sideways 69. They are usually read as the claws of a crab, the animal of the Cancer constellation; cancer is simply the Latin word for crab.
In Greek myth, the goddess Hera sent a crab to bother Heracles during his fight with the Hydra, then placed it among the stars. The constellation is faint, but it holds a well-known star cluster called the Beehive, or Praesepe.
Cancer dates, element and ruler
In the tropical zodiac, Cancer runs from about June 21 to July 22. It begins at the June solstice, so the first day is June 20 or 21 depending on the year. The Tropic of Cancer got its name because, about two thousand years ago, the Sun stood in front of the Cancer constellation at that solstice.
Cancer is a water sign, like โ๏ธ Scorpio and โ๏ธ Pisces, and a cardinal sign that opens summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only sign ruled by the Moon, written โฝ or โพ; the moon symbol page has more lunar glyphs.
Zodiac sign or awareness ribbon?
Many people who search for a "cancer symbol" actually need the awareness ribbon. The zodiac sign โ๏ธ has nothing to do with the disease. For awareness posts, use ๐๏ธ (reminder ribbon), and see the ribbon symbol page for other ribbons.
If you do want the star sign, note that phones often show โ๏ธ as a purple emoji. With Symbol style set to Text, the copy includes an invisible U+FE0E so the sign stays flat; pick Emoji for the purple square.
Cancer bio ideas and typing
Moon and water combos suit Cancer: โ๏ธ โฝ ๐, โพ โ๏ธ โฝ, or ๐ฆ โ๏ธ 07.04 with your birthday. Short lines like these fit Instagram bios, Discord names and game tags.
To type โ๏ธ, search "Cancer" in the emoji panel (Windows key + . on Windows or Control + Command + Space on a Mac), or in Word type 264B and press Alt + X. Find the other eleven signs on the zodiac sign symbols page.