---
title: "Karka (Cancer) Moon Sign: Traits, Ruling Planet & Nakshatras"
url: https://adityaarsharma.com/cancer-moon-sign/
date: 2026-08-01
modified: 2026-08-03
author: ""
description: "Jyotiṣa · Rāśi Karka (Cancer), ruled by Moon, a Water sign of Chara temperament. Here is its classical nature, body-part rulership, and where it sits on the zodiac wheel. Karma..."
categories:
  - "Jyotisha"
word_count: 324
---

# Karka (Cancer) Moon Sign: Traits, Ruling Planet & Nakshatras

Jyotiṣa · Rāśi

Karka (Cancer), ruled by Moon, a Water sign of Chara temperament. Here is its classical nature, body-part rulership, and where it sits on the zodiac wheel.

Karma JyotiṣaClassical profile≈ 4 min

Karka · at a glance

Ruling planet
Moon

Element
Water

Mode
Chara (movable)

Symbol
Crab

Body part
Heart & chest

Direction
North

Exalted planet
Jupiter

Debilitated planet
Mars

Protective, moody, deeply attached to home and memory. Karka moves sideways like its symbol — cautious, indirect, and fiercely loyal once it lets someone in.

## 01What Karka shapes

A rāśi is not a personality type on its own. It is the sign your **Moon** (mind) or **Ascendant** (body/approach to life) occupied at birth. Under Moon’s rulership and the Water element, Karka leans toward the qualities above, strongest when the ruling planet is well-placed and strained when it is afflicted.

A rāśi shapes a leaning, not a fixed nature. Treat it as classical tendency, weighed against the whole chart, not a standalone judgment.

## 02Nakṣatras inside Karka

Each rāśi spans 30° and contains parts of three nakṣatras (each 13°20′ wide). Your exact Moon nakṣatra, which sets your Vimśottarī daśā, depends on precisely where within Karka the Moon fell.

Nakṣatras spanning Karka

Punarvasu
[pada 4](https://karmajyotisha.adityaarsharma.com/blog/punarvasu-nakshatra/)

Pushya
[all](https://karmajyotisha.adityaarsharma.com/blog/pushya-nakshatra/)

Ashlesha
[all](https://karmajyotisha.adityaarsharma.com/blog/ashlesha-nakshatra/)

Find your exact rāśi and nakṣatra

Give your birth date, time and place, and Karma Jyotiṣa computes your precise Moon sign, nakṣatra, pada and daśā, completely free.

[Get my free reading →](https://adityaarsharma.com/astrology)

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## 03Common questions

Which planet rules Karka?
Karka (Cancer) is ruled by **Moon**. It is a water sign of chara (movable) nature.

What is exalted or debilitated in Karka?
**Jupiter** is exalted in Karka. **Mars** is debilitated in Karka.

What body part does Karka rule?
In Kalapurusha (the zodiac-as-body doctrine), Karka governs the **heart & chest**.

How do I find my rāśi?
Your birth Moon’s exact longitude sets your rāśi (Moon sign). Karma Jyotiṣa computes it free from your birth date, time and place.