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Compatibility
Aries Sheep and Cancer Dog

The energy between firstwest and secondwest is famously challenging, yet equally capable of yielding lifelong benefits, especially when complemented by the calm and nurturing connection between the firsteast and secondeast.

Western Zodiac sign, Aries
Western Zodiac sign, Cancer

Western Zodiac

Aries and Cancer

Compatibility overview

The pairing between firstwest and secondwest brings powerful, swirling energy. This is not a match for the faint of heart! The Square aspect—where signs are three steps, or 90 degrees, apart—is associated with combativeness and tension, but also potency and progress. This powder-keg, contentious yet productive potential of Square relationships is never more apparent than when these two signs encounter one another!

Aries and Cancer - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the ARIES and CANCER zodiac signs...

Read more about the ARIES SHEEP and CANCER DOG combined zodiac signs...

Chances are, the intense energy between Aries and Cancer will reveal itself immediately. For better or worse, these two find each other hard to ignore!

In the beginning, at least, mutual admiration or sexual chemistry is strongly indicated for these two signs. However, a rush of disputes, provocations, or clashes of wills is equally likely. Aries' element, Fire, is often said to be least compatible with Water signs like Cancer. Ambitious Fire souls can find themselves fizzling in disappointment, while normally more placid Water types may feel powerless to avoid boiling over. Aries and Cancer both represent the pure, initiating Cardinal modality of their respective elements, so there is none of the softening influence that complementary modalities can bring.

Surprising as it may seem at times, though, this relationship has real prospects for various successes. In a word, the secret for this highly-charged Square relationship is growth. The conflicting natures of Aries and Cancer can drive each party to assert themselves in ways that independently may well be impossible. Hence this is a fertile match for all manner of power couples, whether creative, professional, sporting, or romantic. Even feuds can yield invaluable life lessons. It may be trite to say, but whatever doesn't kill these two will almost certainly make them stronger.

Celebrity Aries/Cancer Pairings*

*Click on the names to see both Western and Chinese zodiac matches for that pairing.

Gerald Ford and Betty Ford
Gerald Ford and Betty Ford (click for attribution/s)

Betty Ford (4/8/1918, Aries Horse), Gerald Ford (7/14/1913, Cancer Ox) : The 38th US President and First Lady were married from 1948 until Gerald Ford's death in 2006. They had four children. Betty Ford had been married previously, and Gerald postponed their wedding because he was unsure whether voters would accept him marrying a "divorced exdancer". They had a famously charged relationship, with Gerald a conservative Republican (at one time Richard Nixon's vice president) and Betty expressing liberal views about equal rights, abortion, gun control, marijuana, and premarital sex. After Betty gave an interview in which she described Roe v Wade (the now-overruled US Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion) as a "great, great decision", Gerald Ford wryly commented that she had probably cost him 20 million votes. Betty was also known for saying about them sleeping together in the White House, "I guess if you’re president, you’re supposed to become a eunuch." Later, Gerald led a family intervention about Betty's alcohol and drug dependence, which led to the Betty Ford Center for rehabilitation. At Ford's inauguration in 1974, he said: "I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman—my dear wife—as I begin this very difficult job."

Pharrell Williams (4/5/1973, Aries Ox), Helen Lasichanh (7/22/1980, Cancer Monkey) : The musician and fashion designer/model have been longtime partners and married in 2013. They have four children together, including triplets born in 2017. While the family has maintained their privacy, Williams said in 2018: "I’m in awe of women and my wife. To carry another heartbeat inside your body for nine months — in my wife’s case she had four heartbeats — is beyond anything a man can give back to the universe."

Emma Watson and Malala Yousafzai
Emma Watson and Malala Yousafzai (click for attribution/s)

Emma Watson (4/15/1990, Aries Horse), Malala Yousafzai (7/12/1997, Cancer Ox) : The actor/activist and education activist share a mutually admiring relationship. In a a high-profile interview with each other, organized to open the Into Film Festival in 2015, Yousafzai described how she had been influenced by Watson's 2014 speech to the UN launching the "He for She" campaign: "[T]his word feminism, it has been a very tricky word. And I had, when I heard it the first time I...heard some negative responses and some positive ones, and I hesitated in saying, am I a feminist or not? And then after hearing your speech when you said, if not now, when, if not me, who, I decided that there’s no way, and there’s nothing wrong by calling yourself a feminist. So, I am a feminist and you all should be feminist because feminism is another word for equality."

Jackie Chan (4/7/1954, Aries Horse), Joan Lin (6/30/1953, Cancer Snake) : The two actors have been married since 1982 and have one child together. Although their relationship has faced challenges, including Chan fathering a child with another woman in 1999, they have remained together. Chan wrote in his 2018 memoir, Never Grow Up, "When I started to empathize with [Joan Lin], I came to respect her more and more. She is a strong woman, stronger than I am in so many ways."

Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma
Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma (click for attribution/s)

Jacob Zuma (4/12/1942, Aries Horse), Nelson Mandela (7/18/1918, Cancer Horse) : The first and fourth Presidents of South Africa shared a close connection as anti-apartheid activists and one-time fellow political prisoners at the Robben Island prison. In 2012, it emerged that Mandela had paid debts accrued by Zuma, apparently as a way of improving Zuma's political prospects. The author William Gumede, who wrote Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC (2007), described: "Nelson Mandela gave [Zuma] the money to pay off all his debts as a personal favour. It was in the hope that he would walk away from all those dubious benefactors. The idea was to say: 'You know what, I'm seeing and hearing all this stuff and it doesn't look good. There are no strings attached but I want you to clean up your act.'"

Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman
Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman (click for attribution/s)

Akira Kurosawa (3/23/1910, Aries Dog), Ingmar Bergman (7/14/1918, Cancer Horse) : These two legendary filmmakers shared a profound mutual admiration. In a letter celebrating Bergman's 70th birthday, Kurosawa wrote: "Your work deeply touches my heart every time I see it and I have learned a lot from your works and have been encouraged by them. I would like you to stay in good health to create more wonderful movies for us."

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Chinese Zodiac sign, the Sheep
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Dog

Chinese Zodiac

Sheep and Dog

Compatibility overview

The combination of firsteast and secondeast may not have the highest profile in Eastern astrology, but for many pairings it can prove to be a marvellous match. The underlying energy is fortunate indeed. With many natural affinities between these two personalities, there are excellent prospects for a close and rewarding connection.

Sheep and Dog - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the SHEEP and DOG zodiac signs...

Read more about the ARIES SHEEP and CANCER DOG combined zodiac signs...

Just like the elements in Western astrology, the four Trine Families of the Eastern zodiac are often grouped into two compatible pairs. The families of the Dog (with the Horse and Tiger) and Sheep (with the Pig and Rabbit) make up one of these naturally harmonious pairs. Thus, while the specific match of Dog and Sheep may not be singled out as often as it might be, the underlying energy is deeply supportive.

Early in the relationship, these two can expect to find much they agree about. The Dog, always a tireless champion of causes they believe in, admires the Sheep's creative idealism. The Sheep's love of beauty and aspirational outlook mean they appreciate the Dog's worthy devotion and commitment to hard work. As the relationship develops, there is scope for great emotional depth to develop between these two. Both of these signs are prone to considerable agitation, and for many Dog/Sheep matches, their respective anxieties mean that each can provide the other with invaluable warmth and reassurance.

Sometimes, of course, the sensitivities of these signs may cause trouble. The Dog is known for being blunt on occasion, which can be destabilising for the often thin-skinned Sheep. The Sheep tends to be quite unfiltered in expressing their stresses and need for calm, whereas the Dog prides themselves on appearing resilient. Hence the Dog may sometimes feel embarrassed or exposed by the Sheep's flighty displays. These challenges are often better worked around than dwelled on, and successful pairings between these signs are likely to have a strongly productive and collaborative focus. Make no mistake, however, the scope for mutual admiration and emotional connection between these two is profound indeed. The result can be a powerful bond for life.

Celebrity Sheep/Dog Pairings*

*Click on the names to see both Western and Chinese zodiac matches for that pairing.

Joni Mitchell and Charles Mingus
Joni Mitchell and Charles Mingus (click for attribution/s)

Joni Mitchell (11/7/1943, Scorpio Sheep), Charles Mingus (4/22/1922, Taurus Dog) : Singer/songwriter Mitchell and bassist/composer Mingus created a daring and unexpected collaboration with Mitchell's album, Mingus (1979), which was recorded during Mingus' final months before he died early in 1979. Mitchell wrote in the liner notes, "The first time I saw [Mingus'] face it shone up at me with a joyous mischief. I liked him immediately. I had come to New York to hear six new songs he had written for me. I was honored! I was curious! It was as if I had been standing by a river – one toe in the water – feeling it out – and Charlie came by and pushed me in – 'sink or Swim' – him laughing at me dog paddling around in the currents of black classical music. Time never ticked so loudly for me as it did this last year. I wanted Charlie to witness the project's completion. He heard every song but one...This was a difficult but challenging project. I was trying to please Charlie and still be true to myself. I cut each song three or four times. I was after something personal – something mutual – something indescribable."

Angus Young (3/31/1955, Aries Sheep), Bon Scott (7/9/1946, Cancer Dog) : Guitarist Young and singer Scott were the two most prominent members of the rock band, AC/DC, before Scott's tragic death in 1980. Young described in 2011: "[Scott was] [p]robably too friendly to a lot of people. He had no airs and graces about him, probably because he was a drummer at heart. When he got into music, that's what he wanted to do. In fact, when he joined the band, he said, 'I want to play drums.' ...[H]e was a good drummer. It showed in his character, because he saw himself as just another member of the band. He didn't have this lead singer attitude of, 'I have to be at the front, all the time. I'm the singer. I'm the star. I get the chicks.'...Sure[, we fed off each other's energy]. He could get you sometimes. Some of the things he did, I would simply say, 'Hey now, there's no way I'm doing that.' He was very gymnastic for some reason, perhaps because of the way he was built, and he could easily climb up a P.A. tower and jump off it -- and he’d usually try and drag me with him! He’d be going, 'Jump! Now!' My knees would be shaking and I’d say, 'You’ve got to give me a few seconds to get my nerve up, man.'"

Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman (click for attribution/s)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (7/23/1967, Leo Sheep), Paul Thomas Anderson (6/26/1970, Cancer Dog) : The actor and director collaborated on multiple occasions. Although Anderson has said he "knew what love at first sight was" after seeing Hoffman on screen in Scent of a Woman (1992), for many years he cast Hoffman in minor character roles—in Hard Eight (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), and Punch-Drunk Love (2002)—before Hoffman's Oscar-nominated supporting performance in The Master (2012). Anderson has described: "Believe me, when I was a kid, you sort of draw out movie cameras and sets, at like 8 or 9 years old, and nowhere in it did I draw anything that looked like [Hoffman], you know. [Laughs] I thought like Cary Grant would be in my movie or Harrison Ford, but something happened when I saw him."

Blue Hamilton (11/27/1979, Sagittarius Sheep), Matt Dallas (10/21/1982, Libra Dog) : The actor and record producer have been married since 2015 and share two children together. They have become prominent advocates for the foster to adopt program in the US. Dallas has explained: "Early on in our relationship, we both were so career focused living here in Los Angeles. When we moved to Phoenix full time, we both realized we were missing a child in our family...[O]nce we learned that there is about 20,000 kids in Arizona’s foster system... once we started reading the stories of all these kids… learning how so many of them age out of the foster system, and so many of them go on to not even have families; it is really heart-breaking. We just knew that we were going to foster and adopt."

Iman and David Bowie
Iman and David Bowie (click for attribution/s)

Iman (7/25/1955, Leo Sheep), David Bowie (1/8/1947, Capricorn Dog) : The model and legendary musician were married from 1992 until his death in 2016 and shared a daughter together. Speaking in 2021, Iman described: "I still feel married. Someone a few years ago referred to David as my late husband and I said 'No, he's not my late husband. He's my husband.' Through my memory, my love lives."

Rose Byrne (7/24/1979, Leo Sheep), Seth Rogen (4/15/1982, Aries Dog) : The two actors share a strong friendship, and have worked together multiple times, including the films Neighbors (2014) and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), and the series, Platonic (2023). Describing their collaboration on Platonic, Byrne said: "[The show] lives and dies on the friendship and the chemistry of the two people. And I knew that it had to be Seth [to play her longtime platonic friend in the show]. And it just was a question of whether he would or not, and convince him, but he was immediately on board, so it was wonderful...The dynamic is just intuitive. And we realized that day one, like, ‘Oh, yeah, all right. We can do these things, but we can't do these things.’ It was an opportunity to discover different ways [from the Neighbors films] to find the comedy."

Georg Stanford Brown (6/24/1943, Cancer Sheep), Tyne Daly (2/21/1946, Pisces Dog) : The two actors were married for 24 years, from 1966 to 1990. Asked about their "interracial" marriage in 1985, Daly was quoted as saying, "I gave up categories a long time ago. In fact, when we did [our daughter] Alyxandra's birth certificate, under 'race,' we put 'human'; under 'sex' we put 'yes'; and under ethnic origin we put 'citizen of the world.' I have a good and interesting marriage that has gone on for quite some time and he's an interesting fellow and we have some fascinating young children."


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

As a Square combination, firstwest and secondwest are almost inevitably destined to pivot from disagreement to disagreement. Yet their confrontations have incredible potential to crystallize their respective senses of direction and self-knowledge. In this relationship, the productive potential of the signs’ Square energy is enhanced by the natural affinity between the firsteast and secondeast, which may tend more towards comfortable friendliness than burning passion, but can often be as trustworthy as any match in the Chinese zodiac. There may be disputes aplenty, but these two are more than capable of providing each other with lasting support and pleasure.

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