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Compatibility
Cancer Sheep and Virgo Ox

firstwest and secondwest provide this relationship with a naturally pleasurable and dependable influence—an important counterbalance to the arresting but often fiercely combative tension of the firsteast and secondeast combination.

Western Zodiac sign, Cancer
Western Zodiac sign, Virgo

Western Zodiac

Cancer and Virgo

Compatibility overview

This connection offers a haven of sweet, effortless energy. Other combinations may seem to burn more intensely, but firstwest and secondwest can usually be relied on to have each other's backs in hard times, and to share great humor and warmth when the coast is clear. The result is a terrific foundation for all kinds of relationships.

Cancer and Virgo - Relationship Horoscope

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

Read more about the CANCER SHEEP and VIRGO OX combined zodiac signs...

Being two steps apart around the Western zodiac wheel, Cancer and Virgo share a Sextile connection. This energy is well known for its relaxed, peaceful character. From the beginning, the highly sensitive and impressionable Cancer tends to feel instinctually comforted by Virgo's dependable, predictable nature. Cancer's introspective influence, meanwhile, can open up a world of imaginative freedom for the more routine-oriented Virgo.

The elements here are fabulously compatible, with Cancer contributing the emotional depth of Water, and Virgo the patience and determination of Earth. Indeed, one of the Sextile's most important benefits is that these two signs are able to collaborate sensitively and productively, while at the same time maintaining a clear sense of their own independent identity. Shared enterprises are strongly favored by the respective modalities, with the pure, inchoate creativity of Cancer's Cardinal energy naturally complementing the reflective Mutable energy of Virgo, which is more attuned to implications or consequences.

In fact, the principal challenge for many Cancer and Virgo pairings is that relations sometimes proceed too smoothly. The old saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease can have plenty of application to human relationships, and this match has the potential to hum along quite happily in the background, without the signs acknowledging its full potential for nourishment and pleasure.

The flip side of this unassuming energy is that Cancer and Virgo can often drop in and out of the relationship with enviable straightforwardness, replicating their equable give-and-take with a minimum of fuss. It would be shame for these two not to acknowledge the quiet preciousness of their connection, though, at least sometimes, for there are terrific prospects of a dependable and inspiring bond, as and when they both need.

Celebrity Cancer/Virgo Pairings*

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

Tim Burton and Eva Green
Tim Burton and Eva Green (click for attribution/s)

Eva Green (7/6/1980, Cancer Monkey), Tim Burton (8/25/1958, Virgo Dog) : The director and actor have collaborated multiple times, including on the films, Dark Shadows (2012), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), and Dumbo (2019). Green described in 2019: "[Burton] always wants you to feel comfortable and he is very collaborative...He is definitely very warm, very human. Maybe he talks less than other directors, he communicates more with his gestures and you have to understand his body language...It’s a very moving thing and it’s true [that Burton likes to make movies about outcasts and misfits]...I find it quite boring to want to be like everybody else. [Burton] is the one who really knows and understands the misunderstood."

Diana, Princess of Wales (7/1/1961, Cancer Ox), Julia Samuel (9/12/1959, Virgo Pig) : The British royal (first wife of King Charles III) and psychotherapist shared a close friendship, before Diana's tragic death in a car crash in 1997. Samuel subsequently became godmother to Diana's grandson, Prince George (the son of Diana's elder son, Prince William). Samuel described in 2015: "There was something about [Diana] and something about me that just worked. It was a lovely thing...She loved it when she could do the ordinary stuff like washing up or emptying the dishwasher. She was brilliant at moving between these two worlds and whether she was meeting President Reagan or having supper in my kitchen, she was always herself."

Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach
Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach (click for attribution/s)

Ringo Starr (7/7/1940, Cancer Dragon), Barbara Bach (8/27/1947, Virgo Pig) : The musician and model/actress have been married since 1981. Together, they survived a car crash in 1980, entered rehab in 1988, and became vegetarians. Asked about the secret of their relationship in a joint interview, Bach said, "I love the man, and that's it." Starr added, "There's no escape … I think I love Barbara as much [today] as I did [when we met] — and I'm beyond blessed that she loves me and we're still together."

Bryan Brown (6/23/1947, Cancer Pig), Rachel Ward (9/12/1957, Virgo Rooster) : The two actors married in 1983 and have three children. They met on the set of the mini-series, The Thorn Birds (1983), and have collaborated on multiple further projects, including the films, The Umbrella Woman (1987), On the Beach (2000), and Peter Rabbit (2018). Ward described in 2009, "It felt very instant. I remember meeting him, shaking his hand and feeling this extraordinary sense of relief. I just remember having that incredible feeling of phew, phew. There was a connection very quickly. I felt that he was the masculine to my feminine, the yin to my yang. I sensed that he was strong. He knew his mind. He had the right priorities and values that I respected."

Pink and Carey Hart
Pink and Carey Hart (click for attribution/s)

Carey Hart (7/17/1975, Cancer Rabbit), Pink (9/8/1979, Virgo Sheep) : The musician and motorcross racer married in 2006 and have two children together. Pink described in 2021: "For us, the answer is there's no quit button. Unless we find one. Right now, we don't have one [laughing]. But it's also couples' counseling. Learning how to speak the same language, 'cause we don't speak the same language...A lot of people get Carey wrong when they think, 'Oh [he is] this moto-dude, hypermasculine and tattoos.' He's just the most sensitive, supportive guy in the world. He never says no. Any dream I've ever had, 'Yes, I'm with you. Whatever you want to do.' It takes swallowing egos sometimes. It's beautiful because it allows us to have this crazy, magical adventure and the kids."

Mike Tyson (6/30/1966, Cancer Horse), Lennox Lewis (9/2/1965, Virgo Snake) : The two boxing world champions are good friends, who fought for the heavyweight world championship in 2002 (Lewis winning by knockout in the eighth round). Lewis described in 2020: "[When we met and trained together in 1983,] [t]hat was eye opening, it was a great experience for me. He taught me about boxers I’ve never seen before. He took me up to his room and pulled this white sheet down and we watched these old tapes of fighters. He was very educated in the history of boxing, better than I was at that time...We’ve had a long history together. Even when he was saying he wanted to eat my children, I thought he was a vegetarian. That was weird, but we fought and got that out of the way. Mike Tyson has always shown a lot of respect in the world of boxing, especially to me. I love him for that. He speaks it the way it is. He’s the most real fighter out there, he doesn’t hold anything back. We’re on a different level when it comes to friendship because we have such a history together."

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker
Vin Diesel and Paul Walker (click for attribution/s)

Vin Diesel (7/18/1967, Cancer Sheep), Paul Walker (9/12/1973, Virgo Ox) : The two actors formed a close friendship and displayed memorable on-screen chemistry in the Fast and the Furious film franchise, before Walker died tragically in a car accident in 2013. Diesel is godfather to Walker's daughter, and walked her down the aisle at her wedding in 2021. Diesel has described his relationship with Paul Walker as akin to a brotherhood, saying in 2016: "The last three years have been some of the hardest of my life because of losing my brother like that. I’d been to Brazil two times before. Both times that I’ve been here, I’ve always been with my brother, Pablo. It was a lot of tissues. It was a hard morning for me yesterday because I was here."

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Chinese Zodiac sign, the Sheep
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Ox

Chinese Zodiac

Sheep and Ox

Compatibility overview

Forewarned is forearmed—there is no sugar-coating in Chinese astrology when it comes to reputedly difficult matches. The combination of firsteast and secondeast is notorious for personality clashes or intense rivalries, because the instincts and personalities of these signs tend to be diametrically opposed. That said, the prospects here are by no means all negative, and there can be significant, even extraordinary, upsides to this relationship.

Sheep and Ox - Relationship Horoscope

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

Read more about the CANCER SHEEP and VIRGO OX combined zodiac signs...

Around the Chinese zodiac wheel are six infamously Opposite matches, including that between the Ox and Sheep. The characters of these two signs could hardly be more different. Where the Ox's natural disposition is resolute, determined, and opinionated, the peaceful Sheep inclines towards fluidity and abstraction. Hence interactions between these two often amplify a sense of polarization and tension.

The Ox, who prizes solidity in their professional and private lives, may find that the changeability of the Sheep makes them feel as if they are always in the midst of shifting sands. The Sheep, on the other hand, can be profoundly destabilized by the Ox's unwavering world-view, which for the Sheep stymies the aesthetic ideals of freedom and beauty that give their life meaning. The result can be a vicious circle, where both signs become ever more uncomfortable and entrenched in their positions. The wilful Ox, trying to force stability onto the relationship, may seem increasingly rigid and domineering. The Sheep, desperate to avoid criticism and feeling closed in, could find themselves running around in frantic circles, constantly changing their mind.

Like all Opposite relationships, however, the discord between these two can, in fact, yield truly astounding results. Like the symbols of Yin and Yang, each of these opposite signs supplies bountiful energy in an area where the other is most deficient. If their respective forces can be joined into a common cause, these two can therefore wield an extraordinary collective force. Collaborations or competitions—even conflicts—between these two have the potential to be amazingly successful, captivating the attention of audiences with what is in effect a full spectrum of energy.

It may still be a challenge for the Sheep and Ox to share in each other's successes, such is the incompatibility between them. However, counterbalancing Western energy, or a combination of self-acceptance and generosity, may enable them to reap together an embarrassment of riches.

Celebrity Sheep/Ox Pairings*

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

Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn
Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn (click for attribution/s)

Jane Fonda (12/21/1937, Sagittarius Ox), Katharine Hepburn (5/12/1907, Taurus Sheep) : The two actors co-starred memorably in the film, On Golden Pond (1981), for which Hepburn won an Oscar for Best Actress. Fonda described in 2021: "What an interesting woman. I mean, we were not friends. [Hepburn] was really competitive. She really thought that I was out to win more Academy Awards than she was, and when she won for On Golden Pond I called to congratulate her, and she said, 'You'll never catch me now.'...She did not like me. She once [said] that I didn't have a soul...She took that very seriously about teaching to younger people. She took me—I can't say under her wing, she didn't like me very much...What I loved about her was that she took the job of being an elder very seriously. She was intentional about teaching me and talking to me, including giving me line readings, and I found that just wonderful."

Keira Knightley (3/26/1985, Aries Ox), David Cronenberg (3/15/1943, Pisces Sheep) : The actor and director worked together on the biopic, A Dangerous Method. Talking about the sadomasochistic scenes in the film, Cronenberg has said, "I had a lot of fun. I’m not so sure about Keira...We had a very frank discussion about what would disturb her, what she was comfortable with, and so on. She was never comfortable with it, but comfort was not my main thing."

Frank Vincent and Joe Pesci
Frank Vincent and Joe Pesci (click for attribution/s)

Frank Vincent (4/15/1937, Aries Ox), Joe Pesci (2/9/1943, Aquarius Sheep) : The two actors were longtime friends and collaborators as bandmates and a comedy duo before becoming famous for their roles as gangsters in Scorcese blockbusters including Goodfellas. Speaking of his highly combustible, love-hate relationship with Pesci, Vincent commented, "We were like a husband and wife and broke up many times...Every night we'd argue over every word...We would never say who's the boss but we were two very creative people."

Rian Johnson (12/17/1973, Sagittarius Ox), Natasha Lyonne (4/4/1979, Aries Sheep) : The actor and filmmaker collaborated on the TV show Poker Face, an innovative throwback to serialized shows from the 1970s. Johnson described: "The whole thing is a bespoke suit, cut entirely to [Lyonne]...[W]hen I first came to her, all I came to her with was the notion of a procedural show, case-of-the-week thing, you at the center of it. That’s all I had. And then we started up conversations and went back and forth and really started true collaboration...Everything about it was trying to harness and even amplify everything that I love about watching Natasha on screen. The whole thing is completely cut to measure for her."

Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner
Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner (click for attribution/s)

Caitlyn Jenner (10/28/1949, Scorpio Ox), Kris Jenner (11/5/1955, Scorpio Sheep) : The two media personalities were married for 22 years. They had two children together and raised a blended family including children from their previous marriages. Shortly after finalizing their divorce in 2014, Caitlyn (previously Bruce) Jenner came out as transgender in 2015. Kris Jenner has said publicly that the publication of Caitlyn's memoir, The Secrets of My Life, resulted in a period of estrangement, but that relations have since improved: "We're fine. Yeah, we're friends. And I see her when she's at a family thing so it's, you know, settled down a lot. I think [Caitlyn's transition] was a big shock. It's a scary thing to go through because you know nothing about it. It's a subject I never thought that I would ever have to directly deal with [or] confront [or] be understanding about. Something that I didn't, you know, understand."

Meryl Streep (6/22/1949, Cancer Ox), Robert De Niro (8/17/1943, Leo Sheep) : These two famous actors worked together on the sets of Falling in Love (1984) and The Deer Hunter (1978). When presenting an award to Streep, De Niro stated, "Meryl is the most generous and giving actor...She not only inhabits her own character, she helps bring out the character of everyone else on the screen...Meryl doesn't seem to have any imperfections. And I say that with the most love for you, Meryl."

Rakim and Nas
Rakim and Nas (click for attribution/s)

Nas (9/14/1973, Virgo Ox), Rakim (1/28/1968, Aquarius Sheep) : The two rappers have collaborated together and share a close bond as part of the hip hop community. Seeking to dispel rumours about a breakdown in their relationship, Rakim acknowledged that he felt there was a breach of privacy in Nas's tribute track, "The Unauthorized Biography of Rakim", which references Rakim’s professional and private history. Rakim explained, "I pulled him [Nas] to the side and let him know I still got love for him. At the same time it’s principles. I’ve always been a reserved person. There’s certain things I speak about and certain things I don’t speak about. I just felt violated almost that he touched on certain things I haven’t even touched on."


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

The energy between firstwest and secondwest reflects their Sextile aspect—in almost any context, they are likely to be trusted allies, sharing easygoing humor and having each other’s backs through thick and thin. Here, though, the influence on the Chinese zodiac side tells a very different story, for the firsteast and the secondeast are true Opposites, often locked in an explosive cycle of difference and conflict. There is real potential here—the firsteast and secondeast can be wildly successful if they manage to unite in common enterprise—but it may be essential to focus on the peaceable effects of the firstwest/secondwest match to achieve stability.

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