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Compatibility
Cancer Tiger and Pisces Sheep

The connection between firstwest and secondwest is as prized as any in the Western zodiac for its charmed and stirring character, and here the natural affinity between the firsteast and the secondeast provides delightful, reliable accompaniment.

Western Zodiac sign, Cancer
Western Zodiac sign, Pisces

Western Zodiac

Cancer and Pisces

Compatibility overview

There is a rare and wonderful beauty to the combination of firstwest and secondwest. Trine matches, which occur where signs are four steps apart, are said to be the most harmonious in the Western zodiac. For these two signs, their essential compatibility nurtures qualities of learning, identity formation, and pleasure.

Cancer and Pisces - Relationship Horoscope

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

Read more about the CANCER TIGER and PISCES SHEEP combined zodiac signs...

Bruce Lee famously preached a "Be Water, My Friend" philosophy, saying, "Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup." While this may be an eloquent description of mindfulness, it also captures a lot of the challenges the Water signs Cancer and Pisces may face in life, and why a connection between these signs can be so special.

Sharing the most changeable and fluid element, Water, means these two signs can both be highly impressionable and responsive to the needs of others. They are both strongly empathic by nature—Cancer with an emphasis on identity formation, security, and belonging, and Pisces with their inclination towards universally shared concerns rather than individual priorities. This porous energy can make it difficult for these two signs to really know themselves. Cancer in particular has a reputation for being potentially the most variable of all the signs, they are so susceptible to outside influences. But Pisces too often lacks assertiveness—at least about their true nature—which can lead to them being alternately obliging or withdrawn, rather than accepting themselves with greater confidence.

The beauty of a relationship between Cancer and Pisces arises out of this mutual sensitivity. The pure, Cardinal modality of Cancer matches perfectly with Pisces' more transitory Mutable nature, meaning the supple, changeable potential of their shared Water element is free to flow and transform without restriction. Romance is highly favoured, but any connection between these two is likely to attract a special brand of intimacy. Cancer may be encouraged to develop a model of individual identity and home life that resonates with a growing sense of their own uniqueness. Pisces may feel less compelled to hide away (whether in plain sight or darkness) and more inclined to share their gentle aestheticism.

In short, this can be be one of the most promising relationships in the Western zodiac, favouring all kinds of exploration of the self and the outside world, and offering a uniquely close and strong bond to both parties.

Celebrity Cancer/Pisces Pairings*

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

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch
Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch (click for attribution/s)

Benedict Cumberbatch (7/19/1976, Cancer Dragon), Sophie Hunter (3/16/1978, Pisces Horse) : The actor and theatre director/playwright married in 2015 and have three children. Though the couple have avoided discussing their relationship publicly, Cumberbatch said in 2016: "Home is always the roots and the safe harbor."

Lionel Messi (6/24/1987, Cancer Rabbit), Antonela Roccuzzo (2/26/1988, Pisces Dragon) : The soccer superstar and model have known each other since their childhood in Rosario, Argentina. Messi confirmed their relationship publicly in 2009, and they have three children together.

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (click for attribution/s)

Selena Gomez (7/22/1992, Cancer Monkey), Justin Bieber (3/1/1994, Pisces Dog) : The musician and musician/actor formed one of the most high-profile couples in the world when they dated on-and-off between 2010 and 2018. At one time, Gomez explained, "I'll forever support [Bieber] and love him in a way….we grew up together," while Bieber said, "I'm never going to stop loving [Gomez]. I'm never going to stop checking in on her." After Gomez released her commercially and critically acclaimed song, "Lose You to Love Me", which she appeared to acknowledge was about her relationship with Bieber, she described: "I'm very proud of it...It's not a hateful song; it's a song that is saying — I had something beautiful and I would never deny that...now here I am stepping into a whole other chapter."

Mel Brooks (6/28/1926, Cancer Tiger), Carl Reiner (3/20/1922, Pisces Dog) : The two actor/comedian/screenwriters were best friends for over 70 years. They famously collaborated on the 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums in the 1950s/1960s. They were known for spending their evenings together in their 90s, watching Jeopardy and eating together at Reiner's house. In 2021, Brooks recalled: "Any time I could surprise [Reiner] and really break him up, I knew it was funny. He was the greatest audience. Ahhh, I miss him so much...He would call me in the evenings and say, ‘Come over, come over! I got a big stuffed cabbage for us!’ Even at the end he was always Carl: funny, sweet-natured, warm and just the most wonderful friend a person could ever have. People know how good he was, but not how great."

Miriam Makeba and Angélique Kidjo
Miriam Makeba and Angélique Kidjo (click for attribution/s)

Angélique Kidjo (7/14/1960, Cancer Rat), Miriam Makeba (3/4/1932, Pisces Monkey) : The two singer/songwriters shared a close mentoring friendship. Kidjo described in 2022: "In 1989, I was asked to be [Makeba's] opening act in Paris. During my soundcheck, she walked onstage, and I was frozen. I was shaking from emotion. She said, 'Hello, little girl! You have a nice voice!' After that, every time she would see me, she’d say, 'You’re doing good!' It was a friendship between a daughter and a musical mother. She said, 'Never accept anyone to put you in the category of "world music." All music is in the world. Everything people listen to comes from Africa. Why are we put in the ghetto of "world music?"' She gave me a lot of advice...I want my music to carry her legacy and to sing to her every time I’m onstage."

Carly Simon (6/25/1945, Cancer Rooster), James Taylor (3/12/1948, Pisces Rat) : The two singer/songwriters were married from 1972 to 1983, and had two children. In her memoir, Boys in the Trees (2015), Simon wrote about their early intimacy: "It was the nicest contact I could ever know, could ever have asked for, or ever remember…James was my muse, my Orpheus, my ‘good night, sweet prince,’ my something-in-the-way-he-moves."

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Chinese Zodiac sign, the Tiger
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Sheep

Chinese Zodiac

Tiger and Sheep

Compatibility overview

It is perhaps not as headline-grabbing as other combinations in the Chinese zodiac, but this respectful and nurturing connection has superb potential. The firsteast and secondeast tend to appreciate deeply each other's talents and attitudes, and together they attract considerable good fortune. Given favorable circumstances, this can be an auspicious pairing in any context.

Tiger and Sheep - Relationship Horoscope

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

Read more about the CANCER TIGER and PISCES SHEEP combined zodiac signs...

Like the elements in Western astrology, the four Trine Families that underpin the Chinese zodiac divide naturally into compatible pairs. One such pair comprises the family of the Sheep (with the Pig and Rabbit) and the family of the Tiger (with the Dog and Horse). The Sheep and Tiger thus attract some delightfully harmonious surrounding energy.

The Sheep is a profoundly sensitive soul, as deeply caring and creative as they are easily disturbed, so they are often impressed from the outset by the boldness and self-belief of the Tiger. On the other hand, the Tiger's independence and recklessness often make them feel distant from those around them, so they tend to be drawn immediately to the Sheep's warmth and keen intuition. The more these two get to know one another, the more likely it is that common interests and values will emerge.

These signs share a strong commitment to serving others, the Sheep through their instinctive generosity and love of peace, the Tiger through nobility and sacrifice. And both are motivated by identity-defining idealism. The Sheep usually loves nothing more than to share their gift for exploring and expanding the conceptual horizons of their community, while the Tiger is capable of unbridled commitment to honorable innovation and transformation. These big picture affinities can open a door to abundant pleasure, humor, admiration, and attraction. Indeed, few pairings can match the pure enjoyment these two experience when their shared energy is firing on all cylinders.

The Sheep and Tiger do usually tend to maintain a clear sense of their individual identities, so the potential for closeness may be limited in certain ways. Collaborations often involve separate roles rather than working hand-in-glove. The Tiger's attitudes may sometimes seem dangerous or unrelenting to the more careful Sheep, while the Sheep could at times seem fragile, moody, or inconsistent to the Tiger, whose instincts are usually more direct. Thankfully, this flexible match can usually adapt to whatever form is most conducive to the happiness of both signs.

Irrespective of the context or degree of commitment, this frequently enchanting energy has the potential to provide lasting dependability and fulfillment.

Celebrity Tiger/Sheep Pairings*

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

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (click for attribution/s)

Steve Wozniak (8/11/1950, Leo Tiger), Steve Jobs (2/24/1955, Pisces Sheep) : The entrepreneur and engineer co-founded Apple Computer, Inc. in 1977. Wozniak has described how, in the early days of their relationship, the pair bonded over their love of electronics and hijinks, "[C]hasing concert paraphernalia, driving around playing pranks, doing the blue boxes [a device to make free phone calls]. We had a lot of fun times." Later, according to Wozniak, they grew distant: "[Jobs] didn’t want to talk about jokes, [or] fun kid things, only business suits on the front of magazines, talking business talk and learning how to speak it...That’s when his personality changed, and he got kind of strict."

Jane Galloway (2/27/1950, Pisces Tiger), David Haig (9/20/1955, Virgo Sheep) : The actor and actor/professional cook married in 2010, after being together for 31 years and having five children. Haig described: "Our two sons still maintain this slightly 1960s idea that it is quite cool to have unmarried parents around, but our three daughters are very into the idea [of a wedding] and so are we, frankly."

Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse
Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse (click for attribution/s)

Robert Pattinson (5/13/1986, Taurus Tiger), Suki Waterhouse (1/5/1992, Capricorn Sheep) : The two actors have been together since 2018. In a 2023 interview, Waterhouse described: "I’m shocked that I’m so happy with someone for nearly five years. I’m always incredibly excited when I see his name pop up (on my phone) or even a text, and I think he feels the same about me. We’ve always got so much to say, and I find him hilarious."

Michael Turchin (1/14/1987, Capricorn Tiger), Lance Bass (5/4/1979, Taurus Sheep) : The NSYNC musician and actor/artist have been together since 2011. They married in 2014 and have two children. Interviewed in 2014, Bass described: "Out of all my past relationships, I’ve had no one who could really handle my lifestyle. But Michael understands my crazy life and he fits perfectly into it. He’s the support system that I need." Turchin added: "I started out in my art career a couple of years ago and I think half the success I’ve had is due to the support Lance has given me. He’s just such an incredible person. I couldn’t imagine waking up next to anybody else."

Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster
Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster (click for attribution/s)

Jodie Foster (11/19/1962, Scorpio Tiger), Mel Gibson (1/3/1956, Capricorn Sheep) : The two actors met on the set of the movie Maverick (1994), and have been close friends ever since. Foster cast Gibson in the lead role of her film, The Beaver (2011), despite him having ongoing reputational issues. Foster explained: "[Gibson's] so incredibly loving and sensitive, he really is. He is the most loved actor I have ever worked with on a movie. And he's not saintly, and he's got a big mouth, and he'll do gross things your nephew would do. But I knew the minute I met him that I would love him the rest of my life. I know him in a very complex way. He's a real person; he's not a cardboard cutout. I know that he has troubles, and when you love somebody you don't just walk away from them when they are struggling."

Demi Moore (11/11/1962, Scorpio Tiger), Bruce Willis (3/19/1955, Pisces Sheep) : The two actors were married from 1987 until 2000 and had three children together. They have maintained a close friendship since their separation, and their respective families reportedly quarantined together in 2020. During Moore's marriage to Ashton Kutcher (2005-2013), Willis described: "It's generated a lot of interest because everyone can understand resentment and envy in the breakup of a marriage, but they don't understand how I can get along with my ex like that. Demi and I made a choice to put the kids first, and we're really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together."

Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft (click for attribution/s)

Mel Brooks (6/28/1926, Cancer Tiger), Anne Bancroft (9/17/1931, Virgo Sheep) : The two actors were married from 1964 until Bancroft's death in 2005, and had one child. Asked in 2021—at the age of 95—about whether they were truly the opposites they appeared to be, given Bancroft was a serious actor and Brooks a comedian, Brooks described: "There was that whole other side of me that was maybe slightly, you know, well-read, intellectual, emotional and wasn't funny and was serious about life. And there was that whole other side of her, where she - I said, you're like a shortstop in the Yankees. You catch every ball. And you got pepper. You've got such pepper in the infield. And you're so - you're like a Jew mountain comic. And nobody knows that, you know? And they never knew the other side of her. They only - but there was that one side of her that was heavenly. It was sweet. And it was comforting. And it was supportive. And it was, I guess, so lovely, it's indescribable. And I was very, very lucky. And I - if I believed in God, I would thank God every night for giving me Anne Bancroft."

Ben Wallace (9/10/1974, Virgo Tiger), Metta Sandiford-Artest (11/13/1979, Scorpio Sheep) : The two professional basketball players achieved notoriety in 2004, after a confrontation between them expanded into a brawl involving the crowd known as the "Malice at the Palace". However, the two are now on good terms. In 2021, Sandiford-Artest posted a photo of Wallace and him smiling together with the caption: "This duo would beat any duo. Ruled the 2000’s on defense. It’s not debatable." Wallace has described: "I always admired the way Ron Artest played the game and the energy he played with on the defensive end. There was no real beef between us, it was just something that happened."


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

The Trine combination of firstwest and secondwest is among the most celebrated in all Western astrology. One of the few matches in the world where the respective elements and modalities are in perfect harmony, these two have the potential to provide each other with limitless inspiration, excitement, and commitment. The fire may burn a little less intensely on the Chinese zodiac side, but the pairing of the firsteast and secondeast nevertheless shares plenty of good fortune and a natural camaraderie that can be highly conducive to success. Overall, this is a special match for closeness and achievement, whatever the context.

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