The sentimental ones with big feelings and a peculiar touch-me-not sensitivity. Yes, we’re talking about the three water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
They may not always burst out crying or throw dramatic tantrums, but they often quietly carry deep emotional baggage.
Whether it’s a secret crush they’ll never admit, picking up the pieces after heartbreak, or clocking the liars with their sixth sense, water signs aren’t casual when it comes to emotions.
In this piece, we’re diving into ten real-life confessions from Cancers, Scorpios, and Pisces to uncover their emotional highs and lows.
The Caretaker Instinct
As the first water sign in the zodiac, Cancer is the ultimate nurturer, full of empathy, protective instincts, and endless emotional generosity. They thrive on seeing their loved ones flourish and will do whatever it takes to shield them from harm.
“I think Cancer suns are seriously at a disadvantage if they don’t have other placements that value them being prioritized right back, and I can see how that would manifest as victim complex mentality,” shared a Scorpio girlfriend who, while appreciating her boyfriend’s sentimental side, also acknowledged a potential downside.
A California-based astrologer, Natalia Benson, explained that “Cancers can be givers and sometimes overgivers. They have to be mindful not to be in intimate dynamics with people … [who don’t] have that appreciation for all of the love and the safety that the Cancer personality wants to provide for them” (per People).
Like devoted moms who give their all and often forget themselves in the process, Cancers can struggle under the weight of their caregiving tendencies. Ironically, it’s often their partners who call out this emotional overload.
One Gemini wife admitted that while her Cancer partner helped her grow immensely, his inclination to stay in toxic dynamics made it tough for him to cut ties. Turns out, too much nurturing can sometimes be a problem.
“I just always want to make it up to him, but never know how,” said a Redditor about her endlessly giving Cancer-moon boyfriend. If there were trophies for self-neglect, Cancers would be racking them up.
The first water sign in the zodiac, Cancers are born nurturers, with hearts full of empathy and an infinite expanse of love to give. They are happiest when they see their loved ones thrive and won’t hesitate to shield them from harm instinctively.
“I think Cancer suns are seriously at a disadvantage if they don’t have other placements that value them being prioritized right back, and I can see how that would manifest as victim complex mentality,” confessed one Scorpio girlfriend who, despite gushing about her boyfriend’s caring nature and sentimental qualities, foresaw a potential pitfall.
The Push-Pull Crush
Cancer signs might be total lovebugs, but that doesn’t mean their hearts are easy to win. You must earn their trust first, which takes time, patience, and a little finesse.
Once they finally break through their shell, though, the reward is worth it.
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“They pull back and forth till they are comfortable with you. Once you’re officially dating, they do a full 360 and become very loving and clingy. They have the hardest walls to break but the most loving hearts,” explained an Aquarius male who claims to have “a lot” of cancer experience.
He’s not the only one. Another Cancer-dating Redditor advised, “Trust the process. When they pull back, just play it cool. Be sweet, but not clingy, and they’ll open up.”
Cancerian Reddit users confirmed how relatable this is. One commented, “I’m a Cancer woman and I definitely do this! It’s a defense mechanism. We might actually like you, but we don’t wanna like you too much too quick, so we pull back. Be charming and just be yourself, that’s definitely what we like!”
Astrologer Natalia Benson added, “they have to really suss out and make sure that someone is a safe emotional match for them.”
The Betrayal Wound
When a Cancer falls, they fall hard like full-on Mark Darcy of devotion. But if you betray them, prepare for icy walls and an emotional freeze-out straight out of a Frozen sequel.
Cancers feel betrayed on a soul-deep level. “If you tell me to trust you and then go back on your word, that hurts the very most. I love with all my heart. It doesn’t matter the nature of the relationship, I’m giving you my all,” shared one Reddit user.
“Don’t tell me I can trust you if you’re just gonna betray me… there’s a reason so many of us are guarded.”
Zodiac commentator Danny Larkin spotlighted Princess Diana as the quintessential Cancer. Discussing how she responded to King Charles’s infidelity, he noted, “Because Diana was a Cancer, she couldn’t get over the cheating, and she took vengeance on Charles and the royal family, secretly telling reporters about how horribly the Royal Family had treated her.”
Larkin added that Diana entered what he called “Cancer overdrive,” channeling her pain into powerful acts of compassion: “She took her kids out of the palace into soup kitchens, met with AIDS patients when stigma against the disease was at its height, and campaigned against landmines” (per VICE).
The Slow-Cook Revenge Plot
“Scorpios will slow cook their revenge for months, years, possibly decades. But once that revenge plot unfolds and Scorpios enjoy the sweet taste of victory, Scorpios get back to life as they knew it. Revenge has been served.”
Basically, they’re the Cersei Lannisters of the zodiac.
Image credits: HBO Entertainment
Like their scorpion symbol, these Fixed signs thrive on emotional intensity and exact timing. They’ll wait as long as needed to deliver their sting and enjoy every second of the aftermath.
A Redditor spelled it out in darkly comic detail: “Steal a Scorpio’s lunch at work, and once they find out who it is, they will undertake a nefarious revenge plot. They’ll take your license plate off your car in the parking lot and find a way to slip your driver’s license from your wallet through the company shredder.”
Somewhere, Ross Geller is nodding in agreement.
Tarot expert Kerry Ward explained it best in Cosmopolitan: “They never forget or forgive, they just DON’T, they’re ice cold that way. And they will wait a long-ass time to get you back, but get you back they will.”
So, if you’ve crossed a Scorpio, don’t be surprised when karma shows up with their fingerprints all over it.
The Heartbreak Reinvention
As a Fixed sign, Scorpios aren’t the type to wallow. When heartbreak hits, they dive into transformation mode with laser focus.
“I dealt with the heartbreak and betrayal by locking in on my development and being useful to my family and friends. Both serve as my purpose. I’m in therapy weekly, reading books, finding helpful information on YouTube, meditating, praying, reciting affirmations, reintroducing routine back into my life, listening to music, watching movies, photography, and hitting the gym,” shared one Reddit user.
Image credits: Malte Mueller/Getty Images
This total reinvention aligns with Scorpio’s method for cutting emotional ties.
As astrologer and tarot reader Lisa Stardust explained, “The only way for Scorpios to move on is to completely cut their ex out of their lives. They’ll have a strict no-contact rule for three months after they plead with their former boo to stay with them. Then, Scorpios will go as far as blocking their phone numbers and social media accounts once the relationship is totally over to avoid dealing with heartbreak” (Teen Vogue).
So while some signs mope like Bella in New Moon, Scorpios are more likely to lace up for a 4K, sip a green smoothie, and reinvent themselves from the ground up.
The Silent-Treatment Backfire
“So I have experienced this before as well, but whenever we get into an argument or if he (Scorpio) gets annoyed by anything I did or said. I’m always met with silent treatment (once I got blocked as well), whereas I (Aqua) never stop communication no matter how upset or angry I’m with him,” vented one Reddit user.
Scorpios, often ruled by ego and intensity, can be tough communicators when upset. One Scorpio chimed in with, “Yes, I’m a Scorp and I do this. I guess we have a turbine of emotion that it’s easier to shut off and go into a shell rather than explode.”
Another added, “I internalize it also before I keep talking about stuff… I wouldn’t rush in demanding communication at that moment… give him space.”
Tarot reader Kerry Ward described this behavior perfectly: Scorpios don’t always need input from others.
“Retreating into their own headspace is a delight. They can plot and scheme away, and NO ONE can tell what they’re up to, looking all ‘zen.’”
Tanmoyee Roy, an expert at Astrotalk, explained it further: “For Scorpios, silence becomes a means of communication when they are angry. By withdrawing from conversations and interactions, they send a clear message to those around them that they are upset or displeased.”
What looks like ghosting is actually a strategy. If a Scorpio goes quiet, don’t expect them to speak up until they’re good and ready.
The Intuition Crisis
Pisces, the final sign in the zodiac, is known for being dreamy, artistic, and deeply intuitive, sometimes to the point of overwhelm.
“As a Pisces, I both hate and love this… I can sense bad people, but can’t explain why immediately… They always end up showing me the reasons, though. But I can’t also get close to many people due to this… Mainly in romantic relationships… I have tried avoiding my intuition, but they always prove my intuition right in the end,” shared one Reddit user.
Astrologers Randon Rosenbohm and Annabel Gat explained why Pisces often have such powerful gut instincts.
“Being last in line on the zodiac contributes to much of Pisces’ mystique. Astrologers describe Pisces as aware of the trials and triumphs of all 11 preceding zodiac signs. This may be why they are so sympathetic and intuitive! Being the last zodiac sign and ending the wheel also evokes an awareness of the great unknown” (VICE).
Another Redditor echoed the inner tension that comes with such heightened perception: “I question myself a lot on whether something is my intuition or just anxiety. I have not followed my ‘gut’ in the past and it’s gotten me into some seriously bad situations… I just wait it out. If it feels like REAL intuition and not just doom and gloom bad feelings, then I go with it always. It’s a really hard distinction to make, but I’ve been working on trying to differentiate the two.”
The Emotional Undertow
“Can anyone tell me what’s going on? The emotional/mental turmoil and the internal suffering I’ve been experiencing from December till now, and especially these first few days of January, has been unbearable… I’m really suffering,” wrote one overwhelmed Reddit user.
For Pisces, this kind of emotional overload is just another Tuesday. Known for their deep emotional radar, Pisceans often feel everything that’s theirs and everyone else’s.
As tarot reader Kerry Ward explained, “Pisceans, a water sign, are worldly wise old souls with enormous depths of compassion and empathy for others. Pisceans’ symbol in the horoscope is two fishes facing opposite directions, which reflects the duality of their continual inner struggle. On the one hand, they want to be successful, busy, driven, and active, but on the other hand, they just want to pull the covers over their head and stay in bed. Life is hard for Pisceans; they pick up on ALL the vibes” (Cosmopolitan).
Another Piscean echoed that emotional exhaustion in a separate Reddit thread: “The thing is no one cares for us like we care for them… We have to hug and promise ourselves that we will not go down. Regardless of all the difficulties, it is within a Pisces’ abilities to rise and get up after each fall.”
Even when the world’s weight feels unbearable, Pisces find a way to keep swimming, often for themselves and sometimes just to spite the haters.
The Identity Drift
“I don’t have an internal feeling towards myself, it’s more like I’m always seeing myself from a distance… I don’t have the same sense of identity as other people,” confessed a 19-year-old Pisces on Reddit.
“Because I’m so receptive of other people’s energy, I feel like it’s hard for me to see myself as a person who influences other people as well and is the same amount of a real person as everyone else. Is this normal for Pisces and will it change with age?”
Image credits: Cyrielle Beaubois/Getty Images
That dissociation is common for this mutable water sign. Pisces are emotional chameleons, constantly absorbing the energy around them, sometimes to the point of losing their own sense of self.
Astrology expert Stella Nova explained it in Vogue: “You (Pisces) tend to pick up on the habits, likes and mannerisms of others around you very easily, without consciously realising it. This mirroring of actions and opinions is a little like Neurolinguistic Programming, a psychological approach used to identify and connect more easily with others by being in tune with their vocal tone and body language.”
Another Piscean put it simply: “Being delulu is the solulu sometimes for self preservation.”
The Dream Journal
Pisces can’t help but live in a dream world, literally. Governed by Neptune, the planet of dreams and creativity, they’re often flooded with visions that feel too real.
“I get premonitions and visions. Much more so when I was younger to be honest, but even now, I’ll have a dream and then the thing I had a dream about will happen,” said one Reddit user.
“As an adult I dreamt I was stopped by a cop and then the next day I was stopped by a cop. As a teen, I saw my grandfather’s face in the window and then found out later that night he had passed away. As a child (2 yrs old), I knew about a surprise visit from a family member and no one believed me until they showed up ‘unexpectedly.’”
It might sound spooky, but psychic medium and intuitive healer Brenda Rose sees this as Pisces’ natural wiring:
“Pisces do long to be ‘normal.’ It’s not that they try to live in a perpetual dream-state. They know they are complicated and elusive, so they do try and desire to fit in.” When a Pisces feels truly at ease, she adds, “that’s a rare gift because it means they feel completely comfortable there.”
Of course, this dream-life can blur into insomnia, sleep disruptions, and vivid nightly visits. As Rose put it, Pisces’ real challenge is “to find the balance between the dream state and the Earth plane.”
FAQ
What are water signs attracted to?
Being the feelers of the zodiac, water signs are in touch with their emotions and harbor big feelings. This naturally leaves them attracted to authenticity, soul-led connections, emotional maturity, and honesty. They’re drawn to those who can meet them in their depths, appreciating genuine vulnerability and heartfelt empathy (per Collective World). Find more by reading about air signs.
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