It's time to learn your Water Signs from your Earth Signs, Air Signs and Fire Signs. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces encompass the zodiac's watery triad. With water as their ruling element, these signs are led by an ancient intuition, a trustworthy gut feeling that can manifest as a sixth sense. They can read between the lines better than any – bring home a new partner and they'll be the first to pick up on any bad vibes (trust them, they're almost always right).

That person with "empath" in their bio? Probably a Water Sign since they're all about feeling their way through life. They're sensitive, which is where the "moody" stereotype comes from. But don't worry, Water Signs are used to being misunderstood.

But what separates a Cancer from a Scorpio and a Scorpio from a Pisces? Cancers are maternal, to nurture is second nature. Potent Scorpios prefer to go deep; we're talking death, rebirth, the underbelly of things – while Pisces have their head in the clouds as the dreamers of the zodiac. For a comprehensive rundown of the Water Signs of the zodiac, keep scrolling.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Cancerians are nurturers first and foremost. If you have any in your life you'll know this as they're always cheering you on from the sidelines. It's this reason why the sign is viewed as maternal, and since the symbol for Cancer is a crab, a creature whose shell is also its home, a homebody too. They make great cups of tea, are good for advice, and a listening ear. But don't mistake this for weakness. Loyal to boot, a Cancer will use its pincers if necessary, especially to protect their loved ones. Family is everything to Cancers, and once you've breached their hard exterior, they'll hold you in their heart for life.

All water signs are sensitive, but Cancer's more than most. They pick up on people's emotions, moods, and can read a room like no other. This allows them to hold space for those around them, even if its at the detriment of their own cup. Being ruled by the moon means they're prone to cycles, their emotions waxing and waning as the month comes full circle. They feel deeply and while this grants them great empathy, a Cancer's emotions can often feel like a burden, especially without an outlet to express them. Due to this, you'll find that Cancers make great artists – and you'll catch them wrapped up in sentimental films or books, desperate for a heartfelt sobbing session.

The flip side to this is they feel slighted – real or imagined – they're prone to self-martyring, and will retreat into their shell to save themselves. They hold grudges too, and while caring seems like second nature to a Cancerian, if it's one-sided they will grow resentful and cut you off.

Like Aries, Libra and Capricorn, Cancer is also a Cardinal sign, a term given to the zodiac signs that kick off each season. This makes them visionaries, people who dream up sparkling ideas, initiate action and set trends. They just have to learn to follow things through – ah well, that's what Fixed signs are for.

Read more about Cancer personality traits here, and find your Cancer horoscope predictions for 2024 here.

Famous Cancerians: Taylor Russell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Tracey Emin, Solange, Princess Diana, Hope Sandoval, Meryl Streep, Lil' Kim and Liv Tyler.

Love match: Capricorn

Best friends with: Taurus, Pisces, Scorpio,

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

You can spot a Scorpio from a mile away. Ruled by Pluto, the planet named after Hades, king of the underworld, and associated with death, rebirth, and destiny, Scorpios often get a bad rap. They're intense, powerful, and represent the shadow side of the water signs. (It's no coincidence that Halloween falls during their season). But this is hardly because Scorpios are the Devil incarnate as some would prefer to believe, but rather because Scorpios aren't afraid to dive into what would be considered taboo, in fact they relish it.

Whether it's sex (they're exceptionally good at it), crime, or the occult, Scorpios will leap headfirst into topics others would rather avoid. Small talk is a waste of time, they want to know about your regrets, your delusions, what makes you tick – which might make some people uncomfortable. In any case, they suffer no fools and can smell a rat immediately.

Intimacy is hard won with a Scorpio, and when you have it you better value it. As a Fixed sign, like stubborn Taurus, fiery Leo and aloof Aquarius, Scorpios are determined creatures and aren't turned off by hard work – so if you break their trust expect retribution. Similarly, Scorpios have no problem speaking out against injustice, and have a unique ability to hold space and advocate for others.

Prone to extremes, oscillating between self-destruction and self-preservation, Scorpios can find balance in the grounding energy of Earth signs, especially Taurus, who will encourage them to let down their guard and move to the light. It's why Hades and Persephone worked so well after all.

Read more about Scorpio personality traits here, and find your Scorpio horoscope predictions for 2024 here.

Famous Scorpios: Fran Lebowitz, Björk, Winona Ryder, Amandla Stenberg, Tilda Swinton, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frank Ocean, Chloë Sevigny and Zadie Smith.

Love match: Taurus

Best friends with: Leo, Cancer, Aries.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Natural born dreamers. Pisces are idyllic, with their head in the clouds. They're summed up with the symbol of two fish swimming in the opposite directions.

If you're a Pisces you have a rich inner life, which can provide safety to you and others during trying times. At times you can come across as spaced out, but your compassion and imagination is a healing salve. Linger in the fantasy world for too long and you can be susceptible to self-delusion.

Slippery and malleable, it can be hard to pin down who the Pisces in your life really is – for themselves, too. Bring on the existential crises. They are empathetic to a near fault, absorbing the mannerisms, behaviours and emotions of others, until the line between what's real and what's learned is blurred. The solution could just be some time out; Pisces are social beings and feed off the company of others, but would do well to establish an anchor through consistent habits to retain a sense of self.

Pisces inhabits the same club as Sagittarius, Virgo and Gemini, in that all four of them are Mutable signs. This simply means they're chameleons; where Scorpio is pulling strings from behind the scenes and Cancer is spearheading its own vision, Pisces is happy to slot into whatever role is necessary at the time. They're the most flexible of the signs and excel at keeping the peace, although this has a tendency to dip over in the realm of people-pleasing. Stand up for yourself, Pisces!

Read more about Pisces personality traits here, and find your Pisces horoscope predictions for 2024 here.

Famous Pisces: Nina Simone, Greta Lee, Rihanna, Olivia Rodrigo, Erykah Badu, Kurt Cobain, Elliott Page, and Sally Rooney.

Love match: Virgo

Best friends with: Scorpio, Capricorn, Aquarius.

Feature image: @kategarnerphoto