Rashi 4 of 12 · Lahiri sidereal
Karka Rashi (Moon sign)
Karka is the 4th sign of the sidereal zodiac, 90° to 120°, ruled by Chandra. If the Moon was here when you were born, Karka is your Moon sign, or rashi, and the sign Indian horoscopes read first.
At a glance
- Degrees
- 90° to 120° of the sidereal zodiac
- Ruling planet
- Chandra
- Element
- water
- Quality
- movable (chara)
- Symbol
- The crab
- The Moon here
- in its own sign (swagriha)
- The Sun is here
- 17 Jul to 17 Aug (2027)
- Western (tropical) sign of the same name
- Cancer (tropical, a different measure)
What a Moon in Karka is like
With Chandra in Karka (own sign) emotions run deep and tidal. You nurture instinctively and remember kindness and hurt for years. Home is where you recharge.
Karka is the Moon’s own sign, so the mind is at home here. Water and movable quality bring tidal feelings, a strong memory, a protective shell and a talent for caring. Home, family, food, teaching and the healing professions suit it. The practice that helps most is telling other people’s moods apart from your own.
Chandra (the Moon) is its lord, the only sign the Moon rules directly.
Nakshatras in Karka
Karka covers 90° to 120° of the sidereal zodiac and contains these nakshatras. The one your Moon was in adds detail and sets where your Vimshottari dasha begins.
Rashi and Sun sign
Your rashi is your Moon sign, the sign the Moon occupied at your birth. The Sun changes sign once a month but the Moon every two and a quarter days, so finding your Moon sign needs your birth time and place. Indian horoscopes read it first: for names, for Kundali Milan and for transits such as Sade Sati.
Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, fixed to the stars; Western Sun signs use the tropical zodiac, fixed to the seasons. The two are about 24°14′ apart in October 2026, so for about four people in five the sidereal Sun sign is the one before the Western one.
Karka in Kundali Milan
Bhakoot Koota (7 points) compares the two Moon signs. It scores 0 when they are 2nd and 12th, 5th and 9th, or 6th and 8th from each other, and 7 otherwise. For a Karka Moon the pairings that score 0 are with Simha, Mithuna, Vrishchika, Meena, Dhanu and Kumbha. The sign’s ruler, Chandra, is the planet that Graha Maitri (5 points) compares.
Sade Sati for a Karka Moon
Sade Sati is the stretch of about seven and a half years when Saturn passes through the sign before the Moon sign, the Moon sign itself and the sign after it: for a Karka Moon, Saturn in Mithuna, Karka and Simha. These runs come from Saturn’s sidereal ingresses; they are not a forecast of events.
| Saturn enters Mithuna | Saturn enters Karka | Saturn enters Simha | Run ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2002 | September 2004 | November 2006 | September 2009 |
| May 2032 | July 2034 | August 2036 | July 2039 |
Check your own dates with the Sade Sati calculator; it finds your Moon sign from your date of birth.
Questions people ask
What is Karka rashi?
Karka is sign 4 of the 12 in the sidereal zodiac, from 90° to 120°. Its symbol is the crab, its element is water, its quality is movable (chara) and its ruler is Chandra. When the Moon was in this sign at your birth, Karka is your rashi.
Which nakshatras fall in Karka?
Punarvasu (pada 4 only), Pushya and Ashlesha fall in Karka. Each nakshatra is 13°20′ wide, so a sign holds two and a quarter of them.
Is Karka rashi the same as Cancer?
Not quite. Cancer is a tropical sign, measured from the spring equinox, and Western horoscopes use it for the Sun. Karka is a sidereal sign, measured against the stars, and Vedic astrology uses it mainly for the Moon. The two zodiacs are about 24°14′ apart today, so the labels line up only roughly.
How do I find my Moon sign?
You need your date, time and place of birth. The free kundali on JYOTISH.info calculates the Moon’s sidereal position with the Lahiri ayanamsa and shows your rashi and nakshatra. If you do not know the time, the Moon changes sign during the day on about four days in ten, and the app flags the result as approximate.
How is Karka used in Kundali Milan?
Bhakoot Koota compares the two Moon signs and scores 0 or 7. For a Karka Moon the signs that score 0 are Simha, Mithuna, Vrishchika, Meena, Dhanu and Kumbha. Graha Maitri uses the rulers of the two signs; here that is Chandra.
When is Sade Sati for a Karka Moon?
Sade Sati runs for a Karka Moon, from Saturn’s entry into Mithuna to its exit from Simha, fall in these periods: July 2002 to September 2009 and May 2032 to July 2039. Saturn’s retrograde turns can bring it back across a sign boundary for a few months, which the dates allow for.
Every position on this page is calculated sidereal with the Lahiri ayanamsa from the astronomy-engine library (MIT licence). The classical texts describe tendencies; this page is for guidance and reflection, not a verdict, and no outcome is promised. How we calculate. This is the English page and the legal reference. The same page is available in Hindi. Checked October 2026.