Tense times are ahead as Mars transits Cancer from August 3rd to September 18th. The warrior planet does not function well in this withdrawn sign. Will, initiative and aggression do not have an easy outlet. Anger is submerged into sulks and enthusiasm is expressed indirectly.
Cancer is a moody sign to begin with. Throw in the planet of primal instinct and you've got a bubbling cauldron of emotions. Smothering, over protectiveness, sexual neediness and ferocious mood swings.
But as always, there is choice to tap into the positive side of this energy. Mars in Cancer can spur people to express their needs. This is a combination of male (Mars) and female (Cancer) instinctive energy. Wanting is not a bad thing if you have been suppressing your true self. Cancer takes the aggressive edge off Mars and sex becomes nurturing.
While Mars is in Cancer it will initially trine Neptune in Pisces. This is security driven sex with a romantic/fantasy outlet or creative initiative with emotional inspiration . The rough stuff happens when Mars moves forward and gets caught up in the Cardinal Cross. An opposition to Pluto in Capricorn speaks to power struggles, a square to Saturn in Libra means restrictions on desires and a square to Uranus in Aries (ruled by Mars) says "be prepared to have your self image shaken to the core".
This Cardinal Cross will be in effect until August 25th. It sounds harsh because it is harsh. But it's also an opportunity to grow up. Those bad ass outer planets will be giving Mars a hard time but this will force people to confront reality (Saturn). They will be empowered (Pluto) to break away (Uranus) from unhealthy habits/desires based in the past (Cancer). They will learn to express (Mars) their needs (Cancer) in a challenging, adult environment. The Capricorn/Cancer opposition is about parent/child. Libra/Aries deals with partnerships/independence. How did you react the last time someone said "No" to something you really, really wanted?
Look at your chart to see what houses Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and Aries fall in (you'll need to know your birth time for this). These are the areas of your life where you'll feel this energy.