The symbol for Cancer is the crab, and like their symbol, Cancer people develop a tough outer shell in order to protect the vulnerability within. This shell may be their home, a place they can retreat to – full of familiar treasures they have collected to console their psyche in an alien world. It may also be a system of psychological defenses they have created in order to avoid pain. Also like the crab, Cancers will move sideways to avoid a confrontation, but when attacked, they will hang on tenaciously. The crab will actually risk losing a claw before it releases its prey!