The Astrology Podcast – Cancer 2026 Year Ahead Horoscope

Host: Chris Brennan
Guest: Leisa Schaim
Date: December 23, 2025

Overview

In this episode, astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim present a comprehensive horoscope forecast for Cancer rising (and Cancer sun) for 2026. The discussion covers major planetary transits, eclipse seasons, retrogrades, and their implications for various life areas including career, finances, education, relationships, and personal development. The tone is practical and supportive, offering both warnings and encouragement for listeners navigating the year ahead.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Saturn and Neptune Enter the 10th House (Career) – Major Restructuring

• Timing: Early 2026, peaking in February
• Previous Preview: July 2025
• Themes: Career, public reputation, professional authority
• Impacts:
  • Dissolving old structures in work/professional life.
  • Opening to new dreams/goals and grounding them in reality.
• Quote:
  • “There can initially be some dissolving of structures that had previously been in place in your professional life. But that also can open you up to a time of reimagining and putting into reality things that you have dreamed of for your professional life.” – Leisa (01:14)
• Reality Distortion:
  • “Saturn and Neptune has this reality distortion field when they come into a conjunction... it may make it difficult to tell the difference between what's real versus what's not, or in a career context, what's practical to do versus what you want to do in terms of your ideals and your beliefs.” – Chris (02:32)

2. First Eclipse Season: Aquarius & Virgo (Finances & Communication)

• Timing: February–March 2026
• Aquarius Eclipse (8th House): Shared resources, taxes, debts, inheritance
  • “There'll be beginnings and endings around topics…like taxes, loans, debt, and so forth.” – Leisa (04:34)
• Virgo Eclipse (3rd House): Communication, siblings, neighborhood, short travel
  • “Major beginnings and major endings when it comes to communication and how you speak into the world, but also people in your life, such as siblings…” – Chris (05:13)
  • “Oftentimes people will get a new car, their car will break down, and they need a new one—that can come up during third house eclipses pretty commonly.” – Leisa (06:03)

3. Uranus Enters Gemini (12th House): Liberation & Self-Reflection

• Timing: Starting April 2026 (long-term: 6–7 years)
• Themes: Solitude, mental health, hidden enemies, internal change
• Impacts:
  • Innovative approaches to isolation, healing, personal liberation
  • Unexpected disruptions connected to “people you don't get along with” or even self-undermining behaviors
  • “Sometimes the biggest surprise you can have from a Uranus transit…can be suddenly realizing the ways in which we're limiting or undermining ourself and figuring out new and innovative ways to change that.” – Chris (07:41)

4. Jupiter’s Transit: Cancer (Self) → Leo (Finances)

• Timing: First half of 2026 (Cancer), from late June (Leo)
• Cancer/1st House: Growth, self-improvement, health, confidence
  • “Jupiter going through your first house can expand your sense of self. It can also make you more generous or more laid back temporarily than you usually are.” – Leisa (09:38)
• Leo/2nd House: Financial opportunities, windfalls, possessions
  • “It can expand your income. It can be a good time to ask for a raise…” – Leisa (09:38)
• Special Event: Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer (June) – highlighted as “extremely auspicious and very positive.” – Chris (10:12)

5. Second Eclipse Season: Leo & Pisces (Finances & Higher Beliefs)

• Timing: August–Early September 2026
• Leo Eclipse (2nd House):
  • Major beginnings/endings in income, new jobs, financial approaches
  • “Any ending can be an opportunity for a new beginning…sometimes around eclipses, we lay the seeds for things that will grow and develop in the future, but they start out very subtly…” – Chris (13:09)
• Pisces Eclipse (9th House):
  • Ending a cycle in travel, higher education, belief systems since 2023
  • Graduation, finishing educational programs, or completing a philosophical shift
  • “There's been some major changes when it comes to your beliefs, your education, and your outlook on the world over the past few years…” – Chris (14:40)

6. Venus Retrograde: Scorpio → Libra (Children, Romance, Home, Family)

• Timing: October–November 2026
• Fifth House: Children, romance, creativity, hobbies
• Fourth House: Home, family, ancestry, private life
• Themes & Scenarios:
  • People and connections from the past returning
  • Revisiting romantic or creative matters, or family/ancestry themes
  • “Sometimes it can be people from your past come back into the present…that could be a romantic thing, like some sort of romantic connection from the past comes back…” – Chris (16:36)
  • For night-chart people: a more positive influence; for day-chart: potentially more challenging but not always significant (17:41)

7. Mars Build-Up to Retrograde: Leo/Virgo (Finances, Communication)

• Timing: September–December 2026 (intensifies in 2027)
• Focus:
  • Extended effort and possible reworking in areas related to finances, possessions, communication, siblings, short travel
  • “There's some sort of like longer term effort you're going to be putting into those topics for some reason or another that will extend into the first half of 2027, but begins now.” – Leisa (18:48)
• Cautions:
  • Watch for risk-taking, overspending, conflict in communication
  • “Sometimes we can communicate more brusquely or be a little bit more quick to anger than usual…especially because it could then impact you financially…” – Chris (21:40)
• Potential Positive: Collaborative projects with siblings, financial initiative (more constructive for night charts)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Saturn-Neptune:
  “You're basically blending the energies of imagination or dreams, aspirations, idealism, and reality concrete. What can you make real of those dreams?” – Leisa (03:20)

• On the unfolding year:
  “You can see there's a lot of activity going on in your second house of personal income and finances, especially in the second half of the year.” – Leisa (18:48)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Neptune & Saturn into Aries/10th House: 00:50–03:37
• February–March Eclipse Season: 03:37–06:17
• Uranus enters Gemini/12th House: 07:14–08:47
• Jupiter Transit: 08:47–11:19
• August/September Eclipse Season: 12:32–15:34
• Venus Retrograde (Scorpio → Libra): 15:36–18:05
• Mars (Leo/Virgo) Retrograde Build-Up: 18:05–22:14

Conclusion

2026 brings significant changes and opportunities for Cancer risings—especially in career, finances, self-growth, and relationships. The year features periods of ambiguity and adjustment (notably early in career matters), but also expansion and new beginnings, particularly around the June Jupiter-Venus conjunction and the eclipses. Listeners are encouraged to be mindful of endings as precursors to new possibilities, and to approach challenges with adaptability and a long-term view, especially as some cycles will carry over into 2027.

For detailed timing and electional guidance, Chris and Leisa recommend consulting their 2026 Electional Astrology Report.