Cusp? Signifigance?

I am a Leo, or am I? My birthday is July 25th, I learned a long time ago that I am on the cusp. But once upon a time, in some book I don't even remember what it was, I read that in 1978 on July 25th the sun was still in cancer. I share many qualities with cancer and I just don't know what I am? Is it possible that I am a cancer on the cusp of Leo? Does anyone know?

hey your best trick is to look up a free astrological chart it will tell you where everything was when you were born

With the limited info you gave, it appears that the Sun is only 2 degrees into Leo. Close enough to be a cusp. How much Cancer or how much Leo you feel may have a lot do do with the other planets placements. Mercury is also in Leo and Mercury is one of the personal planets.
Read up on Virgo, both Venus and Mars find this sign their home in your chart.
I can see some of the similarities in the nature of Virgo and Cancer giving the feeling that you are a bit like a Cancer. Both signs tend to be nurturing and about the home, but how this is executed is different due to the sign.

The Sun entered Leo on July 23rd 1978 at 05:00 GMT. So you are definitely a solar Leo. As Luna points out your character is not just based on the Sun sign and the positions of the other planets will have a very significant effect. Indeed this almost always accounts for people who feel at odds with their Sun sign. Sun sign astrology and emphasis on the Sun as the most important planet is very much a product of the last 70 years or so.

There's some significant argument amongst Astrologers as to the nature of 'cuspal' with some arguing that your either 100% Cancer or 100% Leo but you cannot be both (obviously relating solely to the Sun). Elsewhere you will find some margin allowed but there's no agreement on how much. I think that the term originated out of the observational error of early Astrologers, who just could not be as sure of sign boundaries as modern Astrologers can. That being said you will still find many Astrologers who see gradual transitions between signs rather than abrupt changes.

Personally, and this is a personal view given what I've just said, I would tend to treat 'on the cusp' as about than 6 to 7 hours either side. If I was going to be generous I might extend this to say the last half degree of one sign and the first half degree of the next - that would be about 12 hours either side.

Others may well give wider margins so please don't treat my definition as being in any way definitive.

wow! thanks for that minderwiz!

Callistabell, what I've been told in the past is that if you're on the cusp, look at both signs as you will find relevance in both. I've certainly found that to be true (Sag-Cap cusp here).

And I'm starting to look at the aspects of other planets now too, just to see if that explains why I don't feel a Sagittarius.

I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one that doesn't feel at home in their 'proper' sign.

Yeah, I often wondered about people that didn't "fit" their signs. I had this software that computes one's Birth Chart and it blew my mind to see how all the planet and their placements affect the outcome.

I'm a Cancer on the Cusp of Gemini with my Moon in Leo and Rising Libra.

That's food for thought!!