We all know what our Sun sign is in astrology. For example, I'm a Gemini. That's what I say whenever someone asks me that infamous line, "What's your sign?" But, as I've mentioned before on this blog, we are so much more than our Sun sign (A.K.A. the sign that the sun was located in at the time of our birth.) Another wonderful thing to learn about your birth chart is your Moon sign (A.K.A. the sign that the moon was in at the time of your birth).
The Sun moves into a different zodiac sign in the sky about every 30 days (ya know - when it changes from Libra season to Scorpio season for example). The Moon, however, changes zodiac signs about every 2.5 days! This means it's a super personal part of our birth chart and is highly dependent on the time you were born, not just the day.
Let’s say the moon changed signs on July 1st at 3 p.m. Somebody born at noon on July 1st could have a different moon sign than somebody born at 6 pm on the same day. Their Sun sign or ‘sign’ would be the same (Cancer), but their moon signs would be different. This makes for a big difference in each person’s emotional makeup and personality overall.
This post is meant to be a SHORT introduction to what the moon represents in astrology and some information I have found to be the most helpful in getting to know the needs of my moon sign. It is by no means an exhaustive description of the moon in astrology and everything it represents.
Astrology is a complex topic, but even just knowing the basics about the moon, what it represents, and learning some things about your moon sign in particular can be an amazing tool on your journey of self-discovery. (It'll help you understand the people in your life better too.)
The Moon Symbolizes the Great Mother
Every planet in astrology represents a part of our psychological makeup and an archetypal part of the human experience. The moon in astrology is 'The Great Mother Archetype.' In traditional astrology, this was seen as a solely feminine facet of human life. However, now that the world is becoming more conscious of gender fluidity and the gender spectrum, we are more aware and understand that the Mother archetype is just that - an archetype.
What I mean by that, is that this has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with the primal human urge to love and care for something or someone, and to feel safe, secure, & nourished.
The way a parent cares for a child is the ultimate archetype of the moon. You anticipate what they need before they need it. There is an animal-like protective instinct to keep a baby or child out of harm's way, and you would quite possibly, do anything to keep them safe. THAT is the instinct of the moon. Caring for plants, people, businesses, and animals and watching them grow over time with adoration are all lunar parts of our personalities.
The moon is often described by astrologers as our most basic need to feel safe, secure, loved, and cared for. The sign that the moon is in, the astrological house where it is located, and the aspects made to the moon by other planets will all affect what our emotional needs are.
The Moon Symbolizes Emotional Needs
This means that everyone's emotional needs are different. On one level, all humans have the same lunar needs - let's come back to that baby analogy for a minute. We all want to feel warm, fed, happy, safe, loved, and fulfilled. Obviously, food makes us all feel 'fed'. Clothes, blankets, and heat make us all feel warm, and knowing that someone cares for us and is willing to protect us in a dangerous situation makes us feel loved & safe.
But, what makes YOU feel happy, loved, secure, and fulfilled will not be the same as what makes your neighbor Susie feel happy, loved, secure, and fulfilled. For you, it might be long philosophical conversations with your significant other on a Saturday night, while for Suzie, it might be cuddling up alone with her cat, a heated blanket, and a movie. Some people need logic and science to explain the world and to feel safe in it. Other people need faith, spiritual, or religious beliefs to feel safe in the world.
Some people love a loud time with friends, playing games, and laughing; their cup feels full afterward. Others prefer quiet contemplation or a good book. (The idea of a loud time with friends might be draining to them.) These are all examples of different lunar needs at work in our daily lives.
The Moon Symbolizes Your Instincts
While our Sun sign in astrology represents our conscious mind (what we are aware of, our identity, and our ego), our moon sign can be thought of as part of our unconscious mind. It represents some of our most basic primal instincts and our habitual patterns (both positive and negative). Although we grow into our Sun sign over time and as we age, the needs of our moon sign are unchanging.
Your moon sign is likely apparent to the people in your life who know you the best. (Many astrologers teach that our lunar nature stays pretty private otherwise).
However, even to someone who doesn't know us very well, our moon sign can come out and show itself to others when we are stressed, angry, tired, anxious, and reacting impulsively without thinking things through.
This is another reason why it is often described as our unconscious world. Luckily, we can use this to our advantage. By getting to know our moon sign and the shadow tendencies that are associated with it, we can have a powerful tool to realize when we are out of alignment or not getting what we need emotionally.
The Moon Symbolizes Nurturing
Our moon signs in astrology describe how we nurture ourselves and others, and the types of activities that fulfill us emotionally. Learning about your moon sign and how to best care for it is a wonderful way to use astrology. And remember, everyone's moon signs, aspects, and placement through the astrological houses are different. It’s helpful to learn about the moon signs of important people in your life to understand their emotional needs better (and that way you won’t get so frustrated after you realize that their needs, instincts, and habits are completely different than yours!)
Your lunar nature may be apparent to you if you consider what activities you gravitate towards to feel comfortable, relaxed, and rested. On the flip side, it can also be apparent to you if you consider what negative habits you just can't seem to shake or have always struggled with.
How to Find Your Moon Sign
You can find your moon sign by pulling up your astrological birth chart in any astrology software of your choosing, and then locating the crescent moon symbol in the chart. In the example below, the moon is in the sign of Aquarius.
Keep your eye on your inbox because in my next post, I will go through some basics of the moon in each of the 4 elements and in the 12 signs of the zodiac!
You can begin to learn about your Moon sign and your lunar needs by considering what element it is: fire, earth, air, or water. Check out this post on the elements of the signs if you missed it!
Destiny Rogers
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Destiny Rogers | Astro Blogger
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