Three of the most important influences in the natal horoscope are the sun, moon, and ascendant (rising sign). The moon sign rules over the emotional side of life, childhood, motherhood, security, and the domestic sphere.
Your moon sign reflects your inner self that is shown only to those closest. It can tell you a lot about your emotional reactions, childhood, relationships with women, and feelings of security and belonging (or lack thereof).
Emotional Needs and Responses
The moon sign provides information about your innermost needs – in other words, what is required to bring contentment, peace, satisfaction, security, and a sense of belonging, as well as how the inner self can best be expressed.
While the sun sign guides actions, reactions are influenced by the moon sign. The moon sign indicates how you will experience and express feelings, and how you will respond to any stimuli that evokes emotion. As such, it gives some indication as to how you are likely to react under duress, as well as your day-to-day habits and instinctual responses.
To strangers, acquaintances, and coworkers, people tend to show more of their sun sign or rising signs traits. The moon sign traits are usually only seen by those closest to an individual, though when under stress, the moon sign often comes to the fore, and the person will manifest those astrological traits more overtly.
Childhood and Relationships with Women
Since it is associated with the feminine principle, the moon indicates not only how feminine energy is likely to be expressed, but also what sorts of strengths and challenges are likely to characterize your relationships with women. In addition, the position of the moon can indicate the sort of mother or nurturer you are likely to be, both toward others and toward yourself.
The moon position also suggests the sort of childhood traits and experiences you are likely to have experienced. While adults tend to behave in a manner more consistent with their sun and/or rising sign, children are more instinctual and less guarded, so they tend to express their moon signs more strongly. When reading a child’s astrological profile, the moon sign is at least as important as the sun sign (and perhaps more so).
Since the moon sign is associated with childhood, it is also linked with the past. Your perception of history, tendency toward nostalgia, and the way in which memories are experienced are all influenced by the moon sign. Also, the perception of history and how patriotism is expressed are influenced by the moon’s position because these aspects of the self are tied to a deep sense of belonging.
The Unconscious Side of Life
The moon sign gives clues about the unconscious forces that drive you. Some astrologers have even supported the idea that the moon is a greater indicator of true personality, while the sun represents only the ways in which the individual takes overt action or expresses their individuality.
The moon sign represents your deepest feelings and motivations. Therefore, blocking the moon sign’s deeper needs can result in compulsive behavior, severe anxieties, and other problems.
The moon personality is the side of yourself that you tend to keep hidden. In our society, intuitive or instinctual behavior is often met with disapproval, as it is perceived as primitive or uncivilized. The moon sign indicates the areas of life in which you are most likely to experience fears, insecurities, jealousies, and darker fantasies – the elements of the self that many people find disturbing and wish to suppress. Daydreams and the deeper dreams experienced while sleeping are also influenced by the moon sign.
Those whose sun and/or rising signs are the same as their moon signs will have fewer conflicts between their inner selves and the personas that they express outwardly. By contrast, those whose sun or rising signs are radically different from their moon signs will have difficulty expressing their true feelings, and are often misunderstood by others. However, having some of these sorts of conflicts can be beneficial as a driving force for creativity and achievement.
Many people who have accomplished great things have natal astrology charts with more than the usual number of difficult aspects. An overly favorable natal zodiac does not provide the motivation required to make an impact on the world.
The Role of the Moon Sign in Love and Compatibility
The moon plays a profound role in intuitive responses and emotional reactions, so lunar compatibility is even more important than sun sign compatibility for love relationships. Any positive aspect to a person’s moon increases the likelihood of forging a lasting bond, either in close platonic friendship or romantic love. A particularly strong connecting factor is having one person’s moon sign matching the other’s sun sign.
Learn About Your Moon Sign
Aries Moon * Taurus Moon * Gemini Moon * Cancer Moon * Leo Moon * Virgo Moon * Libra Moon * Scorpio Moon * Sagittarius Moon * Capricorn Moon * Aquarius Moon * Pisces Moon
References:
- Bugler, Ashford, Chubb, and Zapp. (1992). The Complete Handbook of Astrology. Montreal, QC: Marshall Cavendish Limited.
- Haydn, Paul. (1998). The Astrological Moon. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc.
- Heese, Annie, & Banks, Adam. CafeAstrology.com.
- Woolfolk, Joanna Martine. (1992). The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need. Lanham, MD: Scarborough House Paperback Edition.
Blue Moon image courtesy of Michael Elliott, www.freedigitalphotos.net.