EXPLORING MOON SIGNS

Most people today are aware of their sun sign and it's basic meaning. But there is so much more to astrology than just your sun sign. For a start, I consider the moon sign as important, if not more important than the sun sign. It is our moon sign that unveils how we act and react instinctively, what our emotional selves need, how we receive and give nurturing. For me, it is the connection to the archetypal feminine energy, the ebb and flow of the cycles of the moon. Understanding how your moon sign works offers amazing insight into the aspects of ourselves that may be in harmony or discord with our sun sign and can shed much light on why and how we behave on an instinctual nature.

Below is my summary of what the moon in various signs means. To find out your moon sign and gain a deeper aspect of how this works for you, e mail me at Dijana@aspectastrology.com.au and I will send you details on your moon sign and a brief summary of how it may work for you and in relation to your sun sign.

Photo by J Norwood

ARIES

Emotional need for independence, freedom and self assertion

Moon in Aries reacts spontaneously and when under stress this placing is known to lose their temper and can be quick to fly off the handle. But just as quickly as they may lose their temper, they are unlikely to hold major grudges or brood and the next day, it may appear as if nothing has happened. If really stressed they are likely to need time away from others to compose themselves.

The nurturing nature of this placement is usually one of independence and possibly impatience, this is not the sign of someone who smothers others with overt affection.

This is the placing of the go-getter, the person who may approach life with a single- pointed focus to achieve their goals. They are have an abundance of emotional fortitude, energy and determination when they set their hearts and minds on achieving their goals. They can however begin way too many projects and are prone to not completing everything they start, instead going onto the next thing which feels far more exciting.

Highly independent, they enjoy their own company and are not overly needy of others. They certainly do enjoy the company of others but they need to withdraw from the world for occasionally especially when facing personal problems. Aries moon would much rather sort things out themselves than have a talk fest and this trait can frustrate partners, family and friends that may wish to help. Aries Moon would much prefer to be left alone.

Independence is one of their key strengths and they are especially self sufficient but this can hinder their ability to develop really close connections and emotional empathy with others. It is imperative that in relationship that the partner understands the absolute need for solitude at times and that in turn the moon in Aries native makes an attempt of sharing experiences and emotions.

As this placing can be highly energetic, releasing this energy is imperative for their emotional health. Exercise and participating in competitive sport can be a real asset.

TAURUS

Emotional need for material security

The moon in Taurus needs to feel secure and stable in the material and practical sense. This does not mean they have to gather riches, but they do need a strong sense of feeling secure in the world, with their feel firmly planted on the earth. Taurus moon needs an element of predictability in their life and this may explain their tendency to appear stubborn, lazy and slow to react to change. When under stress they seek emotional security in relating to the world in a practical fashion and often indulge in physical satisfactions such as food, touch and sensual stimulation. The creature comforts are their safe haven but they can also overindulge,especially if they are feeling insecure in the world. The need for material and practical security can express itself negatively as the person that is obsessed with accumulating wealth and feeling like they still never have enough. They are the ones believing those with the most 'toys' wins. The reality if often quite the opposite especially if one is seeking 'possessions' in the world to give their life meaning.

The nurturing nature of this placement is one of caring in a practical, down to earth and sometimes monetary fashion. This could include their love of food and cooking to express their nurturing to others and to themselves.

Being ruled by Venus, the moon in Taurus will have a strong emotional connection to beauty, art, artistic expression, music, sensuous experiences and nature and will often have a talent in one or more of these areas. Taurus is often associated with the voice and this placement often has a beautiful signing voice. One or more of these things will be important to them especially when feeling insecure in a changing or unpredictable world.

They can be slow off the mark when facing new challenges, but they can also rise to the challenge if they execute their goals in a planned, methodical one step at a time fashion. Their down to earth nature may plod along but it can also assert itself when needed.

Quiet time, peaceful surroundings and a connection to nature are incredibly important. These people are often found finding solace in their garden and or kitchen.

They can make very loving, sensuous and caring partners but also need to be careful of their stubborn and sometimes inflexible natures.

GEMINI

Emotional need for mental stimulation

The Moon in Gemini needs to feel mentally connected, either to others or in seeking out information about one of their many curiosities.

The Gemini moon needs activity, especially mental activity and they feel secure with an abundance of choices in mental stimuli. This is the placing of multi tasking. The Gemini moon can literally be having a conversation with you whilst simultaneously writing their latest blog, expressing their insights and musing to the world. This placing is emotionally adaptable and is highly likely to change their mind especially when they can see another aspect of a debate. They also like communicating in general and about their emotional life. They need to feel connected and so verbalising their emotions gives them as sense of security. However if their emotional energies feel scattered and misguided, this can contribute to them not feeling secure.

Debate for debates sake on about almost any subject is high on the agenda with a Gemini moon. They have a great need for facts, stats and general information. They are ideal at a trivia night and are usually very good arguers, able to talk their way around most things. They are often labelled the chatterbox and they are. It is these people who may talk incessantly when feeling nervous or insecure, they don't know how not to.

Generally they are not overly serious people, sometimes displaying a joyful childlike curiosity about the world and their place in it. They are quick witted, have a great sense of humor and timing and are able to get themselves into and out of sticky situations with their verbal elasticity.

Gemini moons hate to be bored and must keep their mind occupied and will usually have a hundred books on their bedside table, a full social calendar, and a lengthy 'to do' list. They have an affinity to writing, computers, languages and a need to learn. They are often active in their immediate community as they genuinely like to know everyone's business. Their challenge is to stay focused and not lose their sense of direction with having too much on their plate.

CANCER

Emotional need for nurturing

The Cancer moon need to feel nurtured and needs to nurture others. The nurturing can be received and expressed in many ways but it often has to do with providing a homely activity, such as cooking, mending the house or lending a sympathetic ear.

This is the placing of the person who will always prefer to stay at home, where they feel safe and secure, where hopefully their 'tribe' is, whether that is their actual family or their adopted family. The home is literally their castle.

The moon is at home in the sign of cancer, the crab, who carries his home literally on his back. The crab retreats when feeling threatened, exactly as the Cancer moon does too. They are highly sensitive, sometimes oversensitive and protective people. They are innately in tune to the moods and reactions of others and their own emotions and of course this can feel overwhelming if they are not careful. There is no doubt that when these people do feel threatened in any way, their natural response is to retreat and hide from others until they feel strong enough to reemerge into the world. This is where they need to find balance, ensuring they don't let emotions dominate their life negatively and instead tap into all the beautiful aspects of this placing.

These are the natural nurturers ( unless there is a difficult aspect deterring this in their chart.) Deeply understanding and sympathetic, Cancer moons have deep connections with their family and friends and are often the first people others go to for help. Not only can they listen they will go out of their way to make the other person feel better, either by cooking a delicious meal (one of their favorite responses) or helping the person in need in some way.

They are extremely loyal, sometimes to a fault and often need to learn to let go of relationships or situations that no longer serve them. This includes leaving home as a young adult, it is important that the Cancer moon learns to stand on their own feet.

They have a deep love of history and tradition and will often be the people in the family who research the family tree. Understanding their roots is important to them.

LEO

Emotional need for acknowledgement.

The Leo moon needs to feel as though their emotions are acknowledged by others, they absolutely need to feel that their warm hearted nature is not being taken for granted. They are warm, generous and generally enthusiastic and feel emotionally secure when they feel pride and confidence in themselves.

Almost everything they do is coloured with creative and sometimes dramatic energy but they need others to acknowledge and recognise these traits within them in order to feel secure. They approach life with a childlike energy and can be extremely supportive and encouraging toward others, however they can become emotionally dramatic If they do not feel 'seen' . Unlike sun sign Leos they don't have to be center stage but when they feel really comfortable they are often very willing to take the spotlight and leadership roles. They genuinely love to entertain others and will jump at any opportunity to create situations in which to do exactly this. They have a truely wacky sense of humour and will be very quick to see the funny side of almost any situation. These people love to play and living a life where there is no creative outlet or fun can cause them to feel emotionally drained.

They need to be careful that their larger than life attitude does not rub others up the wrong way, they can be over the top at times especially if not feeling secure within themselves.

When they are upset, watch out, they can literally roar like a lion but deep down they are still a pussy cat. They can appear arrogant but given their generosity of spirit friends and family usually forgive them.

They need recognition and praise for their efforts from almost everyone, their work colleagues, family, children but they will equally be the first to praise others too. At the core they need to feel a sense of self pride in themselves and others are there to reflect this back to them.

They are extremely proud of friends and family and will be the first to show them off to each other.

VIRGO

h for you to take care of family members and friends in your daily life.

Emotional need for order

The Virgo moon needs order in their life to feel secure. Chaos both physically and emotionally are not an option and therefore these people can be busy making sure everything is in order, that everything is in its place. When it is not the Virgo Moon simply can not relax and can become quite agitated until a thorough analysis of the situation is conducted, and a strategic plan is put in place to restore practical order to their world.

Lists, calendars, reminders, diaries are the tools the Virgo moon most needs. The Virgo moon needs to feel needed and therefore being of service and helpful in some way to others goes a long way to contributing to the positive self image and overcoming guilt and their often overly self critical nature. They need to be aware however of a martyrdom syndrome if they feel their service is being taken for granted. They have an analytical nature and can gain much emotional security through the analysis of both the physical and emotional worlds and then finding practical ways of improving them. They do need to be careful to not over analyse emotions, theirs and others as this can inhibit their emotional responsiveness and affect their intimate relationships.

With almost everything they approach there is a sense of perfectionism which is wonderful when this can be practically applied in a work situation but can create standards that are impossible for them and others to live up to.

Virgo moons are often both health freaks and simultaneously hypochondriacs. On one level they strive for a healthy body and healthy mind but they are also the first to think the worst from even the smallest health problem.

Work is extremely important to them and they will gain a great deal of self sanctification for a job well done, once again its important not to have too high expectations for your self or others as this could get in the way of good work life relationships.

Virgo moons respond extremely well to having pets as they are something the Virgo can 'help' and look after whilst also giving the Virgo moon unconditional love without expectation.

LIBRA

Emotional need for peace

The Libran Moon needs a sense of balance and equilibrium in order to feel emotionally secure. They react with objectivity to their environment and all experiences, and have a a strongly developed sense of fairness and justice in their emotional responses to everything. Thinking before they react they can painstakingly weigh up all sides of a situation before making a decision and this contributes to their somewhat frustrating for others, trait of indecisiveness.

The Libra moon searches out balance and harmonization of both sides of every situation and doing this is necessary for their sense of emotional tranquility and security.

They can be extremely eager to please, preferring not to upset the apple cart and ultimately being able to see and appreciate the other’s point of view.

Luna Libra feels most secure when involved in close relationships, they have an innate need to relate and fell uncomfortable being alone for long . Within a relationship they need balance, harmony and to share their appreciation of beauty with their partner. Relationships play a major role in their life and generally they have a good understanding of how they work and what it takes to make them work. They do need to be careful that they don't over emphasize their need to please, as they don't want to cause conflict and this can result with them being overshadowed if they are not careful. They need to remember to spend time with and by themselves as this is extremely important to them.

Moon in Libra are likely to have artistic talents and the ability to create beautiful surrounds.

SCORPIO

Emotional need for intensity

Moon in Scorpio needs a level of depth and intensity in their lives, whether they are conscious of it or not. This placement feels things strongly and passionately and this may be difficult for them and their loved ones to understand and get a handle on at times.

There is do doubt that the moon in Scorpio expresses their emotions in a complex, sometime turbulent fashion. The feeling may overwhelm and therefore can be suppressed in an effort to keep them controlled and potentially secret, but they come out in the end. Either way they will have a strong sense of purpose and drive and are the people to research the depths and get to the bottom of a situation. They in fact are deeply suspicious of others motives and may take a lot for them to really trust another as they fear vulnerability and losing control. Others will accuse them of being overly sensitive which also contributes to them attempting to keep their feelings secret.

This is the placement of the person who is naturally charismatic as their intensity can be appealing in many ways. They certainly do not like to be bored and have been known to stir things up a bit in order to to get a reaction from others and stir the emotional pot.

They have incredible insights into the human psyche and their perceptiveness can work for or against them. On the one hand they are masters and getting to know others motivations, but on the other this can justify their mistrust. These people are good in a crisis as they can handle the emotional upheavals that many others can not and these moments give them the opportunity to share intense moments with others. Drama certainly follows them.

Very often there is an intense feelings for or against the mother in their lives and these emotions seem to carry over into their relationships with women in general.

SAGITTARIUS

Emotional need for meaning

Moon in Sagittarius is emotionally idealistic and the enthusiast seeker for meaning, adventure, exploration. It is extremely important to them to have a philosophy of belief system in which they seek their inner contentment. This does not have to be a religion, although this is not uncommon for Luna Sagittarians. They need to be aspiring toward something, promoting their ideals and progressing forward to their future sometimes lofty goals. They love to question, to explore, to search for meaning, they indeed have a broad all encompassing buoyancy for life. They are very comfortable when exploring, travelling being outdoors, exploring mind expanding knowledge and thinking about their plans for next week, next month, next century.

They have a someone almost gullible, childlike and innocent view of life which can potentially lead them in the wrong direction as they are constantly convinced everything will be OK. They can be overly optimistic and need to ensure they check the fine print and details of life rather than assuming everything will great because they believe it will. Even when they do head down a wrong path they are quick to bounce back shake off the experience attach a philosophical observation to it and move on...to the next thing.

CAPRICORN

Emotional need for structure

The Moon in Capricorn needs self control, predictability and structure to feel secure in the world. This can be a difficult Luna placing if the sun is in very different sign.

It is easier for them to chose the path with the least risks as there is less that come come and greet them unexpectedly if they know the path they are walking on.

Emotionally Capricorn moons are restrained and detached preferring to not show public displays of affection. In fact accessing their emotions is definitely something they would prefer not to do and when they do, they are very dependent on emotional security in order to feel safe in the world. However they need to remind themselves not to take life too seriously, to learn to play, laugh and trust others as their emotional reserve can prevent them from taking the risks needed to get close to others. This is most evident when they are young as they seem to willing to take more risks and have more fun the older they get.

The Capricorn moon loves to work hard, which they often find comfort in, they are very willing and able to take on a lot of responsibility and can thrive in these situations. They can stay calm and detached in a crisis and are often depended on for this very strength. This is the placing of the person who will spend all their time at work or with another practical distraction when life gets too hard on a personal level.

Luna Capricorns usually have a great dry sense of humour which is often their saving grace.

AQUARIUS

Emotional need for objectivity

The Aquarian moon needs complete freedom for the expression of their ideas. They can react emotionally in a eccentric and unpredictable fashions often appearing emotionally detached to others or not quite tuned in to others motives. They see the world from the objective intellect rather than the feeling realm and this can difficult when the moon is placed in this sign. They seem to distrust emotions and will always prefer to talk about broader social issues rather than the depths of an emotionally intimate subject. On one hand they have a strong need to be part of the social collective but on the other they also need complete autonomy. These are the humanitarians, the crusaders for others freedoms as well as their own.

They feel most at home when analysising the world from an intellectual point of view. Although comfortable with friends they can find one on one intimacy a little threatening and just cant understand why others get so worked up and emotional about things.

They have a good sense of humour, which helps them through awkward situations and love a good joke but are not usually the instigator of humour. They can be blunt and say things that upset others without understanding why.

Their gift is to nurture others by encouraging their freedom and feels supported when they are given complete autonomy in return. They do need to be careful that their need for emotional independence and aloofness toward the sensitivities of others does not cause alienation.

PISCES

Emotional need for compassion

The moon in Pisces is the most sensitive placing for a moon sign. They are compassionate, empathetic, evasive, vulnerable and idealistic. This can be a lot to carry so for them, they need to feel compassion from others for the compassion they feel for everyone and everything around them, especially the weak and vulnerable of this world. They may find themselves part living in 'another' world, where day dreaming brings them emotional tranquility. They need to find a sense of oneness in the world and universe in order to feel right about themselves. They seems to express themselves in two ways they are either overly emotional about everything, or the emotions they feel are too hard to handle so they shut them off all together. They need to have a sense of purpose in their lives and are happiest when serving others, especially those less fortunate than them.

they have a magnificent imagination and can channel this into creative and artistic pursuits. Finding an outlet for their nature is very soothing for them. They love nature and thrive when surrounded by peaceful and calm environments.

Their innate ability to relate to others emotionally makes them they type of friend that is often sought out, they intuitively know how to make others feel better, however others may not always understand them. They do need to be careful of falling into the victim role and falling prey to escapist tendencies to get reprieve from the harsher realities of the world, they are best to nurture their imagination into creative and artistic talents instead.

FOR A MORE I DEPTH EXPLORATION OF YOUR MOON SIGN AND HOW IT WORKS IN YOUR CHART, CONTACT ASPECT ASTROLOGY FOR A PERSONALISED ASTROLOGY CONSULTATION