ASTROLOGY ARTICLES BY JON

Tune into your Moon Sign: Your Real Nature and Relationship Needs

We learned in the previous article "Fun with the Sun" that our Sun sign describes how our vital (ego) energy is directed. In this article, we are going to concentrate on the importance of our Moon sign. The Moon reflects the Sun's light, it supports and nurtures behind the scenes so that the Sun can shine in all its glory.

The Moon is feminine, receptive energy, complementing the Sun's masculine, dominant energy. In our horoscope, the Moon describes how we perceive our mother figures (the people who nurture us), and the Sun shows how we perceive our father figures (the people who are our role models for worldly success). Our Moon sign also shows how we can best nurture ourselves, what makes us feel comfortable and at home. We actually have to work to express our Sun sign, but our Moon sign is totally instinctive, it comes naturally. Astrologer Noel Tyl teaches that our Moon sign describes our "reigning needs" and our Sun sign shows us the best way to go about satisfying those needs.

The Moon moves very quickly, racing through each sign in about two and half days and orbiting the earth in about 28 days. If you know your birthday, you know your Sun sign (unless you were born close to the cusp), but you are going to have to look up your Moon sign. I recommend getting your chart calculated for free at Astrodienst, or you can email me and I'll determine your Moon sign for you.

Your Moon Sign Element

Knowing your Moon's element is key to understanding your emotional nature and basic needs. We normally keep our Moon sign hidden really well, it's the last trait to be revealed. Only those who are really close to us understand our true instinctive (lunar) natures.

Fire (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) — if your Moon is in a fire sign, you naturally react in a direct and blunt manner. The fire sign Moons are inspired, temperamental, and to the point, you react quickly and impulsively when under stress. Fire sign Moons like to be acknowledged for their excellence and need to take risks.

Earth (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) — if your Moon is in an earth sign you naturally react in a calculated, controlled manner. The earth sign Moons are steady and grounded emotionally, and react practically when under stress. Earth sign Moons like hard work and hard play and need stability.

Air (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) — if your Moon is in an air sign you naturally react intellectually with emotional detachment. The air sign Moons are communicative and social, and react coolly and rationally when under stress. Air sign Moons like social interaction and need constant intellectual stimulation.

Water (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) — if your Moon is in a Water sign, you naturally react with your instinctive, gut feelings. The water sign Moons are intuitive and psychic and react with deep emotion when under stress. Water sign Moons like to nurture others and need their private time to nurture themselves.

Moon Sign Keywords

Remember your Moon sign is symbolic of your early childhood environment and how you experienced your mother or mother figures. In turn this also describes your instinctive nature and your basic needs.

• Aries Moon — action oriented, courageous, hot tempered and impulsive, needs to be the best
• Taurus Moon — steady, sensual, stubborn as a bull and enjoys the earthy pleasures, needs stability in life
• Gemini Moon— adaptable, communicative, scattered and curious, needs constant mental stimulation
• Cancer Moon — domestically oriented, loyal, clingy and protective, needs a solid home life to feel secure
• Leo Moon— dramatic in self expression, grandiose, arrogant and generous, needs to be loved and applauded
• Virgo Moon — service oriented, perfectionist, critical and highly analytical, needs cleanliness and order
• Libra Moon — relationship oriented, charming, indecisive and diplomatic, needs to be popular and attractive
• Scorpio Moon — enormous depth, emotional intensity, secretiveness and passion, needs to control by knowing
• Sagittarius Moon — experience oriented, philosophical, archly opinionated and tolerant, needs to be well respected.
• Capricorn Moon — hardworking, authoritative, but prone to depression; and very ambitious. Capricorn Moon people want to accomplish great things.
• Aquarius Moon— humanitarian, unconventional, emotionally detached and ahead of their time, needs to stand out from the crowd.
• Pisces Moon — sensitive, compassionate, with escapist tendencies and a very vivid imagination, needs to surrender personal ego to serve the greater good.

Sun-Moon Blend

The next thing you need to do is compare the elements of your Sun and Moon. Remember Fire and Air mix well together, but clash with Earth and Water. Earth and Water mix well together, but clash with Fire and Air.

If your Sun and Moon are in compatible elements, this suggests that your basic needs (your Moon) are in agreement with the way your vital energy (your Sun) is directed. Essentially what you want out of life (the Sun) and what you really need (the Moon) are similar to each other.

If your Sun and Moon are not in agreement then you have to work hard at integrating the two different elements into a lifestyle that works for you. The bad news is this is not an easy task and it can be very uncomfortable, the good news is because it is so uncomfortable it can spur you on to achieve great things. People with their Sun and Moon in harmony don"t have that particular discomfort that spurs them on, although something else irritating might show up someplace else in their birth chart.

Remember the Sun and Moon in your chart are symbolic of your parent's relationship. So if you have them in non-compatible elements, it means you perceived them to be incompatible, or at least very different in some fundamental way. Even if they are in reality perfectly happy together, you probably didn't perceive it that way. This is especially true if the sun and moon make a tight, challenging aspect. The aspect that causes the most internal conflict is the square (90 degrees apart). Noel Tyl teaches that the square aspect between the Sun and Moon in a person's horoscope is a good indication that the parents were not getting along (to put it mildly) when that person was born.

For example, my Sun is at 29 degrees Capricorn and my Moon is at 28 degrees Aries so they are separated by about 88 degrees (about 2 degrees from a perfect 90-degree square), we would consider this to be a tight (close) square between my Sun and Moon. So how would we interpret this given the information we've covered? My earthy Capricorn Sun (my inner father) wants me to work hard, be disciplined and accomplish great works and my fiery Aries Moon (my inner mother) needs to be rebellious, totally independent and spontaneous — and above all have fun. Capricorn is the old man and Aries is the young child. This same conflict played out in the real world: the messages I received from my Dad conflicted with the messages I got from my Mom, and so I internalized that conflict. As I get older the conflict inside me (whispering in my ear) manifests itself in more positive (hopefully less destructive) ways but it will always be there.

Moon Sign Compatibility

In my opinion, Moon sign compatibility in relationships is far more important than Sun sign compatibility. The Moon is very domestic in nature and is symbolic of our needs, while the Sun's energy is ego oriented; it has more to do with what we want. It's easier, of course, to compromise what we want, than it is to compromise what we need. Two people living together with non-compatible Moons are going to have to be very sensitive to each others different needs to make it work.

Having incompatible Moon signs does not necessarily mean the relationship won't work, it's just another challenge to overcome. In this case though you would hope to find that the Moon in one person's chart is supported (by trine, sextile and some conjunctions) to planets (particularly the Sun, Venus or Jupiter) in the partner's chart. This would help to offset some of the potential domestic strife arising from their incompatible Moons.

Ideally, if the Moons are not compatible, then you would want to have a close harmonious (conjunction, trine and sextile) connection between one person's Sun or Ascendant, and the partner's Moon. The classic synastry aspects: Sun conjunct Moon; or Moon (or Sun) conjunct the Ascendant/Descendant axis are usually considered to produce the most powerful bonds between two people. Even with these powerful aspects though you would need to be very conscious of each other's needs: a lot of Sun/Moon conjunction couples break up too, although I would guess their bond never completely breaks.

In a man's chart the Moon sign is a great indicator of the type of woman he would be attracted to. By marrying the type of woman indicated by his Moon sign he would fulfill his reigning needs and she would make him feel really secure and at home (ideally). I find this to be true in a lot of cases. I think the Moon may even be more important than the Descendant, the Descendant ruler, and Venus as an indication of the type of woman he would be most attracted to. Of course, you have to weigh all these factors very carefully.

In a woman's chart, we would look at her Sun sign to get an indication of the type of man she would be attracted to. Contrary to popular belief, in my opinion Sun conjunct Moon works just as well when it's the man's Moon and the woman's Sun. If a man's Moon sign symbolizes the ideal qualities he seeks in a mate, than a woman with that Sun sign (her creative, self expression) would fit his bill perfectly. If a woman's Sun sign symbolizes the qualities she seeks in a mate, then a man with that Moon sign (his instinctive nature) would fit her bill.

Same sex couples with Sun conjunct Moon experience the same powerful bond, with the Moon perhaps being the more nurturing and supportive partner. It all depends on the two people involved and what they want (Sun) and what they need (Moon).

I am available for relationship readings that focus on the Moon in both yours and your partner's charts, or if you would like a custom natal reading targeting your Moon. I would love to help you learn more about this very important aspect of astrology.