The Sun and Moon within Us (Part 2)
Two Things can be True at Once
Hello reader! Every Wednesday, I post the companion analysis from this week’s episode of Maria Luz’s Conscious Curiosities podcast.
You know that saying that two things can be true at the same time? Well, it is often the case in astrology, especially when it comes to your Moon. The two truths are: 1) Your Moon makes you safe, and 2) Your Moon makes you vulnerable.
It also helps you endure extremes, but if it is your only mechanism against adversity, you will likely end up feeling unlike your typical self pretty quickly and it may be difficult to reset the longer you remain in the conditions. It will also make you difficult to be around, because without our emotions functioning normally, we will not be able to relate to others (or they will not want to relate to you!).
“Your Moon sign speaks of your inner life, how you are behind closed doors, and when you are at your most vulnerable. Just as it controls the ebbs and flows of the oceans, so it controls our rising and falling emotional tides.” Narayana Montufar, Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power.
This is why understanding your Moon and being able to manage its energy in a multitude of situations is so important. Remember in the last installment, I stated that your Moon defines your reality as you experience it? And don’t we all want to have as pleasant an experience as possible? I hope so! Although we may have nuanced differences in our definitions of ‘pleasant’ - and that has a lot to do with our Moon.
Of course, the entire birth chart must be considered, and your Moon may be more prominent if it is conjunct other planets, or in angular houses, or other situations exist, for example:
The Moon rules the sign of Cancer, so if you have a Sun, Moon, or Rising, or many planets in this sign, you may find it easier to access the energy of your Moon on a regular basis.
The Moon and Cancer are associated with the 4th house, so planets in this house will have a Cancer and Moon energy tinge to them.
Men have generally been trained to detach from their emotions, and if their Moon is in a feminine or water sign, it may be even harder to integrate it.
If your Moon is your Rising sign or in your 1st house, this brings your Moon’s energy into how you approach new situations, people, and places. It will be an important component of your drive in life.
If your Moon is on the cusp (within ~5°) of your 4th house, this brings your Moon’s energy strongly into your home life, and ancestry may be a prominent theme.
If your Moon is on the cusp (within ~5°) of your 7th house, this brings your Moon’s energy strongly into relationships.
If your Moon is on the cusp (within 10°) of your 10th house, this brings your Moon’s energy strongly into your vocation, public reputation, and legacy.
Additionally, the number of degrees between your Sun and the Moon (the phase of the Moon when you were born) has significance in your life. You can read more about this in my post on Discovering Patterns and Themes in Astrology.
One way to begin thinking about your Moon is to think of the element of its sign and its raison d’etre.
Fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) Moons are built to embody and process emotions via taking inspired action in some way.
Earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) Moons are built to embody and process emotions via laying a practical foundation in some way.
Air sign (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) Moons are built to embody and process emotions making thought take form in some way.
Water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) Moons are built to embody and process emotions by moving them through their body with integration of the subconscious.
Below, I will briefly summarize each sign from Steven Forrest’s The Book of Water: Healing, Regeneration, and Recovery. (As an aside, although I am part of the Jeffrey Wolf Green lineage of evolutionary astrology, his writing, though brilliant, is much more difficult to digest - think PhD level, so I often draw from Forrest’s more college 101 level textbook style books.)
The quote is Forrest’s and the bullet points are my abbreviated summary of his text. I pulled the celebrities information from Astro Seek (sorry, there don’t seem to be many younger generations represented on the site).
Moon in Aries: “I never allow fearful reflexes to stand between me and any experience that I believe might feed my soul.”
Clear under pressure
Knows how to survive
To be happy, needs to push to their own marker of excellence, do something worth doing with their life
Doesn’t like being told what to do
Has a constant sense of urgency to act
Aims to win
Has underlying sense of stress
Red flags! Wallowing in resentments, venting destructively, turning rage on oneself, overly competitive, paranoid.
Famous Aries Moons: Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Bacon
Moon in Taurus: “I will learn to trust my guts. I aim to find inner silence in this lifetime - and to listen to it very carefully.”
Remains grounded in any situation
Smells a liar, detects insincerity
To be happy, they luxuriate in the simple things: nature, food, music, time, solitude
Prepares for life practically, without undue worry
Patient, relaxed
Red flags! Becoming so set in their ways that they are close-minded and do not see possibilities for growth or others’ perspectives.
Famous Taurus Moons: Cameron Diaz, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael J. Fox, Christian Bale
Moon in Gemini: “I resolve to learn how to express the contents of my heart in clarion-clear language.”
Youthful, curious attitude
Great at learning, finds joy in it
Good at talking and listening
Multitasker
To be happy, they need variety and mental stimulation, to be surrounded by interesting and curious people
Restless
Engages with whatever arises, enjoys novelty
Red flags! As a way to escape emotions, they can hide behind walls of words, keep moving from new thing to new thing to avoid dealing with difficult truths
Famous Gemini Moons: Ewan McGregor, Goldie Hawn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jim Carrey
Moon in Cancer: “I resolve to feel whatever I feel without defenses, rationalizations, or editing. I resolve to approach the pinnacle of compassionate engagement with all of life.”
Senses hurt in others and self quickly
Instinctive healer
To be happy, needs regular quiet time, a home they love, some version of a family
Reflexive attitude is of caring and concern, wary of life’s jagged edges
Guards and nurtures self skillfully
Red Flags! Self-protective stance causing all risk avoidance, overly protective of loved ones (suffocating)
Famous Cancer Moons: Penelope Cruz, Keanu Reeves, Harrison Ford, Drew Barrymore
Moon in Leo: I risk “… the full expression of my heart and soul and letting the chips fall where they may”, despite feeling too emotionally vulnerable.
Inherently creative
Can capture an audience
Expresses what is on their heart, what they hold sacred
To be happy, they need appreciation and admiration for risking looking silly and being vulnerable
Feeling of being exposed at any moment, even when appearing confident
Red Flags! Allows fear of not gaining a positive reaction to prevent action, can play a role rather than risk true sharing of self
Famous Leo Moons: Julia Roberts, David Bowie, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Cruise
Moon in Virgo: “I resolve to find a way to be of meaningful service to other people.. to polish and develop my inborn skills.”
Born with a seed of a specific talent
Humble enough to work at that talent, seek mentors to improve
Precise, critical thinking
To be happy, they find work that truly matters, that allows for continued development and participation in the mentoring process
Baseline concern over details, getting things right
Careful, reliable
Red Flags! Can become overly self-critical and lose faith in oneself, could project that onto others, chronic dissatisfaction
Famous Virgo Moons: James Franco, Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Courtney Cox
Moon in Libra: “I resolve to prioritize the peacefulness of my soul above all other motivations in this lifetime.”
Makes choices that support peace and harmony
Ability to immerse into beauty
Recognizes soul friends, appreciates difference from self
Sees both sides
To be happy, needs to feel harmony in relationships that support their well-being, to live in a harmonious environment
Finds balance in all things beautiful
Diplomatic, seeks fairness for all
Red Flags! Can lose authenticity out of fear of showing ‘less desirable’ parts or of losing harmony with others
Famous Libra Moons: Mel Gibson, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Nicolas Cage
Moon in Scorpio: “I resolve never to silence my own inner dialogue with my authentic emotional states, perceptions, and needs”, “… no matter how dark or taboo it might be…”
Can handle emotional crises (self and others) without slipping into denial or rationalization.
Can detect the truth beneath emotions and behaviors.
To be happy, they need to be okay with not being happy at all times, to feel authenticity in relationships, to find connection with invisible realms, to have alone time
Sees truths others don’t accept
Intense, psychologically oriented
Red Flags! Can dive too deeply into emotional and psychological depths, leading to isolation and moodiness.
Famous Scorpio Moons: Will Smith, Bono, Steve Martin, Mila Kunis
Moon in Sagittarius: “I resolve to deepen my understanding of the laws of the universe and try to align my behavior as best I can with those principles.”
Can adapt to different environments, cultures, and connect the experiences with philosophies
Gains wisdom through broad travel, higher learning
To be happy, they need to feel freedom to explore in order to add to their personal philosophy of life, to feel wise
Not afraid of making mistakes, incorporates them into wisdom
Enthusiastic, likely to say ‘yes’
Red Flags! Can be self-righteous, seek without purpose
Famous Sagittarius Moons: Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts, Emma Watson, Steven King
Moon in Capricorn: “I will attain excellence in some area of life that is meaningful and engaging to me. I will make myself proud as I look back on my years in this world and on what I have accomplished.”
Can put aside emotions, fears, questions for the task at hand
Doesn’t need others
Persistent, makes do
To be happy, they need projects that are worthy of them, that feel essential to their life’s grand purpose
Productive, responsible, focused on to-do list
Red Flags! Can become too accustomed to squashing emotions and being a slave to their productivity, leading to loneliness
Famous Capricorn Moons: Brad Pitt, Judi Dench, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney
Moon in Aquarius: “I resolve to truly lead my own life, following my soul wherever it guides me… even if that makes me look weird or threatening.”
Instinctive suspicion of what the group thinks
Questions what others consider ‘normal’
Rejects authority figures
To be happy, they need to follow their heart’s own path, even when it deviates from the status quo
Does not fear judgment of others (may appear aloof, cold)
Red Flags! Can become worn down by social realities and become blasé even to their own purpose
Famous Aquarius Moons: Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Woody Allen, Bill Murray
Moon in Pisces: “I resolve simply to prioritize the advancement of my spiritual life over all other concerns in this lifetime.”
Naturally sensitive to other realms
Experiences the vastness of the universe as a feeling
Visionary, imaginative
To be happy, they need quiet time alone to experience the essence of their being and its connection to all that is
Sees the triviality of mundane life
Compassionate to others’ sensitivities, due to their own exaggerated sense
Red Flags! If not actively pursuing their spiritual development, they can become spacy, be swallowed into numbness or along with someone else’s delusions
Famous Pisces Moons: Paul Newman, Elvis Presley, Danny Trejo, Ben Stiller
To add another layer of depth, in an astrology reading, we would add on the house that your Moon falls in to understand the primary area of life these emotional evolutionary goals will play out. Of course, always with the caveat that the entire chart must be taken into consideration. Most astrologers also layer in timing techniques to analyze impacts to your natal birth chart, such as your progressed Moon (which changes signs every 2.5 years) or the Moon in your current solar return chart.
I think it is also important to point out the simple elegance of using your Big Three (link to my free guide) as a check-in when making decisions. Sometimes, one becomes dominant, or two gang up on the other because that approach is internally more comfortable or externally more acceptable.
A recent example is with my daughter, who has started looking for a new job. I reminded her not to let her Libra rising and Sagittarius Moon override her Cancer Sun. Meaning, she could accept a job because she wants to please others (Libra) and out of an overly optimistic outlook (Sag), rather than heeding her body’s emotionally intuitive radar (Cancer).
I hope you find this a helpful resource as you continue your astrology learning.
You are now empowered to be consciously curious about your natal Moon!
How fascinating to learn about the moon and how it affects me (I’m a Cancer).