What is your moon?

A full moon casts a serene glow over the calm sea, reflecting the deep emotional currents of our inner nature.

Most of us know the sign of our sun. Sun sign astrology is mainstream. The rest of it is not. We'll talk about our sun further down the line. But for now, I'd like to introduce you to the moon, because it plays such an integral role in prescribing our emotional path in life.

Put simply, the moon in your birth chart represents your feelings. It represents your emotional nature. Some of us have incredibly strong emotional natures, and we can see that in a chart. For example, if someone's moon is next to (conjunct) their sun, next to (conjunct) their ascendent, or in the 4th house where the moon naturally feels at home, their emotional nature will be a guiding force. If someone's sun is in the sign of cancer, their emotional nature will also be at the forefront of their psyche because the sign of cancer is ruled by the moon. Astrology is complicated like that.

Your moon symbolizes your inward, subjective reality. It correlates to your emotional and psychological needs. It's your heart and soul in the street sense. When somebody has soul, you know it, and it's likely that the moon is very strong in their chart. The moon also represents your mood averaged over the course of a lifetime.

Let's say your moon is in Capricorn. Then your mood (generally speaking) is serious, driven, and disciplined. If we find that Capricorn moon in the 3rd house of communication, it might be wise for you to use that Capricorn nature which wants to accomplish Great Works to write a book (3rd house). Your emotional happiness may actually depend upon you getting that book written! Without this knowledge, you may grow weary, despairing and sour. All that wonderful Capricorn discipline wasted on some meaningless time-serving agenda, likely someone else's. This is one example of how an astrological reading can be so helpful in navigating your life.

Knowing your moon sign and the house in which it resides is going to help you navigate your needs and your path to happiness in this lifetime. It's also going to give you insights into your emotional blindspots and subjective learning curves. Here's an example: My moon is in the sign of fiery, spontaneous, adventure-seeking Aries. In this lifetime I am teaching my heart courage (Aries work). But in what part of life? The 4th house. Thus, many of my life lessons will revolve around finding my natural home (4th house) having good instincts (moon) about choosing the right intimate partner to build a home with (4th house) and then deepening my soul within the context of lifelong, trusting relationships (4th house). I'll also need plenty of solitude (4th house) in order to feel emotionally balanced (moon).

What if your moon lies in the 10th house, the house of career and reputation? Then to find happiness in life, you need to devote your energies to finding a mission that is heartfelt, one that bears fruit in your community, and leaves a tangible mark on the world. The sign of that 10th house moon will give us clues into the type of mission that will ultimately bear fruit for you. Let's say that moon is in the nurturing sign of cancer. Then, in order to be happy your mission in life will necessarily revolve around some kind of healing profession.

The moon represents the archetype of the mother. Thus, getting intimate with our moon will teach us how we can best mother ourselves, shedding light on the kinds of experiences that will feel like acts of self-care, and what we must do to regenerate and re-energize ourselves when life becomes challenging and exhausting, as if we're caught in a storm that's never going to end.

Our moons are inherently whimsical. They aren't rational. They're the part of our psyches that embrace whimsy. Surrendering to your whimsies is one way to pay attention to your moon when healing, rest, and recovery is needed. Mother Moon is the great healer, and we must never forget to nurture our lunar natures.