The Moon in Astrology

The Moon in Astrology

The Moon and your emotional body – Get to know your astrological moon for a healthy postpartum period and beyond

How does the Moon influence our lives?

The moon in astrology represents our inner world – it rules the night-time, the dream time and the divine feminine part of us that exists in everyone regardless of gender. The invisible force of the moon pushes and pulls the ocean tides and in the same way, our emotions ebb and flow and should be allowed and honoured. The moon also rules the unconscious mind and it tells us how we will respond emotionally when triggered or pushed. 

The moon is ruler of the sign Cancer which has a focus on the house and home environment, so the element, house and sign that the moon is placed in the natal chart can tell us how we behave and what we need in our private spaces. It also tells us how we respond to our environment as well as our instinctual habits. Familiarizing ourselves with our moon placement can give us compassion and understanding for ourselves and others when we respond to situations where our emotions are triggered. When a situation pushes you or something is said that causes you to internally react, what are your first instincts? Do you withdraw and respond with sensitivity? Feel the need to talk about it? Get practical and try to set emotions aside? Or push back in a spirited way? These are all indications of the element that your moon is placed in, water, air, earth or fire. 

Why is this helpful in postpartum care?

Between hormone fluctuations and lack of sleep in the early days after bringing that precious baby home you may find yourself pushed to your limits more often than usual. By knowing what you need to feel safe, seen and heard under pressure through your moon energies you are better equipped to both deal with your own emotions with a sense of awareness as well as communicate to others what you need. 

How do I find my moon?

Before reading further, you may want to pull up your astrological chart and take a look in what zodiac sign and house your moon is in. The natal chart shows the location of all the planets at the moment of your birth, it is literally a snapshot of the sky the moment you were born. 

Follow these 10 steps to pull up your chart:

1. Go to www.astro.com

2. Register for a free account by clicking “login” in the upper-right hand corner

3. Click "create a free registered user profile”

4. Fill in the fields and click “ok”

5. Click on the last page – “add new Astro data”

6. Enter your birth data – you will need to know your exact time of birth so check your birth certificate if you aren’t sure, it’s important! 

7. Click “continue”

8. Once entered, your name and birth data should now appear under “Stored Astro data.” Click on your name.

9. Scroll down, and on the lower right-hand column beneath Horoscope Chart Drawings, click “Chart drawing, Ascendant”

10. You should have your natal chart in front of you!

Locate the element and house placement of the moon 

Now look for the crescent moon symbol in the table next to the chart to find out what sign the moon is in. In example below, you can see that the moon is at 8 degrees of Leo. Leo is a fire sign, so that means that the moon is in the fire element. Next, find the moon symbol in the chart wheel to the right, and locate the tiny number at the center of that “slice of pie.” That number is the house number, and in the chart below the moon is in the 9th house. 

The moon in the four elements

The zodiac has 12 signs, with 3 signs in each element as listed below. For the purpose of this article, we are using the western tropical system. By identifying the sign your moon is placed in, you will know the element.  

Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Moon in water

If your moon is in a water sign, your first instinct may be to respond with sensitivity. You are highly intuitive and instinctual. Your body responds to your feelings and you may feel overwhelmed by a flood of emotions when triggered. Crying is a healthy outlet for those with moon in water, and you may need to take some time away to yourself. Moon in water people are more internal and secretive when it comes to how they feel so expressing these emotions may be more difficult, but it’s important not to hold them in.

Moon in Air

People with the moon in an Air sign feel the need to process emotions out loud. Air signs are associated with the mind, and you may go straight to your intellect and start overthinking or analyzing a situation. You may find yourself saying I think I’m feeling… Verbal cues are your way, and you need to talk about your feelings or risk shutting down emotionally. Become the observer of yourself, watching that you don’t allow yourself to detach and get too much in your head, rationalizing away how you feel. Make sure to allow yourself to process and feel emotions in your body, as opposed to avoiding them by talking about them.  

Moon in earth

With an earthy moon, you are reasonable and logical. People depend on you for your stability and gift of practicality. When emotions flare up, you’ll want to get real and find a way to fix it. Helping others in stressful situations is something you are great at – you stay grounded and get results. Your emotional realm can be easily overlooked as you focus on “what to do” so one tool you can use is paying attention to your feelings as a practice. Turn on your observer and ask yourself -  how am I feeling right now, in this situation? In this way, you turn attention inward towards your emotions and away from solely focusing on helping the other. 

Moon in fire

A firey moon will react exact how you would expect, with a bit of pizazz! Your emotional realm is reactive, impulsive and a touch dramatic. When pushed, you may find yourself more easily standing up for yourself or others and not backing down without a fight. Take it easy, moon in fire, make sure you are able to say sorry if you accidentally explode (we love your feistiness). Fire burns hot then subsides quickly, so as soon as you’ve expressed yourself, you’re likely to cool off quickly and be over it. It is also important for you to feel free to defend others and help them express what they lack the courage to say. You are great at standing up for the underdog.  

The Moon in each house

The zodiac is divided up into 12 houses, just like it’s divided up into 12 signs. The house that your moon falls in gives us information on what you need in order to feel emotionally balanced and fulfilled. 

A brief description for the moon in each house is given here:

Moon in the 1st house of Aries: Expressing your emotions and following your intuition is important.

Moon in the 2nd house of Taurus: A sense of being grounded, safe and stable is needed for you to feel good.

Moon in the 3rd house of Gemini: Healthy self-expression is important to you, as is having people close to you to confide in. 

Moon in the 4th house of Cancer: A warm, inviting home environment is essential, and being surrounded by your favorite people is a great comfort.  

Moon in the 5th house of Leo: Keeping a sense of play and fun in your life is important to you and staying in tune with your inner child supports this need for light-heartedness. 

Moon in the 6th house of Virgo: Healthy routines are key in taking care of yourself and others. You feel a desire to serve the other and are practical and analytical.

Moon in the 7th house of Libra: Open communication in relationships and a mutual sense of understanding is important. 

Moon in the 8th house of Scorpio: Superficial connections don’t cut it, you need to connect in a deep way with both yourself and others. 

Moon in the 9th house of Sagittarius: A sense of freedom to follow your passions and curiosity is important to you.

Moon in the 10th house of Capricorn: Purpose and ambition is a key theme in your life, and a sense of direction makes you feel fulfilled. 

Moon in the 11th house of Aquarius: Belonging to a cause or following an ideal that involves groups outside of your immediate network brings a sense of togetherness. 

Moon in the 12th house of Pisces: A spiritual connection and time alone to yourself is important. 

The moon is associated with the mother, both our inner child and our inner mother. Getting acquainted with our moon and allowing ourselves to fulfill our emotional needs in the postpartum period can help us get in touch with this beautiful divine feminine energy. It is an energy that holds a lot of power and just how the moon circles the sun, reflecting it's light, the moon is a reflection of our inner selves. 

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Here at the Center for Sacred Window Studies, we share voices from many perspectives and backgrounds. We believe that the sacred weeks post birth, and the experience of humanity is experienced in countless ways. We learn by listening to one another and honoring our stories. The views and opinions of our writers do not necessarily reflect the mission, viewpoints or opinions of the Center for Sacred Window Studies.