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Astrology and the Moon



Moon Base
When you’re new to this world, it’s all about instinct and emotion. You are reacting to stimulation, and taking it all in – like the Moon, you reflect your experiences. It’s like a baby’s face, one moment all giddy smiles, the next scrunched up with need and crying. When we look up at the night sky, sometimes, the Moon is bright, sunny even, reflecting the brightest Sun. Other times, it’s like something from a gothic novel, with dark wisps of cloud moving over it.

The Moon in astrology is your base, from which you radiate out (with the development of Sun sign traits). The Moon relates to the earliest babyhood, and even the time before that – in the womb waters. As you place yourself in time, the Moon traits become less obvious, and for some, go underground.

Your Moon base is where you return at the end of the day. It’s who you are when you’re totally relaxed, or what you reach for to comfort yourself. In a time of crisis, the Moon becomes visible, as you go into react mode, or are driven by emotions.

Intimacy
The Moon base is an important part of who you are, and a key to understanding how you relate. Sooner or later, in relationship, the Moon will make its presence known. When Moons are compatible, there’s a lot of emotional understanding. When Moon energies clash, it takes patience and accepting that others – even those you’re very close to – have emotional and soul needs that are so very different than yours.

The Moon has been called the holder of all things unconscious. It’s about all early conditioning, reactive habits and what we do to self-soothe. The Moon sign determines how we let our hair down, what refills the emotional well and what we need to feel close to another. It shows emotional desires, longings and what really goes on behind closed doors!

Homey Moon
It's the You that senses (beyond intellect) the subtle rhythms of intimate relationship. Your Moon sign is the big give-away to how the emotional and soulful self is expressed. The Moon in your chart has a long memory reaches back into childhood, where it picked up behaviors that came from the circumstances.

It deals with family memories and Mother and mothering (or lack of it) from either of the parents. The Moon has a mysterious reach into the shadows of the past. It's known as a gateway to past lives, and soul secrets held by the energy body, and trailing from the ancestral line. The Moon shows you how to understand your family legacy.

Moody Moon
The Moon moves swiftly, entering a new Zodiac sign every 2 to 2 ½ days. The Moon base, which can bring the Sun and Moon into any combination, gives us the wonderful variety we experience with different Sun signs.

The Moon's mood is so different in each of the four elements (fire, earth, air and water). Its house location the birth chart will show the life arena where the Moon's instinct make the biggest impact.

The Moon sign begins to explain to beginners to astrology, why two Aries will seem so different. One may have an Aries Moon, (fire), making her a “double Aries” with a combustible emotional core that turns into a sunny conflagration when paired with the Sun’s vitality. On the other hand, an Aries with the Cancer Moon, the water element, has an underlying sensitivity and longing to belong that softens some of that impulsive forward lurching of Aries.

An Aries with an air sign Libra Moon, a big relating signature, weighs the view of others equally, as it considers the next brave act. And an Aries with an earth sign Capricorn Moon, wants to take more time, for actions that fit into the overall longterm plan of this ambitious, legacy-minded sign.

Find Your Moon Sign
Most people know their Sun sign, known in many circles as simply the Zodiac or Star Sign. It makes sense to learn about the Moon next, and add that to your self-knowledge go-bag.

The Sun-Moon dynamic in your own chart shows how your emerging self (Sun) is balanced against the needs of the deeper emotional/soul self. Knowing your Moon sign and house clues you in to what’s needed to stay happy, calm, comforted, understood.

When the Moon is too long in shadow, and needs go unfulfilled, you start to see the negative side of the traits (of your Moon’s Zodiac sign). That alerts you to the critical need to come home to yourself, and be honest with what you need. It also shows the path to living in synch with that deeper part of you.

Moon Memorandum

  • Your Moon’s Zodiac sign, with element, quality and house position, tells your story of how you naturally do love and friendship.
  • Moon well being is enhanced through spiritual curiosity, an active dream life, intuitive flashes and reading the emotional impressions you receive.
  • In astrology, the Moon’s work is being close, without giving in to dependency. Early habits of relating with parents of friends may have to be later reviewed, and even undone if they prove to be out of balance later, and keeping you from true intimacy.
  • Many emotional problems can be tracked back to early childhood experiences; these can develop into shadow Moon traits that eclipse (inhibit) the Sun traits at times.

Soulful Landscapes

  • The Moon is a give away, to our style of caring – are we lovey dovey or aloof, physically affectionate or prefer to keep a space cushion between us and them.
  • The birth chart sign and house position shows how we deal with overwhelming stress – some of its habits might be covert (like sneaking cigarette.)
  • The natal Moon and its aspects to other planets in the chart, reveals a lot about patterns that are a part of who we are, often under the conscious radar.
  • The Moon’s strange tics or irrational reactions are a defense against feeling too much, and having the circuits jammed by too much stimulation.

Elemental Moon

  • In the fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), the Moon is enthusiastic, freedom-loving, a natural cheerleader, bright, impulsive, and at times, a smidge insensitive. What the fire sign Moon misses in emotional nuance, is made up with real warmth and passion.
  • The Moon in the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) is a big feeler, and picks up on what others miss. Can have boundary issues that really mess with their sense of who they are.
  • The Moon in the air signs (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini) falls in love with ideas and minds, and often intellectualizes emotions before or during the actual feeling of them.
  • The Moon in the earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo) has a sensate approach, and finds comfort in the real and tangible. The earth signs are renown lovers and chefs, with their affinity for physical closeness and delight in earthly pleasures.

Sun, Moon in the Stars

  • The Moon is absorbing, and that’s the role it plays in our lives. The light around is reflected back from that emotional base of responses.
  • The Sun is how we experienced father, and the Moon, our mother; the astrological aspects between them (square, trine, etc) tells us a lot about how we read that situation from day one. It also offers insight into our own masculine and feminine, dimensions of experience that both men and women have.
  • When the Sun and Moon are in synch (with trines, conjunction), emotional needs are easily harmonized with the drives of the will, and what you want to accomplish in the world.
  • When the Sun and Moon are in tension (with squares, opposition), the drive and sense of radiating who you are, is at odds with your emotional needs. This can be balanced out over time, with self-awareness and of course, the trial and error that is part of life!

Comments

Madalina said…
Falling in love with ideas - that's definitely something I've noticed at many Air sign people (myself included).
Unknown said…
Interesting how important the moon is in our lives, but only logical considering the sun's importance!
Unknown said…
This was a very informative article
Unknown said…
"Ask Johanna" always teaches me something new, which is why I love reading these posts.
Nico said…
What a great and fascinating article. I always saw the Moon as something magical. Incredible the connection we share and the affect it has on us.
penni d said…
Love the moon, dancing in the moonlight, guess I need to know more about this wonderful sky orb!
Unknown said…
I never knew so much about the Moon, even though I know it is important in astrology. Great article!
Unknown said…
The moon sure does explain a lot about what is going on.
Unknown said…
This article is just packed full of interesting information on how the moon is important to us!
Unknown said…
Wow, very nice detailed advice with the moon
Unknown said…
This is a great article about astrology and the moon and how they go together...I never knew just how important the moon was/is in our lives.

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