The Moon's Meaning in Astrology

The planet of emotions, family, and instincts

The Moon In Astrology

The Moon is the planet of our inner world: our emotions, reactions and life patterns. Though not classified as a planet in Astronomy, the Moon is one of Astrology’s most important planets. From New to Full and back to New again, the Moon goes through eight phases each month, each impacting our overall energy in a different way.

There is no more important astrological symbol than the Moon. She is mother, home, roots, food, family needs, feelings and habits, and unconscious and instinctual responses to life. She is the receptive yin to the Sun’s active yang that connects us to the past and sets the rhythms of the present.

The location of the Moon in your personal Astrology chart influences your own emotional tendencies (just like it affects the ebb and flow of the ocean tides), while the Moon’s current location in the sky impacts your feelings and behaviors in the here and now.

More about the Moon

Your Moon Sign & Your Mother | Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs | The Sun/Moon Midpoint

Fast Moon Facts

Zodiac sign the Moon rules: Cancer

Exalted in: Taurus

House the Moon rules: 4th House of Roots and Security

The Moon retrogrades: Never

The Moon stays in each zodiac sign for: 2.5 days

The Moon makes a complete trip through the zodiac: Once every month

The Moon and Cancer

The emotionally charged Moon rules over the sensitive zodiac sign Cancer. In Astrology, the Moon has a powerful hold over the human emotions while Cancer is a tender sign driven by feelings and desires of affection. The sign Cancer embodies its lunar influence by taking responsibility for and prioritizing the feelings of those around it before all else.

The Moon and the 4th House

The Moon also rules the 4th House, which is known as the House of Security. The 4th House is all about roots, family, and childhood, and like Cancer, the 4th House focuses on the home -- both the physical aspects of making a home, and the emotional connections we have with the things that make us feel safe and comfortable.

The Moon’s Lessons

This content was written by Tarot.com writer Jeff Jawer.

The Moon teaches us that constancy and change are not opposing forces, but interwoven strands of the same cloth. For individuals who lack a sense of solidity in their lives, the Moon is a reminder to take note of the patterns of consistency that make them real. Even the most ungrounded people have talked, walked, thought or acted in some habitual ways that reveal the consistency of their lives. Wanderers who continue to wander remain, nevertheless, themselves.

On the other hand, anyone who is locked into rigid routines and diminished emotional flexibility can discover inner movement through the Moon. We can learn to be moody, a word sharing the same root as the word ’Moon,’ not in the sense of being depressed, but in the sense of being in motion.

A simple way to do this is to write down the intensity of feelings every day on a scale of one to five. Keeping a journal like this for at least 28 days (one lunar cycle) will reveal changes that show that feelings do fluctuate. Recognizing this fact can be a significant step toward breaking through insensitivity to oneself and eventually lead to more responsive self-care and nurturing.

Astrologers tend to equate Mercury with mental functioning, which is partially true. Memory, though, is associated with the Moon. It’s as if Mercury is the lens of the camera or the mind’s eye, and the Moon is the medium on which images are recorded. What we remember of the past affects our perceptions of the present. Painful memories that haven’t been addressed can cause us to shut down when similar circumstances arise.

When our brains throw up stop signs of doubt or disbelief, it’s helpful to double-check with our feelings to note where the source of resistance lies. It can often be felt in the body. We might rationalize our perceptions, of course, as if they are solely based on logic. Adding the emotional realm of the Moon to the equation, though, brings subjectively based information that makes a more complete picture of the situation, opening awareness and leading to better choices.

The Moon usually doesn’t speak to us in words. She lives in the waters of instincts that flow below the level of language. Operating primarily on this plane inhibits consciousness, but failing to acknowledge its role in our behavior is equally limiting.

Recovery of the non-verbal aspects of ourselves brings a subjective truth that, when integrated with reason, is essential to developing true self-knowledge. This connection rewards us with meaning, joy and a more profound sense of fulfillment.