The location of
the Moon in a chart has just as much importance as the location of the
Sun at birth. Most people know the Astrological sign the Sun was passing
through on their birthday, yet, few people are aware of the location of
the Moon. The Moon is a symbol of the instinctive, emotional, and habitual
response within personality.
From the moment
of birth, each of us is immediately dependent upon our mother for life
support. The Moon represents symbolically, Mother, home, and family ties.
The Moon in a chart is a symbol for the emotional side of our response
to life. When the natural pattern is disrupted it can do permanent damage
to our emotional well-being.
Over time, astrologers
have collected words and phrases that they associate with certain kinds
of behavior. The Moon is also associated with biological and sociological
behavior. I found the following words and phrases in some books in my
library: the feminine principle, Motherliness, nurturing the family, hereditary
traits, mobility, changeable, impressionability, moodiness, emotions,
instincts, receptivity, intuition, imagination, subconscious, vulnerability,
feelings, and attitude toward women.
Research has shown
that keywords for the Moon were more accurate than the keywords for the
Sun. From that base, we can conclude that people are often more in touch
with feelings than clear about Ego needs. The Moon shows how we feel and
handle emotions.
This has a strong
influence upon the way we get along with the people in our lives. The
closest ties begin with our Mother and other family members. The Moon
refers to one’s heritage, family memories, and the beliefs learned as
a member of the family or clan. A family reunion can reveal a lot about
what the family “stands for”. One person may recall the family sitting
around the dinner table sharing the events of the day. Everyone had a
chance to speak. It was a chance to feel that you mattered. Another person
has a very different memory. “I hated mealtime. It was the loneliest part
of the day. Mom and Dad weren’t home from work and it was my job to heat
the food and I would usually watch TV for company”.
Each of us has a
memory from early childhood that brings up feelings that are just as happy
or sad as if they had happened the day before. We store feelings with
a great deal of emotional intensity. If you happen to have been born when
the Moon was in the sign it rules, Cancer, you are particularly tuned
to your emotions. But no matter which sign or house holds your Moon, it
is a storehouse of memories that represent both joy and pain.
The Moon gives clues
to your ability to respond emotionally, to recognize how you feel, and
to develop subjectivity. For example: if your Moon is connected to Saturn
it will be more difficult for you to be spontaneous in expressing your
feelings. From your point of view, it seems that someone was always telling
you to control yourself. “Stop that crying! Big boys (or girls) don’t
cry”. Or when you expressed a need to be loved and held, you remember
being told, “Not now, can’t you see that I am busy!” Chances are that
the parent is repeating the same phrases they heard as a child. However,
the child with Moon in Aries connected favorably to Saturn will store
that differently. “OK, can I go out and play?” The memory would be that
when your parent was busy it meant that you had time to do what you wanted
to do without supervision.
When the Moon in
your chart receives favorable aspects from other planets, it enhances
your capacity to get your emotional needs met in creative ways. If your
parents were absent during much of the day, you could find other nurturing
persons to fill the gap. One client recalled developing a route of friendly
neighbors who welcomed him with cookies, story time, and visits about
his exploits. “They always seemed glad to see me”, he recalls. Not bad
considering he was not quite three when he moved into the neighborhood.
This ability to gather emotional support when one door closes is a part
of his personality today.
Problems can arise
when the Sun sign and Moon sign represent very different needs. This can
be overcome only when the person becomes aware of the source of inner
conflict. The Moon is so instinctive and subjective that it is part of
your subconscious and habitual response. That is why Astrology can be
so helpful in sorting out the harmony and conflicts that make up your
complex personality. It helps to remember that the part of you that can
smile, laugh out loud, and cry when no one is looking is probably connected
to your Moon (feelings).
