Moon Signs

Moon Signs Versus Sun Signs

Most people know their Sun sign, that being the sign everyone says they are when asked, “What’s your sign?” but the Moon is also in a sign at the time of birth.

The symbolism of the Moon is in many respects the opposite of the Sun’s symbolism. Where the Sun represents day, the Moon rules night and enterprises conceived in darkness. If the Sun is the spirit, the Moon is the soul. The Sun is the father and the Moon is the mother. The Sun is the sperm and the Moon is the ovum.

The Moon is the primary planet of femininity. All its virtues are female representing the capacity to nurture, acting upon feelings versus logic, and focusing on the concerns of the moment rather than planning for the future.

The Moon sign brings out quite different qualities of the zodiac sign than the Sun does when placed in the same sign. The Moon sign activates the more primitive side of the zodiac sign it tenants.

Take the Moon in Aries versus the Sun in Aries. Though there are similarities between these two positions, the Moon expressing through Aries is going to manifest as visible hyperactivity in the nature, impulsivity to the max, and in general, a fitful and violent emotional nature. This is because the moon is more concerned with the present moment and the zodiac sign Aries is impulsive and lacks patience.

The Sun in Aries represents a cool-headed, rational, and controlled character because the Sun stabilizes the more violent features of Aries. The Sun is the antithesis of the moon’s changeable and unstable nature and thus activates Aries more “cool under fire” side. Aries is still Aries no matter which planet or luminary tenants it. We are still dealing with a positive, fiery nature in either case but with the Moon in Aries we are looking more at the berserker archetype and with the Sun in Aries, the manifestation is more of the cool-headed commando.

Both are martial in nature but one acts completely on impulse while the other has a plan of action. The common denominator is that the zodiac sign Aries is akin to a battlefield but every soldier placed upon it has a different way of approaching war.

Fortune And Form

The Moon signifies accumulation of substance and is generally considered fortunate from a material point of view. Conservative by instinct, she seeks to gather the materials she needs to preserve the body and the home. Frugality and prudence come naturally to the Moon.

The Moon rules the astral plane, the realm of forms and desires. The astral plane directly precipitates manifestation on the earth plane much as holding an image in your mind and bathing it with desire will tend to make it come true or be given substance here.

The position of the Moon by sign gives the matrix through which the desires and thought-forms tend to manifest. To use Aries again, they would manifest very fitfully and suddenly. No sooner is something visualized, Aries Moon wishes to put it into action immediately. Thus, we may get some rather crude manifestations or some rather brilliant ones.

Capacity For Relationship

The Moon sign is a primary determiner of the way we approach relationships and our capacity to sustain them as well as the style in which they are maintained. People that have incompatible Moon signs tend to not be able to live together without constant conflicts even if in other respects they get along. If you are looking for domestic harmony pick a partner that has a compatible Moon sign energy with yours.

Some signs are more prone to seeking relationships than others. The Moon always represents capacity to relate so regardless if it is in a zodiac sign that is relationship oriented or not, it has to approach relationships from the zodiac sign’s perspective. To use Aries as an example yet again, the Moon placed in this sign will be self-oriented, not having a great relationship focus, though they may be prone to sudden infatuations, Aries Moon usually lacks the ability to sustain a long-term relationship because they are too caught up in their own desires and needs. Any partner always comes second place to them.

Because the Moon sign represents an unconscious expression of the sign, Aries Moon is not aware that they have a tendency to focus on themselves to the exclusion of others. Often, when in conversation an Aries Moon will not be listening to anyone but themselves talk, really liking the sound of their own voice. However, if the Aries Moon is paired with another fire sign Moon they are likely to get along just fine because they will both instinctively understand the fire element’s self-centered orientation.

The Sun/Moon Synthesis

The Sun and Moon sign placements in a horoscope are the two most important indicators of character and personality. The way they blend together to create a third entity that is more than the sum of their parts is a key component in interpretation of compatibility with other people.

Nothing in a horoscope operates in isolation. You might know some of the key traits of your sun sign and still less people understand some of the traits of their Moon sign. But, the real magic of Astrology is combining or synthesizing these two elements together to form a more refined and accurate appraisal of character. Once you have a grasp of your Sun/Moon blend you will be in a superior position to reap the fruits of the seeds you plant.

The Sun shows the seed we are given to sow but without the Moon, it is like planting a seed in the Sahara, it will not grow in the barren and arid soil. The Moon sign shows the way we nurture the initial impulse toward life represented by the Sun. Together, the Sun and Moon sign blend is an infallible index of our true nature.