How to interpret the Moon in a chart
To interpret the Moon in signs, there are various layers.
First layer: Like the Sun, the Moon is a luminary. If the Moon is in Taurus, Taurus is in the spotlight. So just Taurus.
Second layer: the light of the Moon is not the same as the Sun’s. It’s an intimate light.
Moon is mother, family, early environment. It’s the inner you.
To the Sun you may say “ I’m so proud of you” but to the Moon you rather go like: “baby, you’re my baby”.
There is more to it. If you look up Moon in the Penguin Dictionary of Symbols there are five or six pages. Fundamentally, the Moon reflects, and is always changing. Interpretations follow.
For now, let’s just stick to mother, family and early environment.
If you make a new friend, for them your Taurus traits are just you. Let’s say you love nature, it’s a stereotype, it doesn’t have to always be true, but often it is. One day you invite your friend to a family gathering. A few little chats later, they understand that your love of nature is a trait of family culture.
Things may be a bit more subtle than in my exemple, but you get the point. Traits associated with the Moon make you belong where you belong. You’ll feel at home when you meet the same.
Imagine that as a Taurus Moon you fall in love with a Taurus Sun.
Sun and Moon conjunct in synastry is a match made in heaven on principle. (Unfortunately, the best connections don't cancel other conflicts that may exist between charts).
Keeping to a standard stereotype for the sake of clarity, the Taurus Sun wants to be a farmer. This will mean more than making a living to them: this will be a question of becoming who they want to be. You’ll be naturally supportive.
With your Taurus Moon, you’ll just feel at home on the farm. You’ll recharge your batteries joking with the donkeys. You’ll want your children to grow up there. That’s the “normal” life for you, but it’s not enough for you to be you.
Suppose you have a Gemini Sun, let’s take another stereotype, you’ll want to be a writer. This will mean the world to you.
If, by chance, your Taurus Sun partner has the Moon in Gemini, you’ll read them your papers and they’ll appreciate your style. They may love reading and writing, but that’s just like breathing to them, their success at life is not at stake.
A third level of interpretation is that the Moon rules over Cancer, and through Cancer, over a house, maybe two, and possibly over planets placed in Cancer. Whatever happens with the Moon happens indirectly - but surely - to these houses and planets.
In my own chart, the Moon rules over my Cancer Ascendant, is in Libra and in the fourth house. It may be more fundamental to the interpretation to consider the houses: ruler of first house in fourth house. I am a rat. I love my basement.
My Cancer personality style must be combined with Libra. Juggling with key words always helps: Emotional balance is needed. Sensitivity in search of artistic harmony. Social needs. Feeling two sides. I am a good listener, it’s an airy way to care… I am not saying everything, just showing you how to elaborate.
Beyond key words, feel the world of Cancer, then the world of Libra, and let the vibes interact in your inner space.
Thinking in pictures can be a funny game: two crabs on a sea-saw, when one is up the other is down, it could be a nursery rhyme and it is a way to invite inspiration. Two crabs on a sea-saw, one wants to eat you, the other is scared by you, which one will you pick up, which one will you throw away?
A fourth level of interpretation, but it could have been the third, is to follow the ruler of the sign in which the Moon is placed.
If you have the Moon in Sagittarius, you may carry your home like a rucksack on your back, drive a camper van or settle abroad. Wherever you live is a camp base and/or a library. Maybe it’s near a temple, not far from the city hall. It’s rather open, compared to a Cancer cocoon. It’s the place you shoot arrows of consciousness from.
With the Moon in Sagittarius, Jupiter says more. Let’s say it’s in Leo. No doubt, it’s a fiery Moon! Expect a combination of adventure and creativity, of exploration and let-me-show-you; her way to nurture is to take by the hand and lead beyond the familiar environment.
Don’t worry, she says, I’ll take you back home, you’re safe with me.
I won’t talk about the Moon in the twelve signs, sorry.
There are enough cookbooks out there. Moon in Aries, Moon in Taurus, Moon in Gemini, Moon in Cancer, it’s nice, it’s good order. It’s boring like Saturn doing admin. My Uranus in the third house doesn't want to live like that.
If we wanted to be systematic, then we would also need to write about Moon in Aries with Mars in Aries, then Moon in Aries with Mars in Taurus, followed by Moon in Aries with Mars in Gemini… and all the possible combinations.
And we would have to do the same with the Sun, then going through all the possible combinations with rising signs…
I am not going to write a crazy cookbook like that. Beyond the most elementary combinations, we’re all alone in the jungle!
What I wish to convey is a sense of how to juggle.
Jean-Marc Pierson
Astrologer, Storyteller and Philosopher a bit. Why don’t you have a look at my homepage?
Do you want to learn astrology with me? Embark on a five sessions cycle, repeat ad libidum! Or just read my book.
