I’ve been studying astrology since I was a child, so that makes it a lot of years. While I will never call myself an astrologer, I do have an understanding of the basics. They’ve helped me so much during many parts of my life. All that time, I’ve felt the most direct link to astrology by studying the moon, which sign it’s in, and how that affects us all.
The moon transits (stays in) each sign for two to two and a half days each month. I’ve got some simple explanations of my understanding of the moon in different signs, and how that’s affected me. Read on to learn more!
Moon in Aries
Aries, the ram, is ruled by Mars, the god of war. Think bellicose. Think head-butting. Think extremely impulsive. Think rash and reckless and impatient. Think infantile, because Aries as the first sign is the infant of the zodiac. People are going around being very egocentric! It’s by the force and example of the moon. Warriors, warrior maidens. Headaches, head injuries, these things abound under an Aries moon because Aries rules the head.
Emotionally we are revved up and stark naked under an Aries moon. We have no patience with others or with ourselves. We want to get things done for the sake of getting them done. We will deal with the consequences of our actions another time but today, we act before we think. And that’s okay because we know we’re right. We are headstrong. We butt heads over concepts, ideas, actions, inactions. But we can also accomplish great and miraculous things with all that Mars energy! We just have to focus it.
Moon in Aries will not make us diplomats. It will lead us into battles. It also makes us courageous and decisive. It makes us want to take the bull by the horns and rattle sabers. It favors being athletic and it favors brainstorming, but it will sap our patience and thoughtfulness. It’s explosive. Sometimes literally.
Aries rules the first house of the zodiac–the house of self. Of ego. Of me. It also rules the head, and being headstrong.
Moon in Taurus
When the moon moves from Aries into the sign of Taurus, the bull, it brings with it a whole new set of challenges and delights. The forceful energy of the past few days will mellow and it’s a good time to nest and nestle. Patience will return, and the ability to proceed with diligence. Think of Taurus the bull moving steadily forward on feet that look anything but light.
Taurus is ruled by Venus; that brings with it a greater degree of harmony and a sense of beauty. It’s a good time to rest and regenerate, to get cozy. It’s also a time when you might just notice yourself being stubborn. That’s the famed Taurean reticence at work. No one gets to push you around during this transit unless you feel like being pushed around!
Taurus rules the second house. That’s possessions, self-esteem, property. Taurus also rules the neck and shoulders.
Moon in Gemini
MOON IS IN GEMINI! EVERYBODY TALK AND WRITE!
Seriously if you can’t stop communicating you know why–oh, look, over there, something really really shiny! I’m sorry, you were saying something? Gotta run.
But really, folks, this is Gemini we’re talking about. The third house, the house of communication, of sociability. Gemini is communication but it’s also distraction, so if you have someplace to be and you head out only to find yourself suddenly going somewhere else that seemed that much more attractive, you can blame it on the moon.
It’s a great two and a half days for brainstorming, for bouncing ideas off one another, for WRITING, for talking, for catching up. But expect the distractions; Gemini = twins and during this transit you will always find yourself wanting to do more than one thing at a time. Go with the flow. It’s an air sign. It’s easy. It tumbles here and there, back and forth. It’s too much caffeine on an empty stomach, it’s light and fluffy like a breeze, it’s not going to be particularly deep but that doesn’t mean interactions won’t and can’t be meaningful.
Gemini rules the lungs. The throat. Your breath. As the sign associated with the third house of communication and intellect, it practically begs us to speak our truth.
Moon in Cancer
Have you been feeling a little touchy? A little emotional? Craving the comforts of home and family and friends? Or maybe you’ve been on the flip side of the Cancerian moon: giggling uncontrollably? Finding things a little loony? Have you been craving seclusion? Safety and safety nets? Think of that little crab curling up into its shell and you’ll get it about the moon transiting Cancer.
But mom, you say, although you know deep in your bosom that I am not your internet mama, my tummy hurts. Well, that’s a part of the body ruled by the sign of Cancer. We get a little needy, a little crabby. Okay, maybe a lot crabby. Maybe we all need a shot of moon in Leo, but that transit always follows in a couple of days. Hang on and you’ll feel like venturing out into the spotlight again.
Moon transiting Cancer brings us a need to nest, to be at home. It’s the sign of the fourth house of the zodiac, which rules home and family. We get sentimental and sensitive and please don’t try to get me out of bed too early or I will snap at you with my claws. Let me stay close to home, or close to my friends. Don’t make me go out and be good with strangers. Let me bask in the concept of being a total homebody, and I will be so happy during this transit. If I can’t be at home, put me by the ocean (Cancer is a water sign).
Cancer is in charge of the body’s midsection (chest to belly). It rules the fourth house of home, hearth, and family.
Moon in Leo
Hello. I am the moon. I’ve just moved into the sign of Leo, and aren’t you glad about that?
Point me to the stage. Let me go wild. Get me out there, let the sun shine on me, I fear nothing!
I am: expressive, creative, dynamic, self-centered, fantastic, fun to be around, in the spotlight, on. Adventurous, flirtatious, dynamic. Let’s play!
Leo lords it over the fifth house, which is the house of creativity, passion, and pleasure. For this moon’s transit, you might feel like you’re in charge (and if you’re not, you might feel that you damn well ought to be!). You’ll be more confident, more dramatic, and maybe just a little bit louder than usual! Have fun with it.
Leo rules the heart. You probably already figured that part out!
Moon in Virgo
Got your medicine cabinet stocked up? Got your first-aid supplies with you at all times? Feeling a little picky, a little judgmental, a little irritable? Maybe your stomach’s bothering you a little bit, and maybe you have a need to have things stacked up neatly or put away just so. Finding fault with things wherever you look? Seeing a job that could have been done better? Annoyed about things in general?
Don’t sweat it, it’s just the moon transiting the sign of Virgo. It’s a time for editing and fault-finding, for undertaking things that seem routine, for cleaning and cleansing, for detoxing and neatening, for gardening, de-cluttering, and analysis, for work and seeing effort from that work.
Virgo’s an Earth sign and rules the sixth house, which represents work and employment, but it also rules the quality of our health and our physical well-being. So now you know why work and diet go hand-in-hand, I guess! Since it’s a good transit to be cleaning up and straightening up. And hopefully not too stressed!
Astrologically speaking, Virgo rules the abdomen and digestive system. Work and diet, friends!
Moon in Libra
My back hurts. Then again, maybe it doesn’t. On the other hand…
The Moon in Virgo transit is over and we’re on to the beautiful airiness of Libra. Where the past few days were all about detail and precision, crankiness and irritability, the next few should be about… well… wait, maybe I… did I start the right way? What is it about Moon transiting Libra again? Oh, right, are you sure? Yeah? Positive? Okay. Indecision.
Libra’s symbol is the scales, and you know what happens when you try to weigh something on a scale, right? It dips one way, then another, then the first, then the second, until finally it evens out. Like a seesaw, we go back and forth, weighing all our options, until we finally make a decision. Phew! It’s a good thing I didn’t go for a pedicure today, or I’d still be deciding what color to paint my toenails! All this is a long-winded way of saying that what Libra’s really about, besides indecision, is balance. They’re flip sides of the same coin, right? I’m unsure about that metaphor… just kidding.
With Moon transiting Libra, we flock to partnerships and friends like flies to honey (or is that like moths to flames?). We’ll be more sociable, feel better around other people, reach out where we didn’t the past few days.
For those counting the twelve houses of the zodiac, Libra rules the seventh house, which is the house of partnership (and for all you romantics out there, it’s also the house of marriage). So if you feel a pull toward that kind of thing, don’t worry, it’s just the moon doing its thing. Libra is also the sign in charge of our kidneys and lower back.
Moon in Scorpio
I don’t know why all the astrology sites talk about how the moon transiting Scorpio means an emotionally difficult time. We Scorpios are not that difficult. Just secretive. So what does it really mean for the moon to be in Scorpio? It means you get to be a little bit of a detective. You’ll be focused and intense. Devoted to a cause. Passionate about everything, from the color of your shoes to politics to world hunger. It’s just the way it goes!
Scorpio rules the eighth house, which is the house of secrets. Of death, which is merely the flip side of transformation and change. It makes me wonder why people are so afraid to really delve and get to the bottom of whatever’s going on. Of course, there’s that famous Scorpio intensity, which can be intimidating. Hmm, looks like the eighth house should be the house of I. But not like the first, which is me me me: the eighth house imbues a sense of self that encompasses more than just ego. All the mysteries of the world get incorporated into it, in some way or another, and it’s fun to explore.
So the moon’s in Scorpio: get out and do something detailed, something you love that takes concentration and focus, something that takes odd twists and turns. It’s an emotionally creative time! Don’t let the whole Scorpio thing frighten you: push yourself and you’ll realize you have a lot more inner strength and drive than you thought. Behind all that intensity, you might find buried treasure. (Now I sound like an astrologer, so it’s time to stop!)
As ruler of the eighth house, Scorpio is in charge of regeneration. Death, taxes, sex…all those minor things in life. Really, it’s a house of change and how you’ll deal with change. This sign also rules the reproductive system and the hips.
Moon in Sagittarius
No, no, no, I got it, let me get it for you. Want a cup of coffee? I’ll buy: the moon’s in Sagittarius.
I used to have a Sagittarius friend who was about the single friendliest person I’ve ever met. Wide open like a book, honest to a fault, generous, kind, adorable. He had the uncanny ability to call or show up just when I needed a call or a shoulder, and he always did everything with a smile on his face and never expected to be compensated for it. In so many ways, he’s the ultimate Sagittarius. I like to call them the BFFs of the zodiac, the ones everyone automatically adores.
So the moon is transiting the sign of Sagittarius: what does that mean? It means we’re prone to generosity and kindness ourselves, to wanting to be helpful. We’re confident and happy and travel suddenly sounds really really good to us. Looking at it from another perspective, we’ll be prone to clumsiness of the I-stepped-on-the-rake-and-the-pole-hit-me-in-the-forehead variety. Open a drawer to find something and pull it out all the way, and everything ends up on the floor. That kind of clumsiness: pick up a bag of groceries and the handle pops off and there go your groceries rolling down the street.
Fortunately, the sense of openness and generosity always outweigh the clumsiness factor, in my humble opinion. It’s an active transit where we’re going to want to get out and do things, so enjoy it while it lasts. The next moon transit’s bound to bring us back down to earth.
Sagittarius rules the ninth house of the zodiac, the house of philosophy, religion, learning and understanding. In the body, it corresponds to the thighs.
Moon in Capricorn
When the moon’s in Capricorn we’ll tend to be analytical and picky, but we’ll also be persevering. If we start feeling a little rules-based and formal, a little strict, a little remote and reserved, that’s just the Capricorn moon transit at work.
Capricorn is honestly one of the most practical signs of the zodiac, one of the hardest-working. This moon transit is a great time for business, for long-term planning, to put to practical application all the things you’ve been thinking about doing but were too busy to get around to. Let’s think about Capricorn, the goat: what do goats do? They climb. They push aside all obstacles in their paths and get to the top of the hill, where they can stand silhouetted against the sunlight and look down on all the rest of us who got too distracted to do the hard work it took to get there. If you get the sudden urge to get up and get things done, that’s the moon talking to you.
Astrologically speaking, Capricorn rules the tenth house, and that’s the house of hard work, of career, of wisdom, of rulership or of being ruled, and primarily of ambition and authority. We want things to be right. We’ll be precise like we were when the moon transited the sixth house, but not just because we want to be precise. It’s because we have to be. When the moon transits this house, we need to be correct, looked up to, and respected. It’s also where we’ll feel (and accept) the consequences of our actions, so in some sense it’s a house of karma. It’s a great place to be productive, and it’s also a place of palpable change.
Capricorn’s spot on the body is the knees.
Moon in Aquarius
The moon transiting Aquarius makes me look forward to going to sleep at night because it usually gives me the most amazing dreams! Global dreams, dreams on a huge scale, dreams of entire universes or giant groups of people. That’s because Aquarius is such a global sign that already forces people to look beyond themselves and their own personal good to the fortune of society as a whole. Couple that with the emotional pull of the moon, and voila. Crazy dreams.
This transit also makes us want to branch out, to learn, to collaborate on a large scale. We want to be out and about and doing things because at heart even though it’s a sign that loves to investigate and dissect things, Aquarius is a lot more sociable than its neighbors Capricorn and Pisces. But… we’ll want to do everything our own way.
“Don’t tell me what I can’t do” is kind of a hallmark here. Moon transiting Aquarius gives us an increased desire for independence, independent thought, freedom. But it kicks subordination’s ass. It’s great for reading, for learning, for pursuits of all things scientific and all things that could possibly have a beneficial impact on the world as a whole. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the greatest breakthroughs in scientific research took place with the moon in Aquarius. But I’d also venture to guess that none of those things were done under the gun or to please a boss or because some deadline said they had to be done. Moon in Aquarius demands a lot more freedom and individuality than that.
On the other hand (I know! Classic AIR SIGN saying, revisit Libra if you need proof), Aquarius is an air sign so our emotions will tend to be less… volatile and more curious. Less personal and more distanced. One thing about Aquarius is that emotions and Aquarius are like oil and water: they don’t mix. It doesn’t mean Aquarians don’t have emotions; that’d be ridiculous. But it means that they tend to hold them back a step, an inch, with just enough detachment so that the things that might bother someone else wouldn’t even make the Aquarius flinch. They’d be able to look at it and go… “huh, interesting!” where others might look at it and scream and claw for what they thought they wanted.
When the moon transits Aquarius, we have the chance to step back a little from the serious depth of emotion and take things a little less critically. A little more analytically. It’s a blessing, because the next transit, Moon in Pisces, is going to bring emoting back in a big way.
Rounding out that big old Zodiac chart, Aquarius rules the eleventh house, and that’s the Big Funhouse of Friends, of Social Climate, of Original Living, of Fortune (if the eleventh house was a tarot card, it’d be the Wheel of Fortune). So what’s it mean, what’s it mean? Well, the eleventh house rules doing things in groups. On a societal level. On a global societal level. My favorite description of the eleventh house is “the playground where we meet the world.” Isn’t that beautiful? It’s creative collaboration rather than individual shine.
Look to the shins and ankles when you look for Aquarius’s effect on the body.
Moon in Pisces
You ever known you know something, but you don’t know how you know it? It’s just gut, just intuition? That’s the moon transiting Pisces. You ever feel emotions running under your feet like a fast-moving stream? That’s moon in Pisces. You ever feel psychic? That’s moon in Pisces. You ever feel in tune with deep dark mystical things? That’s moon in Pisces, starting to get the picture?
This is a time when we really have to pay attention to our feelings and to those of others. We’ll actually be a lot more open to other peoples’ feelings and want to help. We might be feeling magnanimous, generous to a fault, self-sacrificing. Emotional much more than logical, and very imaginative! There’s an enhanced sensitivity to drugs and alcohol during this transit. We might go out of our way to be near the water, or to meditate, or to be involved in creative pursuits like theater or film. Anything spiritually-based will catch our attention during this transit.
Pisces rules the twelfth house, which is the house of the subconscious and of the spiritual. Of dreams and intuition. So pay attention to dreams and to gut feel during this transit. It also rules the feet.
And now you know. There are many resources out there for learning which sign is transiting the moon at any given time, and many more detailed versions of this little guide to moon transits. If you have a favorite, please share it in the comments.
Dreaming in Character 