Moon signs are an astrological term indicating which zodiac sign the moon’s presence was in during the time of our birth.
You’ll know your lunar sign by the date, time and place of your birth. These details indicate the placement of the moon within the 12 zodiac signs when you were born.
For example, if the moon was stationed within the constellation of Sagittarius on your birthday, then… you guessed it, your lunar sign would be Sagittarius.
In a nutshell, a moon sign is the polarity of a sun sign (sun signs being the most commonly known, and the sign on which your horoscope in the newspapers is based).
Sun signs are assertive, active, vital, outgoing and these are the personality aspects of ourselves we willingly expose to the world around us. (see Symbolism of the Sun here)
Lunar signs, however are quite the opposite. They represent the unseen, intuitive, emotional, psychic, instinctive perspectives of our personality.
Some astrologists maintain our moon sign represents our unconscious. I don’t know if I buy that, because some of us are extremely aware of our moon-side behaviors. And, if we’re aware of a thing, we’re certainly conscious of it.
I would agree, however, that lunar signs are symbolic of our shadow selves. Those aspects we keep secret. We might even keep some of these aspects secrets from ourselves – and that would certainly go under the category of “unconscious.”
Lunar signs are connected with our primitive instinct too, and so a modicum of unconsciousness could be involved here. Many instincts can be judged as distasteful, and so the moon can hide that unpleasant aspect from ourselves.
Many of us are unwilling to investigate our moon signs for fear of touching those dark aspects of ourselves. But just because our lunar personality traits are cloaked, doesn’t mean their bad.
This is a common misunderstanding. In fact, we owe it to ourselves to explore our shadow sides. We experience unbalance by not knowing ourselves fully (light and dark) – and that unbalance can represent major problems.
Besides, lunar signs are amazing keys unlocking a myriad of mysteries within us and the world around us.
For example, our lunar sign is also a clue to our maternal instincts as well as traits we may have inherited from our mothers.
There are scads of esoteric doors that our lunar sign holds the key to unlocking.
Learning and exploring your moon sign will aid you in unlocking secrets in the following areas…
Knowing Your Moon Sign Helps With:
- Developing Intuition
- Emotional Behaviors
- Feminine Influences
- Instinctive Behaviors
- Unconscious Desires
- Childhood Influences
- Psychic Development
- Enhancing Receptivity
- Motherly Inheritances
- Understanding Dreams
- Environmental Awareness
- Uncovering Hidden Motives
- Past Memory and Regression
- Pleasure and Sensual Preferences
After reading that list, it becomes clear why you owe it to yourself to learn your lunar sign and all its implications. Doing so can open up a whole new realm of clarity, perceptive and understanding.
After all, astrology is the ultimate tool for self-discovery.
How to Determine Your Moon Sign
Find out your Moon Sign here: free moon sign calculator.
Meaning of Astrological Moon Signs
Moon signs represent proclivities and vast potentials within us that are often obscured by a murky veil of midnight in our awareness.
Where a sun sign represents active principals of ourselves, our moon signs are far more elusive.
Some astrologists define our moon sign as our unconscious. Others say our lunar traits are primal and describe our instinctual motivations.
I say our moon sign is a vessel of promise, to be viewed through the mystical telescope of focused awareness. Once that light of awareness shines on our lunar faces, a whole new universe of self-understanding is made known to us.
The following entries are a sampling of some personality traits of moon signs.
Summary of Moon Sign Personality Traits
Moon Signs in Aries:
You light up best when you’re recognized for your talents, but this can be a bit dodgy because Aries as your moon sign dictates a bit of modesty with your accomplishments (had you Aries in your sun, there’d be no issue with tooting your own horn). Nevertheless, you are illuminated with incredible perseverance, so even if you aren’t bragging about your inventiveness and accomplishments most people will see you shine brightly simply because you never give up, and persist in your goals. You’ve got a brilliant sense of humor that puts people at ease. This is a good thing because your exuberance and full-on voltage is sometimes off-putting to more sedate or reserved people. But you can’t be asked to hold back from your electric impulsiveness – you absolutely must express yourself. You do this exceedingly well in group projects – you are a consummate cheerleader; always motivating the group.
Moon in Taurus:
Your moon side becomes illuminated when you are clear about your place, and where you stand within the grand scheme of things. You like utter honesty, and if you feel mind games are being played, you want no part of it. You tend to be very classy, with killer taste in design, fashion, art, etc. In fact, you need to surround yourself with refinery and loveliness. Otherwise, you’ll pick up on lower energies and dingy or sullied environments will send you to an abyss of depression. Taurean moon signs have notorious inner-wisdom. Your job is to trust that inner-knowing (because often these signs lack the conviction behind their gut instincts) because you are always dead-right. Do not make a move until you feel it is right on a visceral level. It’s your gift, and a fantastic tool for self-preservation. Trust your inner guidance, always.
Moon Signs in Gemini:
Your mind is as sharp and clear as the fullest moon in the sky on a crystal-bright night. With this kind of mental alacrity comes a tendency to over-think. And, with over-thinking comes anxiety, worry or even doubt about your own judgment. Gemini moons do best when they can balance their active minds with some sort of creative outlet. Music is particularly effective as it activates both left and right brain functions. You have remarkable communication skills. You easily speak to others with confidence, and have the uncanny ability to “know” what is being said to you – even when your mind is thinking instead of listening to what the other is saying. This makes you an effective liaison, communicator and negotiator – but to a point. Gemini moons must be heard. If you feel you aren’t being listened to, you’ll tend to retreat from the scene (rather than push your point).
Moon in Cancer:
You shine your brightest when your mission to help, heal and support others. Moreover, you are “over the moon” with joy when you can see all your hard work pay off. You need to see the difference you make in the lives of others – this is your highest reward. Of course, recognition for all your support and nurturing is a great motivation for you too. As a moon sign, you’re not likely to show your touchy-feely-emotional nature to others, which is ironic seeing as how you are such a great mentor and supportive ally. Give acknowledgement to your inner stirrings rather than hide them. You’ve got amazing intuitive skills and, under stress you’re known to just blurt out thoughts on your mind that are incredibly accurate on a psychic level. You can train yourself to express your intuition more fluidly and openly, but you’ve got to open up a bit, come out of your shell.
Moon Signs in Leo:
No amount of night will dampen your gloriously bright light. You have energy that is undeniable. Indeed, if someone denies you your proper place of respect and authority, it does not bode well. You are in your element when you are being admired for your amazing wit, charm and intelligence. With your sharp intellect comes a tendency to process to quickly and this makes you miss subtle clues in communication with others. Consequently, some misunderstandings can take you completely by surprise. Just remember the phases of the moon, and train your mind to move a bit like a rolling storm (rather than at lightning speed). You like to take risks, and these usually pay off for you because you tend to be naturally lucky. Perhaps that’s why your outlook is usually optimistic.
Moon in Virgo:
You know how the moon orbits the earth? Well, your intuition orbits everything, and that means you’re often on “sensory overload” making you anxious and twitchy much of the time. Virgin moons tend to pick things up arbitrarily like a sponge gathers water. What’s more, you try to make sense of it all – putting chaos into order. Sorting out details and making everything tidy and logical tends to make you edgy, and others often have no idea what’s gotten you irritated. Just know you are this way, and be patient and accepting of this aspect of yourself. This kind of intuition is a gift. Work with it. And while you’re at it, ease up on the self-criticism. No one else is as harshly critical about you – so why are you being so relentless with yourself? Simply know your standards (even for yourself) are higher than everyone else’s. That means your “average” performance is actually excellence by anyone else’s standards.
Moon Signs of Libra:
Your life is best illuminated when you keep things simple. You see tremendous beauty in the simplest elements, and seek to keep purity and clarity in place in all your dealings. Just because you have a need for simplicity doesn’t mean you’re life is uncomplicated. A moon in Libra is always looking for a yin to your yang (or vice versa). Meaning, you’re always seeking a complimentary balance to your energy – particularly in partnerships. You love a challenge, and you work very hard to balance the equation by finding solutions. This means you often attract partnerships with people who have some glaring flaws (because you know you can tip the balance and sort them out). You have incredible style too. The arts, fashion and literary excellence lures every inch of your inherent creativity and electrifies you.
Moon in Scorpio:
You’ll find your more emotionally synchronized during the waning moon. This is because you process better in private, where watching eyes cannot see you. You are deeply intuitive and other people’s thoughts and feelings reveal themselves to you like curious magic. With all this information coming your way, it’s no wonder you need time alone to process everything. Your challenge is to be more forgiving of your natural cycles (you get impatient and angry with yourself – and tend to hide these feelings from others which just exacerbates your tension). You also tend to be guarded, and take great measures to manipulate your environment to match your ideal setting. And you are incredibly idealistic, which is a fabulous balance to your intensity.
Moon Signs in Sagittarius:
The moon is constantly in motion, which compounds your Sagittarian need for activity, variety and mobility. Ever the adventurer, you require life to show you excitement and high times. When things get dull, you get weary and set looking for something better, brighter. This need for shiny newness sometimes gets you into trouble because sometimes you stir the pot in the wrong direction – churning up too much activity or drama. Your saving grace is a strong sense of justice, and a love for humanity. These passions bring about your philosophical nature, which easily puts you in a position of teacher and mentor. Actually, you’re quite a brilliant tutor, and win a great deal of admiration from your followers (of which, there are many). It’s your enthusiasm that holds people in rapt attention of you and your teachings.
Moon in Capricorn:
To those who don’t know you well, you appear as cool as the moon. In control, self-disciplined and dignified, you are often mistaken as unfeeling. You’re extremely productive, capable and thorough. This means you make everything you do look easy, which can also put people off. They have no idea beneath your cool exterior you are pragmatically planning the next five moves in your strategy to accomplish your goals. And accomplish goals is a forte. A unique mixture of patience, willingness and dogged determination usually insures victory. You’re also remarkably dependable; others naturally seek you out for guidance and advice. Your special ability to stay collected under pressure makes you a fantastic leader. You also win respect from your peers easily because you don’t just talk the talk (you rarely boast), you actually walk the walk. You prove your value through consistent action. People really look up to you for that, and admire your integrity.
Moon Signs in Aquarius:
Nothing much gets past you, particularly when communicating with others. You’re the one who hears what a person is saying, but is also knows what is unsaid. I’d hate to play poker with you because you’re the one who knows everybody’s tells and quirky mannerisms. It’s the moon that enhances your knack for perception, and the Aquarian nature is to intellectualize what you’re perceiving. So, it only makes sense you are able to “read” people to the extreme. In fact, a lot of your decisions and actions are based on unseen intellect. This makes you look a wee bit daft or eccentric to others. Odds are you don’t mind the label – maybe even relish it. Although you have brilliant perception of what others are all about, you never use it for ill will. Quite the contrary. You are a humanitarian, and easily serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of those around you. You also give off a comforting, secure vibe that puts people at ease and makes them trust you. This enhances your ability to help others.
Moon in Pisces:
You live on the darker side of the moon and tend to be reserved, sometimes downright withdrawn. Some people mistake this for shyness, but that’s really not the case. You’re just sensitive. Deeply sensitive. In fact, you have a vein of psychic gold that is so accurate, it’s scary even to yourself at times. You are incredibly gifted in your powers of observation. Even better, you are incredibly shrewd, you make accurate assessments and have sound judgment. This unique combination makes you a force to be reckoned with, but you tend to use your powers in creative ways. As long as others allow you to work and play in your own unique way you’re able to remain pretty content. However, if pushed into conformity, or criticized can unleash a raging sea of animosity. No one can blame you though because you have such a unparalleled perspective of the world – you really deserve to dance to your own specialized music and rhythm.
I hope you have enjoyed these brief personality summations on moon signs.
If you like this page, don’t miss my Native American Moon Sign page which discusses personality types according to Wabanki full moons for each month.
And don’t miss the links at the end of this page for more articles on symbolic astrological meanings.<!– begin attached to bottom of horizontal nav
An Important Note About Signs, Symbols and Their Meanings
Signs and symbols cultivate their meanings according to culture, context, passage of time in society as well as mass societal opinion. What’s cool and highly important is that signs and symbols earn their most powerful meanings from our own personal perspectives.
This website strives to provide you with the best, time-honored information when defining signs and symbols. However, in the final analysis, “Beauty (and symbolism) is in the eye of the beholder.”
Having said that, it’s in our best interest to invest the time to do personal research on symbolic events happening to us. This website is just one perspective in an ocean of variety and diversity in the realm of symbolism. So dive in! There is a whole universe of deeper meanings to explore! You can start your research by clicking on the links at the end or to the side of this page. Odds are good I’ve got a follow-up article about this symbolic topic. 😉
As always, thanks for your willingness to learn more about the language of symbolism. It’s a language that is universal and everywhere. It’s super-groovy to travel with you on your symbolic path, and maybe offer a little translation along the way. Thanks for reading and exploring!
~via Whats-Your-Sign.com
Gregg Prescott, M.S. is the founder and editor of 
Dreamers of the New Earth 