Astrology addicts, gather round: Today we're going to talk about a little thing called moon signs, a lesser known (but highly important nonetheless) part of your birth chart. When most people read their horoscopes or look something up according to their zodiac sign, they're generally only looking at their sun sign. But your birth chart is a vast and complicated place, and sun signs only represent one side (albeit an important one) of your personality. But if you're into ~lunar magic~ then you know that the moon is super important, too — so naturally, knowing your moon sign and what it represents is a must. There are even some cases where your moon sign might be more important than your sun sign altogether, so moon signs are not to be slept on!
To break it down, sun signs represent our basic personalities. As explained by Cafe Astrology, a sun sign "shows our style, our life purpose, and some might say, our destiny," and can be thought of as the "boss" of your personality. Conversely, the moon represents your inner self and your more hidden side — like your emotions, desires, and subconscious feelings. While the sun is on display in the full light of day, the moon only shines at night — and you can think of the parts of yourself governed by these planetary placements in the same way. Your moon sign represents the more hidden, intimate, and emotional aspects of your personality that are just beneath the surface — not generally quite as obvious and "in charge" as your sun sign's side can be.
Do you already know your moon sign? Well, if not, let's get that sorted out pronto. Unlike a sun sign, where all you need is a birthday in order to calculate it, you'll need a full birth date, year, and exact time/time zone in order to find out your moon sign. Once you have that info, use an online moon sign calculator to find out the big news. Isn't this exciting? You have blissful hours worth of astro research and discoveries ahead of you now that you officially know your moon sign.
While both your sun sign and moon sign are undoubtedly going to have a major influence on who you are, there may be some cases where your moon sign is actually going to be more relevant. Here are some signs your moon sign is more important than your sun sign and why you should lean into those lunar vibes.
You Don't Connect With Your Sun Sign
Are you skeptical of astrology because you don't vibe with your sun sign? It's not uncommon (after all, the birth chart is so much more than your sun sign) — and this could simply be an indication that your moon sign is actually more important at this stage of your life. As ThoughtCo explained, "[T]here are some people who do not connect with their sun sign and the main reason may be that their lunar sign has more influence over their personality." So instead of wasting your time trying to fit a square into a circle when it comes to your sun sign, focus more into the lunar aspects of your birth chart. It may open up a whole new world of cosmic insight and make astrology that much more exciting and relevant for you.
You're Doing Shadow Work
If you're unfamiliar with your shadow side, let me introduce you: It's the dark, undesirable, only-comes-out-when-you're-in-a-bad-mood part of yourself that you may subconsciously (or consciously) try to suppress or run from. If you believe in yin and yang, then you know there's light and dark in everyone. Similarly, as Hella Namaste explains on its website, "Your moon sign spotlights the urgent, subconscious needs that take precedent over other instincts, typically becoming the desires/needs you disown or deny." When we dive into shadow work, we face the dark parts of ourselves head-on — and we learn how to draw on and embrace that darkness, and use it to our advantage.
This aligns deeply with what our moon signs represent. "Learning about your moon sign is like peeking through an astrological keyhole into the center of your psychic universe," explained Hella Namaste, which continued, "Most importantly: knowing about your moon sign can turn your shadow into your best ally." If you're doing shadow work and diving into your subconscious, you should absolutely draw on the influence of your moon sign to help you navigate the deep waters. Just as the actual moon illuminates during the dark night, your moon sign can help illuminate everything that hides in the shadows when it comes to your inner self.
You're Getting Into A Deep Relationship
"In your birth chart, the Moon represents the 'inner you' — your family connections, intuition and how you are likely to give and receive nurturing and experience emotional security," wrote Body And Soul on its site. If you're currently diving deep into the emotional wells of a new and close intimate relationship, your moon sign may warrant a bit of an added spotlight. "Moon signs point to our personality ‘within the circle of trust’," wrote Star Sign Style on its site. "It’s who we really our to our friends, our family and loved ones ... the behaviour we exhibit when we’re relaxed and not ‘on show’ to the world."
In other words, your sun and rising signs show the world your personality on the surface, but your moon sign represents what's on the inside — the more private, intimate, sometimes-hidden parts of yourself that only come into the light once someone's close to you. If you're in the process of getting close to someone in an intimate way, you'll want to take a closer look at your moon sign traits to help you stay open during this vulnerable and exciting time.
You Lead With Your Emotions
Ever feel extra emotional for no reason in particular, only to find out that, surprise: it's a full moon? The full moon has real-world effects, y'all, and that's science. And in astrology, the moon is considered inextricably linked to our emotions — so if you're a "feelings first" type of person, then your moon sign probably says a lot about you, and it might even be your more dominant and important sign. "Your feminine essence and emotional being is represented not by your sun sign, but by your moon sign," explained Conscious Life News. And as stated by Star Sign Style, "Our Moon Sign is our internal nature and how we deal with emotions." So if your emotions rule you, then chances are, your moon sign does, too. "It’s our personality once people are in our circle of trust, once they’ve gotten to know us. ... [It] represents our emotional temperament and our feelings," continued Star Sign Style on its site. So use your moon sign to guide you in dealing with and better understanding your emotions.
The Moon Is New Or Full In Your Sign
The moon has an undeniable power over us — I mean, just think about the effect it has on the ocean tide. If it can cause waves in the deep blue sea, it obviously has an effect on us lil' tiny humans, right? Regardless of whether you feel your lunar sign is a more important influence, you're going to feel it big time when the moon is either full or new in your moon sign. Keep track of the moon's movement through the astrological chart (it enters a new sign every couple days) and take note when it's full or new in your moon sign. Its energy is going to be extra powerful for you, and your moon sign will certainly take the front seat during that lunar transit. It can make the moon feel extra intense, for sure, but take advantage of that energy by doing a ritual to honor the lunar cycle while connecting with your moon sign. New moons are important for setting intentions and new beginnings, whereas full moons are important for completions and release, so plan your moon ritual accordingly.
You're Embracing Your Feminine Side
Whether you identify as a woman or not, everyone can call on the feminine sides of themselves and embrace their ~inner Goddess~ extraordinaire. And if that's the case for you, then right now, your moon sign is extra important. ThoughtCo described moon signs as being "especially important for women as the moon is considered the patroness of women and has female qualities." Also, both the moon and your moon sign are thought to relate to your relationship to your mother/mother figure and maternal instincts, so if that's a matter that you're currently exploring, again, your moon sign is key. If you're leaning into your feminine energy, your moon sign likely holds more of the answers than your sun sign does — so focus on the lunar placement in your birth chart for insight and embrace the feminine parts of you.
