Self-Care for your Moon Sign
Self-Care is survival.
A common misconception about Self-Care is that it is a luxury. But it’s a necessity.
We need to take care of ourselves, lest we experience illness or breakdowns on the physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual level.
Self-Care is also not only for the wealthy and privileged. An act of Self-Care can be as simple as taking a walk. Or saying “no” to someone who wants you to do something for them, when you are overwhelmed. Or turning off your phone in the evenings.
Self-Care is self-preservation.
The following story offers a metaphor for this view self-care.
I went white water rafting for my first time a couple years back. I will never forget the stern talking-to that the guide gave us at the outset. He said that this was “not a Disney ride” and proceeded to scare us with worst-case scenarios. The most frightening one (to me) was that if you fell out of the raft, your foot could get stuck under a rock, and you’d be pulled down to the ground level beneath the surface. He emphasized that if you were to fall overboard, you should keep your feet up, then swim toward shore or toward a boat, whichever was closest. Above all, we were advised not to flail or panic.
He said: “Take ownership of your own well-being. Be an advocate for your own survival. We’ll do our best to come get you. But you have to take care of yourself first.”
Life is like the rapids. We have periods of relative calm punctuated by periods of turbulence. Sometimes, we even fall out of the raft. It is human nature to panic. We might go into a martyr trip or passively expect others to take care of us. But ultimately, the main thing we have control of is how we care for ourselves.
Our Sun Sign and our Moon Sign offer us specific recommendations so that we can proactively choose this path of conscious Self-Care.
Self-Care for Your Moon Sign
In the previous two posts on Self-Care I offered recommendations for each Sun Sign. Our Sun Sign tells us what energizes us when we are depleted. In this post, I’ll focus on your Moon Sign.
The Moon in your chart can tell us how to comfort ourselves in times of stress. When you hit a turbulent spot on the rapids of life, it’s time to tap into your Moon.
When we disregard our Moon’s needs, this part of our psyche acts out in dysfunctional ways in order to get our attention. We end up behaving like a child who has been ignored too long, playing out the shadow expression of our Moon Sign. When the shadow expression shows up, we know that it’s time to stop and listen to what our Moon is trying to tell us.
We can regain balance by returning to our Moon Sign’s prescription for Self-Care. Below I’ve described the nature of each Moon Sign, its shadow expression, and how to center yourself through Self-Care.
(If you don’t know your Moon sign, you can find a handy Moon sign calculator here: https://cafeastrology.com/whats-my-Moon-sign.html)
Moon in Aries
Aries Moon thrives on confronting fresh challenges and taking risks. You are comfortable when kicking off something new. The shadow expression is the tendency to fall into pointless conflict or to let anger rule your actions. Aries Moon can regain balance through physical activity (exercise or a sport). You can also channel your energy into innovative, pioneering projects.
Moon in Taurus
Taurus Moon thrives on creature comforts: good food, good drink, and sensual pleasures. Quiet and solitude is soothing to you, as is time in nature or spent with animals. The shadow expression is to cling to habit, to stubbornly resist change. Taurus Moons can regain balance by attending to the body’s needs of the moment. The immediate need may be rest, or hunger, or a walk in nature. The important thing is to listen to the need, and act on it.
Moon in Gemini
Gemini Moon thrives when engaged in interesting discussions with close friends. You are comforted by having a variety of stimuli to keep you busy. The shadow expression is over-extending yourself, keeping yourself so busy that you don’t know how you feel. You can regain balance by finding good friends with whom you can process what’s going on inside of you. Learning new things also brings emotional fulfillment.
Moon in Cancer
Cancer Moon thrives on connecting with a network of close and intimate friends with whom you feel safe and secure. You can also find fulfillment in a sense of connection to your “roots,” your blood-family and/or your heritage. The shadow expression is insecurity resulting in clingy behavior. You can regain balance by spending quiet time in your home/sanctuary with close family or friends. You also need to give your moods plenty room to just be, accepting where you are at emotionally, in the moment.
Moon in Leo
Leo Moon thrives on receiving adoration and applause for your creations. You can find joy in putting your creative ideas “on stage” in some fashion. The shadow expression is the tendency to get over-focused on the need for appreciation, rather than enjoying the creative process for its own sake. You can regain balance by giving yourself plenty of unstructured creative time (a.k.a. play). You can also benefit from extra down-time in order to incubate your creative ideas.
Moon in Virgo
Virgo Moon thrives on developing a useful skill or craft. You gain emotional satisfaction from being of service to others through the use of your skills. The shadow expression is the tendency to get caught up in trying to fix or help others to the point of ignoring your own needs. You can regain balance by spending time in practicing your chosen craft, honing and refining your abilities. It benefits you to focus on the task for the task’s sake.
Moon in Libra
Libra Moon thrives on experiencing the arts, culture, and beauty. You can also derive pleasure from harmonious partnership and from working in cooperation with others. The shadow expression is the tendency to lose track of your own emotional needs in relationship, always wanting to make the Other feel comfortable. You can regain balance by bringing beauty and harmony to your home environment. You can also give yourself an “artist’s date”: take in a play, a musical performance, or an exhibit.
Moon in Scorpio
Scorpio Moon thrives on depth and passion. You can find fulfillment through authentic connection within your significant relationships. The shadow expression is the tendency to get caught up in the darker aspects of your interior life, becoming withdrawn. You can regain balance by having emotionally honest, even heated, interactions with your closest friends and partners. You can also do something that scares you a little in order to reconnect to your passion for life.
Moon in Sagittarius
Sagittarius Moon thrives on having an adventure to look forward to. You are comfortable in having an entourage of friends, but also need “space” in friendships and partnerships. The shadow expression is the tendency to flee any kind of emotional commitment, and trying to keep all of your options open at the expense of connection. You can regain balance through healthy doses of travel and adventure with a like-minded companion.
Moon in Capricorn
Capricorn Moon thrives on working towards a valued goal. You find joy in meaningful work and derive much emotional fulfillment in working on difficult things over time. The shadow expression is the tendency to be too serious, focusing on work to the exclusion of developing close emotional bonds. You can regain balance by giving some time each day or week to the pursuit of the goals and achievements that are most important to you.
Moon in Aquarius
Aquarius Moon thrives on being subversive and even revolutionary in your approach to things. You can find fulfillment in working for a cause, helping to change things for the better. You require breathing room and a "long leash" in close relationships. The shadow expression is being overly detached from others, or in disassociation from your own feelings. You can regain balance by connecting with like-minded others who share your calling, and pursuing those causes alongside them.
Moon in Pisces
Pisces Moon thrives on connecting to the world of dreams, the Other World, or the imagination. You can find joy in exploring the mystical and spiritual aspects of life, beyond the five senses. The shadow expression can be the tendency to numb out via substances, TV, or other means. You can regain balance by allowing time for healthy escape. Nurture yourself through connecting with your inner world through journaling or divination (tarot, astrology, or other oracles).
