Astrology with Alice: Don’t underestimate the power of the moon
This month, Alice teaches us an easy hack to happiness: understanding your astrological moon
Satisfying the needs of your moon sign is key to being happy.
Photo illustration by Ryan Quan
Words by Alice Smith
Astrology with Alice: Welcome to Astrology with Alice, a monthly astrology column aimed at helping readers understand the vibes of the month ahead in plain English. As a Taiwanese immigrant who grew up in Los Angeles, I specialize in combining western astrology with eastern philosophy. I’ve taught modern astrology through the lens of Buddhism and Taoism, and I also draw from the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Knowing the movements of the planets can help us make decisions around our careers, relationships, family. As the planets move around in the sky, they shift the energetic vibes we experience on Earth, and I believe in flowing with energy instead of fighting it—to work smarter, not harder. So join me on our monthly planetary lowdowns and learn how you, too, can ride the cosmic waves!
Mainstream astrology will focus on the moon during eclipses and full moons, but it sort of falls to the wayside otherwise. So even though we’re wrapping up the last eclipse of 2024 early in the month, I’m not ready to let go of the moon just yet.
The moon is super helpful when it comes to understanding emotional needs, so I always joke that it’s the key to “hacking” people. It describes what a person needs to feel safe and secure, and satisfying the needs of your astrological moon is necessary to feeling happy. (Because who can feel happy if they’re not also feeling safe?)
If I could only know one sign, it wouldn’t be a person’s sun sign or rising sign—it would be their moon sign. Why? It tells me how a person bonds and relates, as well as how they extend emotional olive branches. Virgo is a sign of exactitude and precision (euphemisms for “nitpicky”), so when someone’s moon sign is Virgo, you’ll know that they’re feeling safe with you when they nitpick you. It could be something really minor and they don’t even make a big deal out of it, but when a Virgo moon corrects you, it’s actually their way of extending their hand in friendship. They’re testing the water to see if you’ll receive them.
Every moon sign does this courtship dance with all of their potential connections—both platonic and romantic. Gemini moons, who love to talk, will chit chat. They might be a down-to-business Capricorn with a Gemini moon, so they might come across as taciturn and serious (which are Capricorn qualities), but you might discover their inner chatterbox once you scratch past their surface. If the goal is friendship (or more), the worst thing to do is to shut them down when their moon tries to reach out with conversation.
So staying with the example above, when this hypothetical Gemini moon person wants to tell you about a new podcast, a political interview, a random sports statistic, or any random tidbit of trivia because Gemini energy loves trivia, it’s their way of connecting. The worst thing to do would be to tell them to shut up because you’ve had a long day, because it would be a rejection of their attempt to bond. Furthermore, since the moon represents our fears, a Gemini moon needs to feel free to express themselves in order to feel safe. The real harm that’s done by shutting down a Gemini moon’s conversations too many times is that they will—sooner or later—begin to feel unsafe around you.
The needs of a person’s moon sign are non-negotiable. I don’t want to let people completely off the hook for how they process their emotions, but we really don’t have a choice when it comes to what we need emotionally to feel safe.
The needs of a person’s moon sign are non-negotiable. I don’t want to let people completely off the hook for how they process their emotions, but we really don’t have a choice when it comes to what we need emotionally to feel safe. I have a Libra moon, and need people to cooperate, collaborate, and get along, and I also need things to be fair. People with Virgo moons need to feel a sense of order to feel safe, so many of them find the act of cleaning very soothing and calming. (These are the people who look forward to cleaning on their days off!) When a person’s moon is in the sign of ambitious, workaholic Capricorn, they feel safe when they’re productive and everybody’s working. There really isn’t that much that we can do to significantly alter the base DNA of our safety needs, but the moon helps us to understand where our emotional tripwires may lie.
To figure out your moon sign, use this free moon sign calculator. Please note that the moon sign can be sensitive to birth time. If you’re using a birth time estimate and your moon’s degree is near either 0º or 29º (the calculator will tell you the exact degree), that means you were born on a day when the moon was changing signs, which it does about every couple of days. Therefore, being born earlier or later on that day might change your moon sign if you were born on the cusp of a sign, so you’ll want to confirm your birth time if that’s the case.
Once you know your moon sign, look it up in the list below!
Aries
Aries moons want to leap into life and experience it to the fullest. If your moon is in Aries, life is an adventure and people would do best to not hold you back and tell you what to do. Your temper can flare quickly, but you also process your feelings super quickly. Like, double-time quick—so your blind spot is your emotional reactivity and impatience. If you have an Aries moon, stagnation is the kiss of death for you. You have a need to pioneer and feel alive to feel happy. And since Aries is a physical sign, exercise can actually help you process your feelings. Surround yourself with people who think that your spontaneity is fun and refreshing.
Taurus
Taurus moons feel safe when they’re rich in resources. It’s super important to not shame people with this moon sign too much for being materialistic, because they truly need to feel materially secure if they’re going to feel emotionally secure. This is the moon sign that’s the least likely to give up all their stuff to become a beach hobo (I give the honor of “most likely to become a beach hobo” to the Aquarius moon). If your moon is in the sign of Taurus, your senses are bougie and you appreciate lovely textures and good food, so you’re not the best fit for situations that involve “roughing it.” Emotionally, you’re pretty stable and chill and you’re a bit allergic to drama and hysterical people. Just be sure to not get too sucked into materialistic grasping.
Gemini
As mentioned before, Geminis love to talk, but it’s not just about talking. It’s about communicating and circulating ideas. Talking, writing, reading, learning—those activities all hit the Gemini moon’s pleasure centers. The exchange of ideas is how someone with this moon sign bonds with others, so they need to be with people who indulge their curiosities with openness. If you have a Gemini moon, you need to be with people who don’t censor you and give you the space and time to share your thoughts. (Oh yeah, you’re also easily bored. That’s why you’re probably juggling multiple books, shows, and podcasts.)
Cancer
If your moon is in the sign of Cancer, your feelings are real, and you do NOT like to be told otherwise. Home and family are super important to you. Even if you’re not close to your family of origin, you’ll seek to create a chosen family of dear friends. You’re in your element when you get to be domestic and cook for your loved ones. (Even if you don’t cook, you’ll find some way to nurture your people.) Be wary of becoming a smother mother, though—especially if you’re with a more independent moon sign (Aries, Sagittarius, Aquarius) because they’re really testy when it comes to their autonomy. Make sure to communicate clearly whenever you’re feeling resentful that the care you’re giving others isn’t being reciprocated. Not everybody is as attentive, so others just need a heads up when you’re feeling underappreciated.
Leo
If your moon is in Leo, you need validation, appreciation, and attention. If you’re not feeling valued, even the famously loyal Leo energy will start looking for an out. Therefore, it’s important to surround yourself with cheerleaders. (Please note: I said “cheerleaders,” not “an echo chamber.” There’s a difference.) You love in a big way, you’re passionate, you’re warm, and unless you have some major Virgo, Scorpio, or Capricorn energy in your chart, you’re also a bit dramatic. Life is for celebrating in your world, so wet-blankets need not apply. What you need is people who are willing to have fun with you, and who’ll give you grace when you have dramatic episodes.
Virgo
Virgo moons get tummy aches. No, seriously. People with Virgo moons experience digestive upsets when they feel like they’re not in control of their world. When their routines get disrupted (like when they’re on vacation), my dear Virgo moons get constipated. This is because the sign Virgo rules the digestive tract in medical astrology, and when the moon’s in Virgo, feelings will affect digestion. If your moon is in Virgo, the people around you need to understand that your need for cleanliness and order is non-negotiable, so people who cohabit with you must be tidy. (Or at least try to be tidy.) When things are in their place, you can breathe and relax. Also, beware of a tendency to martyr yourself in service of your loved ones. Surround yourself with people who see, notice, and appreciate your many acts of service in relationships.
Libra
If your moon is in Libra, hi! I also have Libra moon, and I think you’ll agree that we don’t like conflict, we like harmony, and we like our environment to be beautiful. We also enjoy a little gossip sesh (and so do the Gemini moon folks, to be honest). The thing that people with Libra moons need to be careful of, however, is their tendency to people-please and being too conflict avoidant. While most people generally find conflict uncomfortable, peace-loving Libra moons are especially allergic to it, because conflict makes them feel unsafe on a primal level. The thing that will make a Libra moon rally to fight, however, is injustice, because they feel the sting of inequity on a deep level. But by and large, if you have a Libra moon, you aren’t going to be comfortable around ball-busters. That’s just not how you roll. You like pretty things, and you also like pretty behavior.
Scorpio
Moon in Scorpio is intense. The feelings are intense and emotions run deep. People with a moon in Scorpio can really gnaw on feelings for a long time. If this is your moon sign, you need to be with people who don’t play with your feelings—that is, if you ever reveal your real feelings to them in the first place. Unless you have strong Gemini, Libra, or Leo energy to counter it, you’re kind of a moody character. And even if you have those mitigating energies, you’re still sort of a moody mofo at heart—and that’s okay! But surround yourself with trustworthy people who let you do what you need to process your feelings, but who will also pull you out of the depths when you’ve held your breath underwater for too long. And watch out for possessive tendencies in relationships!
Sagittarius
If your moon is in Sagittarius, you’re a bohemian at heart. You have the soul of an explorer, and your heart feels like it’s seeking something that’s always just beyond the horizon. You’re funny, you’re warm, and you’re a bit restless. (You, the Aquarius moon, and the Aries moon are the founding members of the “don’t hold us down and don’t tell us what to do” club.) As a Sagittarius moon, you’re happiest when you feel like you’re learning about the world through firsthand experience. Therefore, anybody who gets with you needs to understand that your soul needs to experience travel, and it will suffer if you’re cooped up in one place for the rest of your life. You also need the people who surround you to be open-minded.
Capricorn
People with a Capricorn moon bring a sense of business to their emotions. They’re able to lock down their feelings and deal with issues at hand. If your moon is in Capricorn, you’ve probably been accused of being unsentimental, but you’re one of the most steadfast friends and partners anybody can ask for. The moon rules our relationships, and when a true-to-their-word Capricorn commits, they commit. And therein lies the danger. Even when everyone is miserable, Cap moons are the most likely to go down with a ship that everybody else has already abandoned because they made a commitment. Expressing feelings is difficult for this moon sign, because—excuse my language—they’re emotionally constipated. So if this is your moon sign, your love language is probably acts of service. What you struggle with is probably words of affirmation and physical touch, because you’re not soft and squishy in that way (or any way). But, gosh darnit, you sure do show up when it matters. (You also have the most amazing sense of humor that you reserve for only the people who meet your Capricornian standards.)
Aquarius
Like the Aries moon and Sagittarius moon, the Aquarius moon is deathly allergic to being controlled by others. They’re probably the most resistant to this and they despise being told what to do. That’s because people with this moon sign only feel safe and secure when they’re free to be themselves. Conversely, their great fear is the loss of autonomy. If you have this moon sign, you intellectualize your feelings and you think through your emotions. Also, your home needs to be the place where you feel the most free from being controlled. You need emotional space, so you probably aren’t the world’s stickiest cuddler. Potential partners need to understand that your need for space is not a rejection of them. And since you feel safest when you think the world hasn’t succeeded in conforming you to its vision, you have either an eccentric streak or are a bit (or a lot) of a contrarian. The Aquarius moon is also humanitarian, so you appreciate being around people who also care about the world, as opposed to people who care only about what affects them.
Pisces
If you have a Pisces moon, I just wanna say—those rose-colored glasses look great on you! All joking aside, your moon sign is the most intuitive in the zodiac. You’re dreamy, empathetic, sensitive, romantic…but sometimes you’re so idealistic that you can't tell the difference between an underdog and a rat. Please watch your tendency of making excuses for others, because when they hurt you, you’re so sensitive that it really stings. You need people who are kind and empathetic, and who also understand your sensitivity. Even when your friends want to help you get your head out of the clouds, they need to do so in a way that doesn’t challenge your idealism and belief in the goodness of humanity. (Oh, also, the next time you’re risking running late—NO, you do NOT have time to do one last thing before you go. Just go. Your optimism is beautiful, but it doesn’t lead to effective time management.)
Published on September 26, 2024
Words by Alice Smith
Alice Smith has loved astrology ever since she read her first horoscope as a kid. She’s a certified, professional astrologer who reads birth charts for clients all over the world and has spoken at events throughout the Pacific Northwest. Alice learned to write horoscopes from her mentor Rebecca Gordon who was herself mentored by the grande dame of horoscope writing, Susan Miller. Alice has a degree in sociology from the University of Washington and is (too) obsessed with her “Furgo” (furry Virgo) cat, whose birth chart she often interprets on social media.
Art by Ryan Quan
Ryan Quan is the Social Media Editor for JoySauce. This queer, half-Chinese, half-Filipino writer and graphic designer loves everything related to music, creative nonfiction, and art. Based in Brooklyn, he spends most of his time dancing to hyperpop and accidentally falling asleep on the subway. Follow him on Instagram at @ryanquans.