The Moon. One of the essential parts when reading a natal chart yet often hard to pin down and see in a person other than yourself. Why? Because we tend to protect it from society.
The Moon symbolizes a most vulnerable part inside us, the part that wants to feel connected to others on a deep level. To do that, we need to feel safe.
You will rarely see the Moon in action in a more appropriate scenario for small-talk and chit-chat. We usually withhold our true feelings since we don’t know whether we can trust the other person – or if the situation is inappropriate.
In the Sign of Cancer, the Moon expresses herself in her purest form. Any other Sign will alter how we live this tender yet intense part of us. That’s why I like to start my exploration here.
Cancer is a fascinating and complex Sign. For a psychological trait of you to express through Cancer, it must perform a never-ending dance between protection and connection: Without the defense, you are utterly vulnerable, naked. Too much, and the isolation is unbearable.
This concept is especially true for the Moon. To thrive and feel good, you need to feel connected – but it must be with someone you trust entirely. The more you want to connect on a deep, emotional level, the more you must take off your armor. The more you take off your armor, the more you can get hurt.
The Moon manages your emotions
Another significant aspect of the Moon is the ebb and flow of emotions. We’re happy or sad, angry or curious, jealous or even depressed. Sometimes feelings are subtle and hard to notice. Sometimes they take over so much you can hardly see straight. Again, the way we express these feelings depends on the Sign. In Cancer, we require a certain amount of trust and a sense of safety to express ourselves. Held back too much, however, can be a cause of either depression or an overflow.
If your Moon is in Cancer, regularly check in with yourself: Do you feel comfortable? Do you feel safe? If not, it is vital for your well-being that you create a life full of safe circumstances that you can at least retreat to regularly. Surround yourself with people you trust enough to let go of your armor. The more you can let your guard down, the better your emotional and overall health. Being able to let your emotions flow and not repress them is critical.
It’s worth knowing in which house your Moon resides. Houses signify areas of life. If your Moon in Cancer is, for example, placed in the 9th house, you might hate going on trips to new places – unless you can find ways to make yourself comfortable and emotionally safe during the journey. In which case, the world indeed will be your home.
Likewise, your Moon might be in a more protected “environment.” In that case, she’s not so much on display and therefore not triggered all the time. On the other hand, finding the select few whom you can trust and connect might be an even longer process.
The Moon in Cancer has remarkable antennas
Many introverts can relate to this: The Moon, especially in Cancer, scans the environment. She will check everything somebody says to you for the underlying tone. Is it friendly? Aggressive? Passive-aggressive? Does the person want or expect sth from you? How does the other person feel?
Oh, that’s a big one.
Empathy. Feeling what the other person feels. Or better: Reproducing what you can sense in the other person. The Moon in Cancer goes in rapport very quickly.
How else would you get the most important thing you crave? Connection with another being.
And how else would you make sure it’s safe to drop your guard?
But be careful: Using your antennas is exhausting. Make sure you know how much is ok and when it’s time to give yourself a break.
And: You don’t have to feel what somebody else feels. Somebody else’s feelings are not your business. It’s their’s!
Connecting opposites
Since so much about the Moon, especially in Cancer, is about connecting, let me note one more way to look at this:
Yes, the Moon craves about deep connection with another living being, but this Moon is also good at recognizing and connecting opposites. Think about it: the Moon visible in the sky is constantly, very gradually moving from one extreme to the other – from being fully visible to not being visible at all!
Just as emotions have a wide range from being hurt to sadness to anger to happiness or even combining different emotions into one big mix-up (you, like being happy and sad at the same time), this Moon in Cancer also instinctively understands that the world is not black and wide. It’s not good or evil. Perfect or failed. Correct or false. Clean or dirty.
There are in fact many, many greys in between.
In the world and in humans. Humans can mean well and also do harm. They can be strong and weak. Composed and desperate.
This knowledge makes Moon in Cancer a diplomatic and a quite non-confrontational part inside you. Why? In order to confront or even attack someone, you must be confident that you are on the right side. How can you be sure to be right, if you know deep down that there are always several possible ways of being right?
Cancer vs Capricorn
It is excellent to look at what a sign is – it will give you a deeper understanding when you know what it isn’t.
The opposite of Cancer is Capricorn.
While the Moon in Cancer focuses on opening for connection, ready to close for protection, the Moon in Capricorn focuses on protection and may have problems opening up for connection – the walls are too thick to be removed easily for the greatly needed intimacy.
The Moon in Capricorn tends to quickly sacrifice her own emotional needs for what she feels she needs to do: In Germany, there’s a children’s book about a fairy called Annasusanna who tickles the winter clouds, so they have to laugh. The snow warms up, falls as rain, and Annasusanna’s forest enjoys endless summer. The winter king finds out and forces the cold onto the unprepared forest. Annasunna cries in despair, yet the wise owl creaks at her: “Crying doesn’t help. You have to do something!”.
The Moon in Cancer would disagree: Crying helps the soul process hardship.
We might find the truth might somewhere in the middle. But of course, there’s a natural tendency to go about things.
Another question that differentiates the two is this one: Are you deserving of love? The Moon in Cancer probably wouldn’t think of such a question. However, being a perfectionist and valuing accomplishments, the Moon of Capricorn finds this question very relevant.