When you were little, did you ever gaze up at the Moon in awe and wonder? She truly is a wonderful sight – her ever-changing face gazing down at us, linking us all through her presence.

The first clue to how we feel about the Moon is in that second sentence. She – we assume the Moon to be a female energy, and in western astrology that is most definitely the case, with only the Moon and Venus, of all the planets, carrying that gender.

However, the Moon isn’t even a planet. She’s a light, a guiding light, a luminary – a title she shares only with the Sun, and rightly so, because she actually has no light of her own but reflects the light of the Sun.

Old friend

She has been worshipped in her time. Some still do worship her, and always in ways that are associated with feminine principles. It’s safe to say that her 28-day (27.32 if you want to be precise) cycle is more than likely where this sprang from, as it echoes a woman’s menstrual cycle – or is that the other way round?

When I was a wee boy I remember watching cowboy and Indian movies and running off afterwards to play in the woods, always wanting to be the Indian so I could say, ‘Many moons have passed since our last meeting.’ Perhaps playing in the woods talking Moon talk was a sign of things to come? That and the feathers in my hair...

The Moon is definitely embedded in our collective subconscious. Her symbolism instantly conjures up words like ‘feminine’, ‘emotional’, ‘cycles’, ‘habits’, ‘feelings’, ‘madness’, ‘time passing’, ‘magik’, ‘ritual’, ‘witchcraft’, ‘mother’, ‘sister’, ‘family’, ‘intuition’, ‘home’, ‘lunacy’, ‘werewolves’, ‘howling’, ‘memory’ and ‘silver’. When you see the Moon, she invokes them all and many more. She draws you in...

Moon Cycles

The Moon waxes and wanes, grows bigger and shrinks, moving from new to full and back again – a constant cycle that we all observe.

Anyone will tell you that when there’s a full Moon there’s an increase in lunacy. Is it true? I’m not so sure myself – perhaps it’s just an excuse for bad behaviour? Though some studies suggest there may be a link.

Before we get into Moon cycles, let’s talk about how astrology affects us. What are the mechanics? In my very, very humble opinion, astrology is a divination tool. It’s a system that can help us understand ourselves and our place in the universe and show us our talents as well as what we might need to work on.

Some will suggest that as the Moon has a gravitational pull, all the planets exert some magical force on us. We are, after all, 60 per cent water, and if the Moon can turn tides, surely she affects us when she’s full...? And that means Jupiter does the same, and so does Pluto. But whilst we can see the Moon affecting the tides, we can’t see Pluto reshaping anything as he moves closer to and further away from Earth. Or can we?

Astrologically, we can. Pluto’s recent move into Capricorn, for example, has caused some interesting times, with old ways of doing things falling apart and governments throughout the world definitely having their bottoms kicked, just as astrologers predicted. But that was down to divination, not a wave of magical energy coming from Pluto. So when we look at the Moon in our own chart, it’s from that viewpoint: as a divination tool.

Back to new and full. Because if the Moon is full in your sign, have a look at what you want to get rid of – or is that who? Use this powerful time to clear away old habits and to face up to what you know needs to be done. And if the Moon is new in your sign, it’s a great time to start something new. Hardly rocket science.

The influence of Ms Moon is subtle. She could be behind many decisions you make without you even realizing it. Often seen as an emotional planet (and she is), she brings things to your attention through an emotional response. What you do with that is up to you. Actually what you do with that is probably a learned response, from this life or another, from your parents, your teachers, your peers, your memory banks... those memory banks that are astrologically governed by the one and only Moon.

As you learn more about your own Moon sign, of course you’ll be fascinated, but don’t take it all too seriously. Consider whether you do react in that way, and how that is affected by your Sun sign (what you might call your star sign), and then look more closely at the good things the Moon brings you and aim to work on the challenges.

Check out your mates’ Moon signs, your mum’s, your significant other’s and even the cat’s if you like. Become familiar with the principles and you will have gained a little more astrological information that could help you along the way.

So how do you find your Moon sign? Simple - use my free online Moon Sign Calculator. Just click the image below and discover your moon sign today: