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Nurturing through the Moon
© Maria DeSimone
The Moon in a birth chart is symbolic of
many things. It tells us about our most basic personality and habitual
life patterns. It’s
our instincts, our memory - where we are most comfortable. It represents
our physical body as well as holding the key to our emotional well
being.
In a child’s chart, the Moon is actually more important than
the Sun sign for the first seven years of life. This is because children
are more connected to their feelings, moods, and instinctual rhythms
and haven’t yet learned how to incorporate the Sun sign into
developing their higher personality. Children this young are still
drawing heavily from their past life experiences, and the Moon, along
with the Nodes of the Moon is most indicative of these experiences.
In a man’s chart the Moon tells us
what he requires emotionally from a woman. In both sexes it tells
us what is required for the
individual to feel nurtured and gives insight into how that individual
experienced his own mother. And for a woman it speaks volumes about
the type of mother she has the potential to be as well has how she
perceives motherhood.
What follows is a summary of how an individual will nurture others,
as well as how he most easily feels nurtured and protected. Also
included is a description of how each Moon sign may have perceived
his mother. As always, please remember these summaries are general
and may be colored heavily by the aspects in the individual chart
to the Moon as well as other factors in the chart such as house placement
of the Moon. If your Moon, for example, is in Taurus in the 9th house,
you should read for both Taurus as well as Sagittarius because that
is the sign naturally ruling the 9th house. You can get a deeper
picture this way.
Once you learn some basic characteristics
of your own Moon sign, or your child’s, my hope is that you
will achieve a greater understanding of your emotional self, along
with the emotional self
inherent in those you love and nurture.
The Moon in Aries
You’re the type of mother who wants her children to achieve
great things. Perhaps not the most patient of mothers, you can always
be counted on for your honesty and your courage. You may not be home
baking apple pie all day, but you are sure to be involved and active
in your children’s lives. Others may call you spirited, and
rightly so – you are never afraid of a challenge or to tread
over new territory. You may see “red” when it comes to
protecting and fighting for your children and never hesitate to be
the warrior in their life.
You feel most nurtured when cultivating your strong, independent
spirit. Being in a position of leadership is where you feel safe.
You probably perceived your mother as a
strong, dominant figure in your life – perhaps sometimes
pushy but definitely vibrant!
The Moon in Taurus
You are the eternal “earth mother”, and meeting your
child’s needs is top priority. Patient and strong willed enough
to follow through when it comes to the discipline involved in raising
those little ones, your children will grow to see you as their rock.
You are so steady in your nurturance, how can they resist leaning
on you for support?
Despite being one of the most natural mothers in the zodiac, there
is the chance you may not know how or when to let your children go.
Possessive mothering may be your shadow.
You feel most nurtured when surrounded by creature comforts. I can
see you now, sitting in your lush backyard on your garden swing,
inhaling the delicate scents of nature after a light spring rain.
A chenille blanket is wrapped around you and you have a box of your
favorite chocolates near you. Now you feel safe.
You perceived your own mother as emotionally strong and devoted.
She was practical, calm, and security conscious.
The Moon in Gemini
You’re the mother who’s never home. Always running around,
sometimes a bit scattered, it’s important for you to nurture
your children by feeding their minds and giving them access to all
sorts of knowledge. Your mothering strengths lie in your versatility
and shrewd manner. It’s natural for you to possess the dualistic
ability to “go with the flow”, yet at the same time,
nothing will get past you!
You may be somewhat jittery as a mom – prone
to nervous tension. You nurture yourself when you are talking on
the phone with a friend,
pouring over the daily newspaper, a best seller, or gearing up to
take the latest adult education class.
You saw your mother as intelligent, mentally stimulating, and always
busy.
The Moon in Cancer
The Moon is at home in this sign and it
has been said that Cancer Moon (or Sun) makes the best mother in
terms of ability to nurture.
You are a sensitive mom, able to intuit your child’s every
need and emotion – and have the instinct to usually meet these
needs as well!
Protective, yet easy going and sociable,
you are capable of creating a nest for your family that is the
ultimate home. Your mothering “shadow” lies
in the fact that you may be too much of a good thing. Yes, there
is such a thing as “over-mothering”, and you may have
perfected the art.
You feel most nurtured when free to express
your ever changing moods, and when you can lead in nurturing anything – whether
it be a person, a project, a career or a pet.
You probably perceived your mother to be the best one in the neighborhood.
The Moon in Leo
You’re the mother who appears larger than life; generous,
warm hearted and full of pride for your little ones. In many ways,
you’re an eternal child, and you’re probably your child’s
favorite playmate. Although eager to nurture your child’s special
talents (and of course your child has many), you should also be aware
of the danger in trying to push your children into the spotlight
in hopes to fulfill any of your own unrealized ambitions. Nevertheless,
you teach your children the value of leadership and respect as well
as a love for the traditions in your family.
You feel most nurtured when you’re able to shine – when
you capture the attention of a crowd and are recognized for your
own many talents!
You probably saw your mother as extremely
creative, and sometimes a real “drama queen”. She was
also a woman of deep tradition and no doubt passed them onto you.
The Moon in Virgo
You’re the type of mother who is always serving and taking
care of others. Perhaps also working outside of the home, you are
orderly, efficient, and attentive to the details necessary to run
a smooth household. You have high standards and expectations for
your children – and constantly strive to make them the best
they can be.
Because you have perfectionist standards
regarding your own mothering ability, you can sometimes be too
hard on yourself. You may also
be a bit hypochondriac concerning your children’s health – perhaps
even jumping at the slightest sniffle.
And yet, because you are self-contained,
you teach your children the value of self-sufficiency and because
you are so analytical,
your children will learn to appreciate the details in life. And your
need to serve can result in some of the most humble children – always
willing to lend a helping hand.
You probably saw your mother as a bit critical and nagging at times.
Proper and conservative, with a strong desire to care for the family,
she may have gone unnoticed as one of the most devoted mothers. It
would have been ok with her; her satisfaction comes from knowing
she raised her children right.
The Moon in Libra
Libra Moon mothers are often the family peacemakers. Family harmony
is of the utmost importance to you and those sibling rivalry squabbles
between your children can drive you crazy! You may romanticize motherhood
in some way and over pamper your children as well, but you are charming,
calm and unsurpassed in teaching your children social etiquette.
You feel most nurtured when you are respected for your judgment,
acknowledged for your fairness, and above all listened to!
You experienced your mother as somewhat
over pleasing to everyone in her life to avoid conflict – perhaps
even a pushover. She was however, very loving and emotionally vested
in her children.
The Moon in Scorpio
You are intense! This Moon placement often
signifies a deep emotional nature that is difficult for others
to read – you simply won’t
allow access. As a mother it could translate into you always knowing
what is going on in your child’s mind. You may be two steps
ahead of them – no one can fool you.
Your children will learn great emotional strength from you and you
teach them the value of inner strength and fortitude. Your shadow
may be in your need to control your children too much and perhaps
even manipulate them emotionally (this may even be unconscious).
You won’t feel nurtured until you learn to trust and this
is often a very difficult lesson for Scorpio Moon. You can tell yourself
that you feel safe only when you keep your wall up and don’t
allow anyone into your world of deep emotions, but I don’t
buy it. I really believe that to experience true nurturance you might
have to transcend this “safety net”. Perhaps your children
will teach you this lesson. And if you do learn this lesson, it must
be learned at your own pace – no one can force you to do anything.
You may have perceived your mother as abandoning
you in some way – either
physically or emotionally. You may have even felt unwanted as a child.
If you had a positive experience of your mother, she may have still
been somewhat mysterious to you.
The Moon in Sagittarius
You’re a fun mom – no two ways about it! You understand
the value of children playing, yet at the same time have an unsurpassed
love of knowledge for its own sake and you’re eager to pass
this love onto your children. An eternal optimist, you teach your
children the value of believing in themselves and having faith in
the world as well as a higher power. You love to travel and may travel
often with your little ones!
You may however, have such a great need
for your own freedom, that it creates difficulty in your mothering – especially during
those early years when the little ones are always with you. Yes it’s
easy for you to let your children go, and encourage them to attain
their own independence bur be aware that this must happen when they
are ready for it – not when you are.
You feel most nurtured when allowed to roam about and this is why
motherhood can sometimes be difficult to balance for you. During
the times you feel your freedom is restricted, you can nurture yourself
in other ways: perhaps by learning about a subject matter that helps
you answer some of your deep, philosophical questions about the universe.
You also feel nurtured when acknowledged for your wisdom, so teaching
your children anything will give you great comfort.
You perceived your own mother as adventurous
and fun as well as spiritual and philosophical. She always had
questions – and
she didn’t stop searching until she found the answers.
The Moon in Capricorn
You are certainly serious about mothering!
Practical and no-nonsense in your approach, you take your role
as an authority figure to a
level some other Moon signs can never attain. You’re a hard
worker and your children will grow to look up to, and admire you
in many ways. You are sure to raise children that understand the
importance and value of responsibility and self-sufficiency.
The shadow here is that you may have little
patience for the childish antics, and sometimes miss out on your
child’s need for love
and companionship because you are too busy fulfilling your “responsibilities” as
a mother – which are, of course, never-ending.
You may also be prone to depression or pessimistic thinking, perhaps
having even experienced restrictions or limitations in your ability
to mother in some way.
You feel most nurtured when you have clearly defined boundaries,
and when you are recognized for your accomplishments, and when your
feelings are received by others in a practical manner.
You probably experienced your mother as
somewhat restricting – perhaps
she suffered from depression or had restrictive life experiences
during your upbringing. She was a hard worker and responsible, able
to wait for life’s rewards and certainly not afraid to earn
them.
The Moon in Aquarius
You're not the typical soccer mom – that’s for sure!
Maybe you’re not "weird", but you are unusual in
some way. Definitely liberated and not one to be “barefoot
and pregnant”, you will teach your children the value of independent
thinking, freedom and your children may grow to see you as more of
a friend than the usual, mother type.
Because you are ahead of your time, you
open up a world of possibilities for your children that more traditional
moms haven’t even considered.
Your cool, emotional detachment doesn’t mean you can’t
express love for your children (although it may be an issue), but
it does mean you inherently value your child as an individual and
aren’t caught up in children being an extension of yourself.
Since smothering is so detestable to your character, your shadow
may lie in recognizing that children do need to be treated like children
from time to time – they aren’t miniature adults!
You feel most nurtured when you are appreciated and respected for
your intelligence and individuality.
You saw your own mother as a bit strange, or she may have been a
genius. She was certainly fixed in her temperament and whatever she
believed in, she will always believe in.
The Moon in Pisces
You are a sensitive mother, absorbing your
child’s every emotion
and wound. This is the most emotional placement of the moon and while
your compassion for your children is unsurpassed, there is the possibility
that you are over sensitive and take things too personally. You may
fall into the victim or martyr role, depending on the rest of the
chart and your children are either born to be saved by you, or to
save you. You are mystic and often psychically sensitive as well
with a rich imagination so you are usually creating wonderful bedtime
stories for your children, or games of make believe in some fantasy
world. The shadow lies in your ability to actually come out of this
world and take on the real responsibilities of motherhood that are
more practical.
You have a tremendous gift of teaching your children to develop
their imagination and spirituality and you feel most nurtured when
you are allowed access to your dream world, and treated as the fragile
person you are.
You probably never really saw your own mother
very clearly. She, like you, was either the rescuer of the family,
or needed to be rescued
in some way because of mental illness, or an addictive behavior.
She was certainly one of the most compassionate people around – just
like you!
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