Planets in Style: The Clothes in Luna's Wardrobe
The Moon's Style in Each of the Zodiac Signs
Planetary Permutations
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” goes the old proverb. The Chinese version translates as “Enter a village, follow the customs.” For the planets in astrology, the equivalent motto would be something like “When in Libra, act through Libran themes.”
The planets are always themselves and always do what they do, but they don’t always do it in the same style. As each planet transits through the Zodiac, it adapts its manner and focus to the ways of whatever sign it temporarily occupies. Whenever a planet changes signs, we might envision a figure reaching into its wardrobe and changing into a different outfit that’s appropriate to its new field of action.
While a planet occupies a sign, we may observe evidence of its influence in that field. There we may also encounter, or act personally as, agents of that planet. We always have a choice to channel or respond to the planet’s influence wisely or foolishly — that’s up to us.
In this series, we’ll look into each planet’s ‘wardrobe’ to see the style it adopts for each of its 12 regular Zodiacal visits.
What the Moon Does
Luna, the Moon, is entirely of the feminine Water Element. She’s our ‘memory’, our unconscious mind, the astral record of all we have ever experienced in life, good, bad, and indifferent, both consciously remembered and forgotten. The Moon is a sensitive, impressionable, preverbal part of us that is much like a small child. In the Zodiac the Moon rules Cancer, the sign of childhood, during which our earliest memories are formed.
We experience all of our feelings through our inner Moon, who remembers anything we may feel about the events we experience. The stronger our feelings about something, the deeper and more influential the impression it makes. Whenever we go through an event similar to an event in our past, the Moon reflects feelings associated with that past one back to us, so that we feel them all over again.
It’s the Moon that holds all of the unconscious programming and habits we’ve acquired, whether from early influences of family, adaptation to subsequent circumstances, or deliberate training. We repeat our habits again and again because we have learned to need them. They are part of our sense of what is “normal”, without which we would not feel comfortable. Some of our programming is fundamental, set by nature and necessary to our life; some is more superficial, and can be ‘overwritten and updated’, like outdated software, if necessary.
The Zodiac sign the Moon was in at our birth (it’s separate from our Sun sign and could be any of the 12) describes our normal emotional disposition. The current transits of the Moon don’t change that in any way, but they do incline us to temporary changes of mood that are not necessarily compatible with our usual disposition.
See more about the Moon at Pantheon of Colors: Amber.
The Moon in Transit (cycle is about 1 month = 2.5 days in each sign)
The Moon orbits the Earth every month, spending a few days in each sign of the Zodiac, influencing the collective mood from that sign by her quiet presence there.
A Moon transit brings a subtle current of feeling to which some people are more sensitive than others. Children tend to be more aware of it than adults, because so many experiences are new and evocative for them, and their other inner planetary functions are not yet developed enough to override their feelings. Pets can feel it too.
Sometimes a person or event in our external environment seems to trigger a mood within us. At other times, a mood simply comes over us for no apparent reason at all. We may wonder why we (or our children) are feeling as we do. If we’re curious enough to check out the Moon’s current Zodiac sign, most likely we’ll find that our mood has something to do with that sign.
Other influences can modify or blend with those of the transiting Moon. Depending on our natal Moon sign, we could feel that our normal routine is being either reinforced or disturbed by our current mood. If another transiting planet, or a planet in our natal chart, is in the same sign as the transiting Moon or in aspect with her, that planet’s ‘color’ will blend somehow with our mood.
None of our feelings call for judgment; they’re simply whatever they are. But we’re responsible, of course, for the ways in which we choose to act on them.
In any case, the feeling of any Lunar transit lasts for only a very short time. In itself it’s just a feeling, so we’d be silly to take it very seriously. No matter if we don’t like the way we feel during one of them; in a day or two we‘ll be feeling some other way, just as children do.
Listed below are moods typical of the Moon’s transit through each of the Zodiac signs. You may notice the effects of the current Moon sign on the moods of the children and animals in your life, and on those of yourself and many other adults as well.
The Moon in Aries: An Impatient Mood
It may not be easy to keep up with an energetic child or pet now, or to feel happy about having to make extra security checks to make sure they’re where they should be. We all tend to feel spontaneous and independent, preferring a solo pursuit of some personal challenge to the cooperation and compromise necessary in the company of others. We’re in the mood for free and immediate action, and just want to get moving and keep moving. Any of us might decide abruptly to go off on our own, feeling annoyed at any delays or obstacles that might be in our way.
The Moon in Taurus: An Obstinate Mood
We all tend to be in a peaceful, tranquil mood during this transit. We feel like continuing with whatever we’re doing at our own pace. We might feel lazy and content to indulge in creature comforts like food or music, or we could become absorbed in some sort of steady construction project and persist at it for hours. We’re definitely not in the mood to be challenged or pushed, and will stubbornly oppose and resist any efforts to move us from our chosen course.
The Moon in Gemini: A Curious Mood
We’re in the mood for mental stimulation. We may feel like getting out and about to find it, or we may be inclined to grab a phone, a book, or a pen. Where others are available for conversation, a need to share knowledge or seek answers to questions can put us in a talkative mood. Children tend to be chatterboxes, bursting with curiosity about anything and everything, and it’s an excellent time to help them with language skills.
The Moon in Cancer: A Domestic Mood
With Luna in her own sign, we’re in the mood for the familiar surroundings and comforts of home. Rather than socialize somewhere else, we prefer to stay in our cozy nest and follow the program of our normal family routine. We usually feel like performing domestic tasks, especially the ones that nurture and comfort our loved ones, like cooking. We may feel sentimental and nostalgic for family members and events of the past. We like the feeling of security that comes with the following of family traditions and rules. So do our children, who tend to feel at least as devoted and compliant as we do, and may feel like learning to cook some favorite family meals.
The Moon in Leo: A Playful Mood
Children are now craving attention and praise, and the same goes for the inner child of adults. We’re all in the mood for amusements, especially the kinds in which we can demonstrate our talents or skills. Children can be show-offs now, maybe with a touch of arrogance. Artists and performers of all sorts tend to feel like putting on a show. Some of us are feeling enthusiasm for dating and courtship; others are up for a good party. Any of us may feel like playing games with our children, our pets, or one another.
The Moon in Virgo: A Finicky Mood
This Lunar transit sensitizes us to flaws that we would usually overlook. Children may be fussy and complain about little things, though they’re probably also careful and helpful. We may need to look very closely to find out exactly what is bothering a pet or a child who can’t talk. We’re all in a perfectionistic, critical mood. We may feel guilty about a past error, or notice some malfunction requiring repair, and then feel like taking immediate steps to correct the flaw. Even if nothing is wrong, we may feel uneasy if we’re not busy at some practical task. We might be in a cranky mood, but most likely we’re doing things that need to be done.
The Moon in Libra: A Congenial Mood
With this transit of the Moon, children tend to be sweet and well behaved. We all tend to feel loving and cooperative, ready to compromise our whims in favor of interpersonal harmony and peace. We don’t feel like being alone, but we can’t feel comfortable in the presence of anything unpleasant or harsh. What we’re in the mood for now is beauty and congenial company. We may feel like meeting with a companion to share a pleasant experience of music or other arts in some beautiful, charming atmosphere.
The Moon in Scorpio: An Intense Mood
We’re unlikely to feel squeamish about anything now. We’re in the mood for emotional drama, and may feel drawn to spookiness or danger. As uneasy undercurrents grow stronger, our feelings intensify, maybe to the point of obsession. There may be no need for anything more than that. For some of us, heavy pressure comes from unresolved conflicts in urgent need of resolution. In that case, the stormy emotional release we need is likely to happen now, in some crisis that ends in restoration of normality and peace.
The Moon in Sagittarius: A Joyful Mood
A feeling of confidence in the goodness of life puts us into a happy, optimistic, generous, and maybe international mood. Life’s a grand adventure, we’re all blessed, and everything feels great! We tend to laugh and joke now, because life feels hilarious. We may feel like spreading good things, including our positive philosophy, far and wide. Though we can be a bit judgmental, we feel generally lenient. We’re in a wonderful mood, but we don’t feel like bothering with details, which can make for physical or social awkwardness.
The Moon in Capricorn: A Serious Mood
This Lunar transit brings a wave of cold feeling that tends to bring down our mood and bring out our serious concerns with reminders of responsibilities and limitations. Life can feel like all hard work that only becomes progressively harder, and pessimism or uncertainty may lead us to downsize our work load and crack down severely on frivolous wastes of energy and resouces. Meanwhile dependent children, who understand none of those concerns, may feel sad about restrictions or anxious and fearful for the condition of their parents and their fate. No one seems to be happy, and everything may feel pointless and grim. It’s especially important to remember that however gloomy it may feel, it’s no sign of a tragedy. It’s just a routine, passing mood that reminds us of our duties and will only last for about two and a half days.
The Moon in Aquarius: An Unpredictable Mood
We’d be foolish to make assumptions about how our children or pets will feel during this transit of the Moon, or even how we’ll feel ourselves. For a few days an invisible door seems to be open to startling surprises that make for erratic and jumpy feelings. Some of us dislike that and tend to feel nervous and upset; others like it and feel intrigued. At this time our mood is not emotional, but rather experimental. We may feel like getting together with others who feel as we do about the creative changes happening in our world, or we may feel like making some creative changes of our own.
The Moon in Pisces: A Dreamy Mood
A Lunar transit that favors introverts, this one inclines us for a few days every month to withdraw from the world and simply rest. Children may need extra quiet time now. We all tend to feel more emotionally sensitive and empathetic than usual, and may need solitary time just to process our feelings, maybe to recover from an injury or an overload. When we take the time we need to meditate, contemplate nature, or dream in peaceful seclusion, we’re making good preparation for other times when we’ll need to be well rested, focused, and vigorously active in the outer world.
