The Moon in the Houses

Moon on The Ascendant

A Planet on an Angle is a strong statement in the Natal Chart. The Ascendant is intuition and the Moon is intuition - making this placement very sensitive to everything going on around them. The Ascendant is where we wear a mask and wear our clothes. The Moon is our most personal; feelings and emotions and a somewhat private energy. When the Moon is on the Ascendant, the emotional self is difficult to hide from others. This is not a favourable position for a poker player because this placement will wear their feelings in their faces. They will appear to others as a compassionate caring person who can be quite moody. Other people are drawn to Moon on the Ascendant as they feel safe and nurtured in their presence; perfect strangers will open up to the Moon on The Ascendant person.  Their ability to make others feel comfortable is outstanding. As The Ascendant is an axis the opposite side is the Descendant. The Moon is also opposite the Descendant which relates to significant others, partnerships and marriage. They will project these qualities onto those relationships and therefore seek out people who are caring, nurturing, compassionate and moody. The Descendant is sensation – they will look to others to experience emotional situations with and they will seek out emotionally competent close relationships.

The Moon in The First House

The Sign of the Ascendant is the cusp of The First House. Therefore this House is an Angular House; “to be”. The First House is all about the self, the wants, needs, demands and focus are self-involved and self-motivated, the ‘me’ in ‘me first’ is found in the First House and to some extent in the Fifth House. The Moon in the First House focuses the emotions and feeling in the self. Their feelings come first, they love themselves before others, their memories are focused on their experiences – if it wasn’t about them they don’t remember! The Mother is a prominent figure in the person’s life that is seen as quite directive and straightforward. The Moon rules Women and issues relating to women and regardless of the gender of the chart there is receptivity to the roles of women in their lives. It also indicates a keen intuitive ability as the person is sensitive to the vibe going on around them, they have an ability to read the emotional landscape in their immediate vicinity. It may not hit them immediately but as the processing of feeling occurs; it will dawn on them exactly what went down and what’s going on. This is not a language process; it is not articulated by the mind, it is a sense, like a flavour mixing in fluid. They are often found in caring or community roles.

The Moon in The Second House

The Second House is a Succedent House; “to use”. It is your body which is your first possession. The Second House is all about what is mine – my body, my possessions, my objects, my money and my values/beliefs. As most of us no longer live in hunter gatherer tribes and we require money to buy food and shelter, money is Second House because it is attached to the sustainability and protection of our bodies. The Second House is also concerned with sentimentality and the traditions that formed the values and beliefs that are held. The person will be more open to the conservative values of the mother. This is a position where emotions are invested in objects, furniture and possessions relating to deeply held feelings, the mother or mothers line of the family. This can make for a dealer in olden wares and antiques or equally a hoarder of everything imaginable. Emotional imbalance can lead to the squandering of money, retail therapy, refusing to give up objects and the wilful destruction of objects attached to ill feeling and emotional pain. Binge eating can be found here as can be fine dining and opulence depending on the emotional condition of the person. Feeling good is attached to food, luxury and the manifestation of actual things that can be touched and seen. Saving for a rainy day is the Moon in the Second; they will do what is needed to secure the safety and protection of their domicile. They will also consider their monetary affairs to be private and are likely to be wealthier than they portray themselves to be. They are unlikely to reveal to anyone any financial problems or lack of cash flow; it will be managed quietly and out of the sight of others. If you are dating a Moon in the Second it’s the old flowers and chocolates routine and a bit of old fashioned courting. Even a Fire Moon will be slowed down in The Second House. In matters of intimacy this is a sensual tactile slow moving position for the Moon which is passive in ‘position’ and prefers to receive than to lead.

The Moon in The Third House

The Third House is a Cadent House; “to understand”. It is all about thinking, talking and moving around that which is local and familiar. The Moon in this position is emotionally affected by whatever is going on around their local neighbourhood. They will be plugged in to what is going on and feel a connection to locals and neighbours. They are also emotionally in tune with siblings and are keenly intuitive about what is going on for close familiar relatives. This position of the Moon needs to talk about their feelings and to analyse their feelings as to why they are feeling the way they are feeling. They can also become quite restless when facing ill feelings or emotional imbalance. Walking can assist them to sort out how they feel and it will cause fatigue so they can sleep, rather than lie awake all night worrying about the emotional situation. They will also go on long drives, train or bus trips to sort through their emotions or just because it makes them feel good to travel around their town. The intuitive Moon has the ability in this position to read the nonverbal communication of others – the body language, the gestures, the look on their face, the vibe they put out and they have the ability to read the language used; through an extraordinary auditory interpreter. It’s almost as if they can hear the spaces between the words and the pauses have as much if not more to say than the language chosen.  Intense or strong emotions can cause this position to gag the tongue, making it difficult to near impossible to articulate or communicate at all. The person may just cry and babble making no sense at all as they are so overwhelmed by emotion equally they have the ability to express emotion and empathy through the voice and can make brilliant speeches as they can touch and connect with their audience. If the Moon in the Third understands the why behind the feeling – they feel good. Where no understanding can be reached they have trouble letting the feeling go.

The Moon on The IC

The IC is The Nadir of The Chart; it is The Midnight position in The Natal Chart. It is not seen, it is hidden from the view of others, unless those others are in your Family or very close circle. It is where we are all private; The IC represents our homes and our families. It is the bloodline, gene pool and heritage of the family line. The Sign on The IC will describe one layer in The Family Story, when a planet is on The IC; the Family Story picks up a bit, as the Planet becomes another player in the layers of the Family Story. The Moon is emotions and feelings; it is also the Mother and the Women of the Family in this position. It is a strong indication that the person hails from the matriarchal line of the family. It is a strong position of a caring nurturing creative person who loves being at home. They are not looking for any recognition from the outside world only the acknowledgement from their family and loved ones. As The IC is opposite The MC as it is an axis – the Moon is denoted as being Moon opposite MC. The opposition is the energy of creative/ created conflict that causes action to be taken that is not entirely comfortable. The MC is the most public position of The Natal Chart; it is often associated with career. When The Moon opposes the MC – the person is known for being a caring person, a sensitive and compassionate person – the conflict arises because they do not want to be publicly fussed over, they prefer to be private. Some days they really do not want to leave the house – working from home or at home will often suit them better; even working in other people’s homes would be preferential to the same old office every day. The Moon is changeable and wants variety.

Note: The Moon can be conjunct the IC from The Third House or it can be conjunct from The Fourth House. It is conjunct the IC and opposite the MC. The difference is for the Third House as it focuses the energy through siblings, close and familiar relatives, communication and mobility. The Moon in The Fourth will be the stronger statement as relating to the expression of the Moon through the family and home.

The Moon in The Fourth House

The Sign of the IC is the cusp of The Fourth House. Therefore this House is an Angular House; “to be”. The Moon is where we find comfort for ourselves in the chart and tend to our emotional needs. Here The Moon is most comfortable nestled in the bosom of mother and family in the home. There is a deep emotional attachment to the family home and to the family’s homeland and cultural base. There will be a preference for living with women or in a communal to highly interactive community. There is a strong need to create the sense of family, that being biological or otherwise. This is also a highly intuitive position for the Moon – the ability to sense what is going on without language is strong. Don’t be surprised when this position of the Moon is one step ahead of you. There is a love of family functions, events and gatherings or the coming together of a close knit community. They will also enjoy private club activities as they love to feel that they are part of something, again part of a family. The Sign will shed light on the details of the type of interests that may grab them. A home that does not feel right is not the home of a MOON in the Fourth House, they must, must, feel secure, safe and protected at home. It is their shell; never underestimate just how private these people are! They will deflect any attempts of poking a nose in where it wasn’t invited, they will not take kindly to unannounced or uninvited visitors, they will covert and collect those who fit their emotional disposition and anyone else is not welcome. They will suffer the social norms required of them but their true feelings will be safely tucked away in the background where no one can see them.

The Moon in The Fifth House

The Fifth House is a Succedent House; “to use”. The Fifth House is concerned with the self, with fun and recreation, games and speculation, it is children and the inner child and it’s the spark of love between lovers. When the Moon is in the Fifth they enjoy socialising and mixing with others, they have an emotional attachment to children and strong feelings about the lives of children. They will gain enormous satisfaction and pride from being a parent. Even as a non-parent they will associate and contribute to the improvement of children’s lives. There is an innate need to protect and nurture young lives. The Moons intuitive energy in this House has a keen ability to tune into trends speculatively with success. The Moon in The Fifth is a team player in many respects here the Moon wants to belong to a creative team, a sports team, a social club, a mothers group, the committee at school or on the board of a community organisation aiding children and parents with the focus on the children.  As the Fifth is the House of Lovers, the Moon here seeks to love and to be loved. This is not a position of commitment or long term relationships, it is the sensation and feeling of being in love, it represents the first spark of love between people or for some it is a lust train for life. To assess the commitment and long term relationship pursuits – the entire Natal Chart requires assessment. This description is in pure terms and is not considering any compromising aspects from other planets. Some of the most ardent sports fans are found with Fifth House planets – the Moon adds an emotional flavour and the feeling of belonging to a family of fans and spectators. There is a great deal of creativity associated to The Moon in the Fifth as The Moon is The Divine Mother and the Creator of life and the Fifth House is the spark of creative light from the Sun – the natural ruler of the fifth. Creative pursuits provide an outlet for emotional expression and the act of creation provides good feelings and contentment – a return to centre. Creativity improves self-confidence and self-expression.

Note: The Moon is our habits. In the Fifth beware of the habits you create for yourself as they will be hard to break. The other warning re the Moon in the fifth is re Gambling and the need of The Moon to belong. If the Moon is debilitated by a compromising of the energy from an outer planet – that loneliness can translate to sitting in a hotel mindlessly playing poker machines, slot machines or the blackjack table at the local Casino. Equally a well aspected Moon in the fifth can have some talent in this area; as the local Bingo Champion, Bridge Player or Card Reader.

The Moon in The Sixth House

The Sixth House is a Cadent House; “to understand”. The Sixth House is about your health and wellbeing, it’s your daily routine and often where we all earn a living. The Moon in The Sixth House means that your health and wellbeing are entwined and attached to your feelings, emotional world and habits. If you don’t feel right you are likely going to be unwell physically somehow. The Sixth House is where we find health food and eating healthy nutritional food is important for all sixth house planets but critical for the Moon in The Sixth. Binging on junk food for this placement means they are not feeling good and something is affecting their emotional balance. This is followed by feeling physically sick because bad food makes them feel bad. The Moon here will fall over one lesson after another re their food sensitivities until they understand what is going on, they are forced to analyse it and make the changes to the diet that their body requires. The sixth is also about service to others; as it is by serving others that the self is served with this placement. The Moon cares for others and is a nurturer on a daily level; they are often employed in areas where they are providing a service to others. Routines and stable daily activities and schedules provide a sense of emotional comfort to this Moon placement. The Moon is changeable and adaptive and you can be sure that this placement has a backup plan that has worked before. As the Moon is Mothers and Women the sixth house Moon will have daily interactions and contact with them, the Moon here will seek relationships that have regular contact and updates as to what’s going on for them. There is an ability to micro manage anything and a preference for working behind the scenes in private with some contact when required but will shun the spot light position. The Sixth is also about small animals and pets – the Moon here has an emotional connection to these animals. They will be pet owners, could work with pets or in animal rescue, the unconditional love of a pet fulfils so many emotional needs of a sixth house Moon they will benefit enormously from the love of a pet. 

The Moon on The Descendant

The Descendant is part of the Axis which represents The Horizon in The Natal Chart. The opposite side of this Axis is The Ascendant. The Ascendant is representative of Sun Rise in The Natal Chart and The Descendant is representative of Sun Set in The Natal Chart. The Descendant is the first place in the Houses that we meet others. When the Moon is on The Descendant the person is emotionally connected to others, they will seek close relationships and friendships that are fluid and feeling orientated. There will be emotional investments in others which satisfies their need to connect with significant relationships in a meaningful and loving way. There is a strong need to be in a partnership or significant friendship with the Moon on this angle. There will be a tendency to be attracted to people who need to be looked after, mothered or nurtured. They will seek out the needy in relationships. They will form relationships based entirely on the vibe, the feeling, the click, the flow and the intuition. It is the type of position that would believe in love at first sight. As the Moon is opposite the Ascendant they will also project a certain level of neediness in their persona, equally they will project a caring compassionate nature onto those around their immediate vicinity. 

The Moon in The Seventh House

The Sign on The Descendant is the cusp of The Seventh House. Therefore this House is an Angular House; “to be”. The Seventh House is your close circle of friends and your spousal relationship aspirations. The Moon here describes a person who is motivated to show their care and concern for others, especially for those who are closest to them. The emotional disposition is connected to significant relationships, partnerships and marriages. The best friend or the spouse is the emotional barometer of this position. If everything is rosy with their friends and spouse, all is well, on the other hand if either of these relationships becomes rocky the moodiness and changeability of the Moon is harnessed into a downhill emotional low. The Moon is moody for everyone somewhere in the chart, in the seventh the moods are very much affected by the state of affairs in their closest relationship. Emotional balance is felt when the feelings of love in their relationship are harmonious and they feel connected to their partner. This is not a position that will suffer a shell of a marriage to keep up appearances, if they do, do this, they will end up depressed or have a break down. The Moon is intuitive and interprets nonverbal signals therefore in the seventh they apply this talent to their spouse, business partners/ associates and close friendships which means trying to hide how you’re feeling from them is futile. You might get away with it in the short term but like rising damp the Moon will pick up on it and that will be the beginning of the end of that relationship. How it feels when they are with you is absolutely everything to this position of the Moon, if they don’t feel right with you they will not be with you. They want a partner who is as caring as they are someone who is also compassionate and has emotional empathy for others, they need someone who they feel safe with and protected by, they are not attracted to emotionally remote people who lack any care or concern for others. It’s all about the love and the connectedness with this position of The Moon.

The Moon in The Eighth House

The Eighth House is a Succedent House; “to use”. The Eighth House is all the other people that are not in your close circle and family. The Moon in this position has the ability to tune into anybody’s feelings and emotions. They also have the ability to sense trends and fads in the collective of the population. The intuitive ability of the Moon here can feel when things are appealing to other people; the emotional barometer is set on the feelings and emotions of others. Like the 12^th House Moon this position will encounter issues discerning whose feelings are actually going on in a situation. There will be a need to establish emotional boundaries for emotional self-protection. There is the capacity for this Moon to face and handle some of the more intense and torrid emotions of others, as they have been there and they get it! To say that these people have been to hell and back with others and within themselves for some would be the understatement of our current century! These are the amazing people that can tune into the emotional pain of others, meet them face to face, then hold out their hand and walk them out of their pain and suffering. The Moon here is quite happy to change their feeling about someone based on their gut feelings and their ability to read what is not being spoken. The Moon senses on a nonverbal level, here it can sense some of the more hidden of hidden feelings, the ability to uncover that which is hidden here is remarkable. It will just come to them, they feel it they don’t think it, some may not even be able to articulate how they know but they do know and they are often spot on. Emotional imbalance will cause them to second guess their gut which will fail and until they bid Persephone a farewell with thanks they will not return to balance from the underworld of their emotional state. This position of The Moon will not suffer a sexless marriage as it is a position that must connect on a sexual level with the person they love. The sexual connection is deep, passionate and binding. Commit adultery to this position and you might as well go to the court and file the papers for divorce yourself! & NO! They will not speak to you again when they find out! This is the position of the Moon that takes the ‘till death do we part’ section of the vows very seriously!

The Moon in The Ninth House

The Ninth House is a Cadent House; “to understand”. The Ninth House is the seeking and gaining of knowledge and the understanding of that knowledge. Here the Moon seeks emotional comfort from understanding by way of books, study and a philosophical or spiritual/religious framework. This position of the Moon wants to know the why behind a feeling, they want to pull the emotions apart and try to find out what is behind them. They do this as a process to work through their feelings and to learn so they do not have to go through it again. This is a ‘learnt it the first time’ position emotionally.  They can work in areas such as psychology & counselling as they are adept in helping others sort through such processes. There is an innate drive in this position to share the feelings and any techniques of dealing with the feelings and emotions so as to grow and develop. Emotional satisfaction will be felt through teaching, instructing, training, nurturing or mentoring others. They will also want to connect with the greater world and all of its cultures through experiences which will compel them to travel the world. There will be a connection to the Goddess of cultures and the icons and rituals of women will appeal to them. The mother’s academic levels will influence the child with this placement. The intuitive Moon here can follow a hunch, a clue, or a fragment and come up with a result as to the where, why and the best solution for everyone to restore harmony. There can be issues for this Moon at times because feelings are not rational and words are useless but they also have the capacity to sense when this is the case and will likely fall back on a story, a Greek myth or archetype to process the emotion through the moral of the story. The Moon in the Ninth will always fall on their feet emotionally where others would fail to extricate themselves from emotionally difficult circumstance the Moon in The Ninth will sail through it. They can do this because they learn from situations and move on or they book airline tickets and they are gone for the summer. They avoid heavy emotional situations they really do prefer light and breezy.

The Moon on The MC

The MC is an important point in The Natal Chart. It represents The Meridian and forms part of The Cross of Matter. The Ascendant Descendant Axis is the other part of The Cross of Matter. It is The Cross of Matter that represents our incarnation upon the earth at birth. The Symbol for the Earth is The Cross inside The Circle; which is the Cross of Matter on The Natal Chart. The MC is the life direction and purpose of the Chart; it is the highest point in the Chart and therefore the most public place in the chart. Planets on The MC stand out and are noticed by everyone. When the Moon is on the MC there is an ability to connect with the public in an appealing sensitive and emotionally connected manner. The MC has long been associated with career which it is but it is the aspiration and the reputation that is described by the MC. Moon on the MC will be attracted to careers that involve people and community orientated vocations. Care Giving, Nursing, Women, Children and Parental Services are all realms of The Moon. Breeding pets/livestock, plants/ propagation, land management and farming are also lunar themes. The Moon is also opposite The IC/ Nadir of The Chart which is a conflict between the demands of the home and family verses the demands of the career that takes us away from the home. Moon on The MC would benefit from a balance between the public and private life. Working more from home/ in private than at the employer’s workplace would suit them best. The Women’s line of the family and the intuition are linked when The Moon is on this Axis.

The Moon in The Tenth House

The Sign on The MC is the cusp of The Tenth House. Therefore this House is an Angular House; “to be”. As the Tenth House is before the Meridian Planets in the Tenth House are not as high as those on the Meridian/MC. Planets in The Tenth House do stand out and are seen as The Tenth House is the most public house; it is associated with being out there, being seen and being noticed. The Tenth House is where we aspire to achieve our career and work aims. The Moon in The Tenth House will be seen as, and have a reputation for being a caring sensitive compassionate person. As the Moon is a private energy and here it’s in a public position they will not be doing what they are doing to be noticed, they likely feel a bit uncomfortable about it but over time they will just accept that they get noticed by others for all the efforts they go to, to help others feel comfortable. They will love to spend time with people out and about. The Moon wants to belong and here they want to belong to a social group of some sort as The Moon in The Tenth Loves Company, it makes them feel loved, protected and secure. They will do well in service industries and tending to the needs of the employees, workforce, group, community organisation or a client group. This position of the Moon would do well in Human Resource Management, Recruitment Services, Real Estate, Childcare and Community Services. The emotions and feelings are connected to social status and the fulfilment of goals. This position feels emotional balance when they are in charge of situations or given the autonomy to work in private or without direct supervision. Emotional imbalance or ill feelings can cause a pulling back from public life to the point of not leaving the house, the abandonment of life aims and the seeming loss of capacity to fulfil the expectations of others. The Emotions can feel overwhelmed in Public places if they do not feel comfortable, as The Moon is intuitive and sensitive these warning signals ought be listened to and acted upon so as to feel safe and to maintain your emotional wellbeing. Our feelings not only nurture us, comfort us, give us sensations of love but they protect us and the Moon in an angular House does this most ardently. In the Tenth it protects others primarily but it does this so as to protect the emotional investment of the self. This is The Axis in action.

The Moon in The Eleventh

The Eleventh House is a Succedent House; “to use”. The Eleventh House is groups of people, friendships, social networks, hopes and dreams. When the Moon is in The Eleventh the emotional disposition is connected to friends and the overall feelings going on in the groups they are involved in. The American Sitcom “Friends” is such a Moon in The Eleventh Series of Seasons. The Moon in The Eleventh is the emotional barometer of the group; they can sense the mood of the group and can be the one who puts voice to what is going on. This can lead to discussion, analysis and problem solving the situation or it can lead to The Moon person being scapegoated, outed as a whistle blower and ostracised until the truth comes out and they are eventually vindicated. There can be a wide variety of friends and groups of people that the Moon associates with in this position – a group or a friend for every mood. The Moon is changeable and in this Air House it likes variety and it can ‘work’ a crowd like a conductor conducts the orchestra. The ability to tune into the tone in the room in a warm and engaging manner is a talent of The Moon in The Eleventh. They will also be very emotionally connected to making their dreams come true, bringing about their hopes and fulfilling their desires. The type of partner they seek will be a friend first as companionship is as important as good sex to this position. They marry their best friend and they have other best friends that they would never sleep with in an intimate manner. This position is concerned with issues that relate to The Sisterhood and Brotherhood of Humanity and they will find satisfaction and good feelings from feeling part of any group who are trying to make the world a better place to live in. There is a core sense to The Moon in The Eleventh that all humans need to care about each other – the duty of care towards others is not only entrenched in law it is entrenched in The Eleventh House Moon. Unlike the duty of care found in the Tenth House Moon which is very much about the law behind the duty, The Eleventh House Moon is more about the responsibility of being a caring human towards other human’s part of the duty of care. The Eleventh House Moon does not need a law to compel them to care for others it’s instinctual to them.

The Moon in The Twelfth House

The Twelfth House is a Cadent House; “to understand”.  The Twelfth House is considered the most hidden part of the chart. I would put it as the second most hidden part of the chart. The Fourth house is the most hidden from view in the sense of privacy and being tucked away behind closed doors. The Fourth House relates to the self-whilst the Twelfth House is above The Horizon and therefore is concerned with others. Planets in the Twelfth may not even be seen when you are in the person’s home. They are hidden from view. When The Moon is in the Twelfth the emotional disposition is hidden from others yet it is tied to the feelings and issues of others. As the energy of the Twelfth House wants to merge and become at one with others, with spirit, with God, with Nature or by arriving at the end of a bottle of Scotch there is an innate sense to this position that nothing is separate from anything else. This can make it difficult to discern where all those feelings, impressions and emotions are coming from. They can feel overwhelmed by the emotional temperament of the collective. The Twelfth House rules the collective unconscious and the Moon is intuitive and has the ability to tap into the trends, fads, issues, concerns of the greater population of the Nation, World or Universe. Some will have very keen intuitive, perceptive and highly tuned sensory abilities. This comes with blessings on the one hand and difficulties on the other. There will be a need to establish emotional boundaries so as to protect the self from the onslaught of the feelings of others bombarding their mood and emotional balance. This is often why they shut themselves away from other people and have a strong preference for spending time alone. Once they can establish boundaries that work like the force fields of space crafts in science fiction they will deal with crowds and social functions without feeling completely drained by the time they get home. Spiritual practices, religious beliefs, talismans and good luck charms may all be effective for this Moon to feel protected and create the boundaries they need for their own emotional health and wellbeing.