How To Nurture Your Inner Child, Based On Your Moon Sign

In astrology, our Moon sign is connected to daily patterns, emotional needs and experiences, and connection with our inner child. When we repress the voice of our Moon, we’re likely to engage in defensive and reactive behaviors. As influential Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung once said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Our Moon sign is connected to our shadow—the things we would rather not look at or have yet to fully discover and integrate.

When we repress the voice of our Moon, we deny ourselves the ability for our internal world “to matter”. We deny our wants, our needs, and are likely to engage in cycles of defense mechanisms (denial, repression, suppression, dissociation, lying), comparison, and/or self-sabotage. This can wreak havoc on a psyche as our energy is being driven towards engaging in what we want to avoid, rather than turning towards what’s at the root of it—our softened, vulnerable emotional needs and expression.

Aries Moon: Fast, flashy, intense, passionate.

People with a Moon in Aries are often quick to act and express their core needs, emotions, and desires. Emotions themselves are quick to come and go, and people with a Moon in Aries value independence and moving forward. They don’t want to play games or engage in long patterns of back-and-forth.

Hidden Desire: A fresh start.

Feed Your Inner Child: Physical activity, competition, meditation or deep-breathing to release any pent-up tension.

Taurus Moon: Sensual, stable, natural, fixed.

As a fixed Earth sign, Taurus Moons are grounded, prefer predictability and stability, and enjoy time in nature. They love all things sensory. It’s important for them to practice flexibility in order to prevent emotions from becoming core drivers of experience themselves. They can get thrown off when routines are changed or environments are interrupted.

Hidden Desire: To build and experience stability.

Feed Your Inner Child: Art, yoga, daily routines, cooking, journaling.

Gemini Moon: Talkative, imaginative, clever, social.

Gemini Moons love to start projects and be in large groups of people. It may feel easier for them to focus on everyone else around them rather than on their own internal experience. A mutable air sign, they have an easier time attending to intellectual rather than emotional needs. It’s more comfortable for them to talk about emotions than it is for them to actually experience them.

Hidden Desire: To experience inspiration and movement.

Feed Your Inner Child: Organizing, art, writing, learning through various media sources.

Cancer Moon: Loving, protective, emotional, intimate.

Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is at home in navigating the world through the lens of emotions. They are often found in healing professions as they have a natural ability to pick up on the emotional world of others. A cardinal water sign, having a sense of gratitude for their sensitivity is important to prevent cycles of suffering and getting lost in the “storyline” of deep emotional experiences.

Hidden Desire: Peace and safety shared with others and experienced internally.

Feed Your Inner Child: Spending time with animals, being in water, creating an environment of sanctuary, spending time with close friends and family.

Leo Moon: Magnetic, regal, light, loyal, outwardly seeking.

Leo Moons enjoy being in the spotlight of environments in which they feel at home. They can at times appear bossy as they have a drive for fairness and to make things “right.” When they feel they have been wronged, they are likely to take it personally and will reserve their big emotional expression for close family and friends. When hurt, they have a tendency to withdraw and hide their light, their greatest source of strength for themselves and everyone around them. Leo Moons may take time to recognize which emotions are present, and they require a lot of TLC from close friends and family.

Hidden Desire: To feel loved, valued, and cared for.

Feed Your Inner Child: Spend time in the sun, creative self-expression, fashion, predictability/planning around social settings.

Virgo Moon: Simple, reliable, trustworthy.

Virgo Moons are extremely resourceful and care deeply about the wellbeing of those around them. A mutable earth sign, they do well in environments with a lot of routine. With a keen attention to detail, they grow restless when unable to see the bigger picture of how their presence is of service. They have a tendency towards being self-critical, and it is an ongoing practice for them to relax and find the innate beauty in who they are as a human being.

Hidden Desire: To produce.

Feed Your Inner Child: List-making/bullet journaling, body-focused self-care, organizing.

Libra Moon: Social, charming, beautiful, gentle, balanced, idealistic.

Libra Moons feel most secure when in partnership with others. They value balance, harmony, and are concerned with issues related to morality and ethics. These qualities tend to make them very attractive to others. Their desire to be the best and create the most harmonious environment possible can be taken to extremes, and they are often prone to repressing or ignoring their own emotional experiences.

Hidden Desire: To experience harmony.

Feed Your Inner Child: Close relationships, art, poetry, writing, music.

Scorpio Moon: Strong, intuitive, intelligent, deep, transformative.

A fixed water sign, Scorpio Moons have intense, deep, and long-lasting emotional lives. Scorpio loves transformation, and it’s important they engage in practices that allow for a sense of movement in these internal experiences. Their intensity can come across as either deeply intimidating or deeply inspiring to others. They desire intensity, have a fear of abandonment/betrayal, and are constantly encouraging themselves and others to experience life with the greatest degree of authenticity, intimacy, and connection possible.

Hidden Desire: Depth.

Feed Your Inner Child: Swimming, collaging, mystery books/movies/TV shows.

Sagittarius Moon: Cheerful, open, free-spirited, inspiring.

A mutable fire sign, Sagittarius Moons are optimistic, open, and crave adventure. They love to explore and be engaged in activity, whether that’s learning a new language, being absorbed in a new culture, or spending time in nature. A free-spirited lover of life, they may struggle in taking their emotions seriously or in being present with them. It’s important they look for avenues to validate emotional experiences and become comfortable sharing them in intimate relationships.

Hidden Desire: To explore.

Feed Your Inner Child: Visit new places in your city, take a hike, watch/read sci-fi or fantasy.

Capricorn Moon: Dependable, secure, determined, ambitious.

With a strong sense of groundedness, Capricorn Moons may come across as emotionless or cold. They tend to keep their emotions well under control and prefer balancing emotional expression in practical ways. They have a desire to feel and appear competent and their career/life purpose is of great meaning to them. Feeling respected and recognized is at the heart of what helps them feel secure and valued in this world.

Hidden Desire: To feel respected.

Feed Your Inner Child: Building things, goal setting, outdoor physical activity, taking a class.

Aquarius Moon: Unique, positive, friendly, original.

Aquarius Moons are observant and love to analyze behaviors and attitudes. A fixed air sign, they may express and handle emotions through the form of rational thought rather than in deep-rooted experiencing. They value independence, freedom, and often strive to be the most unique person they can be. This may lead to detachment from emotional experiences. It’s important they give themselves permission to embrace their humanity and recognize their sensitive nature is not something that makes them any less worthy of acceptance or connection.

Hidden Desire: Freedom.

Feed Your Inner Child: Reading, group activities, storytelling, volunteer work, social media.

Pisces Moon: Dreamy, compassionate, soft, sensitive.

Those with a Pisces Moon are extremely emotionally intelligent. Their sense of empathetic connection may at times feel like too much to handle, and they are prone to engage in numbing out or avoidant techniques in an attempt to escape this sensitivity. Pisces Moons are constantly swimming in the waters of intuitive feeling and have a keen ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.

Hidden Desire: To believe.

Feed Your Inner Child: Calming night routines, alone time, expressing emotions/empathy through the vessel of art or acting.