Likely you’ve heard it said that emotions are heightened during a Full Moon. That there are more car accidents, trips to the emergency room, rash decisions, impulse purchases, and seemingly random outbursts of anger or tears than on a typical day. Whether you’ve experienced this phenomenon or not, this would occur because the Moon rules our emotional realm and influences our inner world.

The Moon is a powerful luminary and, second to the placement of the Sun, where the Moon exists in our natal chart influences much about our personalities. Where the Sun is an outward, visible expression of ourselves, the Moon represents our inner world of emotions and self awareness. The Moon rules the unconscious, the instinctual, the reactive-it’s the way we feel inside of ourselves and how we respond to situations when we don’t have time to think first.

Understanding a person’s Moon sign gives great insight into their emotional world and inherent needs, showing how someone relates to others and how they form relationships. It may take a bit longer for a person’s Moon sign to reveal itself, as it is a more private part of one’s inner self. It’s where we feel things that we don’t always want to share and can even hide parts of our personality that we reject.

“ The Moon rules the unconscious, the instinctual, the reactive-it’s the way we feel inside of ourselves and how we respond to situations when we don’t have time to think first. ”

Governing our emotional sphere, the sign the Moon was in at the time of your birth reveals what you truly need to feel emotionally fulfilled, both in relationships and in life. For example, if your Moon is in the grounded earth sign of Taurus, you likely crave stability, security and comfort. Whereas, if your Moon is in Gemini, a fast-moving and thinking air sign, you will crave more variety, stimulation and freedom.

It’s important to note that these are emotional needs, not simply wants. A Gemini Moon doesn’t crave variety like you might crave pickles on a burger. It’s more that, without fulfilling the needs of their Moon sign, they may feel like a part of themselves is missing. The characteristics of our Moon sign signal the non-negotiable, unwavering requirements that we need for our emotional fulfillment.

As the Moon influences how we feel about others and how they feel about us, it’s a very important factor in relationships. Essentially it’s how we connect to people emotionally, and therefore, having an understanding of someone’s Moon sign can be helpful in discerning what they need to feel emotionally fulfilled and safe, in relationships, situations, or simply, life.

The Moon moves into a new Zodiac sign every 2.5 days. So even if you share a Sun sign with someone else, it’s likely that your Moons will be different, creating a whole new layer of characteristics to each of your personalities.