In Astrology, Cancer is ruled by the Moon. The Moon symbolizes our innermost desires, our instinctive behaviors and responses, and our subconscious mind.

The Moon reflects the Sun’s influence. It shows our instinctive and emotional responses to challenges and our needs for security. The Moon in our birth chart reveals our inner mother and child, as well as our feminine energy. The Moon is how we react, receive, and mirror the world. The Moon also symbolizes how we nurture and protect ourselves, and what makes us feel safe, comfortable, and cozy.

The Moon also represents our vitality and animation. It governs the rhythmic cycles of activity and energy in our lives. The Moon acts as a bridge between our inner and outer worlds. Unlike the Sun, which is rational, the Moon is irrational. The Moon influences our habitual behaviours and prejudices. We may not express our prejudices openly, as our Sun may restrain them, but the Moon affects our spontaneous feelings and reactions.

Some people feel that their Moons influence their personalities more than their Suns do. This may be especially true for those who have their Moons in water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces), or close to an angle in the chart (near the Ascendant, Descendant, 4th house cusp, or 10th house cusp). To achieve true happiness in life, it is important to balance the needs of your Moon and your Sun.

A passage from Astrology for the Millions by Grant Lewi captures the essence of the Moon very well. He wrote: “Your Moon knows what you mean, but your Sun can’t say it. That’s when you ‘know what you mean but you can’t say it.’ The Moon’s nature is behind the ‘thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears’. The silent joy, the hidden sorrow, the secret dream, the inner vision of yourself that you can’t communicate to the world, or that the world doesn’t understand or appreciate – these are the expressions of the Moon in your horoscope. When you feel misunderstood, you feel that your Moon nature is being betrayed by your imperfect Sun sign. When you know what you should do, but can’t find the right way to do it, your Moon knows and your Sun resists. Also, when you ‘don’t know why I said that,’ it was either your Moon speaking despite your Sun (if you are happy with what you said), or your Sun speaking against your Moon (if you regret what you said). Things you know without thinking – intuitions, hunches, instincts – are the gifts of the Moon. The Moon also gives you the modes of expression that you feel are most true to your deepest self: art, writing, creative work of any kind; sometimes love; sometimes business. Whatever makes you feel most yourself, whether or not you can manifest it in the outer world, is the result of your Moon and its sign at birth.”

The Moon and the Sun are two luminaries that influence our lives in different ways. The Moon connects us to the past through our emotions and feelings, while the Sun reflects the present or the “here and now”. When we express our Moon, we are imaginative, creative, intuitive, sentimental, adaptable, introspective, and protective. However, we can also be moody, restless, and irrational. The Moon’s sign in the natal chart shows how we emote and respond to our environment, as well as our instinctual habits, especially in our homes and in private. The Moon’s house in the natal chart shows which areas of life we feel the most “at home” or comfortable.