The Moon in the Natal Chart

"In the long run, the Moon cannot be ignored: needs too long denied, feelings too long buried, insecurities perpetually pushed aside, all eventually fester and can ultimately build us to a kind of crisis (we can) describe as lunar burnout. Essentially this is a kind of breakdown in which you are so drained from giving to others and ignoring your own needs that life's demands become too much for you."

The Moon is all about the "unconscious," the past, memories, and the emotions those memories evoke... The Moon (its positioning and Zodiac Sign placement in the birth chart) points to how we instinctually go about getting the emotional security we need in order to feel safe... The birth chart Moon is "where we go" when feeling frightened and alone...

It's the Mother and Child Reunion
The Moon is about emotional nurturance and the mysterious, archetypal bond and connection between "Mother and the Child..."

The very image of "Mother" infers the existence of "the Child..." And, likewise... The image of "the Child" infers the existence of "the Mother..."

At Birth
Human infants are quite different from almost all of the other infants in the animal kingdom. For all intents and purposes we humans are born quite prematurely.

At birth (and then continuing on for several years) - we're incredibly vulnerable and dependent upon mother (or a suitable alternate mother figure) for our very survival on the planet. And as newborn infants (regardless of whether we be male or female)

As newborn infants, we learn very quickly (and adapt to) what's needed to keep Mommy contented, happy and pleased. (To be sure, there's a bit of a two way street here...)

As newborn infants, we had no clue there was an existence that might be somehow separate and apart from our experience of Mom... And we somehow instinctively knew our very survival depended on Mom and her presence in our life... And perish the thought during those times when Mom left the room... then our entire infant world fell apart!

Birth Moon Placement
The particular positioning and sign placement of our birth Moon reflects to a large degree: just exactly how well our love affair with mom went...

The Moon reflects the way we individually perceived of and experienced our human mother (or alternative mother figure) especially during our first year of life and then while growing up...

Moon Mom in the Eye of the Beholder
I place emphasis on the Moon being the way we "individually perceived of and experienced" our human mothers. You see... the way we each perceived of "mother" - may (or may not) have been all that objectively "reality based."

The way we perceived of "mother" may not have been anything like our real, flesh and blood mother... However, the way we perceived "mother" is subjectively real in that: it is how we personally experienced and believed our mother to be...

Our perception is our reality. As an adult, haven't you ever had the experience of talking to a brother or sister about "Mom" - and suddenly the person they're talking on about and describing as "their mother" is someone you don't readily remember or recognize as being your mother?

We internalize our early experience of "mother" - and as adults we continue to instinctually nurture ourselves in the very same ways that made us feel

Much of what the various personality theorists have to say (regarding the significance of early nurturing experiences being critical to our sense of mental/emotional well-being as adults) is true.

And the particular positioning and sign placement of our birth Moon reflects (and gives clues to) the challenges we all face as adults in getting the emotional security needs of our inner child met. And just how well the love affair with Mom went - often has long lasting "unconscious" effects on our ability as adults to form long lasting, mutually satisfying relationships/love affairs.