Saturn Entering Aries in 2026
Your Moon Sign
This placement is determined by where the Moon was in the sky at the moment you were born. Rotating through the same 30° portions of the sky as the Sun, the Moon moves into a new sign about once every 2.5 days.
While your Sun sign informs your identity and ego, the Moon is related to your emotions and intuition. The Moon helps us understand our subconscious needs and habitual emotional patterns, offering a path to deeper emotional self-awareness and self-care.
The Sun is your outer self, but one's Moon sign has more influence on your inner world and relationship with yourself.
The Astronomical Impact of the Moon on Humans
I feel very strongly about the physical and metaphysical effects of the Moon and its cycles upon humans. Consider these facts:
The high and low tides of Earth’s oceans are caused by the Moon’s gravitational pull.
The tides, in turn, create currents and affect global weather systems.
The temperature on Earth rises by 1° when the moon is full; in the 90’s, scientists discovered that the moon creates an “atmospheric tide” that impacts air pressure (source).
The Earth’s crust flexes in the direction of the tidal pull. Satellites that can measure the Earth’s topography confirm that the Moon affects the height of the land and puts stress on tectonic faults. Some scientists hypothesize that these shifts might affect earthquakes and even volcanoes.
Scientists believe life itself may not have been possible without the Moon's tidal mixing of the oceans that created the complex chemical compounds that were necessary for life to begin.
The word "menstrual" is derived from the same etymological root as "moon" and "month" -- because the female reproductive cycle lasts ~28-29 days, just like the Moon's. That the two are connected was recognized almost since the dawn of man, but it's also been proven repeatedly by research as well.
When you think about all these physical, scientifically-observed impacts of the Moon, it becomes difficult to just wave off the astrological impact of lunar energy as myth.
Mammals are primarily made of water; it is foolish for us to presume that the same lunar gravitational forces which apply to all these aspects of life on Earth, would somehow then not also impact mere human mortals.
The Timing of the Lunar Phases
The Moon doesn't have to be transiting through the sign under which you were born, to affect you. For example, just because I was born with Aquarius Moon, if the full Moon coming up happens to be in Scorpio, I’m not automatically “exempt” from its effects simply because it’s not a return of my natal Moon.
In addition to what sign the Moon was in that day, it's also relevant to note what phase the Moon was in, at the time a person was born (full, waning/waxing, etc.). Specifically, being born during a new or full Moon will have different energies to contribute.
Chart analyses should also consider whether the person was born during the day or night. This concept is known in astrology as "sect" - the idea that being born while the Sun is above or below the horizon will influence the other placements. The Moon is more influential in a nocturnal chart than a diurnal one.
A Primer on the Moon's Movement and Mechanics
The ecliptic is the term for the 360° path that the Sun and other celestial bodies appear to follow as they travel around the Earth. (Today, of course, we know that the Earth actually orbits the Sun, not vice versa – but ancient astronomers observed and measured what they could with what they had.)
I find it fascinating that the original concept of the ecliptic was inherently inaccurate – and yet, was still able to actually lead scientists to realize our galaxy is heliocentric. The human capacity for discovery is so lit! 😍
So, of course when we talk about a luminary or a planet “crossing the sky”, we are referring to a human visual perception of the ecliptic.
The Moon actually does orbit the Earth, of course, and takes roughly 29 days to complete a full circle.
The start of this cycle is the New Moon – when the Moon is at 0°00’ on its orbit, and is exactly conjunct with the Sun (which prevents us from seeing any illuminated portion from Earth).
Of course, the Moon is still there, even if we can’t see it. During a New Moon, energy from the Sun is still passing in a direct line through and around the Moon to Earth.
Ironically, even though the New Moon phase is when we can see the least of her, this is actually when the Moon is closest to the Sun and receiving the most of its energy.
How the Zodiac Fits In
The zodiac is the name for the 360° “belt” that follows the ecliptic, and which is divided into 30° segments that we know as the 12 signs – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces. The moon is always in one of the 12 signs, and takes about 2.5 days to transit across to the next sign.
So, at any given time, the Moon is in a degree of its own 360° orbit (which could be anywhere from 0°00’ to 359°59’) and also in a degree of a zodiac sign (which could be anywhere from 0°00’ to 29°59’).