We know so much about our Moon astronomically. But when I started digging into research for this blog post, my biggest worry wasn’t finding information—it was figuring out how to sift through the endless tidal wave of facts without completely drowning you in them. One click on the NASA website led to another, and before I knew it, I was deep in a cosmic rabbit hole, muttering “just one more link” like it was space-themed potato chips.

How did I not know about all of these interesting moon facts? For instance, did you know that our Moon is “tidally locked” to Earth, which means we always see the same side. Always. The backside? That’s VIP-only territory for lunar astronauts. (Maybe the Moon’s just shy—after all, it’s been showing us the same face for billions of years.)

And those craters on the moon’s surface face that we all know and love? They’re not just cosmic freckles—they’re receipts from our Solar System’s wild youth. Each one is evidence of colossal collisions between dust, rock, and other space debris, slowly sticking together to form planets. In other words, our Solar System wasn’t born out of peace and quiet—it was more of a galactic bumper-car brawl.

When the Moon first formed, it wasn’t the calm, glowing orb we see in the night sky—it was basically one giant, churning ocean of magma. We also know this from studying the surface scars from it’s fiery youth. Today, the Moon sports a simple atmosphere, a modest metallic inner core, and of course, its famous sunlit glow that waxes and wanes with clockwork precision. Humans have been tracking that lunar light show for millennia, not just for gazing and turning into werewolves, but for more practical applications such as using its phases as a celestial calendar to guide planting and harvest seasons. In fact, agriculture owes a lot to our dusty neighbor, which might explain why nearly every major civilization crowned the Moon with its own mythological figure. And while fertility goddesses tend to hog the spotlight, many Moon deities were actually male—like the Egyptian god Khonsu, who watched over travelers at night (because who wouldn’t want a glowing wingman for their journey?). If you want to dive deeper into lunar legends, Mythfolks has a treasure trove of Moon mythology that’s well worth a wander.

And then there’s the Moon’s party trick—tidal forces. Ever wonder how that works? Even though the Moon is pint-sized compared to Earth, it’s close enough to give us a gravitational tug. Remember that “tidal locking” we talked about earlier? The Moon’s pull is strong enough to move water around on our planet, which is why we get those gorgeous high tides. Technically, it pulls on land too, but thankfully it’s not enough to start rearranging continents. I feel sooo close and connected, don’t you? cue dramatic eyelash bat. I mean, Earth and the Moon are basically the ultimate “it’s complicated” couple — always together, yet still needing their space, a little lover’s tug every now and again.

Because Earth is spinning, most coastlines get two high tides a day. Did you know that the Sun also joins in on the tidal game? It was a surprise to me. Solar tidal influence isn’t as strong, but when the Sun and Moon align- watch out. That’s when we get spring tides, those extra-high waves that roll in every two weeks during the New and Full Moon phases. The Sun and Moon tag-teaming means the tides go all out—enough to make even the sharks raise an eyebrow.

For any surfing scientists SciJinks has a great breakdown of tides, but for the rest of us, it’s enough to know that the Moon’s regular pull is one of the most reliable rhythms on Earth. Humans have leaned on that stability for centuries. As Tom Hanks’ character in Cast Away famously said, “I just had to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise, and you never know what the tide will bring in.” There’s something comforting about knowing the tides—and the Moon—are always right on schedule. It’s like the universe’s way of saying, Relax, I’ve got this.

Photo by Avery Cocozziello on Unsplash

Alright, now let’s finally get to what the Moon means in astrology. Unsurprisingly, the Moon is all about emotions — the feels, the vibes, the whole emotional rollercoaster. And honestly, that connection makes total sense. Just like the Moon’s phases are always shifting, our feelings are constantly changing too. But here’s the kicker: even with all that flux, there’s something familiar and routine about our emotional tides. We all go through happiness, jealousy, insecurity, contentment — you name it, we feel it. No one’s getting a free pass from this emotional ride.

But like tides, emotions don’t stick around forever. They come and go, ebb and flow. They say you can’t escape your humanity — and I say, that’s just a fancy way of admitting whether you like it or not, feelings happen. And guess what? Emotions are the secret sauce that colors how we experience everything in life.

In your birth chart, the planet your Moon is in — your Moon sign — reveals your inner motivation. It’s what truly drives you, what gets you fired up- what makes you feel. Think of it as your Sun sign’s emotional sidekick — just like the Moon reflects the Sun’s light, your Moon reflects your inner world.

So, if your Moon’s in Aries, you’re likely to be moved to action by fighting passionately for causes you believe in. You can also use what you know about Sun and Moon signs to integrate both influences and get a more complete picture of what makes a you (or any person) tick. For example, if your Moon is in Aries and your Sun in Gemini, you might be one of those first responder news reporters who leap headfirst into breaking news — maybe even in a war zone- microphone in hand ready to let everyone know about what is going on. If your Moon is in Capricorn and you have a Libra Sun? You might be a U.N. worker with secret goals and aspirations of climbing the diplomacy ladder, charming everyone along the way to get the credit you deserve for keeping the peace. You get the point. When you consult your astrological birth chart, think of your Sun sign as your overarching personality, and your moon sign as what motivates you.

The Moon cruises through each zodiac sign roughly every two and a half days, so it’s always on the move—no time to sit still! When the Moon slides into your own sign, get ready to feel all your feelings turned up to eleven. And for everyone else, depending on which sign the Moon is hanging out in, it colors what’s tugging at your heartstrings.

Take the Moon in Cancer, for example—Cancer’s the Moon’s home turf, so emotions about family, home, and all things cozy tend to run high when the Moon is hanging out with the Crab. Even if your aren’t a Cancer, you might find yourself craving some serious nesting and nurturing vibes. As I’m writing this blog post, I checked the Moon calendar on Astro-Seek to see what was going on in the lunar world. Turns out, the Moon is hanging out in Aquarius. Translation? Aquarians are riding a fairly intense emotional wave tonight-even for Aquarians who usually maintain a level of emotional detachment naturally. If you bump into one, you might not even have to ask how they feel about those cold, soggy French fries they just ate—they’ll probably be wearing their disgust right on their face. For an Aquarian, the Moon hanging out in their sign is basically like Superman putting some kryptonite in his tea. Poor souls. Don’t worry, in two days the Moon will have moved on to Pisces. Phew- they can safely go back to being stoics again soon.

You can also look at Moon transits through the lens of House Astrology. So tonight, with the moon in Aquarius, if you are a Sagittarius–Aquarius is in the 3rd house of communications for Sagittarians– a Sag might be feeling a little emotional about something they saw on Social media tonight, or perhaps they create an emotional post or email and send it to someone they feel strongly about. Maybe they find just the perfect words to express how they feel to someone they love. Well isn’t that nice? I hope it works out for them. Want to geek out more on how the Moon shakes things up astrologically? We’Moon has a stellar explanation that’s definitely worth a look.

So as you’re reading this post, where’s the Moon hanging out tonight? If it’s crashing your sign’s party, chances are you’re feeling all the feels—and that’s totally normal. Don’t freak out! Like that oh-so-famous saying, “this too shall pass”— it will. In about two days, the Moon will be off flirting with another sign. Maybe it’s hanging out in a sign that represents your 11th house of social connections and friendships. If that’s the case, you might be consoling a dear friend right now who just lost their beloved pet, or perhaps you are realizing just how great your friends are and it actually brings a tear to your eye. We should all do this all the time.

Maybe that’s the lunar lesson for all of us: don’t fear your emotions. Embrace them. They’re just temporary mood DJs spinning the soundtrack of this wild, wonderful ride called life. Who doesn’t love cranking up the car stereo and belting out those heartbreak anthems like nobody’s watching? So next time the Moon’s got you feeling all kinds of ways, remember: emotions are just the universe’s way of reminding you you’re alive—and fabulous. Ride the wave, enjoy the ride, and keep shining bright.

Ready to swap those emotional moon vibes for a little fire and fury? Next up, we’re diving into the planet that fuels passion, ambition, and maybe a few impulsive decisions—Mars is coming to town, and things are about to heat up. Until then… keep riding those lunar waves and keep your heart open—because the cosmos has plenty more stories to spill. Catch you on the next celestial adventure!