Most of us are all too familiar with our Sun Sign, and even more lately, our Moon Sign. But what exactly is the difference?
And what exactly does it mean if I have both Taurus Sun and Taurus Moon?
To start simply, let’s squash this roaming idea that traits belonging to the Taurus Sun match equally to traits found in a Taurus Moon.
Yes - we are focusing on the Taurus archetype; so...in that case, why would the Sun represent different characteristics than the Moon? Put simply: The Sun + Moon represents different aspects of our personality, so naturally the Sun in a Sign would appear differently than the Moon in a sign.
Let’s parse this out + really break it down.
First and foremost, I’d like to clear some myths that pop astrology (unfortunately) kinda started:
Myth 1: Whatever your Sun sign is, is what you are.
This is not true, to say the least. First off - when a search is conducted on the web, what pops up are links to *general* descriptions. These descriptions are focused on the Sign archetypes. If you don’t know what an Archetype is, consider the mother archetype. What pops immediately into mind is an image of a nurturing person, someone who is gentle, and cares, and protects in only a way a mother could. Archetypes are like symbols that have vast + deep meanings, and that everyone can understand on an unconscious level. Anyone who embodies the characteristics as supplied by the Mother Archetype would technically be representing the Mother Archetype.
In this light, when I refer to Aries, I don’t just mean the characteristics: impatient and feisty. I mean the Aries archetype: someone who is dynamic, initiative, energetic, confrontational, pioneering, and the list goes on, according to that archetype. Versus if I say, Taurus, in which case I'd mean the Taurus archetype: Someone who is stable, reliable, sensual, secure, determined, and so forth.
No one is born with all characteristics of the archetype - that would be impossible and rather bland. Impossible? Because our Sun Sign represents the persona we are meant to develop into. We may be born with a variety of the Virgoic traits, but we do not encompass all dimensions of the sign; we are assigned our individual sun sign to fully become our version of that sign. Bland? Because...well, let me compare to colors: our primarily colors are beautiful, but they do not make the rainbow on their own. If every individual alive was strictly one of the 12 signs, that would make for a pretty ridiculous and potentially impossible environment. We are each a unique form of our Sun Sign.
Keep in mind, there are 12 signs, 10 planets, and 12 houses. And each one of those is within you, and in a pattern unique to your personality.
So no, your entire personality is not the archetypal descriptions assigned to your Zodiacal Sun Sign. You are more complex than that.
My second reason for arguing against this first Myth, is that we are all here to explore certain dimensions of the archetypal sign. In a room full of Capricorns, some may be born with the aspiration of developing further into the part of Capricorn that achieves CEO status; some may be born with the aspiration of being the breadwinner in the family; others may be born with the aspiration of becoming structured, and entitled with responsibilities; some may have a combination of these and more. Rare is the day to find 2 Capricorns who are exactly the same- and we do have our complex charts to blame for that. But even without the variety of planets, and houses, and signs, each Capricorn is still here to explore different dimensions, different parts, different characteristics of their Sun Sign. How can you possibly be the entire archetype if you are only here to explore a single characteristic (and the depth of it) of the sign. I’m an Aries, and I am certainly not here to explore the Warrior aspect of my sign, but hands-down I do explore the pioneering characteristics, and a few others.
We can read a description and heavily resonate with what we read, because we may have a lot of those qualities deep within us, but that doesn’t mean they are active, nor are they meant to become.
So no - you are not the archetype of the sign; nor are you meant to be. You are meant to develop into your own special version of that sign.
Myth 2: Because I have a sign in my big 3, (Sun, Moon, + Rising), it means I am that sign.
This is also not true. As I mentioned previously, the Sun + Moon represent very different things, so how could they possibly ensure you embody the total archetype of a sign? As I stated above in Myth 1, not even having the sign as your Sun sign can indicate that you are the embodiment of that archetype. You are a but a piece of it (maybe a larger piece, maybe a smaller piece, but still a piece). You carry a piece of that sign specialized in accordance to the planet that it is represented by.
Contrary to what most know, the planets are the significant pieces to the puzzle, not the signs. The Planets tell us the *what.* The signs tell us the *how*. And while both are important, we can’t have an adjective without the noun. We can’t have an adverb without a verb. I can’t tell a story by saying, I quickly to the store. Or, It is a beautiful.
But I can tell a more cohesive story by saying, I run to the store; or, It is a flower.
We cannot understand a description without knowing what is being described.
Let’s consider two dishes of food: a Pizza, and a Hot Dog.
Now let’s consider Cheese.
Cheese on a Pizza is arguably just as good as Cheese on a Hot Dog, but the experience is very different. I don’t know that anyone would say that eating cheese on a pizza tastes, feels, smells, or even swallows the same as cheese on a hot dog. They are entirely different experiences.
Thus we have the planets, and particularly, as we are discussing it, the Sun + the Moon.
Myth 3: Your sign is like ________ (fill in characteristic), and if you don’t relate you are just being sore about it.
This can be true in many cases. But also, it can equally be just as wrong.
First - and as we discussed in Myth 1, no one is born with all of the sign’s traits. Just not happening. So yes, it is possible that a meme speaks of a specific sign’s trait, and a person does not have it.
But let me shed some additional light.
To each sign are, what I like to call, developed + undeveloped forms. Some people refer to this as light + shadow, others may say good and bad; I feel that those terms can be condemning. No one is better just become they scratched all of the “bad” or “shadow” qualities off of their characteristic work sheet. I feel that those terms create some odd hierarchal system, as if one is better than the other. When in reality, those characteristics, at the end of the day, are totally organized subjectively according to societal rules.
Not to go on a tangent, but consider the characteristic of, “highly sexual.” This can be assigned to any sign (for those of you who are immediately pointing to Scorpio). As my teacher Tony Howard says, “the last time I checked, almost every enjoys sex.” So not, strictly a Scorpio trait, but it is a trait. Some people are more sexual and act in this way, and others do not. This was a taboo concept plenty of years ago. In that case, it would be earmarked under the “bad” or “shadow” characteristics.
Point made, I stick with developed, and undeveloped. Even the undeveloped qualities can develop into something beautiful.
Back to what I was saying, not only is the archetype of zodiac sign vast and deep, but on top of that there are qualities that represent the developed + undeveloped parts of it. Astrology memes are fun pokes at the more undeveloped qualities, which most people may express while in adolescence, or young teen, young adult. Traits that many can relate with because they can recognize that they were chaotic, or were a sappy emotional mess, or manipulative, etc.
But, just as the developed qualities in a person doesn’t fully embody the entire archetype, neither do the undeveloped qualities. I’m an Aries, but I never really struggled with being selfish, which is an undeveloped quality of Aries. Naturally, every human is selfish at the end of the day, but it has never been a major focus for me to develop and grow in. But if you want to talk to me about being headstrong, or impatient, then we can totally have a conversation. And the reasoning for my lack of selfishness is totally explained by my chart, just as anyone else’s qualities will be represented by their charts too.
The last thing anyone should ever do is read those astrology memes and assume they all hold accuracy towards the zodiac signs. In the same way that no one should read the zodiac descriptions on the internet and assume they are true representatives of the sign’s archetype. Majority of those websites are feeding you pop astrology, that is highly focused on the undeveloped aspects of each sign. Stay away. You have been warned.
All of that said, let’s get to the juicy part.
How the qualities of a sign change and transform according to the planet.
The great Steven Forrest said (and continues to say) it best: Taking care of your Sun ensure your *sanity*, taking care of the Moon ensures your *happiness*.
Our Sun often represents our more logical brain, the part of us that speaks reason; our moon is more representative of our feeling nature.
In a blog on (forrestastrology.com) Steven Forrest’s website called, The Natal Moon: Twelve Principles, he states, “The Moon represents your inward, subjective reality, and is strongly connected to your reigning emotional + psychological needs...the Moon is the heart of the soul.”
It is usually agreed upon that the Moon represents our more emotional natures, our more subjective attitudes, our more instinctive urges, and also how we may be nourished or what we find security in.
That said, when we consider our personal moon sign, we must first consider that the Moon is the WHAT. The Noun in need of an adjective. The verb in need of an Adverb.
If we understand the Moon to be representative of our feelings, how is that expressed? In what way does that expression manifest? We then look to the sign for this bit of information.
Do we express it in deep + profound ways, going further into ourselves, locking others out, and encompassed by the abyss of our own depth? Do we express it with high energy, and reactive frustration + quick anger? Do we become critical + analytical, desperately needing to be of use and doing for others?
Notice that these qualities can be easily identifiable to a sign, and yet we aren’t describing traits of a person’s general being - we are describing their emotional expressions. What they tap into when their feeling nature is activated. We are describing those particular traits in accordance to the planet. We are providing the correct adjectives + adverbs.
We would never say, “the loquacious pizza,” because pizza’s can’t talk. We provide the correct adjectives to the correct nouns; and the correct adverbs to the correct verbs.
Understand that we must participate in pleasing both planets. If we only tapped into, and allowed expression from the sun, then we would be suppressing our feeling nature, denying our intuition, and creating a hefty storm that will soon break loose. If we denied our Sun, and only listened to our intuition, our instincts, our feelings then we would simply be mad. Chaotic. We must work with them together, and we can do that best when we have identified how each prefer to express themselves.
Hopefully now you can look at your chart, and with a trust book, pull some keywords to better define what the planet represents, and what archetypal descriptions your sign represents, and configure your own definitions that resonate with you.
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