Sunday was of course... Mother's Day and although I am a mother, I have always been ambivalent about Mother's Day. Even as a child I could smell something overtly artificial about it. Then when I learned it was a holiday generated by American florists and card makers in the early 20th century, well that squashed the small amount of sentimentality I had around the second Sunday in May. However, despite my ambivalence I would like to take a moment and send a big wave of thanks and appreciation to all my 'mommy' friends. Being a mom is an tireless job. Well, actually there is a caveat. Being a GOOD mom is hard, difficult job. But worth it, at least in my opinion.
In astrology the planet that describes mothering, motherhood and mom in general is The Moon. The sign of the moon and the house and the aspects with other planets will describe how we mother our children. And our own relationships with our mother.
Moon in Aries: Mothers with Moon in Aries work like a dickens to teach their children independence. They also push their children to 'get out there more.' These moms value children who can work alone and create their own path. They can be impatient and they have Zero tolerance for whines and complaining. If their kid is going on and on about some perceived injustice Mom with Moon in Aries will push their child to fix the problem. "Did you talk to the teacher?" "Did you and the coach come up with a new strategy?" "What are YOU going to do about it?" This is what she tells her kid. And yes, Moon in Aries mom will not resist, "You have my permission to use your karate on that kid." They are bold moms, to say the least. When these moms were children, they either had the freedom and independence that they needed which is why they value it so much for their children. Or the opposite they saw their own mother lacking independence so much that they vowed to break free in every area so they could be independent and free from anyone's thumb.
Moon In Taurus: These moms value traditions. They appreciate every holiday and will go a long way to create traditions for their children. They are especially committed to handing down cultural traditions. They love it when their child puts money away in piggy banks and are big proponents of early savings account. Whatever cultural traditions exist in the family are important to mom perhaps more than any other moon signs. These are also the moms who will go to doll shows with their older daughters and have a fun and cozy weekend--just the two of them. As children, Moon in Taurus often were mother's little helpers. If they had a lame mom they came away from childhood with a decided opinion that routines and risk aversion are important to a successful life. Which is lovely but at the same time they can miss the value of variety.
Moon in Gemini: Moon in Gemini moms are smarty pants. They are pretty sharp and value cleverness in their children. They are not particularly sentimental and are more appreciative of good conversation with their children then coziness. However, they can quiz their child to death and should not be surprised if their child lies to them which is done to only to get mom off their back. Ironically, they can give their child a lot more latitude than other parents but because they crave so much for information, the child can pull away. The best path for Moons In Gemini is to have outside interests which fully utilize their skills and talents then there will be less pressure on their child to provide the entertainment. Growing up, Moon in Gemini needed a lot of stimulation and if she didn't get it from her mom or saw her as uncommunicative, she vowed to be a big talker with her children. Either as a child or an adult moons in Gemini do need to address their impatience especially their snappy answers to stupid questions as they can read critical.
Moon in Cancer: These moms are motivated by their intuition. If you asked them to describe motherhood they can't. It is just something that oozes around them. They connect to their children through instincts. If they can't feel their children they are completely at a loss. Not just "feel" meaning touch but feel instinctively. Food and family is critical to Moons in Cancer. They give a lot of thought to meals and food schedule. Family to moon in cancer is a defined "family" meaning it is not limited to blood relatives but who they define as family. This family is important to Moons and their children. They work on their children's feelings and are always shaping the child to connect to their world through emotions. As a child Moon in cancers connected to their own mothers. If the moon was unaspected the emotions flowed easily. If a planet has a hard aspect, the mother could be either hot headed or cold and shut down. In response moon in cancers vowed they would be more connected to their own emotions and more comfortable in expressing them. Although they too can find themselves flowing too much.
Moon in Leo: These are big mothers. They feel passion and drama through their children. And usually they are rewarded by bigger than usual personalities in their children. Motherhood is not small to them. They don't just have a problem with their kid they have a BIG problem with their kid. And the same is true on the good side. Their child is not just a tennis player, they child is Olympic level tennis player. Whether they are really BAD or Olympic quality good is immaterial because it is at least in their mind and that is what is important. Loyalty is a high premium to these mothers and their children know perfectly well what move would be considered disloyal. As children, Moon in Leos see their own mother through dramatic eyes. If the moon is unaspected they could have a lively, creative and dynamic relationship. If the moon has harsh aspects then mom probably exhibited disloyalty or worse, ignored her moon in Leo daughter. This would forge a desire to be very connected to their own children, thus the need for drama.
Moon in Virgo: These mothers connect through their children through a very complicated schedule. They fill up their children's calendar to the minute and everyone better get out of the way when it comes time for homework. It is not just enough to do the work that is sent home by the teacher, these moms will find the tutor who has access to even more work for their child to complete. They also are diligent that their child do chores. These moms have a very nervous energy and can take hypochondria especially regarding their children to the highest calibre. Multiple trips to ER are a pretty normal occurrence for these moms. It doesn't take much for them to throw their kid in the car and head off to ER. They are not sloppy and their child will probably call home when they get older---frequently. Just to keep their Mom off their back. As a child these mom with moon in Virgo felt like their world was somewhat out of control and now try to find control through their crazy calendar. Learning to breathe can help settle their energy.
Moon in Libra: Moms with Moons in Libra will always seek balance from their children. If the mom is tired she will find energy through her child. If she is too wired she will find calmness through her child. If she is lonely she will find companionship through her child. These moms spend a lot of time talking about what is fair and teaching their child the importance of fairness. Although, the moms need to guard against their "tit for tat" tendency since it will teach their child pettiness. As children these moms with moon in Libra learned the value of relationships through their mother. If that mom had a flawed marriage her moon in Libra daughter assessed very quickly who was at fault and made a decision about marriage in reaction to that belief. Whether she was right or wrong about the faults usually play out in her own relationships including the ones with her children.
Moon in Scorpio: Moms with Moon in Scorpio are extreme. They can be very connected to their child, very focused on their every move. Barely giving child any room to breathe. Then that same mom can turn indifferent and cold and be fairly removed from the child. Scorpio moon moms also are very gifted in teaching their child the value of power. Either how to find power in the greater world or how to empower themselves. Sometimes the child finds his or her empowerment when the parent is in her aloof period. The Moon in Scorpio mom when she is was a child often has an event that shapes her history and her future so profoundly that she creates her own moments of transformations for her child. At her soul these moms know the value of the "Phoenix" and either teach their child directly or indirectly that out of the ashes something better will be born.
Moon in Sagittarius: Moms with Moon in Sag are always teaching. A teachable moment is every moment for these moms. They love education and expanding their child's world. Every skill that the moms have they will share with their child. If they don't have the skill but their best friend does have the skill they will take their child to their friend's house and ask her to teach the skill to her child. Strangely these moms have two levels of expertise that are completely different. On one hand they can teach their child that all religions and creeds and basically all walks of life share more in common than they don't. These moms can see the common ground in all and are real sages for their child. Then on the other hand, these moms can be very racially charged. Putting everyone into catagories. Not necessarily flattering ones either. These moms connect to their child through opinions and spend a lot of time pontificating. One thing that helps their speech making is that they usually have a good sense of humor. As children, moms with Moon in Sagittarius needed a lot room to grow and go. They needed to be taken to the library so they could read and learn about other worlds and cultures. Or vacations expanded their knowledge. They would take to learning and expanding like a sponge takes to water. If they didn't get that expansion they folded inward and globbed onto their opinions.
Moon in Capricorn: Moms with Moon in Capricorn spend a lot of time teaching their children the value of stuff. They spend a lot of time explaining what something is worth. "That's too expensive," "That is going to take too much time." They also are aware of people's position in society and will teach either directly or indirectly what place in society that they see their child. Work is critical to these parents. In some cases these parents are distracted by their jobs so much that they are unavailable to their child. This unavailability teaches the child the value of finding their own independence and self reliance. Many moms with this placement had a cold childhood. Their own mom was not available either through her own work discipline or just because she was removed from her own emotions. She learned early that relationships need not be effusive to be important. "Less is More" is the driving force behind these moms.
Moon in Aquarius: Moms with Moon in Aquarius will do motherhood their own way. They will not be limited by the traditional roles and rules associated with 'motherhood.' Fierce and certainly defiant but at the same time social and often friendly. They love a good argument because it stirs them up. The child will learn how to get into it with mom not to be mean but more to break ground. These moms teach their children the importance of carving their own unique path. The moms may accuse the child of deliberately hurting them but in truth, they know in their heart and soul that they taught their child to break rules and outdated mores. As a child, moms with moon in Aquarius may have felt that their moms were not meant for motherhood and were meant for something 'more'. They come out of childhood with a passion to do their own 'motherhood' differently at times aloof, perhaps chilly but never boring. They teach their child the value of being unique.
Moon in Pisces: Moms with Moon in Pisces are highly sensitive and very emotional. They relate to their child through their emotions and often project their own inner most feelings onto their child. This could be troublesome if she is off the mark and her issues have nothing to do with her child. But often they are so sensitive and intuitive that they actually are right on with their assessment of child. They have to rise above fears which can pulse through them at a higher level than other parents. Usually it is their partner that will help calm them down or at the very least their innate connection to spirit. As a child, Moons in Pisces often saw their own mother lost in either drugs, alcohol or some kind of tragedy. Just getting out of bed could have been a great challenge for their mom. Or perhaps their mom created a wonderful world rich in fantasy and creativity. Music and dance is often pronounced in their childhood and the one they provide for their child.
A thought on Mother's Day and on our Moons!
