Eliza S Robinson

Self-Care Tips, Based On Your Moon Sign

In astrology, each planet, luminary (the sun and moon) and asteroid represents a different part of yourself. Whilst your sun sign is your overall identity and life force, your moon sign rules your emotions. Your moon sign is one of the most personal parts of your astrology chart, because it shows how to meet your emotional needs. Therefore your moon sign is a great place to start when it comes to self-care. Astrology is like a language, and the way the planets interact with each other to form your birth chart paints a complex picture of each person’s individual personality and potential. Your moon is impacted by the house it’s in, and the other planets it aspects, as well as its sign, therefore the suggestions below are fairly general and simplified. However, knowing your moon sign is a great place to start.
If you don’t know what your moon sign is, you can find out on websites such as astro.com.

Aries:

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and being ‘first’ is an important part of Aries’ nature. It is competitive, it is urgent. Aries wants what it wants, and it wants it now. Aries energy is kinetic, it is movement, passion, anger, and the watery energy of the moon doesn’t always feel comfortable here. Self-care for an Aries moon means embracing your fire, and expressing it in healthy ways. As much as you may love a good old-fashioned fight to release your frustration, there are kinder ways to take care of yourself. My Aries friend often tells me to scream into a pillow when I’m angry, to which I usually ask: what’s the point of screaming if you can’t be heard? If you can find somewhere to scream (without scaring your entire neighbourhood), this can be therapeutic and empowering — although the throat-ache afterwards isn’t pleasant. Exercise is also a great form of self-care for Aries moons, particularly boxing. But on the days you don’t want to hit the gym or go for a run, turn on your angriest playlist, and dance it out. I recommend songs like Rocky Rivera’s Call to Arms or Cage The Elephant’s Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked. Turn the volume up, and headbang to your heart’s content!

Taurus:

As an Earth sign, Taurus is grounded, and likes things to be comfortable and familiar. This can be expressed through the most stereotypical forms of self-care, like good food, high-quality skin products, and scented candles. As well as making your living space cosy, and taking care of plants, or going for walks in nature. Earth moons find comfort in being grounded in their physical bodies. Whilst fire moons, like Aries, find emotional contentment in physical exercise, Taurus moons find comfort through their senses. This is where the cliche of Taureans loving food comes from. Overall, Taurus wants to feel safe and cosy. Cuddle with your pets (or watch cute animal videos), create a space where you allow yourself to enjoy your comfort zone. Self-care is about holding yourself accountable and making healthy choices, but remember it is SELF-care, and you should be doing what’s best for you, not what others expect of you. Yes, it’s healthy to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but when it comes to taking care of yourself as a Taurus moon, let yourself have a space that feels safe and steady, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Eat your favourite food, take a nap, pet a cat, make yourself feel beautiful. Taurus also rules the throat, so singing can be a great form of self-care.
You are your own priority.

Gemini:

Gemini is a sign known for its duality. Unlike its fellow air sign Libra, Gemini is not about balancing different parts of yourself, but rather letting them coexist within you. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the messenger planet, therefore communication is hugely important in meeting your emotional needs. Often you need to talk, or write, about your emotions in order to process them, but it isn’t always easy to find the right person to listen. Gemini moons are often known for their humour, and hide their emotions behind memes and self-deprecating jokes. Remember, you are allowed to be your dark self as well as your light self. You’re allowed to feel the full spectrum of feelings, you don’t have to stay breezy to make yourself more palatable. Keep a diary where you can explore your feelings without judgement or people trying to fit you into boxes. Read a book, let yourself find comfort in other people’s words. Talk to a friend who lets you express your full range of emotions. Sometimes the best way to take care of yourself is to have a nice long vent.
Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, also rules local travel. Take a day trip and get a change of scenery. Sometimes the best way to clear your head is to escape from your everyday routine. Go on a bookshop crawl and visit the best literary shops in your city if you want to reach peak Gemini energy!

Cancer:

Cancer is the sign that rules motherhood, and hence Cancer energy is known for nurturing those around them. Don’t forget to take a break from caring for others, and look after your own needs. Water moons in particular have a tendency to over-exert themselves to meet other people’s emotional needs, at the expense of their own happiness and health. It’s not your responsibility to look after everyone all the time, and sometimes the greatest form of self-care for Cancer moons is to set healthy boundaries. If people are meant to be in your life, they will respect you putting yourself first. Think of Lorde’s song Hard Feelings, where she sings “I care for myself the way I used to care about you.” All the energy you spend nurturing other people? Channel that back into yourself; you can’t pour from an empty cup. Talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling. It’s great to be there for other people, but you have to allow other people to be there for you too.
Cancer also rules the home, so make sure your home is somewhere you can feel safe and protected from the world. A great form of self-care for Cancer placements can be cooking or baking. It’s a lovely way to nurture yourself (and others), and to make your home feel even more like a haven. There’s something soothing and meditative about the repetition of chopping vegetables, and nothing beats the scent of baked goods to make a house feel like a home!

Leo:

As a Leo moon, it’s important for you to feel seen. Leo wants to shine, and be the star of the show. As Marina and the Diamonds (a Leo moon herself) put it “It almost feels like a joke to play out a part / When you are not the starring role in someone else’s heart.” Leo moon wants to feel like they’re number one. Self-care for Leo moons means finding ways to shine. This can be through performance, such as acting, or singing, or by the way you present yourself. The symbol for Leo is the lion, with its prominent mane, and Leo placements often have distinctive hair (this is exemplified by Donald Trump, who has a Leo Mars and Ascendant). Try a new hairstyle or colour, wear an eye-catching outfit, let yourself shine like the Sun! There is no shame in wanting to be noticed.
Give yourself a pep-talk, remind yourself you are a badass bitch (bitch is a gender neutral term, men and nonbinary people can be badass bitches too). It’s great to receive validation from other people, but you should always be your number one fan. Validate yourself, love yourself, admire yourself. You are amazing, and how brightly you shine isn’t determined by the number of people that notice you.

Virgo:

For Virgo moons, discipline is important for your emotional well-being. You will most likely notice a correlation between your day-to-day routine, and how you feel. I used to live with a Virgo moon, and whenever she had an emotional breakdown she would rearrange the entire flat. Some days the sofa would be moved to the opposite side of the living room, other days she would divide the shower shelves up into a shampoo shelf, a shower gel shelf, and a conditioner shelf, instead of one shelf each for the three of us who lived here. It drove me nuts, but I learnt the important lesson: Virgo moons need to feel like they’re in control of their environment. If you’re a Virgo moon, it’s important for you to organise YOUR life, not someone else’s. It’s helpful to make lists, whether it’s a simple shopping list or to-do list, or a list of your goals, a list of your fears, or a list of things you’re grateful for.
Virgo moons are sensitive to their environment, so it’s important to keep your living space clean and organised. This also applies to your body. Take a shower, wash and condition your hair, exfoliate, drink water, eat a healthy meal. If you channel your need for discipline and control into taking care of yourself, it will have a positive impact on your emotions. Create a daily routine, such as exercising each morning, or writing in your diary every night before bed. Virgo works best when it has a plan, and follows a tried and tested method.

Libra:

For Libra moons, it’s important to be surrounded by beauty. Libra is ruled by Venus, which is all about the aesthetic. Libra wants balance, and beauty is a form of balance, of resting in the ‘just right’ space between extremes. People with Libra placements are notoriously indecisive. This isn’t because they can’t make their mind up, but because they weigh up all the options and try to please everyone. Self-care for Libra moons means choosing to please yourself. Sometimes this is as simple as colour-coordinating your outfit, rearranging your bedroom for maximum aesthetic appeal, having a signature accessory, or creating a Pinterest board. Other times it means letting other people do the deciding. It’s not your responsibility to make everyone happy. Vent to two friends who you know will give different advice, and indulge in both their points of view. Lean into the angel and the devil on your shoulder, and don’t try to choose between them.
Libra is ruled by the planet of love, so let yourself have a crush (or two). Libra placements love the idea of love, and sometimes a harmless crush is a great form of self-care. Why? Because if you’re fantasising about someone you like, it’ll give you a break from trying to please everyone else.

Scorpio:

Scorpios get a bad rap for being possessive and secretive. That, or they’re idealised as mysterious, dark and brooding. I’ve met my fair share of secretive Scorpios, but Scorpio energy is about so much more than keeping your soul under lock and key. Scorpio rules sex and death and other people’s money, it rules shared resources, it rules transformation. Scorpio is about power dynamics, and this is key to understanding Scorpio moons. Scorpios aren’t secretive because they want to be mysterious, but because it’s a way to feel safe and empowered. If nobody knows the deepest version of you, nobody can destroy you. If you’re a Scorpio moon, a great tool for self-care can be to keep a diary, where you can unload the thoughts and feelings you don’t feel comfortable sharing with other people. If diaries aren’t your thing, try creative writing. Scorpio is about creating something out of nothing, and creative writing is a brilliant way to feel emotionally fulfilled. Furthermore, it means you can explore the more taboo themes that fascinate you, without worrying about which topics may be too dark or disturbing for polite society.
Another form of self-care for Scorpio moons is to get a tattoo. Tattoos are empowering, because it’s a way of claiming your body as yours, and creating something permanent. Your body will grow and change and transform over your life. By getting a tattoo, you are telling yourself “this part of me is permanent, this cannot be destroyed.” (If you’re really gonna embrace the Scorpio cliche, get “trust no one” tattooed over your heart).
This one may be controversial to Scorpio placements, but sometimes the greatest way to take care of yourself is to forgive. Forgive yourself, and forgive people that hurt you. Scorpio is the sign associated with revenge, and clinging onto the pain of those who wronged them. The ultimate form of self-care is letting go, and choosing who you are in this moment, rather than everything that scarred you along the way.

Sagittarius:

In an ideal world, Sagittarius moon self-care would involve buying a plane ticket and running away to a foreign country, and possibly taking on a new identity. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a viable option. As a Sagittarius moon, you need variety and change, and a space to express your expansive emotions. Self-care means giving yourself space to explore. Sagittarius is the sign that rules universities, philosophy, foreign travel. Sagittarius wants to learn and grow and expand their understanding of the world. But they also want to have fun. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of luck and excess. If you look at Greek mythology, aside from the wise and wounded Chiron, centaurs were (literal) party animals. For Sagittarius moons, self-care means letting yourself enjoy life. Embrace your hedonistic side (within reason, of course), and live in the moment. Surround yourself with people that value you for who you are, and don’t try to stifle your freedom. You are vibrant and creative and full of life, and the most detrimental thing for your emotional health is to feel like you have been imprisoned in your life path.

Capricorn:

For Capricorn moons, consistency and stability are important. Capricorn wants to build something solid, and the way to do this is to lay a reliable foundation. You have a strong desire to create plans, and work towards your goals. It’s important for your emotional well-being to have something to work towards, but you also need to allow yourself time to relax, so you don’t burn out. Relaxation doesn’t come easily to Capricorn placements, who spend their lives feeling like they’re working against the clock to achieve their goals. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet which represents time, and often Capricorn placements are preoccupied with the concept of time, particularly limited time and their impending death. This is a heavy load to carry emotionally, and it’s important for Capricorn moons to let themselves exist in the present moment instead of fixating on the future. Each zodiac sign rules a different part of the body, and Capricorn rules the skeleton, particularly the spine. Therefore a great form of self-care for Capricorn moons is get a massage. This will ground you in your body, as well as releasing the stress that you store in your shoulders (the weight of the world is a heavy thing to carry).
Capricorn placements also love a good investment. Retail therapy can be a fun way to take care of yourself. Just make sure you’re buying good quality products that will last, and not spending money for the sake of spending money!

Aquarius:

The stereotype of Aquarians is that we are detached, unemotional aliens who are disgusted by the concept of feelings. I have 4 planets in Aquarius, and I am the world’s biggest crybaby, so I’m here to debunk that myth. As an air sign, Aquarius moons want to express their emotions verbally, but often struggle to do this (hence the detached stereotype). There are many times I’ve wished I could tell people “listen to this song” instead of saying “when you did x, it made my feel y and z.” As an Aquarius moon, my go-to method of self-care is making themed playlists. I have playlists for everything. There’s one called “Dumb Bitch Mode”, which is entirely comprised of love songs, another called “Anthems For Empire Building”, to motivate me to work towards my goals. I have workout playlists, angry playlists, playlists for the novels I write. The other day, I created a playlist called “Eliza”, which contained only songs that showcase my personality and feelings. Creating a playlist that is entirely ‘me’ is self-care, because it gives me a place to feel emotionally safe, and lets me know I’m not the only person who’s ever felt these feelings. Take the self-care up a notch by going for a long walk while you listen to your playlist. Aquarians love space — both outer and personal.
Aquarius rules friendship and community, so spending time with friends is naturally a great way to take care of ourselves. But if you’re introverted, being around other humans can be exhausting. However, there is a solution to this. I’ve spent a good chunk of this year working my way through the 338 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, and the thing I love most about this show is that it has a large ensemble cast. By the time you reach season 16, you become so attached to the community of these characters. Find a TV show with a large cast of recurring characters and plenty of seasons, and you can have all the comfort of a community without having to deal with human interaction.

Pisces:

If you’re a Pisces moon, you probably relate a lot to the Sabrina Benaim quote “girl has SO. MANY. FEELINGS.” People with Pisces placements have a tendency to take on the pain of the world. Empathy is important, but you also need to create a sanctuary where you can feel your feelings without drowning in the cruelty and intensity of the world around you. Pisces is a visual and creative sign, it rules art and cinema and spirituality. Sometimes self-care can be watching a comforting movie, or drawing, or painting. Learning to read tarot cards is also great for Pisces placements, because tarot is an incredibly visual practice. Each card is more than just the meaning in the accompanying guidebook, the imagery of the card itself tells you more about the energies it represents. Furthermore, using tarot cards is a great way to trust your intuition, as the cards take on the energy that surrounds you and reflect it back to you.
Another way to take care of yourself as a Pisces moon is to go swimming. You will be in your element in the water, and you can let your mind drift into daydreams whilst your body exercises.
As a water moon, it is important to set healthy boundaries. Compassion is a sign of strength, not weakness, but if you don’t set healthy emotional boundaries you’ll become like that scene in New Girl where she’s PMSing super hard and crying over the puppy in a cup. You’re more than just a vessel for the emotions around you, and it’s infinitely easier to be there for other people if you can clearly define where their emotions end and yours begin.

The moon takes 2.5 days to move through each sign, therefore our emotional energy shifts in tone every few days. As well as following the self-care tips for your own moon sign, you can check what sign the moon is transiting, and incorporate the self-care methods for that sign too.

If you’re on Twitter, follow @AstroAnthems, which is run by my flatmate and I. Every Monday we post song recommendations for each zodiac sign!