How to Nourish Your Natal Moon Part II: The Vital Force

A guide to all twelve signs.

Apr 20, 2023

In How to Nourish Your Natal Moon [Part I] we explored some notable placements that indicate hot, cold, or dry Moons—which can ultimately translate to hot, cold, or dry wombs—and their nourishing Moon remedies.

READ PART I

But the natal Moon also contributes significant qualities to a Woman’s overall constitution and channels the flow of the vital force throughout the body.

Understanding the flow of your vital force through the lens of medical astrology can provide language and depth to making more appropriate lifestyle adjustments that support you holistically (and cosmically!)

Of course, this is just a tool and many of you will probably recognize yourselves and what you already knew in these descriptions!

We’ll look at what the vital force looks like by sign1 2 and explore some of the unique energetic remedies that resonate with each one.

REMEMBER

Your Moon placement is just one of many in your natal chart and there might be other aspects affecting how you experience her energy, which is ultimately filtered through your assumed constitution and human experiences. This information is not medical advice and is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

MOON IN ARIES

The Moon in this sign distributes the vital force with enthusiastic and enlightened vibrations, though they may be short lived. These natives tend to be reactive and feisty. An Aries Moon brings a lot of heat into the chart and will accelerate the vital force as it is channeled through the Sun sign.

Element: Fire
Increases: Pitta
Remedies: This Moon may benefit from cooling remedies, beverages, and foods. Herbs such as Milky Oats/Oatstraw (☽🜁) and Marshmallow (☽🜄) are lovely moistening herbs for an Aries Moon to work with.

MOON IN TAURUS

The Moon is in her exaltation in this sign and thus, her most fertile placement. Taurus Moons calibrate a serene and steady vital force, but may be prone to stagnation.

Element: Earth
Increases: Kapha
Remedies: This Moon may benefit from stimulating remedies, and dependent on the chart, a bit of heat. Warm home cooking with pungent kitchen herbs like Rosemary (☉🜁 ), Oregano (♂︎🜂), and Thyme (♂︎🜁) make a nurturing medicine for Taurean natives. Incorporating beauty into their healing is also essential for Taurus placements.

MOON IN GEMINI

The Moon in this sign distributes the vital force irregularly and in a nervous manner, akin to a “changeable breeze.” [Hill] Energy is funneled mostly to the nervous system, hands, and communication centers.

Element: Air
Increases: Vata
Remedies: Gemini Moons need grounding Earth remedies as well as support for overactive analytical minds. These natives do well to work with nerve tonics and avoid chemical drugs. [Hill] In comes our Milky Oats/Oatstraw (☽🜁) preparations. Herbal body oiling and magnesium, mineral, and clay applications may also feel soothing for these natives. As a Gemini Moon myself, I have found great comfort in working with Jupitarian remedies (perhaps due to the soothing nature of fats and oils, which Jupiter rules.) Culinary applications include the use of animal fats, ghee, butter, and olive oil. Herbal remedies that I work with regularly include Cacao (♃🜂), Burdock Root (♃🜃), Dandelion Root (♃🜃), and Yellow Dock Root (♃🜃).

MOON IN CANCER

The Moon in this sign sends the vital force inward through the womb, stomach, and emotional channels. These natives are extremely receptive to environmental influences and external energetic inputs. Their emotions, neurology, hormones, and overall health can change abruptly and they require feeling safe and protected. Cancer is the Moon’s sign of rulership and those with this placement are perhaps the most affected by the transiting Moon’s phases.

Element: Water
Increases: Kapha
Remedies: Cancer Moons need a lot of tender loving care and attention. It’s okay for them to claim that for themselves! Asking for help, keeping relationships clean and supportive, setting boundaries, and fostering a life that provides stability can provide deep medicine. Being mindful of the Moon’s orbit and living in alignment with her cycles might feel helpful as well.

MOON IN LEO

The Moon in this sign distributes the vital force with power and warmth. This is a hot Moon placement. Leo Moons tend to have lot of pride when it comes to self-care and will bypass their suffering or refuse to seek medical help when necessary.

Element: Fire
Increases: Pitta
Remedies: Like Aries, this Moon may benefit from cooling remedies, beverages, and foods. Herbs such as Milky Oats/Oatstraw (☽🜁) and Marshmallow (☽🜄) are lovely moistening herbs to work with. Leo Moons may do well to check in on themselves and make sure they’re not carrying unnecessary burdens or living with unresolved pain that needs to be addressed.

MOON IN VIRGO

The Moon in this sign distributes the vital force swiftly and steadily. These natives can be finicky or particular. The digestive tract is easily burdened by dietary choices but also by emotional disturbances. This is a dry Moon placement.

Element: Earth
Increases: Kapha
Remedies: Virgo, a mutable Earth sign ruled by Mercury, is perhaps the least grounded of the Earth signs. Virgo Moons can benefit from moisture through herbs, oils, and fats. Milky Oats/Oatstraw (☽🜁) preparations are helpful here as well as Sun-ruled herbs that bring circulation and ease to the digestive tract such as Alfalfa (☉♄🜃) and Ginger (☉🜃).

MOON IN LIBRA

A Libra Moon allows the vital force to “rest” in this sign [Hill]. These natives are easy going and easy to be around. Their mental health and hormonal matrix are sensitive to environmental factors.

Element: Air
Increases: Vata
Remedies: Libra Moons need only exercise temperance to maintain homeostasis. Be careful not to overdo alcohol, drugs, sleep, exercise, dieting, etc. Keep your environment—and your hormones—“clean” by keeping out products that contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These natives might enjoy regular meditation and journaling to center their emotional faculties.

How do you experience your Moon sign? What are your favorite healing practices? I want to know!

MOON IN SCORPIO

A Scorpion Moon distributes the vital force with great intensity and concentration, specifically towards the emotional body and sexual centers. This sign is all about death and rebirth, so natives with this Moon placement may find they have a lot to experience through their emotional landscape, sexuality, and ultimately, their fertility, which can be alchemized and transformed through spiritual work.

Element: Water
Increases: Kapha
Remedies: This Moon likes warming and drying remedies that prevent excessively damp conditions (especially those that could trigger expressions like yeast infections, UTIs, etc.) Maintaining a healthy acid/alkaline balance is important for these natives, a job for which the ultra-alkalizing Alfalfa (☉♄🜃) is a superhero. Nettles (♂︎🜄) also come to mind as Mars-ruled, drying herb. Strong Scorpion placements due well to embrace karmic transformations of their shadows by adopting a spiritual practice.

MOON IN SAGITTARIUS

The Moon in this sign distributes the vital force with outward momentum, ultimately drawing on the potential provided by the native’s Sun sign. This energy is sometimes a bit scattered and can center around “flights of fancy” [Hill] or expansive visions. If the Sun’s vital force is weak, this Moon placement may overdraw from its source!

Element: Fire
Increases: Pitta
Remedies: This is a hot Moon placement that could use cooling and moistening remedies. These natives might benefit from meditative or mindfulness practices that keep them focused and organized. Be sure to check in with trusted confidants every once and awhile to make sure your latest goals and ideas are grounded!

MOON IN CAPRICORN

The Moon in this sign distributes the vital force slowly, with endurance. These natives are built to last, so long as they pay extra attention to their health. This is a very cold and dry Moon placement that’s prone to stagnation.

Element: Earth
Increases: Kapha
Remedies: Water remedies are well suited for these natives, including baths, humidifiers, Moonlight, hydration, and demulcents like Milky Oats/Oatstraw (☽🜁) and Marshmallow (☽🜄). Quality fats and oils in the diet and through oil massage are also important for Capricorn placements.

MOON IN AQUARIUS

An Aquarian Moon distributes the vital force erratically, with great waves and crashes of energy. They are especially sensitive to electromagnetic fields, crowds, loud noises, and other energetically charged environments.

Element: Air
Increases: Vata
Remedies: Aquarian Moons require frequent periods of rest and nourishment. Body oiling, epsom salt baths, minerals, and grounding foods as well as energy clearing practices and unplugging from devices and wifi are helpful.

MOON IN PISCES

The Moon in this sign diffuses the vital force, contributing to a sleepy, sweet-natured constitution. The psychic and sexual centers tend to build up a lot of the energy provided by these native’s Sun placement.

Element: Water
Increases: Kapha
Remedies: Piscean Moons are dreamy and intuitive. These natives may want to work with stimulating activities and remedies that lift them up, or energetic remedies like flower essences to enhance their psychic abilities. Mars-ruled Elder (♂︎🜂) comes to mind for stimulating immune support.