The Moon in astrology represents your overall emotional needs and disposition, but its depth goes beyond simply what makes you happy or sad. The Moon represents the places in us that are soft and vulnerable, so its placement in your natal chart can reveal the kind of experiences and environments you require to feel safe and nurtured, to feel relaxed enough to be yourself and show that soft side.

The ultimate symbol of nurturing and shelter (besides good ol' mom herself) is the home. It's the place where we should be able to be our truest and most natural self, removed from all the fake smiles and social dances we all do to get along out there in the world. Your natal Moon can give insight into what your early home and childhood was like and the emotional tone of your family unit growing up. However, even if your childhood home wasn't the best fit, you can create an ideal home environment for yourself as an adult, and your Moon sign can provide valuable clues about what kind of home would be the most beneficial and nurturing for you.

In addition to the Moon and equal in relevance is the sign on the cusp of the fourth house in your natal chart, as well as any planets that fall inside the fourth house. The fourth house represents the "home and family" area of life, so the sign and planets in it can reveal much about the kind of environment you require to provide a personalized "home base" for yourself. Combining the meaning of your natal Moon with your fourth house sign can give you a more complete picture of how to create your perfect house.

• If your natal Moon is in Aries, or if your fourth house begins in Aries, you need room to move in your home, so a bit of a minimalist approach can be beneficial. Aries color schemes may incorporate warm reds and oranges, and bold bronze and black, although these colors may be best in accents rather than covering your entire home. Decorative elements and accessories such as wall hangings, lamps, or sculpture must convey a definitive and powerful statement, such as the ornate and rich style of certain Asian decorative elements or even a showcase of metal weaponry like antique shields and swords. Also look to the sign of your Natal Venus for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home.
  
  When sharing your home with roommates or family members, you tend to want to be the boss, or at least not be bossed around. You can get territorial with what's yours because you need freedom to do as you please, and sharing or checking in with others can feel limiting if excessive. Due to this need for freedom, you might prefer to rent to avoid being tied down in one place too long or having to deal with a constant stream of home repairs.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Taurus, or if your fourth house begins in Taurus, your home environment needs to feel homey and casual. Overstuffed furniture and comfy blanket throws, with a place to put your up, are a must. While you make like things to like nice, you aren't one for stuffiness or pretense, so the less your home looks a pristine museum and feels more inviting, the better. If the rest of your chart supports the nature-loving part of Taurus, you might especially like to bring nature into your home, with plants and animal friends. You don't mind living with two-legged friends and family, too, for the most part, but while you can be easy-going in many ways, you tend to like things the way you like them. Therefore, people who bring too much chaos into the home or personalities that lean more toward fussiness might get to be too much to handle.
  
  Taurus is an earth sign, so an earthy color palette that leans toward the warm side is ideal. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home. Unless you have a lot of planets in the mutable signs or houses, owning rather than renting may suit you best, which will appeal to the Taurean desire for stability. Taurus doesn't like a lot of hassle, so even if you rent, you may be one who likes to stay in a place for a long time rather than moving frequently.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Gemini, or if your fourth house begins in Gemini, you will enjoy a lot of activity in your home and won't typically mind the comings and goings of roommates or family members. To you they provide opportunity for conversation and keep things interesting. Frequent mental stimulation is a must, so you'll need lots of room for gadgets of all kinds to avoid boredom. You may be one to pile up clutter, so lots of surfaces and cupboards to store media can be helpful, although unless you have lots of planets in earth signs, you might not mind things being in disarray as long as you can find what you need. Each room can have a little of everything in it: the sewing machine behind the treadmill with a television in the corner next to your collection of miniatures? Why not?! As a Gemini Moon once said, "My home needs to feel like a Chinese-style buffet: a little of everything, available all at once, to be enjoyed at a moment's notice."
  
  Your decorating style is likely to be eclectic, with anything that you find interesting or clever in its style or function. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you. A lightless den isn't your style; your home will need to feel breezy and open, not a place to hibernate in dull isolation. As Gemini is a mutable sign, you might end up moving frequently unless you have a lot of planets in fixed signs or houses, because Gemini can be restless and bored with staying in one place for too long. You might prefer renting to give you that flexibility. Even if you stay in one place for a while, frequent re-arranging of furniture can keep things interesting.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Cancer, or if your fourth house begins in Cancer, your home isn't just a place to sleep and eat, it's a haven. The richness and comfort of homemade items, antiques, and things passed down from previous generations support your sense of emotional well-being—especially if enjoyed while wrapped in a hand-crocheted afghan on the couch in front of the fireplace! You may enjoy decorating your home with personal touches and memorabilia that remind you of people and places you love. Cancer's color scheme is anything that feels warm and inviting, from rosy pink and gentle lavender to beautiful (but not icy) blues. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you. There should be a mood of abundance in your home, whether it's a well-stocked fridge or a cozy room filled to the brim with much-loved items.
  
  If the rest of your chart supports a more social personality, your home needs to be a place in which you can enjoy entertaining friends and family in a comfortable way. Whether you are married or single, with or without children, there is a nurturing side to you, so people, pets, and/or plants can provide a sense of joy or cohesion in your home. However, you'll need at least one room or place in your home that is your own personal space so you can retreat into your shell when you need time to process and relax. Like your opposite sign, Capricorn, you may prefer to own over renting, which feels more secure and rooted.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Leo, or if your fourth house begins in Leo, your home is your castle, as the saying goes. It should be a place that you are proud of and can enjoy showing off to others when "holding court." The overall decor should have a tone of opulence, with sophisticated and rich-looking pieces. Even if you're on a budget, indulgent little touches and grand accessories can make you feel like a king or queen, such as a richly covered chair or a large mirror with an elegant frame. Color schemes should be warm, bright colors, such as ginger orange or rich reds and dark yellows with gold accents, or even royal purples and blues. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home. The tone of your home should be one that makes you feel special and deserving, with a hint of the dramatic.
  
  Unless the rest of your chart disagrees, you tend to enjoy living with others, as you can be quite a social creature (lions typically live with other lions, of course, which is appropriately called a pride). It's important, though, that you have a sense of authority in your own home, even if you are sharing it with others, because respect for you, your things, and your space is imperative.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Virgo, or if you fourth house begins in Virgo, you might have heard that you are supposed to be a clean freak, scrubbing the baseboards with a toothbrush and any number of such cliches. But it's the sense of order that Virgo most appreciates in the home. Sufficient and intelligent storage solutions can provide this order and are a must in a Virgo home. Virgo's motto could be "less is more," so rooms packed with wall-to-wall furniture and clutter can overwhelm. Virgo's color scheme is the range of earthly colors, such as greens and browns, in subtle but understated crisp tones. Virgos can also be fans of monochromatic color schemes, which provide variety but are still in harmony with each other. Also look to your Venus sign for clues about what styles and colors appeal to you. Your home should feel elegant but simple, so avoid crazy patterns or mismatched furniture.
  
  When sharing your home with others, especially if it's family with whom your schedules might collide, you are likely to prefer a clear schedule so you know what to expect and can feel in control. Something like a central bulletin board can maintain sanity. You expect others to clean up after themselves and take responsibility for their share of the workload to keep the home running smoothly.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Libra, or if your fourth house begins in Libra, you want to incorporate a sense of balance into your home's decor, whether it's literal (such as matching chairs with matching end tables and matching table lamps on each end of the room) or more of an overall feel of balance and furnishings that give the home a symmetrical feel. You may benefit from arranging your home with guidance from the art of feng shui, which concentrates on keeping a positive energy flow through the home. Your color scheme can vary as long as it is pleasant and not chaotic or clashing. Too much color and "stuff" in your home can feel over-powering, although you may enjoy collecting knick-knacks and accessories that can accumulate. Also look to your Venus sign for clues about what styles and colors appeal to you.
  
  In some ways, sharing your home with roommates or family is second nature to you because you know how to get along with others and generally treat people fairly and with consideration; however, if you don't receive the same from housemates, things can get tense. You don't deal well with interpersonal tension in the home and can get tired of dealing with all the niceties of the world, so at home you need a place where you don't have to jump through hoops and can relax and trust those around you.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Scorpio, or if your fourth house begins in Scorpio, you may enjoy decor that is dramatic and edgy with bold, deep colors such as blues, purples, or reds, offset by high contrast blacks and/or whites. Lighting and decorative elements that make a striking statement will appeal to you. You may like a little bit of a den feeling; not necessarily lightless, but perhaps dramatic lighting that highlights certain areas and casts interesting shadows to add to the drama and intensity. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home.
  
  When sharing space with roommates or family members, privacy is going to be the key in being able to co-exist. Unless the rest of your chart reveals other influences, you don't mind telling it like it is and don't pull punches, but that doesn't mean you yourself are an open book, nor do you like people getting into your business or your stuff.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Sagittarius, or if your fourth house begins in Sagittarius, you may enjoy a little of everything decorating your home. Souvenirs of any kind, whether they've been given to you or collected first-hand, can make your home that much more special. A Sagittarian color scheme is nearly every color in the rainbow with multiple colorful patterns. You can use your knack for combining colors and patterns to create an eclectic but cohesive environment. Carved tribal statues, tapestries, images of sailboats, photos of hiking in a foreign land—these can all provide very real inspiration and joy. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home.
  
  Unless the rest of your chart says otherwise, you usually like a lot going on in your home. Whether it's entertaining guests or interacting with family members, you prefer a lively environment. You likely have the most easy-going attitude of all the zodiac signs about what goes on in your home. Sagittarius is a mutable sign, often restless and on the go, so you may prefer to rent rather than own, and in extreme cases, you may find yourself comfortable with your home in your backpack as you explore the world!
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Capricorn, or if your fourth house begins in Capricorn, you may enjoy a more tradition theme in your decor, with earthy, muted tones that feel sophisticated and thoughtfully coordinated. Timeless pieces and the look that "never goes out of style" are a good fit. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home. Anything you bring in, whether it's a piece of furniture or pots and pans for the kitchen, should be well-made to last a long time, even if it's used, such as a restored antique. Although things like this can be more expensive upfront, you know that in the long run it will pay off with having to replace things less often. You do the best to think of your home and everything in it as an investment, rather than just something for the moment. Because of this attitude, you may prefer to own your home rather than rent, whether it's an old but well-maintained cottage or a stylish downtown condo, so your monthly payment builds toward something long-lasting rather than simply the monthly use of living space.
  
  One of the symbols for the Capricorn is the hermit, and while there are plenty of Capricorns that have families and roommates, you may feel that you are most "at home" when you are on your own. Unless you have a more socially-oriented chart, you typically don't feel the pangs of loneliness as much as some people do; you enjoy your self-sufficiency and autonomy. If you do share your home with roommates or family, independence is still important for your emotional well-being, and you need to cave out your own time and space for the solitude you need.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Aquarius, or if your fourth house begins in Aquarius, you like an eclectic atmosphere in your home. You enjoy unique and weird decorative finds that can be conversation starters. For the most part, your style is functional, sleek, and modern, such as the look of chrome fixtures or black and white tile instead of flowered prints on the linoleum and farm animal kitchen towels. You probably won't enjoy the overstuffed chair and the fringed lampshade as much as you will the streamlined entertainment center, flat-screen television, and modern but comfortable couch. You may prefer monochromatic color schemes and/or high-contrast black and white. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home.
  
  While roommates may occasionally be bothersome, you are generally pretty independent and come and go as you please. You will probably find it draining to live with people who are more emotionally clingy. Aquarius is a fixed sign, so you tend to like things how you like them and may find it difficult to make changes when requested by housemates. Although you don't like to feel tied down, you may still prefer owning to renting, unless you can find a low-stress landlord who takes care of things promptly but is flexible and stays out of your hair.
  
  
• If your natal Moon is in Pisces, or if your fourth house begins in Pisces, you are very sensitive to the emotional and spiritual fluctuation of energy in your home, so you need a calming and peaceful space, but that doesn't mean boring! You have a vivid imagination and have a love of things mystical and fantastical, which you may enjoy incorporating into your decor. Dreamy colors, such as aquamarine, deep blues, and purples might suit you. Also look to your Venus sign for further clues about what styles and colors appeal to you to bring into your home. Wall hangings and framed art can incorporate this as well, such as fantasy fairy art, scenes of far-off places, celestial imagery, or paintings of ocean creatures. Along with Libra, you may especially benefit from the practice of feng shui, which is an ancient system that can be used to arrange your home in such a way that allows positive energy to flow and avoid trapping negative energy.
  
  You are very giving and usually do well with the day-to-day realities of sharing space with family or roommates, as long as appropriate boundaries are maintained so you don't end up feeling taken advantage of or outvoted too many times on home or family issues. You also need to be careful that you don't share space with volatile or high-strung people if you can help it, which will end up draining your energy and stressing you out, not replenishing you as a home should.

From Llewellyn's 2013 Moon Sign Book. For current-year calendars, almanacs, and datebooks, click here.