If you have an interest in astrology, you probably already know your sign. But what most people refer to as their zodiac sign is really just their sun sign - and this only tells half the story. Your moon sign is nearly as important, with a significant influence on your unconscious thoughts and feelings. While your sun sign may define important aspects of your personality, your moon sign - indicated by the position that the moon was in at the moment of your birth - determines your inner emotional life.

Moon Sign Meanings

For example, if you’re moon sign is Aries, you may be impatient about your desires, but you will likely show remarkable perseverance in the face of difficult life challenges. On the other hand, if your moon sign is Sagittarius, your emotions will be governed by a passion for justice and an aspiration for freedom. People born under the moon sign Cancer tend to be highly motivated with a domestic, family-oriented outlook.

How to Determine Moon Sign

Much like the sparkle on your favorite birthstone necklace, you determine your sun sign by the month and day of your birth. Learning your moon sign can be a little more complicated. You have to know your full date, place, and time of birth to calculate it. Because the moon phase calendar moves more rapidly around the zodiac, it passes through each sign every month. It stays in each sign for approximately two days. So if the Moon was about to enter the next sign on your birthday, you will actually need to know your time of birth to learn your true sign.

Using a natal chart  or moon sign calculator is usually the easiest way to find out your moon sign. Enter when and where you were born, and the online natal chart will calculate your moon sign. Once you know your moon sign, check out this infographic to see what it says about your emotional life: