The Moon is in one zodiac sign at any moment, and the panel above shows today’s sign with the exact degree, the time the Moon entered it and the time it moves into the next sign. The Moon stays 2 to 2.5 days in each sign, so it changes sign about three times a week.
What does it mean that the Moon is “in” a sign?
The Moon is “in” a sign when its geocentric ecliptic longitude falls inside that sign’s 30° segment of the tropical zodiac. Aries covers 0°–30°, Taurus 30°–60°, and so on around the circle to Pisces at 330°–360°.
- Geocentric: the position is measured from the center of Earth, as in Western astrology, so the sign is the same for every observer.
- Ecliptic longitude: the Moon’s angle along the Sun’s yearly path, counted from the March equinox point.
- Tropical, not constellations: the signs are equal 30° slices tied to the seasons. Because Earth’s axis slowly wobbles, a tropical sign no longer matches the star pattern of the same name behind the Moon.
The same method gives your birth Moon sign. Enter a birth date and time in our moon sign calculator to see which sign held the Moon when you were born.
How long does the Moon stay in each sign?
The Moon stays in each zodiac sign for 2 to 2.5 days, about 2.3 days on average, because it circles the whole zodiac in 27.3 days. The exact stay depends on the Moon’s speed, which changes with its distance from Earth.
- Shortest stay in a sign (2020–2030)
- 1.96 days
- Longest stay in a sign (2020–2030)
- 2.55 days
- Average stay
- 2.28 days
- Sign changes per calendar month
- about 13
- Moon's daily motion
- 11.8° to 15.4°
Near perigee, the closest point of its orbit, the Moon moves fastest and crosses a sign in just under 2 days. Near apogee, the farthest point, it moves slowest and lingers about 2.5 days. The panel above times each sign change to within about 2 minutes, the limit set by the lunar engine’s ±1 arcminute accuracy.
What is a void-of-course Moon?
In astrology, a void-of-course Moon is the period between the Moon’s last major aspect to a planet in one sign and its entry into the next sign. Astrologers who use it treat it as a pause.
Cafe Astrology describes the void period as “a period of time when it’s better to wind down and avoid new beginnings,” such as starting projects, businesses or relationships. Astrologers calculate it in more than one way, so published void times can differ. The void-of-course Moon is an astrological belief about timing, not a measured effect.
How do astrologers use the daily Moon sign?
Astrologers read the daily Moon sign as the emotional tone of the day and use it to choose times for activities. A Moon in a water sign, for example, is said to favor feeling and intuition, and a Moon in an earth sign practical work.
Almanac traditions use the daily Moon sign too. The Farmers’ Almanac classes the water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces as fruitful and signs such as Gemini, Leo and Virgo as barren. Its planting days combine the Moon’s sign with its phase. Our guide to gardening by the moon explains these rules and what controlled studies say about them.
Personal astrology adds the birth chart: astrologers compare the Moon’s daily sign with your natal Moon, Sun and rising sign. The guide to moon sign vs sun sign explains how those three placements differ.
How is today’s Moon sign different from today’s Moon phase?
Today’s Moon sign shows where the Moon stands against the zodiac, while today’s Moon phase shows how much of the Moon is lit, which depends on the angle between the Moon and the Sun. The panel above shows both, and the sign changes far more often.
- Speed: the Moon changes sign about every 2.3 days but takes about 7.4 days to move from one primary phase to the next.
- New moon: the Moon and the Sun share the same ecliptic longitude, so the new moon always falls in the Sun’s sign.
- Full moon: the Moon sits opposite the Sun, so the full moon falls in the sign opposite the Sun’s. The next full moon is on .
For the lit fraction, the Moon’s age and moonrise for your location, see the moon phase today.
The 12 signs: quick reference
The Moon moves through the 12 signs in the same order every month, from Aries to Pisces, and returns to the same element every 9 days or so.
| Sign | Element | Modality | Ecliptic longitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♈︎ Aries | Fire | Cardinal | 0°–30° |
| ♉︎ Taurus | Earth | Fixed | 30°–60° |
| ♊︎ Gemini | Air | Mutable | 60°–90° |
| ♋︎ Cancer | Water | Cardinal | 90°–120° |
| ♌︎ Leo | Fire | Fixed | 120°–150° |
| ♍︎ Virgo | Earth | Mutable | 150°–180° |
| ♎︎ Libra | Air | Cardinal | 180°–210° |
| ♏︎ Scorpio | Water | Fixed | 210°–240° |
| ♐︎ Sagittarius | Fire | Mutable | 240°–270° |
| ♑︎ Capricorn | Earth | Cardinal | 270°–300° |
| ♒︎ Aquarius | Air | Fixed | 300°–330° |
| ♓︎ Pisces | Water | Mutable | 330°–360° |
Each sign is linked with an element: fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) or water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). The “next 7 days” list in the panel above follows this order, so after a water sign the Moon always enters a fire sign.