Tips for Establishing a Writing Practice Based on Your Moon Sign
Not all writing routines look the same. It depends entirely on the writer. Some focus on the number of words written each day while others prefer to mark their writing progress by time set aside. Some writers prefer to write only when the muse hits, while others are meticulous about planning and outlines. So how do you find out what works best for you?
Astrology can teach us a lot about ourselves. Your birth chart is a blend of different types of planetary energy. If you want a more detailed and insightful look into your character, you must look beyond your sun sign and look to your Moon and Rising signs as well as the signs of various other planets. This information is easily accessible, as all you need to know is the time and place of your birth. (Find yours here.)
For the purpose of this article, we are going to focus on the Moon sign which is the key to your emotional nature. The Moon’s changeable, reflective nature mirrors our own instinctual and emotional responses through its different phases and conditions. As writers, we have to constantly tap into our emotions and navigate through the uncomfortable places that prompt our most authentic voices and stories.
As we work towards perfecting our craft and fostering a sustainable writing practice, here are some tips, based on your Moon sign, that could help you build a routine and feel inspired again.
Aries Moon
The first sign of the zodiac, Aries is known for an impulsive and fiery disposition. They can be self-centered, focusing on their own needs first, before working out how others will be affected. Aries moons know what they want. They're emotionally satisfied by excitement, spontaneity, and victory, whatever that means to them. But when they are passionate about something, they give it all they have.
Try this: Harness your passion and fieriness and put it all into your writing. You already know what your writing goals are and what you want from the future. Don’t lose sight of that. Instead, cancel your plans and get writing. Your friends will know that this goal is important to you. Due to your sometimes self-centered nature might expect you to cancel anyway. Set fire to the page in the way only you, Aries Moon, know how to.
Taurus Moon
The Taurus moon is a creature of habit and will always prefer stability over change. They need to feel secure. Their calmness and serenity often make immediate reactions come a lot slower. Once they have made up their mind about something is can be almost impossible to convince them to change their opinion. As careful planners, they are empathic and take other’s feelings seriously.
Try this: If your Moon is in Taurus, you have probably been dragging your feet on your current writing project. Maybe you haven’t even started at all. While you have the whole thing planned out in your head or on paper, you might be facing the challenge of writer’s block or how to get the words on the page. Trust your instincts. Your need for security could be prohibiting your natural writer instincts from flowing. Try to get in touch with your child-like spontaneity and be playful on the page. You never know what could happen.
Gemini Moon
With a quick, witty and light-hearted approach to emotions, Gemini Moons tend to draw from their own logic and experience rather than using their instincts. This can give Gemini Moon’s an air of superficiality. A Gemini grounds themselves with facts and information, so communication is paramount for those born under a Gemini moon. It is critical that Gemini moons have outlets for expression. They should celebrate their talkative selves and socialize in a variety of communities.
Try this: As a Gemini Moon, you need to keep up a writing practice that focuses on your self-expression. Journaling can be a fantastic way to reconnect with the self, inspire future writing material and sort through emotions in a more productive way. This can also help you realign with your instinct, creating a healthier emotional balance. Check out Amie McNee’s Journaling Compendium, which will help you establish a journaling practice and unpack the stories we tell ourselves.
Cancer Moon
The moon governs Cancer, so as a moon sign, Cancer is in its planetary domicile. Those born under this moon are extremely impacted by their surroundings, deeply instinctual and can instantly read the energy of a room. As the moon is constantly changing, their emotions are always in flux. A comfortable home life and tight family connections are top priorities for these intuitive, care individuals. When they know what they want, they can fixate on that one goal and it can be difficult to persuade them otherwise.
Try this: With family and the wellbeing of others often at the forefront of your mind, your writing practice might be interrupted by the needs of others. To create a writing routine that will help you reach your literary goals, know that it is not selfish to set aside time for your self and your writing. Self-care is equally as important as caring for the ones you love. Try creating a designated and comfortable writing space in your home, where you can feel at peace within your practice, and safe enough to let your creativity run wild.
Leo Moon
Leo is ruled by the sun, but in a moon placement, this fire sign needs to work twice as hard to make sure it's visible. Their immediate emotional response is to take control, often in a very melodramatic manner. The Leo moon is a creative spirit, fueled by warmth, generosity, and (naturally) an audience. And while they have a lot of love to give, they curl up like a dead leave if that affection isn’t mirrored back to them. The Leo moon hates to feel eclipsed, so those born under this lunation should find stages on which they can share their innate gifts.
Try this: Your need to be seen as a Leo Moon could be crippling your creativity. You want what you are going to write to be good as if your audience is reading over your shoulder. Try to remember that your writing routine is all about getting a first draft done. A shitty first draft. No one is going to read it unless you share it with them. Remember that you are a work in progress and the more you write, the better your writing will be. You can still be a writer without an audience. You just have to start writing for yourself.
Virgo Moon
Virgo is the most analytical sign of the zodiac. Accordingly, those with a Virgo moon are satisfied by logic, organization, and structure. Virgo moons excel at creating comprehensive, dynamic systems for themselves and, perhaps even more importantly, for others. They love to be helpful and are always fulfilled when contributing in practical ways. Perhaps their biggest challenge is to realize they can't always fix their own or other people’s challenging emotions.
Try this: Your organization skills can really come in handy when establishing a writing practice. Use your analytical instincts to set a word count to hit each writing day. Start with 500. Then maybe move to 1,000. These seemingly small numbers add up to a 90,000 word first draft rather quickly.
Image from Unsplash
Libra Moon
Those with their Moon in Libra need people around them to help them understand the world they live in. Their emotional responses rely heavily on what the people close to them think and feel. They hate confrontation and can be very sensitive to any kind of discord of upheaval. This is what makes them such great peacekeepers and negotiators.
Try this: Writing can be a lonely and solitary venture. As a Libra Moon, you may have struggled to keep up with your writing in an effort to avoid being alone. Try to find a local or online writing community instead. Connecting with like-minded creatives can help refuel your passion for your work and form bonds with people who share your distaste for solitude. Writing groups can also provide you with feedback on your work, which is an invaluable resource.
Scorpio Moon
Scorpio is a water sign, known for its high-octane emotional intensity. Scorpio moons crave deep connections but are afraid to lay bare their truest feelings in case they are taken advantage of in some way. Trust isn’t always easy. While Scorpios enjoy transformative experiences, they also take privacy seriously and should honor that by creating and maintaining boundaries.
Try this: Although you are highly emotional, your fear of expressing these emotions to others could be impacting your writing. Writing is vulnerable. It’s taking who you are as a person and exposing it on the page. If your writing practice is suffering from this fear, try sharing your work with a friend you deeply trust. Kind of like a mentor. The two of you can form your own intimate writing session, in which you share your work, set deadlines for each other, give feedback and foster your development as writers. Sometimes a writing group feels too big, with too many opinions. Sticking to a smaller group can inspire confidence and give you the accountability you need.
Sagittarius Moon
Sagittarius is the last fire sign, known for brazen curiosity. They are fulfilled by philosophy, travel, and intellectual expansion— they are always on a quest. It's important for them to have the freedom to explore and embrace the unknown. They don’t dwell on their emotions too long, believing that action speaks far louder than words or feelings. As a freedom-loving Fire sign, they don’t like to feel tied down, especially when they are younger.
Try this: Your adventurousness is looking for something to do, which is why your writing routine might be suffering. Try signing up for a writing workshop or retreat, preferably one that isn’t held in your town or state. Writing workshops are typically facilitated by published and acclaimed authors. You spend days or weeks learning from the best, receiving feedback and critique and exploring new spaces. This is the perfect adventure for you, Sagittarius, to spice up your writing practice.
Capricorn Moon
Hardworking and industrious, Capricorn is renowned for a steadfast dedication. They are fulfilled through successes and achievements and take their responsibilities seriously while also connecting their emotions to their accomplishments. The Capricorn moon should always be working toward a goal. Not natural risk-takers, Capricorn Moons weigh the pros and cons before committing to something. However, when they do commit, they usually have complete faith that it will work out.
Try this: Your industriousness can serve you well on your writing journey if you choose to embrace it. Outlining can help you visualize where your story is going and where it will end up. There are a few different outlining methods you can utilizing which can be defined by the level of depth they encourage and the process by which they are created. Click here to learn which method could work best for you, Capricorn, and your current project.
Aquarius Moon
Aquarius is the most humanitarian sign of the zodiac, so those born under this moon experience their emotions as part of the collective experience. The Aquarius moon is fueled by egalitarianism, so these individuals often act based on their values rather than their sensitivities. They rarely judge others and are more likely to be able to accept, or even prefer, unconventional relationships. The Aquarian moon wants to do the right thing, even if that means putting the greater good above their own needs.
Try this: Your love for others and desire to experience things collectively can be put into good use by attending an open mic night to read your work. If your creativity is feeling stagnant, try attending a reading event at your local bookshops or cafes. These are safe environments that will allow you to read your work out loud and enjoy having a supportive audience. It can also fuel your passion for writing again, knowing you will be able to share it with other writers.
Pisces Moon
The final sign of the zodiac is associated with great empathy and innate psychic powers. Sensitive Pisces moons are constantly absorbing energy. They feel deeply, and without an anchor, they can easily be engulfed in a sea of emotions. Those with this placement can have a tendency to escape into unhealthy habits. The best outlet for them is to celebrate their creativity with writing, poetry, music or whatever their preferred method of expression is.
Try this: While you are often swept away by your emotions, your writing practice might get put on the backburner, or put on hold until you feel the creative muse. This could lead to an inconsistent routine. Try instead to make weekly writing dates with yourself. Bring your work to your favorite coffee shop. Bring a notebook to the ocean, a lake or any other outdoor location you find peace and tranquility within in. Keep this “date” with yourself and make it an immersive experience.
About Kailey Brennan
Write or Die Tribe was created by Kailey Brennan, a freelance writer, blogger and content creator based in Plymouth, MA.
She currently writes for Read Poetry, Hire Scholars and a handful of other online platforms.
