What Nurtures You?

What gives you emotional satisfaction? In your chart, the house in which your Moon resides and the house cusp ruled by Cancer are those areas of your life that nurture you and make you feel secure. Those houses also reveal the activities and situations that bring out your nurturing instincts, and where you’ll have the hardest time being objective. So read the houses that contain your Moon and Cancer cusp to discover the key to what nurtures, fulfills and challenges you emotionally.

1st House (appearance, first impression): Expressing the emotional, caring side of your personality comes naturally to you and brings you satisfaction. Your personality is introverted, but you have the ability to project your feelings in a way that attracts attention and draws others to you. Not letting your emotions run away with you is your challenge.

2nd House (earning power, values): Your emotions are influenced by your earning power. Having money in the bank and surrounding yourself with sentimental material possessions gives you emotional satisfaction. Although you’re usually conservative about spending, you’ll offer your financial resources to those you care for when they need it. Avoiding emotionally driven spending sprees is your challenge.

3rd House (mental aptitude, communications): Your mind and feelings are closely connected. Expressing your feelings through speaking, writing, and journaling brings you fulfillment. You have the ability to perceive the underlying emotions of what people are saying. Travel and learning bring you emotional satisfaction as well. Your challenge is to balance your feelings with objectivity.

4th House (home, family patterns): Family ties and putting down roots nurture you. Creating a home that reflects who you are is important because you’re exceptionally sensitive to your surroundings. Family traditions, even if you have to create your own, bring satisfaction. Your challenge is to recognize and let go of family patterns that aren’t in your best interests.

5th House (romance, creativity, children): You have a childlike emotional nature and powerful creative drive. You find satisfaction in nurturing your “children,” whether they are your kids, pets, or creative projects. Nurturing and expressing your creativity brings fulfillment as well. You’re a romantic at heart, so expressing your love is necessity for your well-being. Your challenge is to grow beyond self-centeredness.

6th House (work, health, service): You find fulfillment through meaningful work and helping those less fortunate, especially through healing. The urge to be of service is strong. Because you’re emotionally attuned to the pain of others, not becoming too involved with other people’s problems is your challenge. Emotional eating can also be an issue.

7th House (marriage, business partnerships): Sharing your ideas, activities, and dreams with a partner brings fulfillment. Harmony is a must for your emotional well-being. Whether it’s a marriage or business agreement, partnerships energize you emotionally. You’re likely to marry a Cancer-like (nurturing, sensitive) person. Being independent and not too influenced by close associates is your challenge.

8th House (sex, transformation, other people’s resources): Sexual and emotional intimacy nurtures you. You have a desire to merge with the body, mind, and soul of your partner. Using your intuitive powers, you’re able to penetrate the emotional depths of other people, and of your own psyche. Financial stability is also important to you. Your challenge is to release anger and achieve forgiveness.

9th House (spiritual beliefs, higher education, foreign cultures): Your expansive emotional nature feels nurtured by exploring foreign destinations and cultures. You need to believe in something greater than yourself, so a strong spiritual foundation is important to you. Expanding your mind through education brings satisfaction as well. Your challenge is to take care of the practical affairs of daily living.

10th House (career, reputation): Being out in the public and sharing your expertise brings fulfillment. You need a career that energizes you emotionally, possibly one that uses your nurturing skills. Spending eight hours a day at an ordinary job will drag you down. Your challenge is to not let your career interfere with your family life and emotional well-being.

11th House (friends, aspirations, activism): Socializing and activism nurture you. You crave emotional connections with your friends, who are likely your true family. Expressing your feelings in group settings can bring satisfaction. As a humanitarian, aware of the world’s suffering, you can nurture others by participating in groups that endeavor to make the world a better place.

12th House (unconscious, the past): Exploring your unconscious and working with your intuition bring fulfillment. You have a highly active imagination, which can be channeled into your creativity. Studying psychology, healing, and past lives can awaken and strengthen your inner life. Because you feel nurtured when reminiscing about the past, letting go of the past and moving forward is your challenge.