How To Subtly Ask Someone For Their Moon Sign So You Can Check Your Compatibility

Like the title of the Jill Soloway's prestige Amazon show, I am going to be transparent in admitting that I can't remember what a moon sign is. Luckily for me, Google is only one new tab click away. A search tells me that your moon sign is not the same as your sun sign, and that it has something to do with the moon. (Still unclear as to exactly what that is.) It also tells me that I need to know my birth time in order to determine my moon sign. (Can I guess to the hour?)

I find out that your moon sign is also determined by where you were born, because it has to do with where the moon was positioned in the sky at the time and place of your birth. Astrologers believe that it reveals your inner self and subconscious. Newly armed with a factoid that could unlock my deepest, darkest personality secrets, my narcissism makes me determined to understand what my own moon sign represents.

After deciding for myself that yes, I can guesstimate my birth time because adventures in astrology should be chill, I plug my stats into an online sign calculator. My moon is in Sagittarius! YES! No? I don't know! I get a lot of flack for being a Scorpio, and I feel like Sagittariuses (Sagittari?) are always pleased with their status as "Sags." However, if I'm to be transparent again — I truly have no idea what this means for me.

Naturally, I look up what having a moon in Sagittarius is, and find that they are usually positive and full of wanderlust. Hmm, could this be representative of the inner me? While I am outwardly a proud curmudgeon always ready to look at a glass of wine half empty, is there an inner optimist somewhere deep down in me? I do love to travel, and certainly would love to quit everything and head to Patagonia for a while...

But let's cut to the good stuff: what can my moon sign tell me about my love life and who I should be with forever and ever!? Moon signs can make you compatible with signs your sun sign normally wouldn't be compatible with. Our moon sign rules our emotions, and thus can affect our relationships.

Now for the big question: how do I find out the moon sign of that dude I've been seeing for quite a few dates? Because lord knows I need another reason to doubt everything that seems to be working out romantically in my life... I don't know his exact birth place, or his birth time. (We haven't gotten there yet.) I actually don't even really remember his birth day, so I'm going to brainstorm some ways for you to find out your cutie's moon sign without totally freaking them out.

If your crush is an astrology freak, I think it's chill to ask them straight out: "What's your moon sign, babe?" You'll indicate that you have a shared interest, they'll tell you readily, and life will go on exactly as it would've if you never had (see why my moon-in-Sagittarius positivity confuses me?).

If your crush is not an astrology freak, I think you should find out their deets, but one at a time. I feel like starting with a birthday is the most normal starting point. Asking someone when their birthday is is made less awkward if you bring it up while one of the following is happening: you're talking about a friend's birthday you're going to later, there's someone having a birthday across the restaurant from you, or when you bring up a particularly stellar birthday you had. Birthdays are the easiest bit of info to uncover.

Then, make sure you wait at least 1.5 dates before uncovering the next vital piece of information: birth place. This is tricky. The problem with figuring out where your crush was born is that they'll probably just tell you where they grew up. If it's a city like Boston or New York, you're mostly in the clear to assume the hospital they came into the world in was in the city itself. But if you want to get really specific, you're going to have to go with something like, "Were you born in the town you grew up in?" Or, peek over their shoulder at their passport or grad school applications if you happen to be in the vicinity of either.

As for time of birth? I'm going to say that you either start some weird conversation about how your friend's baby was born in the middle of the night and hope your crush reveals when they were born, or just ask it straight out. Third option: text their mom. JUST KIDDING! Or just don't ask and click the "I don't know" option on the moon sign calculator. (Multiple days each month are in certain moons, so you might not need the timing of your bae's actual birth.)

Here's a wildcard idea: get a little buzzed with your crush and just start talking astrology until you're both calculating the sh*t out of each others signs. Or Google them. You can find a lot on Google. And my favorite idea of all? Don't stress the stars, and try to enjoy each others company in real life!