The Moon is the earth’s only satellite. It always shows the same face to earth and is the second brightest celestial object in the sky (after the Sun). The Moon’s gravitational influence produces the Ocean Tides.
In Astrology, The Moon is the ruler of the zodiac sign Cancer.
THE MOON RULES OVER:
Emotions, nurturing, intuition, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, home, roots, past lives, instincts, reactions, subconscious, habits, imagination.
MYTHOLOGY:
In Greek mythology, Selene is the Goddess of the Moon. Her Roman equivalent is Luna and her brother is the Sun -God Helios. Selene was regarded as the personification of the Moon and was associated with Artemis and Hecate as the Triple Goddess symbolising the phases of the Moon. The three female figures are frequently described as the Maiden (Artemis), the Mother (Selene) and the Crone (Hecate).
Like her brother, Helios the Sun-God who drives his chariot across the sky each day, Selene is said to drive across the heavens each night in her silver moon chariot.
THE MOON IN THE BIRTH CHART:
As the Moon rules the ebbing and flowing of the sea, so it rules our ever changing emotions. The Moon influences how we respond and react, our home and hearth, our family and roots, how we feel, our mood swings, our instincts, our needs in order to feel secure, our basic habits, our unconscious and our intuition.
The Moon is a feminine energy and is associated with the mother. Where the Moon resides in our birth chart will describe how we have been nurtured as a child and our relationship with our mother figure. This position will also give insight into our inner child and what we need to feel safe and secure and the area of our life where we feel most ‘at home’. It also indicates how we perceive home, family and roots and how we relate to that environment.
The Moon represents our sub conscious and is a memory store that extends back into other lifetimes.
The Moon brings the past into our lives and the Sun reflects the present.
TRANSITS OF THE MOON:
The transiting Moon takes on average 29½ days to orbit the earth and spends about 2½ days in a zodiac sign. Therefore, the speed of the Moon’s orbit means that its effects, when in aspect to our natal planets, are only felt for a couple of hours. These effects are usually experienced as mood changes or passing emotions.
However, exceptions to this are when we experience a new moon or a full moon as the influence upon our natal chart can be felt for 1 to 4 weeks. The effect of an eclipse on a natal planet can be felt for several months.
NEW MOON:
Key words:
Beginnings, initiation, create, manifest, action, optimism, wishes, possibilities, renewal, birth, impulsive, spontaneous, fertility.
FULL MOON:
Key words:
Endings, emotions, culminations, intensity, completion, realisation, epiphany, fulfilment, illumination, romance, sensitivity, fruition, closure, relationships.
THE MOON VOID OF COURSE:
The Moon is considered to be ‘Void of Course’ after it has made its last major aspect to the Sun or planets but still remains in the same zodiac sign. The Moon is Void of Course until it enters the next zodiac sign.
The Moon is Void of Course every two days or so and this can last from a few minutes to several hours. Sometimes this can last for two days.
It is advisable not to start anything new as the outcome may not turn out as expected e.g. Job interviews, important purchases, meeting new people.
This is a good time for re-organising, reflection, retreat and revising.
TAROT:
The Moon is associated with the High Priestess in the Tarot deck.
The High Priestess, like the Moon, represents the link to our subconscious mind and intuition.
The High Priestess sits between the pillars of King Solomon’s Temple at the portal between our inner and outer world. The Tree of Life can be seen in the back ground. One pillar is black and the other white as if to demonstrate the duality of the mind (conscious and sub conscious) and the world (spiritual and material). In her lap she holds the book of knowledge and guidance. At her feet is a Crescent Moon which she keeps balanced symbolising her reign over pure intuition. She is wearing a crown displaying the phases of the Moon – waxing, full and waning. The solar cross shows her connectedness to earth.
