6 months ago, back in March, I wrote on a subject dear to my heart. I have a heavily afflicted moon (by house placement and aspects) and have spent most of my adult life managing the intense and overwhelming energies of this afflicted moon. Looking back on it now, the post seems rushed. The one other luminary that controls so much of life on earth, was given very little space to shine and glow. Like those Oscar speeches where the winners are hastened off the stage with a musical cue and cut off mid-speech. It seems fitting that this realization dawned when Mercury is stationed to go retrograde joining jupiter and Saturn in retrograde. Time to reassess and re-do. Ergo, let’s talk about the Moon. Make yourself comfortable, this might be long.
Guarda Che Luna!
Guarda che luna, guarda che mare, "Look at that moon, look at that sea," Da questa notte senza te dovrò restare "From this night without you I will have to stay" Folle d'amore vorrei morire "Crazy in love I would like to die" Mentre la luna di lassù mi sta a guardare. "While the moon above is watching me." Fred Buscaglione (Singer)
The shining silvery sphere which waxes and wanes and is the fastest moving planet in astrology is called a luminary, but does not emit its own light. Often called the lesser light or the anti-sun, the Moon is signified to rule the things unseen. If the Sun brings every object on earth into brightness and focus, the Moon blurs boundaries and amplifies the hidden. She is the Yin to the Sun’s Yang. The watery, receptive, sensitive divine feminine to the fiery, active, self absorbed Divine Masculine as codified in the Yin-Yang symbol.
Before light pollution came to be what it is now, a woman’s menstrual cycle was aligned with the lunar cycle. So, the moon was given the rulership of fertility and creation. Moon ruled Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac and was represented by a crab, a lobster and a crayfish in the middle ages for reasons best known to the the ones in power in ancient civilizations.
and its similarity to the symbol of Yin-Yang.
A long long time ago, when the ancients observed the sky and made connections with the events in the sky to that on earth, the waxing and waning of the moon seemed fascinating. The ancients possibly could see how the moon affected tides and how seeds need darkness to germinate. Agriculture, and all of nature, was intimately connected to the moon cycles.
At this time, that long long time ago, Moon goddesses were worshipped, loved and feared in equal measure as they were associated with the divine feminine of creation and abundance. The ancient civilizations understood that there could be no creation without a dialogue between the masculine and feminine.
In Greek mythology, through Hecate and her various depictions, the moon represented the 3 major phases of the divine feminine- maiden, mother, crone. I was introduced to Hecate and the other moon goddesses when my north node transited over the asteroid Hecate in my natal chart. The internet is a poor source of information on the divine feminine as most knowledge as been warped by thousands of years of actively undermining the feminine aspect of life. In some sources, Hecate is associated with witchcraft, black magic, underworld and all things dark and foreboding. In others, she is categorized as a liminal deity who “presides over thresholds, gates or doorways” and guides humans in need.
Traditional astrologers have been dismissive of asteroids because they are believed to have little to no effect on life on earth. But, I’ve found that if an asteroid conjuncts an inner planet or a powerfully placed planet in the natal chart, it is definitely felt.
If you have one of the goddess asteroids within 1-2 degrees conjunction of your Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars; you have possibly felt their presence all your life without fully understanding the energy. A well known resource for asteroids is the one by Demetra George “Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-Emerging Feminine”.
Over time, humans began asserting their dominance over nature instead of nurturing the delicate dance of yin-yang. This is possibly when the divine masculine overtook and replaced the divine feminine. But, as we’ve seen over the past 3000 odd years of recorded and documented world history, humanity needs a balance between the masculine and feminine. Between darkness and light.
Those who wish to dig for answers as to how the feminine aspect has been sidelined and persecuted for thousands of years might wish to look into Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian mythology.
In the Vedas and Hindu mythology, moon is not a goddess but a god- Soma and also associated with the drink Soma which was believed to induce bliss and contentment.
In ancient India, astrology and mythology were entangled to an extent where it is challenging to pry them apart. The story goes that Soma had 27 wives (lunar mansions) and his favorite was Rohini (where the moon is exalted). When the other wives complained to their father, the latter cursed Soma with a wasting disease (waning phases of the moon). Terrified and desperate, Soma prayed to Shiva, the supreme consciousness, who took pity on the besotted and cursed God and placed Soma on his head. Soma was thus saved from complete annihilation and began healing (waxing phase). It was then negotiated and decreed that Soma would spend one day with each of his wives. A beautifully poetic and amusing allegory to explain the Moon that moves rapidly through the 27 lunar mansions.
In Jyothish, the Moon is equated with “Manas” which can be roughly translated as an interplay of emotions with mind. Whereas the Sun is associated with the Soul.
In Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra, Sage Prashara says “The Sun is the soul of all. The Moon is the mind. Mars is one’s strength. Mercury is a speech-giver while Jupiter confers Knowledge and happiness. Venus governs semen (potency) while Saturn denotes grief”
Sun is the natural Atmakaraka, the ruler of the soul; whereas the Moon is the ruler of contentment, joy emotional, well being, and ability to nourish and nurture self as well as others. A well placed and strong Moon therefore predisposes the chart holder to good mental health and general well being. Given that Cancer is considered to be the sign of fertility, nourishment and protection,the moon is deemed to be at home and comfortable in the flowing water of Cancer.
In the fixed water sign of Scorpio, the Moon experiences discomfort. Scorpio corresponds to the element and modality of fixed water. Water that is fixed or does not flow suggests stagnation.What does stagnant water cause? Diseases, rot, putrefaction. Hence, moon in Scorpio is considered to be in fall because it indicates challenges and obstacles to emotional and mental well being. In the other mutable water sign of Pisces, the moon loses its boundaries in the deep deep depths. If cancer can be compared to flowing rivers, streams, and ocean surfaces; Pisces is the depth of the ocean where light does not penetrate and therefore all things seem to merge and dissolve into each other. The very sensitive Pisces Moon therefore needs a strongly placed Jupiter to protect its emotional and mental health or a well aspected Saturn for creating the boundaries between the self and the world.
In the sign opposing Scorpio, i.e. Taurus, Moon is at her BFF, Venus’s house. Taurus provides stability, steadfastness, and security to a vulnerable Moon. The same cannot be said for the other earth signs- cardinal earth (Capricorn) ruled by Saturn and Mutable Earth Virgo- ruled by Mercury. The Virgo Moon is analytical, critical and detail oriented. She’s a natural problem solver, a health nut and enjoys being of service to others. But, Mercury infuses the moon with a intellectual rather than an emotional flavor so the virgo moon, if not self aware, could be self critical, nervous and prone to obsessiveness and anxieties.
Saturn provides the same attributes that Venus does, but unlike the beneficial expression of Venus, Saturn is cold, stern, controlling and harsh. The Moon in Capricorn feels like she is in a straightjacket. In the sign opposing to its rulership of Cancer, the Moon is in hostile land. She doesn’t know which way is up. Moon in Capricorn natives have a huge degree of self control and are extremely steadfast like Saturn. But, emotional expressions does not come naturally to come and is a learned behaviour.
Moon in the fire signs is in an element antithetical to its nature. Fire and water don’t mix, so the discomfort is evident in these natives. The positives of the element of fire could lend warmth, joy and optimism at its best. But at its worst, these natives are likely to be irritable, nervous, unable to regulate their moods effectively and don’t hold back in displaying external expressions of anger. The latter could be disastrous in close interpersonal relationships, personal or professional, which rests on the ability and skill to de-escalate occasional conflicts and regulate mood as a daily occurrence.
Moon in the element of Air seems to function better, although the shadow side of the element of air could express as a high strung, flitting, irresolute nature (in Gemini), or indecisive, or too detached, intellectual, emotionally unavailable (Aquarius).
As an aside, if a couple has compatible (element and modality) moon signs, the relationship is likely to be harmonious and peaceful, unless there are other challenging placements.
Healing the inner divine feminine and restoring her to her rightful place.
In the first part, I suggested psychological approaches to healing the wound.
Let’s discuss spiritual or quasi religious approaches to healing the inner divine feminine and thereby healing the mother wound and inter-generational trauma.
Since I’m a Hindu, and I can talk with some level of familiarity on Hinduism, the divine feminine as depicted in Hinduism will be addressed. Those who are atheists, or Christians, or Jewish or____(insert faith/religion) may choose to skip this section if they so wish.
In Hinduism, the lunar days are associated with 16 forms of the goddess. Each waxing or waning moon phase corresponds to a specific forms of goddess called Nitya Devi’s. (Goddesses of Eternities)
The story goes that each day after the new moon during the Waxing phase, one nitya devi leaves the sun to join the moon. And the order reverses during the waning phase when one Nitya leaves the Moon to join the Sun.
Each devi corresponds to a certain kala or attribute and they rule over the lunar month which comprises of 15 days. The 16th form of Goddess is Lalita Tripura Sundari, the 3rd of the Ten Mahavidyas or the 10 forms of Shakti.
The 16th form of the goddess, Lalita Tripura Sundari Devi, is only seen once a year on what is called as “Sharad Purnima” when the moon is the embodiment of the divine feminine in its full effulgence incorporating all 16 attributes of the divine feminine. This year, Sharad Purnima falls on the 19th of October 2021.
Here’s one approach to connect with the Goddess who rules the phase of the Moon when you were born.
- Go to one of the sites by googling “Phase of moon at birth”. Here’s one.
- Check the images presented below. Your moon phase with the kala and the deity associated with the kala.
- Look into the mantra and the Yantra (sacred geometry) of each Nitya Devi. Here’s a decently comprehensive resource to begin your research.
Caveat: There’s conflicting information all over the internet with regards to the correspondence of the phase of the moon and the nitya devi associated with it. I’ve parsed through multiple sources and believe the sources presented below are correct information. If any reader finds this information erroneous, do leave a comment.
***The above images are not created nor belong to me. I found them while surfing through the internet and cannot find the original source to attribute. If you do know the origins of these images, I would be happy to give due credit.
The 2nd approach would be to practice Anulom-Vilom Pranayama which is also called Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. Pranayama is one of the eight limbs of Yoga and is the science of breath regulation.
Nadi shodhana pranayama refers to the practice of inhaling-exhaling through alternate nostrils. It is meant to bring balance to the yin-yang element within us. It has a much deeper significance than what I’ve shared and if you go down the rabbit holes, you will find connections between Nadi Shodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) and awakening the Kundalini through balancing the Ida and Pingala Nadi.
Don’t take my word for anything written here. I always encourage everyone, especially you, dear reader, to do your own research and make informed decisions before you begin a new practice. Watch as many videos as possible and read as much as you can on these ideas before you make changes to your routine and lifestyle.
umbarta.com 