Of the Moon and her Moods

“ The Moon is a white strange world, great, white, soft-seeming globe in the night sky, and what she actually communicates to me across space I shall never fully know. But the Moon that pulls the tides and the Moon that controls the menstrual periods of women….she is not the mere dead lump of the Astronomer…When we find space so hideously void, we are describing our own unbearable emptiness.” D. H. Lawrence

The Moon is the earth's companion satellite. It is large enough for its gravity to affect the Earth, stabilizing the earth’s orbit and producing the regular ebb and flow of the tides. The Moon orbits the earth in 28 days, spending a fleeting 2.33 days in each of the signs of the zodiac. In astrology the Moon in one’s Natal chart represents our deepest inner needs, our habits and automatic reactions, our unconscious. It is both our inner child and our inner mother. It is responsive, receptive, and reflective. As it travels through the Zodiac it represents our inner feelings, moods and our responses.

Moods are messengers from the deepest parts of ourselves. They connect our subtle, unconscious selves to our consciousness. A mood can arrive quite unannounced and affect the way in which we behave and interact with others. We have the opportunity to view a mood as a shadowy nuisance encouraging it to grow toxic, restless and difficult or we can choose to embrace a mood and find an appropriate way to express it!

Understanding the journey of the Moon, both in her tides and cycles and in her movement through the Zodiac, can show us how to maintain our emotional and physical balance, to flow with events rather than against them and to embrace our moods with dignity. It can guide us in taking the best action whether in personal or business life. It can help us to listen to the messengers or moods and learn to work with them rather than against them.

Research tells us that the Moon is behind about %70 of the Tidal pull on earth; Menstruation takes its name from the Moon and is linked to the Lunar cycle; bees are more active at the new moon; the water content of plants is greater at the full Moon. In the past Sailors looked for a receding tide before casting loose to begin their journey. This allowed them to tap into the power of the tide and move with speed into the open sea.

Menos meant "Moon" and "power" to the Greeks. The Ashanti people apparently had a generic term used for all their deities, Boshun, which means Moon. Sioux Native Americans call the moon The Old Woman Who Never Dies. The Iroquois call her " Eternal One." In the Basque language, the words for deity and moon are the same. It is obvious that the power of the moons tides were apparent to the earliest of cultures.

We too can flow with the tides of the Moon and reap her benefits.
There are two ways to do this, firstly awareness of the moon phase and secondly awareness of the Zodiac sign that the moon is passing through at any given time. I am going to look very briefly at the phases of the moon, and suggest that individuals apply this information with their knowledge of astrology…for example, if you are in a new moon in Capricorn then your focus is on new projects that pertain to the energy of Capricorn, ie business, career, public image etc., if it was a new moon in Libra, it might rather be about new relationships and so on.

"New" Moon: About two days after the true Dark of the Moon this is the beginning of the waxing cycle, a time of rebirth and renewed energy. This sliver crescent rises a little bit after sunrise and sets a little bit after sunset. This time is for working on personal growth, healing and new projects or ventures.
"Waxing" Moon ( from new moon to full moon ):This is when the Moon begins its journey to fullness. As the moon increases, it symbolizes the eternal rhythm of growth to maturity. The Waxing Moon rises after sunrise and sets after sunset - it is seen in the night sky for a short time after the sun goes down, almost an hour later each day. This is an opportune time for the increase and growth of projects. Visualizing the seeds planted now germinating and growing as the light of the Moon increases and working towards the same, is a good way to use this energy.
Waxing Gibbous Moon: As the Waxing cycle continues, the Moon starts to bulge out past halfway, with over 50% of the surface illuminated. This is the Waxing Gibbous Moon. It rises in the middle of the afternoon and sets before well before sunrise. It is an excellent energy for seeing things come to fruition and plans become mobilised.
"Full" Moon: It takes 14 days of growing bigger for the moon to grow or wax completely full. The Full Moon rises almost exactly at sunset and sets almost exactly at the next sunrise. There are three days when the moon appears as a fully illuminated disk: the day before definitive full, the day of full and the day after. This is the high point of lunar power traditionally used for healing, abundance, and culmination. It is a good time to work on your own personal spiritual lessons, growth and enlightenment.
"Waning" Moon (from Full moon to new moon): After the Full Moon, the entire process is reversed and the Moon decreases in apparent size. This is the Waning Gibbous Moon. It rises in the early evening and sets some time after sunrise .Every night the Moon rises in the East a little later and the thickness of the Waning Gibbous gets thinner, until the shape of the Moon is half a circle. This is the Last Quarter, it rises about midnight and sets about noon. The Waning Moon is a time of study, meditation and personal reflection. It is also about letting go of what is no longer needed.
Dark Moon: This is when it vanishes from sight. It represents death, although not literally physical death. The Dark Moon, in conjunct with the sun, rises at sunrise and sets at sunset. It is meant as a time of rest. Give yourself some time out! It is great for a little self indulgence!

For more detailed information on this I recommend the following book published by Llewellyn : Praise to the Moon By: Elen Hawke