We live in a solar culture. We tend to value what we can see over what is invisible, what is consistent over what is in flux, and what is thought over what is felt. The Sun states loudly, “this is my ideal, and I will uphold my individual, core set of aspirations for eternity!” The Moon, on the other hand, drops into the body and whispers, “the only constant is change, and the self only exists in relationship.” Let’s give the Moon its due.
In astrology, the Moon symbolizes our emotional nature and all that we need to feel comfortable and secure, which is why, in my practice, I refer to the Moon when I’m looking for nervous system patterning. The subconscious triggers, knee-jerk reactions, and our favorite coping mechanisms were all created in our first home environment with our first caregivers. The Moon also has jurisdiction over our family of origin and lineage, physical dwellings and property, and ancestral land. All of the things that shape our relationship to care and safety—defense strategies, preferred sensations in the body, addictions, and the habits and people we look to for succor—exist in the lunar realm.
The Moon rules the sign of Cancer, which governs the feminine principle, mothers, history, nourishment, and emotional protection. Cancer is a water sign, which means its nature is fluid, embodied, receptive, and sensitive. The Moon is known to have an effect on oceanic tides and can be seen as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of feelings. Its 28-day cycle also lines up with the (approximately) 28-day menstrual cycle that prepares a body for motherhood.
All one has to do is look up into the night sky every few days to notice that the Moon never looks the same for very long, and the parts that we do see are made possible by the light of the Sun. Make no mistake, the Moon exists in its own right, even during the two-and-a-half days out of the month that we can’t see it. It is not dependent on the Sun for its existence, but it is a relational sphere that describes the cycle of birth, growth, decay, and death of our solar life-force. The Moon decides how and if our solar ideals will take root and grow in the physical body of the earthly plane.
Astrologers work with eight Moon phases to delineate different points in a life-cycle. The Moon’s phases are also extrapolated to describe all of the planets’ relationships to each other. Understanding planetary phases gives nuance to natal chart readings and transits (what’s happening in the sky from a relational perspective, planet to planet, and transiting planet to natal placement). Below is a description of some of the phases we’re most familiar with.
New Moon: Impregnation
Also known as a Sun-Moon conjunction, the new Moon marks the beginning of a cycle. The Moon is not visible in the sky at this point because the side of the Moon that is facing the Earth is not illuminated by the Sun. Astrologers understand this point in a cycle as an impregnation of solar ideals into the body of the Moon. This is an optimal time intentionally plant the seeds you’d like to see grow. It is a very intimate time, and therefore hidden.
First Quarter Moon: Action
When the Moon moves 90 degrees ahead of the Sun, we reach a crisis of action in the lifecycle. At this point, we see a half-circle in the sky. During the first-quarter phase, there’s a call to take concrete steps to insure the survival of the new project, relationship, or situation. It’s a time of surging energy.
Full Moon: Revelation
The Moon is in full bloom at this point. This is when we see a perfect circle in the sky and the reflection of maximum light from the Sun. Full Moons represent the apex of the cycle. The potential that was seeded at the new Moon is released, and a total awareness of what was only implied becomes explicitly revealed. This time also represents a peak of emotional energy, and the ocean’s high-tide.
Last Quarter Moon: Integration
The light from the Moon is waning at this point as it moves 90 degrees behind the Sun. After acknowledging the results of the full Moon, we’re ready to process the lessons learned from it and let go of what did not work. This phase represents the beginning of the composting of feelings, ideas, and structures that we no longer need. This compost fortifies the soil that feeds new growth. Even if an endeavor was successful, the way is cleared for its evolution.
