Moon Magick (Part 1)

XXXII. To Selene
(ll. 1-13) “And next, sweet voiced Muses, daughters of Zeus, well-skilled in song, tell of the long-winged Moon. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.” Homeric Hymn to Selene, translated by Evelyn-White

Mother Moon. From the beginning of human life, we have lived by her rhythms. Each month, she ebbs and flows like the waters of the ocean and, like our emotions, her influence surges and subsides. Astrologers watch the cycles of the moon and predict events based on when she triggers sensitive points in the horoscope. Revered for her influence on magick, shamans and magicians have for eons watched her cycles and used her phases and placements in the signs to work their enchantments. As she travels through the 12 signs of the zodiac each month and completes her cycle around the earth in about 30 days, life changes flavors.

In this two-part article, I will take a look at our Moon and her influence on us, both by the sign she’s transiting and by looking at her eight phases. Today, I’ll be discussing her monthly circuit through the signs of the zodiac. If you don’t have an astrological calendar or other way to know which sign the Moon is in each day, I suggest going to the Cafe Astrology site at http://www.cafeastrology.com/monthlycalendar.html. Click on the link below the calendar for the Moon’s sign and planetary aspects for each day of that month.

When the Moon enters Aries, life speeds up. It increases our energy, and it is a good time to begin new projects and seek new avenues of expression. Take some time for yourself and attempt to be aware of your effect on those around you. This is also a fine time to exercise because you can feel energetic under Aries. Infections may flare up under this influence.

The Taurus Moon is a time of practicality. Aries begins new projects, but Taurus brings stability to them. Anything you don’t find practical will be discarded, and the rhythm of life slows down. Values are important during this 2-½ day period, and the need to be productive is the overriding drive. Taurus is also stubborn, so people will tend to stand their ground during this moon.

Gemini brings a lot of conversation and communication. If you’ve been putting off running a lot of errands, this is the time of month to get it over with. It’s also the time of month to respond to that list of e-mails staring at you that you keep putting off. Check in with the neighbors or contact your extended family. People are in the mood to communicate. Find a good book to read.

Home and those we consider family become the focus under the Cancer Moon. This is a productive time to do some housework or make a special dish that’s usually too much work. You may feel like sticking close to home and spending time with those you’re close with rather than seeking the company of strangers. Cancer retreats to the familiar for comfort.

Under the Leo Moon, find something creative to do. Leo needs to be appreciated, and one way to be appreciated is to put energy into a project that others can enjoy. This is also an excellent time to have some fun, and you may feel like doing a little gambling now. Tell someone how much you care and make a little love during this time.

Virgo is the hangover after the Leo party. All that work you put off the last couple of days is staring you in the face and you need to get it done. This is an excellent period for deciding what needs to be done around the house and clearing that pile of papers off your desk. Efficiency, analysis and discrimination are keywords for this lunar period. Health issues should be paid attention to now.

Relationships need some attention during the Libra transit, and not just your marriage or love partner. Libra is about compromise and creating harmony and balance. Find the middle ground, create a win-win situation and make any ongoing disagreement go away. This is also a nice time to get to know new people because you’ll be feeling sociable and will find others interesting.

Deep emotions are stirred during the Scorpio moon. Secrets come out and sexual urges may be strong. You won’t want any superficial relating now – you want to feel something and will seek out intense people or situations. Shared resources can also become a focus of attention now, so be careful of disagreements regarding money.

Restlessness is the key word under the Sagittarius moon, physical as well as mental. Seek out new ideas or someone to discuss your ideas with. Religion and philosophy may occupy your thoughts today. This is also a good time to start a trip, or plan one. Find something different to do. The downside to this energy is that you may get lost in what you’re doing and forget where you’re supposed to be or what you’re supposed to be doing.

Capricorn is about taking care of business. This is an excellent timeframe in which to start creating structure in your life and to work on the discipline you think you’re lacking. Virgo analyzes, but Capricorn actually gets down to the business of physically organizing things and people. Delegate responsibility by deciding what you must personally handle and what someone else can take care of, which is especially important for those of us who think if we don’t do it, it won’t get done.

Get out and interact with groups and organizations during the Aquarius moon. You will feel sociable in a detached way, and will find the company of others enjoyable. The need for a change is the keyword for this moon, which can easily slip into rebelliousness. Tackling computer issues will come easily now, and science fiction and fantasy can pass the time and ease the restlessness of your mind. You may find yourself exposed to those kinds of things now, even if they normally don’t interest you.

On Wednesday, February 25, the flavor of this month began with the New Moon in Pisces. When the Moon is in Pisces, life gets softer around the edges. This can also be a time when people tend to use their own personal means of escape to shut out the ills of the world, whether that is through an artistic pursuit, meditation, helping others or shutting out the world through the use of alcohol or drugs. This is a good time to visualize your dreams.

Next time, I will write about the eight phases of the Moon (rather than just the four you are probably used to) and discuss how you can consciously use each to your best advantage. Combining the meanings of the Moon in the signs and the Moon in her phases can be employed to manifest what you desire in your life, magickally!

Libra in 2009

"Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky." Rainer Maria Rilke

The first six signs of the zodiac follow the path of personal consciousness, from the first awareness of “I” to the realization that there is a great deal of self-fulfillment to be gained in being of service to others. At Libra, we begin to reach out to others to form relationships so that we can see ourselves from a different viewpoint. He is the cardinal air sign, which means that, like Aries, he initiates action, but through the element of air–mentally. For those who find relationships hard to initiate, taking lessons from Libra would be worthwhile. Relating is what he was born to accomplish, and he’s at his best when he’s able to view himself through someone else’s eyes. He is never tacky and goes to great lengths to be attractive to others. Clothing on the cutting edge of whatever he considers fashionable will find its way into his closet, and it’s important to him to be dressed appropriately for whatever social occasion he is attending, and there are a lot of them. Diplomacy was created by a Libra. If there’s someone in your family that is always trying to keep the peace, it’s a good bet they’re a Libra or have strong Libra tendencies in their chart. He dislikes discord and will go to great lengths to negotiate a truce. Like the kidneys purify the body, Libra purifies consciousness through the lens of relationship.

Please be aware that although I have not written about every outer planet’s effect on every sign, no Sun sign is isolated from their effects. My purpose in this blog is to give a little insight into the major influences for each sign over the coming year, and it is not meant to be all inclusive.

Neptune has been in a comfortable trine aspect (120º) to Libra since 1998, when it entered Aquarius (Gemini should also be able to relate to what I’m going to say). Neptune is basically a planet of escapism, illusion, and deception, but also of deep spiritual urges, and those types of experiences are being funneled through the lens of Aquarius. The internet is a conduit for this energy, as is the mainstream media. The trine from Neptune has increased the information Libra is receiving relating to spiritual matters, but also has made it easy for him to find ways to escape from reality, be it through the internet, science fiction, fantasy, drugs, political conspiracy theories or new age information. Because a trine aspect doesn’t force investigation, many Libras are enjoying their Neptunian interests with no idea that there may be a let down sometime in the future when they float back to the ground. This experience is potentially a great window into the reality of other dimensions, and Libras should just enjoy the ride.

On the other hand, as I’ve said before, Pluto has just entered Capricorn, a sign that is in square aspect (90º) to Libra, and recently began a 14-year journey putting obstacles in Libra’s path. He has to learn lessons relating to security within his relationships, including changes in societal status (such as those being experienced by Bernie Madoff’s investees), or deaths and/or illnesses affecting his important relationships. On the positive side, Pluto always transforms you and makes you stronger, and the challenges faced by Libras over the next 14 years will put them in touch with their hard inner core that they gloss over for appearances sake. At the heart of every sign is its opposite, and the opposite of Libra is Aries. There is fire within that can truly be discovered by the adversity of Pluto.

Libra’s card is Justice, the card of balance and objectivity. Here, issues are weighed and that which creates an imbalance is cut away. The gift of Libra is to be able to see both sides of a situation and weigh the pros and cons impartially. Air is not an emotional element, and in some cases, Libra’s judgment can be harsh. The lesson is to balance each thought against its opposite to annihilate illusion. Libra must learn that imbalance lies within us, not in the outside world, and he will learn it through the prism of his relationships.