HOW WE’RE AFFECTED BY The Moon
Ancient astrologers gave a lot of attention to the Moon, tracked Moon cycles, and created lunar calendars. The Moon tracks the days and months, and the word “month” stems from the root word “Moon.” Astrologer, Demetra George saysthat the Moon “means time and being," and we can see this with the menstrual cycle. The Moon is associated with time, life and being, and the different rhythms and cycles of life.
Ancient astrologers thought of The Moon as a luminary. There are two luminaries, the Moon and Sun. They are our guiding sources of light. Everything pretty much centers on these guiding lights as the Sun guides the seasons of our lives and The Moon guides our everyday experience. The Moon and the Sun are the most visible “planets”, and that’s why they’re special.
The Moon has been thought of as mysterious, but it can be known. My friend and Indigenous Spiritual Worker, Darla Antoine, says that the Moon “is an ancient and sentient spiritual entity that can be seen and known." We’ve paid more attention to the Sun because most of us tend to be awake during the day and we rely on the Sun to guide our day. The Moon calls our attention at night so we see it as mysterious, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s not that we can’t know the Moon, but we have to get more quiet, go inward, and listen to the messages from within. We’ve been socialized to embrace outward forms of expression more than internal, intuitive ones. Getting to know the Moon means unlearning that socialization, and connecting more with our bodies and intuition.
The Sun emits light whereas the Moon reflects the light of the Sun. The Sun is associated with our intellect, spirit and vitality, while the Moon is our physical body, home, environment and nourishment. The Moon represents our bodies, and our bodies are affected by what the Moon is doing.
When we have a Full Moon, for example, we can feel more sensitive and also lose more sleep because Full Moons are a time of heightened activity. Generally speaking, the New Moon phase to the Full Moon phase is a more energetic time because the moon is waxing and becoming brighter, so you might feel more energized by Full Moons, but you can also feel more tired and overstimulated because the energy is higher. Astrologer, Catherine Urban says,
“We are affected by the Moon psychologically and physiologically. We’re very affected by the Moon’s effect on water and we’re 70% water, so our relationship with the Moon is felt on a cellular level. And, so we have a gift of being able to tap into that and understand that and feel it in our bodies as well, which can be translated into helping us understand these other planetary cycles that we can’t feel as easily.”
The Moon and it's representation of our bodies and the cycles our bodies go through are part of our experience as humans on this earth. Paying attention to the Moon and our bodies can tell us a lot about what we need and what is getting highlighted for us at any given time. The Full Moon phase is one where the Moon and the Sun are in opposition to one another allowing for full luminosity. This is a time when things that started during the New Moon cycle will culminate or come to fruition.
You can get an idea of what each Full Moon will indicate for you by looking back at what began during the New Moon. This could be the New Moon of that month or six months ago when the New Moon was in the same sign as the Full Moon. The Full Moon is a time that’s highlighting of all that you’ve been building and nurturing since the New Moon. It’s a time of acknowledging and celebrating all that you’ve accomplished, and all of the ways you’ve tried.
THE MOON IN YOUR BIRTH CHART
Your Moon sign is more personal than your Sun sign because the Moon changes signs every 2-3 days. The Sun changes signs roughly every 30 days. Astrologer, Chris Brennan says,
“The Moon is the closest celestial body in our solar system to us, which makes it also a little bit more personal or a little bit more important in terms of things happening on Earth. And I think that’s one of the reasons why traditional astrologers tended to emphasize the Moon in charts in every branch of astrology…”
The Moon in your birth chart communicates information about your body, your home, your environment, your intuition, how you need to be nourished, how you tend to nourish others, and what you need to thrive. Your birth chart also reveals any challenges or obstacles for you getting your needs met. We don't always get our needs met. Not everyone has a home, and not everyone lives in a thriving environment, or in an environment where they can thrive. There can be obstacles and challenges to what the Moon represents for you in your birth chart if it reveals that for you.
The Moon represents our everyday needs, and has its joy in the 3rd house, which is a house that represents our daily needs, habits, rituals, and divination in Hellenistic astrology. The sign that your Moon is in in your birth chart tells you how you need to be nurtured. The house that it's in tells you where you need to be nurtured and where you feel at home, which isn't just a physical home, but a spiritual and emotional home as well. It also reveals to you how you haven't been nurtured, and any obstacles or challenges to what the Moon signifies in your life. The Moon in your chart tells you what kind of challenges or ease that you have with your home life, and whether it's an easier need to fill or one where you experience more obstacles.
Are you Cancer Rising, Sun and/or Moon, or have other prominent planets in Cancer? This is the sign the Moon rules and where it’s most at home. Taurus is where the Moon is exalted, so if you have any planets in Taurus, then you’re also associated with the Moon. If you have traditional planets or sensitive points (like your Ascendant or MC/Midheaven) next to the Moon, or you were born during the night, then you are probably more affected by Moon cycles. Astrologer, Israel Ajose, points out,
"I do find people who are born in the night or who have nocturnal charts; they respond to the Moon in a different way than people who are born in the day. I see the emotional responses, the physical responses, the lunar responses tend to be far more stronger for nocturnal births than diurnal."
Everyone is affected by the Moon, but some people are more affected than others. Some people are drawn more to the night, and are more comfortable in what the nocturnal realm represents like going inward, getting quiet, being intuitive, and being in tune with their body. If that sounds like you, then the moon is probably very prominent in your birth chart and it's worth emphasizing it more.
In short, Full Moon weeks are a time of heightened activity, celebration, and increased sensitivity. And, if the Moon is, especially, prominent in your birth chart, then you’ll be extra affected by full moons and what the Moon is doing at any given time. I invite you to get more curious about how the moon impacts you and what it's guiding you to do.
Want to be more in sync with the Moon? Check out my podcast episode HERE all about how the different phases of the Moon give you insights into how you might be feeling, and what you might be focusing on during that time of the month.
Want to learn more about the Moon in your personal birth chart and what it reveals about your needs and soul’s intentions so you can thrive and shine more? Then, I invite you to book an astrology reading with me. You can book one with me HERE.