Moon
From Astrowiki-en
Not to be confused with "moon", with lowercase "m".
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Astronomy
The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite. It has an equatorial diameter of 3 476 km and its average distance from the Earth is 384 400 km. Only one (and the same) side of the Moon is visible from Earth. The Moon requires 27 days, 7 hours and 43 minutes for one orbital period, which is the time it takes to pass through the same point on the hourly circle of a fixed star (a sidereal month). This is a shorter period than the one between two identical phases of the Moon - for example from new Moon to new Moon - which is 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes (a synodic month). The Moon's average diurnal movement is 13 degrees and 10 minutes.
Viewed from the Earth and measured in degrees and minutes of arc, the Moon has an average diameter of 31 minutes - because the Moon's distance from the Earth varies slightly this figure can be somewhat larger or smaller. This is also the same size as the Sun which has (again as viewed from the Earth) a diameter of 32 minutes of arc. So the Sun and Moon appear to be the same size, something that astrology, which is based on the observation of celestial phenomena, considers to be highly significant. Knowing that the Sun and the Moon have a diameter of around half a degree can be useful when trying to judge distances when making astrological observations.
The Moon is never retrograde.
The lunar phases are: new Moon (a Sun-Moon-conjunction), waxing Moon (around the first quarter or separating square), full Moon (a Sun-Moon-opposition) and the waning Moon (the last quarter or applying square).
Mythology
In almost all cultures the Moon is related to the goddess and feminine principle. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of these goddesses, even more so in the light of the fact that different lunar phases are often associated with different goddesses. The oldest Greek goddess is Selene, whose two daughters were fathered by Zeus. Selene was eventually supplanted by Artemis (Latin Diana), Apollo's twin sister who also appears in more myths than Selene. Artemis was the virgin goddess of hunting and animals. She roamed the forests accompanied by her younger female companions. Any men who did not show her enough respect were severely punished and often killed. With the figure of Artemis the Greeks began attributing different goddesses to the different lunar phases. As the independent untamed horse-rider she symbolised the waxing Moon, but she is also an ancient goddess of motherhood and as such is also related to the full Moon. Her "unpredictable" temperament - including her brutality, ecstasy and at times phallic traits - is witness to this fact. The nurturing feminine aspect of the full Moon is symbolised by Hera (Latin Juno), wife of Zeus and protector of home and family. Hecate, the fearsome goddess of darkness and death, completes a trio of Greek goddesses and is associated with the new Moon. She rode out at night on black horses and brought people nightmares. It is said that among all the deities Zeus held her in highest regard.
Physical body
The stomach as the organ which takes up food ingested into the body. Also associated with the Moon are the female breast as symbol for femininity and inborn capability to nourish, together with the womb as an organ of procreation. The relationship between the Moon and lymphatic liquids, breast milk, seminal fluid and the mucous membrane is based on its direct association with fluids as illustrated, for example, by the relationship between lunar phases and tidal ones, together with the rise and fall of sap in plants and trees. The Moon is also linked to the body's vegetative (autonomous) nervous system, particularly with respect to its capacity to unconsciously control a number of basic physical processes. It is interesting to note that western medicine long considered the vegetative nervous system to be beyond conscious influence - until Indian yogis proved otherwise.
Interpretation
In astrological interpretation the Moon, together with the Sun and the Ascendant, is one of the three most important features in the horoscope. As the celestial body that most obviously changes form during its cycle, the Moon symbolises the processes of growth and decay. The Moon and the Sun belong to the seven classical planets in astrology. It symbolises the receptive principle whose creative act is to receive something and transform it into something new - in the same way that the Moon receives the light of the Sun and bathes the Earth in its silvery mysterious light.
In the horoscope the Moon stands for emotions, disposition and moods - in other words for the way in which external stimuli are processed. Its house and sign show the individual's instinctive emotional reaction - without having first been filtered by consciousness. It would therefore seem to be close at hand that children will express their lunar qualities in a more direct manner. The lunar principle is the most important one during an individual's early childhood, and it is only from about the seventh year that the solar principle begins to become more powerful. Some astrologers view the onset of puberty as the transition to the solar principle (see Astrology of Children).
In later life the position of the Moon in the horoscope indicates the kind of experiences a person is likely to have had during childhood. It also continues to accompany each individual throughout their life as their "inner child". This explains the relationship between the Moon and the past, although this should not be confused with a linear concept of time. It is much more the past that continues to influence and live on in the present. Karmic astrology considers the Moon to be a "vessel for the karmic memories of the soul."
The Moon symbolises the nocturnal "consciousness" as manifested in dreams, but also in the phase shortly before falling asleep. It also stands for the instincts and an individual's need for emotional security.
The Moon is a symbol of the feminine principle, in particular its maternal nurturing side, and in a more literal sense is (in an individual's horoscope) the symbol of the person's image of their actual mother. The Moon's orbital period is directly related to a woman's menstrual cycle, and in a woman's horoscope is, together with Venus, part of her feminine identity. If a woman has children, her Moon will indicate her likely attitude to motherhood and her relationship with her children, so that the themes of nurturing and caring are important when interpreting the position of the Moon. On a concrete level it also symbolises the actual home environment.
Finally, the position of the Moon also says something about an individual's physical health, which makes sense in light of the effect the emotions have upon the physical body (psychosomatics).
When the Moon aspects other planets or a main axis in the horoscope, some of their qualities will be reflected in the emotional nature.
The effects of the Moon in transit are only felt for a few hours and indicate passing changes in moods.
In the horoscope of a nation or politician the Moon stands for the populace.
The Moon is the ruler of the sign of Cancer and exalted in Taurus; it is in detriment in Capricorn and in fall in Scorpio.
