Mystical Magical Moon
| Written By: Denice Zengo |
Does the Moon Reveal Her Secrets?
When I stand under a full moon at night I feel a deeper connection to the mystery of life. The moon invokes a dream like quality that opens the doors of imagination, enhances creative flow and sparks the third eye of intuition. I think we are all fascinated by the moon to some degree or another. Feelings of mystery, emotions and depth rise to the surface when we look at a full moon in the evening sky. It’s more than just wonderment and awe. The moon touches something deep inside all of us. It always has.
Lunar Influence
The gravitational pull of the moon regulates the ebb and flow of the tides. It also stabilizes the rotation of the earth. Are we affected by this energy and power? How much of the constantly changing phases of the moon are associated with our fluctuating and inconsistent moods, feelings and character?
How to Flow with the Phases of the Moon
As the moon orbits the earth, our viewpoint shifts depending upon the illumination of the sun. It wanes, appearing smaller, virtually disappearing as the start of a new moon, waxing as it grows into the full moon. Think of these 4 phases as aspects of an ever evolving clarity of mind.
- WANING MOON: Let Go, Surrender, Release, A Time for Contemplation & Going Within
- NEW MOON: New Beginnings, Rebirth, Optimism & Hope
- WAXING MOON: Transformation, Manifestation, Growth & Learning
- FULL MOON: Peak of Clarity, Height of Power, Abundance & Harvest, Increased Intuition
The Moon Represents Your Mind
In Vedic Astrology the moon represents the mind. This includes your emotions and feelings. It is your source of creativity and imagination. The light of the moon is reflected from the sun, just as we reflect back the expression of who we are in relation and response to the world around us. The moon is receptive and sensitive. It indicates the capacity to nurture, surrender and love.
Depending on the position and other influences in your Vedic chart, the aspects of the moon can be positive or negative. Darkness and light coexist. The sensitivity of the moon can make you kind and compassionate but it may also make you feel too vulnerable. The creative and imaginative aspects of the moon may be expressed artistically or they may be a source of delusions and hallucinations. It is from the position of the moon that we can better understand our past life karma and why certain situations and circumstances feel more comfortable even if they are sorrowful and joyless.
“The mind is a dependent consciousness. It has no real nature of its own. As such, it can function in one or two ways: it can reflect the inner nature of things or it can merely reflect the outer appearance. It can mold itself after the inner light of truth, the spiritual Sun, or after external influences and authorities, the outer or social lights (which the planets can project on).” – Astrology of the Seers, By: David Frawley
It wasn’t until I started to delve into Vedic astrology that I understood how important it is to know about my moon placement.
Merely Symbolic or Something More?
From ancient worship to a myriad of goddesses the moon has been a symbol of the feminine aspects of life. It is the moon that connects us to our dreams and subconscious mind. She is the symbol of fertility, the darker side of our nature and soul and represents the rhythm of time.
In The Great Cosmic Mother, Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor write: “The ancient people believed, with their usual biological accuracy, that the Moon Mother created human society. If the moon were to vanish, all mental activity on earth would cease. In their languages, words for wisdom, knowledge, spirit, soul and time are always cognate with words for the moon.” The women who experienced a strong affinity to the moon were the shamans, healers, witches and priestesses.
The Moon in Tarot
Tarot cards started out as playing cards in the 15th century. They became a source of divination around the 18th century. The moon is one of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana.
As with all methods of divination, there is much left to interpretation. However, even in Tarot, the moon represents dreams, fantasies and intuition. It can be a reminder to delve into the hidden side of your nature in order to bring what is shadowed into the light. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun.
The dogs in the card represent opposing sides of our animalistic nature. On the left, you have a domesticated looking dog and on the right a wild dog or wolf. We are always walking the fine line between darkness and light, wisdom and ignorance, our conscious and unconscious mind.
It is the moon that symbolizes your ability to gain clarity and insight. Connecting to your intuition can guide you through the shadow side of life.
My purpose here is not to tell you what it means if the moon shows up in a reading, but rather to illustrate the continuity that exists within archetypes and symbols across cultures and time.
Make a Lunar Connection
It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe in the power and influence of the moon. You can still access a deeper intuitive part of yourself using the moon as a symbol of your own psyche.
Do your rituals and practices that relate to the moon outside it you can. If this isn’t reasonable then at least take a moment outside, look up at the moon and breathe it in.
Sit in meditation – take a few moments to quiet your mind by focusing on your breath and disengage from any thoughts. Focus your thoughts on the sun, allow any pictures, feelings, sensations and thoughts to surface. Don’t judge, just experience. After a few minutes do the same exercise with your focus on the moon. It might take some practice if you are new to meditation but the sun and the moon will bring up completely different images, thoughts, feelings and sensations. This is a good exercise to journal about, noting the subtle differences as it becomes more natural for you to make these connections.
Sleep outside under the full moon (you have to do this at least once in your lifetime).
Go for a hike out in nature at night using only the light of the moon. Be as far away from unnatural lights as you can be. Be aware of the sounds around, how different they are than during the day. Notice any fears that come up for you. It can be scary being outside at night away from civilization. Talk someone into going with you if you don’t want to go alone. See if you can tap into what this may have been like for people years ago, when we lived quieter lives in nature. Notice any heightened sensitivity.
If you’re so inclined… be bold enough to howl at the moon!
