The Sun is arguably the most important part of our astrological identity but the Moon, by receiving the Sun's light, presents the same size disc in the sky. In fact they are a perfect match, as can be witnessed at a total eclipse, the Moon's disc fitting exactly over the Sun's. This suggests that the Lights carry equal symbolic weight and are dyadic, that is, the two bodies together create a powerful unit.
|SIGN OF DIGNITY
|| SILVER, WHITE
|DAY OF THE WEEK
The Moon is the swiftest moving body. It travels through the zodiac every 28 days, spending approximately two and a half days in each sign.
As Lady of the Night the Moon is feminine and can represent the mother and, in a man's horoscope, the partner and the kind of women to whom he is attracted. At a universal level it is a powerful symbol of womankind and feminine energy, and it rules motherhood, babies, childhood, and fertility. It is at its most fecund in its own sign of Cancer and the other water signs of Pisces and Scorpio, although the latter can often indicate gynecological problems. It is said to be barren in Gemini, Leo, and Virgo, but if the horoscope is otherwise favorable for children these placings do not preclude pregnancy.
The Moon's 28-day cycle taps us into the menstrual cycle, and its waxing and waning can be seen to symbolize conception, pregnancy, and birth. This pattern is also reflected in the three phases of the Moon-new, half moon, and full.
RULER OF THE NIGHT
If the Sun rules our conscious day world then the Moon speaks of our night world, the dominion of the unconscious, dreams, and all that is shadowy. It holds sway over our emotions, needs, and habitual responses. It receives light, continually presenting a different shape, and is receptive and changeable. Strong Lunar types share many positive Cancerian characteristics, such as sensitivity and the ability to nurture and protect.
© Joanna Watters.
Extracted from Astrology For Today
, published by Carroll & Brown Publishers Ltd., London, 2003