That Time of the Month: The New Moon

Every month the Moon moves about 390 degrees from the point of it's last alignment with the Sun and becomes combust once again. But this isn't a very good occurrence.

My guess is that it's "werewolf" folklore that we can thank for the misconception that the Full Moon is the bringer of chaos. Now whenever something peculiar happens or people behave out of character, if there's even a loose gathering of people around I'm betting there's about a 30% chance that one of them will add a 'must be a Full Moon.' But this is wrong. The Full Moon is actually almost always an easy time. When the light of the Moon is nearing its peak the Moon acts as a natural benefic. It brings harmony, comfort, restfulness and a feeling of being at peace.

My theory as to why this happens requires some conceptual analysis. The Moon has been called the "maternal" planet for eons. In fact, the Moon helped to shape the Earth and it keeps the Earths rotation from becoming chaotic. A person with a strong Moon is typically a bit on the shy side and might be prone to worries. When the Moon is in sect, meaning nocturnal, it's in a cooler, less active part of the sky. The nocturnal half of the sky literally gets less attention, as these are planets that have set and cannot be seen. If the Moon is in the nocturnal sect, assuming that the Sun is in its preferred sect, the hot and noticeable diurnal sect, then that means the Moon is increasing its light, literally and figuratively lighting the darkness. If there is light during night then there is less fear, which the Moon can at times be prone to because it's easier to see possible hazards; thus the Full Moon is happy, feels like there's fewer eyes on it evoking its shyness and is cool and calm.

When a New Moon occurs we get problems. In Vedic astrology and according to Ptolemy, the Sun and the Moon consider each other friends (though I can think of one line of Romeo and Juliet where Shakespeare seems to disagree); though according to Vedic no planets are friendly to each other when conjunct. So why would the New Moon be such a bad thing? Is the power of combustion really that evil?

No, it isn't that. What it is this: Remember earlier what I wrote about the Moon's occasional tendencies to worry? This is heightened when the Moon is low in light, which happens when the Moon approaches the Sun, for the obvious reason that no light means greater vulnerability to the unseen. Another problem is that the Moon and the Sun are both very powerful planets. The Moon a deep, gentle, inward energy, the Sun a bold, unconcerned, outward energy: Opposites, like hot and cold, positive and negative, yin and yang. When these two behemoths come together they create an incredible energy gradient and tension of two totally different energies clashing, uniting and supposedly one being cooked off (Moon's). The Moon's deep feelings merge with the Sun's bold identity and all of this energy at once is usually too much to handle. Worst still the frightened Moon feels watched and pressurized because it's in the hot, visible diurnal sect (astronomically speaking of course) made by the unyielding Sol invictus. The result can quite possibly be that people panic. This aspects brings causes there to be a lessening in compassion and unity. And if it occurs during bad aspects to other planets or possibly if the dispositor is debilitated as today's Mercury retrograde is it's all the worse still. It's not all bad, though. If this energy is channelled properly it can be a good day to work in overdrive or pick up something that's been forgotten and work toward its completion.

Happy Gemini New Moon '09 everyone! ...And don't let Mercury retrograde and Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune trip you up too much!

Some thoughts on Venus Retrograde 2009

Note: This is a very late retro post, spent too much time hemming and hawing on if I wanted to post this... ^_^' Enjoy
-
Boy did it sneak up on me! I thought we'd had until the 9th, then I check Alabe, and what do you know, there she is with the little Rx beside her.

Venus is now moving in between the Earth and the Sun. This, or her counterpart Mars, might be the rarest retrograde planet of all to observe because Venus moves at such a similar speed to Earth, when she's on the opposite side of the Sun or near it she always appears to move moving much more slowly and pacingly than Mercury. Though retrograde motion is basically just an optical illusion, like astrology in general it's power can't be denied.

I'll be frank: Most astrologers with opinions on this are hippies and they'll tell you Venus retrograde is some wonderful time of "universal love lessons" or something like that, but here's my skeptical observation:

• It's a time of apologies. Family that neglected you and even strangers who have some guilt of their own to deal with will be flashing the puppy dog eyes. They won't all be sincere! Many of these people just don't like the thought that people have bad opinions of them.

• It's a time where people who like to sweep dreary or inconvenient things under the rug are forced to deal with those things. Venus is involved with Libra, Pisces and Taurus. All of these signs tend to turn a blind eye to or run away from the negative rather than toughen up and deal with them (which is also reminiscent of her exaltation in Pisces, the dreamer who loves to charm and drink until away the mean things in reality go away).

• Egos will be purged. Venus is the planet of charm and beauty. Interestingly also she's always near the regal Sun. This points to delusions of grandeur and arrogance, feeling like one is more beautiful, talented or even better and more deserving than others; none or very little regard for the needs of others (Venus is also called Lucifer!). The universe will reprimand those who have indulged themselves in this type of behavior. Venus retrograde is a time to humble yourself.

Last time Venus was retrograde she was in Fall in Virgo, this time she's in detriment in Aries and will move back to the last degree of Pisces. October of next year she will be turning retrograde in her slightly lesser detriment Scorpio.

Aries is a difficult sign for Venus. I don't claim to be a love guru, but I think that for romance to work you must be patient, tactful, observant and empathetic, none of which describes Aries very well. You must remember your own sensitivity and how you would like someone to approach you or the things that would frustrate you romantically, because while it might be nice, open and in theory the directness of just doing the damn thing! might stop the restraining force of shyness, it could surprise and upset the person it's aimed at. Pisces can understand these things, and thus it receives Venus very well.

I think Venus retrograde always features the death of a prominent female in my family. The last Venus retrograde in Virgo back in 2007 made me have to contend with some very proud and detached family members, their apologies and the above mentioned issues months after the death of my grandmother.

I'd love to hear about yours or any other comments you have to add!

One notable Venus Rx in Aries theme: Rihanna and Chris Brown's fight heard 'round the Earth.

Event: September 06, 2008, 9:37PM EDT NYC

The Creation of my astrology blog! Welcome to my site! I hope to be able to enlighten and be enlightened by you!

This blog might only be temporary, I plan on releasing an astrology website where I'll have more free reign with formatting after Jupiter's transit through Capricorn, look forward to that!