Over the next four weeks, I’ll be writing a weekly diary about the eight phases of our Moon. Those of you who have read my previous diaries know that I am passionate about astrology. We’ll be looking at the Moon’s phases from an astrological point of view. This month’s New Moon takes place Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 11.57am PDT at 28 degrees of Aries.
The Moon takes 27.3 days to cycle through its lunar phases from New Moon to Full Moon and back again to new. This explanation is a little misleading because the lunar phases are actually the relationships between the Sun and the Moon each cycle. The Moon doesn’t change; what changes is the relationship that starts each lunar cycle: a conjunction between the Sun and the Moon progresses to a waxing (growing) square (90 degrees) of the moon to an opposition (180 degrees) of the Sun and Moon at the full moon, back to a waning square and dark of the moon to start another cycle at the New Moon.
I like to think of this as a reflection of the constant change that is inherent in all life and all forms. Nothing stays the same.
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As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group gives Kossacks a safe place to check in, a daily diary where we can let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, earthquakes, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It also allows us to find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, earthquakes etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
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Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
ejoanna
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Caedy
Thursday:
art ah zen
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FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
Most Awesome Nana
Sunday:
loggersbrat
The Moon takes approximately 29.5 days to travel through all 12 of the zodiac signs. The difference in time between the lunar cycle and the time it takes the moon to travel through all the zodiac signs is the reason why each month the New and Full Moons are in a different zodiac sign than the previous month.
When the Moon is conjunct the Sun in what we call a New Moon, only the faintest crescent of light is visible. Using special equipment (because one cannot look directly at the Sun without damage to one’s eyes), Thierry Legault has taken a photo of the New Moon with just the faintest crescent visible. It’s very cool.
Modern astrology is very much concerned with the individual and his or her personality as reflected in the birth chart. Most of you are familiar with Sun sign columns in daily newspapers or websites and monthly magazines. Arguably the Sun is the most important part of an individual’s personality. It show our will, our soul, our reason for being in this life.
Yet, we must have some way of expressing our Sun sign in our lives. One of the most important ways we express our individuality is the relationship between the Sun and the Moon when we were born.
Our Moon shows the patterns and traditions we acquire in out earliest life. These imprints come from our primary caretakers, most likely our parents. The Moon shows how we unconsciously react to people and events in our lives; our “knee jerk” reaction, if you will.
Those born with the Moon 0 to 45 degrees ahead of the Sun (the New Moon phase) are here to initiate new experiences in their lives. They embrace new ideas and experiences with few preconceptions about how life should be. They may be bold or they may be shy; both extremes reflect a personality that is most comfortable following their intuition rather than their reason. They are open to all of life’s experiences and delight in experiencing what comes back to them in reaction to their actions. They are the seeds that have been planted. They have a difficult time discerning between their inner and outer worlds. Spontaneity and youthfulness are key words for this phase. Every possibility is open to them – within their life purpose, of course. Tomato seeds don’t grow oak trees.
Additionally, the New Moon phase is the best time for all of us to start new projects, new growth, new ideas and growth. It is a time for spontaneous and instinctual actions. Literally, it is the best time to plant new seeds in the garden. All of these new beginning have a greater chance of success depending on what you are starting and what astrological sign the moon is in.
Each sign is attuned to different areas of life. If you are planting flowers for beauty or changing your appearance, you may want to do it in a Libra New Moon phase because Libra rules beauty and balance. If you want to plant an oak tree or start a new job, you may want to do it when the New Moon phase is in Taurus for strength and longevity. If you want to start a writing project, you may start it in Gemini which rules communications.
The New Moon Phase lasts about 3.5 days after the conjunction of the Moon and Sun as does the Crescent Moon phase.
The Crescent phase of the Moon reflects a personality that is reaching for individuation. This phase reflects those who experience resistance in the world to their plans. The challenge for these people is to shake off their past experiences and disentangle from those who would hold them back. They experience discomfort and insecurity in moving forward which can be overcome by developing new skills and strategies for the obstacles they meet. They develop their own individual strategies to overcome experiences of outside resistance and internal inertia to reach their goal of becoming their own person in this lifetime. These personalities do best by developing self-reliance, unshakeable faith in themselves and the willingness to act on opportunities that open up for them by developing new skills and talents.
In everyday matters, this is the phase when people may comment on your new look if you have changed your appearance. The feedback may be positive or negative. It’s a time to assess for yourself how the new look makes you feel in the world. You’ll be stepping out of your comfort zone. If you’ve started a new job, you’ll have to develop new skills in your job and deal with new personalities. The way you did things in your old job probably won’t work; new coping mechanisms will need to be developed which may open even more opportunities. If you’ve started writing a novel, your characters or story line may not develop as you envisioned. You may have to do more research or interviews. This is the phase of the Moon when challenges and obstacles can become growth opportunities by developing new skills and shaking off the past.
From the New Moon through the Crescent Moon phase is the start of new things, projects, ideas and ways of being in the world. These new starts are challenged by resistance from the external world and resistance internally in the form of inertia. Skills developed at this time will lead to new opportunities.
This Aries New Moon is good for starting creative projects and making changes. Be wary of temperamental and selfish energies – Aries is the “I am” of the zodiac. Also, guard against head injuries.
Please join me next week for a discussion of the waxing square to full Moon phases.
Many thanks to my sources:
George, Demetria, Astrology and the Authentic Self, Ibis Press, 2008
Rudhyar, Dane, The Lunation Cycle, Aurora Press, 1986