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In
Part One
of this article, we’ve seen how the Moon moves through the signs,
and how the New Moon, Full Moon and the quarters are aspects,
or angles, between the Moon and the Sun. But what is the significance
of the Moon’s aspects with planets other than the Sun? And what
is a Moon void-of-course?
The
Moon’s Aspects
There
are five major aspects that the Moon makes with the other planets:
the conjunction, the sextile, the square, the trine and the opposition.
The sextile and trine are considered harmonious, the square and
opposition stressful, and the conjunction can go either way, depending
on the planets involved. You can find these aspects, and sometimes
others, listed on astrological calendars or datebooks, often with
exact times. When the Moon is making a square to Saturn or Mars,
conditions may be a little tense. When it is making sextiles to
these planets, conditions may be tense but constructive. When
the Moon aspects Venus or Jupiter by trine or sextile, conditions
may be positive, but if by square and opposition, things may be
excessive or boring.
The
Moon Void-of-Course
As
the Moon moves through any given sign, it makes aspects with the
other planets. Eventually, there comes a point where it has made
all possible aspects it can make with the planets in the configuration
that they’re in at that time, but the Moon is still in the same
sign. After some additional time, which can vary depending on
where the other planets are located, the Moon enters the next
sign of the zodiac. This period of time, after the last aspect
but before its entrance into the next sign, is when the Moon is
said to be void-of-course.
Many
astrological calendars and datebooks give the exact times of these
periods, which occur every few days. As its name implies, the
void-of-course Moon period marks a time of drift. It's a time
when time itself seems to bend and turn, and not head straight
to the next milepost. While the Moon moves through space, disconnected
from the other planets, life on Earth likewise moves along with
a weak sense of direction. And like Mercury retrograde, this period
definitely works. Anyone planning to commence an important event,
like opening a business or starting off on a trip, should make
sure they know when the Moon is void-of-course.
When
the Moon is void-of-course don't expect to meet all your goals.
Don't expect to settle disputes in meetings or make real progress
with any new business. Don't do something really important for
the first time, and don't try to force things along a preconceived
path. But also, don't get paranoid about it. There are plenty
of ways to use, and even enjoy, the qualities of the void-of-course
Moon. It's a great time for getting on with unfinished business,
for cleaning up that which is left over, and for simply letting
things happen.
Here
is an example of what I mean. Suppose you're a director and you
want to begin shooting a film, but the Moon is void-of-course.
You can postpone your shoot and begin again later, after the Moon
has entered the next sign and is moving toward a positive aspect
with another planet. This would be the right thing to do if you
intend to make your film follow the script and turn out the way
you have envisioned it.
But
if your film is open-ended, or maybe a continuation of something
that has already been started, the void-of-course Moon will do
you no harm. Another possibility is that you go ahead and start
filming and just let things happen. If the film begins to swerve
away from the original script, let it go. It's possible that it
will go nowhere, but it's also possible it may go in directions
never anticipated.
On
a recent beautiful spring day, the Moon was void-of-course. A
friend and I decided to go for a hike so as to better enjoy the
weather. We visited a forest we'd been to before, but after some
walking, we chose to follow a side path that took us deep into
an area we'd never explored. Although the trail eventually ended,
we just kept going. A little work with a map and compass, and
some bushwhacking alongside a stream, and we came out to a trail
we were familiar with. Although we were never really lost, we
just let the process of the hike take over and let go of any specific
expectations about where we were going. The day was a great success.
The lesson here is that the void-of-course Moon should not be
your enemy. Let it be your guide.
The
Moon's movements affect all of us, as individuals and in groups. In
fact, the larger the collection of people, the stronger the effect
of the Moon. The next time you are at a large gathering, take note
of what sign the Moon is in, what aspects it is making, and if it
is void-of-course. If you know exactly when the Moon goes void-of-course,
look for indications that it has made this change. Sometimes this
shift is very clear, though most times it is quite subtle. If you're
a good observer, however, you'll see people moving right along with
the changes of the Moon, acting out the script of our nearest neighbor
in space.
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