Moon Astrology
I was born with the Moon in Cancer. That’s the Moon’s home sign, and since I was born at night, the Moon is particularly strong in my chart. On a practical level, that means I can be moody, emotional and very susceptible to the moon’s ebbs and flows. So, I try to be particularly in tune with what’s going on with the moon. The goal is to work with it and not against it.
But you don’t have to have a Moon in Cancer to work magic with Moon Astrology. Being aware of the Moon’s cycles, zodiac sign and the aspects it makes can make a big difference in your life. You see, it’s all about timing.
In ancient times, life moved at a different pace than today. Living without electricity, the internet or any of our modern creature comforts, time was marked by the ebb and flow of the changing moon. As the master of the tides, the phases of the moon were recorded, analyzed, and interpreted. And this brought the ancients to some conclusions about working with the energy of the moon.
Today, people use that knowledge and the power of the Moon to plan their agenda. You can harness the power of the moon to help grow your garden, help you lose weight or set intentions to attract more love into your life. It just takes a little know how.
Basic Principles for Working with the Moon
Moon phase matters
There are eight phases of the moon, which we will explore more in an upcoming post. But to start with, here are some moon phase basics:
New Moons are the start of the cycle. The moon seems to disappear as the moon is in the same astrological sign as the sun. It is a time to plant the seeds of intention.
Waxing Moons are when the moon appears to grow. This is when it’s best to get projects off the ground, solidify new habits, or focus on anything you want to grow.
Full Moons are when the moon is fully visible. This is the height of the moon’s cycle and is a good time to go public or shine a light on anything you want to be visible.
Waning Moons are times when the moon appears to recede. This is when it’s best to disseminate information, wrap up projects or let go of things you no longer want in your life.
Other considerations
Void of Course Moon is the period between when the Moon is done making aspects to planets in the sky in one sign and it enters a new sign. It is not a good time to make a decision or take action.
The zodiac sign of the moon matters. The best time to work on things is when the moon is in a zodiac sign that rules the topic of the thing you want to work on. For example, if you are trying to attract love into your life, work with the moon in Libra which rules relationships.
Aspects to the moon also matter. You can have the right phase and zodiac sign for the moon plotted out only to find that a challenging aspect is influencing your intentions. In general, trines and sextiles to Venus and Jupiter are favorable, and squares and oppositions to Mars and Saturn are unfavorable. Keep this in mind.
Resources for working with the Moon:
This is just the tip of the iceberg for working with moon astrology. But it should get your brain thinking about ways you can work with it to improve your life. I find that in working with moon astrology, tracking its cycles and zodiac sign can be a challenge. So I put together some online resources that I find help:
Working with the Moon Worksheet. A worksheet I put together to help you work with the moon.
iLuna is an app that tracks the current moon phases, astrological sign and whether it’s void of course. I use it as a handy way to keep track on my phone.
Moon Phase & Astronomy Calendar. Canton Becker put together an events calendar that you can subscribe to that tracks Moon phases, Mercury Retrogrades and more.
Ed Hume’s Moon Sign Gardening Almanac. Ed Hume is a Pacific Northwest based gardener that puts together a handy little guide to gardening by the moon each year. Use it to find the best time to plant, weed, prune, or harvest your garden.
The Farmer’s Almanac. Has calendars to track lunar gardening, zodiac signs and best days. Most are free, but to get the yearly best days calendar you have to pay a subscription fee.
Astro.com. Perhaps best known for it’s free horoscopes and chart calculations, Astro.com also has a fairly new feature for calculating the best time to undertake certain activities. While not the be all or end all in electional astrology it can be a good starting place. The site gives you access to limited calculations for free, but for full functionality you need to subscribe.
