When earliest man first looked upward toward the heavens, he measured his life by the transits of the Sun and the Moon. Then, even as they do today, these two “Lights” represented the two basic factors inhuman experience: light and life. It is highly significant that when viewed from earth, the solar and lunar discs appear to be nearly the same size; for although the Moon is approximately 400 times smaller than the Sun,it is 400 times close to the Earth. This illusion of equality, which explains the phenomenon of solar and lunar eclipses, will be dealt with at length later in this chapter. When Rudhyar first noticed this illusion of human perspective in 1939, he interpreted it as meaning, symbolically, that the factors which the Sun and Moon represent occupy the same space in Man’s conscious awareness. In other words, there is an even balance between Man’s higher solar-nature and his lower lunar-nature - the light-radiating Self and the light-reflecting psychic nature of Man are equal in both meaning and size in Man’s total being. In humanistic terms, the Sun symbolizes not only the central core of this solar system and the well-spring of all life within it, but also the life-purpose of everything sustained by it. Only the Sun radiates its own light, while the other planets reflect this light and are sustained by it, just as their positions in the solar system are maintained by the Sun. By extension, therefore, the Sun symbolizes the power of Self - the purpose and direction of an individual’s existence. Traditionally, the Moon governs a person’s instinctual feeling reactions and behavior as well as their feelings. Since these feelings and responses change constantly, just as the phases of the Moon are constantly changing, the Moon is attributed only a minor significance by event-oriented astrologers. The notable exception to this is the relative importance given to New and Full Moons, and especially eclipses which are said to cause “events” - particularly when they contact the birth-chart in some way. The constantly-changing phases of the Moon are a uniquely geocentric phenomenon. They can be seen only from the earth, and therefore, they relate specifically to the realm of human consciousness. The Moon does not actually change, except in its relationship to the Sun. Therefore, on a symbolic level, what changes is the manner in which the solar life-energy is being translated to the Earth and by extension to all life-forms on Earth. This chapter will deal principally with the cycles of the Moon’s nodes and the eclipse cycles. These are not, in fact, separate cycles, but rather are facets of the same solar-lunar transit cycle; although they will be treated separately, they should be regarded together. Additionally, the individual cycles of the transiting Sun and Moon will also be described; for although these transits are generally considered too fast moving and therefore too superficial to be of significance in terms of predicting events, they do have a specific meaning in the humanistic approach to astrology. The Cycles of the Moon’s Nodes Nodes are not planetary bodies, but points in space which describe the intersection of two orbits. They have no mass, and therefore there is no logical way they can be considered mechanistically as exerting “influence” which determines activity on Earth. Yet in spite of this the nodes, and especially the Moon’s nodes, have been used for centuries in Hindu astrology and are considered important in every contemporary system including the Uranian and Cosmobiology systems. The notable exception to this is the “Church of Light” method, which totally ignores the nodes. This fact suggests that the concept of “influences” has not been taken literally in much astrological thinking, or else, that astrologers have not understood the fundamental principles on which traditional astrology was founded. In terms of the current scientific worldview, astrology can be explained most logically and reasonably as the science of cycles - the art of interpreting abstract cyclic relation-ships. As a science of cycles, astrology uses celestial bodies as focal centers of living relationships NOT because they exert physical or metaphysical “influences”, but rather because they constitute a very complete series of points of reference. The earth observer can use them to plot many cycles of change in all life-relationships in terms of space-time values. Thus, modern astrology can be, in the words of Marc Jones, a science of the relationship of all things to all other things in the space-time continuum. As astronomical data form the basis of any truly scientific astrology, the astrologer must inquire into the astronomical nature of the nodes if they would use them as astrological symbols. The elements to be considered in an analysis of the Moon’s nodes are 1) the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun around the Earth, which is actually the orbit of the Earth around the Sun; and 2) the orbit of the Moon which, as a satellite of the Earth, revolves around the Earth. The planes of the two orbits, the Earth’s and the Moon’s, intersect each other at an angle of 5 degrees 8 minutes and 40 seconds. This line of intersection if the axis formed by the Moon’s nodes.Every month the Moon comes to its North node position, cuts the plane of the Ecliptic, and thereby changes its latitude from South to North. When the monthly transit of the Moon reaches its South node, its latitude changes from North to South in relation to the Ecliptic. Therefore, when the Moon is conjunct either of its nodes, it has no latitude. In the traditionally accepted interpretation of the Moon’s nodes, the Ecliptic - the factor of zodiacal longitude - is considered to be the stable, permanent factor, and the plane of the Moon’s orbit is seen sliding backward along the Ecliptic. Therefore, the movement of the nodes through the zodiac is retrograde. As the Ecliptic (geocentrically considered) reveals the relationship of the Earth to the Sun, and the Moon’s orbit reveals the relationship of the Earth to the Moon, and since the nodal axis is the link between the planes of these two orbits, the nodes may be said to symbolize the relationship of the Earth to the two “Lights” - the Sun and the Moon. In astrological symbolism, the northward crossing of the Ecliptic is amovement toward the positive and creative factor of the Spirit, and the southward crossing is a motion away from Spirit and toward the mate-rial realm. The North node, therefore, carries a traditional meaning of positiveness and spirit - a point of divine protection or providence, or of success through the use of the spiritual will. At the North node the Moon is interpreted as orienting herself definitely toward the Sun, becoming thereafter the reflector and distributor of solar power, will and purpose.At the South node the Moon symbolically turns her back on the pull of the Sun; as a result it falls under the energies of matter and of Man’s personal nature. This alternating orientation first toward spirit and then toward matter is the key to the meaning of the nodal cycle. When the Moon is moving in North latitude - from the North node to the South node - that is a time for positive activity under the interior guidance of the Spirit, and for building adequate structures for creative action consecrated to material needs. As the Moon moves in South lati-tude from the South node to the North node, it signifies a time for either assimilating and then releasing what was prepared during the former period of activity, or for repudiating what one has not been able to assim-ilate or use constructively. Both these trends are good and necessary, and all cycles must necessarily include them, for polarity is the universal law governing manifestation on Earth. Thus, the nodal axis of the Moon refers to the twofold process of ntegration and disintegration through which the solar or spiritual and the lunar or personal natures of an individual’s total being are continuously linked and then separated. The North node and the period of the lunar cycle during which the Moon has North latitude are symbols of the times in one’s life when their psychic or lunar nature is oriented toward, and is a transmitter of, the power of creative spirit. The South node and the period of the lunar cycle during which the Moon has South latitude symbolize the times of assimilation of spiritual and vital forces generated duting the northern half of the cycle. This process should lead to a release of theses forces, or negatively, to their waste and disintegration. At the North node, life asks an individual to exert themselves in a particular direction indicated by the node’s Sign and House position. It points to qualities, faculties and accomplishments which are new, which therefore will demand a conscious and sustained effort and which determine the direction of one’s future. If one concentrates their energies in this direction, they will build both their spiritual power and their capacity to live in a significant manner. At the South node according to Sign and House, one has the indications of what is already built into the personality at birth. Those qualities, faculties and accomplishments do not present any difficulties in their manifestations. They may be so ingrained that they are expressed without any conscious awareness. Many traditional astrological texts describe the South node as a symbol of one’s self-undoing - the line of least resistance. In order to resist something one must first become consciously aware of it. Just as water flows downhill, the tendency in all of nature is to take the easiest path. That direction, however, is not the path of personal growth. As long as an individual persists in following the path described by their South node, they are denying the possibility of growth. That way will lead them to becoming a slave to the inertia of habitual behaviour, and to depend on their natural gifts and abilities rather than developing new ones. This does not mean to imply that one should not use their natural gifts - those faculties they have inherited at birth (or which were due to some positive effort in a past life if one believes in reincarnation). What it does mean is that an individual should use such gifts and faculties in order to foster the new development demanded at the North node. Very often, life creates circumstances which do not allow a person to use their South node faculties automatically - circumstances which oblige them to concentrate on North node types of development. Astrologers must avoid the tendency to give an entirely negative meaning to the South node in a birth-chart. The element of Karma, of bondage to bondage to the past, in node need not work itself out through negative events. The South node in a chart is a symbol of habit - of customary behaviour and the release of power based upon past or inherited achievement. This may lead to inertia, automatic or spiritless action, and self-undoing; or may indicate perfect instinctual performance and the release of genius through congenital gifts or spontaneously acquired technique. Additionally, astrologers should never forget that the nodes form an axis and that their meanings are complementary. This nodal axis links two opposite houses (and Signs) and establishes a focal relationship between two areas of experience, the meanings of which must be integrated. The North and South nodes are polar aspects of a single process - the intake and release of spiritual power in relation to rhythms established in one’s past (family or soul heredity). It is a lunar process of adaptation to life, and in any adaptation, personal and collective past experiences play an important part. Furthermore, the nodes have a retrograde movement. Such a movement, both in progressions and transits, refers to a return to source - to a review of past behaviour. For this reason the nodal axis is often referred to as the axis of Fate or Destiny, because whatever it touches in the natal chart may be strongly conditioned by the past - by one’s personal or racial Karma. Although the birth position of the nodal axis is a basic factor throughout the life, the retrograde cycle of the transiting nodes has a very real significance - especially on the psychological level. The length of this cycle is approximately 18.6 years, and thus every 19th year the bi-polar activity of personal destiny will receive a new impetus.* At the ages of 19, 38, 57 and 76 an individual has the opportunity to be reborn - to see their destiny in a new light. At those times something can - but not necessarily will - happen which may be likened to a spiritual descent of power, or negatively, to a precipitation of karma. Whatever occurs will mature the personality, either through a change in the substance and quality of one’s consciousness, or through some deeply disturbing psychological crisis. The outward manifestation or event linked to such changes may occur much later, however, since the phases of growth and disintegration take place gradually.The year prior to each of these four nodal returns is a sort of 12th House phase of the nodal cycle - a time which one should attempt to sum up the meaning and activity of that entire cycle and prepare for the next. The age of 18, for example, is a time to sum up the experiences of one’s youth so that an individual may develop an objective foundation for the new departure into adulthood a 19. In this context it is interesting to note that in many countries the voting age is being lowered from 21 to 18. At the end of the second nodal cycle at age 37-38, one should try to assess the degree of success (or failure) in their attempts to realize their ideal life-purpose through concrete activities. This evaluation, coming shortly after the beginning of the waning hemicycle of life (See Chapter II - The Age Factor) should set the tone for the second half of life. When the third nodal cycle ends at age 56-57, each person should assess the degree of personality fulfillment they have achieved, and the measure to which their creative work as a social individual has been successful. Since this nodal return occurs shortly before the end of the second Saturn cycle, it is a time to evaluate the productive years in one’s life According to the Age Factor it is the second year of the Power Level - the time of a change in the spiritual direction, as well as the foundation of one’s personal feelings. The fourth nodal return occurs at age 75-76. At that time there should be an assessment of the personality’s spiritual realizations, and of the success of one’s efforts to conclude their life in a significant manner, leaving a seed to nourish future generations. The Three-year and Nine-year Subdivisions of the Moon’s Nodal Cycle As the nodal cycle lasts about 8.6 years, there is a slight discrepancy in the ages given below.Experience has shown that 19 rather than 18 is significant. The other ages mentioned are in relation to the three phases of the nine-year cycle: thesis, antithesis and synthesis. Every 19th year the transiting node comes back to its natal position. Nine years later, there is an inversion of the nodal positions: the transiting North node comes to the natal South node position and the transiting South node comes to the natal North node position. Each nine-year period, or half nodal cycle is divided into three periods of three years which are related to each other in the manner of a thesis (first three years), antithesis (second three years), and synthesis (third three years). (Diagram missing)The midpoint of the transiting nodal cycle occurs every ninth year. At those times there is an inversion of the natal nodal axis - the transiting North node falling at the natal South node and vice versa. Thus, each 9th year is polar to the next, as the North node is polar to the South node. Since the number ”nine” and therefore the 9-year period, refers in humanistic astrology to the working out of one’s spiritual and ancestral past or karma, the mid-point periods of the nodal transit cycle present an opportunity to begin clearing up the results of one’s past mistakes or omissions. It also signals a time when an individual can bring out of the depths of their personality those elements which will assist them in becoming a seed for the future. External events and changes in one’s life are more likely related to the mid-points of the nodal cycle than to the nodal return. This 9-year cycle may also be divided into three periods of three years each, signifying generally Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis. The first period establishes a quality of activity regarding one’s relationships, the second period describes a reaction to that activity, and the third period is an attempt to synthesize the past and the present. Since the transiting nodes move at a an average of 3 minutes a day (retrograde), these 3-year periods correspond to sextile-trine aspects of the nodes to their natal positions. In each case, whether leading to the inversion or the return, the 9th year is a seed year - a time of potential fulfillment. This 9-year cycle may also become individualized. Instead of counting the years from birth, one should begin this cycle from the time when the North node reaches the Ascendant for the first time in the life. This transit will occur at some time during the first 18.6 years of life and should be related to the Age Factor. The Nodal Transit of the Birth Chart The nodal axis distributes the polar force of personal destiny throughout the life, making it’s placement in the hemispheres and the quadrants of the birthchart highly significant. As the nodal axis moves on, the positive energy of the personality-building forces of destiny is liberated into the hemisphere and quadrant through which the North Node is passing. Power is being generated there. One the other hand, the hemisphere and quadrant containing the transiting South node receives the negative energy built on past habits and used on the basis of previous efforts. Power is being released there. Because the movement of the nodal axis is retrograde, the astrologer must number the houses differently. This is an important technical point. If, for example, one takes the coincidence of the nodal axis with the birth horizon as the starting-point - the North node conjunct the Ascendant and the South node conjunct the Descendant - then the North node will move up through the 12th, 11th, 10, Houses, reaching the Descendant via the 9th, 8th, 7th Houses nine years later. Therefore, when the North node is found in the natal 12th House, it is in it’s own 1st House and will refer to a new phase of personality-integration. When it is found in the natal 9th House, the North node will be in it’s own 4th House, indicating a period of personal focalization. Here the individual destiny will come to a concrete focus and the person will have the opportunity to be become conscious of the power at their disposal. As this occurs, the South node will be transiting the natal 3rd House, which corresponds to the nodal 10th House. The power generated in the personality and in the home (North node in the nodal 4th House), should be released through one’s public or professional life, and matters of a 10th House nature will come to the fore. Experience has shown that sometimes the transiting North node’s House will seem especially important and evident, while in other cases, the transiting South node’s House will appear to fit more definitely what is happening. But if the astrologer will delve deeply enough into the psychological into the psychological implications of the present moment, they will probably find that both nodes contribute to the general meaning of the period. In any case, exactness in relation to outer events is not to be expected. What is important is the meaning of the House phase. Apart from the individual House meanings of the nodal transit is the general hemispheric meaning which changes every nine years. Thus, when the North node is passing through the hemisphere above the birth horizon, it is transiting through it’s own first 6 Houses. During this period, therefore, the personality is being developed through inner compulsion, and the outer life is left to the play of negative-passive forces. One will continue to behave in an habitual manner powered by the momentum furnished by their previous efforts. When the North node reaches the Descendant and goes below the birth horizon, the outer life will demand of a person that they exert themselves in a positive manner, while the inner life will become more habitual or passive in character. Here the terms “inner” and “outer” do not refer particularly to the events in one’s life, but to the development of the personality through a concentration on introverted or extroverted activity - on subjective or objective values. Any interpretation of the nodal transit must be defined, as previously stated by it's retrograde movement. This cycle, like the retrograde periods of the planets, must be seen as referring to something which operates against, or in a direction opposed to the normal flow of life's activities and one's instinctual behaviour. It will refer to whatever can interfere with or check an individual's normal, spontaneous, instinctual activity. The greatest interferer is the will of the conscious ego, conditioned as it is by all of one's past personal experiences as well as the social, ethical and moral standards of the community in which one lives. For this reason, the nodal transit cycle indicates confrontations with the results of one's own past, and also the past of one's society. This concept may be very easily verified by noting the times when the North node by transit conjoins a natal planet. This contact tends to bring confrontations related to one's past use of that planetary function, to past frustrations or repressions, or to the desire to repeat fulfilling experiences. It can effect either one's inner or outer life, dominating conscious behaviour or influencing one's subconscious state. Whatever is generated at this North node contact may potentially be released approximately 9 years later when the South node conjoins that same planet. The results of this release will then work themselves out during the following nine years leading up to the new North node contact. Of course, not everyone will be conscious of significant experiences when the North node transits natal planets, especially since these contacts do not generally relate to external events. In such cases, the meaning of the House opposite the one through which the North node is passing may give the astrologer valuable data concerning a person's changing attitude toward both their past and also toward their attempts to build their future. The times when the nodal axis coincides with the natal horizon and meridian are usually of particular importance. The Transiting Nodes Through the Houses Because the contacts between the transiting nodal axis and natal planets are of a subjective nature and cannot be counted on to coincide with external events, it is far more important for the astrologer to concentrate their analysis on the progressive accentuation of the Houses. In terms of this cycle, the position of the transiting North node will show the field of experience in which power may be gained through self-exertion and concentration. There should be a conscious attempt to develop new faculties or some new facet of the personality through the life-experiences symbolized by the House containing the transiting North node. The power which may be theoretically gained in terms of the North node’s House position will be released in the field of experience in which the transiting South node is found. Here one should not try to exert themselves in terms of the South node House, but rather allow things to happen according to established habits built on one’s previous efforts while the North node transited that House nine years earlier. Moreover, as I have said, since we are dealing with an axis, both nodes will generally contribute to the overall meaning of their transit of two given opposite Houses. North node in the nodal 1st House - South node in the nodal 7th House (natal 12th and 6th Houses) As the transiting North node crosses the Ascendant and moves into the natal 12th House, a new nodal cycle of 18.6 years begins. The age at which this transit occurs should always be related to the Age Factor, as it will establish the tone for the entire cycle. At whatever age a nodal cycle begins, that period of life may correspond to some new departure in one’s destiny. It will, of course, depend on the success or failure of the preceding 18-year cycle; and in some cases, the confrontation with one’s true destiny can provoke a spiritual crisis. The external results of such a crisis will manifest much later when the South node crosses the Ascendant. During this period, progress through personal self-exertion will be seen in terms of 1st House matters, while the 7th House will indicate the line of least resistance. In 7th House matters one will tend to act according to established habits. Therefore, one should seek to build up their personality and to progress as an individual - to act according their own personal truth in everything they do. The negative tendency will be to let one’s life be governed by habitual associates, or by an intemperate yearning for love and thereby lose one’s identity in a partner. By doing this, one refuses to grow as an individual. The compulsions of the past either real or imagined, come through one’s close associations. Those habitual patterns of meeting one’s social obligations bind one to the past. The future calls through the decision to take a more individual stand - to accentuate those things which make one different from the norm, and to develop a deeper sense of Self-awareness. North node in the nodal 2nd House -South node in the nodal 8th House (natal 11th and 5th House). This polarity stresses one’s personal resources and adequate management of those resources. The time has come to use one’s personal powers in a new way, and to evaluate more deeply the influence of personal and collective habits on the way in which one tries to carry out their individual vision.The line of least resistance may be that of relying too much on the resources of others - and of one’s close associates in particular. One should not depend on an automatic acceptance by others or by society at large of what one has to offer. Rather, one should develop those physical, psychological or mental abilities for which there is a present demand. Only in this way will an individual be able to act in a socially meaningful and effective manner. North node in the nodal 3rd House - South node in the nodal 9th House (natal 10th and 4th Houses). This nodal emphasis demands that one exert themselves in building their intellectual capacity in order that they will be better able to deal in a more practical and effective manner with the concrete problems of their environment. At this time one should seek to give an individual slant to the habitual way in which things and experiences are interpreted, and to become more self-reliant in their adjustment to the circumstances of everyday life.If one chooses to remain in a world of abstract principles or mtea-physical ideals, then they are following the line of least resistance. One must not only act according to their own personal philosophy rather than the generally accepted principles of society, but they must also bring those ideals down to earth and make a practical reality out of their dreams. Theory is not enough. North node in the nodal 4th House - South node in the nodal 10th House (natal 9th and 3rd Houses). At this point, destiny demands that an individual reinforce the foundations of their personal power - that they exert themselves in the development of their home-life, rather than seeking to strengthen their ground of being in the external world. Power will now be generated in the home and in one’s personal feelings; that power will deepen one’s creative capacity and enable one to release their energies in a more individual and spiritual manner in their dealings with the public. Their established habit-patterns may cause them to neglect the development of their roots, their home and inner being in favour of total absorption in routine professional activities. This is the time to develop both the personality and it’s creative capacity, and to act in terms of one’s personal needs and subjective feeling-values. If this is not done now, one’s professional life will suffer later, for without those new capacities, one will have nothing to offer in terms of the new and changing demands of the public. North node in the nodal 5th House - South node in the nodal 11th House (natal 8th and 12th House). The present path toward self-integration demands one’s personal efforts in terms of creative self-expression. One must act out the new capacities developed during the transit of the 4th nodal House and put them to the test, even to the extent of dramatizing oneself and one’s achievements. The line of least resistance lies in dependency on the approval of a group. In losing oneself in the social ideals of a group, one will lose their own creative initiative. The easy escape from personal creativity is to take up a cause. Both habitual friendships and social activities can dampen the enthusiasm of the self-expression demanded here. There may also be a tendency to dream great heroic dreams; such idealism will make for failure in one’s creative efforts. At this time one should rely on their own judgement rather than on the agreement of friends; and if they do attach themselves to a group or organization, they should lead it. In that way their creativity will find a channel through which to express itself. The major obstacle at this time will come from feelings of emotional frustration due to past failures, and these must necessarily be put aside. North node in the nodal 6th House - South node in the nodal 12st House (natal 7th and 1st Houses). These two houses represent, respectively, the end-phase of the hemi-cycle of new individual development, and the end-phase of the hemi-cycle of extroverted social activity. The progressive emphasis at this time is the working out of new techniques of living. Whether these be expressed through one’s personal devotion to an ideal, a cause, or an individual; or whether they find an outlet in one’s sense of personal responsibility, the accent will be on the desire to be of service. During this time the path of greatest ease will be to crawl inside oneself - to withdraw either physically, emotionally or spiritually from the external world. In some cases, the unfinished business from the closing 9-year period of social activity will compel one to review their behavior and to seek new ways of adapting their individual creativity to the needs of society; however, this must be done with the ultimate objective of service to humanity rather than service to one’s ego needs. A crises of transformation may precipitate health problems, especially if this time is used for brooding introspection rather than participation and service. North node in the nodal 7th House - South node in the nodal 1st House (natal 6th and 12th Houses). This nodal transit marks the beginning of a 9-years period of extroverted activity indicated by all 7th house transits. One must begin to exert themselves in the area of building relationships.One’s powers of cooperation will be put to the test, and an individual will learn more about themselves at this time through the experience of interpersonal relationships than through meditative introspection.The negative tendency will be to project oneself and one’s desires onto other people, and to be filled with pride and to be overly concerned with one’s personal achievements and qualities.One must go out into the world meeting people openly and freely, rather than losing oneself in purely ego-centered considerations. The path of least resistance lies in one’s own mirror. North node in the nodal 8th House - South node in the nodal 2nd House (natal 5th and 11th Houses). This polarity stresses the necessity to build up the resources of one’s erpersonal relationships, to stress those values that can be shared positively with others. At this time one should strive to attain mastery over both their personal resources and their everyday circumstances through partnership activities and commingling of efforts. This may occur in business, group activity or occult work, or through one-to-one relationships. Development of one’s personal values as well as tangible assets will come through some sort of joint effort, or through the experiences of intimate relationship. Following the line of least resistance, one may squander their personal resources, or may they attempt to force their own values onto the partner. A possibility for self-regeneration exists; however it must be achieved through partnership, through a sensitivity to the needs of others, rather than an ego-oriented concentration on those things which are of strictly personal value. North node in the nodal 9th House - South node in the nodal 3rd House (natal 4th and 10th Houses) This opposition stresses the need to transcend the petty problems of everyday existence through an expansion of the mind. The assimilation of alien ideas, whether they come through long journeys and contacts with strangers, or through some philosophical or religious study, can assist one in getting out of the rut of daily routine both in their behaviour and thought and can provide new meaning for one’s everyday reality. During this transit one should seek new ways to integrate the near and the far - the know and the unknown. The path of least resistance at this time will be a temptation to scatter oneself, rather than focusing one’s goals and ideals in a specific direction. Nevertheless, one must realize now that a religious or scientific dogma is no valid substitute for the human understanding which can come from relationships fully and freely experienced. North node in the nodal 10th House - South node in the nodal 4rd House (natal 3rd and 9th Houses) The nodal axis here emphasizes the opposition between one’s profession and their home - the public and private sides of their life. In this instance the public sector is the proper channel for self- integration and the field in which one should exert themselves fully. One may want to give one’s time mainly to private considerations, especially within the home itself, and to withdraw from one’s social and professional obligations. This can only lead to self-undoing and a disintegration of one’s public image or reputation. A person must not be swayed by their emotions; rather than retiring they must make an effort to extrovert their energies - and to develop their professional or social capacity in order to fill a role of public significance in the community. This transit period is particularly important within the complete nodal cycle. Since it reveals, theoretically, the concrete results of everything one has attempted to do since the North node crossed the Ascendant 14 to 15 years earlier. And especially since the North node transited the 4th and 7th (nodal) Houses. One must not forget that these results can be either positive or negative. North node in the 11th nodal House - South node in the 5th nodal House (natal 2nd and 8th House) The point of power which will lead to an expression of Self is generated here in the House of ideals, humanitarianism, and social-mystical creativity. The challenge is to become in some way an agent for that spiritual, social or cultural purpose, and to work toward changing existing social conditions. The position of the South node indicates that the path of greatest ease lies in following one’s personal desires and dramatizing one’s personality - to go on an ego-trip, acting from purely self-centered motives. One must integrate those personal creative capacities with the needs of society, and thereby lead a transpersonal life. In order to do this, one may have to make greater efforts to discover their true friends and to work with them for truly individualized ideals. North node in the nodal 12th House - South node in the nodal 6th House (natal 1st and 7th Houses). This is the end-phase of the nodal cycle with the positive, progressive accent on the fulfillment of one’s social responsibilities. The individual will must be curbed. In some cases, the karma of the past, the unfinished business, or the social results of one’s actions during the previous nine years, may precipitate a crisis on personal as well as social levels. Through meditation and introspection one should extract the meaning and true value of all they have done, felt and thought since the beginning of the nodal cycle. Such meaning and value must be found not only in terms of one’s personal Self, but also in terms of what one has tried to contribute to others and to the world. Then, on the bases of one’s understanding of this value (even if it be of a negative character), one will be ready to orient themselves toward the new cycle in clear consciousness of what they should or should not do. The path of least resistance at this time is described by the South node in the nodal 6th House. Unless one can shake off the acquired habit of personal devotion to an ideal or personal control of “inferiors” they will not be able to fulfill the destiny of the social task or responsibility which transcends their individual will and policy. The Eclipse Cycles An Eclipse is the total or partial obscuring of one heavenly body by another. Although it may apply to any planet, visible or not, the term generally refers to the two “Lights”, the Sun and the Moon. This phenomenon is possible because, when viewed from the Earth, the solar and lunar discs appear to be nearly the same size. Thus, when the disc of the Moon covers the disc of the Sun, the, the eclipse of the later is total; ad the coronal of the Sun, which spreads outside the solar disc, is made visible. In a Lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the Lunar disc. Eclipses are not isolated events, but special moments in the Moon’s nodal cycles. They occur when a New Moon or a Full Moon takes place on or near the zodiacal degree at which the North and/or South node of the Moon is found. As previously discussed, the Moon’s nodes are points in space at which the planes of the apparent path of the Sun and the path of the Moon intersect. They represent a synthesis of the solar and lunar factors within human consciousness; an eclipse, therefore, symbolizes an obscuring of one of these factors. It is a symbolic war between the “Solar Angel” and the “Lunar Lords” governing the past of mankind. Because in Man’s awareness they appear to be of equal size, the opponents are evenly matched. Solar eclipses occur when a New Moon falls within about 18 degrees of zodiacal longitude on either side of the North or South node. Thus each Node is at the center of a 36 degree zodiacal region within which solar eclipses may occur every year. Since the Sun takes nearly 37 days to pass through these regions, while the Moon takes only 29 and 1/2 days to pass from one New Moon to the next, it follows that there must be a solar eclipse at each node every year. The maximum possible of solar eclipses in a single year is five, and this occurs approximately every three centuries. The last time this phenomenon occured was in 1935. Only a few eclipses are total however; most of them are partial and some are annular (when the periphery of the Sun’s disc shines like a ring of light around its obscure core.) Because the shadow of the Moon is only about 90 miles wide, total solar eclipses are visible only within a small section of the Earth’s surface. An eclipse is only "total", therefore, for those regions located within such a 90-mile-wide path on the Earth's surface.Elsewhere it can only be partial - or altogether unseen, because at solar eclipse or at any New Moon, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. The Moon’s nodes move at the rate of about 3 minutes a day, with a complete nodal cycle being 18.6 years duration. Since the motion of the nodes through the zodiac is retrograde, their zodiacal longitude is constantly decreasing. Therefore, the Sun comes to the North and South nodes of the Moon at a earlier date every year. The interval between two successive annual conjunctions of the Sun and the North node of the Moon is approximately 346⅔ days. This interval is called an “eclipse year”, and is on an average about 3 weeks shorter than the complete solar year. Thus there was a South node solar eclipse in May 1975, April 1976, April 1977, and April 1978, each year occuring about 12 days earlier than the preceding year. In those same years there were also North node eclipses in November, October, and September. There also exists what is known as the “Metonic” cycle - named for the Greek astronomer Meton who purportedly discovered it in the 5th century B.C. This cycle is 19 years long and contains 235 lunation cycles. It measures the recurrence of an eclipse at approximately the same degree of the zodiac and on the same day, whether or not that eclipse is visible at any specific location. Actually, there are New Moons which occur on the same day and at the same zodiacal degree every 19 years; however, only a few of them are eclipses. This is because the nodal cycle is shorter than 19 years. In terms of person-centered astrology, the nodal cycle of 18.6 years is most useful for determining the approximate regions of the zodiac in which eclipses can fall each year. For example, if a person has a planet or planets near 5 degrees of Aquarius and an eclipse falls on or near that degree at the end of January during the first year of life, then every 18.6 years thereafter there will be an eclipse near 5 degrees of Aquarius conjuncting the natal configuration. Furthermore, either 6 months before or after that January eclipse, there will be another eclipse in opposition to the natal Aquarius point. This opposition eclipse will also repeat itself every 18.6 years. All of this goes to show that there is a sort of eclipse season every 9 or 10 years touching the same natal planet or planets once the first eclipse contact has been made. The results of such eclipse contacts will depend, in the first place,on the number of eclipses recurring within a two-year period upon an important zone in the birth-chart. At certain times there can be as many as seven eclipses, five solar and two lunar (as in 1935, which was an exceptional year); at other times there may be only two solar and no lunar eclipses (as in 1951). What should be stressed is not the occurrence of one particular eclipse upon one particular natal planet, but rather the existence of recurring eclipse seasons. Thus, the transit cycle of the nodes themselves (near which eclipses will inevitably occur) is probably more significant than the eclipses in individual birth charts. Total eclipses and their geographical paths of totality are most significant when related to physical phenomenon such as weather, earthquakes and so-called mundane events. Their importance has, however, been grossly exaggerated for individuals. The significance of the transiting nodal cycle through the Houses has already been discussed. Since eclipses occur near near the nodes, they simply emphasize those Houses. Such an emphasis may be spectacular; however, what is usually indicates is that the individual may find themselves in some way dramatically related to events affecting either their geo-graphical region or the collectivity of which they are apart. There are many instances in which the individual is not at all affected by such happen-ings - especially those cases where he does not feel related to the greater whole. In many cases where eclipses seem to relate to specific happenings in a person’s life, the effect is felt some six months earlier than the time of the eclipse contact with the natal chart. This means that the effect came about either when the transiting Sun conjoined the opposite node to the one involved in the eclipse, or when the transiting node conjoined the planet before the eclipse did. Although solar eclipses, when total, are visible only within a 90-mile-wide path on the Earth’s surface, lunar eclipses are visible to the entire hemisphere which is turned toward the Moon at that time. Lunar eclipses occur when a Full Moon (the Earth positioned between the Sun and the Moon) takes place within a region of approximately 12½ degrees on either side of the North or South node. Since the Sun - and conse-quently the Earth’s shadow - takes at most 26 days to pass through these regions of which each node is the center, there is a period of 26 days twice a year during which a lunar eclipse is possible, although not inevitable. There are, therefore, two eclipse seasons every year, when the Sun is near the North and South nodes. During these times there may be a solar or a lunar eclipse, or both. A North node eclipse season occurs when the Sun is near the North node, and a South node eclipse season when the Sun is near the South node. As North and South nodeshave different - although complimentary - meanings, it follows the North node eclipses have to be interpreted differently from South node eclipses. If a solar eclipse occurs near the North node of the Moon, it will partake of the meaning of the northward motion of the Moon; while if it occurs near the South node , it will take on the meaning of the southward motion. In general, when a planet or the Moon is at its North node, it has an especially strong projective power and extroverted meaning; whereas, when at its South node, it has a more receptive and introverted meaning. For this reason, during a North node solar eclipse, the Moon is a positive factor, while the Sun is relatively more passive. On the other hand, during a South node solar eclipse, the Moon being receptive, the solar power is the strong positive pole. Here we may recall the illusion of the equal size of the Sun and the Moon when seen from the Earth, for in eclipses the astrologer deals with a relationship between two equal factors which exchange polarities. Furthermore, as Rudhyar points out in his book Person Centered Astrology eclipses relate the Moon most significantly not only to the Earth, but also to the Sun. As the Moon represents the past and the Sun the present, the past will tend to obscure the present in a solar eclipse, while the present will tend to wipeout the past in a lunar eclipse. A North node eclipse begins something which comes to a conclusion at the following South node eclipse. When eclipse occurrences are measured according to the 18.6 year nodal cycle, the astrologer is always measuring eclipses of the same polarity. A North node eclipse is followed 18.6 years later by another North node eclipse. The same is true for the South node eclipses. A north node eclipse on a natal point, however, will be followed by a South node eclipse on that same point about nine years later. This creates an individual eclipse cycle relating specifically to that natal position on which the eclipses fall. The North Node Solar Eclipse Since the Moon is conjunct her North node, she is the positive factor in this kind of eclipse. New Lunar faculties or powers are to be built into the personality, and a new type of adjustment to circumstances is demanded. The obstruction of the Sun by the lunar disc, which takes place in all total eclipses whether of the North or South node variety, becomes the dominant factor in North node eclipses. The Moon absorbs as much as it can of the solar power normally directed toward the Earth and, depending symbolically on the degree of totality of the eclipse, quantitatively reflects nothing. Lunar factors, therefore, will dominate the consciousness, accentuating the ego needs, expediency, opportunism, selfishness, and the emotional needs born of the past.. The compulsion of habits and automatic behaviour is strong, for the solar-spiritual vision is, for the time being, eclipsed. If a lunar eclipse follows a North node solar eclipse, the Moon will then be conjunct her South node and the Sun will be the positive factor. The lunar emphasis gives way, and a reactionary effect due to a reinstatement of the solar will and purpose is possible. The compulsion of the past, the strong egocentricity, and the karmic forces aroused during the North node solr eclipse may slowly recede into the background, or be effectively neutralized or fulfilled. During a lunar eclipse, as the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, the Moon is symbolically cut off from the light of the Sun. There is a temporary obscuration of one’s psychic nature, feelings, and personal psychological capacity to adapt to circumstances. Karmic forces, or inhibited or repressed psychic or emotional energies can overwhelm the consciousness momentarily, as one faces one’s “dweller on the threshold” - the fruits of one’s psychological complexes. Unless the lunar eclipse touches important points in the birthchart, specifically the Horizon or Meridian axes or some important planetary opposition, its occurrence may not be evident. However, if the eclipse does touch an important axis or opposition, the pole which is affected by the eclipsed Moon can be stimulated in a disintegrative way. One’s habitual use of the planetary function or habitual pattern of meeting the experiences of the House whose cusp is touched by the eclipsed Moon, tends to break down. The results will differ in each case, depending on the psychological strength of the individual. In the best of instances, this confrontation can lead to a liberation from past weaknesses - to positive fulfillment of karma and a dissipation of the “dweller on the threshold.” In any case, however, the experience tends to be a bit frightening. The South Node Solar Eclipse Since the Moon is conjunct its South node, she is the passive factor in such an eclipse. The Moon is receptive to the Sun and is stimulated to release what has been stimulated to release what has been built up in the past, especially in the area of one’s personal feelings and emotions. An intensification of solar will and purpose stirs the ego and the feelings, and pushes one to act forcefully according to one’s “lights.” If “one’s lights” - one’s sense of individual destiny - make it possible, then the person may be stimulated to take a strong personal stand in relation to some present social trend, or to some spectacular event in their geographical area. This will be especially true if they live in a location touched by the path of the eclipse. When a lunar eclipse follows a South node solar eclipse, the Moon will then be conjunct her North node and will be the positive factor. Here a reactionary effect to what was started at the solar eclipse can be expected. Elements out of the past, habitual egocentric behaviour especially related to the display of one’s moods and feelings, and the everyday automatisms can reaffirm their force in conditioning an individual’s actions and may even cause one to react negatively to what was set in motion at the solar eclipse. The often apparent negative and destructive effect of a solar eclipse may be said to come from the lunar eclipse which follows and which challenges the spectacular opportunity to take a new and positive stand offered by the South node solar eclipse. It is therefore important to note whether or not a solar eclipse is followed by a lunar eclipse. Many times the lunar eclipse precedes the solar eclipse during a given eclipse season. The astrologer must take these possibilities into consideration in their interpretation of the situation. If the solar eclipse is followed by a lunar eclipse, we have a complete lunation cycle which stands out as a whole. Whatever extraordinary activity is started at the New Moon eclipse will be fatefully and spectacularly fulfilled or repudiated at the following eclipsed Full Moon. The whole lunar month will be a period of concentrated vital activity. The nature of that activity will, however, depend on whether the initiating solar eclipse is a North or South node eclipse. If, on the other hand, a solar eclipse is preceded by a lunar eclipse, then the Full Moon will serve to break down some past condition within one’s personal nature or in their circumstances, leaving that person free to emphasize new elements in their life and make a new start at the time of the subsequent solar eclipse. In this instance, the Full Moon results will not be so spectacular - especially if the solar eclipse is of the South node variety. Then there will not be a negative lunar reaction capable of upsetting the powerful new trend set up at the eclipsed New Moon. Here again, however, much will depend on the nodal polarity of the eclipses. If a North node lunar eclipse is followed by a South node solar eclipse, one may be confronted during the two week interval which separates them with a resurgence of repressed psychic energies. The results of one’s previous patterns of adapting to circumstances ma suddenly seem to automatic and deadening for one’s continued growth. One’s awareness of these personal limitations wil perhaps push them to make a dramatic move at the following Sorth node solar eclipse. Everything will depend on the wa in which one meets the lunar eclipse confrontation - whether this confrontation will make one stronger, or merely end in an emotional storm. If a South node lunar eclipse is followed by a North node solar eclipse, one is faced by a dilemma opposing the spiritual will, purpose and vision to the demands of one’s conscious ego and automatic habit patterns. Theoretically, the Sun is the stronger, and therefore it should be possible to look at one’s past and one’s conditioning in an objective manner. A person can then take steps at the following solar eclipse to free themselves from compulsions of their lunar nature. A new adjustment to circumstances is demanded, requiring basic changes in one’s habit patterns. At a North node solar eclipse, however, the Moon is the stronger, so freeing oneself from the power of the ego becomes difficult. The ego will take the initiative and decide what has to be done in order to build itself up ini what it feels to be a better and more powerful way. Lunar factors will dominate the consciousness, and so freedom from their pull will be more difficult in this case than in the instance of a North node lunar eclipse. In all these case, the importance of the eclipse experiences will, of course, depend on whether or not the eclipses tie in specifically with the natal chart. If important planets or planetary oppositions of the Angles of the chart are implicated, these will be over-stimulated and a person may be knocked off balance. Eclipses are always challenges to change one’s established manner of behaviour, feeling and thought and are often accompanied by emotional upheavals which are an individual reaction to the challenge. One should try to get behind these surface reactions and to find out what change is being asked. Then they must put their will at the service of the Self to bring about a spiritual rebirth. Fear Vs. the Humanistic Approach to Eclipses From the humanistic point of view, it is not psychologically healthy to view eclipses in the traditional manner as isolated, awesome events. Astrologers, as well as their clients, can easily be overcome by the ancient superstitious fear of eclipses which is still alive in the collective unconscious. Far from being isolated phenomenon, eclipses are especially strong moments of emphasis in the nodal cycle of the Moon. All astrological factors, eclipses included, derive their essential meaning from the various cycles of which they are characteristic features or crucial phases. Those who wish to use astrology humanistically must understand at the outset that the given cycle is the source of the basic meaning, not the particular point or planet, or its position or aspect considered as an isolated fact. For this reason it would be psychologically safer when counselling not even to mention the word “eclipse.” If an eclipse is about to fall on an important area of the birth-chart, the astrologer should not say for example, “There will be an eclipse falling on your birthday,” but rather, “You are coming to an important phase in the 19-year nodal cycle in your life.” The humanistic astrologer is not trying to predict events; they are trying to assist the person to understand themselves better and to feel through astrological cycles the rhythmic development of an overall life-purpose and life-meaning. Eclipses simply measure intense confrontations with all those things in human nature which hinder spiritual progress by keeping one in a rut, albeit a comfortable and happy rut. They are opportunities to use the past and present - all that one had previously acquired, as well as where one stands at the moment - in order to build a more creative future. Since they always challenge an individual to discard all limiting influences and to start something new, they may stressful times. Whether or not there will be destructive results will depend on the strength of one’s inner nature and their capacity to maintain their personal integrity while remaining open to the necessary changes in the expression of his personality. Lunar eclipses may be more difficult to face constructively than solar eclipses; however, they are also challenges to attempt a new adjustment to life - to give a new quality to one’s relationship to their environment. But an astrologer must always remember that eclipses which do not touch important points in the natal chart are not likely to produce strong confrontations for the individual, even though in terms of world events or natural phenomenon they may be spectacular. Solar and Lunar Cycles The Metonic cycle of 19 years which measures the recurrence of New Moons at approximately the same degree of the zodiac is very close to the nodal cycle of 18.6 years. It is therefore worthwhile to record the contacts of the New Moons each month with the natal chart, bearing in mind that each contact will be repeated 19 years later. These New Moons will measure the opportunities to make a new start in the use of whatever element they touch in the birth-chart. Additionally, each new beginning must be related to the previous similar contact 19 years before, as it will be conditioned by what one did at that time. The eclipse contacts are simply particularly outstanding moments in the general New Moon cycle of contacts with the birth-chart. The Solar Cycle The yearly cycle of the Sun can be followed by establishing a birthday chart or a solar revolution (solar return) chart. These are well-established techniques and give pertinent data concerning the year for which they are drawn up. The meaning, however, must be read in terms of what the Sun means in an individual natal chart. Theoretically, charts can be drawn up for the cyclic return of any planet to its natal place, and will show how the outer environmental conditions will help or hinder one in their yearly attempts to renew their solar life-purpose. Plotting out the passage of the Sun through the four quadrants of the birth-chart is also valuable is also valuable. Whenever the transiting Sun crosses an Angle of the chart each year, it is time to accentuate the use of the psychological function related to that Angle and quadrant.* The Ascendant and the 1st quadrant indicate an emphasis on the intuition and all one’s attempts to reach a deeper self-awareness. As the Sun crosses the Nadir and transits the 2nd quadrant, the feelings and all one’s attempts to express the deeper aspects of one’s nature are accentuated. As it crosses the Descendant and moves up through the 3rd quadrant, the Sun will stimulate both one’s capacity for sensation and one’s attempts to develop their perception, esthetic or otherwise, through deeper contacts with people and the outer world of objects. When the Sun reaches the Midheaven and transits the 4th quadrant, one’s thinking capacity and their attempts to establish themselves more significantly in the social scheme will come to the fore. The Lunar Cycle An astrologer may treat the transiting lunar cycle each month in the same way as the annual solar cycle through the quadrants of the birth-chart; however, the indications are generally too weak to be noticed unless other more important transits accentuate the same trend. It may be more significant to mark the days each month when the transiting Moon goes through the Sign in which it was posited at birth.The Moon has already been defined as representing the repeated, nearly automatic way in which people adjust themselves to the challenges and impacts of the environment in their everyday lives. The Moon shows the most expedient way, the compromises one is ready to make in order to take advantage of the situations which confront them, or to maintain the happiness and comfort of their body and emotions. Certain ways of behaving become so automatic that they are, in reality, quite compulsive. Because a person feels he is made a certain way, or because they adjust to life according to their mother’s example (or because they have tried to repudiate her example), the Self often identifies itself with one’s one’s instincts and feeling urges. A person will often passively follow or give in to circumstances which fit in with their instincts, feelings or the mood of the moment, and they will rebel automatically against whatever seems contrary to those habit patterns. Repeated past actions and feeling attitudes, therefore, tend to dominate one’s present behaviour without one’s conscious awareness, even though they may at the same time hinder one’s attempts to meet the present situation in a new and creative way. Each month the Moon returns to its natal position and re-accentuates its natal characteristics. Therefore, if one is trying to free themselves from their compulsive habit patterns, the days when the transiting Moon passes through its natal Sign furnish the opportunity (provided one is conscious of the fact) to free themselves from such compulsive behaviour. Instead of reacting month after month in more or less the same way to everyday life situations - a repetition that makes the body and the emotions ever more fixed - one can become aware that the “I” is not identical with one’s habitual reaction patterns. Because one is conscious of it and has decided to do something about it, they can use the accentuation of the natal Moon habit patterns by the transiting Moon to detach themselves and to see what has compelled them to respond in a certain way to everyday life circumstances. This does not mean that a person must constantly struggle to suppress their lunar nature or to try to dominate it forcefully. Like it or not, the lunar aspect is part of the whole individual. But if one acts constantly in accordance with their lunar nature, they will not be conscious of their solar will, purpose and destiny. The Moon is an instrument of solar destiny or at least it should be, although most often it points to elements of the past which must be overcome or transmuted before a person can really live according to that solar purpose. Cardinal Moon An individuals habit patterns can be dominating on three levels: activity, feeling and thought, and they have their astrological correspondences in the Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable Signs. If the natal Moon is in a Cardinal Sign, one tends to act repeatedly in a particular way in response to the everyday challenges of life. Cardinal Signs seek to release their energy in a direct fashion in relation to circumstances. They are the doers in life, reacting to concrete situations and problems without much regard for the people involved. Moon in Aries An individual with this natal Moon placement will act from a feeling of insecurity. The reaction to the mundane challenges of life is personal and generally according to the emotions or moods at that moment. The reactions change constantly, and consequently others Amy feel that the Aries Moon person can not be counted on. The major life emphasis is on being first, and they try and act in ways that make them stand out as individuals. Tranquillity is an anthems, so to perpetuate a sense of aliveness, they seek challenging situations and continual excitement. Moon in Cancer The individual will limit the scope of their activities to some definite sphere, and within those established limits there will be a full and rich expression of the emotions. Situations and people are judged idiosyncratically, accordingto one's personal experience. They will therefore have difficulty facing up to situations which present them with elements beyond the limitations of that experience. Childhood experiences, and particularly the relationship to the mother, can establish habit patterns for a lifetime. A strong memory in regard to emotionalwounds can lead to brooding and moodiness. The Cancer Moon can also be very patronizing and partisan in both their actions and their reactions. Moon in Libra A strong desire for social acceptance leads to extreme sensitivity to other people's opinion of them. The cultural values and ideals, and the standards of etiquette by which they judge others are the same criterion by which they are certain society is judging them. Because they feel that they are being judged by the company they keep, they become very class-conscious, even opportunistic in their choice of friends and associates. Above all, a person with a Libra Moon wants everything to be “nice”. They abhor crudity and have difficulty confronting the harsher realities of life. For this reason one will attempt to surround themselves with beautiful things (and people) and may even may even project their ideals upon them. Moon in Capricorn An individual with this placement will constantly seek to justify themselves in the eyes of society, constantly striving to earn their approval and to show that they are worthy of being loved. The root cause of this insecurity lies in their childhood feelings of being unloved or unwanted. As an antidote to those feelings of emotional insecurity, they will seek some concrete form of social power, and they may use theprestige of their position or the attachment of those who look up to them for their own personal ends. This person has a strong sense of their own manifest destiny and may sacrifice anything or anyone to achieve that goal, for the ends seem to justify the means. They will work hard and can act superbly in the face of crisis. Above all, the Capricorn Moon person wanted to feel needed and will do all in their power to make others feel that what they do is necessary to them. Fixed Moon When the natal Moon is in a Fixed Sign, the habit patterns are established mainly on emotional levels. There is a fixed desire to feel again and again what has been experienced in the past - to relive the experiences that brought intense happiness, emotional satisfaction or even pain and suffering. These people seek self-justification and are moved by the consequences of what happens around and to them. Their primary interest is in the effective use of power, and they will concentrate their energies in a specific direction and toward some definite purpose. People with fixed Moon can be dominated by ethical either/or judgements - right/wrong, good/bad, true/false; it is difficult for them to see the grey area which lies between such polarities. An inherent inflexibility in their lunar nature causes them to try to adapt their environment and the people in it to suit their needs, rather than adapt themselves to the demands of their surroundings. Moon in Taurus With this natal Moon placement a person will seek coherency and consistency in all things. They are pragmatically oriented, and their feelings are conditioned to appreciate both things and people according to realistic, tangible values rather than abstract concepts. Change is extremely difficult for them, especially sudden change. For this reason they may rely strongly on traditional cultural attitudes and customs. The Taurus Moon person is more sensuous than sensual and can gain a great deal of emotional satisfaction from the physical world around him, often to the extent of becoming totally absorbed in their own comfort. They are affectionate and will demonstrate their affections rather than repress them; therefore, in a society in which men are supposed to shake hands rather than kiss and hug, this type of behavior might be mistaken for effeminate. Moon in Leo This individual will often display a strong personal magnetism, which may be seen as some as arrogance and self-conceit. Of all things, they most value their reputation and will do whatever necessary to be admired. The Leo Moon person will be charming and persuasive. They love to entertain and can be compulsively generous. Their vanity is easily wounded and they do not take criticism easily, nor do they tolerate people who put obstacles in their way. Superficially, they may appear more flexible than people with the Moon in the other fixed Signs, but they are not. They are emotionally self-determined and have a strong sense of responsibility both to themselves and those who give their admiration. They love to go “first class” and may do without rather than having to economize. Moon in Scorpio One with this natal Moon Sign displays a strong control over their emotions. Although they seek intense emotional experiences, especially in the area of interpersonal relationships, and can become very jealous and possessive regarding a loved one, they will rarely display the depth of their feelings. This is especially true if the person has been hurt in some way by that relationship, or feels that they have been betrayed by someone. They actually pride themselves on the fact that no one knows the seething mass of torment deep inside them. They are more sensual than sensuous, and may become preoccupied with sex, seeking some form of completion through the partner or a self-loss in the act itself. They will not only remember every wrong done to them, but spend many years plotting revenge. They often give in to emotional fears, especially regarding the loss of a loved one. The power of the inner compulsions under which they act are incomprehensible to others, as are the depth and intensity of their feelings. Moon in Aquarius The personal feelings are strongly coloured by a highly developed social consciousness with this position. There is also an emotional dependence on the values and ideals of some group or organization. This is often, however, more a camouflage for a basic underlying fear of emotional involvement on a one-to-one basis than a desire to belong to a greater and more inclusive whole. If they become a compulsive joiner it will be to find safety in numbers, because essentially they prefer to work alone. Emotions are examined intellectually rather than experienced on a feeling level. They would rather observe life than participate in it, and therefore their basic approach will be impersonal. Because they think themselves unique, they will be more likely to follow some fad or fringe movement rather than a traditional orthodox group. Rebellion for its own sake is for them a virtue, and they may occasionally do or say something bizarre just to see the effect it will have on other people. Mutable Moon When the natal Moon is in a Mutable Sign an individual’s habit patterns are established mainly on mental levels. The tendency is to adjust one’s experience in terms of some theory or belief system and then to express oneself according to the adopted style. Mutable Moon Sign people love word association games. They invent concept upon concept as to what is, then wonder why such and such a thing happened. They work out intricate formulas and plans in an attempt to repeat pleasant experiences and avoid hurtful ones. They tend to be more personally involved in the concept than in the reality; and more than the Cardinal and Fixed Moon Signs, their actions and reactions to life are governed by their belief systems. Moon in Gemini The personal adjustments to life are conditioned by the desire to be knowledgeable in many diverse fields of interest, and to be admired by others for one's know-how. The danger here is superficiality and lack of consistency in thought. The personal feeling-judgements are often mistaken for logic and rational thought. Everything is interesting, but that interest whether it be in things or people, is rarely sustained. They are a good propagandist but rarely will be deeply committed two the idea which they put forward with momentary enthusiasm. Above all else, the Gemini Moon person thrives on mental stimulation. They can become so preoccupied with manipulating words, ideas and symbols that the reality to which they refer often escapes them. They do not like to be pinned down. Stability is an anathema to them, and they will seek variety at the expensive of security. To them the difference between a rut and a grave is only a matter of degree. Moon in Virgo An individual with this natal Moon position will follow strict patterns of behaviorestablished for logical or moral reasons in their personal adjustment to life. They are often rigid or prudish both in thought and behavior and will value detail, neatness and technique. Usually, the Virgo Moon person has an innate fear or distrust of their emotions and may be unwilling to allow them a free expression. They prefer, rather, to adapt to life according to intellectual systems or psychological theories. They have an extraordinarily developed sense and are highly conscientious. Above all, they will seek order in their life, and prefer doing things according to an established plan. When taken to extremes, this can result in behavior which is old-maidish and critical. This person can also raise worrying to an art form. Moon in Sagittarius The personal adjustments to life are conditioned by a strong desire for freedom, both physical and mental. They thrive on a feeling of wide open spaces, and when they are feeling fenced in they will run away. They are generally open and friendly with people but not always capable of reacting to their particular differences and needs. They do not like having to deal with the petty details involved in their long-range plans. They are good talkers, and since they enjoy stimulating people intellectually, and feeling the mental effect they have on them, they also make a good teacher. Above all, a person born with the natal Moon in Sagittarius needs to feel that there is a purpose in life. They need some form of belief system, although not necessarily an organized and traditional one. There is a tendency to gamble - if not with their material possessions, then with their health, their career or social position. Because they cannot lie, they are often gullible. Moon in Pisces An individual with this natal Moon placement will often condition their life in terms of their personal hopes for a better future - for some ideal condition or transcendent state. They are extremely sensitive to the collective mood and are susceptible to it. They may be hypersensitive on many levels, from psychic to allergic. Although they are always ready to sacrifice themselves to others, they are often deeply (and not necessarily silently) resentful of their own condition, in which case they become the sighing woe-filled martyr. Since there is a strong tendency to live vicariously, as well as the ability to reflect the moods and feelings of others, they may find an outlet for this in acting. Essentially they do not like concrete reality, and some form of escapism, such as drugs or alcohol, can become a danger. The tendency to dwell too much in a dream world can greatly hinder one’s ability to act effectively in the face of concrete reality, as can be the tendency to empathize rather than sympathize with the problems of others. These are some of the possibilities which may be accentuated and by the transiting Moon passing through the natal Moon Sign every 28 days. Because such tendencies will be reinforced, they will enter more easily into one’s conscious awareness, which is the prime requisite for any change to take place.