MOON

Where the face of the Earth is turned away from the light of the Sun, there the Moon shines, reminding us of solar purpose by brilliantly reflecting the Sun's light. The Moon moves about 12 or 13 times faster than the Sun; it travels through the zodiac once every 27 and 1/3 days. The Moon is thus the trigger mechanism of the solar system. It conjoins the Sun once each month in the Sun's zodiacal sign.

In their subsequent cycle together the Moon waxes and wanes. As it waxes, it symbolically carries out the unifying purpose of the Sun and conveys it to all the other planets, including the Earth. As the Moon wanes, it symbolically gathers in the harvest of experience and stores it as memory, precedence, and tradition. As the Moon waxes and wanes it also regulates the tides on Earth, and as feelings are symbolized by water the Moon's motion represents the rhythmic ebb and flow of public moods.

The motions of the Moon around the Earth also carry it alternately inside the Earth's orbit toward the orbit of Venus, then outside the Earth's orbit toward the orbit of Mars. This is a symbol of regular flux between introversion and extroversion, between objective activity and subjective reflection.

Thus the Moon represents our capacity to respond to life in a rhythmic way, to our day-to-day and hour-to-hour capacity to flow with, indeed to dance with, what life brings.

 

Leyla Rael

 

MOON IN LEO

Keynote: A fullness of sentiment is expressed lightheartedly.

Symbol: An actress smiles radiantly at an audience.

The person with the Moon in Leo has a subconscious desire to shine. They enjoy children, romance, gaiety, parties, games and celebrations, and do their best to see that everyone has a fine time. A wide-scale social awareness may lead them into politics and public service. Their jaunty air of self-assurance combined with a sympathetic expression of interest in others, wins them a vote of confidence from the majority of their electorate.

Many lunar Leonians have a flair for showmanship. If not actually in the entertainment business, they at least know how to be entertaining and can charm all who come within their magnetic aura.

Their weakness is extavagance, especially in the realm of emotions. The heat of the Sun acting on the watery Moon can cloud the mind with a foggy fanatacism impervious to the light of reason, or it can generate the gentle warmth and moisture required for growth.

Feelings are easily stimulated, and some form of creative expression is needed to let off steam.

The Moon in Leo gives a desire for recognition regardless of what has been done to merit the admiration sought. The urge to achieve a brilliant effect can bring out the characteristic weakness of this sign for gambling and speculation.

A lunar Leonian is frequently stirred by the inner conviction that they are destiny’s darling, even though the world may not have awakened to this fact. As a result they may be an intolerable egotist, or they may lead a life of inspired achievement.

Since the deepest recesses of the personality are illuminated by the Sun shining directly on the Moon, this combination has a way of bringing subliminal characteristics, good or bad into the light of day. Such people often reach a point in their lives when they are obliged to confront the shadow – that unregenerate portion of consciousness which occultists call “the dweller on the threshold” – and to integrate the shadow side of their nature into their total individuality.

They are at their best when they can bring to full flower a hitherto half-hidden talent or when they can give positive, creative expression to some formerly repressed desire in themselves.

By the same token, self-realized Moon/Leo types frequently feel that they have a mission to uplift and illumine the repressed portions of humanity and will struggle for the rights of exploited peoples with all the courage for which the lion is renowned.

They are determined to overcome their own imperfections as a necessary step toward overcoming the imperfections of the world, and will involve themselves in this redemptive work in an intensely personal way.

The immediate instinct of those with the Moon in Leo is to take over. While there is an active and happy enthusiasm, and a need to express emotions in a positive way, it is all too easy for people with this placing to appear bossy, dogmatic and stubborn.

But at best they can be an excellent source of inspiration to others, with the ability to get the most out of them.

The belief that they can do anything as well or better than anyone else is a mixed blessing. While they will inevitably find plenty of outlets for all their potential (indicated by the characteristics of the Sun sign) and will achieve their aspirations (indicated by the Midheaven), they can tend to over do it and become somewhat overwhelming.

If shyness or a lack of self-assurance is shown in other areas of the chart, there will be a conflict which can result in the subject covering up the inhibited areas by showing off, perhaps even feigning extroversion and confidence in a way that can be embarrassing for loved ones.

There is a special need to make the right impression, especially when still young, and as a result a great many with this position will learn the hard way. In spite of this, there is determination and a sense of immediacy which is much in their favor.

They will cope extremely well in any emergency that arises, for the powers of leadership and organizational ability attributed to the Sun sign Leo are always present and will be called upon and expressed at just a moment’s notice.

The emotional forces are strong and the intuition and imagination powerful. These can be expressed creatively through any art form sympathetic to the Sun sign.

The tendency to show off, at any age, must be countered by other less extrovert indications in the chart. This placing is very often found in the charts of achievers, especially when the Moon is near the Midheaven or situated in the tenth house.

 

Astrology, the Divine Science

 

Mindfire