The moon and sun are the mythological representations of birth, growth, death, and the regeneration of Nature’s cycles. By following these cycles we are more easily able to ground ourselves naturally in the present tense, with what is. As you read this, you are “in your head” but your head is part of your physical body. We are physical beings. By aligning with our physical world we put our trust in the cycle of life – knowing that the darkness always give way to the light, after death there is rebirth, and after intense grow there is a period of rest and recovery.
In many traditions, the moon’s lunar energy is personified in the Goddess or a feminine entity. As the moon moves through her cycles of dark to light and back to dark again, so to moves the Goddess through her life cycles of birth, growth, death and rebirth. The crescent Maiden growing into the fullness of the nurturing Mother Moon into the wisdom of Crone to be reborn as the child-self once again.
First Quarter + SPRING
The first quarter begins at the New Moon. This phase is a time for new beginnings that favor growth, the externalization of activities, and the expansion of ideas. The first quarter is the time of germination, emergence, beginnings, and outwardly directed activity.
Second Quarter + SUMMER
The second quarter begins halfway between the New Moon and the Full Moon. The second quarter is the time of growth, development, and articulations of things that already exist.
Third Quarter + FALL
The third quarter begins at the Full Moon. The Full Moon stands for illumination, fulfillment, completion, drawing inward, unrest, and emotional expressions. The third quarter is a time of maturity, fruition, and the assumption of the full form of expression.
Fourth Quarter + WINTER
The fourth quarter begins about halfway between the Full Moon and New Moon. It is a time of disintegration, drawing back for reorganization, and for reflection.
Utilizing the Energy of the Moon
Each month the New and Full Moons fall in opposing astrological signs. At first the sun and the new moon dance close together in the same sign of the zodiac. But as the moon rotates around the earth and distances herself from the Sun, she becomes illuminated in the opposing astrological sign, which rule different qualities and aspects of life. I like to think of it as expanding and contracting. When the moon is closest to the sun, she is dark, contacted, in affinity with the sun and therefore birthing those natal qualities of that sun sign placement. When the moon is Full, she is farthest from the sun and you might feel the power of the expansion as she is pulling you in the opposite direction from where the sun sits. She is literally stretching you across the zodiac – encouraging you to dance with the opposing forces and figure out how to express them all those parts of you. There is a good reason why Full Moons are so exciting – there is a lot going on! Let’s take the most obvious moonth of opposites in the sign of Cancer (June/July) for an example.
“The time of Cancer begins with first the Sun and then the New Moon close together in the same sign of Cancer. There is not a lot of tension, as if we have just put a pot of water on the stove. As the Cancer moon rotates around the earth, the water starts to heat up. As the Moon enters her full brightness in the sign of Capricorn the water is rolling, boiling, moving around. The Moon is now directly opposite her natural home in Cancer- the place of emotions, the archetypal mother, the pulse of the heart and tides. She is now in the sign of Capricorn which is associated with the planet Saturn – the place of authority, boundaries, structure, and describes your relationship with “the father” & authority. Things are cooking now! You can chose to crawl under the table or boss yourself around OR you might consider using the dynamic tension to create opportunities for yourself. You might choose to re-balance that hard working, no nonsense Capricorn/Saturn part of yourself with the more emotionally intelligent, sensitive, nurturing moon part of yourself. You might choose to “inhale” your own authority, as the amazing astrologer Caroline W. Casey encourages, and become the author of your own life and making choices that are in alignment with taking care of yourself and honoring your own needs. Saturn also teaches that if you refuse responsibility for your own life & your own unique power, you might find yourself drowning in fear & depression – ew! You will soon find that a healthy Saturn/Capricorn can provide a container with it’s earthy material form to hold the moonlit information of your own emotional intelligence – yummy.”
You can use these times to work on specific issues, hopes, desires and goals that correspond to the astrological energies of the Moon phase. Connecting with the monthly rhythms of our own internal biological and emotional/intuitive clocks can greatly increase our ability to fulfill your deepest desires.
