The Moon has a mystique all its own. It is often associated with secrecy and mystery ... and is associated with strange, uncanny powers. It evokes a peculiar range of responses in cultures everywhere, from curiosity and wonder, to romance and affection, to awe and dread. In legend (and the lore of police and hospital personnel), the Full Moon brings forth weird behaviors, extreme reactions, and over-the-top emotional outbursts associated with no other time on the calendar.



Folktales and superstitions tell of the Full Moon being the time when witches, werewolves, goblins, ghosts, and vampires were able to penetrate "the other realms" ... and walk on earth again -- creating problems and a fair amount of fright, whether they were real or not. Dogs, wolves, and the coyotes here in the desert howl mournfully at the Moon ... and the sound is certainly enough to catch your attention, and prompt you to make sure all your doors are well locked for the night.

Some people claim that the minds of the already unbalanced are "driven over the edge" by the power of the Full Moon ... for reasons that remain a mystery ... but the word "lunatic" as a designation for someone insane, has its roots in the Latin word for Moon. In contemporary Spanish, La Luna ... is still the Moon.

On the other hand, people fall in love under the Full Moon. It's hard to see a beautiful yellow-gold Moon rising ... and not want to walk along the sea shore ... or into the desert night ... hand-in-hand with the one you love. Love songs and poems that evoke the magic imagery of the Moon are found in many cultures and all through the generations.

Ancient cultures worshiped the Moon, and held ceremonies, rituals, and festivals in its honor. Many contemporary primitive people continue to give the Moon divine status. Mythologies speak of Moon Goddesses ... and even the image evokes feelings of a powerful archetypal energy. The Moon influences the tides. It influences the gravitational field of the earth. It influences the fertility cycle in some (and maybe all) species.

In Astrology, the Moon is considered the second most important placement in a Natal Chart and thus the second most powerful influence on and descriptor of a person's character. As I've said in many places and at many times, I'm not sure you can set that kind of hierarchy ... because the Moon may be every bit as important and essential as the Sun.

The Moon represents your emotional self, your inner self, your instincts, habits, and automatic reactions. The sign it occupies in the Zodiac at any given time will color your reactions, feelings and "personal responses" according to the issues and characteristics represented by the sign involved. The Moon changes signs every 2 1/2 days ... and keeping track of the Moon's position in its travels through your Natal Chart is one of the very best ways I know to stay in touch with the currents of your own emotional flow.

(c) 2007 Rebecca Brents, All rights reserved.