Star Goddess - Judy Lundquist
Professional Astrologer
JudyL@StarGoddessAstrology.com - 913-269-7390

Reclaiming the Moon Goddess

Opening the Portals to the Emotional Links within Ourselves

Most of us know what our Sun sign is. We ask somebody and they say “Oh, I’m an Aries” or “I’m a Cancer”. Ask them their Moon sign and most people give you that blank look and say “My what?!” “What’s my mood?” No, silly, what’s your Moon sign? We all have a Moon sign. What does it mean and why is it important to know about your Moon sign?

Whereas the Sun sign (the solar side) indicates our sense of identity, purpose, and individuality (i.e. Aries being the first sign of the zodiac, expressing the strong “I am” energy, Taurus the “I have” energy, Gemini the “I think” energy, and so on through the signs), the Moon (the lunar side) represents our emotional patterns, habits, and unconscious needs and how we express them. The Sun works on the conscious level while the Moon works on the subconscious or instinctual level. Ever notice when you live with someone how their habits can drive you crazy? That’s the Moon!

The Moon Goddess Principle

In mythology, the Moon is the mother principle and the sublime feminine energy. The Moon Goddess principle is often associated with the goddess Diana who was the object of worship and ritual. As the Moon was the giver of the feminine or ying parts of us, Moon rituals provided an outlet for expressing our emotional and intuitive sides. The witch hunts during the medieval times brought about the eradication of the Moon Goddess culture. Due in part to the persecution of these rituals, the lunar side or feminine principle became more suppressed as the solar or masculine principle became more predominant. Vestiges of Moon worship have survived today in the form of the Wiccan rituals, whereby, during the full Moon a ceremony is held to honor the goddess Diana and perform healing work.

Moon rituals and meditation help integrate awareness of the lunar parts of ourselves so that we can be balanced. Suppression of our lunar side can cause mental illness and sudden outbursts of anger and violence, particularly during the full Moon cycle when the lunar energies are strongest or during the new Moon when the lunar energies become introspective and reflective.

The Moon makes its revolution around the earth in 28 days. There are 12 signs of the zodiac (Aries through Pisces) and thus the Moon changes sign about every 2 1/2 days. The Moon being the feminine principle has been described as sensitive, emotional, moody, and changeable. The Moon has been called the giver of form as she changes shape from the darkness of new Moon to the light of the full Moon. The 28-day cycle of the Moon also corresponds to the cycle of the woman’s bodies.

Instinctual Response to Life

The Moon represents our basic survival instincts and how we use that protective energy to react to life experiences. Where do these deep instinctual needs and feeling stem from? Oftentimes from the early home environment and the type of nurturing we had with our parents, most often our mother (the Moon being the mother principle). The Moon’s sign placement represents our early home conditions, and can set the tone for the individual’s entire life.

The Moon sign represents habit patterns we have developed in early childhood; they are our ‘instinctual coping mechanism’ for dealing with our inner wounds. For instance, an individual with a Moon in Capricorn may have grown up in a family environment in which they felt a sense of abandonment, or perhaps there was not a lot of display of affection from of one of the parents. Therefore because that person has been unable to express their real feelings and has been uncomfortable with their emotions, they often go through life feeling as if their emotional nature has all but dried up. This in turn can tend toward depression. The instinctual coping mechanism for this lack often triggers an emotional need to be extremely productive and successful in career and successful in a monetary perspective. Thus they work hard for status and security and to prove their competence.

The individual with a Moon in Cancer may have had a protective and overindulgent mother who, when the child was going through a time of emotional pain, brought solace to the child by offering food or taking a trip to the local Dairy Queen for a hot fudge sundae. When this child reaches adulthood and when a time of emotional discomfort surfaces, they suddenly find themselves standing at the refrigerator door, gorging their faces with coconut cream pie and not even consciously aware of what they are doing. This is the instinctual response pattern that they use to cope with their emotional discomfort.

Perhaps we have the Moon in Virgo individual, whose parents may have been strict or a bit of a perfectionist so that no matter what the child did it was just never good enough. This person may not have gotten the hugs they needed and instead of getting a pat on the back and hearing “good job!” they heard “you call that bedroom clean?” or “you call those good grades?” So they grow up with the need to find perfection in all that they do and may find them self emotionally overcritical of their own self-worth. They feel they are never good enough and beat themselves up unnecessarily. Their emotional reaction to life is to strive to be the best. The ingrained emotional need is for perfection and often these individuals turn out to be work alcoholics. Do we begin to see the pattern going on here?

Moon Fosters Attachment

The Moon is an instinctual, intuitive and nurturing planet, but she is also a planet that brings emotional attachment to the form she provides. For example, the Moon in Taurus fosters attachment to the material plane. These individuals may attach themselves to emotional and financial security, as a way to deal with the insecurity of life. Moon in Taurus individuals can be compulsive shoppers and overeaters as a means to avoid their fear of deprivation. Like Taurus the bull, they can be quite stubborn and resistant to change. They may stay in an emotionally volatile situation because, on a deep instinctual level, they fear change more than they fear the mistreatment.

The Moon in Leo fosters emotional attachment to the ego needs, to be the center of attention, to be noticed, appreciated and treated in a royal manner. Moon in Leo individuals often have such a strong need to give and receive affection that when their pride or feelings are wounded they put on a good front, joking and laughing on the outside while crying on the inside. They often dramatize life as a way to focus away from their inner pain.

The Moon in Libra fosters a need to be popular, liked and accepted. These individuals strive for emotional balance. They want to keep the peace and suppress any conflict and will use their Libra charm to do just that. They may find themselves compulsively seeking love and affection from others as a way to fill their inner emotional fear and wounding.

Acknowledging our Moon

The Goddess principle is reclaiming a new surge of strength as we enter the new millennium. We are re-discovering that we must re-connect with our inner selves to heal our inner wounds. We are beginning to acknowledge the more feminine nurturing side of ourselves as seen in the numerous therapy groups (from sex alcoholics anonymous to rage alcoholics anonymous) that have formed over the years to help us get in touch with more than just our left brained perception of ourselves. Fathers are now pushing the baby strollers and carrying the diaper bags. Many parents are choosing to stay home with their children or taking a more active role in childrearing.

Acknowledging your Moon sign can help unlock the keys to your inner emotional nature. How do you find the sign your Moon is in? You can look it up in an ephemeris or ask your friendly astrologer to do your chart so that you will know your Moon sign and begin to understand the implications of this powerful feminine energy force. The Goddess Diana is alive and well and the Moon energy is showing a new surge into our world. May the Goddess force be with you as you begin to unravel the hidden dimensions of your Moon sign.

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