LUNAR INFORMATION SHEET

I made my first Lunar Phase Card (LPC) in 1977 to increase my awareness of the moon's influence on my life. I used it to chart my menses to see if my rhythms felt different under different phases.

I found that I worked more productively if I did my creative projects during the waxing moon (from New to Full). The waning moon time is better for final details and review, repetitive maintenance, house cleaning, etc.

The last night before the New Moon is called the dark of the moon. It is traditionally a time of ill fortune when accidents may happen. However, it is an auspicious time to plan and project your future goals, particularly for the following month.

The New Moon is a quietly intense time, good for personal reflection, looking inward. Full Moon energy is outgoing, a time for community, celebrations, and connection. New and Full Moons are both times when the moon's pull on the oceans (and on us) is the strongest, because the earth, moon, and sun are in a line. The pull is weaker at half-moons because the moon is at right angles to the earth/sun axis then.

The sun stays in each astrological sign about a month because it takes one year for the earth to circle the sun and the sky is divided into twelve sectors, or signs of the zodiac. They are named for twelve constellations that appear behind the sun, moon and planets. The moon changes astrological signs about every two and a half days, because it takes only 29-30 days for it to circle earth thus moving in front of all twelve sectors of the sky.

In astrology, the moon represents the feminine side of your personality, your emotions and intuitive abilities. You can find your moon sign by looking up your birth date in an ephemeris (look in a library or bookstore in astrology area). If the moon changes signs near your birthday you will need to know your birth time and convert the ephemeris time to your local time at your birth locale.

Check the LPC to find when the moon is in your moon sign and see how you feel on those days. On the LPC when a sign appears next to a day, it means the moon moved into that sign sometime during that 24-hour period. I also show the moon's sign on every New and Full Moon, even if the moon had already entered it before that day.

Lunar eclipses happen only on Full Moons, lasting several hours. They are visible from anywhere on the nighttime side of Earth if the moon is visible (clouds). Solar eclipses happen only on New Moons. They are only visible in a much smaller path across part of the daytime side of earth. If an eclipse is not visible in your area, you still may feel an energy change. I usually put links on my website (http://www.snakeandsnake.com) to more eclipse info when one is coming up.

Many people worshipped and valued the moon in many cultures throughout history. The moon has most often been seen as female. There are literally hundreds of moon goddesses described in books such as "The Book of Goddesses and Heroines" by Patricia Monaghan, "The Witches' Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar, and my favorite, "Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood" by Merlin Stone. Another interesting look at the moon's connection to women is made by Louise Lacey in "Lunaception" (out of print). She presents research which suggests that moonlight was the original menstrual regulator, with all women menstruating on the New and ovulating on the Full.

There is much to know about the moon and even more to feel. The moon has a vibrant, irrational energy and power which we can tap into to counteract the dullness of our over-rational society. Spend some time outdoors on a moonlit night to restore your balance with nature and charge yourself with lunar energy. The moon is beautiful and mysterious, yet our culture has forgotten "Her" and calls it a cold rock in space. It is time to remember and rediscover Her.