This week is all about the Moon. Every other planet is staying put until February 12, when the Sun breaks through into Aquarius. So, what better time than now to dive into the most important celestial body for all things 3D, the totality of your incarnated experience; this is where the Moon shines, or reflects, it’s light.
Also called Chandra in Sanskrit, the Moon is the fastest moving celestial body of our solar system. It only takes the Moon two and a half days to move through the entire thirty degrees of a zodiac sign. For reference, it takes the Sun thirty days to accomplish the same task, hence the famous Sun sign astrology memorized from your birthday, which takes a month to change signs. This unmatched speed and changeability is where the Moon becomes compared to your mind. Nothing matches the speed of change of the Moon, and our mind can likewise change in the blink of an eye. The Moon is the key signifier for the mind, or manas in Sanskrit. Contrary to English colloquialisms, the mind as defined as manas in Sanskrit includes the heart, and much more. In fact, everything conceivable by the mind is manas; your emotions, your perception, your body, and literally everything you can conceive of through duality is studied and predicted through the motion of the Moon.

Such high esteem and relevancy to so many compartments of life is punctuated in the mythology behind astrology. The Sun is the King, and the Moon is the Queen, each containing the polarity necessary to balance yin/yang collectively. This is why the Moon and the Sun are the only two bodies to only rule one sign each, Cancer and Leo respectively. Every other planet rules two signs, which reflect the yin/yang, positive/negative, or feminine/masculine aspects of basic polarity. For an extra kick, Leo and Cancer sit next to each other in the Zodiac, just as the thrones of the King and the Queen do.   

Moon enters Libra, February 2

The Moon will enter the Chitra nakshatra at 8:02pm PST. Chitra encompasses the tail end of Virgo, and the beginning of Libra. So, now that the Moon is in Libra, we draw our gaze to Venus, who rules Libra. Libra is the positive, masculine, or yang polarity of Venus energy, as seen in the outward sociability and mercantile nature of Libra. The Chitra nakshatra is ruled by Mars, thus providing the key components and spices necessary to study this blend of energy, and create the harmonious path to follow during this transit. The three celestial bodies present here are:

  • The Moon, which is our main subject of study, like a patient in the doctors office getting their physical.
  • Venus, ruler of Libra, the zodiacal sign the Moon is in
  • Mars, the ruler of a smaller sliver (nakshatra), of Libra, called Chitra

So, for starters, Libra is seen as a judge with balanced scales. From the standpoint of the Moon, this transit emphasizes even temperament and peaceful deliberation. As one of the 12 rasi’s, or zodiac signs, Libra is seen as the well of resources which the Moon will draw from to operate in its role. Libra is fun, social, aesthetically minded, and enamored by beautiful spaces. As the Moon relates to our home, and inner states of dwelling, a great Libra-Moon activity is interior design. Pour your energy into designing the layout of your home, or sit with a blank canvas and begin painting. Within Libra exists Chitra, and as it is ruled by Mars, that passionate flare can introduce an upwelling of sexual energy, or impulsive input into conversation or activities. The simple insurance policy here is to remain patient, and wait for the second thought before acting on the first.

Give yourself feelings of spaciousness in the emotional arena or physical atmosphere for the next day. This is a great window of time for an exercise I like to call mind-mapping. To do this is simple in premise, and clumsy at times in practice. The first step is to be present enough with yourself to notice your thoughts. To do this, I like to treat each thought equally, that means the good ones and the not-so-savory ones, whatever comes into your mind becomes a guest that you welcome in through the front door of your mental mansion. Picture an over the top cocktail party, and there is no limit on space or capacity for your thoughts to mingle. Now, to bring this exercise into the tangible world for your benefit, I suggest setting a timer for 5 minutes with a pen and paper handy. Each thought, however bizarre or random they may appear, gets written down onto a list. I like to start my list with, “So good to see you! What would you like to think?” Aside from the punny humor there, what ensues is the emotional container necessary to let your thoughts in without letting them control you; remember, this is your party, your thoughts are just visiting.

Once the timer goes off, you may wish to continue, and I encourage you to take this exercise as far as you feel compelled to. Mind-mapping will give the space between thought and action needed to remain at your center, like the balancing act of Libra, and pursue the soul-filling moments set aside for art and beauty.

 
 Reference:
1) The Nakshatras, the Lunar Mansions of Vedic Astrology, Dennis M. Harness, Ph.D.
Image Credit: www.instagram.com/vital.mystic
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