Moon

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The Moon
The Moon

THE MOON, PLANET OF FECUNDATION

Contents

Astrology

From the Bible we learn that Jehovah made man in His image. We are also told that ANGELS visited Sarah and proclaimed the birth of Isaac. They also foretold the birth of Samson and Samuel and the ANGEL (not archangel) Gabriel came to Mary of Bethlehem to announce the coming birth of Jesus. According to occult science Jehovah and His angels are the guardians of the seed atoms, the basic factors in fertilization.

The activities of the angels are directed to the maintenance of plant, animal and human life upon earth. To this end their forces are focused by the wandering Moon through the twelve signs of the zodiac; they impinge upon the foetus in a creative manner during the period of gestation from the time of conception to birth.

Thus as the Moon measures the tides of the earth so also does she measure the soul's passage from the shores of eternity through the waters of the womb to the world of time. According to astrology Cancer is the home of the Moon.

The ancient Egyptians pictured this sign as a scarab or beetle which was their emblem of the soul and they called Cancer THE SPHERE OF THE SOUL, for it is said that through this moist watery sign fertilized by the lunar ray the seed atoms are projected into the womb of the prospective parent who is thus prepared for the period of gestation; and occult science adds to this that the seed atoms of the animal kingdom, which is still mindless and therefore not amenable to lunar influences in that direction, are projected through the watery martial sign SCORPIO while the seed atoms of the inert plants our poured in through the Jupiterian sign Pisces just before the Sun enters Aries at the vernal equinox to awaken the plant seeds sleeping in Mother Earth, which have been fertilized by Pisces. Thus the human family has the longest period of gestation, the animal a somewhat shorter one and the plant the shortest of all.

The Moon also measures the period of postnatal growth so that the period of CHILDHOOD, measured by the change of teeth is complete at about seven years of age when the Moon is SQUARE to her place at birth. The period of PUBERTY is ushered in at about fourteen years of age when the Moon is in OPPOSITION to her place at birth and is marked by the change of voice in the boy and the commencement of the menses in the girl. At twenty-one years of age the Moon by progression has traveled three quarters of the circle of the horoscope from its place at birth. This finishes the period of incubation and the human being is considered to be full-grown, capable of exercising a franchise and taking care of his own affairs. Thus the distance traveled by the New Moon during the prenatal period of gestation in the mother's womb and the distance traveled by the progressed Moon during the twenty-one years of post-natal development in the womb of Mother Nature correspond exactly.

The Moon, like Mercury, has no basic nature of its own but serves to focus the qualities of the signs and other planets upon the human mind. She governs the tidal air in the lungs and the colorless lymph in the body, also the digestive activity and the sympathetic nervous system which automatically takes care of the process of digestion. She also governs the cerebellum, the mammae, the feminine functions and parturition as already explained.

People who are strongly under the influence of the lunar rays are of an easy-going, dreamy, indolent nature, adepts as architects of air castles which never materialize or assume concrete shape. They are very sociable and generally easy to get along with. They succeed best as cooks, housekeepers or in some domestic occupation or in one which has to do with liquids or a seafaring life.

The Moon being female indicates the marriage partner for a man so that in a man's horoscope affliction of the Moon would not be so apt to cause trouble in health as in married life and the horoscopes of the two sexes should therefore be read differently with respect to the Sun and Moon. If Saturn afflicts the Moon in a woman's horoscope it will affect her health, but in the same respect to the Sun and Moon. If Saturn afflicts the Moon in a woman's horoscope it will affect her health, but the same aspect occurring in a man's horoscope will cause him trouble in married life. If the Sun is afflicted in a man's horoscope it will affect his health but in a woman's horoscope it would indicate trouble with her husband. At the same time however it should not be forgotten that both the Sun and Moon are vital factors in the health of both sexes but one sex is more affected by the Sun, the other by the Moon.

The Moon is the great time-marker of the universe. Without her our lives would be barren of events for although the Sun and the planets by their travel through the signs and houses indicate the years when certain tendencies shown in the horoscope may culminate in action, it invariably requires an aspect of the Moon to fertilize the aspect and make it bloom into physical manifestation. The Sun and the planets may therefore be likened to the hour-hand on the clock of destiny which shows the YEAR when each phase of our destiny which shows the YEAR when each phase of our destiny is ripe for the harvest and the Moon may be likened to the minute-hand which shows the MONTH when the influences are due to culminate into action. In order to become fully conversant with the influences of the Moon we would advise students to read carefully the article on eclipses and new moon in our Simplified Scientific Astrology.

The Moon
The Moon

THE MOON IN THE TWELVE HOUSES

Moon in Houses

THE MOON IN THE TWELVE SIGNS

Moon in signs

ASPECTS OF THE MOON TO OTHER PLANETS

Moon Aspects


Moon (astrology) in Wikipedia

The Moon is the earth's companion satellite, though some astronomers believe that it approaches being a planet in its own right. The Moon is large enough for its gravity to affect the Earth, stabilising its orbit and producing the regular ebb and flow of the tides. The Moon is also familiar to us for its different phases, waxing and waning in appearance in an unchanging cycle. For this reason, astrologers consider the moon to be at least secondary in importance to the sun in astrological terms, and it is widely considered to be just as important as the sun.


The Moon orbits the earth in 28 days, spending a fleeting 2.33 days in each of the signs of the zodiac. Recently, more accurate measurements of the Lunar orbital period have revealed two different numbers, depending on viewpoint. The synodic period is measured relative to the Sun and gives us a period of 29.5 days from new Moon to new Moon, the start of the Lunar month. When observed from the Earth and relative to a fixed point in space, the sidereal period is 27.3 days with minor variations. In order to give a figure in whole numbers for ease of astrological calculation the Lunar orbit can be approximated to 27.75 days which then returns a period of 54 hours or 2.25 days for the Lunar transit of each sign.


Also important in astrology are the moon's nodes. The nodes are where the moon's path crosses the ecliptic, the sun's path across the sky. This means that they are the only locations where solar eclipses can occur. The North node marks the place where the moon crosses from South to North (or ascends), while the South node marks where the moon crosses from North to South (or descends). The nodes' motion is always retrograde, so that they appear to move backwards through the zodiac . This motion is the same as the precession of the equinoxes , but in the case of the moon it only takes 19 years to complete a cycle. The two nodes are always exactly 180 degrees apart from each other at opposite ends of the ecliptic (ie. if the north node is at 23 degrees Aries, the south node will be at 23 degrees Libra).

Western Astrology

The Moon () is the ruling planet of Cancer. In Roman mythology, the Moon was represented by Diana, the hunter goddess. In Western astrology The Moon is said to represent the feeling nature of the individual. [1] The moon is associated with a person's emotional make-up, unconscious habits, rhythms, memories and moods. It is also associated with the mother, maternal instincts or the urge to nurture, the home, and the past. The moon is used to characterise the inner child within us, as well as the past and how we have been as individuals rather than how we are now. It is also used to represent the perception one has of one's mother, so someone with a Pisces Moon would be more likely to see their mother as a Piscean type, even if in reality that was not the case. In the horoscope the aspects the moon makes with other planets and the transits the slower moving planets make to the moon are all said to have a strong impact on how our lives unfold.

The moon is also said to represent receptivity, vulnerability, etc. but this should not suggest that its power is considered less than the sun's. From an astrological perspective (in which we assume, for the sake of argument, that the earth is fixed and everything else moves) the sun and moon are the same size. From an astrological perspective, they are equals; a solar eclipse reminds us of this so that we do not doubt the power of the moon, which is hidden and mysterious but no less influential.

The first-century poet Manilius, described the Moon or Luna, as melancholic. In medicine the moon is associated with the digestive system, stomach, breasts, genitals, buttocks, the ovaries and menstruation, and the pancreas. The moon is the ruler of the 4th house.

Lunar Phases

Astrologers traditionally also consider the phase of the moon at the time of birth in interpreting its effects on the individual. [2]. The four phases of the moon are as follows:


  • First quarter (new)

A person born in the first phase of the moon will have an underlying sense of youthful enthusiasm and optimism, a touch of the zodiac sign Aries in their nature. They will probably prefer to take the initiative, especially in romance, and will be ready to look for new interests in life, new people and new ideas. The person will see how things can be improved and can spur others to action, before leaving them to finish the project. They will probably get off to an early start in life and be quite successful when young, though other factors in the chart will indicate whether this success is lasting. They need to guard against selfishness and taking others by surprise with over quick and hasty reactions.


  • Second quarter (waxing)

A person born in the second quarter will be ambitious and sociable, with an underlying touch of the zodiac signs Cancer and Leo in their nature. The person will be locked into their goals and have a strong need to create something which will be remembered by others. They will have a charismatic personality that draws others to them, but may instinctively use others for their own ends, rather than help them. They prefer a career where they are out in front and have attention and status. They also need a place of their own to express their personality, either their home or workplace. The person should achieve considerable success when young, but other factors in the chart will indicate whether that status is maintained. The person will be slow to anger, but formidable when aroused, and hates to be hurried or presented with a fait accompli. However, they won't mind doing this to others if it tips the odds in their favour.


  • Third quarter (Full)

A person born in the third quarter will be sensitive to the needs of others and expects others to be sensitive to their own needs. There is an underlying sense of watchfulness reminiscent of the zodiac signs Libra and Scorpio. The person will need friendships, colleagues and relationships, and will relate well to others. They will either be drawn to highly successful people and help them achieve their goals, or else achieve success themselves with the help of others. There is a tension and nervousness at play which can lead to a short attention span and a constant search for new people and experiences, and sex will play some kind of transformative role in their life. The most successful time of life will be in the middle years.


  • Fourth quarter (Waning)

A person born in the fourth quarter will have an underlying feeling of the zodiac signs Capricorn and Pisces. They will finish the projects that others start, and reorganize and sort out the problems left by others. They will often have clairvoyant insight and follow hunches rather than be logical. The person can be too sensitive and become upset by the demands of others, and can also be too inclined to sit back and let things happen. They will work best in groups and are not materialistic, but they do need job satisfaction. They may be slow to grow up, but are likely to go through some kind of metamorphosis later in life and achieve success in something unusual and completely individual.

Lunar nodes

While they are not considered by Western astrologers to be as important a factor as each of the planets, the lunar nodes are thought to mark sensitive areas that are worth taking into account. [3].


  • Image:Northnode-symbol.png - North or ascending Node The North node tends to be beneficial in its effects, not unlike the planet Jupiter, and a possible source from which to derive some advantage, often through no conscious effort. Some astrologers consider the north node to represent a person's karmic task in the present life.
  • Image:Southnode-symbol.png - South or descending Node The South node tends to be somewhat adverse in its effects, not unlike the planet Saturn, and a possible source of the draining of energy from the person. It may indicate effort or even sacrifice is required, often without any expected reward. Some astrologers consider the south node to represent a person's karmic task in a past life.

Many astrologers also believe that there is a relationship between social and anti-social behaviour and compatibility and incompatibility and the placing of the nodes. This can be assessed by sign and house. The nodes also have some bearing on premises, property and domestic circumstances. Planets which progress or transit the nodes often bring household changes. These are usually quite minor ones such as decorating or refurbishing a home, receiving visitors, or leaving the house for a holiday. Family members leaving the home for a while are also indicated by the nodes. In addition, if the nodes fall close to the ascendant or rising sign and the descendant opposite it, there can often be something unusual about the subject's appearance - he or she may be very tall for example.

Chinese Astrology

In Chinese cosmogony the moon is typically said to be identified with the feminine principle, the yin. This may be because a woman's menstrual cycle roughly corresponds to one lunar month that is of 29 or 30 days.

In Chinese culture, the sun and the moon, or yang and yin, are said to represent the masculine and the feminine, respectively. One way to think about the interaction of the sun and moon signs in one particular person's horoscope is Jung's theory of the anima/animus, which is very similar to the Chinese idea that every human being should strive to balance the yang and the yin, or the masculine and the feminine, in her/his own personality and life.

Lunar phases

Chinese astrology also considers the phase of the moon at the time of a person's birth to be significant. [4]. The sigificance of the four phases are as follows:


  • First quarter (new) 1 - 7.5 days

The first quarter symbolizes birth, renewal, sowing and awakening, and is associated with spring, the east and the element wood. People born in this phase are lively and innovative, and are free spirits with a love of new ideas and adventures. They are generally impressionable, inventive and outgoing, but also impulsive and restless. This lunar phase governs the signs of Tiger, Rabbit and Dragon.


  • Second quarter (waxing) 7.5 - 15 days

The second quarter symbolizes potency, maturity, full growth and development, and is associated with summer, the south and the element fire. People born in this phase are likely to be strong minded, competent fighters and doers, capable of aggressive and forceful action. Full of potent energy, they are the leaders of the lunar cycle. This lunar phase governs the signs of Snake, Horse and Sheep.


  • Third quarter (full) 15 - 22.5 days

The third quarter symbolises organization, harvest, collection and storage, and is associated with autumn, the west and the element metal. People born in this phase like to organize, restore order, resolve problems and settle disputes with intelligence and calm reason. They are the people who harvest and consolidate resources. This lunar phase governs the signs of Monkey, Rooster, and Dog.


  • Fourth quarter (waning) 22.5 - 29 days

The fourth quarter symbolizes completion, conclusion, hibernation and rest, and is associated with winter, the north and the element water. People born in this phase are the thinkers, keepers of confidences and makers of analytical decisions. They conserve energy and burst forth into life when the time is right. This lunar phase governs the signs Pig, Rat and Ox.

Indian astrology

In Indian astrology, (also called Jyotisa or Vedic astrology) the Moon is a lunar deity called Chandra. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and having in his hands a club and a lotus.[5] He rides his chariot (the moon) across the sky every night, pulled by ten white horses or an antelope. He is connected with dew, and as such, is one of the gods of fertility. He is also called Nishapati (lord of the night) and Kshuparaka (one who illuminates the night).[6] He as Soma, presides over Somvar or Monday.

In Indian astrology the moon represents the mind, queenship, mother, emotions, sensitivity, softness and imagination.

Lunar nodes

The north lunar node (called Rahu) and the south lunar node (called Ketu) are considered to be of particular importance in Indian astrology, and are given an equal place alongside the seven classical planets as part of the nine navagraha. The north node Rahu is considered to be inauspicious and to be associated with mystery and cruelty. The south node Ketu is connected with karmic collections (both good and bad) and with spirituality.

Lunar mansions or nakshatras

Unique to Indian astrology is the idea of the nakshatra (Devanagari: नक्षत्र) or lunar mansion , one of the 27 or 28 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star(s) in them, that the Moon passes through during its monthly cycle, as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology. Each nakshatra represents a division of the ecliptic (of 13 degree 20 minutes) similar to the zodiac signs. The mansion associated with a given date corresponds to the constellation which the Moon is passing through at that time. Traditionally the nakshatra position of Moon is computed for native's mental make-up, and calculations of planetary periods (dashas). Each nakshatra is further partitioned into four equal segments known as charan or pad. Nakshatra contains an important place in Astrological match making, Mahurtha, Panchanga and Prashana affairs.


Moon in Astronomy in Wikipedia

The Moon (Latin: Luna) is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest natural satellite in the Solar System.

The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,403 km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The Moon's diameter is 3,474 km,[6] a little more than a quarter that of the Earth. This means that the Moon's volume is about 2 percent that of Earth and the pull of gravity at its surface about 17 percent that of the Earth. The Moon makes a complete orbit around the Earth every 27.3 days, and the periodic variations in the geometry of the Earth–Moon–Sun system are responsible for the lunar phases that repeat every 29.5 days.

The Moon is the only celestial body to which humans have travelled and upon which humans have landed. The first artificial object to escape Earth's gravity and pass near the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 1, the first artificial object to impact the lunar surface was Luna 2, and the first photographs of the normally occluded far side of the Moon were made by Luna 3, all in 1959. The first spacecraft to perform a successful lunar soft landing was Luna 9, and the first unmanned vehicle to orbit the Moon was Luna 10, both in 1966.[6] The United States (U.S.) Apollo program achieved the only manned missions to date, resulting in six landings between 1969 and 1972. Human exploration of the Moon ceased with the conclusion of the Apollo program, although several countries have announced plans to send people or robotic spacecraft to the Moon.

Name and etymology

Unlike the moons of other planets, the moon of the Earth has no proper English name other than "the Moon" (capitalized[7]).

The word moon is a Germanic word, related to Latin mensis; it is ultimately a derivative of the Proto-Indo-European root me-, also represented in measure[8] (time), with reminders of its importance in measuring time in words derived from it like Monday, month and menstrual. In English, the word moon exclusively meant "the Moon" until 1665, when it was extended to refer to the recently-discovered natural satellites of other planets.[8] The Moon is occasionally referred to by its Latin name, Luna, in order to distinguish it from other natural satellites, with a related adjective lunar, and an adjectival prefix seleno- or suffix -selene (from the Greek deity Selene).

Lunar surface

Two sides of the Moon

The Moon is in synchronous rotation, meaning that it keeps nearly the same face turned towards the Earth at all times. Early in the Moon's history, its rotation slowed and became locked in this configuration as a result of frictional effects associated with tidal deformations caused by the Earth.[9]

Long ago when the Moon spun much faster, its tidal bulge preceded the Earth-Moon line because it couldn't "snap back" its bulges quickly enough to keep its bulges in line with Earth.[10] The rotation swept the bulge beyond the Earth-Moon line. This out-of-line bulge caused a torque, slowing the Moon spin, like a wrench tightening a nut. When the Moon's spin slowed enough to match its orbital rate, then the bulge always faced Earth, the bulge was in line with Earth, and the torque disappeared. That is why the Moon rotates at the same rate as it orbits and we always see the same side of the Moon.

Small variations (libration) in the angle from which the Moon is seen allow about 59% of its surface to be seen from the earth (but only half at any instant).[6]

The side of the Moon that faces Earth is called the near side, and the opposite side the far side. The far side should not be confused with the dark side, which is the hemisphere that is not being illuminated by the Sun at a given moment (this may be the side facing the Earth, as it is once a month during the New Moon phase). The far side of the Moon was first photographed by the Soviet probe Luna 3 in 1959. One distinguishing feature of the far side is its almost complete lack of maria.

Maria

The dark and relatively featureless lunar plains which can clearly be seen with the naked eye are called maria (singular mare), Latin for seas, since they were believed by ancient astronomers to be filled with water. These are now known to be vast solidified pools of ancient basaltic lava. The majority of these lavas erupted or flowed into the depressions associated with impact basins that formed by the collisions of meteors and comets with the lunar surface. (Oceanus Procellarum is a major exception in that it does not correspond to a known impact basin). Maria are found almost exclusively on the near side of the Moon, with the far side having only a few scattered patches covering only about 2% of its surface,[11] compared with about 31% on the near side.[6] The most likely explanation for this difference is related to a higher concentration of heat-producing elements on the near-side hemisphere, as has been demonstrated by geochemical maps obtained from the Lunar Prospector gamma-ray spectrometer.[12][13] Several provinces containing shield volcanoes and volcanic domes are found within the near side maria.[14]

Terrae

The lighter-colored regions of the Moon are called terrae, or more commonly just highlands, since they are higher than most maria. Several prominent mountain ranges on the near side are found along the periphery of the giant impact basins, many of which have been filled by mare basalt. These are believed to be the surviving remnants of the impact basin's outer rims.[15] In contrast to the Earth, no major lunar mountains are believed to have formed as a result of tectonic events.[16]

From images taken by the Clementine mission in 1994, it appears that four mountainous regions on the rim of the 73 km-wide Peary crater at the Moon's north pole remain illuminated for the entire lunar day. These peaks of eternal light are possible because of the Moon's extremely small axial tilt to the ecliptic plane. No similar regions of eternal light were found at the south pole, although the rim of Shackleton crater is illuminated for about 80% of the lunar day. Another consequence of the Moon's small axial tilt is regions that remain in permanent shadow at the bottoms of many polar craters.[17]

Impact craters

The Moon's surface shows obvious evidence of having been affected by impact cratering.[18] Impact craters form when asteroids and comets collide with the lunar surface, and globally about half a million craters with diameters greater than 1 km can be found. Since impact craters accumulate at a nearly constant rate, the number of craters per unit area superposed on a geologic unit can be used to estimate the age of the surface (see crater counting). The lack of an atmosphere, weather and recent geological processes ensures that many of these craters have remained relatively well preserved in comparison to those found on Earth.

The largest crater on the Moon, which also has the distinction of being the largest known crater in the Solar System, is the South Pole-Aitken basin. This impact basin is located on the far side, between the South Pole and equator, and is some 2240 km in diameter and 13 km in depth.[19] Prominent impact basins on the near side include Imbrium, Serenitatis, Crisium, and Nectaris.

Regolith

Blanketed atop the Moon's crust is a highly comminuted (broken into ever smaller particles) and "impact gardened" surface layer called regolith. Since the regolith forms by impact processes, the regolith of older surfaces is generally thicker than for younger surfaces. In particular, it has been estimated that the regolith varies in thickness from about 3–5 m in the maria, and by about 10–20 m in the highlands.[20] Beneath the finely comminuted regolith layer is what is generally referred to as the megaregolith. This layer is much thicker (on the order of tens of kilometres) and comprises highly fractured bedrock.[21]

Presence of water

The continuous bombardment of the Moon by comets and meteoroids has most likely added small amounts of water to the lunar surface. If so, sunlight would split much of this water into its constituent elements of hydrogen and oxygen, both of which would ordinarily escape into space over time, because of the Moon's weak gravity. However, because of the slightness of the axial tilt of the Moon's spin axis to the ecliptic plane—only 1.5°—some deep craters near the poles never receive direct light from the Sun and are thus in permanent shadow (see Shackleton crater). Water molecules that ended up in these craters could be stable for long periods of time.

Clementine has mapped craters at the lunar south pole[22] that are shadowed in this way, and computer simulations suggest that up to 14,000 km² might be in permanent shadow.[17] Results from the Clementine mission bistatic radar experiment are consistent with small, frozen pockets of water close to the surface, and data from the Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer indicate that anomalously high concentrations of hydrogen are present in the upper metre of the regolith near the polar regions.[23] Estimates for the total quantity of water ice are close to one cubic kilometre.

Water ice can be mined and then split into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen atoms by means of nuclear generators or electric power stations equipped with solar panels. The presence of usable quantities of water on the Moon is an important factor in rendering lunar habitation cost-effective, since transporting water from Earth would be prohibitively expensive. However, recent observations made with the Arecibo planetary radar suggest that some of the near-polar Clementine radar data that were previously interpreted as being indicative of water ice might instead be a result of rocks ejected from young impact craters.[24] The question of how much water there is on the Moon has not been resolved.

See also

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