As t rolog y Numerolog y & You

Evening moon Plum blossoms start to fall Upon the lute (A haiku by Shiki, Japanese Zen Master)
We all share an intimate relationship with the Moon. The tides, seasons, even the fluids in our bodies are governed by the cycles of the Moon and our hormones, moods, feelings, and energy levels mirror her tidal rhythms. The Moon was once revered as the Goddess herself and her cycles mirrored the mysterious cycles of life in a womans body and the earth - conception, birth, growth, maturity, death and rebirth - spring, summer, autumn, winter and spring again. Her places were the life-giving womb of woman, her milkladen breasts, wells, springs and lakes, caves, the spirals and circles of nature. The Moon orbits the earth thirteen times a year, giving us four seasons of thirteen weeks each, plus one day, and she moves through the zodiac thirteen degrees per day. Thirteen is the magical number of the Goddess and life was measured by the
69

The Moon & You: We all share an intimate relationship with the Moon. The tides, seasons, even the fluids in our bodies are governed by the cycles of the Moon and our hormones, moods, feelings, and energy levels mirror her tidal rhythms.

68

| www.blackrosemagazine.com.au | November 2009

November 2009 | www.blackrosemagazine.com.au |

great rhythmical pulse of the Moon. Ancient Moon calendars such as the 5,000 year-old stone megalith at Stonehenge near Glastonbury mark with intricate accuracy the passing of the seasons, zodiacal positions, the Moon cycles and eclipses. Even the extra one day of each year was accounted for. In 45 AD, Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, giving us 12 months of unequal days. As the number thirteen was associated with the Goddess, this new calendar was another means to reduce Her power and the number thirteen was rejected as evil at worst and unlucky at best.

levels through these cycles, perhaps keeping a journal or sharing with your girlfriends. Many of you will have Lunar Calendars which track the passage of the Moon through each sign and through her phases. These are wonderful aides to bringing your life into more of a natural rhythm, balancing the fluctuating tides of your energy cycles and establishing more harmony and health in your life. New Moons are times of new beginnings and it serves us well to take out a little time for ourselves to rest and replenish, to nourish ourselves with what we need and to connect with the quiet voice within. Meditation can be very deep at this time. On November 17th, the new lunar cycle begins with the powerful New Moon in Scorpio, a sign of deep emotional passion and regenerative intensity. Powerful feelings stir and as we delve into our inner world, we can connect with deeper truths within, truths that support the transformational energies of the new 4 week cycle. Scorpio is the sign of endings, death and disintegration and demands a dive into the underworld. It may be painful, dark and confronting, but if we have dived well, we rise again from the ashes of the old, and like the phoenix, are reborn, regenerated, purified and empowered. Full Moon is a time of high energy, joy and activity the fruition of the cycle that began 2 weeks previously at the New Moon. Energies are peaking and the light of the cycle brings revelation and inspiration. Mediation at this time will be heightened and ecstatic. In subsequent Moon and You articles, well explore more of the mythology of the Moon and the Moons phases. Well also investigate the many ways of working with the Moon, such as in medical astrology, fertility, lunar planting, food issues and the meanings of the Moon in the different astrological signs. Where is the Moon in your Birthchart?

As I write this, the Full Moon shines down on me through the window at my desk and I am bathed in her beautiful soft glow. Its magical and sublime, this lunar spell.
The fine sliver of the Crescent Moon, the radiant Full Moon and the mysterious dark of the New Moon were powerful images to the ancients and her phases of light and darkness have impacted deeply onto the human psyche. Nursery rhymes, pop songs, myths and folk stories are full of evocative lunar images that stir our imagination and emotions and she is sometimes romantic and helpful, sometimes treacherous and sinister. The time of the Dark of the Moon was associated with the dark mysterious and the virgin goddesses of life and death, magic and mystery like the child in the womb - Hecate, Artemis, Lilith, Persephone, Kali Ma, Medusa, Ereshkigal, Sekhmet, Tiamut, Caillech, Skadi, Masay, Black Tara, the Black Fairy. The Dark of the Moon was traditionally the time when women bled and in many cultures they retreated from their daily work together to rest, tell stories and sing their songs, deepening their bonds and offering healing and support. In the yearly cycle, the dark moon phase is like winter, the natural time of rest and replenishing. Slowly the Moon emerges from her dark retreat as the beautiful silver crescent, when feelings are tender and fragile like a new born infant. There is a sense of new life, of hope. And so night by night the light of the Moon grows until she is once again full and round, ripe and lush like a pregnant woman, the Mother. This Full Moon phase is the Goddesses of fertility and abundance Demeter, Ceres, Isis, Innana, Ishtar, Mary, Ann, An, Hera. The Moons phases reflect the cycles of womans life from newborn infant to young girl, to the onset of menstruation of the young maiden, to the mother. Then the flow of blood ceases and we become the Crone or wise elder, offering our experience and counsel to the young women, eventually preparing for death and the return to the arms of the Divine Mother. Each month we experience this cycle as the birth, fulfilment and completion of an idea, a project, a relationship. The following Lunar Cycle Table can be a guide for you to bring awareness to your natural rhythms. Each Moon cycle begins with the New Moon in the next astrological sign, giving each cycle its own particular quality. Note your feelings, moods and energy
70 | www.blackrosemagazine.com.au | November 2009

Moon Phases for November 2009

(Times set for Australian Eastern Standard Time add 1 hour for daylight Savings)
Full Moon: November 3, 5:14am - 10 degrees Taurus

Third Quarter: November 10, 1:56am - 17 degrees Leo New Moon: November 17, 5:14am - 24 Scorpio

First Quarter: November 25, 7:39am 2 degrees Pisces Full Moon: December 2, 5:30pm 10 degrees Gemini

BA, Dip Teach, Cert FAA, Cert Psych Astrol, Reiki Master.

by Babula Clement

Babula, an intuitive Pisces, has over 20 years experience as a professional astrologer and teacher and has practised her art throughout Australia and in New Zealand, the UK, Europe and India. She has explored many forms of meditation, therapy and healing and her approach to astrology is a combination of the psychological and spiritual the Astrology of the Soul. Her special interest is in the Black Moon and the Divine Feminine. Babula gives in-depth birthchart readings in person, by phone and via Skype. She also offers astrology courses and special workshops on specific astrological topics. Contact her for more information.