If there is a single word analogous to lunar astrology, it’s rhythm. More specifically, it is dancing in tune to that innate rhythm — that divinely inspired beat being played for us in every moment of every day, whether we are aware of it or not.
While the ancient subject of astrology includes the study of the entire orchestra of the universe moving through the zodiac, lunar astrology intentionally narrows the scope. It operates on the understanding that yes, all astrological instruments play an important role in the symphony of life. But, the sun and moon are our planet’s most influential musicians. Their melodies are quite literally the vibrations that sustain and transform life on Earth. So, you don’t have to become an astrologer to stop dancing so awkwardly through life. You just need to pay attention to Earth’s sustainer and transformer (the sun and the moon), to the harmony they send straight to your heart.
It goes without saying that the “sustainment” of life is crucial. We have to be living to live. But, as I often say, “I am not breathing this life to simply sustain it. I am here to evolve, to transform with grace and be of service.” So, yes, in the practice of lunar astrology, we bow our heads and honor the solar season we are in. Yet, more often, we look and open up to the continual dance of the moon. Her inclination towards mindful transformation, towards rhythm, is the true inspiration for this spiritual practice. As she so subtly moves, so do the tides of our planet, and therefore so do we!
What most practitioners find relieving is that even as poetic as lunar astrology is, it doesn’t take years to put into practice. In fact, it can be as simple as entering the right variables inside a first grade mathematical equation.
Here is what I mean: Phase of the Moon (A) + Zodiac Sign (B) = Aligned Response (AB).
But, before you go answering today’s equation and breakout your dance moves, let’s further discuss the individual variables and their sum. Variable A, or phases of the moon, can be only one of eight inputs since the moon has eight distinct energetic phases. Here they are in order with their accompanying energy: New Moon (manifest), Waxing Crescent (commit), First Quarter (act), Waxing Gibbous (edit), Full Moon (celebrate), Waning Gibbous (gratitude), Third Quarter (release) and Waning Crescent (rest).
Next, let’s talk about Variable B. The moon spends about two and a half days in each of the twelve signs of our age-old Zodiac system. Each sign holds a specific kind of energy and represents a certain house of astrology. For our lunar astrology 101 today, let’s simply focus on the energies of the twelve signs. Here they are in order, coupled with their respective energy: Aries (fearless truth), Taurus (steady patience), Gemini (curious communication), Cancer (nurturing emotions), Leo (outgoing heart), Virgo (focused order), Libra (balanced partnership), Scorpio (passionate drive), Sagittarius (philosophical adventure), Capricorn (ambitious determination), Aquarius (unique individuality) and Pisces (dreamy intuition).
Lastly, the sum of the equation, your aligned response for the given day, is simply a restatement of the energies correlated to the specific phase and zodiacal sign. So, let us say the moon was in her first quarter under the sign of Scorpio. The equation as follows would be: Act + Passionate Drive = I act with passionate drive today. Lunar astrology is that simple, yet wildly profound in how positively transforms your life. Very quickly you will likely come to realize how effective you are in your day to day life, as you respond to the dance around you versus react. You will feel a greater sense of ease and joy in your choices. You will find yourself in the state of flow. Just imagine how radically different our world would be if we all lived in this state, if we all danced together through this powerful rhythm of transformation.
Photo by Alex Andrews from Pexels.
Allison Janssen is the cofounder of the lunar astrology and sacred rituals app, Moonlit, Mama to a toddler, military wife, lifelong backpacker, writer and yoga teacher. Obsessed with nature’s inner workings, she spends her days investigating and appreciating the many relationships, the connections, experienced in life — that between breath, body, mountains, the moon and beyond. For more, see her on the Moonlit App, and follow her on Instagram @moonlittribe and @allisonajanssen.
