The Earth and The Lunar Relationship
The Earth and The Lunar Relationship
The Earth and The Lunar Relationship
beasts, or plants, are changed, and never remain in the same state … look
upon your own genesis, and you shall find your thoughts moved to
choler, so often as the Moon transits the place where the body or aspect
of Mars was in your genesis; and to melancholy when she doth the like to
Saturn; the reason is, because the Moon is assimilated to the body of
man; whose vertue as well as her light increaseth and diminisheth; for she
brings down the vertue of the other Planets to the creatures, and to man
as he lives upon the earth."
- Culpeper
The Moon,... as the heavenly body nearest the earth, bestows her
effluence most abundantly upon mundane things, for most of them,
animate or inanimate, are sympathetic to her and change in company with
her; the rivers increase and diminish their streams with her light, the seas
turn their own tides with her rising and settings, and plants and animals in
whole or in some part wax and wane with her. [1]
In fact we know that view of the Moon is far more ancient, and was being
recorded at least as early as the 7th century BC, where religious texts
refer to the Moon as the 'Womb that gives birth to everything on earth';
the 'progenitor and destroyer of the land', and the god whose word 'settles
down on the earth to make the earth green and produce vegetation'. [2]
In modern science the connection between the Moon's cycle and earthly
rhythms is so well known that it is now considered a meteorological or
biological principle, rather than an astrological one. Only the Moon's
interplay with the Sun has been seriously studied, and in this it is known
to act as a cosmic trigger for many natural rhythms and breeding cycles.
Its effect upon tidal flows makes it reasonable to assume that its waxing,
waning, and changing states have far-reaching effects upon all physical
conditions, including the human one since the human body is mainly
comprised of water.
In the past, belief in the power of the Moon to affect human as well as
geological behaviour was widespread and deep-rooted, based upon
personal observation and the accumulated experience of many
generations. 'Moon madness' was taken very seriously, hence the Latin
word Luna forms the origin of the words 'lunacy', 'lunatic' and 'loony'.
Lunacy grows worse at full and new Moon - taught the 16th century
physician Paracelsus, referring to a disease that had been recognised
since Classical times, and which became official under British Law in the
mid-nineteenth century. The 1842 Lunacy Act defined as a 'Lunatic' a
demented person enjoying lucid intervals during the first two phases of
the Moon and afflicted with a period of fatuity in the period following
after the full Moon.[4]
The ancient Greek Philosopher Thales taught that all physical life derives
mainly from water. Whilst his teachings are now regarded as only a
stepping-stone in the development of the theory of elements and
humours, many of the points he argued have lasting significance. Water
covers 78% of the Earth's surface and the Moon's association with water
is strongly embedded into its astrological influence. According to
Ptolemy:
Traditional gardening lore teaches that the waxing and waning of the
Moon reflects a monthly cycle of water content in the Earth and its
produce, with the full Moon representing the time of greatest moisture.
The first quarter of the waxing Moon is the ideal time to plant seeds, re-
pot plants, sow lawns, etc.; but if the weather is particularly dry the
gardener is advised to plant his seeds at the full Moon, when the Earth
receives more moisture. Full Moons are also favoured for harvesting
plants that need to be rich in moisture content, such as grapes, tomatoes,
and strawberries, while plants that produce 'below the ground', such as
potatoes and carrots, are best planted during the 'dark of the Moon'. The
drier period of the waning Moon is the time for killing weeds, cutting
back dead growth, harvesting root vegetables and drying herbs, flowers
and fruit.
In his article 'The Sublunar Sphere' [11] David Plant describes the Moon
as "vital in animating the planetary configurations", referring to the way
that the Moon acts as a mediator between the celestial and terrestrial
regions. But as well as being an activating factor, the impressionable and
responsive nature of the Moon allows it to become charged with the
energy it is in contact with, which it brings forward to its next planetary
contact. In traditional works there is a strong repetition of the principle
that the Moon transfers planetary 'light' or 'virtue' from one planet to
another, and brings their influence down to physical manifestation:
"Draw your attention to the Moon in all works as if she were the chief of
all the other planets because she brings about evident manifestations and
judgements in all things in the world. She pertains to the power of
generation and corruption and she is the mediatrix in the advance of your
work, receiving the influences and impressions of the stars and planets
and pouring them out to the inferiors of this world."
- Picatrix [12]
"For she is the schoolmistress of all things; the bringer down of all the
planets' influences, and a kind of 'internuncio' between them, carrying
their virtues from one to the other, by receiving the disposition of one
planet and bearing it to another."
- Guido Bonatus [13]
"If you find the Moon void of all the planets, none of them aspects it, and
none is in the ascendant or aspecting the ascendant, then this native is
void of good in livelihood, possesses pain and hardship in the pursuit of
what he needs"
- Dorotheus [16]
"The 10th [way in which the Moon can be afflicted] is when she is void
of course, that is, not joined to any planet by body or aspect"
- Bonatus [17]
Again taking the overview, it also seems obvious that when most authors
refer to the Moon as 'void of course' they mean that it is out of ob of an
aspect and will remain so for the duration of its transit through its current
sign. One of the clearest definitions of this, and the way that medieval
and renaissance astrologers expected the Moon to remain free of entering
into the orb of application, is given by the German astrologer Johannes
Schöner (1477-1547), who wrote in his Opusculum Astrologicum:
The remainder of this article explores the use of translation of light and
the void of course Moon according to the 17th century text of William
Lilly: Christian Astrology.[19] This demonstrates that beyond the general
definition of being void when out of all reach of planetary aspect, or 'void
of course' when failing to enter into orb of a new aspect until its
movement into a new sign, the Moon can also be recognised as having
temporary 'void of course' periods. These can occur when the Moon is
within orb of an aspect, but where there is an inability to carry forward
the influence of the last aspected planet to the next; (so that, for example,
translation of light would not be possible). For the Moon to be
legitimately described as 'void of course' according to the principle
expressed in Lilly's work, one of the following conditions must be
present.
2. The Moon is still within orb of its last aspectual contact but
not yet within orb of its next aspectual contact.
3. The Moon is within orb of its next aspect but it has already
fully separated from its last aspectual contact.
There are nine charts in Christian Astrology that have the Moon
in this position, and Lilly makes reference to the Moon being
'currently void of course' or separating from that condition in four
of them.[22] This is the opposite principle to the above and again
demonstrates an interruption in the Moon's ability to
communicate freely between the planets. Debate will obviously
continue as to whether it is generally correct to consider the Moon
fully 'void' or even 'void of course' in such a position, but Lilly's
terminology can be justified because as the Moon moves forward
to complete its current aspect there has been a gap over which the
influence of its previous aspect cannot be transmitted.
It was not until Sue Ward did some in-depth research into this matter and
presented an article in 1992 (entitled 'The Void of Course Moon: An
Important Discovery') that students of Lilly realised there was a need to
look again at what he was actually doing in his charts with some of the
blinkers removed. Maurice McCann also did important research into this,
resulting in his book The Void of Course Moon. [23]
Sue Ward rightly pointed out that the need for 'perfection' is not specified
in Lilly's definition (most traditional definitions state that the Moon is
void where it does not 'apply' or is not making 'an application'). A study
of the technique within practical chart judgement shows that 'to apply' or
'to make an application' means to have entered into orb of an aspect, so
the Moon is fully 'void' much less often than is commonly supposed
(whenever it is out of orb of any aspect), yet by Lilly's definition it can be
described as 'void of course' (unable to transmit an influence forward)
much more often than supposed.
Although some authors have claimed that orbs are not of any great
importance in horary, [24] Lilly's work shows that he regarded them as
very significant, and his use of translation of light and his definition of
the Moon as void were dependant upon them. But before returning to the
relevance of 'void of course', it is important to understand how the issue
of 'translation of light' fits into this. First consider the meaning of the
word 'void' according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language - all of the definitions given here are relevant in this matter as
we shall see.
As an adjective:
As a noun:
1. An empty space.
2. A vacuum.
Because the Moon has the role of collecting planetary virtues and
'bringing them down' to earth, it is considered 'void' or empty of
significance whenever it is out of orb of any aspect. Because it is also
responsible for carrying planetary virtues "from one to the other" it can
become 'void of course' wherever it loses the ability to commit the virtue
it has collected forward to its next contact. Lilly's work shows that the
Moon can only make a translation of light between two planets that are
simultaneously within its reach. This is reliably demonstrated in all the
occasions where he refers to the Moon transferring the virtue of its last
contact to the next: both planets being within the Moon's orb. Becoming
'void of course' in this way presents a break in continuity - a gap - over
which the Moon loses the power to transmit. Examples where Lilly refers
to the Moon translating light are detailed below:
There are other charts that fulfil this condition where the principle of
translation is used or implied in the judgement but not specifically termed
as such. [25] However, of the considerable number of charts where either
the Moon's last or next aspect are out of orb, Lilly never makes use of the
principle of translation of light. This may not have been the case for other
authors, a point for which we suffer from a lack of access to judged
charts; but it does appear to have been the case for Lilly.
At first glance Lilly's older definition does not appear to specify this 'in
orb' requirement; but if we read it again with an emphasis on the word
'presently' meaning at the same time, we see that it does:
Translation of light and nature is, when a light Planet separates from a
more weighty one, and presently joins to another more heavy. [27]
However, this issue has been confused by the fact that Lilly gives two
important passages where he describes translation of light; the one noted
above and another on p.125 where he specifies a need for the translating
planet to be received into one of the dignities of the planet it is translating
from. The source for both passages appears to be the 1557 treatise of
Claude Dariot: A Brief and Most Easy Introduction to the Judgement of
the Stars.
Dariot himself probably rested upon an earlier source, but the fact that he
also gives two similarly conflicting definitions of translation - one at
chapter 8 which specifies no need for reception but implies that both
planets should be within orb "as Mercury, separating himself from the
Sun and applying to Venus, doth transport the light and virtue of the Sun
unto her"; and another in his 21st chapter, which states that translation
occurs when a planet separates from one planet "of whom he has been
received, and applyeth to the other significator before he doth behold or
apply unto any other planet" - makes it likely that Lilly was reproducing
elements of Dariot's Introduction into his own.
It was also Dariot who left us one of the clearest accounts of how
"Application happeneth when the circles or beams of the planets come to
join together";[30] that is, when they first move into moiety of the orb.
This is seen as a point of 'contact' from which the planets are able to
express an influence upon each other. The influence increases until fully
expressed at 'completion' (or perfection), and remains in force - though
diminishing - until the planets are separated as they pass beyond the
limits of the orb. This means two things:
1. If there is an interim between the Moon's last aspect and its next,
so that it is not within orb of them both simultaneously, the Moon
is unable to communicate the force of the one to the other and
will enter a period when it is temporarily void of course. This is
so, even if the Moon will go on to perfect an aspect before the end
of its current sign.
Lilly has written in the chart form: "Moon a opposition Venus ad vac, ad
square Mars et Jupiter [Moon from opposition of Venus, to void of
course, to square of Mars and Jupiter]" - indicating that there is a period
after the Moon opposes Venus when it is out of orb of an applying aspect,
before it then enters into orb of its applying square to Mars and Jupiter at
the end of the sign. Lilly refers to this twice in his judgment saying:
"We have the Moon separating from Venus in the 8th, then going to be
Vacua Cursus [empty/void of course], afterwards she squares with Mars,
then with Jupiter"
and later:
"we find the Moon, in plain language (after a little being void of course)
run hastily to the square of Mars and Jupiter".
Although the Moon is still close within orb of its separation from Venus,
it must move forward around 2-3 degrees before it enters into the
recognised orbs of Mars and Jupiter. This is the span of its 'void of course
period'; we can be fairly confident of this because of the judgement that
Lilly applies to the chart. This is one of Lilly's political charts and the
length of the judgement, as well as the overall precision of calculation,
illustrates the care and deep thought that he gave to something that he
knew could stir political feathers and leave him open to stinging criticism
if he made astrological mistakes.
The detail of this part of his judgement appears to hinge upon the
temporary void of course Moon period - as there are less than three
degrees before the Moon moves into is future applications, so Lilly refers
to a period of less than three years wherein the public will be confused
and unsure of what is happening, before the soldiers (Mars) begin to act,
and "the Commonality [Moon] will defraud the expectation of the Clergy
[Jupiter]". So as the Moon moves into the orb of its next contacts, it once
again resumes its activating role.
What we see from this, is that whether or not Lilly refers to the Moon as
'currently void of course' or 'separating from void of course' as it moves
forward to enter into the orb of its next aspect, the Moon is capable of
'bringing down' the influence of other planets from the moment that it
moves into their range, and for as long as it remains so.
In this example Lilly reviews the Moon's last aspect. This is something
he routinely does to get a grounding for the background of the question,
even if the Moon's last aspect is well out of orb or occurred in the
previous sign.[32] This is relevant in symbolising the last event to impact
upon the situation under scrutiny. In this case he has to trace the Moon
right back to the middle of the previous sign to find it: a square to Saturn.
Since the afflicted Saturn rules the 8th house of death and the 9th house
of sea journeys, he judges this to show that the Ship had met the "danger
(of death) viz, shipwreck" some time before the question was asked. From
that point on the Moon had remained void of course until its present
application to Saturn by trine.
In this chart the Moon, as the ruler of the ascendant, represents the ship
and those that sail in her. Lilly describes the Moon as "at the time of the
Question void of course", an indication that the ship and those that sail in
her were lost at sea. This is not a definition that most astrologers would
apply, since the Moon is in a new sign and is well within orb of its
applying trine to Saturn. Perhaps he meant to say that at the time of the
question the Moon had been void of course, but what Lilly emphasises in
this judgment is that the Moon is unable to carry any directing influence
forward to Saturn. It has only separated from its last square of Saturn in
the previous sign (which indicated the time of 'death'), and will next
apply to the trine of Saturn and then the opposition of Mercury, (which as
ruler of the 12th and 4th houses brings the unfortunate news of the
drowning), so in a sense the Moon is void because it is empty of virtue.
The most important point is that the recognition of a void of course
period was a major factor in Lilly's judgement and we can see that he
used it to denote a period of inactivity and confusion: "and as the Moon
had been void of course, so had no news been heard of her".
p.152 ff. If her son were with his master or at her own house?
This is one of several examples where Lilly makes great use of the
Moon's application to one or more planets that it perfects with in the next
sign. [33] This approach is not peculiar to Lilly; we have a scarcity of
accessible horaries from authors that preceded him in the medieval
period, but of the examples we do possess we can see that they did not
dismiss the value of aspects in orb that will or have perfected over sign-
boundaries, and some of them were surprisingly generous in the
allowance they gave.
p.401 ff. If his Excellency Robert Earl of Essex should take Reading?
Lilly notes on the chart form that the Moon is "a vac" [from nothing] and
applying to the sextile of Mars and the trine of the Sun. He doesn't term
the Moon 'void of course' but states in his judgement that "the Moon
separated (a vacuo [from nothing]) and indeed there was little hope that
it [Reading] would have been gained in the time that it was".
At the time of this question the Earl of Essex, fighting for the
Parliamentarian cause, was engaged in a siege on the Royalist stronghold
at Reading. The question was asked by a man 'of honour' who favoured
the Parliamentarian cause, and so Lilly assigns Essex to the ascendant
and uses Mars as his significator. The Moon's last aspect was a trine to
Jupiter in its present sign, but this is separated by over 17½ degrees so
well beyond the limits of the orb (widest orb allowed between the Moon
and Jupiter is 12° 15'), and therefore not considered an influence that
remains in present effect. The Moon perfects no future aspect in its
present sign, but is already within orb of its application to Mars and the
Sun, although the Moon must change sign in order to complete these
aspects. This is a situation where modern definitions would write off the
influence of this Moon as void of course and discount the relevancy of
the application to Mars in the following sign. Yet it is a pivotal point of
Lilly's judgement that Reading would hold: "because the Moon was so
directly to the sextile of the Lord of the Ascendant [Mars], without any
frustration or prohibition".
Lilly describes the recent 'empty' period of the Moon as denoting a time
of "little hope" of effective resolution at the start of the siege, and he
looks to the future application of the Moon to Mars to indicate the point
at which Essex achieves his aims. The chart is published for posterity and
Lilly confesses that he was three days out in his prediction of when
Reading would be successfully taken, because it was delivered on the
27th April whereas he had argued for the accomplishment eight days after
the question was asked, He points out, however, that it was on the eighth
day that the two armies entered into treaty, which made the generality of
his prediction correct if not the specific details of how it ended. Although
he doesn't state as much, it is fairly obvious that Lilly took this eight day
time span from the number of degrees that separated the Moon's applying
sextile to the out-of-sign Mars.
There are many charts in Christian Astrology that could be said to contain
a void of course Moon if we go by the modern definition; although there
is only one where the Moon fails to enter into application of a new aspect
before it gets to the end of its current sign: the 'Horse stolen at Henley'
chart on p.467, which has the Moon separating from Saturn at 11° Leo
and making no further applications in its current sign. Here Lilly
overlooked the affliction of a void of course Moon because of the "many
good significations that the querent should recover his lost horse",
including a direct application between the significator for the horse and
the ruler of the querent's house of substance. He has explained that it is
viable to do this in one of the most revealing comments he makes
regarding the condition of void of course on page 122, where he
succinctly captures the element of inactivity or lack of underlying
motivation in writing:
Points to Note:
Beware of the stock phrases that a void of course Moon means "it
doesn't matter", "nothing will happen/can be done", "there is
nothing to worry about" or "the chart cannot be read". Lilly only
says that "All manner of matters go on hardly" when the Moon is
VOC, and as the lost ship chart shows, this does not necessarily
equate to having nothing to worry about. Each chart is unique, but
a more reliable principle is that there is a lack of momentum to
drive the event forward. Some of Lilly's comments regarding the
Moon when it is void of course include:
Aspects that are 'out of orb' need not be ignored. Lilly regularly
considered the Moon's last aspect to understand something of the
background to the horary, regardless of how far back it was. He
also considered the potential of aspects that were presently out of
orb but which would perfect before one of the planets moved into
the next sign. But these were treated as currently inactivated and
there was no sense of transmitting or collecting virtue between
these planets.
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16] I.12.7
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17] Consideration 5.
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21] The three charts are: p.399: A Figure erected to know whether
Sir William Waller or Sir Ralph Hopton should overcome; p.439:
If Presbytery shall stand?; p.467: A Horse lost or stolen near
Henley, if recoverable or not?
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24] For example, John Frawley, in his The Horary Textbook, claims
"Any two planets in the same sign have an effect upon each
other, no matter how far apart they may be", but on the same
page he asserts "we are mainly concerned with planets exactly
aspecting each other". These perspectives seem incompatible
and leave confusion as to whether the validity of aspects is
determined by the signs or the planets involved. (Apprentice
Books, London, 2005) pp.97-98.
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25] Examples include: 'A Woman of her husband at sea' (p.417) and
'If Obtain the Parsonage?' (p.437).
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29] For example, the Moon is not received into the dignities of Mars
in the translation used in the chart 'Master B His Houses'.
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33] Other examples include: p.238: If the Querent should ever have
children?; p.385: A Lady, If marry the gentleman desired?;
p.401: If his Excellency Earl of Essex should take Reading? (in
this example Lilly notes the Moon's application to the Sun and
Mars: both of which perfect in the next sign but are currently
within orb); p.417: A Woman of her husband at sea; and p.471:
A Lady of her Husband at Sea.
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By Deborah Houlding:
The Houses: Temples of the Sky