Remediating… The Moon
Welcome to the “Remediating…” series, where I give you practical info & tips on how to better understand a planet and remediate the issues it may cause in your life based on your birth chart! What is planetary remediation, you may ask? You can read an article dedicated to it here. To put it simply, planetary remediation is the art of identifying what planet or placement is connected to a problem you have, and to act directly on the planet through symbolic subsitution, replacement etc. in order to ease the issue. For example, say that you keep having issues with passive-aggressive neighbours no matter where you move (and have decided, after some good self-introspection, that you don’t seem to be the annoying one). We look at your chart, and see that Mars in Cancer (the sign of its fall) is in the 3rd house of neighbours. Ah-ah! From time to time, when an activation happens (say, Mars squares your natal Mars), your neighbours act up and start being extremely mean. Based on your chart, and on the timing of these issues, I would suggest different solutions, all related to other symbols of Mars. For example, starting a martial art class (Mars) in your neighbourhood (3rd house) or donating red objects or spicy food (Mars) to said neighbours or a local charity (3rd house). The idea is that you symbolically substitute an issue here for a less problematic manifestation of it, it order to offset the issue.
But, it’s not always easy to know where to start. How do I know what placement is tied to what problem? Or, if you know a bit about astrology already, you may be aware that a certain planet is giving you some trouble… But what can you do about it?
This article is here to give you a place to start with the tools that will help you figure out these answers yourself. If someone is an expert in a topic that confuses you, isn’t the best remedy to ask them directly? For each planet, I will give you the basic signification that it holds, and potential issues that may arise. I will also explain how to pacify relations with planetary charity (donating time, money or objects to a cause that’s ruled by the planet in question), before giving you suggestions on how to set up your planetary altar (a dedicated space with symbols of the planet/deity that you can pray to & ask help from). Let’s dive in!
Name: the Moon, Luna, Selene, Artemis, Diana, Chandra, Chang’e, Tsukuyomi…
Sect (time of day where it’s at ease): Night
Character: Cold and moist
Domicile: Cancer
Exaltation: Taurus
Detriment: Capricorn
Fall: Scorpio
House of its joy: 3rd
Number associated: 9
Symbolises: the body, generation and corruption, mothers/maternity, appearances, nourishment, fate, “wandering” (journeys that aren’t “straight”), messengers, travelling, conception and fertility, the people/popular things, vision (with the Sun), sleep and the stomach.
Using the system of “essential dignity” as established in traditional astrology, we can examine whether a planet has resources or not to enforce its agenda (do things according to its nature) based on certain factors such as the sign & house it’s in, the aspect(s) it makes to other planets, its speed, visibility, its phase for the Moon, etc. There are a lot of factors in order to assess what a planet is up to, and whether it’s free to act or not. So when I say that a planet is “exalted” or “fallen”, it doesn’t mean “good” or “bad”. It means: the planet is in a position to enact its nature, or it might be a bit more constricted. It’s all nuanced, so keep that in mind as we explore possible remediation for a certain placement!
The Moon is the fastest travelling body out of the 7 traditional planets we use (the Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). Because of its changeant nature, the Moon has historically been associated with travels and wanderings (as it’s not always consistent!), but she was also known as “the mediatrix”. Because she travels so fast and is the closest to use, she was thought to transmit the influence and “light” of other planets (and of course, of the Sun) onto us. The fact that she reflects the light of the Sun and transmits it indirectly also tied her to illusions and things apparented (mirrors, photography…) but also to things that came “second”, indirectly reflecting power (perhaps this is why she was (unfairly) assimilated to women, although this connection is interesting, it was sadly tainted with a patriarchal, hierarchical binary). Appearing at night, the Moon is of the night sect: if you were born at night, she will have more influence over you and be of special importance in your chart.
Lunar issues may show up as problems with nourishment and hunger, with motherly or feminine archetypes (including suffocating gender roles), but also as not having our fundamental needs met. In her fall of Scorpio, or her detriment in Capricorn, the Moon is in the territory of malefic planets (Mars & Saturn, respectively). She has to fight so that her basic needs are met. The needs of the body, the basic condition of our existence are not assured: we’re on survival mode. Lunar issues may also show up in the form of a parent that wouldn’t or didn’t know how to meet our needs, and pushed us to suppress them rather than adapt to them.
These issues can also show up through aspects in our birth chart (Moon square Jupiter may invite excess, for example) or through transits (Saturn transiting over the Moon may bring a loss of appetite or stomach issues, or drain you of all energy). Eclipses, as highly unstable luni-solar phenomena are also susceptible of bringing restlessness, confusion and strange feelings in the body. Finally, the houses are also important: someone with a natal Moon in a dark house (not visible from the ascendant, aka the 2nd, 6th, 8th or 12th house) may have a harder time understanding issues of attachment, nourishment, ease or parentality.
This isn’t all bad! We have the placements we have for a reason. For example, our society doesn’t always appreciate or value lunar quality: rest, ease, “wandering” with no purpose, following and reflecting instead of deciding and leading… There is always nuance there (this opinion sponsored by my Capricorn Moon!)
So, you may have a lunar issue™, or simply wish to acquaint yourself with Lady Luna to access her realm and understand what she’s all about. Where to start? If you want to understand the Moon better, planetary charity is always a good idea. By donating money, time or objects to a cause ruled by the Moon, you “appease” her and do a gesture of good will. The optimal scenario is to do this on the planetary day and hour of the planet in question. For the Moon, Mondays (day of the Moon) and/or Thursday nights (night of the Moon) are best. In order to track the planetary hour, you can use Google to find a calculator or use an app (TimeNomad is a free app that lets you display planetary hours, which start & end will vary depending on your location, time of year etc.). Planetary charity is sort of like bringing cookies to your neighbours: by offering something and making an effort to build a relationship with someone, they are more likely to see your good intentions and help with with whatever you need (and pacify relations when necessary!)
For the Moon, you can donate money or time to: nurses, mothers (for example by helping mothers or expecting people around you), shelters for women & mothers, cooking food for someone or offering it, donating to associations for ocean preservation, donating or buying glass objects from a local glass shop, acting as a messenger between people, offering to host travellers, donating to food banks, donating for research on stomach illnesses/blindness or infertility treatments. You can donate silver or glassware as well as silver objects, shells, and also to dog shelters.
It doesn’t have to be a big amount, but it’s best to give money or objects in a multiple of 9, on a recurring basis (for example, donating $9 to a women’s shelter every Monday or Thursday night).
The next step is to set up a Moon altar, if you feel compelled to do it. By building a Moon altar, you will be able to directly address the Moon and all its avatars to give you advice and provide assistance with whatever issue you may have. You can have a dream the next day, or a conversation with someone that will bring answers you are looking for: that’s the planet/deity’s way of helping! Here are instructions on how to set up a Moon altar:
- Use a white or silver cloth (paper is also fine), according to your preferences, and put it on your altar.
- Put three or nine candles (white or silver, nine is best) on your altar. You can engrave them with the symbol of the Moon. If you see the Moon as a particular colour (mine is silver with purple), you can also decorate it that way.
- Put objects that evoke the image of the Moon. You can print out an image of a painting or sculpture of the Moon, for example the Moon goddess Selene. May cultures have their own representation of the Moon goddess - if this is your case, you can also use this. Moon objects include sea animals (such as the crab), shells in all their forms, bull/cow images or horns...
- Silver and glass are the traditional materials associated with the Moon, so you can put silver/glass objects on your altar. For Moon stones: moonstone, rock crystal, selenite, glass, opal, and any white stones or stones with a milky textures.
- With a silver pen, draw the symbols of Moon, her planetary square, as well as Agrippa seals on paper (see files below).
- Get incense. I like to use incense sticks (you can buy an incense stick holder for that). For the Moon, I like to use sandalwood or jasmine.
- For offerings, I like white flowers (moonflower, jasmine, orchids, blue lotus, night phlox, white flowers…), watery things — the Moon rules over crabs, oysters, water, coconuts, egg whites and all white things. You can also put a fresh glass of water on the altar.
- Put tarot cards, Moon talismans and materia on your altar (what is talismanic/astrological materia?)
On the planetary day (Monday) or night (Thursday night) and hour of the Moon, once your altar is ready, light the candles and incense. You can then say the Orphic Hymn to the Moon (Selene). Once you're done, present your offerings to the Moon, and you can then respectfully ask for what you wish for. The Moon rules over protection, relaxation, nourishment, the maternal, so anything you'd like to request in that domain you can ask her. Once you're done, thank the Moon and meditate. And you're done!
Consistency goes a long way, so doing this for even 5 minutes every week is better than a big ritual every other month!
You will find a prayer (the Orphic Hymn to Selene) below, as well as symbols to put on your altar. You can also devise your own prayers and symbols if you prefer!
Thank you for taking this lunar journey with me, I hope it can be a useful starting point for a blossoming lunar pratice! ☽
