Many of the ancient wise ones practiced a rudimentary form of astrology which only dealt with the Moon. This may seem limiting, but there is a wealth of information about the day-to-day affairs of the world which can be explored by just using the Moon as she moves through her phases and the signs of the zodiac, and makes aspects tot he other planets.
When people start working with lunar energies, they generally start by following the Moon as she moves from sign to sign, and learning about the influences that shift as she changes signs every few days. A person may also start planning activities according to the phase of the Moon, starting projects at or after the New Moon, watching them come to fruition at Full, using the waning phases to evaluate and wrap up, and finally ending the project as the Moon becomes dark again.
Eventually, the interested person will come across the term void-of-course Moon, or the indicator v/c or voc. This is a special condition of the Moon, which occurs for varying amounts of time as the Moon moves from one sign to the next and makes aspects to the other planets. The Moon is considered void-of-course immediately after it has made its last major aspect to a planet within a sign. It ceases to be void when it enters the next sign. If used, these void periods can be a very effective way to get the cosmic energies to make life go more in your favor. This article will explain what voids do to the ebb and flow of everyday life, how to identify when the Moon is void-of-course.
These techniques have little or nothing to do with your personal natal astrological chart. These conditions exist in the world at large and affect everyone more or less the same way. Some people are more sensitive, and some are more aware of the influences than others, but the influences are there for anyone to use. These techniques should not be used in interpreting a natal chart. This type of astrology predates natal (birth chart) astrology, and is some of the oldest arcane knowledge that has been passed down to us through the ages. The systems have been refined and augmented as time passed, and some of these techniques are more modern than others. this specialized branch of astrology, known as horary and electional astrology, is usually practiced today apart from natal astrology (which is the most popular astrology the average person is familiar with from horoscope columns).
How To Use the Void-of-Course
Among the many things the Moon rules is the masses, people in groups, daily routine, habits, instincts and personal patterns. It is the unconscious, and also the unconscious things we do to get through life. Unless you are just learning to drive, driving a car is pretty automatic for most of us, as long as conditions aren’t normal. It’s the same with all those things we do in a day, brushing our teeth, taking a shower, making coffee, walking to the bus–everything we would consider normal and routine. These little tasks, which might not seem so important or interesting, are what make the ebb and flow of daily life, and we tend only to take notice of them when they don’t go as we are used to, whenever our routine is broken. This is where the void Moon can come into play.
Well, now we know that the Moon experiences these cosmic break times, but how does that affect the populace at large? The Moon, which rules daily routines, is on break, and so are we, so to speak. Watch and see how the ebb and flow of life changes as the Moon moves fro sign to sign. Things that were very important from one day are pushed aside as new ideas and concerns move to the forefront of consciousness. There is an actual shifting of gears when the Moon changes signs. But, like a manual transmission car, there has to be a time when things are in neutral, so to speak, so the gears can be changes. That is the void Moon.
The upshot of it all is that there are things that just don’t go well when the moon is void, and actually some things that turn out better. During a void Moon, you should not sign a contract, make plans, close a deal, or start a project. Basically anything which you want to have a concrete real-world result should not be started, signed, or sealed. If you do, these things will never get off the ground, never materialize, have to be redone, or have so many problems and setbacks as to be useless anyhow. False starts and errors abound and judgement is more fallible.
If you leave on a trip (some say arrive at your destination), on a void Moon, be prepared to take what happens. Plans will be altered, itineraries go out the window, and new and strange experiences will manifest. This is fun for a vacation, but bad for a business trip. During voids, business moves meet with unexpected difficulties.
Objects bought during a void Moon either never get used, are “not right” in some way, or you don’t find what you were looking for in the first place. You can go grocery shopping, but just stick to the basics–don’t look for special items or try new ones. You either won’t find them or they will never get eaten and probably will have to be thrown out. Expect to forget some absolutely essential everyday item (like milk or bread), and be sure to carefully count your change and look at the cash register receipt. Silly little mistakes are more common during void Moons. Delay and frustration run higher than normal.
If you have to work on a void Moon, stick to routine and don’t try strange new stuff. If you make plans on a void Moon (or some say, plan to met during a void Moon), expect to have mutual misunderstandings. You might show up at the place you agreed but at the wrong time, or your friend might show up at the right time, but in the wrong place. People are more likely to get lost no matter how accurate the directions or how familiar they might be with the neighborhood. You may also discover those strange, interesting out-of-the-way laces you would never ordinarily go. Just be sure to write down the location so you can remember where it is if you ever want to return.
Void Moon time is when you lose objects which are in plain sight. You literally don’t see them. You may put something away and forget where it is afterwards, so it becomes effectively lost. Cheer up. You may find it again during another void Moon.
During a void Moon, you can have a conversation, or read something and then totally forget about it later. Save the trashy romances for this time, since you probably won’t be able to get any effective work done. You could do dishes, or laundry, or clean house during a void Moon, but you might not finish due to interruptions or distractions. Staying on a diet can be tough, and you are more prone to rationalize cheating. Resolve and willpower in general are a little less strong. There is a feeling of, “what they don’t know won’t hurt them,” or “if nobody knows, then I can get away with it.” If you do succumb to temptation, you may have to pay the piper once the Moon moves into the next sign.
On the other hand, if you want to drop a bombshell, and yet have fewer repercussions in the long run, during the void-of-course Moon is the time to do it. Here is a real example. Remember President Reagan, the “Teflon President,” who never got blamed for any of the bad stuff? Well, he was very careful to schedule those presidential news conferences where he would answer the hard questions about nasty controversial stuff during void Moons. There would be questions and discussion, yet the next day nothing would ever really be said in the paper or on TV. The topic was just dropped, forgotten, or glossed over, and nobody ever really notices. The void Moon was Reagan’s Teflon. Even in August 1988, when Nancy Reagan admitted at the Republican National Convention on live TV with Dan Rather that the Reagans used astrology, it was during a void Moon, and nobody really noticed or cared. (This is the stuff that causes astrologers to tear out their hair). Of course, when President Reagan had something wonderful to say which would make him look good and he wanted people to notice, he was very careful to make sure the Moon was not void, so he would receive maximum notice and credit. He also used other astrological tricks that helped, but the biggest and easiest was the void Moon.
Void Moons are the best for subjective, spiritual, non-material concerns; prayer, yoga, play, parties, psychotherapy, sleep, and meditation. Take a warm bubble bath, listen to music, and relax. Decision-making turns out to be non-realistic. Creativity takes unplanned directions, detours, and improvisations. Routine and habit can proceed smoothly, but may need adjustment later (when the Moon is no longer void). ESP is more active, (though not necessarily more accurate).
