THE PROGRESSED MOON – SHIFTS IN HEALTH CYCLES
One thing we all know for sure is that ‘Life is always changing’. The planets are moving every second of the day and life ticks on. We change, we grow and we shift, thank goodness, otherwise we would all still be new born babies.
Many a time one hears a person describe an illness that they ‘grew out of’, or that bad time in their life where they were plagued with boils. When the progressed Moon enters into a new sign there will be a shift in our lives as well as in our health. It is the shift in health that interests me.
The Moon is the fastest moving body in the sky as well as being one of the two most visible lights to the naked eye. Because of this she is used to monitor the flow of events in horary questions and by progression shifts in a natal chart. She is never retrograde but always moving forward, though her speed can vary.
Astrologers have used progressions, directions and various other methods to monitor shifts, changes and timing in the Horoscope.
Progressions or secondary progression is a system where Astrologers equate one day after the birth day to one year of life. A day for a year is used for progressing the Horoscope forward to predict future events or cycles.
The Moon reflects the truth of the Sun, where the Sun is the King the Moon represents his Queen. The Moon shows how we perceive life as well as how we emotionally choose how to experience living either consciously or unconsciously. The Moon reflects our personal needs, growth cycles as well our emotional security.
The Moon’s cycle of maturity is between twenty seven to twenty eight years from the date of birth in a Horoscope. This is the time the Moon via secondary progression will return to its same position at birth. Interestingly enough this is around the time of the Saturn return.
The second cycle of maturity starts between the ages of twenty seven and twenty eight and the third cycle will begin at about fifty four and end around eighty two. As we enter into each cycle hopefully we do so having learnt lessons and gained experience from the past cycle.
The Moon spends about two and a half years in a sign and will have travelled through every sign and house in the Horoscope in one twenty seven year cycle. All twelve areas of the Natives life will be reflected by the Moon. Life is always changing and as the Moon changes houses and signs we will notice attitude shifts in our lives.
I have recently noticed the progressed Moon entering the sign of the ninth house in a consultation. The client a very successful accountant has just resigned and gone back to University to study Art. Another progressed Moon that is clearly showing a shift in attitude is my Husbands, he is an international airline pilot. His progressed Moon is about to enter into the sign ruling his fourth house. He has opted out of the international circuit and has applied for work flying locally so he can spend time at home.
We will also experience three to four new Moons in our lifetime. Simply put a new Moon is a new beginning, a time for a major shift or beginning. I met my husband and we moved in together during my first New Moon, my second one is coming up next year and my children are both leaving the nest giving us some alone time to reconnect.
As the progressed Moon travels through her cycle she will be aspecting the Natal Moon. During one cycle we can expect to experience each one of the five ptolemiac aspects. According to sign and house these aspects can time cycles and events in our lives.
These aspects co-inside with transiting Saturn’s aspect to our natal Saturn. Seven years is the first square, fourteen years the opposition and so on. Important cycles of maturity reflecting time for restructuring as well as shifts in our lives.
One of the important uses of the Moon in traditional medical astrology was to time crisis in a patient during a period of illness. The position of the Moon at the time of decumbiture was noted, this is when the patient first presents with symptoms or when the patient’s urine first showed signs of disease. From this time the Moon’s passage was monitored to enable the physician to plot the course the disease would take. Careful note was taken of the times the Moon would aspect her original position as these would be the most likely time for crisis in the illness.
The English Physician Nicholas Culpeper notes that the Moon is the closest to Earth of all the planets. She is visible as she borrows her light form the Sun and in the old time’s when physicians ‘were know to be honest’ found that changes and terminations of diseases were noted by the course of the Moon.
Another Seventeenth Century Physician, Richard Saunders, measures Crisis in disease from the time when first the sickness invaded the infirm. He then observes the time the Moon aspects herself to a Quartile aspect, seventh day then fourteenth day, twenty first day and finally twenty eight day to follow the course of the disease timing when a crisis could arise. Noting that the Moon will at times be faster and at other times slower in motion.
As we are aware each sign and house can describe a disease or organ in the body. As the progressed Moon travels through the sign they can describe the type of diseases the Native needs be aware of for the next two and a half years. The house can show where the problems could arise.
To really pinpoint times of actual events or times of actual illness we need to be aware of the transits and aspects to other planets. But to gauge the areas that are shifting in a healthy or unhealthy way we can look to see which sign our progressed Moon is traveling through..
As a refresher I will list the body parts attributed to the twelve signs and Houses;
Aries and the First house – The whole body, head, face, ears, eyes, nose and all to do with the face.
Taurus and the Second house – The neck and throat.
Gemini and the Third house – The shoulders, arms, wrists, hands and fingers.
Cancer and the Fourth house – The breast, chest, ribs and lungs.
Leo and the Fifth house – The heart, liver, stomach, sides and back.
Virgo and the Sixth house – The bottom of the stomach, the bowls, intestines, rectum and anus.
Libra and the Seventh house – The kidneys, reproductive system and pelvis.
Scorpio and the Eighth house – Genitals, bladder and organs of excretion.
Sagittarius and the Ninth house – The sacrum, hips, thighs and buttocks.
Capricorn and the Tenth house – The knees and thighs.
Aquarius and the Eleventh house – Shins, calves and ankles.
Pisces and the Twelfth house – The feet.
A client presented with a bad case of menopausal acne, she mentioned that she had bad acne in her late teens and it has re occurred twenty eight years later, the beginning years of menopause. Her progressed Moon was in Aries square to her natal Saturn.
Cycles of both good and poor health seem to be connected to the Moon, her phases and the signs her progressions travel through.
The diseases attributed to the twelve signs that the progressed Moon could highlight are;
Aries – A choleric, hot and dry fiery sign, signifying headaches, fevers, pimples, acne, ringworm, seizures, eczema, vertigo, strokes, ear ache, sinus, acute conditions wounds to the head as well as baldness.
Taurus – A melancholic, cold and dry fixed earthy sign signifying weight gain, thyroid problems, strep throat or sore throats, tonsillitis, vocal cord problems and post nasal drips.
Gemini – A mutable air sign, sanguine, hot and moist signifies all problems related to the shoulders like rotator cuff or frozen shoulder problems, carpal tunnel syndrome and other problems related to the hands and arms. As it is a sanguine sign it will also signify diseases related to the mind like anxiety and mental illness as well as neurological burn out. Diseases of the airways like asthma and bronchitis are also signified by Gemini.
Cancer – A phlegmatic cold and moist cardinal watery sign signifies eating disorders, food neurosis, weight problems, edema, breast problems, watery weak lungs, brain chemistry imbalances, allergies to foods and fatigue.
Leo – A fixed fiery sign, choleric, hot and dry signifies heart disease, hypertension, eye diseases, backache, jaundice or yellow fever and dehydration.
Virgo – A Melancholic, mutable cold earth sign signifies diverticulitis, diabetes, hepatitis, colitis, worms, dysentery, hernia, appendicitis, dyspepsia and gall stones.
Libra – A hot and moist, sanguine cardinal air sign signifying sugar addiction, alcoholism, kidney diseases, glandular imbalances, ovarian and problems, venereal diseases and kidney stones.
Scorpio – A phlegmatic, cold and moist fixed water sign signifying venereal diseases, hemorrhoids, mennoraghia, prostititis, diarrhea, fibroids, fistulas, excessive sweating, glandular excesses, obsessions and bladder infections.
Sagittarius – A choleric, hot and dry mutable fiery sign signifying sport injuries, ADHD, injuries from four legged animals like horses, heated blood, misalignment of spine and hip, sciatica, mental derangement, depleted systems from too much activity and travel, high blood pressure and insomnia.
Capricorn – A melancholic cold and dry cardinal earth sign signifies arthritis, knee problems, rheumatism, skin diseases, bad teeth, constipation, anorexia, warts, fungus of nails and skin, bone fractures, mineral and vitamin deficiency, keloids and infertility.
Aquarius – A sanguine hot and moist fixed air sign signifies problems with ankles and shins, anemia, nervous sensitivity, low blood pressure, varicose veins, cramping due to salt deficiencies, mental extremes, cold extremities, poor blood flow, unusual undiagnosed ailments, rheumatism and a weak heart.
Pisces – A phlegmatic, cold and moist mutable water sign signifies all problems with ones feet, obesity, weal immunity, excess of phlegm and mucus, pussy boils, sores that become infected, swelling of lymph glands, sleepiness and sensitive lungs.
In closing, remember that when delineating a chart, there is layer after layer we need to look at to tell us exactly what is actually happening.
For example whichever sign the progressed Moon is in it will have a ruler. For further information we need to look at that planet, both natal and progressed, and the sign it is in to give us more information.
We then need to look at the transits and see if they are applying to aspect the progressed Moon or the ruler of the sign she is in. We also need to look at the progressed Moon’s aspects to the planets in the chart. Each will tell a story with a good or challenging ending!
