Planetary Remediation - The Moon
The Moon
The Moon is associated with matters of the body and represents your ability to tune in, identify and satisfy its needs. Your body is where all the chemistry happens and you can usually tell how balanced that chemistry is by how you feel, physically as well as emotionally. The Moon also represents how you connect and integrate with your physical environment and the people in it, so it has an important role in forming various levels of attachments with others and establishing a sense of security within them.
If you haven’t done so already, you may want to read Building a Better Birth Chart - A Practical Guide to Planetary Remediation before diving into this material.
The Healthy Moon
When the Moon is doing well, you are aware of the signals your body gives you and you are willing and able to respond accordingly. You get proper sleep, you eat nourishing meals when you are hungry, when you feel sad you cry and when you feel affection toward someone you give them a hug. You’re also appropriately tuned to the emotional and physical needs of others. By appropriately, I mean you respond to the needs of, say, your 5-year-old child differently than you do those of your cousin’s real estate agent.
The Excessive Moon
When you overdo the Moon you're likely to overindulge in creature comforts. You might be found eating a tub of ice cream while bingeing Friends re-runs or refusing to get out of bed until 1pm because your just so comfortable. You’re tuned in to your cravings and give into them readily. You’re also likely to be unwilling to do anything outside your coveted comfort zone. There can also be unrealistic expectations of others to accommodate your personal whims.
Identifying The Excessive Moon
Almost everyone goes through excessive Moon periods. Just as the Moon is the most changeable and fastest moving planet in astrology, these periods tend to come and go in cycles. In some ways it is the most prone to excess of all the planets. This might be explained from an astrological perspective by the fact that many systems of astrology treat the moon like a sort of secondary ascendant, giving it a sense of power and influence regardless of what house it’s in. However, like any planet, it is more likely to behave excessively in its home sign, which for the Moon is Cancer.
Aspects with Jupiter tend to have a moderating effect on the Moon, but depending on the sign Jupiter is in and its overall condition it can push things in an excessive direction. Aspects with Venus tends to chill other planets out, but since the Moon is already rather chill to begin with, this can reinforce the “Moonyness” of the Moon in a way that can lead to exclusiveness, notwithstanding the other positive results that will often come with Venus/Moon contacts. Aspects with with Mars will tend to make the Moon more energetic, but in an irregular and de-stabilizing way. Mars/Moon contacts will generally promote unhealthy eating habits.
Being on an angle or in an angular house will increase the strength of the Moon as it does with other planets. The phase of the Moon is also important. Here are some general guidelines when considering the Moon’s phase:
The more light the Moon has (the closer to the full moon it is) the more strength it has.
When the Moon is increasing in light it is higher energy and is stronger, thus generally more prone to excess, but usually more so in terms of indulgence.
When the Moon is decreasing in light it is generally lower energy and technically weaker, but it’s during these phases you are more likely to see the sluggish, moody and not going out of the comfort zone version of excess.
When the Moon is Full, it is at peak power and more prone to excess. However, it is also dryer in terms of temperament, which offsets some of the Moon’s tendency to give into creature comforts and can help it be a little more deliberate.
The Under-strength Moon
The hallmark of the under-strength Moon is a general lack of self-care. There is an unwillingness to acknowledge and identify with your personal needs, and a general discomfort around emotional topics. These tendencies will often show up as a prioritization of another planet at the expense of the Moon, such as starving yourself in order to lose weight (Venus) or sacrificing sleep in order to get work done (the ruler of the 10th). The Under-strength Moon will struggle with interpreting complex emotions and may avoid close attachments that require sensitivity and responsiveness to the emotional and physical needs of others.
Identifying The Under-strength Moon
As with the excessive Moon, most people will go through periods in which they are more Moon deficient as well. While they can be triggered by certain transits, they often happen as the result of prioritizing other things over self-care. Sometimes people avoid Moon stuff because there is actually some very big heavy Moon (physical or emotional) issue that they’d rather avoid dealing with by distracting themselves with work, hobbies or other activities. Moon issues are a bit less likely to fall cleanly into the excessive or under-strength category then other planets, but the Moon in Capricorn will generally lean heavily in the direction of being under-strength.
Aspects with Saturn, especially the hard variety, are particularly good at weakening or de-prioritizing the significations of the Moon. Hard aspects with Mars will tend to destabilize the Moon and give it problems to deal with that can sap its strength. Earth signs will tend to tamp down the Moon, with Capricorn being more oppressive, and Taurus tending to support and balance the Moon.
Remediating the Moon
In some cases you might have a situation where the Moon is more clearly too strong, or too weak. But in most cases, refining and fine-tuning the expression of the Moon is going to be a large component as well.
Remediation for an Under-strength Moon
Charity - Donating time or money in support of the type of people the Moon is closely associated with is a great way to strengthen as well as clean up your Moon. The Moon generally signifies (but is not exclusive to) caretakers, children and people with uteruses. Donating money to or volunteering time with causes like women’s shelters, children’s shelters or orphanages, foster care, food pantry’s, planned parenthood, medical research, disaster relief organizations are some of the ways you can use this approach to juice up your Moon. Its also just a nice thing to do.
White - Wear white on Sunday. Light gray can be good as well, but white is better. Wear at least one white article of clothing, but the more you wear, the stronger the effect.
Gemstones - Wearing jewelry with stones or other materials that are associated with the Moon (especially on Mondays) is a reliable and relatively low input way to give your Moon a boost. These include Silver, Moonstone, Pearl, Selenite and other white stones. Generally speaking, the higher the quality, the more potent the effect of the stone.
Activities/Hobbies - activities associated with self-care will tend to make good Moon remediation. Things like Yoga, cooking or taking a cooking class, guided meditation, getting massages and talk therapy are just a few activities you could take up.
Diet - Adopting a healthy diet is always a good thing for your Moon, but if your Moon low on strength then there are specific foods and diets that will be more helpful. Dairy products like milk or cheese are highly favored by the Moon. Other comfort foods and even junk food can be good in moderation too. The Moon also favors cooler, soothing foods, such as raw fruits or vegetables and salads. Many kinds of white-colored foods will also fall under the Moon’s sphere. Think things like rice pudding or cauliflower.
The Intuitive approach
Boosting the Moon is essentially about making time for and connecting with the topics of the Moon. Here are some real simple things you can do toward that end.
Chill the fuck out, i.e. relax - Easier said than done for some of us but try reserving some time (the hour of the Moon, perhaps) to just relaxing, whatever that means to you. It may be taking a nap, it may be sitting down with a good book or just watching something on Netflix. If you have an under-active Moon, you are probably not doing this enough. You’re Moon will thank you for it.
Better yet, do it with someone you care about - Quality time with people you care about and care about you, is really the Moon’s bag. It’s not just about nurturing yourself, but nurturing your connections with others that the Moon is responsible for. When your Moon is healthy and strong you’ll do this more naturally, but think of it as priming the pump a bit.
Talk about your feelings with someone - I know, gross, right? WRONG! Talking about your feelings is so good for your Moon, and the more uncomfortable this idea is to you the more essential it is for you to do it. If you don’t have people in your life that are safe to do this with, or its just too uncomfortable for you, you can also see a professional therapist.
Connecting with your Mother or Care-giving figure - The lunar sphere is not limited to your mother or specifically female caretakers. For many people their father or another caretaker may well have played a significant lunar role in their life and upbringing. Connecting with any caregiver will help strengthen your Moon, but you can’t really look at the Moon without taking into consideration the person who grew your body inside their body, whatever your relationship with them may be. It may not be possible or even healthy for you to talk with or spend time with these figures, but you can spend time thinking about them, or connecting with your memories of them. If do not know your biological mother, simply meditating on the idea of them or what you do know about them will work. This process may be pleasant, unpleasant or both. The Moon is about acknowledging and accepting whatever feelings come up for you, but if this is a difficult or problematic topic, that is a hint that simply strengthening your Moon is not the best approach for you, in which case move on to the clean-up section.
Remediation for an Excessive Moon
A lot of remediation for an excessive Moon involves doing activities associated with other planets. As a result, this section will be rather sparse, as much of what you will want to do will be about laying off the activities of the Moon and doing something else.
Diet- remediating an excessive Moon is much more about what not to eat then it is about what you should eat. Generally, comfort foods are a no-no. Vegan or vegetarian diets are also not advisable, as they are associated with the humor of Phlegm of which the Moon is conducive.
Cleaning Up the Moon
The main goal with working with your Moon is always going to be toward getting the Moon doing its job in an optimal way. While adjusting the volume on the Moon has its place, fine-tuning the music is the ultimate goal. Cleaning and optimizing your Moon should involve a regular, multi-lateral approach. Design a practice for yourself centered on the day of the Moon, and commit to it for anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 3-6 months. Try keeping a journal about what comes up for you, and reflect on it as you continue your practice.
Fasting - Fasting is both one of the more challenging and one of the most effective approaches to cleaning up your Moon. If you have more complicated Moon issues, make a practice of fasting on Monday’s for a period of time. Fasting effectively clears the fog around the specific real-life issues related to the planet so you can more clearly identify patterns that need to be adjusted. If fasting is not realistic for you, you can try restricting your diet on Monday to small-portioned, Moon themed meals.
Meditation - Mediating on the topics of the Moon is great general practice, but should definitely be incorporated into a planetary fast. 10-15 minutes is enough, ideally on Monday’s or during the hour of the Moon.
Propitiatory methods - Before meditating, create a small simple ritual around reciting a petition to the Moon. You can recite the Orphic Hymn to the Moon, or design your own petition if you prefer. It doesn’t have to be especially poetic, the idea is just to tell the Moon how awesome it is, acknowledge the things the Moon represents, why those things are so great and ask the Moon to bestow her gifts upon you. You don’t have to believe that the Moon is a literal entity with god-like powers for this to work. But humans have been building God figures around archetypes for tens-of-thousands of years for a reason. It does something for us, it is part of how the human brain creates meaning.
Professional Therapy - This one will appear in the clean-up section of all the Planets and not because I get a commission if you book with therapist through my link, but because I honestly can’t imagine what my life would be like without the years I spent therapy. You may need to try several therapists to find a good fit, but it is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
With the Moon, you are learning to take care of your self and maintain healthy relationships with those around you in a way that supports the rest of your life. So when applying these methods, measure success in terms of how things change in your actual life. Are you getting a enough sleep? Are you eating healthy meals? Are you forming healthier emotional attachments? These methods will help tune you in and support the development of healthier patterns, but they aren’t a replacement for healthy lifestyle choices.
