This essay is not so much about astrology or cycles as it is about noticing patterns. Any practice of recording information over a period of time will reveal certain patterns of existence in your life. Now, these patterns can be analyzed by all sorts of means. The Cycles Journal is a powerful tool to help you notice many of your daily patterns in line with the physical cycle of your body.
Of course, astrology, as a study of time, also includes numerous cycles. We’ve already looked at the two different lunar cycles, one with the Sun taking 29.5 days and the other with the constellations taking just of 27. Because these cycles correspond so nicely with the general length of the body’s hormonal cycle, powerful correlations can be drawn.
Noticing the way your body moves with the Moon is the first step. This pattern can be compared to the cycles of the Moon each month. All you are looking for is a repetition. Perhaps you bleed at a particular phase or with the Moon in a certain zodiacal sign. Maybe you notice a surge of energy at another time, lethargy at yet another, etc. This is what we are initially going for.
At this point, you can start to make connections between the Moon and your body. But what about everything else? Well the Moon is more than just a symbol of our physical cycles. It indicates health, emotional states, appetite, energy, memory, and much more. Tracking the various features of our lives; what we eat, drink, feel, do, and find meaningful, is easily integrated with the tracking of the Moon.
Look for repetition once again. Perhaps you feel like a certain food when the Moon is in a sign. Think about that sign, any planets you have in it, and why this might be? Perhaps you notice that you consistently feel depressed when the Moon is in the same sign as your Saturn, or angry when its with your Mars. Maybe you feel energetic with Mars instead, but need a day in bed on your lunar return. This isn’t about prescribing certain action to yourself so much as it is noticing your own tendencies alongside the lunar cycle through your chart.
Knowing these correlations does eventually allow us to predict and look forward intentionally. If you learn about your tendencies and can correlate them to particular lunar experiences, you can anticipate events when those lunar experiences repeat. So, for example, if the Moon in Aries (where your natal Saturn is) typically makes you feel depressed and lethargic, avoid scheduling important things when the Moon is there. This is a standard I’ve learned in my own life to make it slightly easier and create less burnout situations.
In the end, I believe that astrology is best used intentionally. By this, I mean using a knowledge of the planets and their influence to make decisions, anticipate possibilities, and avoid challenges as best as possible. We cannot know exactly what the future holds. However, we can learn from the past and anticipate the future based on what we experienced before. All of this can be used to care for ourselves, the people in our lives, and this sacred opportunity that we have to just exist. Live intentionally. Live astrologically. Live with the Moon.
