How to find and interpret moon cycles in your birth chart.
The new and full moons punctuate each month of our lives. I’ve found that they show where our current focus is and frequently highlight upcoming events as well. Watching where they fall in your own chart is a great way to keep track of the cycles in your life and plan for what’s coming.
Here’s an easy way to find out where the new and full moons fall in your birth chart. I’ll use Nancy Pelosi’s January 2019 new moon chart as an example. Will she be the next Speaker of the House?
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How do you figure out where a new or full moon will fall in your own birth chart? There are three quick steps.
First, you’ll need to find out the time of the new or full moon. Moon cycles are available from any number of resources on the Web: I like this site because it easily allows you to tailor the exact time to your or any other location. Plug in the location where you’ll be during the moon in question in the field labeled “Place or country” at the top of the page.
As an example, let’s use the January 5, 2019, new moon for Nancy Pelosi, who is currently in negotiations to become Speaker of the House of Representatives after Democrats took the House in the midterms. While her birth time is not known, the moon does not change signs on her birthday—she is definitely a Scorpio Moon, fittingly for a woman known for prodigious negotiation skills.
I’ll use a noon time for her, as is customary with unknown birth times, for the sake of illustration. This places her natal Moon in the 5th, with her Aries Sun on the Midheaven—a prominent Sun would make sense for her longstanding influence in politics and historic-making role as the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, while a 5th house moon could represent her work on behalf of women and children while in office.
Now you’ll need your own birth chart. For this, I recommend Astro.com. Navigate to “Free Horoscopes” at the top of the home page, then click on “Charts & Calculations” at the far right. Then choose “Extended Chart Selection.” A new screen will open. Click “Add a new person” at the top right to add and save your birth data, after which you’ll automatically be returned to the extended chart options.
Next you’ll create the “birth” chart of the moon you’re interested in. Remember to check the time it occurs, to the minute, to find the location of the moon in the place where you’ll be on that date. The January 5 new moon occurs at 8:28 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Let’s figure Pelosi will be in D.C. by then, so we’ll use the nation’s capital for the moon’s location.
Lastly, you’ll compare the two charts. Going back to “Charts & Calculations,” choose “Extended Chart Selection.” In the “Birth data” section at the top, find your name in the first drop-down menu, to “the right of Horoscope for.” Next, in the “Sections” area, under “Chart type,” choose “Synastry chart (2).” Then choose the moon chart you just added in the drop-down menu for the “Partner” field. For “Chart drawing style,” go with what you like; I generally choose “Astrodienst with asteroids.” (If I don’t mention an option here, go ahead and leave it at the default setting.) Now choose “Click here to show the chart.”
Et voila—you’ll see a biwheel of the moon’s chart surrounding your birth chart. Find the moon in the outer circle of the biwheel. What house does it fall within in your chart?
In our example for Pelosi, the January 5 new moon falls in her 6th house. She’ll certainly be busy, with Jupiter about to move into that house as well. Mars transiting on her Midheaven reflects her ambition and drive as she likely takes up the gavel once again.
Here’s a quick guide to the houses as they related to moon cycles. Take a look to see your area of focus when the moon falls in each.
- 1st house: personality, ambition, taking charge, taking care of what matters to you, renewed energy
- 2nd house: your finances, money matters, values
- 3rd house: communication, publishing, media, immediate neighbors, siblings
- 4th house: home—including physical home, family, roots
- 5th house: play, creative expression or projects, romance,dating, children
- 6th house: daily life, health, the small details that provide the foundation for everything else (root chakra)
- 7th house: partner, close relationships, intimacy
- 8th house: transformation, power, other people’s money
- 9th house: new ideas, education, exploring, travel
- 10th house: career, expanded responsibilities at work, projects related to vocation
- 11th house: community, friends, social life, organizations
- 12th house: spirituality, sometimes a period of solitude, seeking quiet, rest, or refuge; may indicate a change in some part of your life.
There’s a lot more you can glean from a biwheel like this. For example, the new moon in Pelosi’s 6th house is in a pile-up with the heavyweights Saturn and Pluto. With transiting Jupiter about to move into Pelosi’s 6th house, we see her preparing to take on ambitious projects. With transiting Juno, asteroid of equality, also falling right in the midst of her natal Venus-Vesta conjunction, I’d venture that she will work her usual Scorpio deal-making magic with House progressives to be our next Speaker of the House—poised to fight for love of country (Vesta) and community values (Juno), she’ll likely come on strong fighting for justice right out of the gate.
It won’t all be easy though. With transiting Uranus on her natal Saturn and Pluto just having moved into her 7th house, the right use of power and weighty, unpredictable matters are certainly going to be on her mind. But she’ll have a lot going for her next year. With transiting Pallas conjunct her natal North Node, the transiting North Node conjunct her Vertex, and Mars on her Sun at this Jan. 5 new moon, she may be just the warrior the country needs—and she’ll be well suited for the job. With Mercury on her natal Eros and Ceres conjunct her Moon, no doubt she’ll be delighted to hold the Speaker’s gavel once again.
Unsure how a lunation will affect you? Share your questions and discoveries in the comments!
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