The Moon Archetype: The Functions of its Life Cycle

The Moon Archetype: The Functions of its Life Cycle

Connection is the lifeblood of the manifest 

Note: In astrology, the combined unique functions of the seven visible planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, create a fourfold life cycle. This cycle is comprised of nourishment, production, distribution, and rest. Each of these planets expresses each of these four stages in its respective cycle, setting up a fractal-like pattern reflected in the whole (nature's life cycle) and each part (the life cycle of each planet).

The Moon is the archetypal matter of everything, whereas the Sun is the archetypal spirit of everything. The Sun is the dominating life force that is showered on nature. The life force is connected to the manifest world by the Moon. 

The Moon represents all things dealing with matter, the manifest world, the measure, the mind, personality, connection, fame, and fertility. It is the manifest principle and compliments the non-manifest principle of the Sun. All the planets are important for the life cycle, but the Moon is extremely important in the manifest world given that it bonds the life force, the Sun, with it. 

When all the life cycles are analyzed at once through a quantitative lens, one will see that the Moon's climax point will be the combined life cycle's high point in nature and the same can be said for the Moon's anticlimax point and middling points. This means, the Moon will mark nature's climax, anticlimax, and middling points. This shows that indeed, the Moon is the measure. For example, the face will be a strong indicator of what is going on in the body more than any other body part. If a person is sad, happy, in pain, in pleasure, etc., these states are most easily seen on the face. Also, a facial picture is the most common form of identification for a person. 

The Moon becomes manifest at 3 degrees of Taurus (commonly known as the Moon's exaltation degree) just twelve days before the spring reaches its climax. During this time, the ground is soft enough for the seeds of production and connection to be planted with the sowing of seeds and the cattle set out to graze in the fields. The nurturing of the Moon will occur from 3 degrees of Taurus to 3 degrees of Leo. This also happens on a daily basis with rush hour commutes connecting the workforce with their vocations and coworkers to begin another productive workday. In the human life, prepubescent children start to discriminate and make their first significant connections with their peers. 

Twelve days before the climax of summer, the Moon comes into its peak period using its attributes to lift nature up to its peak. By this time, the Moon comes of age in the range from 3 degrees of Leo to 3 degrees of Scorpio, and gives the day, year, and human life what they need to reach a climax of production with its power of manifestation and connection. The busy part of the day is in full swing in the afternoon, the annual growing season is at its peak thriving in Moon produced humidity, and an adult being highly fertile and having a robust network at this prime time of his/her life allows for a climax of procreation. 

At 3 degrees of Scorpio, the Moon has completed its peak and is ready to bestow and distribute its harvest, or outcome, of its connecting, fame producing, and fertility functions. Here, the daily work has ended and people are relaxing in the comfort of their home; the annual harvest is being distributed in the markets; and the intense part of adult life finished with retirement fast approaching. Life becomes ever more private at this point. One will begin to see the results of their actions when he/she begins to descend from the peak of his/her life. This quarter for which the Moon gives its results runs from 3 degrees of Scorpio to 3 degrees of Aquarius. A huge chunk of this quarter in the grand life cycle is in the thick of the non-productive period of a workday, year, and human life. One will see what he/she has reaped from his/her sowing. The results of fertility are seeing children come into their own; the result of fame is legacy. Fertility, connections, and fame will decrease as the ability to procreate and connect weakens. 

When the Moon reaches its anticlimax point of death at 3 degrees of Aquarius, it has completed its life cycle and is ready to rest and recuperate until it will rise again at its manifestation. This quarter will span from 3 degrees of Aquarius to 3 degrees of Taurus. It is a time when people are in deep sleep from the mental fatigue of the day’s work and play, when the fields cannot manifest life, and humans become disconnected from the manifest world and the people in that world. People will retreat from life in the winter of the day, year and life before being brought back to another cycle of connection, fame, and fertility in its next productive cycle. 

The Moon rises to allow nature to form fertile networks that bring about fame and procreation. After it is nourished from spring climax to summer climax, it turns on its creative and emotional power to bring forth a bountiful harvest with whatever one is creating and building. In the maturing of the Moon, networks retreat and nature turns inward. As the Moon comes into its anticlimax there is an opportunity for space in relationships that have run their course. Nature comes back to one. 

Image Source: By AnonMoos [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Saturn Archetype: The Functions of its Life Cycle

The Saturn Archetype: The Functions of its Life Cycle

Disintegration allows room for new life.  

Note: In astrology, the combined unique functions of the seven visible planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, create a fourfold life cycle. This cycle is comprised of nourishment, production, distribution, and rest. Each of these planets expresses each of these four stages in its respective cycle, setting up a fractal-like pattern reflected in the whole (nature's life cycle) and each part (the life cycle of each planet).

The Sun and Saturn are one of the three pairs of visible planets that have antithetical functions to one another. Saturn's functions include darkness, cold, unconsciousness, and disintegration. These functions are antithetical to the Sun's functions of light, warmth, consciousness, and life. Both antithetical qualities are needed in nature, for their differences keep nature in harmony with their rhythmic back and forth. When one is resting another is working; when one is being nourished another is distributing its results. 

Saturn’s exaltation degree (the point at which it becomes manifest) is at 20 degrees of Libra and about three weeks into the fall season. Planets get their characteristics from the seasonal environments in which they are born. The fall season, a time when temperatures drop, light wanes, and disintegration abounds in nature, nurtures Saturn at its birth. In fall, productive and abundant nature breaks down as the fruits of the current productive cycle are distributed. Mercury puts the life support system into place before Saturn comes through to inhibit nature from any more growth, so the foundation can be laid for a new productive cycle. The old must give way to the new. Saturn rises in Libra, which is the opposite of the Sun’s rise in Aries. Libra is also the opposing sign of the Sun's manifestation and the reason why these planets are antithetical to one another.

Three weeks deep into winter, Saturn comes of age in the range from 20 degrees of Capricorn to 20 degrees of Aries. With its full force and capabilities, Saturn will decimate nature through most of the winter season and twenty days of spring in order allow nature to rest and recuperate for another productive cycle. Saturn reins through the peak of non-productivity. Most people are fast asleep during this time of day, the fields lay barren, and humans are resting in peace and experiencing the bardos. 

Three weeks into spring, Saturn has completed its production. It is ready to bestow and distribute its harvest, or results, of its productive season through its functions of darkness, chill, unconsciousness, and disintegration. At this time, the Sun has just awakened, and the productive period of a day, year and life is beginning. This quarter for which Saturn gives its results runs from 20 degrees of Aries to 20 degrees of Cancer. Results are often associated with a tangible, positive thing. Saturn’s harvest could be termed as a “negative result/harvest” because Saturn’s job is to disintegrate and tear down the past in order that space can be left for a new future. Thus, in a huge chunk of this quarter in Saturn’s harvest period is the beginning of the grand productive life cycle for a workday, annual growing season, and birth-childhood period of a human. This is when humans are given new life with the previous incarnation left behind, become school children with new inspiration, and sow the seeds for a new productive season. Saturn’s harvest distributes the space that allows for fresh, new growth, and experiences.

In the beginning of summer, when Saturn reaches its anti-climax point of death at 20 degrees of Cancer, it has completed its life cycle and is ready to sleep until it will rise again. This quarter spans from 20 degrees of Cancer to 20 degrees of Libra. The Sun, the life giving force, has matured to adulthood; it holds the full capacity of consciousness, allowing nature to be infused with light, heat, and consciousness powering the peak of productivity. This is the time of year when a growing season is at its peak and ready to show promise.  In the human lifetime, we are most capable and experiencing the prime of life and all the things the world has to offer while creating and procreating. People are ready to realize gains and independence. Saturn rests to recuperate its life destroying power while the Sun reestablishes abundant life in nature with its energy. 

Where the Sun’s efforts create nature’s life force, Saturn tears it down. The Sun is conscious; Saturn is unconscious. The Sun is light; Saturn is dark. The Sun is hot; Saturn is cold. Sun and Saturn rein in the respective extremes of nature: the Sun in summer and Saturn in winter. After Saturn is nourished in the early fall and winter, and productive in the early winter and fall, it distributes its results of destruction and death through the early spring and summer, so nature can have the space and ability to restart a fresh productive season. When Saturn rests in the early summer and fall, life is productive, abundant, and free, creating a new world of ideas and products. Early fall then has Saturn rising to be nourished throughout the weakening and stripping down of nature at the beginning of life’s non-productive period. 

Image source: By Jean-François Millet - http://alexlazar.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/death-and-the-woodcutter-jean-francois-millet3.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10307117

The Sun Archetype: The Functions of its Life Cycle

The Sun Archetype: The Functions of its Life Cycle

What gives life inhabits all life, but is not affected by life. 

Note: In astrology, the combined unique functions of the seven visible planets, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, create a fourfold life cycle. This cycle is comprised of nourishment, production, distribution, and rest. Each of these planets expresses each of these four stages in its respective cycle, setting up a fractal-like pattern reflected in the whole (nature's life cycle) and each part (the life cycle of each planet).

The Sun is the archetypal spirit of everything. The importance of the Sun is demonstrated by its prominence in our solar system. All the other planets revolve around it. With its functions of light, heat and consciousness, it is the source of energy and life.

The Sun represents all things heavenly and divine. It is the non-manifest principle from which the manifest springs. All the planets are important for the life cycle, but the Sun is extremely so given it is the root of all other functions. It is the hub of the wheel, while the other planets are the spokes.

The Sun becomes manifest at 10 degrees of Aries (commonly known as the Sun's exaltation degree) just ten days after spring begins. Being born in the spring gives the Sun its qualities of warmth, beauty, and manifestation. Light, heat, and life gain a foothold in nature at this time. Temperatures start to rise, light increases, and more activity is afoot in our hemisphere. 

Ten days after spring is complete, the Sun goes forth into summer, using these attributes to lift nature up. It blazes nature with heat, light, and consciousness, laying the foundation of its productive cycle. By this time, the Sun comes of age in the range from 10 degrees of Cancer to 10 degrees of Libra, and gives the day, year, and human life what they need for peak production. The busy part of the day is in full swing in the afternoon, the annual growing season is at its peak baking under the hot summer sun, and an adult is most conscious and free at this prime time of his/her life. The Sun makes nature alive and conscious. 

At 10 degrees of Libra, the Sun has completed its peak and is ready to bestow and distribute the harvest, or outcome, of its light, heat, and consciousness functions. Here, the outcome of the day, year and life will be evident with the daily work ending, the annual harvest being gathered up, and the intense part of the adult life of raising children and physical work winding down. One will begin to see the results of their actions when he/she begins to descend from the peak of his/her life. This quarter for which the Sun gives its results runs from 10 degrees of Libra to 10 degrees of Capricorn. A huge chunk of this quarter in the grand life cycle is in the first quarter of the non-productive period of a workday, year, and human life. One will see what he/she has reaped from his/her sowing. Light, heat, and consciousness will decrease in nature as darkness, cold, and unconsciousness increase in nature. 

When the Sun reaches its anti-climax point of death at 10 degrees of Capricorn, it has completed its life cycle and is ready to rest and recuperate until it will rise again at its manifestation. This quarter will span from 10 degrees of Capricorn to 10 degrees of Aries. It is a time when people will descend into sleep from the mental fatigue of the day’s work and play, when the fields cannot maintain manifest life, and humans become unconscious and unmanifest through death. They will retreat from manifest life in the winter of the day, year and life before being brought back to another cycle of radiant, warm, and conscious life. 

The Sun rises to allow nature to have the building blocks of life and a consciousness that will inhabit the vessels of nature. After it is nourished in spring and productive in summer, it becomes unmanifest revealing the results of its actions. The Sun rests ten days after winter begins when life has died and is hibernating in the abyss. The Sun rises again for nourishment ten days after spring starts to infuse the day, year and lifetime with raw energy and life. 

Image Source: By bazaar arts - http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/bce_500back/vedas/surya/surya.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45318523