In the First Quarter Moon Phase, the Sun-Moon angle is 90 – 135°
The Moon is now 3 signs ahead of the Sun and begins at the square, a difficult angle. At the square the Moon and the Sun are uneasy with each other. In this case we have an air sign (New Moon Libra) and our first quarter square in this particular phase happens in Capricorn. Libra is ‘air’ and Capricorn is ‘earth’. Mental energy squares with earth practicality. Conflicts of interest between the signs is one way to say it. At this point we have to find a way to satisfy the urges and needs of both signs–both aspects being stimulated in our psyche, our soul, our heart. And this drives us to some sort of “action” in some way. The last phase was a crisis in consciousness and this phase is referred to as a crisis in action.
Many times folks born in this phase are do-ers, achieve-ers –they make things happen. There’s a forceful, managerial feeling to how we approach life when Luna is in this phase. (I so went through that when the Moon was applying to 90° and by the time the angle past, I was over it and ready to take action in various ways. Yet, as I write this blog today, it’s still early in the phase.)
Typically, it is possible that feelings of unworthiness, failure or doubt can crop up at this time. That’s what they say because it’s a carryover from the Crescent phase from a few days ago.
And in my personal example, a few days ago there was a fluctuation in the mood. Not so much doubt from that ray of hope that came through the new phase but it was more like crunch-time as the saying goes. I spent an afternoon adding, subtracting, multiplying so-to-speak in order to convince myself that this ray of hope is legit and completely possible, viable, practical and do-able. Any doubt now is waning or depleting.
It is said that group energy is a theme for this Moon angle and tension between self and group energy or the energy of idealism may occur. This is where the Moon enters the brighter hemisphere; the realm of manifestation and where we meet “others” who may be antagonistic or oppositional. In this lunar phase it would be good to remember one’s path and to not to let the result of drama leave a mark on the evolving spirit.
I understand that last paragraph–I’ve been drawing in comments from others (probably my own reflections) that sound much like, “Are you sure about this?”
This particular First Quarter Moon right now is occurs in the sign of practical Capricorn; thus the concerns with practicality. But as I make this post, the Moon is only 6° into Capricorn and will not complete the phase until 15° Aquarius and that’s not until October 4th which is 3 days from now. I may be sharing my personal experiences of this lunar phase prematurely but can always come back and post an addendum at the bottom of the post. So let’s go forward anyway–knowledge is power. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.
The Moon in the sky is really beautiful right now—looking like a half Moon, very bright; I admired it while waiting to pick up my grandson from band practice, sitting the parking lot of the High School last night. Looking at that Moon I thought about how a psychic artist and teacher from my past told me many years ago, nearly 20 years ago now, to study the Moon phases–that it would be helpful for me to do that. I was thinking how helpful that guidance really was. Oh, this isn’t the first time I’ve studied the Moon phases, but the first time I blogged about them and really applied the knowledge to what was currently happening in my own life.
The lunation cycle is a a “cycle of periodic changes”
These changes are those of the solar-lunar relationship. The start of the monthly phasal relationship between the Sun Moon begins at the conjunction–meaning at that time the distance between the Sun and the Moon is 0°, then the maximum distance is 180° (Full Moon)–the opposition.
It is probably good to remember that the Moon in the sky as it changes is the shadow that the Earth casts upon the Moon itself. At the full Moon the earth casts no shadow and so the Moon is fully illuminated by the Sun.
So we have new mental concepts and new emotional developments that occur each month–the lunar cycle reflects our soul’s evolutionary growth day by day or phase by phase. We can see how previous structures and emotions (from the previous month–lunar cycle) are changing. Last month life was one way and now life is different, right? I love the way the Moon’s transits and phases and really give us an up-close and personal view of our own evolution. Its like looking at our life through a microscope.
Now, in this phase, there is a gradual assimilation; a gradual revelation.
The challenge is to now grow positively toward the fullness of the revelation rather than allow the mind that is crowded with the shells of the past structures to dominate the psyche.
Will we repudiate the past and build the new? Will we allow the seed that was planted in our consciousness (the seed we asked for, asked to be given through our intentions in our new moon meditations) to continue to be nurtured and to further grow?
The waxing phase (as the Moon is growing fuller) is a time to have an entirely positive attitude as much as possible. Why? because at the Full Moon what we have been nurturing will become manifest in the psyche and in the outer experience too as a result. We are laying the ground now for the time when the Sun’s light shines fully on the Moon–the solar power can make the Moon’s energy effective or not effective based on the power of integration that we ourselves have been nurturing throughout the entire waxing phase.
The reference to “group” energy at the beginning of the post on this First Quarter phase (it feels to me) as if we are aligning with a particular group–like these are my “peeps” (as the slang term goes these days) and these are ‘not’ my peeps. Said another way, there is a feeling of wanting to identify with a particular group now… this is occurring within me just since yesterday. I am feeling an identification with people of my age group and in other ways, determining the line in the sand with other group energy. And that is definitely a part of the whole New Moon intention and the ray of hope and the struggle within me to accept it as real possibility and now how the manifestation will affect my association with particular groups and group energy. I had to think about this but I do see it.
We will encounter people who will antagonize us and ideas which oppose our own ideas. We are at the midpoint of the waxing cycle in this phase. There is an idealism and then a reality and there is one winner and idealism can win! But there’s a struggle for balance too. You know this quote? “Thesis plus antithesis equals synthesis”.
There are crumbling structures, as Dane Rudhyar says about this phase, and the desire to commit to a principle; sort of like “do or die” type of commitment or decision about how it’s going to go from here on out. We will NOT crumble along with those structures the way we’ve done in the past!
We have a principle or a personal ethic or a strong hope/desire and now it’s time to “win one” in some way. We know life isn’t perfect and our manifestation may not be perfection either but we ARE going to go toward it positively. We may fear that we can’t but know that we must–the feeling now is sort of like this.
By the way, it is said that when the First Quarter Moon is in a Cardinal sign (in this case it’s in Capricorn, a cardinal sign) that there are excellent prospects for success. This is true for people born in during this Lunar phase as well. Cardinal signs are Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn.
This Moon phase is about building a NEW framework in some way which will overcome the past and serve the intentions for one’s future!
[…be back around or just after 15° Aquarius at the start of the Gibbous Lunar Phase which starts at 135° and extends to the 180° FULL MOON]
QUICK MOON PHASE LINKS:
Joy's Blog 