In case you didn’t know, I recently had a birthday. It wasn’t just any birthday. It was my 40th. There were no champagne corks popping, parties or middle aged (did I just say that?) cruises to anywhere fancy. It was a lovely dinner for two out in the city and the big day itself was a trip to Byron Bay.
As an astrologer, I LOVE birthdays. This year however, I just wasn’t feeling it. I couldn’t work out why. I don’t have an issue with being 40 at all. I pondered on why I wasn’t in celebration mode. Is it possible that my son’s birthday is two weeks after mine and the focus is on his? Is it because my trip to UAC in Chicago in May next year is a major focus for me? Is it because I’m in some kind of denial that perhaps I am in fact, depressed about this new decade?
A few weeks ago, I was teaching some of my astrology students secondary progressions. It has been a while since I looked at my own. Turns out that my progressed Moon is approaching my South Node in the 11th house.
Secondary progressions are one of the symbolic timing tools used by many astrologers. The simplest way to describe it is, like you’re not a baby anymore, you’ve grown and evolved and so has your birth chart. Progressions use the ‘1 day for a year’ system. This means that planetary movement that occurs over 1 day, is slowed down to one year.
The Moon is the swiftest of the planetary bodies we incorporate in astrology, moving through 1 sign approximately every 2.5 years, or one Zodiacal degree per month by progression.
The Progressed Moon describes our mood and our feelings and where our heart is at a given point in time.
19 months ago, my Progressed Moon went from the vague watery depths of Pisces into the energetic dryness of Aries. A progression that I almost felt overnight. I was in the surreal fantasy like stages of being a new mum. Living life on the clock to the needs of a tiny person feeling totally separated from real life. My greatest achievement was to get out of my pyjamas by 3pm and I was practically deserving of a medal if I vacuumed the house!
Then I slowly started finding myself making decisions and having energy again. I even got back to the gym! All of a sudden, I started to feel like the person I was before I became a mother. My Progressed Moon had shifted into Aries. I was initiating action, taking charge and feeling like I was in control of things just a little bit more than I had been.
At that point in my life, I was making decisions that felt guided, inspired, and totally right for me. As the Progressed Moon entered my 11th house, I was actively seeking like-minded people to connect with on a professional basis. I began working at various expos and fair alongside psychics, mediums and other healing/spiritual modalities. I was meeting new friends had been the most social I had been in years.
Then as my birthday loomed and people started asking me what I was doing, all I could say was nothing. On no level whatsoever was I FEELING my birthday.
So as I mentioned, my Progressed Moon was approaching my Natal South Node. The South Node is said to have draining or purifying qualities. Not very conducive to celebrations. Normally a more the merrier type, I was feeling exceptionally sensitive about who I was spending my time with but more importantly, who was draining my time and energy.
So, with that I’ve made some decisions to cut back on a few things, as I simply don’t have the energy for much more than the essentials and what is vitally important to me at this time.
As the Progressed Moon moves 1 degree per month, I suspect this phase won’t last much more than 3 months. About a month applying to the Node, one month for the exact conjunction and then a final month as the Progressed Moon continues on her journey through the last portion of Aries.
This is one of many of the most valuable features with astrology. It can give a planetary perspective as to why things feel the way they and most importantly, a time frame.
Do you know where your Progressed Moon is? How is it describing your mood?
Earlier in the week, I had a online chat with my dear friend Kelly Surtees about this very topic, you can catch the video here
