The Luminaries & The Psychology of the Sun and Moon
The Sun and Moon play vital roles in Astrology charts. The Sun is considered the Soul of the chart and the Moon represents the body. The Sun and the Moon are Luminaries and not planets. In Hellenistic astrology the Sun and Moon are “the rulers of all,” and described as having authority over the whole life. The Moon has a strong influence over the physical body as it closest to the planet Earth. As the Moon influences the physical body it also gives the soul life and the senses by which we perceive the world. The Moon is also the vehicle through which we actualise the purpose in the affairs of daily life and worldly existence.
Archetypal images are often associated with all planets in astrology as well as the Sun and Moon. In this blog I will touch on some images connected to the Sun and Moon. It is helpful to understand these in relation to people you know and understanding yourself. These images are from a lecture during my astrological training.
These images can be considered sub-personalities associated with each luminary. I will list them from the most negative to the most positive.
The Sun
The Empty showoff- The person who simply must focus all attention upon himself. All show and little substance. Tho Egoist.
The Tyrant- The arrogant type who needs to be in charge and who is overwhelmed with his own self-image.
The Enabler- Those people who by their own efforts and energies create environments in which others can thrive and flourish. The entrepreneur and facilitator.
The Hero- In fact most hero myths are based on solar symbolism, especially in religion and represent in varying degrees, metaphors based on the diurnal cycle of the Sun. Hercules and Mithra as examples.
The Perfect self (Imperial self)- All myths in which an archetype of the ideal self is presented. These usually impress solar cycle symbolism.
The Moon
The Terrible Mother- This aspect of the feminine which threatens the infantile ego with destruction and a return to darkness from which the ego has just emerged. This can be a negative combination with the planet Pluto and the Moon known as the devouring mother archetype. It is often seen portrayed as evil witches in stories such as Hansel and Gretel and Snow White.
The Smothering Mother- This is more benign form from the previous in which the mother figure does not devour the child but refuses to let the child grow up and thereby become free of the mother. The mother complex develops out of the inability to break free of mother. The leaving home process is compromised
The next three types come from the threefold goddess and are roughly equal. They may range from malevolent to totally benevolent. They also relate to the Male’s anima images.
The Maiden or Daughter- closely related to Puella but typically stronger figure charactised by a lack of interest in or need for the other sex. Female archetypes Diana-Artemis, Athena. Persephone prior to abduction.
The Wife or Mature Women- The woman as polar counterpart to the Sun. Woman as wife and partner, but by no means a subordinate. Persephone after the abduction. Hera Selene. In Greek, the gyne.
The Crone- The image of the old wise-woman, wise in the things that are particularly of concern to women and whose wisdom is equal to the masculine. Hecate and the dark goddesses.
The Great Mother- This type to some extent encompasses all of the preceding, but is most often seen in cosmocrator role rather than like that of the conventional male god. Cybele, Isis.
The Shekinah, Holy Spirit, Hagia Sophia- This is in all religions except orthodox Christianity, a female entity. The balanced trinity is father. mother, child. In many systems the Shekinah is the actual entity that creates the universe, arising out of an aspect of godhood with no sex.