Musings

The Void-of-Course Moon phase may be the clearest indicator of likely disappointment and unfulfilled expectations than any other single astrological factor, and it comes around every few days or less! Over the years, I found myself giving more attention to the Moon’s Void-of-Course phases than any other bit of astrological data I might rely upon. When in on-going relationships with clients, particularly for the purposes of scheduling meetings, buying and selling, posting ads or making contacts, I look first at the Moon position in my astrological calendar to see if there is a Void-of-Course phase for a proposed action. That one glance at the calendar can make my decision then and there, sometimes leading me to recommend a different choice to the client.

So what is a Moon Void-of-Course phase (Moon v/c) and how can it can be so problematic as to make plans go awry? To answer what defines a Moon Void-of-Course requires some technical lingo and astrological basics. (Please skip to the next paragraph if you just want to know what to do and not do when the Moon is Void-of-Course.) As the Moon orbits the Earth it goes through the entire path of the twelve zodiac signs in a lunar month, approximately 28 days. The passage through each sign, Aries through Pisces, lasts between two to three days. The Moon makes aspects to the other planets and the Sun as it makes its way from New Moon to First Quarter to Full Moon to Last Quarter back to New Moon. The “major” aspects are traditionally what matter in Void-of-Course calculations, so when the Moon makes either the last conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition to the Sun or a planet before going into the next sign, the Moon is considered Void-of-Course until it “crosses the border” into the next sign. This can last only a minute, or up to two days. The durations are usually short, lasting for a few hours. So what does that mean that the Moon is Void-of-Course?

When the Moon is Void-of-Course it is as if Earth’s satellite has stopped beaming helpful guidance to our brains. Whatever the “on course” Moon does for us that helps us make smarter decisions, and more satisfying purchases, and arrange and plan events and meetings, goes AWOL with the Moon v/c. The mystery is deeper, in that mix-ups, foul-ups and undesirable results occur not just immediately, but down the road, in the FUTURE. Take these examples, for instance – In every U.S. Presidential election from 1900 to 1972 one of the two major political parties nominated a candidate when the Moon was Void-of-Course. Every one of these candidates lost the election. Jimmy Carter’s nomination in 1980 occurred during a Void-of-Course Moon. More recent data: Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 were nominated during Moon v/c. [these examples are taken from Secrets From A Stargazer's Notebook by Debbi Kempton-Smith] As we shall see, there are ways to utilize a Moon v/c phase, however, the key thing to be aware of is that if you have a stake in something turning out a particular way, then avoid initiating whatever that is during the time when the Moon is Void-of-Course.

Buying things can be challenging when the Moon is Void-of-Course due to difficulties making choices, and then the outcome is often disappointing. People often report feeling weird, spacey and out-of-touch with themselves or any clear direction when the Moon is Void-of-Course. It is like we are temporarily rudderless, and we tend to be prone to errors of judgment and poor reasoning with the Moon v/c.

Here is the mantra for when the Moon is Void-of-Course: “Nothing will come of this.” That is what astrological tradition tells us. Nothing will come of the plan, choice, decision or project implemented during the Moon Void-of-Course phase, supposedly, because the Moon is not helping us poor mortals get our way. If you choose to heed this advice, and start paying close attention every week for when the Moon is Void-of-Course, then you will also want to remember those few fateful words to help you apply your intelligence to upcoming situations when the Moon is Void-of-Course.

“Nothing will come of this.” That is obviously not always the truth, for something comes of whatever is under consideration, even if the something does not “work out” or bring the consciously-desired results. This brings us to those times when you do not want things to work out. If you think you are going to get called on the carpet in a meeting, or have a possible judgment against you in court or arbitration, then those are the good times to schedule an action during a Moon v/c. There are plenty of situations when we would prefer “nothing to come of it”, so if possible, implement or arrange those things to “happen”, or begin, during  the Moon v/c phase.

Since the Moon herself is sort of “in limbo”, “checked out”, or “on a break”, it is also good for us to chill and be still. If we must be busy, avoid anything but basic routines if you can, and even then, since you may be somehow forgetful or miss some details or elements of the matters at hand, be prepared for do-overs and fixes later on (and when the Moon is not Void-of-Course!) Take these irregular periods as opportunities to go back over things, do nothing, sleep, relax, day-dream and give yourself a rest from the affliction of busy-ness.

Finding out when the Moon is Void-of-Course is easy. Use Scroogle or some other search engine if you have a computer, and look up “Moon Void of Course” and you will find tables with times and loads of lore like I have overloaded you with in this column. The iPhone application “Luna” shows the Moon phases including when the Moon is v/c. There are tables in almanacs and of course in Jim Maynard’s, Llewellyn’s, Georgia Stathis’, and the We’Moon yearly calendar journals. Some folks designate the Moon Void-of-Course with “VOC” but since my calendar shows the “v/c” abbreviation, I am using that in this article.

Again, this is the factor I pay attention to most, and have had many, many funky experiences where I have looked back and said, “Well no wonder, the Moon was Void-of-Course.” When it is v/c and I want to get something done, I try to simply “cool my jets” and find a possibly less productive, but “safer” activity to occupy my time. This can be a bit frustrating on occasion, but I find that my life works better overall when I respect the power of the Moon and adjust my rhythms to hers.