The Dark Phase of the Moon

This article was originally published in the Summer edition of NCGR’s quarterly publication, Memberletter.

I write this article just off the conclusion of the Great Lakes Astrology Conference where I lectured on the Dark Goddess archetype and her reemergence into the modern-day zeitgeist. Essentially, I have observed multitudes of astrologers, astrology enthusiasts and even people who don’t seem to care much about astrology at all reaching out to connect with Lilith. Rather than focus on how to use Lilith in an astrology chart, I decided that I was more interested in why her archetype was suddenly gaining so much traction.

Lilith is the witch - primal, independent and versed in the mysteries of the night. Simultaneously, we see an increased interest in herbalism, “time’s up” feminism, the rise of the Instagram witch and even celestial magic. So what’s going on?

I quickly drew a parallel between the dark goddess’ affiliation with the dark phase of the moon. The archetypal triple goddess has its roots in one of the most primal symbols available to mankind: the Moon. We begin with the maiden - the waxing crescent phase associated with new growth, purity and youth. Alongside the waxing crescent, we have Artemis, Athena, and Persephone, and sure, we can extend this archetype to meet young brazen heroes like Perseus or Hercules. 

Following, we have the full moon phase. This is where (according to societal standards) we reach our prime fullness. Entering into this phase is an initiation - be it parenthood or a peak in our career. By now, we have experienced our fair share of challenges in life and acquired a certain amount of wisdom. This phase is associated with Hera, Demeter, and let’s go with Odysseus. Here, life is full; life is well rounded with accomplishments, hardships, career, family, and ideally we are still in good health.

Finally, we have the waning moon phase associated with the elder. Entering into this phase too is a grand initiation. At this stage in life, the body begins its decline, while life’s experiences begin to crystalize into wisdom to be passed on. As productivity winds down, we have more space to reflect, integrate and talk to our spirit guides. This phase is associated with the Crone - Hecate, Baba Yaga and sure, how about Gandalf or Yoda. The culmination of this phase is of course, our death. However, as astrologers, we are well versed in cycles. We recognize that in death there is rebirth; we recognize that endings are a part of life, and they happen all the time. We see it in our own lives, in the world, and in the lives of our clients. Essentially, this cycle of waxing, fullness and waning is regularly experienced in other areas of life.

The Dark Goddess archetype is associated with the symbolism of the snake, a portrayal of regeneration, renewal and wisdom. But the snake is also poisonous. Perseus collected the blood of Medusa’s severed head; half was given to Athena, and used for malice, while the other was gifted to Asclepius to create healing elixirs. The word “pharmakon,” refers to a substance that has equal potential to harm or heal. It’s all about the dosage. Wisdom is hard earned; there is often a price for it. Blood is another symbol attributed to the dark goddess archetype. Blood symbolizes death and destruction, but also the regenerative shedding of the womb every month. Red is also associated with wrath and anger. The dark goddess is destructive because she understands the necessity of nature to slough away the old and outworn so that new life can take root. This process can certainly be messy, and unpleasant, but then again that’s nature. Nature is sweet flowers and patchouli oil, but she is also a life-threatening tsunami.

Nevertheless, the most important symbol we see with every dark goddess is darkness. We can look at it as receptive, yin, nocturnal; the womb and the crypt; the terror of walking the woods at night or the vulnerability of being alone with someone between the sheets. Where we cannot see, or in territories unknown, fear quite easily exists. But it’s also in the dark that we are the most psychic and instinctual. It’s also worth recognizing that we go to sleep every night in a dark room. The dark is where rest and healing take place. It’s about renewal.

In this current time period that we all share, it certainly feels like we live in a “dark time,” as they say. Indeed, science is telling us that we are close to midnight on the doomsday clock, and it sounds ever so frightful. Astrologically speaking, we are witnessing the conclusion of several major cycles: the Saturn/Pluto cycle that began in 1982 is only degrees away from finality, while the Jupiter/Saturn cycle that began in 2000 is also on its way out. And as most of us now know, the 20 year Jupiter/Saturn cycles are a part of a much larger 800 year cycle. For simplicity’s sake, Jupiter and Saturn will successively conjoin in the same element for about 200 years and then transition into the next element. We are on the precipice of this transition right now. Jupiter and Saturn are finished aligning in Earth, which has defined our monetary paradigm for the last 200 years. What will the air element bring besides Venmo and bitcoin? There’s perhaps as much fear as there is excitement about the unknown frontier ahead. In the United States, Pluto nears its first return to its natal position, carrying with it distinctly Plutonian themes of finally addressing the leaking sewage in the American pipedream - which essentially no longer exists. It’s not a pleasant reality for anyone to face. Spray as much Febreze as you want, but death is in the air.

In brief, we also witnessed the first conjunction of Eris (another enraged feminine archetype) in 2016, paralleling a more aggressive uprising in the socio-political strata. I noticed that this conjunction arrived hand-in-hand with the crescendo in Lilith’s popularity, which seems to suggest a subconscious crossing-over of alike archetypes in pop culture.

In partial conclusion, we won’t be able to use Lilith, Eris or even Algol (Medusa) in every chart, and furthermore, many astrologers don’t resonate with using any of them! However, there is a pinnacle dark goddess symbol we can ALL harness within our chartwork: The Dark Phase of the Moon.

In our understanding of cycles, the most fundamental cycle we work with is the soli-lunar cycle. This primordial cycle informs the baseline of our understanding of phasal relationship between other planets as well. The soli-lunar cycle, however, is supremely visual. We can see the supple crescent in the early-evening sky. We can witness the generously buoyant full moon decked in silver from sunset to sunrise. And for night-owls and early risers, we can see the eerie chalice of the balsamic moon rising before the sun at dawn. Imagine what that must have been like for the ancients to witness as the days passed on. The Moon was a constant reminder of time passing - both on an immediate and macrocosmic level.

As astrologers, we apply this phasal patterning to other synodic cycles. Again, Saturn and Pluto are in their balsamic phase, while Mars is currently in its waxing (or opening) square to Uranus. These cycles tell us about development and what time it is. Is it a time for action? Accumulation or release? 

Each synod begins with the alignment of two celestial bodies. This represents the planting of a seed, the beginning of something new, which will cycle through the 8-fold phases of waxing crescent, opening square, gibbous, full, disseminating, waning square, balsamic - declining back into darkness, where yet another new beginning will take place. This archetypal pattern can be tracked in several areas of life: the Sun’s journey during a solar day, the soli-lunar month, the Earth’s seasonal year, how we age, the rise and culmination of our careers, the cycles of Saturn in our natal charts and so on. But for our purposes here, let’s focus on the Moon’s dark phase.

It’s easy to think of the New Moon as a beautiful new beginning. Sometimes we are intentional with our seed planting. Many of us consciously practice new moon rituals each month. However, the majority of seeds planted are done so at random. Trees shed their seeds into the wind, an apple tossed in a landfill might take root and blossom, and dandelions can travel hundreds of miles. The point is that often these seeds are planted unintentionally, or without conscious planning. The progressed new moon is a major time in a person’s life, but when you ask someone “what happened that year that was so significant?” often they have no idea! But they will be able to tell you about what was going on closer to the progressed crescent moon.

In Steven Forrest’s The Book of the Moon, he offers that the new moon is part of a 3-fold dark moon phase beginning with the balsamic phase (waning crescent), the new moon, and the waxing crescent. In each of these 3 dark moon phases, there is very little light. To the ancients, this was a period of attunement inward. When there is no light to see by night, you have no choice but to go within. The dark moon phase is a period where we are more psychic, sensitive, reflective and perhaps more spiritually connected. It’s a period of lower energy. Every month, we experience these dark phases of the moon, lasting a few days each. However, when we look at the progressed lunar cycle, the total dark phase of the moon can last for a decade!

Why do we call it a “balsamic moon?” The word “balsamic,” derives from the balsam tree which is essentially a pine tree. Pine trees produce a sap resin that was revered in ancient times for its medicinal healing properties (balms). It was also applied as a perfume, or according to an online etymology dictionary, it was ritually used for “anointing.” Balsam was burned as an incense or spiritual offering. Essentially, balsam relates to these quieter periods of prayer, healing, reflection, and spiritual connection. The Wikipedia page for “balsamic vinegar,” reports that while it doesn’t contain balsam, it’s named for the “restorative” and “curative” properties of balsam.

When we translate the lunar cycle into our progressions, the balsamic phase lasts for about 3.7 years. During this time, many of the things that have defined our life begin to fade away. Interests and relationships stop sticking. We find that it’s harder to drum up the enthusiasm for something, even if we really want to have it. As things begin to fade away and decline during this period, the temptation is to fill the space, but alas, it’s unlikely to stick - at least, not in the way we’re hoping. John Marchesella told me that “this phase is great for education, but that’s about all it’s good for.” The idea is to fill this period with experiences that enrich your inner world.

Toward the end of the balsamic period, the light of the moon is almost completely diminished, and we enter a proverbial cocoon. Like the monthly new moon periods, this is a highly personal period of reflection. I liken this period to the 12th house. The 12th house represents our subconscious, or the rug under which we sweep our psychic and emotional debris to deal with later. Now, we get to deal with it. Like we trim a rose bush in the fall to concentrate its life force into its roots for winter, we too are trimming the excess from our lives and concentrating our roots. It’s a time when we pare our lives down - whether instinctively or by circumstance. A good Pluto, Saturn or even Neptune transit will maximize the potential of this period - and in the 3.7 years of the progressed balsamic period, it’s likely we’ll get at least one!

Enter the New Moon phase. Zero light emanates. This is a period of utmost darkness. Often this is a period of uncertainty. We feel around like Velma looking for her glasses! It’s common to see people launch their careers during the dark moon phase, but when we begin anything new, we often have no clue what we are doing. And after enduring the shedding of the balsamic period, here we sense that something new is arriving and we’re more willing to “take a shot in the dark.” Why not throw a handful of seeds on the ground and see what sticks? This is still a period of lower energy, so why not welcome an opportunity that falls in our laps? 

The New Moon phase is as much about new beginnings as it is about endings. Much of the work done in this period is accepting the things that have come to an end.  The dark moon period is very primal; there might be a deeply spiritual sense that something new is coming, but we won’t know until we see it. When a woman gets pregnant, she does not know it right away. That’s often what’s happening during our progressed new moon. A Uranus transit or an eclipse during this phase can lend a helpful sparkler in the dark.

The progressed crescent moon finally arrives, imbuing a sense of hope. Renewal is certain! The seeds have taken root and they are sprouting! This phase in the cycle offers encouragement and a creative spark. “Imagine what it will be like when it grows up.” The lithe crescent moon lends us just enough light to understand our new trajectory, but it's still very much pliable and in need of nourishment to ensure eventual blossom. During this 3.7-year period to the opening square, we are idealistic about our developing path. We might be putting in a lot of effort, but there isn’t enough to be recognized by the public yet. As the moon waxes to a square, more eyes will take notice. Saturn transits can be supremely constructive during this phase.

According to Solar Fire software, Gwen Stefani’s progressed balsamic moon phase began in 2003, which also happened to be one of the biggest years in No Doubt’s success. Nevertheless, in 2004, the band went on hiatus and Gwen launched her solo career (which was distinctively experimental, to say the least) and tried her cards at acting. Acting was not a successful venture, and she had fun with her solo project while it lasted. The birth of her first child coincided almost exactly with her progressed new moon in 2006, and her second child arrived also within the new moon phase two years later (how descriptive!). Gwen returned to No Doubt, whose comeback tour set sail in 2010 upon her progressed crescent moon. However, Gwen’s true comeback arrived one year into her opening quarter moon when in 2014 she announced that she would be joining The Voice. We can see that while the darts thrown during the balsamic period didn’t take root, they taught her necessary skills for becoming a regularly appearing celebrity on TV, independent of her band. 

At the onset of her progressed balsamic moon in 2006, Angelina Jolie was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. However, her mother passed away in 2007 and she began to pull back from acting. She said it was because she originally pursued acting for her mother. Like the waning progressed moon, her interest in acting too waned despite acclaimed success. Instead, Angelina began directing. Her progressed new moon arrived in 2009. She had an unsuccessful film in 2010 (new seeds didn’t stick) and took a 3.5-year true hiatus from the screen. It was also during this time that the media was concerned that she was withering away - exactly matching the symbolism of the dark moon phase. Her private life garnered the majority of her focus. At her progressed crescent moon, she returned to the screen as Maleficent. This turned out to be her highest grossing movie. She reemerged into the public, also at this time, with her preventative cancer journey. Angelina’s dark moon period seemed to refocus her energy, combining her humanitarianism with film; she now seems to be more focused on directing and creating documentaries.

Judy Garland’s career began as the youngest singer in her vaudeville trio with her two sisters. Judy entered her progressed balsamic moon phase in June of 1933, with the moon progressively darkening until her progressed new moon in February 1937. The Garland sisters split in 1935 when her older sister left to get married; one month later, Judy was signed at MGM, and a few months after that, her father died suddenly. 1935 must have felt like a dark year for Judy. The dark moon periods sometimes give us the sense that we are “going it alone.” Judy never got along well with her mother, and now with the rest of the family gone, this talented little girl faced Hollywood without the support that had always been there. Judy began using amphetamines and barbiturates at this time. By 1938, her progressed moon gathers light once more (though not yet a crescent until 1940) and she is cast as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. The film premieres in August of 1939, followed by Babes in Arms. Judy’s career takes off. The waxing moon is often a busier time in the native’s life, and Judy went on to be one of the busiest actresses of the 1940’s. Interestingly, at her progressed full moon, Judy parted with MGM and began to steer her career in a new direction. It was during her following dark moon period that Judy inadvertently passed away.

Our progressed new moon is a major initiation that we embark on every 29-30 years. It’s a period of decline and rebirth. Some might liken their dark moon period to a dark night of the soul. It’s a necessary descent that every mythic hero takes - like a slingshot pulling back to gather momentum for its eventual forward throttle. Interestingly, the progressed Sun spends about 30 years in a sign and when the progressed moon joins in, we see a significant emphasis on this area of the chart, specifically geared toward inner development (as that’s what progressions typically demonstrate).

When we apply the seasons to the 8-fold lunar cycle, the balsamic moon period aligns with Halloween or Samhain, whose iconography comprises skeletons, ghosts and gravestones. It’s an eerily spiritual time of year when the veil is said to thin, and the leaves fall. It’s a period of marked descent, however, the inner world becomes more illuminated as we prepare for winter. The seasonal new moon is the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Inherent in this hibernator darkest day is the promise of new life. The daylight’s increase is not readily apparent, however, until the seasonal crescent moon: Imbolc, Candlemas, or Groundhog’s Day. Imbolc translates to ‘in the belly,” and beneath the snowy surface, the earth is pregnant, preparing to burst forth with new life; and yet, spring is not yet near. We can easily see these seasonal parallels within the progressed new moon.

Ultimately, the dark moon phase is not an outwardly productive period, so we often skip over its quiet importance. This is a period of significant inner development, pruning, processing and clearing the pathways for something new to take root. To circle back, the dark goddess archetype is associated with darkness, destruction, endings, wisdom and autonomy. The dark moon period also offers these gifts. It’s a time of shedding; like in the examples of Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani, sometimes that means walking away from situations that are outwardly prosperous. Or in the case of Judy, the people she was closest to departed. The dark moon period is a time of autonomy, tuning into inner guidance and with an overarching sense of “going it alone.” Like the primal dark goddess, the dark moon period can be messy. The progressed new moon is an initiation of death and rebirth wherein much wisdom can be gleaned.

Again, many planetary cycles are in their balsamic phase today. However, I find it remarkably interesting that Jupiter and Saturn will renew their cycle on the seasonal new moon point of the Winter Solstice in 2020, at 0° Aquarius (the beginning of a sign) and initiating 200 years of conjunctions in the air element! This might be the conjunction that offers us that sense of hope that we all desperately need by the time the balsamic phase is over and the new moon phase takes root. 

Catherine Urban (NCGR-PAA IV, ISAR-CAP) is an astrologer from Cleveland, Ohio where she teaches, writes and consults. Connect with Catherine at www.CatherineUrban.com or on IG and twitter @astrocatherine