The Moon is such a cornerstone of witchcraft and magic–and for good reason. It dictates tides, informs planting and harvesting schedules, and indicates fertility and breeding patterns across the animal kingdom. But when it came to acknowledging the importance of the Moon in my own life, I was willfully resistant.

Your natal Moon placement says a lot about your relationship with nature, inside and out. My own moon isn’t necessarily in any classic detriment, but combined with other aspects and indicators, it’s definitely not the most comfortable either. I spent most of my life trying to “science” away my emotions, my cycles, my base nature, applying systems of logic and chemistry to effectively erase feelings and functions I couldn’t control. When you push away your lunar nature, you also push away your subconscious, the most powerful link we have to universal wisdom: despite my continued work the magic, divination, and symbolism, my intuition was crushed. It took years of commitment, kindness, and forgiveness to kick my habits and reestablish my relationship with the Moon–and my own Moon–but now that I’ve experienced the fullness of lunar influence, I can’t ever imagine going back.
I’ll admit that certain lunar phases and placements still mess with me–this week’s Full Moon definitely threw me into a tailspin. But I’d rather live a life of overwhelming emotion and never-ending wonder than the pale shadow of human experience that is lunar absence.
Do you notice your reaction to certain moons? What does your natal Moon say about your relationship to the lunar phases?