First Principle: Sun & Moon
The Sun and the Moon in astrology are known as the great luminaries, the two lights in the sky that set the tone for the planetary dance. The Sun rises and sets, the Moon follows its lead. Without the Sun, life would perish. It nourishes the planet, lending the power for plants to live and thrive, Vitamin D nourishes our immune system and keeps us in homeostasis. The warmth of the Sun heats our planet and feeds our souls, even during the coldest day in winter it's a gift to see and feel nourishment of its rays.
The Moon, connected to the tides and gravitational pull, reflects the light of the Sun. It moves through the sky with speed that can leave us feeling emotionally churned. The Moon has the power to pull at hearts, shift our own emotional and biological tides.
These two luminaries are the guiding principles in all of life, and can also be seen as two sides of the same coin, embodying an opposition that also complements. Sun rules the day, Moon the night. Sun is yang and the Moon is Yin. Sun is masculine and Moon is feminine, the Sun is active, Moon is receptive. Sun is father, Moon is mother.
In astrology, the Sun is our vital guiding light, it is where we aim our hopes, our intellect, and our active mind. The Sun is a yang, active energy, it speaks to our mind and intellect, and projects where we are consciously moving ourselves, our goals, our intentions.
The Moon in astrology is a more yin, feminine, receptive light. The Moon takes in the light of the Sun and reflects it back out, it is more passive and reflective. The Moon speaks to the environment we find ourselves in, our emotions, our concept of safety and nourishment. The Moon moves fast through the sky, covering a zodiac sign in just over 2 days. The speed of the Moon can make us feel dizzy in our own life, tossing our emotions around if we don’t have a good hold on them. The Moon can speak to our physical body and our psychic body.
The Sun and the Moon are co-creators. The Sun actively pursues goals in life, approaches situations through intellect and reason.The Moon reflects our actions, absorbs the emotions of the results, and processes the experience.Where the Sun can speak to our conscious actions, the Moon swims in the unconscious realm. Everything else follows.
If we connect this to the first of the two Major Arcana in the Rider Waite tarot, Magician and High Priestess, we can see both the solar and lunar relationship and opposition reflected in Card 1 and Card 2. The first two cards of the major arcana set the Fool on his journey, and it is from here the individuation process begins. Everything else follows.
Card I of Major Arcana, The Magician: Co-Creating reality
The Magician speaks to consciously creating reality, the Magician seeks to make the Spirit present. He raises his wand in manifestation, and points his finger down in the grounding of this creation. As above, so below, the Magician attempts to pull the great cosmic spirit down from the heavens and make it manifest in this sublunar realm we all co-habitat in. The Magician asks us what is our connection to the divine, do you have a line of communication with the great spirit to create your reality? Magic after all is the ability to connect to the great source and through cooperation co-create reality.
Card II of Major Arcana, The High Priestess: Divine Mirror of Creation
The High Priestess is a card of mystical, intimate knowledge. This image is lunar in nature, cool blues reflecting the moon and primordial, feminine waters fill the card. Compared to the Magician and his vibrant yellow and red hues screaming out, the High Priestess is calmly opposed in midnight blues and blacks, creating an image of mystery and a stillness that seems to understand. The High Priestess sits with a book open on her lap, and the image of the crescent moon at her feet, and the three phases of the moon, representing the maiden, mother, crone adorn her head as a crown. The pomegranates behind her summon the myth of Persephone, an underworld queen associated with the changing of the seasons. As above, so below praxis also resonates through this card.
The High Priestess possesses great internal wisdom, divine knowledge that pertains to the soul of the spirit that has come down to experience this watery sublunar realm. Whereas the Magician actively seeks manifestation, the High Priestess is a divine mirror reflecting our experience. She reminds us that yes we are apart of it, but also seem to remain separate from it. She asks us to not forget that we are more than this body, but are intimately connected to the divine creator and all the great mysteries.
Together the Sun and The Moon, The Magician and the High Priestess, ask us to be of this world and be beyond this world. To remember that we are to be a part of a greater unification, to live life connected to the creator and to also create and experience.
In our birth chart, the Sun can speak to where we wish to move, what we wish to manifest, how we move our mind and intellect in the world, it speaks to our bigger plot line and how we contain our spirit in the world of matter. This is a solar energy that can be symbolized by our father and also as an organizing principle. The Sun can speak to how we approach our goals and what we manifest.
The Moon reflects the environment we reside in, it speaks to our emotions and our intuition. The Moon is a reflection of our unconscious waters and our most intimate thoughts. The Moon can be a symbol of our mother, and also how we mother, nurture aspects in our life, nurture ourselves and others.
The Sun, The Magician is our spirit connecting to the great creator and the Moon and the High Priestess, is our soul experiencing this creation. Never are the two truly separate but always seeking greater unification and reflection. Possessing this knowledge, we the Fool, can begin our journey of co-creation in this realm, knowing we are first connected to the great spirit in the sky and to that we will return.