Hi, y’all!
How is this Cancer Moon treating you? Coming off of that Gemini Moon a few days ago, this luscious Moon has been very well-received on my part. I hope y’all’re well too.
My latest blog post is my treatise on the void of course Moon! If you’ve been following my lunar horoscope tweets over on Twitter, you’ll notice that sometimes controversy ensues about my chosen definition of void of course Moon. I’m not the only astrologer who has noticed this issue either!
It’s a post I’ve been sitting on for months because I wanted everything to be just so.
In hope of settling some of these concerns regarding Thee One Truee Void, I hope you enjoy my write up!
Before you go, could I have a moment for your thoughts?
Over the winter solstice, I will be taking some time for reflection and prospection on my astrologer work. If you’ve been enjoying my work so far, I’d love to hear: what would you like to read more of?
This article aims to discuss the two competing definitions of the void of course Moon and present my argument for why I think the dynamic definition makes the most sense from both the functional and historical standpoint.
The void of course Moon is one of the tenets of electional astrology with the most sticking power by far. Even in the earliest days of the revival of astrology in the 20th century, when the entire art of electional astrology lay patiently resting in the grave for its eventual rebirth, astrologers were discussing this technique. The reasons for this are beyond the scope of today’s discussion but suffice to say: there’s something special about the void of course Moon.
If you aren’t familiar with the term, my working interpretation of void of course is a time in which the Moon is disconnected from the other planets and operating along her own accord. Medieval astrologers saw her aspects to other planets as offering a humanizing effect on the Moon; when she strikes out on her own she becomes more animalistic and unpredictable. We might also say that she is wandering aimlessly through the void, that her path is empty of purpose. The seriousness of the void of course Moon varies from time period to time period—to medieval Islamicate astrologers like Sahl ibn Bishr or Abu Ma’shar, it was just one entry on a long list of potential afflictions of the Moon. Some instances of 20th century astrological lore seem to treat it as nigh catastrophic. Without splitting hairs on its specific degree of inauspiciousness, it is something that we are taught to watch out for and avoid in most elections.
Tracing its journey through the nearly 2000s years of texts we have access to today, it’s clear that although the overall concept has persisted for all this time, its definition has meandered from its origins considerably. As Chris Brennan teaches us in his tome, Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune, the origins of what we now call void of course in English lie in the Greek term κενοδρομία kenodromía, which Brennan translates as “running in the void” or “running in emptiness.” Isn’t it remarkable how similar that term is to the one we use today in English? It speaks to the way our ancestors treasured the knowledge of our art.
As always, thank you for all the love and warm encouragement. I hope this season treats you well.
Take care,
Shuly Rose