One of the dilemmas in Astrology is timing predictions with accuracy. By analyzing the patterns made by the planets we can tell what will happen, but nailing down the correct time of the event is much harder to do. The planets creep along in the zodiac, taking weeks, and in some cases years, to transit through a sign. All except the Moon, that is. The Moon zips through a sign in just under 2 and 1/2 days. Thus, with the Moon we have the potential for narrowing down the timing of events. The Moon, in effect, becomes “the seconds hand of the cosmic clock.”

The way this works in practice is that the Moon serves as an activator for any existing planetary combination. For instance, say Jupiter is transiting in the same sign as your natal Sun. We know that this combination creates a potential for you to derive benefit from a Sun-type person, i.e., someone in your life with power, authority, and position, such as your father, a government official, or your boss at work. But Jupiter is in a sign for an entire year. Can we predict when the potential will be realized? This is where the Moon comes in. The Moon makes a complete circuit of the zodiac in 28 days. So every month, the Moon will transit through the sign of your Jupiter-Sun conjunction, performing the function of a catalyst, increasing the probability of a beneficial event during those days. Thus, with the help of an ephemeris or a panchanga (a table of where the Moon is on any particular day), the best days for approaching your father, or boss, for a favor can be determined. Other factors, such as the exactness of the Jupiter-Sun conjunction, or a benefic planet transiting through your Ascendant, can also contribute toward refining the prediction.

The Moon is unique amongst the celestial objects in that it waxes and wanes. Aside from the scientific reasons for this, the astrological effects are easily deduced and well documented. The increasing, or waxing phase of the Moon is a time of growing. Therefore, the first two weeks of the lunar cycle are most appropriate for beginning a new project that you want to “grow.”  The waning, decreasing phase, of the Moon is more appropriate for harvesting, or for completing something. This basic idea, of starting things during the first phase of the lunar cycle, and finishing or reaping the results during the second phase, is a well-established principle even in common folklore.

Just as we have the 12 sun signs marking the space of the zodiac that the Sun traverses in its apparent 12 month journey amongst the stars, there is also a 27- sign lunar zodiac, which similarly delineates the Moon’s day-by-day progress in the Heavens. Each of these lunar signs has particular qualities. It is best to do actions on a day when the Moon is in a nakshatra whose qualities are congruent with the actions you wish to perform. For example, certain nakshatras are good for business; therefore business affairs are best conducted on days when the Moon transits these lunar signs. Getting information on this technique requires

access to an astrology text that describes the meanings of the 27 nakshatras, as well as a panchanga (lunar calendar), or an astrology program on a computer, to find out where the Moon is each day.

The lunar cycle takes a total of 30 days, that is, from one New Moon to the next. The days of the lunar cycle are called Tithis. The tithis are numbered from 1 to 15; they repeat for each half of the lunar cycle. Each of these “lunar days” also has specific qualities. Certain tithis are positive, and favorable for beginning new projects. Other tithis are considered negative, therefore more prone towards problems. For instance, the 4th, 9th, and 14th days of the lunar cycle (both the waxing and the waning halves) are designated as Ritka, i.e., empty for results. The Ritka tithis are generally avoided for any new endeavors. However, these tithis are helpful for getting rid of something, and are therefore preferred for scheduling surgical operations. The tithis that precede the new Moon, i.e., when the Moon is becoming a bare crescent, are considered weak and generally unfavorable for anything important. Likewise the first day after the New Moon is also a bit weak, since the Moon is hardly visible.  On the other hand, the day of the Full Moon although full of energy, is considered “extreme,” that is, its energy is hard to control (think of lunatics, wolves baying at the Moon, etc.), and therefore also best avoided for starting new projects.

This is just a short introduction to the use of the Moon in predictive astrology. As you can see, there are different ways that our nearest celestial body affects the ambient energy pattern. Knowing the Moon’s condition is essential for making accurate forecasts. By keeping track of what the Moon is doing, you can better determine the best timing to ensure the success of your endeavors.