Welcome to Marinas shadow manifesto and the twilight world of the dark moon. I own up to being the one responsible for the Darkstar name. I like it because it’s an oxymoron, not because I’m a devil worshipper or eat bats! Darkstar describes nicely my approach to astrology and life in general. The path to illumination often necessitates having to pass through some very dark chapters in our lives; these are often as a result of a hard Pluto transit to one of our personal planets or angles. We all get them, but it helps to have a map and a torch. Cue Astrology.
The cycles of the moon are integral to our daily lives, as are the cycles of the pagan seasons. Older cultures in tune with the earth, respected these cycles. Rebirth takes place at the New Moon and the northern spring equinox. The dark stage is necessary to decompose and replenish the earth in preparation for rebirth. It’s unnatural and exhausting to live in an eternal summer. All living beings need hibernation time, just like women need to respect their menstrual cycle and moods. Ups and downs are normal. Unfortunately expressing wild and raw emotions are deemed to be unacceptable in current society and are often levelled out via pharmaceuticals or suppressed with alcohol or illegal drugs.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way. Yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars…”- Og Mandino
Since we at Darkstar base our whole astrological technique on worshipping those fixed stars and their constellations, I think it’s important to emphasize the importance of the lunar cycles in a world that has become overly solar (left-brained and linear). There is more than one sun in the sky!
The Moon Phase Cycle
It was the ancient astrologers observations of the moon across the constellations that enabled them to make their predictions. You cannot stargaze in sunlight obviously. In sidereal astrology the Moon is placed above the Sun in importance, the moon is our closest planetary body after all. There is no question that the Sun is hugely influential in our chart, but I’d like Moon atleast on equal footing.
Which brings me to Lilith! It was this Dark Goddess who seduced me away from Illustration into astrology in the first place. I loved the Lilith symbol. It spoke me symbolically when I first pondered the meaning of this enigmatic black crescent moon atop a cross, blinking at me among the more familiar glyphs. I am still unravelling her mystery.
Black Moon Lilith is the position of the Moons apogee when the Moon is furthest away from the earth. As you can see from this article the moon is bigger and brighter when it is closest to the earth. These are known as “super moons”. The apogee is more like super elusive. By being further away from the earth, she is reflecting less solar energy back to earth. The Black Moon is aptly named then, representing the darkest, bleakest, but potentially the most magical Moon phase. Black Moon, like Hekate the witch, is the threshold between worlds.
Dark Moon Subjects
Lunations. I write a Full and New moon report every two weeks which looks at the closest aspects to the Moon, it’s fixed stars and any important asteroids it is tightly conjunct with. I value comments about how the moon is effect oneself personally and discussion about any synchronicity with mundane events: 2012 Moon Phases, Full & New Moons.
Darkstars. Some of the fixed stars have a terrible reputation. These tend to be the most magical and occult stars that Christianity distrusted. I wanted to look into them deeper and see whether we have reason to fear them. What I found was just like Neptune and Pluto can do real damage from within a disturbed soul, then so can these powerful stars. They should be regarded as spiritual scalpels, which can kill, or cure: The demon Algol, the disgraceful Pleiades, the exiled 13th Sign Ophiuichus, the spellbinding Fomalhaut.
Pluto & Psychopaths. Pluto is the transiting version of a dark moon. It is Persephone’s decent into the underworld. This is when we can have breakdowns or suffer an episode of depression. Pluto transits can feel like hell on earth if we try to resist them. But they are ultimately the most empowering transit you can ever have in your life. Persephone eventually became Queen after all: Psychopath Astrology, Madeleine McCann Abduction.
Serpent Wisdom & Witchery. Empowering women is Lilith’s mission. Lilith’s snake is about enlightenment through the Kundalini experience, but we mustn’t forget the serpent is also a universal symbol for wisdom. Occult means, “that which is hidden”, but it has been demonised. There is a lot of conspiracy and misinformation. I would like to remove the fear of occult knowledge: Lilith conjunct Jupiter 2012, Kundalini Awakening, Astrotheology & Mystery, Worshipped & Demonized.
Dark Goddess Planets: I have started to compile studies of the dark minor planets and asteroids: Ceres, Eris, Sedna, Persephone, Black Moon Lilith, Asteroid Lilith, Waldemath’s Dark Moon, Isis Atropos. In the pipeline; Asteroids Hekate, Medusa, Nemesis, Kali, Circe, Moira, Pandora.
The 8th House. I find this house fascinating. Where else would you find sex, death, obsession and the taboo? It is the underworld of the horoscope and corresponds to the autumn equinox, the season of Halloween and where the veils between the dimensions are thinnest. Of course I’m going to write about it, I have Mercury here natally. Exploring sexuality is one of the ways we link to this house: Amy Winehouse, Sexual Revolution, Taboo & Toxic Relations, Soulmates & Synastry.
I provide a Dark Moon Reading which explores the realms listed here in your own life. But it is recommended that you first have a conventional Natal reading, preferably from us or at least from another soul orientated Astrologer. I believe a balanced foundation is needed before one can go deeper into the shadow. All Dark Moon Posts.
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Hey Marina,
I was wondering if you could interpret how Lilith would affect my natal chart, from your understanding?
I have studied the dark feminine and the aspects of the psyche, and lilith and other goddesses, within astrology aswell as other areas of learning/understanding, for some long time, now, but I would really love another indivuduals interpretation?
I have posted the image of my Natal chart with this comment, or optionally there is a link below
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j248/mizzshawtyb/Alice.gif
Lilith is a very important Archetypal influence for me
If you could post something back, at some point, would appreciate it so greatly.
Hi Alice. Well I don’t see Lilith in aspect to anything that I could comment on I’m afraid. Your true Lilith maybe though. For that I would have to look at it in the context of the Lilith corridor. I think your Lilith/Dark goddess interest is coming from your Ceres conjunct Venus and the fact your Moon is square Pluto. They have a stronger influenced than Lilith in your chart as far as I can see.
I provide a Dark Goddess Reading which would clarify: http://darkstarastrology.com/horoscope-readings-reports/lilith-dark-goddess/
I have been reading more & more about the asteroids- especially
Psyche, Pandora & Vesta
I posted here that I have Natal sun 28:54 cancer- Psyche 29 cancer
ASC is 25 cancer…
The BIG solar eclipse of July 2009 at 29 cancer just fried me…
I still feel some effects..
Right now- Tr saturn is just brutal to the above placements..
I’d like to know the significance- if any of Psyche conjunt natal sun..
I have tried to hone in on my question & do hope I get an answer..
A Blessed New Year to you all
K
I’m not a big expert on Psyche, I know Demetria George has written about her by I have not got her book with me here in Oz. Eclipses on the Sun like that are important though so its good to find out all you can on what its triggering. I wish I could refer you to Moonlit Serenity, she had a fantastic asteroid site, but she shut it down
I just read that name as Dementia George!!!
Might Psyche be to do with soul retrieval? SHe’s a Pisces?? by discovery. Escapist… creative
this is a great article about Psyche http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/1303
Thanx much.. I have natal moon in pisces
Blessings
Krista
Hello , I was told by an astrologer that I have a very strong Lilith in my chart ….. Either choosing me who show no repect and then breaking up with them or thinking no man is good enough!!
I would like to learn more about my Lilith . Could you be of assistance?
Thanks,
Jess
Sounds alot like Sedna too. You should check out where that falls in your chart.http://darkstarastrology.com/sedna/
wow, Marina. Now that I have read your article on John and McKenzie Phillips, and understand Sedna and how to find her, I am once again overwhelmed by the fantastic work you do. My Sedna is conjunct my Saturn, and the male relative who sexually molested me when I was 3 has Lilith in his natal chart a degree away from where my Mercury is – also my Vertex is exact his Lilith. Also, his Chiron is a degree off my North Node. The Astrodienst site is a wonderful find. I have been using a different site to calculate charts but Astrodienst is so much more comprehensive and worth learning how to use. Thank you for the work you and Jamie do.
Even Shirley McLean couldn’t get respect. I have Lilith conj. chiron in Virgo. Not much luckier in terms of relations. However, chiron has brought early girl friend matured into my life with her NN and chiron as catalyst to leap to non dual 2002/3. She by then recovering alcoholic. Me upwards too. Native woman. Worked like a good luck charm.
I’m sure Lilith liked all that.
Marina,
Very nice!! My moon in the 8th is a scorpio one as well as being squared by saturn.pluto
Pluto is now on my natal Lillith.
I so appreciate myself more and more…
Thank you for sharing your insights
I have Lilith at the same degree as my natal Pluto @ 9 deg. Virgo and BOTH are being aspected by transiting Pluto (as well as Mars) now.
Couldn’t agree more about the dark areas of our charts and lives paradoxically holding the flame of illumination!! With Sun and Mercury in the 8th house, Black Moon Lillith conjunct my IC and trine my sun, and the whole chart ruled by the sun, i know just what you mean, Marina!
Hi MArina – re the 8th House, its worth a peep at the chat for Sigmund Freud since the core of his work revolved around sex and death. Also most of his noted subjects were women so there’s another dark feminine aspect.
He has Lilith opp Juipter and Sedna conj. Ceres, Vertex and Moon are conj in the 8th. Ceres is opp the POF. He also has Mercury conj Algol
Chiron is sq both Venus and PLuto. PLuto is conj his dsc. giving it a 5 degree orb, Uranus is also conj Algol.
His work brought the dark feminine out for inspection. It was the cornerstone of much feminine psychology for a long time and although it may be dated now – we could say his work is done, this chart is really revealing for the kind of work he did and what he postulated.
I’m sure you can find much more in the chart, I just had a perfunctory look since 8th house was discussed.
Funny synch. I was watching a documentary on the artist Lucien Freud the other night, his grandson. I actually DIDNT know that. be good to compare charts and see if he inherited Sigmunds Hades Moon signature. That’s why I couldn’t work without houses. I have seen too many 8th house personal planets that explain the missing Pluto/Scorpio archetype. Wow, Mercury on Algol. It didnt come up on my study but I was using a very tight orb. This is why I now look at 2.30º for my research. If anyone is Mercury on Algol, it’s him!
I have long been asking if there is a Sanskrit word that could replace ‘Namaste’ with “I HONOR THE LIGHT & DARK WITHIN YOU”.Until all of us can face that which we fear,see all that we experience as being for our benefit
and LOVE all that exists under the Sun,we will not know Peace & Harmony nor find the ‘Balance’ of the ‘Opposites’.The “CHURCH” teachings perpetuate the divisions as being good or bad,right or wrong,black or white,these are the cesspools of thought being exposed by PLUTO & URANUS.
Namaste – Namaste is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of two words, “Nam” means to bow “aham” means false-ego and “te” (a shorted variant of “tubhyam”). “Nama?” means ‘bow’ and “te” means ‘to you’ (dative case of ‘you’). Therefore, Namaste literally means “greeting you while giving up false-ego” translated as “I bow to you”. In detail, “Naman Astitva” means the recognition of one’s existence by another person. In other words, when one says “Namaste” to another it means “I salute or recognize your presence or existence in society and the universe.”
It is already a greeting of nonduality. if it it used as such, then both light and dark are inculded as in non duality there is no separation of the two qualities.
What some people might term a cesspool, an enlightened being would just see as an aspect of God’s creation.
Thanks for the eytomological history.That is enlightening.
I do see all as God’s creation,Lucifer included, but as astrology teaches the cycles change and this cycle is calling for the separation from limiting stagnant thoughts/thinking with language that divides or holds one back from evolutionary movement.Divisive language that contributes to Wars & disharmony.
Totally with you there Micheal! A lot of podcasts around at the moment theorising about how the bible was written and who Jesus really was. I always wondered as a child why I was a ROMAN catholic when Jesus was a bearded Jewish guy. And why the Jews rejected their local Messiah. Bloody weird. All other religions and myths usually derive from their locality, as they are born of the environment and natural phenomena of the nature gods. Maybe the Romans thought he was exotic?! Jesus the mango….
Hi Marina – I’m just doing some research on Typhon, the most feared of all gods by all the other gods, a mass of writhing fiery snakes who was eventually subdued by Zeus with his own thunderbolt – and noticed that Tyhon had a Mother, namely Echidna. I can’t find an asteroid named after her – which intrigues me. TYphone was the father of all rage – but she was his MOther!!! – Apparently an alluring nymph from the waist up with a vile fiery snake writhing body from the waist down.
The missing half of Algol?
Maybe she is so feared no one dare name an asteroid after her?
btw – a huge apology to anyone who reads my posts and notices the odd use of caps and all the typos! My keyboard is totally worn out and has virtually no visible letters on it – am at the end of a 300 page doc, so a little knackered all around!
Hi Marina
thanks for this post. I was born at the very end of Moondark, with Sun/Moon in the 12th house conjunct Saturn/Pluto, Venus and Mercury. So I can really empathise with your Dark Moon writings. One of my guiding principles is summed up by Jung’s statement that our major life task is to ‘integrate the opposites’. We need destruction to have transformation. When I reached the Moondark phase of my progressed Sun/Moon cycle, I had of necessity to spend a very long time in the Underworld. There are great riches there – but we need to mine them. Namaste – Spring is on its way! And greetings to Jamie.
Hi Anne,
Have you read Demetra Georges book “Finding our way through the Dark”? I love it. She talks about the 12th house being the Dark Moon phase too. Wow, you got the lot haven’t you in terms of Dark Moon placements.
So you are like Jamie then?, born just before a New Moon, so are the Balsamic phase. I love what Demetria wrote about it, it totally made sense about Jamie. The old soul at the end of a incarnation cycle. Wise, old souls, a bit cynical, been there done it…Me I was born just after the New Moon so I’m so the opposite all wide-eyed, a bit naive, impulsive and excitable. They say the Balsamics often find someone to pass on their knowledge to, so they can start a new cycle. So I sometimes feel this is what happened here at Darkstar, it was Jamie who introduced me to the fixed stars.
Hi Marina
I have dipped in and out of Demetra George’s work over the years, but not read the book you recommended and will get it. Thank you! Very interested to know that Jamie is in the same very end phase as me – maybe we should set up a support group? Or a “Leave me in my dark corner, I’m quite happy, thanks!” group, more like! I’m slowly returning to my astrology practice and teaching after 10 years of Neptune meltdown 6th/12th. Maybe it’s time for me to write something about being a Dark-Mooner for my blog. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Marina,
I discovered your article on Moon sextile Lilith yesterday, and I really appreciate your writings on them both. I was born with an exact conjunction of Lilith and Pluto (my strongest planet) in the 9th in Leo. I am a staunch defender of women’s issues, and very psychic too. Thanks for the forum to discuss Lilith and lesser known influences in astrology.
Hi Greg,
I do not have any strong aspects to Lilith such as you,other than Asteroids.But i do have a closed corridor between Mean & Osc Lilith with only 36 Minutes separating,almost in the 29* of Aries,and in the early degrees 8th house.This i have read is a very intense placement.The Asteroids on both sides and aspecting them are very potent also.If i was not able to interpret some of them in any way(along with some very intense chart dynamics) other than traditional black & white,good & bad,I would have checked out a long time ago as women/feminine issues have been at the forefront of Life’s experiences with many deep intense challenges from birth to present.Relative to my own internal balancing as well as physical relationships with others,as i now see the relationship.
What most impinged upon me was that you are of the Pluto in Leo generation as am i.,19* 11th opposition Venus.I also have been a staunch supporter of women’s rights & issues in spite of the many difficult challenges from childhood to the present.This all in conjunction with a cardinal angular grand cross.
Thanks, Michael. I bet the Venus/Pluto opposition is a rough one to deal with. My new lady friend was born with Pluto in Virgo conjunct BMLilith, both opposite Mars in Pisces. Besides our double conjunctions with Pluto, our Chiron’s are sextile too. Shared pain?
We both had rejection issues by our mothers. My Mom wanted a girl, and got me! My poor girlfriend was abandoned by her real mom as a toddler, and then her stepmother was like out of Cinderella. Sheesh!
She and I have this amazing Karmic tie that is a little spooky, needless to say.
I don’t quite understand the “closed corridor” concept yet, but I need to look into my natal chart a little more to see where I stand there. Thanks for the reply.
~G~
Hi Marina,
I’m really pleased to see you talk about the eighth house. I’m a gemini sun with a Libra ascendeant, but my sun is solidly in the eighth house with pluto in Scorpio in the first. I’ve always sensed this was signifigant because of the swapped house rulers. I additionally have a cancer Lilith square an Aries Moon within 2 degrees, with the moon opposite my ascendant.
Hi Marina,
I am wondering hou you would interpret mutual Lilith conjunct Pluto interaspects in synastry.
Deborah