The Void of Course Moon--A Lunar Sabbath?

The Following is an excerpt from Donna Cunningham's new book, THE MOON IN YOUR LIFE, published by Samuel Weiser, Inc, in March, 1996. Another lunar phenomenon to be aware of is the void of course Moon, which you can track by using an astrological calendar. While the Moon passes through a sign, it aspects the transiting planets. When it comes to the place where it forms no more major aspects before leaving that sign, we consider it void of course. Under the date, the calendar will give the Moon sign and say something like, "Moon v/c 12:46 pm." (Calendars may list either Eastern or Pacific times, so adjust for your zone.) These periods shift continually as the inner planets move through the signs. They can last anywhere from a half hour to a day and a half. Cancerian Al Morrison was the first modern astrologer to popularize the void of course Moon. It is not considered a good time to initiate important efforts or make important decisions, for, "nothing will come of it." Astrologers pay varied amounts of attention to this factor--anywhere from indifferent to hysterical. One of our most talented astrologers, Michael Lutin, won't even go grocery shopping, for he says the food goes to waste. Michael is a very hardworking guy, and I frankly think he uses the void of course Moon to rationalize some much-needed down time. Whatever it takes! I'm more moderate (and more absent minded) about these periods but believe you can save yourself stress and wasted effort by not starting anything major then. Never knowingly mail off a manuscript, make an important business contact, or an agreement with another person in those intervals. Instead, tackle routine, undemanding work like housekeeping, filing, or trying to organize your desk. For your convenience, printed here as Figure 6.2 is the top ten list of things not to do on a void of course Moon. Like Michael, I do lots of mooning around the house, listening to music or vegging out in front of the television when the Moon is void. I also deliberately use it for things that should come to nothing--like every bit of work on my taxes. You may be able to think of other matters you hope will come to naught--like responding to nuisance complaints, threatened legal actions, or invitations from people who bore you to tears. Let's say the personnel office wants to meet with you about those lenghty lunch hours. You fully intend to reform, but for protocol's sake they must cuff your ears. Go when the Moon is void. Keep a file on your desk of things to do purposely in those intervals. Fill in the void with tasks like tedious memos you're supposed to respond to, senseless regulations that you can't ignore, or your monthly statistics. Used creatively, the void of course Moon can be a hedge against the time-guzzling but trivial pursuits the solar world thinks we should spend our days doing. How about some more uplifting applications for this phase? It is good for meditation and inner work on emotions. Plato said that the unexamined life is not worth living, and these phases are good for contemplation. Where possible, it is a time to be laid back and lunar. Although the solar world judges us on our productivity, action isn't always useful. In creative pursuits, a period of seeming inactivity when you read a steamy novel or play gin rummy for hours on the computer often produces a fresh burst of inspiration. Just as there is a solar sabbath on Sundays, the v/c Moon can function as a lunar sabbath where we attend to our lunar hemisphere and emerge refreshed.