Your Moon Mind

 

“The mind is like a drunken monkey stung by a scorpion.”  ~Ramakrishna

Does this year’s New Year resolution sound similar to the one you made last year and the year before that? Are you frustrated that another year has passed and not enough has changed despite your best efforts? It may be your Moon-Mind that is the standing in the way of your resolve and outcome.

In Vedic Astrology the Moon is called manas, or mind, as it signifies our psychological make-up and the type of emotional filter through which we engage with life. The Moon also signifies our lunar impulses and our Mother. It’s house/sign placement and the planetary influences upon it in the horoscope shows where we are “at home” and where we keep going back to, often even if it no longer serves us well.

Our mind is composed of memories; hence the Moon shows our family/mother karma, which usually forms the basis of most of our spontaneous responses, especially when we are younger. Our personality is built upon the foundations of the past, so the Moon is also our root feelings about ourselves. Especially potent influences on our personality/mind are how our primary needs of food, shelter and emotional security were met in childhood.

Just as the memories of our childhood live in our moon-mind, so do the memories of our biological ancestors. The Moon is our Mother/Family and our Mind, both figuratively and literally.

The moon is our taste in food, our likes and dislikes and cravings. It is our psychology and the essence of our Mind. A strong moon in the horoscope generally creates a healthy self-image that leads us to feel safe, protected, nourished and nurtured in adulthood. A weak moon can generate a faulty self-image that leads to feelings of vulnerability, betrayal and anxiety.

While, we cannot choose our parents/family or the type of Moon we inherited in our horoscope, we can choose to break free from the instinctual and emotional patterns that we keep repeating.

However, overcoming our Moon cannot simply be willed or wished into happening. It requires sincere effort, continued spiritual practice, knowledge and unbiased self-reflection. The first step is to begin to recognize when we are experiencing our moon solely through our emotions. This will result in strong feelings mixed with the desire to possess something outside of ourselves that will nurture and make us feel good. When we are experiencing our authentic Moon, which is also our inner mother, the outer seeking diminishes. Fortunately, it becomes easier to outgrow our emotional predispositions and conditioning, as we get older.

Modern neuroscience also recognizes that breaking out of restrictive patterns takes intentional effort, as the brain has predetermined physiological processes that are built in and drive our thoughts and actions. Neural network simulation models demonstrate that our brains are wired to generate self-reinforcing patterns of activity, like being caught in a loop. The more we think or act in a certain way, the more likely we are to continue those habits in the future.

The more challenging our moon in the horoscope the more the soul is ready to let go the security of the familiar earthly mother and embrace the uncharted path of our heavenly mother. Hence, most spiritual seekers will have some stress on the moon in their horoscope.

What compulsions and emotional attachments are we ready to let go of this year? Where do we need to break free from our familial conditioning that is still unconsciously molding our mind and our choices?

Let’s go to the moon in 2013… Let us all make a resolution to observe and question our likes, dislikes, cravings, desires and fixed ideas of how things should be that may be holding us back. Let us work on recognizing and detaching from our automatic emotional responses to situations, conditions and people that are not serving our greater good.

I hope you enjoy your families this holiday season, as you walk the path with your Inner Mother that is totally receptive, inclusive and unconditional love. May She bring boundless love and nurturing to everyone in the New Year.