If you follow my Weekly Outlook, you will have noticed my mentioning of the moon going “Void of Course”, “VC” or “VOC”. I’ve lightly brushed over it on my Facebook page, but really tried to avoid it until I could get this article up. I didn’t want to get inundated with the question “What does ‘void’ mean?” Today I’ll be explaining that. At the of the article I the do’s and don’ts for this astrological standstill; keep reading….
Let’s start first with going over the Moon in astrology for the newcomers and the curious. The Moon rules our emotions and feelings and it operates in our subconscious. It illustrates how we respond intuitively. It rules over our desires, along with our urges for safety, emotional security, and our sense of belonging. When the Moon is Void of Course, it basically means that it has made its last aspect in its transit of a sign, and is taking a break before it enters the next sign. In simple terms: The Moon goes on a vacation (and so should we).
Do you ever notice you could be getting along just fine, things are moving at a smooth pace, you’re focused and productive, and then BLAMMM! All of sudden your mind is in shambles? You have no idea what you’re doing. You’ve lost all momentum and drive. Enough is enough! Well, Starshine, that there is a symptom of the Void Moon taking course. Let’s start at the beginning.
The first thing to understand is that the Moon takes approximately 27.5 days to complete a zodiac cycle. Meaning, it goes through each sign of the zodiac wheel, and repeats that cycle again and again. For every sign, the Moon could spend anwhere from 2.5 to 3 days. At this speed, the Moon is the fastest moving ‘planet’ in astrology. While the Moon is making its transit (moving through a sign) it makes aspects (conjunction, square, etc.) to other planets and those aspects can affect our mood throughout the day. The Moon moving through the Zodiac is like watching your favorite TV show series with 12 episodes per season. Every episode is different than the one before it and they all culminate to tell a compelling story. Some episodes might end in cliffhangers, “deaths”, disappointments, or happily-ever-afters. Void of Course is your opportunity for a bathroom break and a drink refill after being fully immersed in an episode. It’s a chance to stretch your legs before starting the next one.
But enough with the analogy. The picture I’m painting here is that of the last aspect the Moon is making to another planet is akin to how the show ends before the next one begins. During this interval we might want to process the things we’ve just seen. When we call our friends and family who were also watching to say “Did you see that?!” It’s the conversation by the water cooler in the office lounge the next day. It’s overhearing other people on your commute to work or school discussing the same show! You catch my drift yet?
So, consider this for example; Today is Tuesday (if it’s not let’s pretend that it is), the Moon has been in Gemini since the day before that, and it will change signs on Wednesday. Let’s look at some of the aspects that occur in a time period between Tuesday and Wednesday
| WEEKDAY | Aspect | Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Tuesday |
8:28 PM |
Moon sxt Mars |
|
11:56 PM |
Moon squ Neptune |
|
|
11:59 PM |
Mars Opp Saturn |
| WEEKDAY | Aspect | Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Wednesday |
3:45 AM |
Moon sxt Mercury |
|
4:14 AM |
Moon con Saturn |
|
|
6:36 AM |
Venus tri Jupiter |
|
|
9:18 PM |
Moon enters Cancer |
The Moon while in the sign of Gemini makes its last aspect to the planet Saturn at 4:14 AM on Wednesday morning. It is now leaving the sign of Gemini and is about to enter the sign of Cancer at 9:18 PM. This indicated by the white stripes, this means the Moon was void for a total of 17 hours and 4 minutes. After the Moon makes its final aspect it then goes void. One thing to keep in mind is that a VC Moon can last anywhere from a few seconds to the 2.5 days that it takes the Moon to transit to the sign over! The latter case is actually pretty rare here, but it has happened.
Be Aware
When first learning astrology and being introduced to the VC Moon, I had read articles that confused me about it. I initially grasped the idea, but was confused by the way some astrologers would put it. I don’t want you to be confused, so I want to emphasize this one major point. In no way is the Moon ever not in a sign. Some articles would lead you to believe the Moon would just be hanging around in “space” all empty, before moving itself into the next sign. This is not the case at all. To repeat myself in a different way; the Moon is always within a Zodiac sign, and it always moves immediately from one sign to the next one. Simple as that. Don’t believe anyone telling you otherwise.
What happens when the Moon is "Void"?
We start to lose focus. Now keep in mind that some days are bound to have aspects between the other planets that can shape our thinking and mental focus, but I find that the last major aspect the Moon makes to any of those other planets rule out whatever aspect it was making before that which may or may not have been what was keeping us moving. For example, if we were moving along at a productive pace in our work, our concentration can take a sudden dive once the VC Moon is in effect. If we continue working during this time, chances are we’ll most likely have to go back to make a change or start all over. The things we buy during this time may never see the light of day after purchase. Final decisions somehow wind up being bad ones or full on regrets. Things we put our beliefs in may turn out to be impractical ideas. Any businesses launched or new projects began, have a higher rate of failure than one that gets started when the Moon is not “void”. Setbacks and annoyances are common at this time as well. The biggest challenges and obstacles we experience usually transpire when the Moon is void.
That’s not to say that all things go bad during this period. The Void Moon is a great time for soul searching and going within ourselves. We can get full rest and recovery from the loss of sleep or go through resetting our body clocks to fix our sleeping patterns. Along with that, it is also not meant to be implied that this is a time-span of inactivity – far from it. The normal, basic, everyday routines and chores can still go without a hitch. In fact, if we put aside our focus on our external affairs, we are in a better state of calmness to focus on our internal affairs. Shutting out the noise and demands of the outside world, puts us at ease and better able to manage the noise inside of us.
This is really what I love most about the Void of Course Moon. It brings a nice balance to our days and serves as a kind of universal alarm reminding us to remember ourselves among our working for and serving others.
Void Moon and Timing
Generally speaking, the VC Moon is mostly used by astrologers in Horary Astrology to predict events. If a question is asked by a client during the period of a “void” Moon, normally there wouldn’t be answers to provide as the common one would be to say that there would be no outcomes to anything undertaken at this time. However, astrologers (as well as myself) have found that this case also applies to our daily lives.
As I mentioned before the Moon rules our feelings and when it goes “void” we all feel it as a collective. Imagine the tide standing still for everyone, and all of a sudden everyone is now moving about aimlessly – clueless about which direction to head next. There’s bound to be some bumping into one another and retraced steps.
To all my magickal Moon workers: witches and warlocks, priests and priestesses, and alchemists: don’t forget to keep in consideration this very potent Moon event in your work with Luna. For better outcomes in your spells and energy work, incorporate the void moon in timing your rituals for more effectiveness. There comes more power and benefit in knowing when the Moon is void from when it isn’t. This information can assist you in better success for your endeavors.
On the real, it’s best to avoid magickal workings under a void Moon. I guess you could say that it’s got a lot going on at this time with it transitioning to the different influential energy of a new sign. Therefore we don’t get the usual lift, or spark of illumination that shines down from the luminary. Any magickal work undertaken during the VC Moon has the tendency to weaken, deteriorate or end up not materializing. It just burns out. In the common tongue – it’s just not a time frame for starting anything new and that includes new relationships as well.
Instead the VC can be used for inner spiritual work or research. You can even use that time to prepare for the next moon phase and sign transit. Create a schedule or plans for the next New and Full Moon and use the time to prepare a sacred space for whatever ritual you will do then.
What I do during the VC Moon
When the Moon goes void that’s when I would usually either turn off my phone or go on Do-Not-Disturb. I log out of social media and focus on work for Astrolane. If I’m in the middle of doing a chart for a client, I take a break during that period and I would let the client know for how long. The length of time determines mostly what I get into, but no matter the duration or what time it occurs, that is always my cue to do my journal writing and review my bullet journal. I meditate almost daily in the morning, but I enhance it if the time coincides with a void moon and my Leo rising turns it up a notch. I do not like to astrologize when the Moon is void because of the mental work that is required and I’ve found I tend to be scatterbrained in that time – as if my attention span isn’t short enough. *insert eyeroll*
I’ve found that 80% of the time while doing charts for clients, if I work through the VC periods then I almost always have an issue of some kind. I can count on one hand how many charts I’ve done with no major issues interrupting it. At first I thought it was my imagination or maybe I just didn’t want to believe in its influence over me and my day. I’m busy often, being a mom trying to start a business and keep a job at the same time, so I’m often having to multitask. During a void of course I get to wind down and relax. I’ll catch a show or a movie, or any other form of entertainment. Sometimes I’ll spend the whole time catching up with notifications on Facebook. I like to go for walks during a the void and observe nature around me. I keep something to jot down my ideas. Again, it all depends on the length of time that I’m working with and I’ll even plan ahead. And then there are times when it will pass me by without me even noticing. On my phone, I have all of the VC Moons entered for the year and I have alarms set to remind me of them. I have one that reminds only me and another that reminds me to remind others of the upcoming void Moon. Regular routine tasks and chores are perfect for this time! The VC Moon isn’t a time to stop doing work altogether, it’s a time to take a break from the hard work that requires the most focus and deepest concentration. However, it’s great for the mundane tasks and everyday duties we need to tend to.
Do's and Don'ts for a Void Moon
Here are a some examples of things NOT during a Void of Course Moon:
- Do NOT start a new job at this time.
- Do NOT submit your resume or accept an interview for a new job.
- Do NOT make a large or a committing purchase.
- Do NOT make any investments or start up new accounts.
- Do NOT try to compromise or make any negotiations.
- Do NOT schedule any meetings during this time frame.
- Do NOT take on any new clients or call them at this time.
- Do NOT have elective surgery during a VC Moon.
- Do NOT go on a first date (a second date is fine).
- Do NOT gamble.
- Do NOT throw a party or be host to one.
- Do NOT propose marriage or get married during this time.
- Do NOT begin any litigation process at this time.
- Do NOT launch a business.
Now here is a short list of things you can or should DO during a Void of Course Moon:
- Get some rest and rejuvenation. Record your dreams.
- Work on household matters such as chores but skip the grocery shopping
- Journal writing and affirmations.
- Wrapping up uncompleted tasks.
- Prayer, meditation, yoga, mantras.
- End a business.
- End a relationship.
- Get divorced.
- Let someone else begin the litigation process AGAINST YOU.
Lastly, and most of all, be aware and accepting that you might be feeling a little loopy right now and so is everyone else. Thinking isn’t very much clear and emotions are fluctuating freely with no particular influence driving them. There is a disconnect in communicating and our interactions. We can attain more efficiency in our inner world than our outer world, and here we can tap into our capabilities much better.
**Note: Surely if things on the DO NOT list are unavoidable, of course do what you have to do. The planets don’t dictate what happens for us, we have control of our lives. These reports are helpful in understanding the atmospheric energy which may compel us.
And there you have it. I hope this article helped you to understand more about the Void of Course Moon. The Moon plays such a big role in our lives, so much having to do with its phase or event happening to it.
In my Weekly Outlook section, I always list the times the Moon will be void that week. I also have a page dedicated to the Void of Course Moon dates and times for the entire year. You can find it here, as well as on the Home page under the Features tab.
