The Void of Course Moon

by Robert Wilkinson

The Void of Course (VOC) Moon is said to occur whenever the Moon makes no more aspects to any other transiting planet before it leaves the sign it's in. Traditionally, the only aspects considered in this way of viewing things are the conjunction, opposition, sextile, square, and trine. Supposedly the VOC Moon is a time when nothing happens of note, or whatever you do will not yield undesirable (or even desirable!) results, and is a metaphoric "black hole" into which our efforts fall into oblivion. It has been said that nothing of importance occurs during a "void of course" Moon. Is this true?

I am aware of many anecdotal tales of sending in tax returns during void of course Moons yielding no audits, negotiations supposedly going nowhere during these periods, and efforts apparently coming to naught. When the Moon is at the end of a sign, it is true that often things "hang out" until it changes signs, since the Moon indicates the daily and weekly fluxes in lives and affairs, and when it's at the end of a sign it indicates those affairs symbolized by that sign are at an end. However, it is equally valid to say that simply because we don't note that something is happening it doesn't mean that in fact, nothing is happening.

There are often pauses in life, when we catch a break before renewed activity. This may or may not be associated with a VOC Moon. There are many tax returns that are sent in when the Moon is not VOC that are not audited, and I'm sure there are many audits that came about due to flaky numbers on a tax return, regardless of whether the Moon was VOC or not. The real world is like that.

Then there's the issue of whether the Moon is actually ever really free of aspects. The popular astro-calendars often do not note the so-called "minor" aspects such as semisquares (45 degrees), sesquisquares (135 degrees), or quincunxes (150 degrees), yet these are very potent aspects that most definitely show turning points, crises, agitations and adjustments in our lives.

They also never account for any of the Quintile, Septile, or Novile series aspects, probably because there is a lot of confusion in pop astrology as to what these actually mean, with many conflicting speculations. And of course, they would also take up a lot of valuable print space.

These are not traditional aspects as known in antiquity, some of them are not so obvious in their workings in the moment, but they definitely mark major points of specialization, forks in the road of our "destiny," or stages in our larger spiritual development. If the Moon makes any aspect from any of these series to another planet, is it still "void of course?" If we use only traditional aspects, then it is, but how many astrologers confine themselves to the traditional aspects? We now use a plethora of different aspects to describe the various internal relationships between the different parts of our inner and outer life, so I'm not sure the Moon should be considered VOC if it makes any of these "minor" but significant aspects.

And in what I believe is the most important consideration regarding the VOC Moon in some charts, I have found the Moon is NEVER void of course for you if your chart has a planet at the end of a sign, regardless of what it is or is not doing with the planets in the sky. For example, my chart has Saturn at 29 Virgo and Mercury conjunct the Midheaven at 30 Aries. The Moon always makes aspects to these planets in my chart before it leaves any sign.

Thus I do not experience a Moon void of course, since it's always working something on my Saturn and Mercury before it changes signs. It's always in a relationship to the rulers of Capricorn, Aquarius, Gemini, and Virgo in my chart whenever it transits the final degrees of any sign.

So it may well be that any time the pop astrology calendars note a "Void of Course Moon," it may or may not be entirely true. There may or may not be dramatic events in the outer world, but if the Moon still makes aspects in your chart, you can bet you will experience a definite energy associated with that aspect between the Moon and whatever planet you have in your chart, and the houses that planet rules.

Also note your progressed planets, since if you have a planet in the final degrees of a sign, the progressed part of you that planet represents will be triggered by the Moon aspecting that planet. And if you have a planet in the last degrees of a sign in your Solar Return chart, you can expect things associated with that planet in the Solar Return chart, as well as the natal houses it rules, to be affected.

In my opinion after 35 years at this craft, the Moon is never void of course, except perhaps for a few hours once in a while for a few people. The rest of us, especially those of us with planets in the late degrees of a sign, will always experience activity associated with those planets when the Moon is in the last degrees of any sign.

Whether semisextile, sextile, square, trine, quincunx, or opposition, we'll get a full dose of the Lunar aspect to a planet, whether it's making an aspect to any other transiting planet or not. Quintiles, biquintiles, tredeciles, septiles, biseptiles, triseptiles, noviles, binoviles, and quadranoviles included. Though the effect may be subtle, the Moon making any of these aspects will certainly trigger something in a chart. Some may disagree, but this is my experience after studying VOC Moons for decades.

© Copyright 2006 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Ondrea Delio]

Rob, thx for this. I've always been concerned that - when factoring in only the traditional 5 aspects - I technically was born during a VOC moon...

[thehotcloset]

Robert, thanks for this clarification.

[Robert]

Hi Ondrea - Thanks for checking in. Yes, one of the most common questions is when a person's Moon is 28-30 of a sign, they usually want to know if they're "cursed" by a VOC Moon. I'm glad I can write my impressions of my experience with this, since ALL things in the chart have a higher expression and are good for something. We just have to figure out what.

Also, I once read from a fairly respectable source that the later in a sign any planet is, it is, the more "spiritualized" that energy has become. It's personal in the first part, socialized in the second, and elevated to a higher level in the third. Of course I've also noted that the third part of sign is also the end of whatever manifested in that sign and sets the stage for the next level. So your Moon came in mature in its sign, ready to leap almost instantly as an infant into a totally different Moon, or form of nurture. It also shows your Mom went through major changes within weeks after your were born.

[Wendy]

Hi Robert,
What if you have natal ascendant or MC at the last degree of a sign? How would a "void" moon affect those points as opposed to actual planets? Speaking of degrees, could you clarify something for me please? When looking at a planet's placement, how do you discern what "degree" it really is. For example, if there is an eclipse at 12 degrees 37 minutes Aries, which degree would that be considered? 12 or 13? I am confused because some round up and others just chop off the minutes. This has a big impact on sabian symbol correlation. Any ideas on this one? : ) Thanks!
Wendy

[Lynn]

Thanks for debunking the VOC moon. I have long felt that this was a needless scare tactic used by astrologers with suspicious motives and too have seen no correlation between these times and negative events. Encouraging clients to be afraid of the ephemeris is not a positive use of astrology in my book! Glad to see you feel the same. :)

[Robert]

Hi Wendy - I would think that it would mean the VOC Moon would make an aspect to the Asc or MC, certainly an important point in (fill in the appropriate aspect interpretation) how that part of you is coming to focus. The Moon IS "an actual planet" from our Earthly point of view.

To clarify, Rudhyar specified (as did Marc Jones) that from 0 degrees 01 minutes through 1 degree 0 minutes is 1 degree of a sign. It becomes 2 degrees the minute it moves from 1 degree 0 minutes to 1 degree 1 minute in longitude (or 1 degree + anything!) Some of the other degree symbols from non-Sabian sources do round down, so I use those interpretations, but it makes sense to go from 1 through 30 degrees, rather than 0 to 29 degrees of the signs. (You're never zero years old - you're one year old after you've done your first year, and turn two after you've completed two years.)

Hi Lynn - Yes, it doesn't surprise me that we share the same general attitude about astrological superstitions. So much of our craft is a game of "telephone," so that what was reputedly said or written whenever becomes a distorted "gospel" that people work from to everyone's disadvantage. Your spot-on comment about the "needless scare tactic" biz was EXACTLY why I wrote "A New Look At Mercury Retrograde," since way back when there was a lot of freaking out and chicken little stuff going around about this natural phenomenon. For anyone stumbling across this sector of reality, you really should check out Lynn's site, since it contains a lot of great material. Thanks for checking in, Lynn. Keep up the good work!

[Svetlana]

If astrology studies and interpretes so called Heavenly Scriptures, then not in vain a lot of terms it uses coinside:)with the ones used by lingustics. Have you ever analysed this phenomenon? If yes-where to find info? if no-it would be great if you help humankind to find the common language,id est its celestial sources."It's high time to reassess Babel".

[Robert]

Hi Svetlana - I believe you are describing the symbolic language that was known by all before we were split in diverse directions 12000 years ago. Then local linguistics took its course while the common language was forgotten by all except those who took the time to study and practice the Spiritual Way with its common symbols.

On this site I try to use words, phrases, and nuances of a common language describing the process of unfoldment, personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal. Though not a linguist, Dane Rudhyar also wrote some things about symbolic language, as did Jung.

The study of sounds, also known as mantras, was extensively explored in the Vedas, and it's interesting how the different names have been given to the different sounds of our Earth, each describing a form. Nama (name) and rupa (form) are the basis of all we can describe. This also is extensively explored in the Kabbalah as Gematria, where all forms have a numerical value based in what sounds comprise the name of that form, thereby relating to all other forms with that numerical value.

And then there's the language of the heart with its profound knowledge and wisdom, that whether spoken or unspoken conveys an entire experience beyond language. That sort of knowing transcends time, space, culture, and words.

[Svetlana]

The way you,Robert, give answers to the quest-ions of "common people" is worthwhile...
But I meant a more practical thing dealing with terminology which illuminates the celestial spring of the human language ,id.est how it is illuminated via coincidence of astrological and linguistic
terminology.
Aspectology is the most vivid example, to my mind. The Table of Tenses (or Dances:) of the English verb(word) can be called the moving and changeable configuration of interrelations and interdependence of lexical\verbal units(dense and tense:) in time and space,can't it? It means, it is high time to think about the appearanc of a new profession - astrologer-linguist, for instance... No doubt, the transcendental Language of Heart would play the first violin, as usual.
In-tuition is primary wisdom,all other tuitions are secondary teachings, as Ralph Emerson wisely noticed.

[Robert]

Hi Svetlana - This is turning into an interesting focus with potential for development. That said, linguistics is not my specialty, though I do know something about the meaning of sounds. It seems that tenses, as per their specific usage, would correspond to forming, exact, and separating aspects, since both tenses and aspects describe the fluid movement of process. Your phrase "No doubt, the transcendental Language of Heart would play the first violin, as usual," deserves applause. Bravo!

[Svetlana]

Being a singer of the choir(an amateur one, which mostly performs spiritual/church/folk music of Belarus, my Motherland)I add my voice to the chorus of the participants of this Forum who admit constant coinciding "fortuities" between your descriptions,predictions,warnings,admonishments and the events in personal life, both inner and outer...
The finding of the language of mutual understanding as the basis/foundation of any education/edusystem has always been to me smth like a fairy-tale motive.Though I became a teacher of English, my childish dream was to become an nterpreter/translator. Now more and more I understand what the terms TRANS-lating and INTER-preting can really mean. It is great:) to find/feel yourself among those who try to look for new(old) ways for peacemaking on our planet-Mother Earth. On different planes.
different planes

[sue]

Hi,

What effect does VOC have on the horary when giving judgement ?

Thanks.

[Robert]

Hi sue - Well, I'm sure you know the usual horary rules: Asc in last or first few degrees of a sign makes it unable to be judged, Saturn in 7th supposedly isn't good for the astrologer, Moon VOC shows it's too far gone to matter and things have to change before the situation will be clear, etc. I have found the first or last degrees on the Asc still make it readable, and Saturn in the 7th isn't necessarily bad.

As for VOC Moon, I suppose it depends on if it touches an important position in the querent's or astrologer's natal or progressed charts. Then the Moon of the horary indicates the planetary or angle function of the being involved, or it could show something connected to the planet of the querent by what houses the Moon or that planet rules. If a VOC Moon touches a planet or angle of the astrologer, then it could show either a sensitivity on the part of the astrologer or some element of their past experience or family relations that would bear a direct relationship to the question posed. There are other variations on this as well.

Also my bottom line is a VOC Moon may still make minor aspects to other planets, and so may not really be VOC in a traditional sense. If it makes a quintile, or novile, or biseptile or whatever, it's not VOC. And that matters in a big way.

[sue]

How reliable is the judgement if astrologer did not follow the horary rule?

[Helen]

Hi Robert,

Again your wisdom blows me away. Is there such a thing as V/C moon when the moon is in an earlier degee of the sign say 2 degrees?

Peace,

Helen

[Robert]

Hi sue - Sorry to take so long to answer, but your comment obviously dropped off the sidebar before I saw it. It could still be accurate depending on other factors, but it depends on individual charts.

Hi Helen - No. VOC is only at the end of a sign.