For years, I have been teaching that a very helpful analytical view of the horoscope begins with the Sun as symbol of our life energy, beamed out through the entire solar system -and our personal system as well- with the planets reflecting its light to one degree or another. This is the principle upon which all aspect symbolism is based: what angle gets how much or what quality of “light” (influence).

I have taught unceasingly how we see the light of the Sun best through reflections upon the Moon. There is a presentation of all 144 Sun-Moon blends presented in Synthesis & Counseling in Astrology [and, please see the Archives under “Analytical Techniques” for the essay on Sun-Moon blends, August 21, 1999]. Analysis can barely begin until an individual’s Sun-Moon blend is in our awareness. Our energies and faculties (and our subsidiary needs) rally around that Sun-Moon banner to drive individual life development.

It has always fascinated me that much can be “felt” analytically as well when the Sun and Moon are in tight aspect, in square, conjunction (New Moon), or opposition (Full Moon).

The Sun-Moon in Square Test this yourself: when the Sun and Moon in a natal horoscope are in tight square (within 2 degrees; and, I must add, even the tightest semisquare!), the probability is extremely high that the parents were in upheaval at the time of the person’s birth.

Now, this may sound like an innocuous description, a kind of “gotcha” statement for student astrologers. But it is an observation that is decidedly significant as an analytical guideline to temper the deductions that follow.

The parents were in upheaval: why? How does that fit into the observation that the rulers of the parental axis are probably under high developmental tension in the horoscope? How does that support the Saturn retrograde phenomenon, the Nodal Axis emphasis, the Hemisphere emphasis that are probably all present? Was the child born into a pattern already established in terms of neglect? Will the child be told by a sibling or by a vengeful mother or aunt that the child was never wanted in the first place?

The possibilities grow and grow the more and more you think about it. I have had two cases in the last three days wherein the Sun-Moon square was the base indication for parental upset, which in both cases set the child up as audience to and victim of parental split-up within the first 5 years of life.

The Sun-Moon Conjunction The ancients said that the Moon at New Moon was weak because it had no light. [Those of you who have read my short story collection the Case of the Missing Moon might be smiling with me now!]

I have noticed for over 30 years that tight (within 2 degrees) New-Moon births do have a listlessness about the life energy. It is hard to get up and running, so to speak. Even a tight New Moon (and the operable word here is tight in Aries or Leo or Sagittarius shows this effect.

In such cases, we can surmise that that the identity under development has a higher vulnerability profile. Strong aspects anywhere in the horoscope seem to take on more strident presence. The Moon’s natural reflection of the Sun’s light is not yet prepared to shine forth. More effort is needed, and Arcs taking the Moon away from the conjunction point seem to open up development conspicuously.

This does not suggest for a moment that one is a listless drop-out; it just says that the potentials need a jump-start to get revved up, a partner push to get moving, usually the illumination of support and the accrual of confidence. -Jackie Robinson was born at the Aquarian New Moon (orb: 47′ of arc), opposed by Neptune(!); he was discovered and pushed through an extraordinarily far-sighted partnership with the Brooklyn Dodgers (Jackie’s MC ruler and 7th House ruler were in tight conjunction). Without that boost and propulsion, where would Jackie have ended up?

Sun-Moon Opposition While it is nice to suggest that this aspect calls attention to full illumination and keen awareness -and there is certainly that potential to it- it is more than likely a tug-of-war, a challenge that drives development strongly.

For examples:

Aries-Libra: the ego orientation of the Aries energy fights with the acquiescent needs of the Libra Moon to be popular and accepted with a minimum of fuss. Taurus-Scorpio sets up a struggle between staying stubbornly put and controlling (acquiring) others for personal aggrandizement and growth. Gemini-Sagittarius shows that a great effort must be made to organize diversification, being scattered or anxious in order to support respectable presentation of one’s opinions.

Cancer and Capricorn show the struggle for the center of the stage between emotions and practicality. Leo-Aquarius is probably the most comfortable Full Moon, with idealism and romance extended to others in a royally magnanimous way. Virgo-Pisces suggests that the mind must learn to deal with the amorphous, that the intellect must work out how to be efficient with the intuition.

When the polarities are reversed, the Moon “end” of the axis is accentuated -and you can figure that out easily.

Of course, as soon as any one of these Sol-Lunar aspects -the tight conjunction, the tight square, the tight opposition-colors the Sun-Moon blend, analysis begins quickly to develop out of that observation. Note that strong aspects to the Sun (or Moon) will be strong aspects to both luminaries! –This probably tells us that the tight combination of the Sun-Moon (dare I say) “is supposed to be” pervasively significant?

Check it out! It’s really extraordinary when you think it through and observe this in your next 50 cases.