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Moonskills 101: Holding Things

By Dana Gerhardt

Moon knowledge isn’t gotten like any other knowledge. You can’t read about it in a book. You can’t study your notes one night and pass a test on it the next morning. You have to make it personal. You need to explore. You need to use your body and your emotions—both are ruled by the Moon—to discover all the ways the Moon is now alive in you.

Astrologers throughout the ages have identified the phenomena ruled by every planet. That’s because it’s through these things—their kingdom—that the planets speak and influence our fates. These are living archetypes. If we want to locate the living Moon, we could start with a few of her subjects—like nests, homes, families, drawers and bowls. What unites these five Moon-ruled things? Do they share a certain quality, intention or vibration?

Most of us reach the Moon Academy like an uptight fellow who arrives in the tropics wearing too many clothes. We want to know what the rules are. We want to get it right. We bring layers of perceptions and questions as we try to make sense of what we’re doing. Gradually the mind quiets down, and eventually, if we stick with it long enough, we find ourselves just naturally standing naked in moonlight.

With this kind of nakedness we can better perceive the workings of the magical world. When I sense into our list of Moon-ruled items, I notice that each has a gift for holding things. Nests hold eggs, homes and families hold people, bowls and drawers hold liquids and objects. The Moon rules containers. And if your heart has ever sung on entering a contemporary container store, it’s because somewhere deep inside you knew this was a modern temple to the Moon.

But don’t take my word for it. Feel into this Moon ability. A good way to start is by sensing the energetic differences between what’s contained and what’s not. You and I might perceive this energy differently. I might see colors. You might get a feeling. Someone else might call it a “vibe.” There is no right or wrong way. There’s just what feels natural for your body. You want to find the easiest means to read energy using your instrument. And remember you’re standing naked in moonlight.

  • Imagine a drawer filled with a clutter of small treasures and junk. Pause and release this image. Now imagine the same pile of objects lying on a table. Release the image and investigate what you just experienced. Both images had an energy of disarray—but was there a difference between the feel of drawered items and those strewn on the table?
  • Imagine a baby in a diaper crying alone on a carpet. Pause and clear the image/emotion. Now imagine a crying baby wrapped in a soft blanket and held in her mother’s arms. Does this change the energy?
  • Imagine sitting on the moor in the howling wind. Pause. Imagine sitting inside a tent in the same wind.
  • Take five steps into an imaginary room where a dozen strangers are standing in a random pattern. Pause and clear. Now enter a room where a dozen strangers stand in a circle, holding hands. Two unclasp and invite you in. What’s the energetic difference between being here and in the room of randomly placed people?

My body senses what’s uncontained as being somehow more tenuous or vulnerable. It’s loose. It spreads. It can flood, overwhelm, or dissipate. It’s unprotected. There’s no “belonging.” What’s contained feels more valued, more welcome, more stable. The energy of contained things is calmer. The activity of “holding” is a good way to soothe a situation and shift the mood toward safety and belonging. It’s why our earliest ancestors recognized their baskets, bowls and woven bags as sacred gifts from the Great Mother Moon.

What bowls can do—so should we. We might not want to hold grains or soup, but how many times have you wanted to hold people or projects or just your own wild emotions together? The capacity to contain is an important and basic Moonskill.

Imagine a woman who’s just heard disturbing news. Like a storm, panic and fear start swirling through her body. She feels an urge to run out, wild and unstrung—but then a friend intercepts her, sits her down, and listens to her story. That’s one kind of container. Or perhaps the upset woman quickly heads home where she crawls into her bed and pulls the soft and familiar covers over her head. This warm safe place is another kind of container.

There are a thousand ways to do containing—but you’ll only know whether you’ve succeeded if you can tell the difference between what’s held and what’s not. Play with this discernment over the next two weeks. Notice when these two states naturally arise. This noticing is an important first step. It’s the foundation for the more sophisticated Moonskill of holding boundaries (more on that in future lessons).  If you’d like to take your containment practice further, visit my blog. My current post offers a nifty containment technique you can use when you’re most upset.

© 2015 Dana Gerhardt

At Mooncircles, we honor both the inner and outer Moons.
Each is a perfect way to explore the other.
To find out more about your inner and outer Moons, check out my Moonprints report! 

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About Dana Gerhardt

A popular columnist with The Mountain Astrologer since 1991, Dana Gerhardt is an internationally respected astrologer. She has lectured extensively and written for astrology publications on several continents. Her ongoing passions are the moon and living the intuitive life. Dana worked for many years in the corporate sector, where she observed the undeniable influence of natural cycles. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Occidental College in Los Angeles and did graduate work in literature at Columbia University and CSULA. Dana can be contacted by email.

Comments

  1. Jeeni says

    Feb 9, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    I love vessels… pottery, baskets, metal bowls and cups… and my moon in Pisces has always seemed like the most important celestial body in my chart.

    Thank-you for this wonderfully affirming article.

    Reply
  2. Yaiza says

    Feb 7, 2015 at 10:20 am

    Thank you Dana for this powerful article. It resonates deeply with me and the work I am doing on openning up and becoming a Vessel for Life. Being the space, Holding ( ) is such a female-receptive quality (Eclhart Tolle refers to it as being the Valley). And holding healthy boundaries!!, I am really looking forward to your next article on this!! Blessings***

    Reply
  3. Faith Thomas says

    Feb 3, 2015 at 1:58 am

    For a long time one of my big lessons has been letting go. But things are shifting for me personally and this reminder of the importance of holding is so timely. I’m going to be exploring this energy in the next few weeks, as well as your lovely practice for calming through self hugging! xo

    Reply
  4. Kira says

    Feb 2, 2015 at 3:14 am

    Wow, what an interesting subject and the visualizations helped a lot! What I’ve noticed in myself as transiting Uranus has conjuncted my IC, that containing things, other people and my own agendas has changed and is suddenly becoming very important. Away from materia and lower energies, towards my own aspirations and balance. I will definitely continue to brew on all this… Thank you <3

    Reply
  5. Angela says

    Feb 1, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    ❤️ this article Dana

    Reply
  6. SusanMerrie says

    Feb 1, 2015 at 5:46 am

    I have worked the Moon for close to 35 years….and facilitated Women’s Moon Circles for almost 25…..and taught classes on attuning to the Moon…. But this is the first time I’ve come across this delicious correspondence of the Moon and containment! Does my heart sing when I enter a container store? My Moon is in Virgo- it soars!!!! Thank you so much for this fresh and deepening connection to Mother Moon!

    Reply
  7. Jenn Falk says

    Jan 31, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    Moonskills. Love it. This makes perfect sense! Thank you as always, Dana!

    Reply

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The Moon is in its
Full Phase

in the
Sign of Sagittarius


Today's Lunar Aspects (Greenwich Mean Time)
(subtract: PST -8 hours, PDT -7 hours, EST -5 hours, EDT -4 hours)

  • Moon trine Venus, 2:48am  May 14 2025
  • Moon trine Mars, 8:27am  May 14 2025

Venus is currently
The Morning Star

in the sign of Aries


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Astrologers use a variety of house systems, or methods of dividing up the sky into twelve sections. I use the Porphyry house system; another popular house system is Placidus (this is the default on https://astro.com). If the chart I send you looks different from what you are used to seeing, then likely a system other than Porphyry was used. Whole signs, Equal House, Regiomantus, and Campanus are examples of other systems. If you find all of this confusing, do not worry. It is likely not critical to your report.

m  Conjunction:  Like peas in a pod, planets in conjunction tend to come from the same place. They act together, but it’s also hard to tell them apart. This aspect can increase talent, focus, and intensity (“two are better than one”). Or one planet can disappear as the other dominates. Their connection feels so natural, it’s easy to think everyone blends these planetary energies just as you do—but mostly, they don’t!.

p  Sextile:  Planets in sextile are compatible, though without any fireworks. This aspect doesn’t demand your attention. It quietly presents an opportunity. You can join these archetypal forces. Donna Cunningham has called this the “Oh, that!” aspect, because that’s generally what her clients say when she describes their benefits.  To get the most from sextiles you need to actively work them.

q  Square:  Squares are wild and wonderful—but difficult too. The power struggle between these planets was likely defined in your youth, when they were impossibly challenging. People are usually aware of their squares. They force the issues that make you to grow. And that’s their gift. They ensure you learn your lessons. When you rise to the occasion, they bless you with energy, action, and success.

r  Trine:  Michael Munkasey has dubbed this the “goddess aspect” because it’s so lovely. Identifying talents you may have perfected in a previous life, trines can bring you joy. There’s a nice flow of energy between planets in trine. They support and reinforce each another. But without any struggle, you might take them for granted—neither using nor developing their gifts. An unattended trine can sometimes trick you into negative behaviors.

t  Inconjunct/Quincunx:  Your quincunx planets are innately incompatible. Bringing them into harmonious expression requires constant adjustments. This can be stressful, also motivating. You’ve got to keep changing your process, opinions or attitude—which promotes highly creative solutions.

u  Opposition:  They say opposites attract—and planets in opposition are never far from each other, though they’re constantly bickering. You may be triggered into awareness of this aspect by other people who seem to resist or undermine you.  An opposition can make you feel uncertain, insecure, or discontent, until you can accept and see yourself in both energies. Typically people find it easier to identify with one side and project the other onto unsuspecting others in the outer world.

First House: Personality, physical body, beginnings. Includes the Ascendant and rules physical appearance, the image you project to others, your general outlook on life, how you start things; may describe your role in your family system, often guides your first impression of immediate environment.

Second House: Money and personal finances, sense of self-worth and basic values, personal possessions, talents.

Third House: Communication, thoughts, language skills like writing and speaking, early schooling, siblings and neighbors, short trips, coming and going around town.

Fourth House: Your home, psychological foundations and roots, family, parents, domestic life, instinctive behavior, ancestry, your connection with the past, sense of security, domestic life, real estate. conditions at the end of life.

Fifth House: Children, creativity, romance; pleasure, entertainment, self-expression; all forms of “play”, speculation, gambling, and attitude towards taking risks; hobbies, attitude towards romance, lovers as opposed to partners, attitude towards having fun.

Sixth House: Work and job (as opposed to career), daily life, attitude towards service and coworkers, helpfulness, pets, attitude towards routine and organization, how you refine and perfect your skills.

Seventh House: Partnerships, one-to-one relationships, marriage, the first marriage, the “significant other”, business partnerships, competitors, open enemies, lawyers, mediators, counselors, contracts, negotiations, agreements. clients/the public.

Eighth House: Transformations and crisis, your ability to meet and rebound from crisis and change, sexuality; sex, death and rebirth, rituals and personal growth, your partner’s resources, addictions, psychology, other people’s money, taxes, divorce/alimony, inheritance.

Ninth House: Attitude toward expanding horizons, religious beliefs and personal philosophy, higher education, long-distance travel, morals, foreign languages and cultures, personal truths, publishing, commerce, advertising, your sense of adventure.

Tenth House: Career and profession, your contribution to society, social status, public reputation, material success, how you carve out a public identity for yourself; attitude toward authority figures, parents, caregivers, bosses, governments, attitude towards responsibility, desire for achievement.

Eleventh House: Friends, groups, organizations; hopes, wishes, aspirations, personal goals; your philanthropic attitude, concern for the collective, humanity; like tenth, can bring recognition and honors for fulfilling hopes and dreams.

Twelfth House: What’s hidden beneath the surface, karmic dustbin, limiting childhood/past-life messages, self-undoing, hidden enemies, hidden weaknesses, dreams, secret affairs, lost items, hospitals and prisons, hidden strengths, spiritual studies and soul growth.

A  Sun: Our vitality and magnetism; self-identity, ego.
Roles: The Self, the Hero, the Performer, the King.

B  Moon: Intuition, emotion, nurture.
Roles: The Mother, the High Priestess, the Child.

C  Mercury: Mind; physical dexterity and mental agility.
Roles: The Thinker, the Communicator, the Student, the Trickster, the Merchant, the Thief.

D  Venus: Our capacity for pleasure, receptivity, creativity, and social connection. Also indicates our relationships, self esteem, and financial abundance.
Roles: The Lover, the Seductress, the Artist.

E  Mars: Desire, initiative, anger.
Roles: The Protector, the Athlete, the Warrior.

F  Jupiter: Luck, opportunity, expansion, higher learning, religion.
Roles: The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Traveler, the Monk, the Professor.

G  Saturn: Hard work, commitment, focus, inadequacy, leadership, suffering, loss.
Roles: The Task Master, the Grim Reaper, the Wise Old Man, the Builder, the Cynic, the Boss.

H  Uranus: Change, breakthroughs, upsets, discoveries.
Roles: The Revolutionary, the Humanitarian, the Visionary, the Snob.

I  Neptune: Imagination, spirituality, idealism, addictions, deception, compassion.
Roles: The Artist, the Romantic, the Guru, the Addict, the Martyr, the Victim.

J  Pluto: Transformation, power, psychological dynamics, helplessness.
Roles: The Terrorist, the Detective, the Psychotherapist, the Dictator, shady people.

a  Aries: Pioneering, competitive, selfish, impatient, courageous, reckless, independent, dynamic, domineering, “Me first!”

b  Taurus: Patient, stable, lazy, dependable, practical, sensual, stubborn, artistic, possessive, greedy, gentle, loyal.

c  Gemini: Intelligent, curious, adaptable, quick-witted, restless, clever, scatterbrained, lacking follow-through.

d  Cancer: Nourishing, intuitive, protective, moody, sensitive, maternal, domestic, childish, cautious, creative.

e  Leo: Proud, dignified, vain, expressive, romantic, generous, childish, overbearing, self-assured, creative.

f  Virgo: Perfection-seeking, practical, methodical, petty, critical, studious, discriminating, cautious, never satisfied.

g  Libra: Charming, sociable, peace-loving, refined, diplomatic, artistic, indecisive, apathetic, easily deterred.

h  Scorpio: Passionate, secretive, penetrating, resourceful, suspicious, manipulative, jealous, sarcastic, intolerant, determined, aware.

i  Sagittarius: Freedom-loving, philosophical, optimistic, enthusiastic, careless, impatient, talkative, a know-it-all, broadminded, athletic, honest.

j  Capricorn: Serious, responsible, practical, hardworking, stubborn, brooding, inhibited, status-conscious, domineering, unforgiving.

k  Aquarius: Progressive, individualistic, unpredictable, cold, intellectual, artistic, eccentric, shy, impersonal, scientific.

l  Pisces: Compassionate, intuitive, ungrounded, romantic, impractical, self-sacrificing, seductive, musical, artistic.