Few topics are as hotly disputed among astrologers as the question of whether the “void of course” moon has an effect on our daily lives. Early in my career I carefully watched for the void of course moon but found no correlation and no effect. That doesn’t necessarily mean that there is none, because different cycles affect people differently and typically people who are more “lunar” in nature experience the moon’s vagaries more personally. But I have always looked at the void moon as one more thing to plant fear in the hearts of astrology students. (The “void-of-course” moon occurs after the moon makes its last major aspect to another planet before changing signs. )
So I was happy to see this article from Dana Gerhardt, one of astrology’s noted moon experts who I have always admired, entitled “Don’t be frightened of void of course moons.” Dana writes:
Sometimes astrology is scary. You might have blissfully spent all your days unaware of void-of-course moons, but once you hear about them, you’re panicky. The news about void-of-course moons does sound hopeless. Anything begun them goes nowhere. Your job interview won’t bring employment. Your visit to your mother-in-law won’t earn any goodwill. Convene a business meeting and all plans made then will fall apart later. . . .
The logic behind this divination is more symbolic than literal. It does not presume that everyone travels the same celestial assembly line, passing through good and bad times all at once. Not all of the hundred thousand letters mailed during a void-of-course moon will fly from the postman’s hands and land in a trash dumpster. But if you begin a project on such a moon and later find your work faltering, the symbolism of the void can be helpful. Know that you’ll have to supply the extra oomph to make things happen yourself. I once left a resume at an employment office just minutes before the moon went void of course. When days passed and they didn’t call me for an interview, I called them. The woman on the other end of the phone was surprised. “I don’t know why we didn’t call you. You look like an excellent candidate. Let me set up an interview with you now.” I eventually got the job, so the void didn’t doom me.
It’s best to rest on a void moon. People often feel sleep and disconnected at this time. I find these are wonderful hours to simply drift if you can. This creates a space—into which surprising and inspired ideas can suddenly enter. Void moons are also good for doing activities that you don’t want to hear further results from. It’s said that if you mail your taxes at this time, you won’t be audited. One of my clients scheduled a medical test for a void moon, and the result was exactly what she was hoping for: negative. (She was especially relieved because a month earlier, the same test had a scary positive result.) But if you have no choice and you must schedule something important on a void moon, know that you can still be successful, especially if you’re willing to apply a little personal chutzpah. Void moon ripen your individuality and favor creative breakthroughs. This is an optimum time to cut loose from the prevailing wisdom and sneak past the cultural gates. Even a failed project can bring such brilliant learning, your future will shimmer because of it.
Being moon paranoid is silly. Good or bad moons are mostly what we make of them. A void of course moon may not signal anything at all, particularly if you stand at no brinks, ready for no action. In that case, you’ve got a perfect astrological excuse to do nothing. If you want to drift and dream, go for it on the lunar void. Stepping out of the game can be wonderful from time to time. It’s all up to you!
You might find it useful to experiment yourself with the void moon to see whether it has an effect in your own life. Astrologer Felissa Rose has kindly provided us with online tables to help with this project. Meanwhile, what have you experienced in your own life with the void moon, or for the astrologers out there, what has been your experience with clients?
posted June 27, 2007 at 9:16 am
It’s important to remember that a VOC Moon only means the Ptolemaic aspects are over, and it’s by no means a hopeless vacuum. It is, rather, a period of aspect subtlety that invites greater finesse. First, the VOC Moon may still be making strong aspects to your chart, so it could be extra important for you, see: The Personal VOC Moon at: http://www.astrococktail.com/
per…ersonalVOC.html
and in any case it is still passing through an host of smaller, harmonic aspects that offer all sorts of possibilities beyond just snoozing through it, see Not-So-Void-Of-Course Moon at:
http://www.astrococktail.com/not…m/
notsoVOC.html.
Indeed, you may be still quite on track but instead of the obvious open highway, it may be the more interesting, and possibility-laden scenic route..
posted June 27, 2007 at 11:27 pm
It’s so true that there are many variables, but not having the energetic resonance between the Moon and other major solar system players seems to make some difference for me. My experience is noticing the freedom and ability to get more done or to be very focused during VOC periods. I’m a big moon watcher (with a page devoted to that on my site)
posted June 28, 2007 at 6:13 am
It does appear that there is a huge variance of experience about the void moon, which makes sense because the lunar experience is so changeable
posted June 29, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Well, I’m certainly no professional, but I’ve been observing the effects of Void-of-Course moons on myself & my husband for decades now, and they have always seemed to work as advertised for both of us! I can think of so many examples… I even kept notes in my daily planner for a year to record what happened with each VOC. Perhaps the effect varies for different people… My husband & I both have VERY prominent, strongly aspected moons in our natal charts; perhaps those with less prominent natal moons are less subject to the effects of VOCs? Just a thought
posted June 30, 2007 at 6:50 am
Thanks for your comment Selkie, and I have definitely seen that people who do have strong moons are much more sensitive to eclipses and full/new moons. I have not really tracked the VOC except for myself, and although my own moon is part of a t-square I have a strong Saturn which keeps me from being too lunar
posted July 1, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I’m getting ready to move a mirror, for the third time, that was bought under a Void-of-Course Moon! As traditional lore holds, it didn’t fulfill its intended purpose. I don’t have luck with clothes purchased under a VOC Moon, either, and have learned just to not shop then. Also I noticed, at one company where I worked, that if decisions were made in meetings when the moon was void it was like they were never made at all! The plans, ideas, or resolve seemed to die or drift away
posted July 2, 2007 at 8:45 am
Well, in light of all of these comments I’m going to run another test. I’ve entered all of the July dates into my calendar and will track what happens as a result. Thanks for all of your input
posted July 2, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Glad you will test VOCs again… Thought I’d mention the most consistent things my husband & I have experienced with VOC moons over the last 30 years or so. Some are rather slight, some less so; maybe some of you will remember VOC incidents like these in your lives, too, or will notice them in the future? (I apoplogize for such a lengthy post!):
–If we try a new restaurant, or one that’s just new to US, on a VOC, we either end up disliking it (no matter how good the reviews!) or it’s a bad day for the place (i.e, chefs, waiters, etc, out sick; the fish or meat delivery didn’t make it that day, etc.). On one memorable VOC, the kitchen caught fire & the entire place’s electricity went out… fire trucks came, we were all evacuated (no one was hurt). And the [VOC] kicker: miraculously, there was no real damage to the restaurant!)
– Speaking of restaurants, many times when we’d spontaneously decide to eat out, we ended up driving around to maybe 5 or 6 different places to find no parking left, valet parking full, “Closed Today due to…” signs up, traffic jams, etc. If the 6th or 7th place WAS open & accessible, and we decided to eat there… well, see above! Only later, at home, we found that the moon had been VOC during the entire time. BTW- this kind of thing has also been true for us on VOC trips to the movies, etc…
— Virtually every purchase made on a VOC (during the year I kept records on VOCs) had to be returned, replaced, etc, & one was recalled months later due to safety hazards (BEFORE we’d had the occasion to use it!). Repairs attempted during VOCs took several very frustrating tries, developed unforeseen complications, & usually didn’t last for long, either!
– Tapes of lectures, readings, etc, often came out mysteriously blank or inaudible; newly-bought batteries were dead or the tape machine or tape malfunctioned, and sometimes, we couldn’t figure out WHAT happened… though if it was the tape machine we couldn’t get to work, it inevitably worked just fine later on, the next day, etc.
We’ve had more kinds of “VOC events” I could list, but these have been very consistent. Since that year, we’ve had many fewer such events- we just don’t bother attempting them during a VOC if we can help it! One more rather interesting thing about VOCs, though unprovable by its nature: we moved to the L.A. area in 1987 & began reading the fabulous Rockie Gardiner’s astrology column in the “L.A. Weekly,” in which she has consistently mentioned that it’s a good idea to mail your tax return on a VOC if you want “nothing to come of it.” We’ve followed her advice for 20 years now and (knock on wood!) have never heard a word from the I.R.S.- no questions, no audits, etc. Now, we’re 100% honest on our taxes, but during those 20 years we’ve seen friends whom we know are just as honest & in the same income bracket as ours – get audited or have other problems with the I.R.S.! Maybe there’s no connection, but we do have our o
posted July 2, 2007 at 4:12 pm
(continued from previous post) We do have our own opinion!
posted October 16, 2011 at 7:23 pm
The Moon can be VOC in a transit to transit chart (the current transiting planets in the sky at a given moment), but if the Moon still has yet to make major aspects to natal planets in your birth chart while it is still transiting through the given sign, then it will not be functionally VOC on a personal level.