Moon Journaling

Keeping a Moon Journal

Journaling practice affords a simple, efficient way for nearly anyone to access hidden wisdom that can enhance their life. Because the Moon was the basis of the first calendars and is known to have measurable effects on earth related to its cycle, keeping a Moon journal puts us in touch with the most consistently visible planetary energies. Understanding your personal Moon Cycle opens the door to deeper knowledge of your entire Vedic chart.

The whole process can be as simple as getting a blank book and taking a few minutes each day to note the phase of the Moon and one or two sentences about how you feel and/or what thoughts have impacted you emotionally over the course of the day. Be brief and stick to inner experience only: “Today I feel sad, happy, elated, apathetic, anxious, excited, etc.” Don’t analyze or try to explain. Just say what is. If you feel a need to go more deeply into the thought or feeling, please do so in a separate journal. You only want to record your dominant feelings or moods and the Moon phase, not other influences. This way the patterns of the Moon form organically without being clouded by our over analyzing minds.

The process can grow over time to include Nakshatra placements, transits and aspects of other planets, and relationships to major and minor planetary periods as well as the whole natal chart. But most of us will be more successful beginning slowly. I recommend a four column format or a single paragraph to include date, day, moon phase, and one or two sentences on mood, feelings, and emotions. Don’t overthink it. The important thing is to get the data on paper every day.

After you have at least three months of entries you will have developed a habit and are ready for the next step. Since humans are pattern-seeking animals, you may have already noticed that particular days or Moon phases contain recurring feelings, and moods. For the second phase of the process you should do each day’s entry first, then go back to previous entries for the same Moon phase and see if there are similarities. Don’t rush or force this, just look. This is wisdom and understanding that grows over time. It will reveal itself when you are ready for or need it.

Eventually you will begin to see that your outer life activities may benefit from realignment around the Moon cycle. For instance, you may discover that the last five or six days before a new moon your energy level is depleted. Trying to start new activities or engage in mentally or emotionally demanding experiences leads to dissatisfaction or failure to complete the intended activity. Conversely, you may feel a surge of energy leading up to the full Moon where everything feels charged with life and your mind races with insights. Every person’s experience will be different, but like circadian rhythms that create our natural sleep and waking patterns, the Lunar cycle effects the mind and emotions with a regularity we can learn and work with.

For more information or to schedule a Vedic Astrological reading built around your unique Moon chart, email me at stephen@jyotishamerica.com. I’m a professional Vedic Astrologer and student of Dr. David Frawley, (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri). I offer Vedic Natal chart interpretations, Mundane and Annual consultations, and instruction in Karmic work based on the practice of Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) along with Vedic Palmistry.