Astrologers Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas in the early 1990’s teamed up to present seminars in psychological astrology. Fortunately for those of us who love to learn astrology, transcripts of these seminars have been memorialized in a series of books. The first book in the series is The Luminaries, their deep dive into the Sun and the Moon in the horoscope.
In her lecture “Mothers and Matriarchy: The Mythology and Psychology of the Moon,” Liz Greene emphasizes the importance of connecting with the energy of our Moon. If we live too much in the solar world, we can be dazzled by the promise of “immortality and ultimate meaning.” We disconnect from the Moon, our bodily self so subject to flux and the whims of fate and fortune. We lose awareness of the cyclical nature of existence, that certain parts of ourselves decay and die so that new pathways for our lives can open up. We all go through “dark moon” phases, when something is lost and the new has not yet been found. The emotional nature of the lunar energy in our charts is not simply a warm and comforting blanket. Emotions can be raw and primal, driving us to jealousy and rage. Touching that mysterious source which gives life to our bodies means understanding this inexplicable tide of need and feeling flowing through us. Once we learn how to recognize and meet our emotional needs, we are released from many of the complicated and difficult demands we put on each other and on the world itself.
After watching (and loving) the Barbie movie this summer, I became fascinated with the chart of the woman who midwifed Barbie from the toy shelf to the movie screen, Margot Robbie. Her production company purchased the right to use” Barbie” as a character from Mattel, and then Margot chose Greta Gerwig to write and direct the movie. Margot decided to play the part herself after Gal Gadot turned it down, and it is good for us that she did. Margot simply channeled all the complexity and controversy Barbie has generated since her own “birth” in 1959.
We can see from Margot’s chart that she has excellent midwife energy, with her Cancer Sun shining in her first house of identity along with Jupiter (exalted) and Mercury. She would be very enthusiastic about bringing her creative “babies” into the world. This is especially emphasized by the ruler of her Cancer planets and Ascendant being in the creative 5th house. Mars in its own domicile of Aries in her angular 10th house of career gives Margo a fireball energy that keeps rolling until she achieves her aim, and Saturn in its own domicile of Capricorn in the angular 7th house brings serious partners with whom she can make things happen. Her husband, in fact, is her primary collaborator in her production company. These planets all form a t-square with the Cancer planets and Ascendant as the apex – Margo is virtually unstoppable.
This 5th house Moon, Margot’s chart ruler, is in the sign of Scorpio. So while she has created a very fun, visually glowing movie based on a children’s toy – all 5th house topics – she has also tapped into the very dark side of this character we call “Barbie.” A Scorpio Moon embraces the deeper truths of reality. Coming back to Liz Greene’s observations on the perils of overlooking the Moon, we see Barbie at the beginning of the movie living in a sun-lit, pink, pleasure-filled world. Her solar life seems perfect, as she bubbles through her active day, with everything ordered to her liking. But a thought of death unexpectedly breaks in – the specter of the Moon, reminding us that all of life is flux and change. Barbie learns that she must leave her perfect pink paradise to confront the “real” world where people are born, grow old, and die – and where they do not conform to her Barbie world ideal. This world is messy, confusing, impactful, and also full of unexpected kindness and beauty. Barbie in the end must choose whether to return to her perfect solar pink bubble, or to embrace the need, danger, unpredictability, and promise of a rich and fulfilling – but terminal – life found in the lunar realms.
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