For spirited women everywhere, the Spring Equinox is a big deal - it is an annual turning point in our lives and reflects many changes. But why does it affect us so? I invited Sheri Horn Hasan, an expert in Karmic Evolution Astrology back as our guest blogger to give us some answers - since her posts on Mercury in Retrograde were such a big hit. This time she has written a three-part series on the Spring Equinox and how it really influences the divine feminine in us all. This is Sheri’s second post.

As mentioned in last week’s blog, the Sun moved into Aries on May 19/20, marking the Spring Equinox, or the beginning of spring and a time of new birth. I pondered the question of how Aries, such male archetypal energy, came to dominate the portion of the cycle related to new life--one that would normally fall under the realm of female energy, including that of the Spirited Woman…

Humanity began its shift away from matriarchal times to the modern patriarchal era more than five thousand years ago. The advent of Judaism, the first monotheistic religion—one that pays homage to only one deity—slowly began to replace the more feminine-inspired and holistic-oriented pantheistic worship of many gods and goddesses.

This transition--away from revering different and varied gods and goddesses of nature and all that surrounds us as part of the more ancient intuitive divine feminine wisdom--proceeded throughout the next three millennia. It gained strength as Judaism morphed into Christianity two thousand years ago and with the rise of the Catholic Church (and other Christian denominations), and continued as it branched off into Islam after the birth of Mohammed, around 700 A.D.

What these three major religions have in common is monotheism. That is, they all believe in a single, all-powerful, omnipresent, omnipotent god—and one that usually takes the male form.

The Moon & The Divine Feminine

This slow transition, over the course of millennia, rendered the influence of many female goddesses such as Artemis--who represented the hunt, wildlife, childbirth, and who oversaw the protection of young children--obsolete.

Well, not obsolete—exactly…

It is important to note that Artemis was a virgin—and the protector of both young children and her own virginity, even if she had to act violently to do so. Many myths exist around her punishing males—sometimes with death--who tried to rape her, and she was often depicted carrying a bow and arrow. It was Artemis who kept coming to mind as the female goddess whose energy most closely approximated that of the male war god Mars (ruler of the sign Aries.)

As previously multi-faceted matriarchal energy shifted away from including attributes that we now define as more stereotypical male “animus” energy, Artemis became one of several female goddess archetypes to become more deeply aligned with the energies of the Moon.

And so, as the patriarchal view grew in strength, the more martial energies of both Artemis and other female goddesses morphed away from ambition, assertion, aggression, sexuality, and anger into the more narrowly defined female role of protection of children and the family in general.

The Moon & The Spirited Woman

Any Spirited Woman who’s a mother—or who watches over children in general—knows how her role to protect them from harm easily relates to Mars energy and is an inherent part of the nature of one’s feminine instincts. If not, suffice it to say that the image of the mother grizzly bear defending and protecting her cubs against outside influences should to the trick!

The Moon is cyclical in nature--she’s right brained, creative, intuitive, and in tune with nature’s cycles. While the more patriarchal Mars represents the movement into left-brained, empirical, evidence-driven, “if I can see it, then I can believe it” thinking, he relies more on instinct than on intuition. (Next week’s blog will explain the difference between these two!)

This slow shift has left the modern Spirited Woman without a mechanism through which she may pay the appropriate homage to her feminine intuition and the divine feminine within, regardless of with which gender she ultimately identifies.

This is neither “good” nor “bad.” It simply is…

The Moon in modern astrology is an indicator of our emotions. More than that, though, she tells us what we each need individually to feel secure in this world, and how we are capable of providing security to others. Simultaneously, we realize she’s the impetus behind which growth is maintained through consistent change and continual persistence.

Your Moon tells you how you process your emotions and exactly how you seek security. She also guides you to change and grow, as per the natural cycles of nature.

So where’s your Spirited Woman’s Moon? You can find it here, but you must have your date of birth, exact birth time (or as close as possible to it!), and the location of your birth: http://alabe.com/freechart/applying.asp

Stay tuned for next week’s final blog in this series and the description of your own personal Moon sign.

Amazon #1 Bestseller & professional intuitive psychological/archetypal/evolutionary astrologer at Karmic Evolution Astrology, Sheri Horn Hasan analyzes natal horoscopes as the blueprint that can help one’s soul to recognize & reach its highest destiny in this lifetime. Her mission is to assist others to move from chaos to clarity and co-create their own future through astrology! Read Sheri’s story about her astrological awakening!