The Moon entered Sagittarius early this morning, turning the focus to the realm of adventure and ideas.  Under the Sagittarian influence we are more optimistic, our vision is broader and we are more social in nature.  Aside from a square to Mars which occurred at about 7:30 this morning EDT and which influence is now behind us, the Moon makes no other aspects until it forms a trine to Venus tomorrow morning.

We often don’t like challenging aspects, but they provide the force that keep us moving forward.  The harmonious dynamics and pleasant and can provide some excitement, but it is the force of one planet conflicting with another planet, or a planet in our chart, that facilitate the process of change.  This is often called “dialectics,” a philosophical framework which is the perfect subject under a Sagittarian Moon since Sagittarius is so fond of philosophy and the realm of beliefs.  Dialectics basically presumes that everything in the universe is made of opposing forces which require the adaptation of both forces to create something new, and that change occurs in 3-dimensional spiral form rather than a 2-dimension circle.

From the astrologer’s point of view, we have, say, the Moon in Taurus in the birthchart.  When Venus in Capricorn transits that Moon it is a harmonious transit and the two encourage each other, they work well together.  But if Mars in Leo transits that Moon, they are in a square formation and the fire of the Leo Mars challenges the equanimity of the Taurus Moon.  The Moon (the thesis under the dialectic principle) must adapt to the pressures of Mars (the antithesis) in order to avoid destruction, and this results in a synthesis between the two planets and an evolutionary change in the individual as a result of this adaptation. 

It is assumed, in the dialectic process, that the useful portion of the thesis will be preserved when it encounters the antithesis, and that therefore the resulting synthesis will be greater than the original thesis; hence the concept of psychological growth and personal evolution as a spiral rather than a circle with no end.  We experience this in our daily lives, when in a period of challenge we find ourselves facing issues within us that we thought were long gone.  

I find this idea useful when conceptualizing the effect of planetary transits and I hope you will too!