The Moon as the cosmic mother represents "manas" or the emotional, feeling nature in man. The Moon is said to represent the the stored memories of the past that can take hold of the mind for good or bad. The Moon indicates the astral body and the impressions we bring with us from past lives. The Moon position sets the planetary periods for the entire life through the dashas, so the degree position of the natal Moon is extremely important.

In a man's horoscope in particular, the Moon is karaka for both the Mother and females in general. Along with Venus it shows a mans feminine energies and how he relates to women in general. The Moon also represents early childhood after birth when a child is under the care of the Mother. Afflictions to the Moon can be very hard to overcome and show chronic problems stemming from early childhood. A badly afflicted or wrongly placed Moon can show wrong use of the mind and bring on psychological disturbances and erratic emotional states. As a receptive watery influence, it also shows our capicity to blend and cohese with others and how we relate in regards to emotional interaction.

In association with Rahu or Saturn, the Moon can be very malefic. This is clearly shown in the horoscopes of Charles Manson, Jim Jones and the "Son of Sam"serial killer. The Moon also represents the minds of the masses, so a well placed bright Moon can show a charismatic and popular media personality. The Moon as the ruler of water also shows how much "juice" we have and in a woman's chart can show how fertile she is. A well placed and strong Moon can reveal a person sensitive to the needs and desires of the masses and it is often seen in the charts of movie and rock stars who have the inborn ability to emotionally cohese with their audience.

The Chart of Rachel Welch who has waxing Moon in the sex sign of Libra and Venus in the house of the Moon. The 8th lord of sexual attraction Moon is in exchange with Venus. Venus is the 8th lord from the Moon lagna also. Great combination for a Sex Goddess.

The Moon also is karaka of the face and beauty. A well placed waxing Moon in a woman's chart is essential for a bright and beautiful face. Claudia Shiffer has exalted Moon in the 8th house of sexual attraction. The Moon is exalted in Taurus the natural sign of the face ruled by its friend Venus. She is a good example of the great beauty a bright and well placed waxing Moon can give. Brad Pitt has the association of the Moon and Venus in his horoscope and he also has a very appealing face. The Moon also plays a great part in "Horary astrology" and "Muhurta" where auspicious dates are looked at for events. The "Tithies" and "Yoga and Ava Yogi planets" are also calculated from the movement of the Moon in relationship to the Sun every month. The nakshatras are shown by the Moons movement every day through a different constellation of fixed stars.

position of the natal Moon and still give a good reading. Rectification can then be done by looking at the position of the natal Moon and the dasha it gives running. You can then look at the events of a persons life and make adjustments to the natal Moon which will give you the correct rising ascendant. With experience the ascendant should come to you intuitively. The navamsha position of the natal Moon is also important. You can also rectify by looking at the nakshatra of the natal Moon and which planet rules that nakshatra.

Reading the chart from the natal Moon would be as old as astrology itself. I suspect many readings in olden times would have been done from the Moon lagna as the time of birth would not have been recorded except in the case of leaders and kings. Thai astrologers don't usually use a lagna but use the day of birth along with the planetary positions. Their astrology is a cross between Chinese and Hindu astrology. Thai astrologers place a great importance on the actual day of birth and whether it be a Monday, Tuesday etc.

Many of the "yogas" or planetary unions in Vedic astrology are configured from the natal Moon. If a house is afflicted from the position from the ascendent we might assume there will be troubles in that area of life, but if the same house is afflicted from the natal Moon as well you can be certain there will strife in that area.

The Horoscope of Pundit Navaratnam has the great raja yoga combination of 9th and 10th lord Sun and Moon in association with 5th lord Jupiter. All in Aquarius in the kumbha Mela year.

In a womans chart in many cases, reading the chart from the Moon sign can be more revealing, as a woman is usually more emotionally orientated to life than a man. This is especially important in looking for children in a woman's chart. You need to look at the 5th house from the Moon. The rashi chart and the Moon chart are simply the same chart seen from a different perspective. The ascendant is said to show the physical body, the Moon the astral body and the Sun the causal body. The Moon shows things from the inner workings of the mind. When you think of the Moon you must think of Cancer and the 4th house. Both are important to look at, but the lagna or 1st house shows the overall way in which a person expresses themselves.

The Moon also is karaka of food and nourishment. It shows the nature of our food and in particular the nourishment received in early life. If the Moon is poorly placed or badly aspected we can assume the nourishment was lacking or poor in quality. Good aspects and in particular the aspect of a benefic Jupiter or Venus shows the early life was full of emotional nurturing.

Transits are also traditionally looked at from the natal Moon but I consider them from both lagna and Moon. The Moon is the hard drive of the mind while Mercury is the RAM. The mind as shown by Mercury has no nature of its own and is influenced by planets aspecting it and the lord of the sign where it is placed. The Moon represents the overall capacity to think and feel so governs a tremendous part of our life. Never ever underestimate the importance of the natal Moon. The nakshatra of the natal Moon is also of great importance. Vedic astrology places great emphasis in the positions of the Moon when considering a couple suitable for marriage. I consider this extremely important and well worth studying, but the two charts must be compared first in regards to planetary position before trying to use the "Kuta system."

As a receptive and impressionable planet the Moon is very prone to taking on the energies of aspecting planets. The Moon will always give an indication of the early family life and the baggage carried in the mind from negative experiences in childhood. In association or badly aspected by Saturn the mind can become cold, depressed, melancholic, serious and sober. It also can show abandonment either physically or emotionally by the Mother.

In association with Rahu the mind can become eclipsed and darkened to the state where a person can be a sociopath or psychopath without others seeing it. These people can appear to be very intelligent and interesting individuals, but they can also be cunning and dangerous and often end up involved in drugs or other escapist habits. The influence of the firey Mars on the Moon can power up the mind but in general it makes a person very volatile and prone to tantrums and anger management troubles. The Moon and Mars are friends so lordship of houses is very important as Mars can make the mind very sharp and can produce a perceptive and goal driven personality.

Jupiter is usually a good influence on the Moon and brings out the best qualities in a person as does Venus. The association of Venus and the Moon can give a charming and pleasant nature but if afflicted and ruling bad houses it can make a person narcissistic or too flowery and emotional. Jupiter can make a person overly optimistic or too generous. Both these planets in bad aspect to the Moon can make a person hedonistic or overly pleasure seeking depending on the overall nature of the chart.

In general Rahu has an expansive effect on a planet it aspects and Ketu a contractive effect, so when Ketu associates with the Moon it can show a perceptive but inward looking person. There can be a strange attachment to the Mother and psychic ability. Ketu is the karaka of enlightenment and also past lives so there can be a strong interest in this aspect of life.

The association of the Sun and Moon depends on lordship and just how close the Moon is to the Sun, it is better if they are in trine or sextile aspect to each other. The waxing Moon is far preferable to the waning Moon and the Moon is strongest when beyond 72 degrees on either side of the Moon. Traditionally the waning Moon is said to be malefic but this depends very much on aspects and lordship. An unafflicted waning Moon is far better than a badly afflicted waxing Moon, but for beauty and lustre of the face a waxing moon is preferable.

The Moon rules the nakshatras of Rohini, Hasta and Shravana. In Rohini the lunar energy is still immature and Rajasic in nature, in Hasta it takes form and become more fixed but is Tamasic, in Shravana the lunar energy reaches its most mutable but is Sattvic in nature. The Moon placed in Rohini usually makes a person goodlooking and sensual, in Hasta the person is usually skilled with the hands and very industrious while the Moon in Shravana can make a person very spiritual and and well versed in ancient knowledge. These are very general points but basically the first nine nakshatras are rajasic or active in nature. The second nine are tamasic or inert in nature and the last nine are Sattvic or balanced in nature.

The Moon should also be in good aspect to Mercury for a balance between the intellectual and emotional sides of the mind to function in harmony. The Moon in bad aspect to Mercury always shows some form of imbalance that must be judged on house rulership as well as aspects from other planets. Mercury in trine to Moon in the best aspect followed by the 3/11 aspect. Opposite each other or 2/12 placements can indicate imbalance or self defeating thinking.

Lastly the position of the Moon in navamsha must be checked to see how it is placed there. Weakly placed in the Rashi chart but well placed in Navamsha can show hidden mental strength. A strong Moon in the Rashi chart but weakly placed in navamsha can reveal a person who cannot deliver what they promise outwardly in terms of emotional nurturing. There may be hidden complexes that are masked behind a confident persona.

This is the horoscope of a person I know who has been a local menace for as long as I can remember. (Even worse than me.) He has burnt down hedges at the front of people houses and is addicted to all sorts of anti-social behaviour. Look first at his Moon then Mercury and then reject all the other good points about the chart as the mind will always lead this guy down the wrong road in life.