Moon is the Mind

One of the confusing things in Vedic Astrology is how two planets, the Moon and Mercury, are both said to signify the Mind. The way this happens is that the Rational Intellect gets assigned to Mercury, while everything else having to do with Mind gets given to the Moon. The Sun rules the Spirit, that which is eternal, while the Moon, not having light of its own, has to reflect the light of Spirit, and signifies the Eternal's incarnation on the human plane. Thus the Moon rules human consciousness in general, including both thoughts and feeling. According to Vedic Mythology, the Moon is Mercury's father: Mercury, the Intellect, is born from the Moon.If Mercury, the Rational Mind, can be said to be (ideally) perceiving objective reality, then the Moon would be that part of us which experiences subjective reality, i.e., the Conditioned Mind. Conditioned by what? By our past experiences. Thus in Vedic Astrology the Moon specifically signifies our past, our memories, our conditioned behavior patterns. Attached to all of this accumulated data are emotional responses, an integral function of the Moon, which are what make the memory banks subjective.The placement of the Moon in your Vedic birth chart will show by its sign position, house position, and its involvement with other planets, what the conditioned patterns are in your particular case. We are each, in a sense, victims of our own past, and our inherited karma (past lives), which constitutes our conditioning. Essentially we are all distorting objective reality by experiencing the present circumstances through the filter of our past conditioning. This is the natural order of things; it is what makes the Human Plane a place of great variety. It also makes mutual agreement amongst humans nearly impossible, unless the conditioning has been the same or at least similar. Thus we establish better, smoother, relationships with those who share our conditioning, who share our past (which can be this life's past or another life).For this reason, the Moon is the most important factor when considering two people's charts for compatibility analysis in Vedic Astrology. Likewise the Moon's daily placement must be consulted in Muhurta analysis (choosing the proper day and time to initiate an endeavor), and compared to the doer's natal Moon, in order to assess the compatibility one has with the energy of the day. What we are searching for in another person, or in a favorable day to begin something, is an energy pattern that is 'digestible' by our own Moon.It is said in Vedic Astrology that the Moon needs support. Why? Because that conditional reality experienced by your Moon-mind, is not, strictly speaking, real. And somewhere deep down inside, it knows this. Thus you seek out familiar circumstances, and re-interpret those that are not familiar to seem familiar, so as to support the reality view that has already been established. This Lunar Mind wants the easy way out: it sticks with experiences compatible with its own particular programming. In Vedic Astrology, the Moon governs our five senses, thus: “how you see is what you get”. What we are attracted to, the experiences we each desire, are dictated by the mental-emotional food that we have a 'taste' for. Thus we avoid, shut out, or when there is no other choice, redefine those experiences that don't fit with our own familiar mental constructions.Analysis of the natal Moon is a major consideration when trying to find out why someone's life is 'not working'. Oftentimes the problem is not that objective reality has been unkind, but rather that the person has been rejecting their experiences as 'indigestible'. Understanding the workings of your own Moon-mind helps you see how your lunar conditioning limits your ability to deal successfully with the unfamiliar. With increased awareness of your existing programming, you are taking the first step towards changing it. By expanding the range of what you find 'edible', you expand your human consciousness, and your ability to work through your karma in this lifetime.