What Your First New Moons Say About the Rest of Your Life

Over the years, I have heard a number of astrologers make vague assertions about the importance of the Moon-conjunct-Moon aspect in the secondary progressed chart.  They typically described it as a key turning point that came around every 27-28 years, and some were even astute enough to recognize it as a “lunar return” in the progressed chart.  But that’s where the discussion generally ended.  No one went on to mention that those “lunar returns” were not just abstract events in our calculations, but that they actually occurred in the skies over our heads when we were infants.  Modern astrology has forgotten that, in the Classical Age, astrologers in the Middle East paid very close attention to those first personal "new moons" in an infant's life. The first lunar return in a child's life doesn’t arrive in our secondary progressed charts until we are around age 27-28, but the actual lunar return itself occurred in the skies when we were one month old - it was our first lunar return!  It is the exact same event, so it should be the same chart.  Just like any other lunar return, each SLR, or secondary progressed lunar return, has its own unique nature, and each has its own chart that we can study.  This is also true in tertiary progressions - the subject’s first tertiary lunar return (TLR) shows up around his second birthday. And again, it’s the exact same chart. So, thanks to secondary and tertiary progressions, the very same chart reappears on as many as three different occasions over the course of the subject’s life. For example, the subject’s first lunar return, coming 27 days after his birth, rules the second 27 days of his life, and the second 24 months of his life, and the second 27 years of his life. Coming two months after he was born, his second lunar return then rules the subject’s life from around days 55-82, then again from about age 4-6, and still again from about age 55-82.  His third lunar return rules his fourth month, his first years in grade school, and his life after age 82

Because our lives are continually revisiting the same chart pattern in this way, if the infant had any sort of major crisis during his second month of life, a good astrologer should be able to anticipate, even without looking at any charts, that the child would also be in danger of  going through a major crisis between ages 2-4, and still a third crisis as an adult between ages 55- 83, because the three periods would have an innate connection with one another, being parallel reflections of one another from the perspective of the individual.

            

Because the Moon moves so slowly in the secondary progressed chart, most of us can only hope to live through three SLRs over the course of our lives, since the fourth SLR doesn’t arrive until around age 110.  That means that we have a set of no more than four charts (birthchart = age 0-27; first SLR = age 27-55; second SLR = age 55-82; third SLR = age 82-110) that together plot out the entire course of our lives in 27 year long, generation-sized chapters.  These charts correctly reflect our changing fortunes as the decades pass by; they describe our changing careers, health, relationships, and passions. They show when we enjoy our greatest victories as well as when we suffer our most traumatic losses, when we thrive and when we stumble.  They even provide a  tool for measuring the length of life; the SLR charts with the greatest afflictions to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven tend to bring the most acute crises of the subject’s life and health.

            

 The TLRs do exactly the same thing, just on a smaller time scale, with every chart providing a comprehensive snapshot of a two-year window in our lives.  The first five years of a subject’s life will contain all the TLR charts they  will live through, as the child’s 48^th lunar return will be his TLR for ages 96-98.  These charts are pretty straightforward; if one TLR has a well-aspected Venus in the 7^th and the next TLR has an afflicted Saturn in the 7^th, one can reliably predict that the subject’s marriage is going to go well in the first period but then take a nosedive in the second.

           

 Let’s explore some examples. President Gerald Ford lived through three SLRs in his life, in October 1940, January 1968, and May 1995.  His first SLR had Sun in the 12^th house, correctly indicating that he would remain out of the spotlight between 1940-1968, even though the Sun square to Midheaven and Mars and Saturn in the 10^th insured that he would quietly build a strong career during that time.  His second SLR, which covered his time in the White House spotlight, had Moon conjunct Ascendant and Sun conjunct Midheaven, insuring that he would come into public view and achieve career prominence during that time.  His final SLR had Saturn conjunct the Ascendant and Sun highly stressed in a T-Square with Mars-Pluto opposite Jupiter, all of which correctly foreshadowed his death in 2006.  

            

 Ford’s TLRs are equally instructive. When he first ascended to the Presidency and very generously pardoned Nixon, his October 1972 - October 1974 TLR featured Jupiter conjunct Ascendant opposing a Sun-Venus conjunction.  During his difficult, stumbling, and unpopular years as President, he was operating under his October 1974 - November 1976 TLR that had a quadruple Ascendant-Mars-Neptune-South Node conjunction opposing  Uranus.  And when he lost the Presidential election of 1976, he was under his November 1976 - November 1978 TLR that had  Pluto and Saturn square the Midheaven, and Sun in a T-Square with a Mars-Uranus opposition.  And finally, when he died in 2006, he was under his July 2005 - July 2007 TLR with a New Moon, and a triple Saturn-Neptune-Midheaven conjunction that squared the Ascendant.  The New Moon in Ford’s last TLR is typical, I have found it very common to see New Moons, Quarter Moons, and Full Moons in a subjects’ final SLR or TLR, as well as severe afflictions to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Midheaven. An afflicted New Moon is something I’ve seen quite often in the final SLR of a subject’s life, and should always raise concern when encountered.  Elvis Presley’s 1962 SLR had a New Moon conjunct Saturn in the 8^th house in effect when he died in 1977.

            

Senator John McCain’s first SLR in January 1964 was in effect when he was shot down over Vietnam, injured, captured, tortured, and made a prisoner of war for six years.  That chart had Mars conjunct the Ascendant, with an afflicted Neptune in the 1^st in a T-square with Saturn and Jupiter, and an even more afflicted 6^th House Moon in a grand cross with Pluto, Uranus, and Venus.  But thanks to a strong grand trine between Sun, Moon, and Midheaven McCain not only lived through the ordeal, but kept his honor intact as well, refusing an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer.  McCain’s second SLR occurred in May 1991, and was in effect during his failed 2008 Presidential campaign.  That chart featured a severely afflicted grand cross, with Moon conjunct Ascendant opposing Pluto, all squaring a Sun-Midheaven conjunction opposing Uranus. With such a highly energized Sun-Midheaven conjunction, it is no surprise that he was in the election, but being such an afflicted chart, it is also no wonder that he lost. But with all four majors - Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven - being afflicted by  two malefics, this chart bodes poorly for the remaining years until this SLR cycle ends in September 2018.  McCain has three TLRs between now and then, in March 2012, April 2014, and April 2016, and while they all feature an afflicted Moon, the April 2016 TLR contains an absolutely dreadful Full Moon T-square, with an  8^th House Sun-Pluto conjunction opposing a Moon-Mars conjunction and squaring a Saturn-South Node conjunction. Whatever that turns out to be, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to go through it, nor would I advise a life insurance company to cover McCain for the period that TLR covers : 2016-2018.

            

President Obama’s first SLR occurred in November 1988, and featured the Sun conjunct Pluto and square Moon.  This is a strong indication that he would become tremendously empowered during this period of his life, but it is also dangerous enough of an aspect to raise concerns about his mortality while it is active (1988-2016).  Should he survive it, the next SLR in March 2016 contains no serious concerns about mortality, indicating that if he is still alive in March 2016, he should live to at least age 82 when his third SLR arrives. Obama’s TLR of August 2008 featured both Venus and Jupiter straddling the Midheaven, an obvious reflection of the fabulous celebration of his election victory that November.  His September 2012 TLR also has Jupiter conjunct Midheaven, along with Moon conjunct Venus and Mercury and Node conjunct Ascendant, which correctly pointed to his second term election victory as well. 

            

 George W. Bush became President in November 2000, four months before his very promising March 2001 SLR arrived with its 5^th house Moon conjunct both Venus and Jupiter. But these return charts seem to begin manifesting their effects as much as 11% ahead of schedule, so it is no surprise that he won that contest. As that 2001 SLR contained no serious afflictions to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Midheaven, he seems all but certain to see his next SLR in 2028.

            

Pope Benedict XVI  was elected to the Papacy during his November 1981 SLR period, which featured a Saturn-Ascendant conjunction in a grand trine with a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in the 4^th and a Venus-Mars conjunction in the 8^th.  This third and presumably last SLR of his life began in March 2009 and features a Sun-Pluto conjunction square Moon, so there is little hope of him living long enough to see his next SLR in 2036.  His current TLR (2013-2015)  is seriously afflicted, with a Saturn-Ascendant conjunction in a grand cross with an opposing Pluto and squaring Moon opposite a Mars-Uranus conjunction.   This chart correctly reflected that this would be a difficult period for him (the Vatican Leak Scandal followed by his sudden abdication of the Holy See), but because the Sun is not afflicted in this chart, he should survive it. If so, his February 2015 TLR is terribly afflicted with yet another grand cross (Sun-Pluto conjunction opposing Saturn and squaring a Moon-Uranus opposition), so that would also be a period of elevated distress for the pontiff, but substantially more dangerous to him personally due to the affliction to the Sun in that chart.

            

When Muhammad Ali won his first heavyweight championship, he was under the influence of his June 1962 TLR, which featured a Sun-Mars conjunction square Jupiter, and a Midheaven-Saturn-Uranus triple conjunction in a grand trine with Mercury and Venus on one leg in the 2nd and Moon on the other leg in the 6th.  Years later, under the influence of his December 1982 TLR that had a Full Moon Eclipse with Sun conjunct Jupiter and Pluto, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  

            

 Both Martha Stewart and Bernie Madoff had afflictions to the Midheaven in their progressed returns when they were convicted and sent to prison. Madoff’s 1993 SLR had Uranus and the South Node conjunct the Midheaven, and Mars conjunct Sun, appropriately reflecting his fall from a life of privilege into a prison cell. But the Moon is sextile the Sun in that chart, indicating good health, so I would expect him to at least live long enough in prison to see his next SLR in 2020. When Stewart was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction and sent to prison in 2004, she was under the influence of her December 2002 TLR, which featured a Moon-Midheaven conjunction that was opposed by Mars and Saturn on the Nadir, and an 8^th House Sun squaring Pluto.

           

 Rush Limbaugh’s current SLR contains a very distressed New Moon Eclipse conjunct Mars, opposite Saturn, and square Uranus. This severely afflicted SLR arrived just five months before Limbaugh was arrested for prescription drug fraud in 2006, and seven years before Limbaugh’s show lost several national advertisers when he called Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a "slut and a "prostitute".  However, that may not be the end of his troubles, for Limbaugh’s current SLR has such a severely afflicted New Moon that it suggests he might not live to see his next SLR in 2033. Between now and then, he has a number of afflicted TLRs, one that rules from May 2012 - May 2014, then a series of two TLRs that together rule from June 2018 - July 2022, and a final TLR that rules from August 2026 - September 2028. None of those periods is liable to be particularly kind to him.

            

Of course, an SLR New Moon doesn’t always indicate mortality. When Ross Perot got rich in 1968, making $220 million virtually overnight, his Dec 1957 SLR was in effect, a chart that featured an 8^th House New Moon conjunct Pluto.  When he sold his company to General Motors in 1984 and became a billionaire, he was already under the effect of his May 1985 SLR that featured a quadruple conjunction of Ascendant, Moon, Jupiter, and Pluto, all square a Venus-Uranus opposition, with a 2^nd House Sun conjunct Neptune thrown in for good measure.

            

Still, it is quite common to find severely afflicted TLRs and SLRs in effect when people die suddenly or violently. John Belushi’s final TLR in October 1981 had Sun opposite Neptune, and Ascendant opposition Moon and square Mars and Saturn, appropriately reflecting his drug-related death in March 1982.  Sonny Bono’s final SLR in September 1989 had a Sun-Uranus conjunction opposing Mars and T-squaring Pluto, and his final TLR in May 1996 had Sun opposition Mars in a T-square with the Ascendant, both properly reflecting his sudden skiing death in January 1998.  Whitney Houston’s final SLR in November 1990 had Sun conjunct both Uranus and Pluto, with Ascendant opposite Saturn and squaring Neptune, while her final TLR in August 2010 had a quadruple conjunction of Ascendant, Mars, Uranus, and Pluto, all opposing Saturn, while the Sun was widely conjunct an 8^th House New Moon. James Dean’s final TLR in August 1955 also had a severely afflicted Sun, conjunct Mars and Saturn, opposing Pluto, and T-squaring Uranus. Jeffrey Dahmer’s 1987 SLR had Saturn conjunct the Ascendant, opposing Mercury and T-squaring a Moon-Mars conjunction, a brutal alignment that appropriately foreshadowed his conviction in 1992 and murder in 1994.  His January 1991 TLR had a quadruple 12^th-house conjunction of Uranus, Mars, Pluto, and the North Node, reflecting both his murderous activities in 1991 and his prison sentence in 1992.  And as is all-too-common in a subject’s final TLR, his January 1993 TLR had a severely afflicted Sun, in the 8^th house, opposing Saturn and T-squaring Neptune.

            

With John Denver’s natal chart featuring a quadruple conjunction of Ascendant, Mars, Uranus, and Saturn all squaring the Moon, his fatal airplane crash should have come as no surprise to astrologers, because that natal chart was an accident waiting to happen.  He rocketed to stardom between 1971-75 and then died unexpectedly in October 1997.  His May 1971 SLR contained clear signs of his coming success, with the Sun opposing Jupiter, Pluto, and the North Node in the 10^th house. His next SLR didn’t arrive until October 1998, but because these return charts come into effect a little early, it was already in charge at the time of his demise in 1997. That fatal chart contained a horribly weak and afflicted New Moon that was squaring Mars, Saturn, and Uranus in the 1^st House.                

           

 Eighth house afflictions in particular come up a lot in subjects’ final progressed returns. Marilyn Monroe’s final SLR in September 1953 featured an 8^th House Sun-Pluto-Node conjunction squaring a Mars-Uranus conjunction.  Similarly,  Jim Jones’ final TLR in May 1978 had an 8^th House Moon conjunct Uranus and square Pluto, along with Sun conjunct Saturn and  a quintuple conjunction of Ascendant, Neptune, South Node, Mars, and Jupiter.  Jones’ final SLR in September 1958 had doom written all over it, with Pluto and Jupiter conjunct the Ascendant, opposite Saturn, and T-squaring a Moon-Uranus-Node conjunction.

            

 Princess Diana’s fairy-tale wedding occurred under her December 1979 TLR, which had a very romantic Pisces Venus opposite the Ascendant, with the added glamor of Sun trine Neptune, and an empowering Moon-Mars-Jupiter conjunction trine the Midheaven. Her accidental death was reported under her first SLR of November 1988, which contained a wide Full Moon with Sun conjunct Ascendant opposition Jupiter and Saturn and T-square Neptune, while Moon was conjunct the South Node and opposite Uranus.  Curiously, the April 1996 TLR in effect at the time of her reported death in August 1997 does not seem to be consistent with death. Neither the Sun nor Moon are afflicted; in fact, the Sun is widely trine a triple Moon-Jupiter-Midheaven conjunction, and the Ascendant is in a grand trine with Jupiter and Neptune! The only real concern this chart has is Uranus and Pluto on the Nadir and opposite Jupiter, but that is nowhere near enough to account for an early violent sudden death.  If one was to go by this chart, one would have to wonder if Diana’s death was faked, allowing her to escape the public spotlight into a life of greater freedom and autonomy. Indeed, the Sun-Jupiter opposition in her SLR for that period reinforces that suspicion, as does her solar arc Jupiter trine Sun coming exact within just two weeks of her reported accident.   

             

After studying these progressed lunar returns for a number of years, I am convinced they are very powerful and reliable tools. These progressed return charts are intuitively easy to study, and unlike secondary progressions which require the chart to be rectified to within a minute or less for true accuracy with the all-important Ascendant and Midheaven aspects, progressed returns are quite forgiving of minor birthtime inaccuracies. Whether the subject was born at 6:02 PM or 6:08 PM, his TLRs and SLRs will still be essentially the same.  TLRs allow us to identify the major themes going on in a subject’s life in a two year period, and SLRs allow us to compare those short-term threads with the larger themes that crystalize over much longer, generational-sized stretches of time in a subject’s life.  I cannot recommend these progressed returns highly enough, and place them only below the natal chart itself in terms of importance. In my own work, I always look to the progressed returns first to set the stage, and only then examine the progressions, directions, and transits within the context of these return charts.

           

References      

Muhammad Ali, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.      

John Belushi, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.

Pope Benedict XVII, AstroDatabank. AA : quoted B.C.

Sonny Bono, AstroDatabank. AA: quoted B.C.

George W. Bush, AstroDatabank. AA: quoted B.C.

Jeffrey Dahmer, AstroDatabank. AA: quoted B.C.

James Dean, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.                 

John Denver, AstroDatabank. AA: quoted B.C.

Diana, Princess of Wales, AstroDatabank. A: from memory

Gerald Ford, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.                       

Whitney Houston, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.   

Jim Jones, AstroDatabank. AA: quoted B.C.   

Rush Limbaugh, AstroDatabank. AA : quoted B.C.

Bernie Madoff, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.

John McCain, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.

Marilyn Monroe, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.

Barack Obama, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.      

Ross Perot, AstroDatabank. AA : quoted B.C.

Elvis Presley, AstroDatabank, AA: B.C.

Martha Stewart, AstroDatabank. AA: B.C.