The ancient Vedic culture acknowledged gender equality and interdependency. Roughly five thousand years ago when darkness descended, bringing in the age of Kali, that attitude changed. Patriarchy[i], a social system giving supremacy to the male gender, gained prominence. This shift in attitude is reflected in the core teachings of the Western systems of astrology where the Sun is seen as the most powerful influence fixing the placement of the planets, ignoring the importance of the fixed stars.
The focus of the information presented here is to demonstrate the similarities and differences between Western and Eastern thought. Some basic similarities rapidly become apparent.
Both systems of astrology apply gender and elemental qualities to the Sun and Moon; male and fire to the Sun, female and water to the Moon. Focus and consistency are common male traits whereas flexibility and multitasking are female traits. Likewise, fire denotes energy and willfulness whereas water denotes flexibility and emotion. These qualities are demonstrated in the observable behaviour of the two bodies: the Sun’s light is constant thereby showing fixity, whereas the Moon’s expression waxes and wanes, showing changeability.
Both systems agree on the importance to life of the Sun and acknowledge the Sun’s relationship to the cyclical seasons, as demonstrated in the tropical zodiac. A difference in the Eastern system is the acknowledgement of the Sun’s ability to harm, as well as heal, just as its traits of consistency and rigidity can be positive or negative.
In Western thought the Sun is considered the most important placement in a birth chart because of its necessity to life and is given rulership over an individual’s personality. The Moon has been given rulership over emotions and which are seen as being potential weakness.
In Eastern thought the position of importance is applied to the feminine Moon. Her demonstrated flexibility, and rulership over a person’s mind and consciousness, can be seen through the emotions. This very difference opens the doors to the appreciation of the two zodiacs: the tropical which deals with physical matters and the sidereal which deals with the mind, which can’t directly be seen, and which makes itself known in behaviour and attitude.
It’s not really fair to say either the Sun or the Moon is the most important because they need each other equally. Yes, the male Sun initially provides life but without the nurturing of the female Moon no life would develop. Like the Sun, the Moon can produce nothing on her own; she needs the Sun to initiate life. A person doesn’t have to think about this situation for very long, before recognizing that maybe the Vedic culture knew something we have forgotten.
- [1]Patriarchyis a social system in which males hold primary power, predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children. Patriarchy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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