The Black Moon is a virtual astrological point, which represents the lunar apogee. I will refer to it as Black Moon Lilith (BML) in this article, to differentiate it from other astrological points (such as the asteroid Lilith or the Dark Moon). The apogee is the point in the Moon’s elliptical orbit around the Earth at which it is furthest away from the Earth. It is at this position that it almost escapes, but doesn’t! For it is right there that the pull of gravity shows its force, bringing the Moon back towards the Earth to continue its orbit. So here we recognize the first basic concept related to Black Moon Lilith: gravity. Isaac Newton would refer to this as a question of mass and distance.

BML takes nine years to go around the Zodiac staying approximately nine months in each sign. This adds a second basic concept to the discussion, that of human pregnancy, or gestation. Black Moon Lilith is about bringing things down to Earth, concentrating mass, materializing and forming a body. It is related to cellular memory and the womb experience, like the foetus that does not see, does not think, in words and meanings, but simply senses things such as warmth and cold, tension or relaxation or the sense of experience being pleasant or unpleasant. It is akin to the reptilian brain, the most basic level of the human brain that is in charge of basic survival. It concerns issues of life or death. BML represents the survival instinct and the unspoken sensations the mother experiences through pregnancy. The unspoken experience itself goes beyond the mother’s own intentions or official narrative. Rather than being in the realm of just the unconscious, BML is about the real and raw experience, senses and sensations registered in our bodies.

Whilst the ‘White’ Moon can tell us about the ‘official’ experience of the mother, family and surroundings, the Black Moon tells us about the visceral experience of mother during pregnancy. Black Moon Lilith accounts for the deep, visceral, crude sensations. Rather than words and images, the reference is to sensations such as warmth-coldness, presence-absence, and comfort-discomfort. It is not only irrational – but blind. BML indicates the experience itself, previous to its elaboration in images and/or words.

It is interesting to note that the Portuguese word for pregnancy is ‘gravidez’, with the same root as ‘gravidade’, gravity.
BML refers to gravity, gestation, materialization, bringing down to Earth, materializing the body. It is indicative of both difficulty and talent! It is about our most visceral level and our most basic survival instinct and contains the potential for the terrifying or sublime.

MYTHOLOGY RELATED TO BLACK MOON LILITH

The mythology of Lilith informs us further and deeper about the conceptual content of this astrological point. However, it does not account exclusively for all its richness. The same wild, visceral aspect of the feminine is also expressed in other myths from different cultures, such as those of Hecate, the Hags, Durga, Kali or Maleficent. Different cultures will also present different ways to relate to this visceral and wild feminine aspect of human experience.
While in Lilith we find the original woman, ‘the untameable first wife’ of Adam, before Eve, in Hindu religion, Kali is seen as another aspect of the same, Parvati (the wife of Shiva). Kali represents Parvati’s own mutation, where the logical male aspect does not respect the creative force of the feminine. When this visceral aspect regains respect and consideration, the feminine once again presents itself as the lovely and devoted Parvati. But hey Shiva! do not underestimate the power and value of the wild feminine. Don’t you forget Kali!

TRUE NODE, MEAN NODE

Black Moon Lilith can be calculated either for the True Node or relative to the Mean Node.
The True Node moves as a ‘zigzag’, going retrograde and direct, back and forth, jumping from one sign to another and back again, while eventually moving forward. The Mean Node draws a line, showing its direction, never retrogrades, and actually indicates the main tone for that visceral level during a period of approximately nine months in a sign.

The True Node can point out the cause, while the Mean Node indicates the effect. Although both are interesting to observe and the True Node does add important information, it is the Mean Node that gives the ‘effect’. Keeping track of the Mean Node should be the priority here as it clearly marks out a nine month period in each sign, with its transit indicating what is going on in the undercurrent aspect of our collective.

WHAT DOES BLACK MOON LILITH REFER TO IN COLLECTIVE TRANSITS?

BML speaks of the tone or of what moves the collective deep down inside! It points to the instinctive undertone of a particular period, it reflects a backdrop behind our words and images at any given moment.. It is about what’s moving the collective at the visceral level – describing a certain tone, certain warmth and associated collective sensations.

BLACK MOON LILITH IN A CHART

The sign in which the BML falls tells us about what kind of difficulty is encountered in the context of visceral impulses; as well as what kind of great visceral power exists! This can involve a great difficulty or a great talent. It represents or points to where we experience our greatest challenge to overcome ourselves in order to thrive.. As a simple wise man from the forest once said: “Difficulty is the very same size as Ease”. It is the challenge that makes victory possible and a visceral challenge provides opportunities for visceral talent!

The drive and impulse represented by BML that has not found a way of instinctual expression gets ‘loose and lost’ within the body. It is like having constant pressure that has no outlet or no defined direction, yet is in a constant compulsive thrust, as if pulled by gravity, and experienced as constant repetition. Such a compulsive pull needs to be put into creative action, as a committed effort in order to move beyond destructive compulsion. Such a primal force is best converted into creative expression, anchoring an actual inner transformation at the most condensed, basic and root level. That is how one goes beyond being subjected to sheer, raw and instinctive reactions and becomes able to truly respond to the presence of BML, owning oneself, like a true samurai!