Chandra (Moon)
Chandra, also known as the Moon, is the most important graha in astrology due to its proximity to Earth. Moon waxes and wanes every 28 days as a result of its rotational axis, which is tidally locked. This causes us to only see one side of the Moon, while the other side remains hidden from our view forever. Scientists refer to these sides as the near side and far side of the Moon. Despite its closeness to us, the Moon still holds many secrets about our origins, some of which were discovered by astronauts who have visited the Moon. However, some of these secrets have been concealed from the public to avoid panic and chaos.
Chandra (Moon) and Surya (Sun) are referred as the mother and father of Earth. Sun provided the seed for Earth's creation, while Moon created the seasons that are essential for harboring life on earth. Together, they represent the cosmic balance that sustains life on our planet.
Tale of Lord Chandra
Lord Chandra, also known as Soma, is one of the most handsome gods and is married to 27 wives, each representing a nakshatra/asterism in astrology. However, Chandra is said to have a special love for Rohini, which led to jealousy among his other wives. When they complained to their father Daksha, he cursed Chandra to lose his radiance and charm. Chandra then sought the help of Lord Shiva, who advised him to treat everyone equally. With Shiva's intervention, the intensity of the curse was reduced so that Moon will gain radiance gradually for half a month and lose it gradually for the rest of the month. The night when Chandra lost his glow and sought Lord Shiva's help is now celebrated as Shivaratri. It is believed that observing this night with devotion brings mental stability to the devotee.
This was a reminder to the Moon of his elusive and mischievous nature. His actions even started the epic Mahabharata, which ended in the Kurukshetra war. As a result, everyone in the Mahabharata is referred to as Chandravamshi (lunar dynasty). Soma, Chandra's other name, means beautiful, attractive, and hypnotic.
Significations (Karakas)
Moon represents the mind (mental consciousness), the mother, the queen, elder women, and female leaders. Moon is also associated with home, comforts, motherly love, nourishment, beauty, face, sleep, attraction, and lust. Moon represents food and physical comforts that one seeks.
Interpretations
The position of your Moon in your birth chart reveals a lot about your mindset, interests, and thought processes. As the representative of the conscious mind, the Moon signifies stability, comfort, and mental wellbeing. By analyzing the placement of your Moon, you can gain insight into what drives your mind, your interests, your level of mental stability, what brings you comfort, and how you perceive the world around you. Vedic Astrology places great emphasis on the Moon's position because it can reveal important information about your lifestyle and overall well-being.
Energy or Shakti is a feminine concept. Man is represented by Shiva and woman is represented by Shakti. Shiva symbolizes thoughts, and Shakti symbolizes the manifestation of those thoughts. If you want to learn more about the concepts of Shiva and Shakti, delve deeper into Vedic Philosophy.
Portfolio
Interestingly, Lord Chandra is male, but the Moon in astrology symbolizes femininity, as it is responsible for providing sustenance to support life on earth. Moon reaches maturity at the age of 24, which signifies a person's mental maturity. This is the time when your inner and outer worlds align, and you have experienced all 12 zodiac signs twice, if calculated from your 1st house, giving you the ability to think clearly and construct your own future. The numbers 2 and 18 are important numbers for Moon.
Moon rules the sign Cancer
Gets directional strength in the 4th house (North)
Ruling direction is North-West
Enmity with None
Neutral with all
Sattvic graha
White colour
It represents Jala (water) and the associated body part is the eye (esp. left)
Exaltation and debilitation of Chandra
Moon attains exaltation in Taurus, the seat of power. To better understand this, you must imagine Moon in Taurus in the 1st house.
Moon is associated with the number two, as she is the mother, who carefully nurtures the seed, provides growth, energy, sustenance, protection, and comfort to the creation. Possessing a surge of energy, she lights up the darkest time of the day. She serves her children with love, practical inside but emotional outside. She loves food, cooking and feeding. Taurus fulfills Moon's requirements to make it most powerful here. Furthermore, Moon is a nourisher, represented by the 3rd house of Cancer. Her natural gift is her energy, represented by the 1st house of Taurus, and her light reaches even the darkest of places, represented by the 7th house of Scorpio. She serves everyone with love, represented by the 6th house of Libra, and is selfless, represented by the 12th house of Aries. Moon is all about the material universe, represented by 1st house Taurus, a fixed earth sign.
On the other hand, Moon is in debilitation in Scorpio, which is opposite to Taurus, and thus represents opposing nature. Scorpio is the natural 8th house of death and transformation, which goes against Moon's moral policy. In Scorpio, Moon has to be emotional inside (1st house Scorpio) and practical outside (3rd house Capricorn). She cannot provide growth but instead has to expect it from others (7th house Taurus). She is forced to serve herself (6th house Aries). This is how Scorpio deprives Chandra of her requirements.
Note: The concept of exaltation and debilitation presented here is the result of extensive observational research and contemplation over the years.