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The Moon: The Embodied Self
The Moon is the archetype that is most intimately identified with the physical body. In western astrology, the Sun is often emphasized at the expense of the Moon, however, when speaking of the body, the Moon takes prominence. Just as the Moon symbolizes the private, inner world of one's psychology, it also symbolizes the innermost and intricate processes of one's physical body. The digestive system, circulation, metabolism, and all viscera (the heart, liver, and intestines) are all related to the Moon. In fact, when one speaks of having a gut reaction or visceral reaction to a circumstance, in astrological terms, the Moon is emphasized.
Due to advances in medicine, the relationship between emotion and the body is strengthening. In particular, diet has been shown to have dramatic effects upon mood and emotional health. Thus, the core of our bodies as symbolized by the Moon is also intimately connected with the core of our feeling life. The interdependence of diet, mood, emotions, and visceral/digestive processes are all facets of the astrological Moon as it pertains to the body.
The Sun and Mars: The Vital Self
On a physical level, Mars relates directly with the body's musculature, however, more broadly, as a team, the Sun and Mars are associated with the overall energy and vitality of one's body. More directly, the Sun and Mars are correlated with circulation, the reproductive system (particularly in the case of Mars), the adrenal glands, and the sympathetic(or fight or flight) nervous system.
A healthy duo of Sun and Mars creates a body that is energetically vital and radiating energy. Overemphasized, the Sun and Mars can create a quasi-mania and hyperactivity, stressing out the body's natural rhythms and balance. An underemphasized or blocked expression of the Sun and Mars creates inertia, sedation, and lethargy.
Strictly in physical terms, Mars, as alluded to above, symbolizes the body's musculature and physique—the actual physical sinews that comprise musculature. A man or woman possessed by the archetype of Mars is likened to the bodybuilder that has reduced their body fat to next-to-nothing, is in a constant state of agitated irritation, and has grossly overdeveloped their body's musculature. An overfunctioning Mars is the "lean, mean, fighting machine on steroids" that many in today's culture project as a physical ideal.
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