What's Up with the Moon? by David H. Davis
The Moon and Sun have always been used as potent symbols in world religions and mystery traditions. Both, however, exist beyond symbolism, as conscious beings. Within the limitations of feminine and masculine symbology, the Moon and the Sun are equal in potency.
If we were to believe the actual Moon in the sky is equal in strength to the Sun, we would be mistaken. In physical terms, sunlight is a stream of photons, a real, measurable thing. In the physical world, the Moon emits no light of its own; it only reflects the light of the Sun.
We are not saying one is "better" than the other. That would require judgment. As nothing in this physical plane is actually “real,” from a spiritual perspective, how can we judge one part of material "reality" over another?
There are not two energies here, solar and lunar. There is only One Energy and its reflection. The Sun is so bright we cannot look directly at it, but the Moon steps down the Sun’s light and energies for us, so we can perceive them. The energy we receive from the Moon is solar energy. If we eliminate the Sun, can we still see the Moon, can we still feel the Sun? We are not saying one is lesser, we are saying the light from each comes from the same source.
Are we saying that men are the source, and women the reflection? Absolutely not! Each being has both Divine Masculine and Feminine energies within. We would say the Sun, in each person, is the source (Self), and the Moon, in each of us, is the reflection (soul). The solar is the immortal spark of God we all are at our essence. The lunar, or soul aspect, is how this Divine Spark, the Self, reflects, or manifests, into the world, as subconscious mind, personality, form, and physical appearance – all the stuff we can see.
We cannot usually look into someone's Self directly. It would be like trying to look directly into the Sun. The inner Moon, the soul, reflects us out into materiality, which lowers the vibration of our Divinity enough, so we can function in the physical world. We couldn't be here without both the Solar Source (Self) and the lunar reflection (soul). Our intent, however, is to go beyond the Sun and the Moon, and all other dualities.
The caduceus is pictured with two snakes entwined around it. These snakes represent the solar and lunar currents within us, aspects of the kundalini. The kundalini energy consists of three channels, which rise from the base of the spine, the Sushumna (central), Ida (left/feminine) and Pingala (right/masculine) nadis. These energy currents travel up and down the spine, and interpenetrate the seven chakras, or energy centers, situated along the spine, and just above the crown of the head. The energy is threefold - a Trinity within.
These twin snakes represent the basic Yang and Yin of creation. They signify all the polar energies, sun – moon, light – dark, male – female, fire - water, and so on. The central column, also known as the “middle pillar,” symbolizes the path between these pairs of opposites. It is shorter, more direct, it is the inner way.
When we travel this path, we renounce the world, it's pains and pleasures. We move beyond the colors and the sounds. This is an austere life. We literally drop out of the world. Few travel this narrow path, as most have incarnated on Earth, specifically to experience life fully, to see, smell, hear, taste and touch.
The serpents symbolize the path of the world, and also relate to sex, which wouldn’t exist without duality. In fact, the separation we feel in the "snake land" of “reality” is temporarily relieved, by the union we experience during sex. The Sun and Moon unite, and all duality dissolves.
So, sex is the lock and the key. Yes, eventually, to walk the center line, we go beyond sex, beyond all polarity. Some people temporarily give up the polarity and experience the center, and then come back out into the world, through the practice of meditation. There is, however, a way to experience these at the same time. That is what a Spiritual Master is able to do. "Master" means to master oneself. This level of mastery allows them to be within and without simultaneously, to be in the world but not of it.
So, the path we are on attempts to transcend this duality. We are headed for the Central Sun at our core. And in the last step, when we go beyond the limitations of the soul, when the reflection is behind us, we go beyond the Moon, as well. When we release our attachment to the soul, we move beyond our own limitations, all experience from all our lifetimes. We go beyond anything personal, beyond anything in creation, beyond even our concept of God.