The ancient world knew and worked with seven metals—gold, silver, mercury, copper, iron, tin, & lead. The ancient world also knew seven heavenly bodies—the Sun, Moon, and the visible planets, Mercury through Saturn. Common belief held that influence of these celestial bodies engendered physical formation of metals in the earth, with one planet responsible for each metal. Interestingly, the luminaries, which we observe daily and give great importance, rule the two ancient metals most commonly found in their native form, and the most highly valued. The Moon rules silver.
The Silver Moon Chariot
It’s easy to see why the ancients assigned silver to the Moon, which generally appears silvery in color. One of the Moon’s key characteristics is its reflectivity—the Moon creates no luminosity of its own, but reflects the light of the Sun. Similarly, silver is the most reflective of all metals, hence its traditional use in mirrors. In modern times, as the most electrically conductive metal, silver finds use in solar panels, where it conducts the Sun’s energy, much like how the Moon efficiently reflects its light.
In Greek myth, the Moon goddess, Selene, drives a silver chariot across the heavens each night. The chariot archetype can be seen to represent well-being—both emotional (comfort) and physical (protection). For instance, traditional astrology has the notion of a planet “in its chariot.” This is when a planet is within the Sun’s rays (17° or closer to the Sun) but has major essential dignity, in domicile or exaltation. Traversing a sign where it wields privilege & power, the planet has protection within its chariot from the Sun’s harsh rays.
In tarot, the Chariot is the major arcana card of Cancer, domicile of the Moon. This depiction of the chariot hearkens to Plato’s chariot allegory…but that’s a rabbit hole for another day. For now, let’s focus on well-being as it relates to the Moon and its metal.
One of the Moon’s primary significations is well-being—physical & emotional. So naturally, our nocturnal luminary finds essential debility in the nocturnal domiciles of the malefics. The Moon finds its detriment (usually considered the greater debility) in the nocturnal domicile of Saturn, the Greater Malefic, and its fall in the nocturnal domicile of Mars, Lesser Malefic. Likewise, the malefics are in detriment in the Moon’s dignities—Saturn in the Moon’s domicile, and Mars in the Moon’s exaltation. This dynamic highlights the traditional notion of the malefics as debilitating to well-being and the Moon as protective.
Silver Spoon
“Comfort” is perhaps the more common association one may make with the Moon or silver. The Moon’s realm, nighttime, is when most people relax, settle in at home, sleep. The Moon rules Cancer, granting the sign its associations with the nurturing quality of family & home. The natal Moon placement can show requirements for emotional comfort—what one needs to feel “at home.” The Moon can also show where one places sentimental value.
While everyday silverware, a domestic staple in the west, is not usually made of silver, high-quality silverware has been since ancient times. Families commonly pass fine silverware sets down through generations, accumulating sentimental & material value. We have the idiom “born with a silver spoon” to imply one born into wealth, incorporating themes of material comfort. However, this is wealth in a lunar context—this isn’t wealth for the sake of status or desire. This is wealth for well-being.
While we primarily see emotional well-being in the Moon’s Cancer domicile, we see themes of material well-being particularly through the Moon’s exaltation, Taurus. Venus rules fixed earth Taurus, which is the Thema Mundi’s house of Good Fortune (11th). Hence, Taurus relates to material comforts—food & money, primarily. Since ancient times, silver has been used not only at the dining table in fine tableware & cutlery, but also in common coinage & currency. Of course, silver has also long been used in jewelry & ornamentation, thanks to Venus’s influence as ruler of the Moon’s exaltation. And which metal most commonly “exalts” silver, strengthening it into sterling? Copper, metal of Venus.
Silver Bullet
It’s difficult to feel comfortable when vulnerable; they’re basically opposite feelings. The Moon thus relates as much to protecting vulnerability as it does to maintaining comfort. Again, think of the nighttime—we lock our doors, ask our friends to text us that they’re home safe. Our minds turn to protection. The Moon itself protects life on Earth, moderating Earth’s wobble and thus its climate. The Moon’s magnetic field may also have protected early Earth from solar winds, allowing a habitable atmosphere to form.
Mascot of the Moon’s domicile, the crab, shows the protective facet of the Moon. The crab protects its vulnerable body with its hard outer shell, echoing the Moon’s traditional association with the body and its well-being. This leads us to why silver has commonly been used in fine tableware & cutlery—silver possesses antimicrobial properties. Of course, the ancients didn’t have the germ theory we have today, but they did observe, for instance, that water stored in silver vessels seemed to stay more pure.
Silver has long found use in medicine, partly due to its association with the Moon, and the Moon’s association with the body and the mind. This is especially true after the discovery of silver nitrate around the eighth century. C. J. S. Thompson reports:
Silver was associated with the moon, and for this reason was regarded as a potent remedy for all diseases affecting the brain. It was used by the Arab physicians in the treatment of vertigo and falling-sickness. The employment of pills of silver continued down to the eighteenth century, a favourite form of administration being pilulae lunares, or Pills of the Moon, which were composed of silver nitrate combined with opium, musk, and camphor.
C. J. S. Thompson, “The Romance of the Seven Metals,” in Alchemy & Alchemists (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2002), 18.
Today, silver still finds use in medicine and in water purification due to its natural antimicrobial properties. Silver’s relation to purification may explain its folkloric importance in warding off or defeating supernatural threats. The silver bullet or dagger. Demons’ invisibility in mirrors (traditionally made of silver) or photographs (film & photo paper contain silver). If silver purifies, then these “impure” creatures are undone by it.
