New Moon in Taurus: Grounding in Celebration of the Bounty

  

New Moon in Taurus

May’s New Moon at 21/18 degrees of Taurus introduces a new lunar cycle. For anyone with personal planets/aspects between 17-25 degrees of the Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) this is significant. For all of us, this New Moon inspires us to focus on getting our personal lives and goals in order, and making room for a more grounded, balanced way of life. 

The Taurus New Moon is in a close square with Jupiter (29 degrees of Aquarius) and Saturn (13 degrees of Aquarius). While we may want to expand and move in a new direction, we are still in the process of completing the steps or final stages of reorganizing so that when we move forward, we have a more balanced approach to life and daily living. Making sure we build in time for exercise, rest, pleasure, and creative ventures is now essential to a healthier, harmonious way of living. 

Taurus energy is the “let’s do this, let’s get it done” force that enables us to build, create, alter, and make necessary changes in whatever areas of life require restructuring. What decisions and changes we make at this new moon time will spark movement and results within the next few weeks. Whatever we plant now, will grow in abundance, so be very intentional about what you create in the areas where you want and need change and new movement. Be especially attentive to taking care of your own basic needs (hygiene, rest, exercise, and resources). 

Decisions, projects, and goals you set at this point, have every chance of working out to bring you to a new level of harmony in your life, and so it is vital that you make choices that will take you out of old cycles, patterns, and habits, so that you can prosper, develop more fully, and find ways to enhance your own life as well as the lives of others.  The more self aware and whole we are, the greater our ability to support and connect with others. The healthier and more balanced we seek to be, the more we are able to fully enjoy and engage in life.  

We’ve gone through a long cycle of purging, uprooting, transforming, and releasing whatever has needed to be let go.  We’ve spent more time focused on the essentials of life, and now as we move through the end stages of a very disruptive, challenging shift as individuals and a whole civilization, we are beginning to find our grounding. It’s as if we’ve been in a very long journey at sea, sailing through perilous storms, and we’ve reached shore. 

As we take our first steps on dry land, we need to get our sea legs again. To be able to walk calmly, steadily again after being tossed about on a turbulent sea.  We are beginning to grow accustomed to a new way of life, with a new perspective growing as we do. What has changed significantly in your life, and what is the new path holding in the way of possibilities for you?

On Tuesday, May 11 at noon Pacific Time (3 p.m. ET) the New Moon in Taurus finds us on the path of change during a rich, verdant season of our lives. Our ideas, hopes, dreams, and desires, not to mention our plans and goals, are being nourished, fertilized, and nurtured, as we are beginning to make choices from the many invitations that now come our way. 

Jupiter is at 29 degrees, the anaretic/critical degree of Aquarius. For the last year and four months, Jupiter’s transit through Saturn-ruled Aquarius has made challenging times and obstacles a bit easier to bear, but we often wondered whether or not there would be relief from the hard lessons we’ve been working through. The critical degree signals a time when focus and intention are important. On the Taurus New Moon, we need to be laser-focused on the practical and grounded application of managing, coordinating, and directing our personal, professional, collective, and societal goals. Most vital is the Taurus driven aim to create more beauty, harmony, and peace within the daily life we live and in our behavior and relationships.

With its entry into Pisces later this week, Jupiter reminds us that it is imperative that our choices/plans/decisions at this New Moon in Taurus, be clear, positive, and intentional so that we are clear about what we truly desire. Entry into Jupiter-ruled Pisces, brings a bounty of goodness and abundance as it manifests in an outpouring of splendor. Jupiter transits Pisces from May 13-July 28.  It then retrogrades back into Aquarius until the end of the year, so this first foray into Pisces opens the door and delivers the first fruits of what is to come. Now is the time to set your vision in alignment with your goals and dreams, and to welcome the opportunities that now come to you. Eliminate fear and be courageous in your choices and decision making. Trust that you are worthy of reaping the best of what you have sowed as plans are made and set into motion.

The New Moon in Taurus is a passageway into a new eclipse season. We leave the Aries eclipse cycle where fiery energy ruled, and enter a more grounded, earthy cycle. While this New Moon does not align with an eclipse, it does shift the energy from one of hectic activity to one of much-needed retreat, rest, and grounding. Time to get rooted and take a calmer, more serene approach to whatever needs to be taken care of. It is not a time of great activity so much as it is a pause in the recent wave of shocking and ongoing changes.  It’s time to take time for ourselves, to slow down more, and to get our feet literally and figuratively on the ground. Time to feel the earth, sand, or grass beneath our feet. 

If we cannot make an actual retreat or step away from a hectic pace, we must at the very least, keep an inner calm and centeredness amid whatever is going on around us. When we are not active or able to make changes, we  find ourselves in a time of darkness or stillness. A time when we can sit with our thoughts and allow them to simmer. I often think of this kind of time as like a hen sitting on her eggs, brooding over them. Keeping the eggs (ideas, plans, goals) warm so that they have time to develop and grow. It’s an important time for the stillness and the ‘leaving things alone’ time are necessary for the full process of (to use a very mixed metaphor) sowing, fertilizing, developing, and hatching/bearing fruit. In other words. You’ve done the groundwork. You’ve developed the plan. You’ve set things in motion, now let go of ‘trying’ and let things develop and unfold. This is that precarious waiting period. Now allow the New Moon in Taurus to be a time when you celebrate the process, sink deeper into the stillness, and celebrate in the basic simple grounding that comes from being present with what is.

Venus-ruled Taurus makes Venus a key planet to watch. Venus’ energy calls for a more creative, flowing energy as we are urged to trust our intuitive and artistic energy more now.  Highly intuitive energy is at work now, and it behooves us all to pay close attention to intuition, dreams, and signs and symbolic energies.  Venus seeks balance and harmony, and that goes for balancing our energies and ways of knowing. Thought balanced by actions. Intuition is balanced by paying attention to what is before us. This is when it is key to allow ego to take a back seat, and allow ourselves to trust that there’s a right thing to do, we know what it is, and we know we can do it or recognize it. What good is, unfolds in our lives now. We need to be awake and alert to how that is clearly present where we are in this moment. In the experiences that are coming to us; not just in what we think ‘should’ be.  Open your heart along with your mind to how the Divine brings answers, opens doors, and reveals the next right and perfect step.

“It’s May, it’s May, that gorgeous holiday”, music and lyrics from Lerner and Loewe, reminds us that this time of year is one of abundance, beauty, fertility, and deep joy.  Take some time to enjoy the bounty and beauty within you, around you, and alive in the possibilities that are being bestowed on us now.  Open your eyes, your heart, and your life to more joy, and celebrate the abundance by dipping your toes in the steam of life...the reminder of how fortunate we are to be alive and to have the choices we now have. We’ve come to a point when we need to celebrate the gifts we’ve been bestowed, we might just have missed the point. It’s not at some end goal; it’s in this moment, and then the next, where we live and find our purpose, meaning, and joie de vivre. Happy New Moon at 21 degrees of Taurus. Celebrate!

New Moon in Aries: Path to New Life

 

The New Moon in Aries at  10:32 p.m.EDT/7:32 p.m. PDT on Sunday, April 11 occurs in the third decan of Aries at 22/25. This New Moon in Aries marks the end to the Pisces cycle, and the start of a new path in Aries. It is the first New Moon of Spring in the North (and of the Autumn in the South). The new moon marks the time of a new lunar cycle, and it occurs when the Sun and Moon conjunct. 

This New Moon in Aries, the first sign of the astrological zodiac, marks a time for new beginnings, fresh starts, It’s a time for taking bold action, innovating, and trying out a new way of being, behaving, or approaching some aspect of life. Aries can be brash, aggressive, and rash, but these qualities can be tempered (as the Moon may do) to quell the more impulsive urges by channeling your energy (in wherever Aries is or is aspected in your life/chart). 

When embracing the courage, energy, and fearlessness of Aries, we can focus more on embracing challenges, developing more courage, and learning new ways of both perceiving and responding to obstacles, new situations, and aspects of ourselves that we may tend to suppress. Now is a wonderful time to look within to see what is growing in our lives. To discern how we might better use our talents, gifts, and skills. And how we might challenge ourselves to go deeper and strike out in new directions. 

Each sun sign/ascendant experiences this New Moon in Aries differently: For Aries, the 1st house, Taurus, the 2nd house, Gemini, the 3rd house, Cancer, the 4th house. For Leo, the 5th house, Virgo, the 6th house, Libra, the 7th house, and for Scorpio, the 8th house. For Sagittarius, the 9th house, Capricorn, the 10th house, Aquarius, the 11th house, and for Pisces, the 12th house. Look at where your Sun sign and ascendant are to determine where the New Moon is having the most potent effect in your life. 

A conjunction of the Sun and Moon occurs when they are closest to one another in the sky and on the same side of the Earth (Sun→Moon→Earth). When a conjunction takes places with the Sun and Moon, we call that the New Moon.  

Gardeners will be familiar with the Old Farmer’s Almanac as it provides useful information for all manner of gardening-related topics. For example, the New Moon marks the beginning of planting time for annual flower and vegetables, while the period between the Full Moon and the next New Moon is the best time for planting flowering bulbs, perennials, and vegetables that bear their crops below ground. For a more in depth understanding of planting by the moon, visit the Old Farmer’s Almanac site.

How does the New Moon affect you? Because the New Moon in the third decan of Aries is ruled by Venus and Jupiter, the New Moon is more comfortable here than it normally would be. What does this mean? It means that when the Moon, the Queen of our emotional temperment, triggers our emotions, we will feel more like channeling them into positive outlets. This morning, the first thing I read was a thought from Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo. She is traveling, and spoke about noticing how her thoughts were very neg ative. After taking note, she made a conscious choice to focus her thinking on creating more positive, beautiful ones, so as to change the whole trajectory of the energy that her thoughts were sending out. 

We all need to do the same thing, in whatever ways we can. I notice myself when I feel the desire to comfort or provide some kind of support to a loved one who is struggling, I focus on saying or doing whatever is most uplifting to that person, rather than try to fix, change, or give advice.  And after a prolonged period where we’ve all struggled with so much, building our strength once again, through paying attention to what our bodies, minds, and spirit are reminding us of, is crucial. This New Moon staring point is like all starts; also an ending. We are completing a year long cycle, during which we have experienced, learned, and been challenged to find new ways of approaching just about everything in our lives. 

As we move toward a brighter period of healing and new beginnings, we need to reevaluate our relationship with ourselves. It’s a good time for making positive, pragmatic, and realistic changes in our lives. It’s a time for making plans and taking some first steps towards implementing them. Regardless of how big or small the plan, it is the best time to step out on a new path, one that helps us each grow personally. As we grow as individuals, we are more able to contribute to the greater good, the good of all.  An example of how this is already manifesting is the choice each person is making to get vaccinated. After a year or more of lock downs, isolation, or increased demands on us to meet the needs of the pandemic, we now have to move forward.  In what ways are you being called to move forward and to make some new plans?

Because this New Moon falls in the third decan of Aries (20-30 degrees), emphasis is on a more dramatic and adventurous expression. Rather than getting bogged down in the minutia and mundane irritations of daily life, look for ways to treat life as more of an adventure than a trial. How is what you’re experiencing (and have already experienced) prepared you for a new way forwrd, a new and brighter way of experiencing life?

According to the system of Lunar mansions, the placement of this New Moon is influenced by Al-Butain, The mansion also referred to as the lunar station, is a segment of the Moon’s 28 transitions in its orbit. Al-Butain governs approximately 21-25 degrees of Aries. It indicates a good time for planting, seeking favors from those in authority, trading, traveling by land, using fire and water. It’s not an especially good time for relationships, because we need to be looking within to determine what our own needs are. Of course if you’re the selfish type, the need is to be less so, but for most of us, it means determining what we need to do to prosper, grow, and respond to what life is calling us to do and be. It’s a time of self nurturing, and nourishing the body, mind, and soul. 

It’s also a time when relationships may become more challenging, especially if we resort to unreformed Aries traits such as histrionics or overly emotional displays used for effect. This is the time to see that when we resort to this kind of behavior, it is really something within ourselves we’re upset about...usually something we feel we cannot control or change. One of the best pieces of advice I got many moons ago was, “When in doubt, don’t.” Of course this makes sense when we don’t want to do something in the first place, but it’s good advice when we think we’re right but no one wants our advice. Stepping back, taking a breather, or refraining from striking out, even when we feel we’re right, can do more to defuse a situation or conflict. Not everything needs to nor can it be resolved right now, even though we’d like it to be. And despite our best efforts, we are not responsible for everything that happens (I know we all know this, but examine your behavior and life choices, and see if you live in full understanding of this?).  

Aries energy is kinetic, fiery, and on-the-mark-get-set-GO, much of the time. With this New Moon in Aries, we need to temper this energy in ways that may be more contructive, creative, and composed. Write it out, dance it out, sing it out, hike it out, DO something, but avoid overreacting or being demanding in ways that simply create divisions and animosity or frustration. It’s not helpful. To anyone.  

Aries is the sign that inspires us to express ourselves as we are, not as we think we should be or as others project us to be. We need to acknowledge our true essence and that of others. We cannot shape another to be different; we can infuence others by being our best selves (we can also influence other by being our worst, but then why would we want to do that?). 

The New Moon in Aries forms a square to Pluto in Capricorn. This indicates that some obstacles still need to be cleared as we face our fears and doubts, and carry on. Whatever fears or doubts have been keeping you from moving foreward on your path, can be dealt with by acknowledging the fear and moving forward despite them. Mars in confident and resourceful Gemini is sextiles the Moon, easing and supporting us through whatever struggles we may have. Notice what issues, areas of life, and goals the house where the New Moon in Aries is affecting, and focus on making whatever adjustments  (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) need to take place...so that your highest good and health are encouraged. 

Mars, the Ruler of Aries, influences our expressions of anger, conflict, and action. What the Moon in Aries influences our need to remove anger become more suppicant to our unhealed emotional needs, as we seek reunification. It is a time to dig down into our depths to find the hidden treasures that have sustained and nurtured us through challenging times. When we act out of our unhealed or un tempered emotions, we can destroy relationships and other structures that we’ve worked to build. Tempering our emotions seems the best way to handle whatever may rise up during this period. It will serve all.  

With Saturn, the Great Teacher and Jupiter’s abundance as they transit Aquarius, we are learning and being inspired to newer and more innovative ways to build our lives, our communities, and our perspective of our place in the family of humanity. New life is beginning to bloom in our gardens, old, out-worn ways of behaving and living are passing out of existence. Some aspects of our lives are harder to cope with than others, but we must look for the opportunities that rise up out of whatever is passing to see what is growing. Life is sustained by the flow of the cycles, and we can embrace the new at this New Moon in Aries time, and count our blessings at the same time. 

This week I bought new roses for my new spring garden. I also got them to plant roots in the ground where I now am, with full knowledge, understanding, and gratitude for who and what has brought me the blessings in this lifetime. My garden is a memorial to life, and a commitment to life still to be.  What are  you planting in your life during this new season of Life?  May it bless you and others as we move back into community with one another. May we greet one another with new eyes and hope for building better lives for everyone. Peace be with you.

New Moon in Pisces: A New Path for an Old Soul

                                    

 New Moon in Pisces

The energy of the New Moon in Pisces which peaks on the West Coast at 2:21 a.m. (5:21 ET) on Saturday, March 13,  reminds us that a new path is open. 

We can now make some important and long-lasting changes that will have a positive effect on our lives, personally and collectively. What we do in our own lives, of course affects what we contribute to the world at large, but at this time, this is even more evident. 

With the Sun and the Moon aligned in Pisces, we are called upon to embrace ourselves, as we are, and continue to improve, learn, and perfect those aspects of ourselves and our lives that need improving. We can use our powers of discernment and our willingness to face those imperfect and undeveloped parts of ourselves, to grow in the perfection of our wholeness of being. Not the kind of nit picky perfectionism that we use to heap criticism on ourselves and others, but that ideal to strive towards. Those ideals that we strive to be more like, to reflect more in our behavior, thinking, and outlook on life.

The lens through which we each view the world, finds us each on a unique little plot of land in this Universe. Imagine yourself where you are now, and then imagine you can float above that spot to see yourself in the context of the world around you. As you fly higher, imagine you can see your image of yourself disappear as all you see is the planet orbiting the Sun which is orbiting the Center of the Galaxy, and then if you can, imagine the endlessness of space--infinity. 

Now, bring your awareness back to where  you are right now, and ask yourself, Who am I and where am I being called, from within or from the world around me, to be my better self? To open myself to greater expressions of love and commitment? To be grateful for the gifts of being myself and for what has been offered to me? What would you like to bring into being or creation on the path of life before me? Different questions may arise when you take time at this New Moon in Pisces time, that you seek on your own journey. Listen and watch for what is growing in your life now, and be open to the gifts that are yours right now. 

Now I invite you to make a wish in whatever areas of your life call for change and new direction. Pisces is the last sign of the astrological cycles, and it symbolizes  completion and coming to wholeness. Look to the houses/areas of your life that the water signs are ruling (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and to the areas that these signs influence most in your own lives. Examine the ways that you’re being called by loss, separation, or other kinds of endings, to move in a new direction.  Now is the time for laying plans, charting a course, and making the commitments of time, energy, resources, and dedication to begin anew in some major way.

With favorable alignments to both Venus and Neptune in close conjunction with the Sun and Moon in Pisces,  creativity, romance, passions for anything to do with love, beauty, and harmony is heightened, and encouraged. Whatever plans you are making now, are being given a big boost of energy and power, as if you’re being pushed to make that leap of faith, and act on something that has been calling you for a very long time. Now is the time. Neptune, the slow moving planet has probably been revealing hints of this in dreams, intuitive flashes, and seemingly happenstance meetings and connections.  There is nothing happenstance or random about what  your intuition and inner awareness are revealing. Your thoughts, your dreams, your daily events, and your relationships are all full of potent messages right now, so pay attention, make note, and trust that you are being guided.

Now is also the time to do whatever you need to do to regenerate and rejuvenate. Use the velvety energy of Spring to lift and comfort you through whatever trials and processes you’re now moving through. Take time from whatever  you’re doing, to reflect, renew, and rest as you also spend some quality time reviewing and assessing where you stand at this point in your life. This is vital as you make your way forward to the new path before you, and it’s also necessary as a way of maintaining harmony and balance as you move along that path.

Ceres, the Mother Earth energy of our charts, is conjunct Chiron, the Wounded Healer in Aries. This conjunction in the first sign of the astrological set of cycles, marks a starting point in a new area of your journey. And this conjunction between Ceres and Chiron requires that you take good care of yourself, in part by facing old sorrows, wounds, and losses that keep you frozen in place in some manner. We need to continue to address that which we have suppressed, oppressed, or tried to ‘forget’ because when we do that, it blocks our progress. Facing fears and disappointments is no fun, we all agree on that, but is so necessary in order to be freed to feel joy again. And we are all meant to be the living embodiment of joy, at least as much as we are anything else. 

To share my own experience of facing something I thought I’d ‘coped with’, I  want to share what happened to me recently. After being on self-imposed home quarantine for over a year, I finally received ‘an invitation’ to get my first vaccination against Covid 19. I was surprised to see the word invitation almost as surprised as I was to get it. Invitation, to do something that was going to make not only my life better but also everyone else’s life better. I went yesterday to accept that invitation, and was shocked to find people standing in line to go in to get their shots, griping and complaining about having to wait. 

Mind you, no one waited more than a few minutes, but the moaning and groaning was unbelievable. I was over the moon about getting this, and grateful. So very grateful to all who have worked so hard to make it possible. And as I reflect on that experience, the experience of feeling such relief at getting to this point and the relief and gratitude for all who made it possible for me to get the vaccination, I thought how much that experience is like so much how we approach life and new experiences. 

We can make an effort to do our best to get through the difficult and challenging times, or we can waste our time and energy and lives bemoaning our fate, as if we have nothing to do with how we respond to life. This pandemic has made us all, every person on Earth, somehow more aware of how little control we have of events. It’s made many of us more aware of the gifts we do have and the opportunities that we have now to reevaluate who we are, how we’ve been living, and how we want to move forward from this time.  Hopefully, we’re each learning something important about how precious our time on Earth is, and how we do have the means to find the gifts in the garbage as wonderful Dr. Gerald May called it. Now is that time. Look for what you have gained through the losses and disappointments. Look at how you’ve used your time, or how you’ve been held back in some way. 

This New Moon in Pisces calls us all to allow those inner gifts and that connection to the Divine within each of us and all around us, to enter and shake us awake from our sleep. Time to open your heart’s eyes to the passions you have for life. Time to listen to the still small voice of hope and courage that may be softer than the critic within. Tell the critic to shut up, and allow yourself to follow the voices of your better angels. The ones calling you to embrace life, to lift others up in love and appreciation, and to enjoy every moment, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant it seems.

For if you look back on life, you might find that the best moments were not the ones you planned for or made happen or hoped would never end. The best moments may have been those that surprised you, that came out of the love, generosity, and kindness of those family, friends, or strangers who made your heart feel joy again.  For me this comes with a text or phone call from my Daughter just when I need to hear her voice. Or from my Granddaughter who calls and writes to see if I need her help, so unexpected and appreciated. Or from the kind nurse, Betsy who knew how joyful I was to be getting a shot, that she made the experience even better with her kindness and smile, and understanding. Simple moments that stand out as the best. That’s the kind of lovely signs that this Pisces New Moon is bringing, so be on the lookout. Be ready to embrace some joy, even if it seems like such a small thing. For in the end, our lives are made more beautiful, memorable, and precious by the little things. 

Friends who’ve dropped off gifts of olives, hand-made cups, and kindness at my door. Friends who’ve checked to make sure I am okay, and friends whom I check with to see that they’re okay too. A family who keeps talking, sharing, laughing, and trying to support one another, even from afar. And to all those who suffer and sorrow, we can give the gift of comfort and presence when we have nothing more to give. For those gifts of the heart are the lasting gifts of life.  From you, if your hadn’t guessed it, Pisces writer friend. Blessings to you all. We are making our way through the hardest of times, together apart. And what we have to share is our love for one another. Give freely.

New Lunar Year Begins with a Stellenium in Aquarius.

On Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 11:05 a.m. PST/2:05 p.m. EST, the New Moon peaks in Aquarius.

As the Sun, Moon, and planets in our Solar System transit in their orbits, we find the Sun, Moon, and four planets aligning in Aquarius for a grand stellenium of airy, innovative and visionary gathering.  Depending where they line up in your chart/life, you will feel the heightened energy which should lead to some progressive and much needed changes. Thinking outside the box is definitely called for. Looking at routines, habits, and established patterns from a new angle allows us each to break out of routines, stagnant belief systems, and worn out ways of being and knowing. 

The needed changes may result from the New Moon and this Aquarius stellium bringing about circumstances or conditions which make it impossible to ignore or suppress what must now come to the surface.  Whatever has been pushed aside, a thought, a plan, an acknowledgement of possibility, now becomes much more likely and realistic. Where you might have been afraid to make changes in the recent past, you now understand the probable need to move in a new direction and in a new way because the shifts that have taken place, make the routines and past plans impossible now. When shifts in our lives happen, we can not put off making changes much longer. To fail to act on our own behalf now, will put us behind the 8-ball in the near future. Bravery, vision, risk, and faith in the power of your own right to prosper and be fulfilled is highlighted at this New Moon.

All new moons are opportunities for starting out on new pathways and for planning or starting new projects.  This Aquarius New Moon is the Queen of new pathways, and her court of other Aquarius planets and the Sun (both inner and outer planets) support a major change which is in store. This Aquarius New Moon is the harbinger of positive changes on the horizon. This New Moon also opens the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Metal Ox. A yin sign, this new lunar year is going to be more slow-paced and symbolically more nourishing, stabilizing, and healing. It is a time to focus more on encouraging due diligence, gratitude, service to others, and altruism

The New Moon in Aquarius is at her peak just hours after Venus conjoins Jupiter in Aquarius, making this harmonious for love, beauty, romance, and attractions. This helps buffer the Saturn-Uranus square that brings sudden shocks that make us have to cope with old, unresolved wounds, conflicts, and lessons yet to be learned. There is the possibility that passions will be sparked, imagination and intuition will be heightened, and creativity will flourish as Neptune and Mars form a sextile. Sextiles create harmonious aspects, and this little flame allows for us to use this energy to channel whatever needs to be soothed, healed, or rejuvenated. 

The New Moon in Aquarius peaks at 11:05 a.m. PST/2:05 p.m. EST as she conjoins Mercury and squares Mars.  A wide square, Mars may serve to impel or motivate us to action or may bring us news, information that sheds greater light in the darkness. Whatever is revealed, needs to be used in context of the greater need to leave what must be shed behind, so that we can embrace and enter fully into the inevitable changes to come. Though change doesn’t necessarily come fast as it did last year in the yang energy of the Year of the Rat, it will come. And our task now is to rest, regenerate, heal, plan, and allow the new path to unfold as we let go of resistance to the changes. 

Venus and Jupiter are conjunct in Aquarius, and together with the Sun and Moon shed their blessings on us as we experience  good fortune with both finances and love. One of the best aspects, in Aquarius this conjunction frees our minds to envision our highest good and possibilities we might have been afraid to entertain before. After the shifts of 2019-2020’ pandemic and financial/political upheaval, we are beginning to come out of our bunkers to examine how our lives have changed. Time to reevaluate what matters most and align ourselves and our priorities accordingly. 

Perhaps the biggest challenge at this time is the Saturn-Uranus square which comes to its peak on February 17 (this is a long-term aspect) heightening the frustration and tension you may be feeling (and that is playing out in the world at large). This is due to unexpected changes, not to your liking. What feels like a violation of your rights/freedom, make it even more apparent that you need to respond/react. When changes are made that we have no control over, it forces us to do one of two things. React, which often is out of fear, anger, or a sense of helplessness. Or respond, which enables us to make changes we might have thought impossible, or take action which puts us on a new track. We have the choice in how we respond, but we are faced with some situations that bring this to light.

The stellium of planets including the Sun and Moon in Aquarius occur in most charts/lives in at least two areas of life. Together with planets in Pisces, Aries, and Taurus, we have a lot of energy in one main area of our lives. For example, this may occur predominantly in the lower hemisphere of the zodiac (highlighting one’s personal life), the upper hemisphere (outer life-interactions in the world), the left/western hemisphere, highlighting how one’s interactions, inner world affect our appearance and how we value ourselves, or the right/eastern hemisphere highlighting our home, families, daily activities, marriage/partnerships, and heritage. 

To determine how this New Moon in Aquarius and its stellium is affecting you, look at your chart to see where the Aquarius stellium is  most dominant. If you can’t see your chart, look at your life, and most often if you get a bit of perspective, you’ll see what issues need to be resolved, where you feel more pressure/conflict, where the past is calling for action, or where you feel some release from what you had thought would be an impossible situation. 

As  Sun-Moon Aquarius conjoin, they align with the fixed star Sadalsuud, the Star of Destiny, also called the luckiest of the lucky stars. Our destiny is linked to both what choices we make and what happens to us that is outside our power to control. The intersection of our own fate and our happiness resides in the way we respond to what happens, and how we choose to move ahead. This is a crucial time when all of our lives have been and are being changed. The ground beneath our feet continues to shift, and we need to keep on remembering how to dance. When we dance, we move to the music and we make our movements as graceful and meaningful as we can. Dance on the precipice of whatever change is happening, and find ways to nurture yourself and others in the process. 

Happy New Moon, Happy  Lunar New Year. Cherish your loved ones, Relationships are favored even though they may require some adjustments, and good fortune is yours. Keep your eyes, heart, and mind open to the signs and shifts in your life, and embrace the good fortune that awaits you as you move onto a new path. 

New Moon in Capricorn: Gateway to Change

Light on the Horizon

 As the New Moon in Capricorn on January 13 approaches, we find ourselves at the gateway of tremendous changes. Four planets, three in close conjunction, are in the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn. Three others, slow-moving Saturn and Jupiter, and inner, fast-moving planet Mercury are in Aquarius. The slow-moving Saturn and Jupiter are generational planets, meaning they carry the same energy for much longer periods of time--2 ½ years per sign for Saturn, a year for Jupiter. The cluster of heavenly bodies in both signs, indicate heavy elements of change are having a profound effect on whatever houses/areas of life they transit in your chart. 

For Aries Ascendents, the 10th (life purpose/career) and 11th (friends, social contacts, institutional relationships) are being most affected. 

For Taurus Ascendant, the 9th (philosophy, religion, higher education, travel, contact with other lands, cultures and good luck) and the 10th house, (life purpose, career). 

For Gemini Ascendant, 8th house (birth, death, transitions, taxes, social standing, property, inheritance, deep mysteries) and 9th house (philosophy, religion, higher education, travel, contact with other lands, cultures and good luck) and the 10th house, (life purpose, career). 

For Cancer Ascendents, 7th house (marriage, partnership, your role and how you form committed relationships)  and 8th house  (birth, death, transitions, taxes, social standing, property, inheritance, deep mysteries)

For Leo Ascendents, 6th house (physical body/health, daily routines/jobs/work, hygiene, pets, self care) and 7th house (marriage, partnership, your role and how you form committed relationships

For Virgo Ascendant 5th house (inner child, pleasure and enjoyment, artistic expression, creativity, passions and what stirs passion) and 6th house (physical body/health, daily routines/jobs/work, hygiene, pets, self care) 

For Libra Ascendents, 4th house (relationships with mother, maternal instincts, home and where you feel at home, domesticity, where you find yourself at peace) and 5th house (inner child, pleasure and enjoyment, artistic expression, creativity, passions and what stirs passion)

For Scorpio Ascendant 3rd house (local community, neighbors, sisters/brothers, all forms of communication and transportation) and 4th house. relationships with mother, maternal instincts, home and where you feel at home, domesticity, where you find yourself at peace) 

For Sagittarius Ascendant, 2nd house (how we value ourselves, finances, and seek security in the world and 3rd house (local community, neighbors, sisters/brothers, all forms of communication and transportation)

For Capricorn Ascendant, 1st house (Ascendent. How you appear to the world, what you project. How you are defined your body and physical appearance, and voyage of discovery and beginnings) and 2nd house (how we value ourselves, finances, and seek security in the world) 

For Aquarius Ascendant, 12th house (the unseen realm, unconscious, secrets dreams, emotions , intuition, hidden knowledge) and 1st house. (Ascendent. How you appear to the world, what you project. How you are defined by your body and physical appearance, and voyage of discovery and beginnings).

For Pisces Ascendents, 11th house (where you make your debut in society, friendships, colleagues, social circles/institutions which you identify with, as well as and 12th house (the unseen realm, unconscious, secrets dreams, emotions , intuition, hidden knowledge) and 1st house. (Ascendent. How you appear to the world, what you project. How you are defined by your body and physical appearance, and voyage of discovery and beginnings).

Because the big line up, and the New Moon in Capricorn are moving through these two areas of your life, it is important to look at both to see how you are being motivated and encouraged to make major changes. Because of the upheaval in the world in which we live, the limitations and unparalleled upset with which each of us must cope, it is vital that we look at what areas of our own lives are being transformed and impacted by both inner and outer influences, developments, and needs.  

Venus in Capricorn, just entered this sign. She will move through Capricorn over the next 23 days, after which she will enter Aquarius. Venus represents all things to do with beauty, love, harmony, and romance. It signifies the way in which you love and value life and love. Venus will conjunct the Sun, the Moon, and Pluto over the next month. 

New Moon in Capricorn conjunct the Sun and Pluto. A new path opens before you now, and it will be the culmination of a number of years of chance, transition, upheaval, and transformation in this particular area of life. Life will change in major ways on some level, and you will walk away from what has been outgrown, lost, transformed, and died. You will be rethinking many things about how you live and where you live. This aspect makes us become a bit restless and very intense. So deeply that we cannot help but break away from the past to find what draws us forward to a more meaningful life.

Sun in Capricorn, conjunct a New Moon brings with it ambition and an intense urge for change. This has the opposite effect of a retrograd. Full speed ahead.  Change or the desire for change, is intensified, and we find ourselves preparing emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually to charge our soul-filled sense of meaning for life, into a form and into action that expresses our highest good. Notice what and where in your life you long to live out more of your life purpose and start creating some plans or acting on the ones you’ve been building for a while.

Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury  in Aquarius all indicate where the  change has already begun. Notice how the movement of the Sun, Moon, and Pluto may be moving you closer to your goals. are both powerful planets. They bring action, surprises, and movement. Both are still conjunct in Taurus

Mars and Uranus are conjunct in Taurus. Both are planets of action, change, and heavily influence this New Moon. Uranus is stationary from its retrograde cycle, and goes direct the day after the New Moon, January 24. This eases things with finances. Next week, on the 19th, Mars and Uranus form squares to Saturn and Jupiter, and the public will demand changes that bring greater security and this will provide even greater financial security. 

The Mars-Uranus conjunction become exact on the day Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris take office on January 20.The New Moon that is building for January 12-13 (Tuesday 9:00 p.m. PST/Wednesday 12:00 a.m.EST) ends one major cycle and begins a new one. The impact of this New Moon will be felt and experienced for the next year. It’s intense with 6 squares (push to move/change and 4 conjunctions (heavy emphasis, intensified experience). It’s a point of grave crisis, which I don’t think we can fail but see even without understanding astrological implications.

Frustration, tension, and conflict is building, however Venus’ trine to Mars-Uranus helps relieve some of that tension. As we face intense challenges, we have the opportunity to grow and develop by facing the challenges and making the necessary changes for coping with them. This is both a collective and personal time for soul growth and development. 

Take heart, keep the faith, take care of yourselves, and we will right the ship and make our way through the darkness into the Light. 

Changing Times: New Moon in Sagittarius, Total Solar Eclipse, Saturn enters Aquarius.

December 14, 2020, the New Moon in Sagittarius at 23 degrees (third decan) occurs at 8:16 am PST/11:16 am EST.  This New Moon coincides with a total Solar Eclipse, the first this year in the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. This Solar Eclipse sets up the tone for the next 6 months, and focuses our attention and energy on all Jupiter-related matters. 

Jupiter, the planet of Abundance, is the ruler of Sagittarius. New beginnings now are related to belief systems, the love of adventure, philosophical ideas, as well as how our faith/belief systems affect and are made manifest in our personal lives. In matters where we might have once held back for fear of reprisal or judgment, we now feel emboldened to stand in the truth of what helps us build cohesive and constructive social relationships. This begins on a personal New Moon level with time spent in introspection and reflection, but is borne out through our behavior. 

How we do this may be reflected in our growing interest in the world of ideas and the state of the world in which we live. As this year most of us have had our lives impacted by the pandemic, we have been able to examine more deeply what our lives are built upon and what matters to us. And we have a growing sense of what we have to offer through service, creativity, leadership, and expertise. We all have something that longs to be borne out through our lived experiences, and we see more clearly how we all must be part of the growth and change needed for improving, healing, and creating a more equitable world. We witness the depravity, violence, and distortions of truth and what that breeds, so we must rally to build a better system for all of us. 

We too may come to be a bit more aware of how our personal lives need to be built on rising above the mundane aspects of our daily lives as we seek to add to the improvement of what needs to be fixed, repaired, created, and envisioned. We need to begin to assess what gifts, talents, and experiences we’ve had, and how those equip us for taking a more active role to add something of beauty, service, imagination, innovation, or some other form of building up as opposed to the tearing down that has become the hallmark of the last few years.  

At this New Moon in Sagittarius time, we need to each take some time to imagine how we can help co-create a more perfect union of human activity, service, and development. We must take stock of what we feel needs healing, repairing in our own thinking, behavior, lifestyle, as we begin to envision change for the better. For many, this year has been a time when life seemed to stand still in so many ways. To shift in not only how we live, but also in what we valued and deemed important.  We may too have gotten bogged down in our own self interests, disappointments, struggles, to the point that we lost our bearings or lost sight of possibilities.This is when we begin to dream and imagine, and hope again.

By fostering optimism, hope, enthusiasm, a sense of adventure, and these more positive qualities in ourselves, we can then translate this energy into works, acts, creations, and ideas that transcend our own personal needs and desires. We need to be as strong and healthy as possible now, to help in rebuilding and recreating a world that has undergone a major transformation and shift. 

The New Moon in Sagittarius forms an aspect to the South Node, indicating that we must let go of something that we’ve clung to. South Node transits require releasing what is no longer functioning or elevating our development. This certainly is the case when we look at  the world at large. The pandemic, climate crisis, and the subsequent problems for people on all parts of the planet, require that we change the way we behave on every conceivable level, in order to face the growing needs and the looming issues that demand to be addressed.

Look in your chart/life to the sector that is ruled by Sagittarius, and notice what has been shifting in a major way for you.  For those who have studied astrology for a long period of time, you might look back to what was happening at other eclipse cycles of Sagittarius.  In December of 1955, December of 1974, December of 1982, and December of 2001,there were similar passages. In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. The Tappan Zee Bridge opened the AFL-CIO unions merged. And the bus boycott began in Montgomery, Alabama after the arrest of Rosa Parks. In 1974, Nixon resigned the presidency (earlier in the year), and the European Community was beginning to be formed under the influence of the New Moon and Solar eclipse. The Dow Jones hit 570, doing so much damage to the economy it took more than 20 years to recover. In 1982 during the Reagan administration, Barney Clark received the first artificial heart.Times man of the year is ‘a computer’. In 2001, the world was in an upheaval. Osama bin Ladin was fomenting terrorism, the shoe bomber was caught, and terrorist bombings were a threat. Enron filed bankruptcy (taking millions in pension funds with it), and TWA flew its last flight after 76 years in business. 

Think back to your own life to see what was going on at that time for you. 

The New Moon in Sagittarius is conjunct the Sun, and Mercury and the South Node. This makes us feel like we’d like to pull the covers over our heads and go back to sleep, but we need to stay awake and aware, and take steps,no matter how small, toward lifting and lighting up the world we live in and the world for others.  A good friend of mine just sent me two books (to light up my mind) and strings of lights to literally light up my home. However we let our light shine now, it’s important to share what we can to lift others. Write a letter, card, a poem. Share a special thought or prayer. Send your Light out into the world, and dwell in gratitude for the Light in your own life, now more than ever.

Venus has been in Scorpio, and transits to Sagittarius the day after the New Moon. So some kind of completion, ending, parting may take place on the subconscious level during the New Moon that manifests after Venus goes into Sagittarius.  What has been a burden or a heavy challenge, may soon end. 

Mars is still in Aries until January 6, after which time it moves into Taurus. For now thought, it trines the New Moon, the Sun, Mercury, a harmonious aspect that may spark concrete, positive changes. 

Uranus in 7 degrees of Taurus, is making some stressful aspects to Pluto, Jupiter, and Saturn, the three outer planets that are all in their final degrees of their long transits through Capricorn. Saturn is at 29 degrees right now, and this is the anaretic/critical degree when endings, completions take place after a very long tumultuous period of learning and change. Saturn’s entry into Aquarius on March 21, 2021, so the next few months will be filled with final steps, endings, and completion so that a new path opens. We’re moving from a heavily earth-centered energy into more airy and focused more on intellect, independence, innovation, visionary, and decision making based on knowledge and intelligence. 

On the 19th of December, Jupiter also enters Aquarius, and nearly four years from now, Pluto will also enter Aquarius.  These three planets have been transiting Capricorn for the last 6-7 years, transforming our lives in major ways. Understand that the end of these two major planets in Capricorn, are apt to feel heavy and will release whatever has been shed over the last few years, once and for all. The lessons we’ve learned, the gifts we’ve developed, are what we now can use to equip ourselves for the new world ahead.

These major shifts in the outer planets  are pushing us even more into this channel of growth and development, as individuals and as a human community. Let’s work together, in both our personal lives, and in our dealings with others, to help heal, repair, lift, and extend the positive energy that we need to help co-create a world of greater peace, justice, compassion, and shared love for all humanity and the planet. It’s what is needed. It’s what we need to find meaning and purpose in a world that has been torn asunder. We can choose to repair and heal, or we can be part of what makes it fall apart. Choose life.

With this New Moon in Sagittarius, a total Solar Eclipse, followed by Saturn and Jupiter entering new signs within days of one another, this next few weeks is bount to be an interesting, powerful, and significant time. Use your energy, spiritual practices, time, resources, and creativity to give yourself time to envision ways of thinking and believing that translate into positive, constructive forms of healing, teaching, and relating. Take good care of yourselves, and let the Light shine into your heart and soul. Be receptive to the Divine Light and Wisdom that infuses us all. Blessings to you all as you celebrate the holy days of your traditions and cultures. Create new ways to honor Life, Love, and Compassion for all.

New Moon in Scorpio: The Path of Light Ahead

It is on November 14th  that I write, and the 5-day festival of Diwali has begun. It seems an appropriate moment to celebrate the triumph of the Light over the Dark, the Conscious over the unconscious, hope over despair. We need to celebrate, and this new lunar path is the perfect time to do so. 

On November 14/15, 2020 at 9:07 P.M./12:07 A.M. the New Moon in Scorpio opens a new pathway for us all. The New Moon in the third decan of Scorpio at 23/18 degrees focuses our attention on plumbing the depths of our passions and intuition.  Perceptions are heightened, as you may have noticed in dreams and sudden insights over the last couple of days when the Moon entered this realm.

We are now in position and the right balance of energies to make important changes in our lives. By being brave enough to go deeper into the mysteries and unknown in and around us, we can cast off fears and begin acting more in alignment with our highest good than in sticking with the status quo or habitual patterns and ways of behaving. We have a real opportunity to make a breakthrough in our understanding of others, our own fears and biases, and in making some significant changes in these areas.

Time is right to focus energy and attention on relationships, commitments, and passions that point us in the direction of what is most meaningful and fulfilling. Time to invest more heavily in building up and strengthening what is most alive and fertile, while at the same time releasing distractions, soul-draining thinking, and may have been sucking life-affirming energy from you and from those commitments and obligations. 

It is a time to release fears, renew energy, and take steps to a healthier, freer way of living.  The Sun in Scorpio (until Nov.21) in conjunction with this New Moon in Scorpio energizes our desire to experience life more fully, deeply, and passionately. Not willing to settle for shallow, incomplete answers, we see to discover the hidden meanings and unravel mysteries that we might have hesitated to before.  Feelings and emotions run deep, and there seems to be nothing mediocre or mundane about our experience of life now. We can experience profound insights that allow us to unlock mysteries and challenges, allowing us to experience deep transformation and healing. 

Mercury just went into Scorpio on November 10, and will be in this sign longer than usual.  Mercury’s transit through Scorpio is a time when we seek and feel greater intensity. We seek with greater intensity to uncover hidden truths, pull back the veils that hide the spiritual and emotional realities that have kept us from making significant changes. Our need now is for more intense communication with our most trusted and loved ones.

 A deeply emotional and healing under the influence of New Moon in the fixed sign of Scorpio, awakens regenerative powers within us. Intense though the emotions may be, calls upon us to embrace the better angels of our emotions and feelings. When we focus on channeling our feelings into their higher vibratory energy, we lean towards more lasting commitments, deeper understanding. We find ourselves more receptive to the promise and hope for greater love and fulfillment.

Mars in Aries, having just come out from its retrograde motion, fills us with more energy and a desire to move forward. We may feel more motivated to make plans and start taking more courageous steps in the direction of change for the better. Having weathered some storms that tested us in ways we hadn’t expected, we have a renewed confidence that fuels us to direct our actions more clearly and single-mindedly towards meaningful goals. Still in its stationary position, we need some time to recuperate and get nourishment before we move too rapidly. Now is the time for rest and renewal, and for nourishing all levels of our being. Focus most of your actions on finding a greater balance and achieving harmony and well being. 

Mars is in Opposition to Uranus, slowing our momentum a bit, and bringing up new insights and situations that must be addressed before we can move forward with the needed energy and strength. Really calling for us to take good care of ourselves with heavy doses of TLC (Tender Loving Care). One way of doing this is  by getting rid of whatever is no longer nourishing or life-affirming. Start with something simple like cleaning off a shelf of the fridge or a drawer or table top that is cluttered. Whatever you do on the surface, will help release energy at other levels of being.

With  Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, and Pallas all in Capricorn, we find ourselves using the lessons we’ve learned to steel ourselves (Saturn the Great Teacher) and to make peace with what is (Pallas) so that we can take control of our energy, behavior, purpose (Pluto the Great Transformer) to develop to our full potential (Jupiter, Abundance and Opportunity). A very potent way to begin on a new path. To move into the depths of our being and to bring that forth from within to direct into creating, healing, producing, and launching our new path forward.

The New Moon in Scorpio Aspects:

Moon sextile Jupiter enhances growth, brings optimism, and finds us surrounded with a sense of optimism, goodwill, and cooperation. A very fortunate aspect especially since it’s at the start of a new lunar cycle. Blessings, good luck, success, and opportunities for growth in body, mind, and spirit (watch out for overdoing, lol).

Moon sextile Pluto, the Great Transformer intensifies our desire and motivation to finish what has been started, and to achieve results. Greater personal power improves our ability to understand the connections between inner growth and outer success/fulfillment. We get it in ways we may have not comprehended before.

Jupiter conjunct Pluto for the third and last time, bringing fulfillment, completion, and the realization of a dream, achievement of a goal, and promise of good outcomes. Good fortune and success are the more likely results of this aspect especially since greed, arrogance, and ruthlessness will cancel out the best that this aspect has to offer. Count your blessings, make amends, and move on so you can enjoy the bounty that awaits.

It’s a powerful New Moon with few of the hard aspects we’ve experienced earlier in the year. Promise of good changes and results on the horizon. Now is the time to rest, heal, celebrate life, and prepare for a brighter future. 

Fixed Stars and their influence. 

Unulkalhai symbolizes the nature of Saturn and Mars. 

When in alignment with the Sun, may signify quarrels, disappointments, loss of someone.  Depends where the Sun is in your life/chart. As we are all in the middle of a pandemic, it’s likely we have been touched by loss this year.

When in alignment with the  Moon, signifies learning of intrigues, poisonings, toxic/unstable authorities and environment.

Fixed Star Agena  symbolizes the nature of Venus and Jupiter.

Friendship, morality, friendship, honor, dignity. 

Alignment with the Sun and the Moon give opportunities to choose between taking the high road or the low. Acting out of love and respect, or out of bitterness and fear. The choice is yours, but then the fruits are the consequences of what you choose.

Agena is the brighter of the two stars, and so that my friends is what we’re faced with in the way we choose to live. This New Moon in Scorpio is full of promise, with very little outside our own choices having a greater impact on what path we choose ahead. Given this New Moon in Scorpio comes at the end of a very tumultuous time, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, we have the power within our own simple daily choices to choose Light or to go the way of the unconscious, unawakened, unredeemed aspects of ourselves. This is a propitious time, full of hope and possibilities. Let’s choose to rise to the occasion and get on with the repairing, healing, and transformation. 

“Hope is being able to see that there is Light despite all the darkness.”

--Bishop Desmond Tutu.