Category Archives: New Moon

Your Week Ahead + The New Moon in Taurus: The Right Magic

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Ambigram Magic Dream – mirror symmetry with a handheld pattern giving a reversed shadow on a blue wall. Photo By Basile Morin Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

I don’t think we should be looking at the upcoming New Moon (perfecting 19 May at 8:53 AM PDT at 28 Taurus 25) as a singular event; instead I see it as a moment made possible by the way these next few days flow into it. I’m seeing a chance for some to make dreams come true (Neptune-Mars trine), particularly in an area where crisis seems to dominate at the moment; I’m also seeing the possibility that, with the right attitude and moves, we can create an outcome that is more than the sum of its parts, giving the whole thing an aura of rightness and magic. So where should we be looking on the way to the New Moon that will make the best of the current influences?

First we note some crisis energies in play: Sedna in Taurus, and Mars in Cancer, both at 29 degrees. Sedna will actually be conjoined by the New Moon, and with these four bodies in sextile we have the base for a Finger of God. Though one doesn’t exist in the current picture, it may in the individual one, for those with a natal placement at 27 Sagittarius to 1 Capricorn. The Lunar event may act as either trigger or a conclusion that opens the way for a new beginning around our ability to access instincts and to act or choose according to those instincts or things we ‘know but don’t know’–or it may force action around something in our ‘blind spot’ that simply can’t be ignored any longer (and this may be something we aren’t aware of, but once revealed, may feel we should have known about)–and this is a condition everyone may face. For those who have a natal point forming the apex to a temporary Finger, the resolution of these actions and choices will have the character of the natal planet, and will be acted out via some combination of point energies, point House placement, or matters of the House that body rules.

With a New Moon in Taurus the senses are heightened (and this can be both pleasurable and off-putting, as in, for example, the case of ‘bad odors’ either literal or psychic, or as when you partake of a tasting menu that you’ll swear is the ‘best food you’ve ever eaten’), and this Moon brings new starts by way of realizations around material resources, artisanal pursuits, comfort, security, stability, and in matters where persistence is a necessity. Apply this, then, to the aspects the New Moon makes: to the sextiles already mentioned, making for intuitively or emotionally informed action and choice, to the Finger, if applicable, to an out-of-element trine to Pluto in Aquarius (changes may be bigger or more permanent than we realize at the time, made at an intellectual level, or in the name of modernization or in order to take one’s place in the avant garde), a semi-square to Venus, which rules the New Moon (we enter NM territory with the negative facets of relationships, finances, or values emphasized in our worldview), and another sextile, this one to Neptune in Pisces (illusion, delusion, creativity, or idealism influences the new start–and this is part of a Water Grand Trine involving Mars and Earth=emotions find stability and possibly expression through needed action to take things from the creative imagination and materialize them).

Mercury just turned direct, and Jupiter just entered Taurus, meaning that our lead-up to the New Moon will be full of ‘new’ information, facts, or revelations about subjects we already thought we knew well. The atmosphere may be one where we ‘want more’ and think we know how to get it–but success must take into account material realities and real-world circumstances, and if those are missing our efforts may be less than effective. There’s also a Grand Square which applies to the Moon via involvement of the Lunar South Node, and also involving Pluto, Jupiter, and Mars=long-term conflicts from the past may feel unsolvable, but in taking action and making changes that align with the facts we can break the impasse and, if not solve all the conflicts, at least reconstitute the issues in new forms that may be less toxic or persistent.

So where does the magic come from? A Mystic Rectangle of Sun-Moon-Sedna, Mars, Pluto, and Earth. We can use that fresh New Moon energy to move some pretty big energies around, ones that under other circumstances may make us feel tired just thinking about trying to alter or manipulate–but for this occasion, we have that wonderful Mystic Rectangle synergy that does the heavy lifting for us–and can result in the re-making of our efforts in ways that use intuition, feeling, and the senses to create a much more potent ‘flow’ than we normally could. Be aware, though, that these changes, if not permanent, will be significant and serious, so proceed with a clear and honorable intent.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘Two Cobblers Working At A Table’. The image suggests that our efforts might best be employed in areas where we already hold skills, especially ones that are practical and/ or call for cooperation. We also look at the Earth (it seems to flesh out the picture from its opposing viewpoint): ‘An Indian Squaw Pleading To The Chief For The Lives Of Her Children’. Here we see someone with less power pleading with someone who holds more power (maybe all power) not for sparing her own life but those of her offspring. It’s maternal altruism that may be in our DNA–imperative that our progeny survive, even if we don’t. And don’t mistake this for negotiation–for that both sides need to have some power–here only one does. This may suggest that the origins of our New Moon experience may lie in a situation where we either held all the power or none of it–and where one party or the other was hoping to further their cause, and perhaps to have an impact on the future. This symbol describes what leads us to the New Moon event–but it may have some long-ago origins, even in circumstances we’ve largely forgotten, until now.

Solar Eclipse in Aries April 2023: Who We Were

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Binu.mhp Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 2019

An eclipse is a time when what was, at least in one area of our lives, is erased, and with a Solar eclipse (also known as a New Moon) we see this eliminated material replaced by or clearing the way for a spark, a seed, something new, something just beginning. The eclipse makes room in our lives for the birth of a new entity, endeavor, event, or circumstance that holds the character of the sign in which the eclipse occurs, and takes the shape of the House in the natal chart where the eclipse falls. That means for all of us there will be a similar, sign-oriented flavor to what happens, but that for each of us the eclipse material will take a unique and personal form.

This Solar event occurs at 9:12 PM PDT of the 19th. Since we already had a New Moon in Aries this year (on 21 March at 00), we may be wondering about the way the impetus for new beginnings of a similar, Arian kind is duplicated, as if we get a do-over, and in a way that’s what we’re getting. To immodestly quote myself from the post for the 21st: “A New Moon at the Aries Point is the most bare, exposed, fresh, even raw of beginnings, a seminal point of germination, discovery, inception, origination. In Aries we have initiation, both in the sense of the start of something new, and in the sense of being brought or accepted into something–both are personal, in that they are happening to the individual, but one speaks of a new venture, occurrence, or climate, while the other speaks of something that exists already, into which we enter and become a part. At the Aries Point, we are the Initiate; expect to become, to gain an aspect of identity that you did not carry before, and that you probably won’t be able to anticipate.”

So, we were given a beginning so completely fresh that it was likely without definitive form–and what will Aries do with such energy? Shape the hell out of it; it’s all about becoming, the process of individuation, the formation of identity, and employing that Cardinal energy to impress ourselves and our Will upon the world. We were probably just beginning to get a handle on these new implications for identity and role when along comes the eclipse–uprooting those tender seedlings and making one thing abundantly clear: the identity we were constructing is inadequate to completely express who we are, with the eclipse at 29 degrees suggesting 1) it’s imperative we recognize that what we’ve chosen is not enough, in some sense, and 2) that it’s important we acknowledge we know a whole lot more than we did back in March–oh, how far we’ve come!–and the roles we’re creating for ourselves must take into account all we’ve learned–otherwise, what we create will be obsolete before we even get started.

A Sun-Moon meeting at the 29th degree carries its own message: this is a crisis. The feeling may be that we’ve been wrestling with these identity factors for a long time, and should be farther along. We feel we have to do something. There’s an emotional dissonance in the identity department that we’ll need to recognize. And all that begs the question: why aren’t we more clear on who we are? The answer is: a state of crisis is Self-defining (we find out who we are in a pinch) and that some hindsight will be necessary before we can get a true and accurate reflection of who we have become in the Self-image mirror of the mind.

The eclipse makes few contacts, though it’s conjoined Vesta in Taurus; this clues us in to the fact that what we’re dealing with now in shaping the ‘I Am’ is both sacred and fundamental to our security, prosperity, and comfort. We’re not just being asked to declare ourselves, we’re being asked to put forward what we stand for, to state explicitly what and who we honor, and what we are willing to dedicate our life energy to. The seriousness of this identity declaration may be the source of the tension and the feeling of crisis. We’re at some level aware of how important it is at this time to know ourselves; to fail to define our identity and character is to fail to prepare ourselves for what’s to come. That said, the world doesn’t come to an end if we remain unsure of our feelings or identity–but it does move forward, whether we’re prepared or not.

The New Moon makes a semi-sextile to Sedna in Taurus at 29 degrees (crisis around comfort, security, stability, prosperity), suggesting that instincts can aid us in our identity quest, and that the instinctual nature will transmit messages through discomfort or an ‘off’ feeling–listen to those. There’s also a novile to Venus in Gemini, implying a spark of genius in the thinking, when it’s centered on values or the mind is focused on seeing the beauty (or the profit) in the world. And the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis forms a T-square with Pluto, itself still raw, newly entered into Aquarius, suggesting that transformation won’t be easy–but that it’s inevitable, and that we, and the landscape, won’t reach the Lunar eclipse with the same outlook, or even wearing the same identity ‘shell’ (like a label, role, or job title).

The eclipse Sabian is, ‘A Duck Pond And Its Brood’. This brings to mind the story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’, which is a tale of finding one’s identity–and also one’s group. It may be that, if we’re really stumped about our own identity, looking around, examining who and what we’re surrounded by, will give valuable clues–as we must know who we are in the present to know what must change to create our new identity, which in turn creates our future. A bit of a ‘duck and egg’ thing, I think.

It may be a matter of the eclipse wiping out who we were (or our idea of who we were) in favor of something hinted at with the New Moon of March 21st, now ready to be born, to be revealed, or to be realized. A kind of denouement may arrive with the Lunar eclipse–until then, we do our best to put the pieces together, and to understand as well as we can who we are, and to move toward who we want to become.

Here’s a good explanation of a hybrid eclipse– The kind of eclipse we experience doesn’t change the astrological effects, but we can’t overlook the symbolism of, in this case, a hybrid event. It suggests something changeable–that then changes back. It hints that permanent change promised by Pluto may at least appear not to ‘stick’–it may morph back to a previous state, before again changing. Just be prepared to witness fluctuation in our perceptions, and to stay nimble enough that we can respond to what we might not fully anticipate.

And here’s a link that describes paths of upcoming eclipses that will be visible in North America-– many thanks to reader John Spirko for sharing this..

New Moon in Aries 21 March 2023 A Raw Beginning

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‘In the Waves’ or ‘Ondine’ By Paul Gauguin 1889 {{PD}}

A New Moon at the Aries Point is the most bare, exposed, fresh, even raw of beginnings, a seminal point of germination, discovery, inception, origination. In Aries we have initiation, both in the sense of the start of something new, and in the sense of being brought or accepted into something–both are personal, in that they are happening to the individual, but one speaks of a new venture, occurrence, or climate, while the other speaks of something that exists already, into which we enter and become a part. At the Aries Point, we are the Initiate; expect to become, to gain an aspect of identity that you did not carry before, and that you probably won’t be able to anticipate.

The New Moon perfects at 10:23 AM PDT at 00 Aries 49 sits at the rough midpoint of the Pluto-Sedna trine, with the sextile to Pluto catching Saturn at its midpoint. Like nesting dolls the contacts are, at first glance, hidden beneath what appears to be a much more obvious aspect. A trine between Sedna and Pluto suggests ease of change, or transformation, or even destruction, but to a facet of the inner landscape: to the instincts, those things we ‘know but don’t know’ (with the obvious possibility that something like this will become conscious), or to those ‘blind spot’ materials or factors that everyone else can see, but for us is the critical ‘missing part’ to understanding a situation or relationship. Add Saturn, and we add the potential for materialization of this change, or the idea that we may try to make the change ourselves, only to meet barriers. If you do encounter limits, these will be Universe-provided ‘safety rails’ that future hindsight will reveal to have been blessings in disguise. Note, too, that matters around this aspect will have begun to coalesce before the New Moon–the Lunar event simply brings it to our attention, as either our intuition or feelings are stirred.

There’s a squine (that squirrely trine-square mash-up of 105 degrees) of the New Moon to Pallas in Cancer, notable not just because of the conflicting energies of positive and negative but because with both NM and Pallas in Cardinal signs, this might be the agent behind actions we take and choices we make–that is, one informed by the wisdom inherent in caring (Pallas in Cancer)–that is, the way what we care about, and the way we feel about it, automatically means we will approach it in the best way we know how. When we don’t want to mess things up, we invariably do what’s smartest (or what appears smartest to us!) There may be both the feeling one needs to do something, and that one wants to, but either this hasn’t been clear before or hesitation, for a variety of reasons, has kept the urge in stasis.

The New Moon is semi-square to Venus-Juno in Taurus, which are tightly conjoined (only two minutes apart), suggesting a little tension over resources, or conflict over what some (especially the partner) needs for comfort and security. The Lunar event will simply show that the need is unmet, and possibly not even recognized, before now. Smart money says pay attention to this–it’s the kind of thing that can grow beneath the surface and fuel big blow-ups later.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Woman Just Risen From The Sea; A Seal Is Embracing Her’. The connection to the goddess Sedna is apparent, so emphasizing Sedna’s place in the astrological equation. That’s the instinctual nature, those things we know in our bones but may not hold in consciousness, those things we are not cognizant of but are putting out into the world anyway–others see this, we don’t–and this affects our choices, actions, and relationships. This suggests to me that all of what happens now is coming directly from the primal and instinctual natures, and particularly applying to the way all of us live in (at least) two worlds: personal and public, professional and intimate, seen and secret, and so on. For more on the relevance of this symbol, you might enjoy “Sealskin, Soulskin’ from Dr. C.P. Estes’ book, ‘Women Who Run With the Wolves’.

Don’t expect anything to have its final form; what happens at this New Moon is protean, in the sense that it’s so new in some way that it possesses an endless number of potential directions. Just know that this beginning may be raw, yet unformed, but certainly a herald of a whole new epoch.

New Moon 19 February 2023 Subtleties

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‘Garden of Gethsemane in Fog’
G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection {{PD}}
Taken between 1940 and 1946

It may be the bodies at 29 tense degrees that steal the New Moon thunder, catching that Moon at the midpoint of a Venus-Pluto sextile, and so forming a Finger of God with Earth as apex, and involving Saturn, out-of-sign conjoined the New Moon (but only at 28 degrees, so not at the crisis point, yet). And that’s not to mention (though I am) another Finger, this one with New Moon as apex, base of Black Moon Lilith and Ceres (though we note this config is looser than the other Finger). Other than that, we have the New Moon squine (105 degrees) Mars in Gemini, and the Lunar event semi-square the midpoint of Juno-Chiron–so a great many subtle influences, or even some energies disguised as others, or by others, perhaps pointing up how much influence the sign of the New Moon has over its contacts–and it’s only exaggerated by the presence of Neptune and Venus in the Great Obscurer’s sign of Pisces.

This picture forms on the 19th at 11:06 PM PST, with the Moon meeting the Sun at 1 Pisces 22. There are few contacts made– and that out-of-sign conjunction of the New Moon to the ancient ruler of Aquarius in Aquarius, Saturn, its own story, one that informs the nature of the New Moon obliquely, with Aquarius signaling that our emotional perceptions and intuitions are all reality-based and rational, a triumph of the higher intellect over the imagination, and yet the Moon in Pisces either obscures that reality, is inspired by it, or sees it as ideal when it’s anything but.

With that kind of ‘now you see it, now you see it differently’ energy at work, the Fingers both take on a quality where our intuition and atunement to the nuts and bolts of our world will be vital to actually making use of the energy–that is, if we don’t understand how things are actually working, we may be misled or distracted. The Finger with Venus and Pluto as base originates in crisis or under extreme stress; we may ask what is destroying or altering beyond recognition either our source of Love or source of income/ support/ reward–and could it be the partner or Other themselves that is the agent of change? We can’t know, with Venus in Pisces, and Pluto in Capricorn only tells us that those structures, methods, rules, and frameworks we’ve relied upon will change–but it doesn’t tell us whodunit. Apex Earth in Virgo tells us that accounts are being balanced, the earthly results of our efforts critiqued–but we still don’t know by what hand the balance is delivered.

That revelation may fall to the other Finger. Base of Black Moon Lilith point and Ceres suggests, if I may resort to an old saying, that the chickens are coming home to roost. That’s another version of the Earth in Virgo, paying debts and settling accounts. We see what we have ignored, been in denial of, or what has enraged us meet the forces of Nature, some supreme authority, or our own need to be responsible for ourselves, and out of the blend the New Moon event is crafted–and it has physical/ material world contours that we will recognize intellectually (Saturn in Aquarius) and respond to emotionally (Moon in Pisces). The key is not to let our imaginations or fears run away with us in response to what comes forward–that would not only be pointless, but would lead to us missing the positives (that is, the scale-balancing of Virgo and Ceres in Libra that allows for a re-set in our world). Gratitude for the potential re-birth (Pluto) of some vital life factor (Venus) may not be easy, if the lesson is a difficult one, but will, no matter what, benefit us in the end.

The squine of the New Moon to Mars in Gemini points again to the prominent place of the mind in understanding what’s unfolding, with the aspect appropriate in the way it both makes for discomfort or upset even as it opens the way for new or better–and that will be through our choices (Mars). The semi-square to the Juno-Chiron midpoint is very minor, but emblematic of the entire Lunar happening: it will hurt, it will empower, and out of the struggle a new emotional perception will be born.

The New Moon Sabian is, ‘A Squirrel Hiding From Hunters’. That may be exactly what it feels like: as if we are small, simple Beings faced with much larger, more complex, and more powerful forces in the world. Hiding in this case, rather than being an act of hunkering down, closing our eyes, and hoping for the best, may instead signify what’s smart in any circumstance where we are faced by something overwhelmingly larger than ourselves that could wield life-changing power: we step aside, allow it to proceed, and deal with the changes once the alterations are done. This mirrors the dynamic of Venus-Pluto–and we all know that fighting Pluto isn’t a possibility–but that harnessing, channeling, and accepting what it creates is.

We may be so distracted by this Venus-Pluto thing that we miss the more subtle developments of this New Moon–but that’s okay. We do best to focus on seeing clearly and understanding what’s happening (though the why or who of it can wait), and then processing our emotional responses, most particularly in light of how much closer we are to realizing our ideals (Moon in Pisces).

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New Moon in Aquarius 21 January 2023 The Prison of the Mind

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A new moon setting over Gåseberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden, 2016

Photo courtesy of W.carter

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That’s a little dramatic, isn’t it? Maybe it should be something like, ‘Isolated in (or by) our own minds’, or in its most benign form, ‘Alone with our thoughts’. The Moon in the sign of the intellect is always a little uncomfortable (though more easily tolerated by those who live with a natal meld of Water/ Air or who have the Moon in an Air sign); there’s a quite natural struggle to parse feeling from thinking, and knowing the difference depends almost entirely on how clear we are about our own feelings.

We shouldn’t forget that the ancient ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, suggesting the potential for fear or depression to arise from emotional discomfort. It’s a mistranslation of feeling, the emotions taking a negative form of Aquarian shape, and probably taking a form that distracts you and so prevents you knowing what that true feeling is. That means you miss how you feel about something important, or vital, or simply right in front of you, because the mind is too busy looking out for what you fear will appear, or what you fear will oppress you. It’s a way of protecting yourself from being uncomfortably clear on reality–which says you’re hiding from some facts or situation you desperately need to be aware of.

New Moons are new beginnings, and with this New Moon in Aquarius we can plant a seed of awareness, begin to embrace intellectual understanding of some issue, or lay plans to take a chance, rebel, revolutionize ‘the system’. The NM is widely conjoined Pluto in Capricorn, and opposed the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that what we may see is new thought or understanding (NM in AQ) springing from the termination, destruction, or resurgence of a framework, system, or set of standards or rules (PL in CAP). This shift, whether it’s obliteration or a re-birth, allows us to uncover what’s been ignored, denied, or has enraged many in material matters (BML-Earth), and in so acknowledging make the first steps toward true change. We can’t change what we don’t see and admit the existence of; that’s a painful part of the energy of transformation that can then lead to healing.

We might also experience this New Moon as a time to shake things up, to be the rebel–but don’t fool yourself, even if it seems the group is behind you, you’ll end up going it alone–and again, any unusual stir may be camouflaging genuine feeling, re-directing the energy that should go to processing this emotion into a ’cause’ or a sense of righteousness that will totally distract from the actual emotional issue at hand.

There’s also a wide out-of-element trine to Sedna and a sextile to Jupiter-Juno in Aries, both of which suggest, in the most general terms, that efforts must be made to sort instinct from social conditioning, personal autonomy from the need to parent or supervise, and to sort out who holds authority, who’s in charge, in any situation–and this is so even if you’re someone who’s not looking to boss anyone around. The aloneness we may find ourselves trying to go beyond will either be an emotional and mental ‘prison’, tormenting us as we fail to reach others, or can become a chance at quiet introspection, making the mind a meditation chamber instead of a torture one.

Now, that struggle for the Moon in Aquarius in knowing what’s a feeling, what’s a thought, is ongoing, though it becomes the environment for all of us each time Luna passes through the sign. A New Moon here promises us the chance to hold something in the mind in a clear, new light. With the current dearth of New Moon aspects, though, we may feel a potential sense of isolation, even confinement–the ‘prison’ of the title–with no easy means of reaching out to or communing with others–even as those tussles over who holds authority blossom. Growing awareness of the new means we are that much more focused on the fact that we are discovering, learning the facts, on our own, in a way that makes it difficult to share our experience, and so alleviate any unsteadiness or doubt or fear. Awareness of the social sphere (Jupiter) and any power struggles that may come along (Jupiter-Juno) only enhances our sense of separation from others. It’s a wee bit strange, a wee bit uncomfortable, but the process is one that is meant to spark reform and help us learn to trust our own instincts and those things we, deep inside, ‘know but don’t know’ (Sedna).

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘An Unexpected Thunderstorm’. There’s Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, in both the unexpected nature of what will occur, and in the symbol of the thunderstorm–so a bit of rough weather, the kind that’s a little dangerous but that energizes, that brings a cleansing, healing rain. No flood here (unless it’s a flash flood, which has a Plutonian nature, of wipeout that leaves nothing behind), as thunderstorms are typically volatile but brief, a discharge of energy that ‘clears the air’–and so this New Moon can be for us.

Happy Holidays!

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‘Wynken, Blynken, and Nod’ By Maxfield Parrish 1902 {{PD}}

My stepping away for the weekend turned into over a week gone from home, because of a car accident that stranded us in Seattle. No worries, everyone involved was unhurt, but the car was totaled and between that and some of the worst weather I’ve seen since living in and near the Emerald City, it felt like a long, stressful time–and I didn’t have access to my astrology software, which lives on my desktop–that’s why I missed the New Moon of the 23rd. So my apologies, and my very best wishes for a Happy Holiday for all, no matter what you celebrate (even if it’s only toasting the weekend!)

A quick look at the New Moon in Capricorn says to me that it was all about health (it’s closely conjoined Hygeia)–but in Cappy that could be the health of structures and systems, the things we rely on in our lives, what gives us a sense of security and safety, of boundaries and limits, the kind that allow us breathing room–and/ or this applies to the health of the subjects of the House in the natal chart where the NM falls for you–for instance, in the 1st, one’s body or the ways we interact with the world (do you over assert, refuse to acknowledge boundaries, perhaps? or are you literally doing something that endangers you?), while in the 2nd it may apply to exercise of talents or to spending (are you working yourself to death? or is expressing your talent taking a toll, or are you ‘giving it away’ to your own detriment?) In the 3rd that may pertain to the communications or thinking (do you over think? fantasize in a way that lets you over step boundaries or break agreements? do you speak in code, hoping to manipulate?) and in the 4th this might involve dealing with the literal health of family members or the suitability of your relationships with them (are those relationships creating needless boundaries, stopping you from something, maybe in an attempt to keep you safe? do old patterns automatically repeat when you’re together?)

In the 5th it’s one’s offspring or romance or creative efforts or even gambles that are limiting or challenging one’s limits, and in the 6th it may be the job or the actual state of the health that’s holding one back or enforcing limits. The 7th blames it on the partner or all others, or maybe the standards of the Art world or audience, and the 8th may focus on sharing, all that is or isn’t offered to one via relationships. The 9th may see one chafing at the institutions with which they’re involved (religious, educational) or that have factored into the current status, or one’s life philosophy may be under fire or born anew, or a ‘foreign’ entity or environment may be forcing a pull-back. The 10th makes what’s born visible to all and may place NM developments firmly in the context of career or reputation, while the 11th sees groups, friends, hopes and wishes making one aware of Saturnian limits, and the 12th, well, that may send the message via meditation, dreams, or behind-the-scenes matters.

And remember, a New Moon is a new start–so we may be looking at awareness of and then going beyond one’s usual limitations, or even of setting new limits, new boundaries, or drawing lines in the sand and saying ‘No more.’ Capricorn makes us aware of what we can rely on, what truly supports us, and what’s holding us back, and if it falls in one of the first six Houses (1st through 6th) the chief culprit that has been stopping you (or giving you needed structure and support!) may have been yourself.

The NM also creates a T-square with the Ceres-Jupiter opposition=showdowns over power, authority, and ‘knowing’ are formidable, and may determine going forward (at least for a time) who dominates in terms of calling the shots or knowing how to muster ‘natural’ power related to innate human nature and Universal ‘flow’. The New Moon also sesquiquadrates Uranus=surprise! It all shakes out not quite how you think it will.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon is, ‘Three Rose Windows In A Gothic Church, One Damaged By War’. What’s your damage? as they say–this New Moon may give us the opportunity to repair a damaged view, something that holds ‘sacred space’ within us, to remove what in our lives was destroyed in a violent way and replace it or restore it with something beautiful, graceful, still vulnerable to being damaged (as in the example of window glass) but then, isn’t that fragility part of its beauty?

It’s good to be back, thanks for visiting, and make the best of the final few days of 2022!

New Moon 23 November 2022 A Tale To Be Told

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Läxläsning (Homework) By Carl Larsson 1898 {{PD}}

The New Moon occurs at 1 Sagittarius 37 on the 23rd, at 2:57 PM PST, and in terms of major bodies (planets, lights, 4 main asteroids) it is earliest in degree save one: Vesta, at 00 Pisces 51, which the New Moon squares. That means on its journey through Sagittarius Luna will create aspects (major, minor, and super-minor!) to every other body, suggesting a tale to be told of unspooling Sag energy, fresh and, in this sign, poised for discovery, learning, teaching/ propounding, and covering some ground, literally and figuratively.

The funny thing is, there just aren’t any other contacts made, though there is a still-extant opposition to Sedna at 29 tense degrees of Taurus, and I suppose we can stretch to include a past trine to Jupiter in Pisces. That says that what’s born at the New Moon might be the outgrowth of Jupiterian dreams plus our instincts and inner knowing, what we ‘know but don’t know’ but are pushed through the emotions or intuition (the Moon) to respond to. This might entail either gaining or disseminating knowledge or facts (Sagittarius), or traveling to ‘foreign’ territory in some form, in order to fulfill, or at least pursue, that expansion dream.

Though not contacting the New Moon, we have an interesting Cardinal (action-oriented) pattern in place at this time: Eris in Aries opposed Zeus in Libra, a T-square created with the Black Moon Lilith point conjoined Pallas in Cancer. So, is this a distraction or an engine? Probably both; the formula involves either our own or another’s initiative/ action that immediately stirs conflict, specifically related to the ambitions and desires of a partner or an ‘other’. That is, our choices upset the relationship apple cart because they clash with what someone else with whom we’re cooperating wants–or we are the ‘other’ who is upset at our partner’s independent choices. In either case, the tension was already there, below the surface, with the person who acts or chooses breaking a kind of energy stalemate that lets differences rise to the surface.

This awareness of conflicting wants then creates its own issues, namely a genuine question as to whether that independent choice made unilaterally is wise or even practical. The only way to know is to look at those things we (and the partner) may be in denial of, or enraged over. What we’ll find is that either this is a good thing to have happened, with any unease based in (possibly groundless) fears, or that the action was taken or choice made driven by anger, a lashing out that makes it no longer possible to ignore feelings.

The Sabian for this New Moon is, ‘White-capped Waves Display The Power Of Wind Over Sea’. This alerts us to the way the unseen, unacknowledged, unspoken will strongly influence conditions, especially emotional ones. The tale here has its origins in dreams and sublimated desires, in what we expect from others and what we expect we must give ourselves, in what we learn and ‘know’, and perhaps most significantly, in what we are hiding, even from ourselves. It’s that emotional component, the wind’s (the unseen’s) influence on the water (the emotions and intuitive knowledge), that will determine how effectively we respond to new awareness and facts that can inform our way toward the dream, with a clue offered here: we’ve just had an experience that illuminated something about our highest values, that has shown us, perhaps to our own surprise or shock, what it is we really honor in life (previous perfection of the square to Vesta). This event is what paved the way to the New Moon beginning; and pay special attention to what comes at us over the time the Moon remains in Sagittarius (through about 1:19 PM PST of the 25th)–that will be like a mini-blueprint of what to aim for or avoid, and how to move forward.

Solar Eclipse 25 October 2022 Immersed in the Senses

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‘The Roses of Heliogabalus’ By Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1888 {{PD}}

Hi! Away from my desk this weekend, late the 27th thru the 30th. Will answer all comments and fill all orders then. Have a lovely weekend!

The meeting of Sun and Moon (a New Moon) occurs on the 25th PDT at 3:48 AM at precisely 2 degrees of Scorpio. Both bodies are just shy (by 39 minutes) of conjoining Venus exactly (though the Sun already did–see the following post)–and there’s only one other Lunar set of contacts, Jupiter just into Aries sextile Sedna at 29 tense degrees of Taurus, making a Finger of God with the New Moon as apex. At a typical New Moon, this would concentrate the energies into just a couple of ‘statements’; this being an eclipse, we see another level of concentration, in the way the bodies aren’t just in contact, but are closely aligned along the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun). When this happens, we have a total or near total blockage of the light as seen from our vantage point on Earth–and this symbolically suggests a wiping out of the flow of energies, an interruption that brings a reset that may appear as shock, catastrophe, surprise, revelation, re-shuffling, withdrawal, renewal, germination, a period of darkness before a re-emerging of light, even birth. Since a New Moon is an energy of new starts, this isn’t unusual, but the nature of the new start may be quite different than we anticipate–and we look to the sign in which the eclipse occurs, and the aspects it makes, for the story.

Here the Lunar event is in Scorpio; that mandate is to strip away what isn’t working, is worn, old, or in need of rehabilitation, even as something is transformed, resurrected, or rises anew from the ashes. We’re looking for the Truth, at a Scorpio New Moon; we’re looking to rid ourselves of psychic detritus, to alter what refuses to serve us. It’s a condition where we may have to get our hands dirty, but we’re promised a reward in the sense of feeling new ourselves, in some part of life designated by the House where the Lunar event occurs, or in the natal House ruled by the Moon.

The New Moon perfecting just before perfection with Venus suggests something beautiful, rewarding, pleasing in the immediate aftermath of what occurs, but with the potential for a potent kind of jealousy, envy, or covetousness, Scorpio emphasizing the more difficult facets of Venus. But those also include a seductive quality, a richness of depth and experience, a promise of intensity to the event itself that may be very alluring–and so may, just as the Moon will obscure the Sun’s light, temporarily block our ability to assess the situation accurately, or may immerse us in sensation, substituting feeling for thinking.

The Finger of God with base of Jupiter-Sedna points us back to the apex eclipse, and describes the individual within the social sphere, or equipped with (or pioneering) some sort of knowledge or belief (Jupiter in Aries), meshing with the individual instincts, what one ‘knows but doesn’t consciously know’, and one’s ‘blind spot’ material, this latter those things we believe we see clearly or feel informed about, but that hold some areas we don’t grasp–and this is visible to others, but difficult for us to see ourselves–with some combination of these resulting in the Scorpionic revelation/ change of the Lunar event.

The Sabian is, ‘A Delicate Bottle Of Perfume Lies Broken, Releasing Its Fragrance’. It’s important to note that this eclipse occurs at two degrees and no minutes of the sign–and in that case, we read 1-2 degrees, rather than 2-3 as we would otherwise. The image says that what occurs may have a negative initial presentation–it’s a small shock when something shatters–but that the benefits of what occurs will become obvious immediately. We may be sad about the break, the destruction, but we’ll glean a side benefit; though we wouldn’t have chosen this, there is still something good that comes of it, something unexpected that fills the air/ senses, and so stirs feeling (eclipse in Water).

Tip for coping: some of us will deal simultaneous to the eclipse with the energies of a Fist of God, with base of Pallas-Black Moon Lilith square Mercury-Zeus, apex Juno in Pisces. This suggests wisdom could be compromised by our own rage and prejudices, with these predispositions clashing with our ability to communicate our wants clearly, dispassionately–and so may compromise our own empowerment, especially that form we have imagined, hoped for, and find ideal. Keep this potential in mind, and know that being honest with ourselves is the foundation on which we can build good relationships with others.

New Moon 25 September 2022: The Big Event

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Fall is here, and so is change. ‘The Shoots of Autumn Crops’ By Zinaida Serebriakova 1908 {{PD}}

Keeping our usual tight orbs for a Lunar event, the upcoming New Moon in Libra (25 September 2:54 PM PDT at 2 Libra 48) shows only one major aspect: an opposition to Jupiter in Aries. But, you may say, what about the past and still technically in orb conjunction of the New Moon to Mercury? Good point, I’d say, since Merc’s retro status tells us they’ve met more recently than if Merc was in direct motion–but that’s more than 5 degrees distance; rather than illuminating the New Moon event, it speaks to what preceded it: a thought, an idea, one we’d already been contemplating (retro status) involving fresh ideas around partnership, cooperation, aesthetics, fairness, described by the Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury at 00 Libra on the 22nd.

So, we know the background; now our attention goes to Jupiter, the Earth due to conjoin it in exactly one degree (so about one day) in the sign of Aries. Jupiter-Earth suggests a Big Event, in Aries one either driven by the individual choices and actions, or one driven by an individual (Aries) that affects the masses (Jupiter). At a personal level, this could also imply that the individual who acts creates opportunity, or simply that their choices bring them knowledge or more–but more can include more difficulties, as much as it could be bounty or profit, with a negative result most likely if ego, rather than the Libran cooperative spirit, runs the show. Relating this to the New Moon, we can expect new emotional insight or feeling generated from this meeting of individual energy and the larger world.

There are more clues about this Lunar event, found in three contacts, the first being an out-of-sign trine to Sedna from its place in the final, stressful degree of Taurus=there’s something jangly, out-of-context about the ease with which the instincts and ‘blind spot’ material surfaces and colors the emotional palette–don’t be surprised at how things you ‘knew but didn’t know’ are suddenly exceptionally clear. The second contact is the New Moon novile the South Node=the past plays its part, and we would be smart to take a moment and trace the thread from seminal occurrence yesterday to results today. Third, we see a configuration formed: a Fist of God, apex the New Moon with base of Saturn square Uranus=again, big energies speak, this time perhaps implying a clash between what’s established and what will carry us forward into the future–or maybe it’s accident or innovation that shifts the timeline, sending everything in a new direction and sparking new feelings about others (NM in Libra) in the process.

The Sabian confirms this: ‘The Dawn Of A New Day Reveals Everything Changed’. Everything is a big concept, and is most likely to apply to an emotional shift at the individual level that changes the way we see and process the world. Nothing may change around us, and yet everything may be different, with this New Moon.

New Moon in Virgo 27 August 2022: How Angry Are You?

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‘Poultry Yard With Angered Cock’ By Melchior d’Hondecoeter c1600 {{PD}}

That’s the question this T-square with Mars to the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis asks–or maybe, for those who aren’t angry right now (or who are in denial), the question may be something like, What will you do? Or for those truly detached from current irritants: What do you want? In any form, what we’re confronted with or by carries a sense of being forced–and–irony alert!–there are some who will work so hard to feel free-willed, Self-actuated, and independent that they’ll end up being the ones doing the forcing.

With the New Moon in Virgo, and almost everything retrograde (it’s easier to list what’s not retrograde, though even then, we have only about two weeks ’til Merc’s turnaround, and a little over two months until Mars sashays backward–Venus is the only potentially retro major body moving along apace), we may find that what’s forced is the sharing of information, or worse, the sharing of opinions, with the distinct possibility that many confuse their own thoughts with fact. We may be prone to believe our feelings justify our thoughts and so our actions–but truly righteous action is likely to be in short supply. Criticism may fly thick and fast, sometimes in the name of accountability–but when that’s the assertion, we need to take a step back and look at both the genuine facts and the genuine motivations involved. With Mars in Gemini as the arm of the ‘T’, what someone is thinking, specifically that drives their actions, becomes paramount.

The Sun-Earth axis at all times and in the most general terms asks for balance between opposing energies. Currently that means seeking equilibrium between the mind/ mentality, especially faculties of critical thought and discernment (Virgo), and what’s nebulous, atmospheric, imagined or illusory, idealistic but not beholden to reality (Pisces). That’s a difficult position for the planet symbolizing our material atmosphere to reconcile with, too often resulting in mud (Earth in a Water sign) or in a kind of divorced attention, where the material world is seen as completely unrelated to the imagined, the spiritual, the Collective experience, or the individual unconscious.

This potential division between extant energies may play out as conflict between actions/ choices (or the thinking behind actions/ choices) and the way theses moves show the rough edges around both our own critical thinking (Sun-Moon in Virgo) and those things on the material plane we’ve refused to see, acknowledge, or possibly deal with (Earth in Pisces). And here’s the benefit (by this point, you can be forgiven for thinking there probably isn’t one!): we see where our critical thinking or sense of discernment has failed, and we see how that unreal aura we’ve placed around something in our environment is causing problems. And if we can see it, we can deal with it.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Man Becoming Aware Of Nature Spirits And Normally Unseen Spiritual Agencies’. This suggests that phenomenon where we know, via unknown means–that is, the intuition, or the unconscious, or some combination of the two, reveals our connections, and the mass of intelligence available, via the unseen. What info comes to us now, particularly info that doesn’t seem to come from any obvious source, may be beyond what we can reason out–so employ critical thinking–is this wish fulfillment? serendipity? does it ring true?–and what comes to you can be exceptionally helpful.

Revelation may stir up its own form of anger, or under best conditions, stir up energy and enthusiasm for making changes or taking action. Choice is the keyword; the wise and the cautious will adopt it as their mantra for now, keeping the idea that we are responsible for our choices and the consequences they bring in the forefront at all times. Other influences to keep in mind: Venus squares Uranus (which has just gone stationary retro a few days before the NM)=if we don’t get mired in the surface conflict, we can take advantage of the unexpected surprise. Just don’t think it will last indefinitely–it has an expiration date, and so do each of us–keep that in mind when making your choices. Pallas sextiles Eris and squares Neptune=again, advantages can be found in the chaos, or by stepping back from the strife–just don’t let the imagination run away with you (in a good or bad way), or expect miracles with no effort or planning–smart money is on connections, networking, pre-planning, and discussion, with things arranged now capable of coming to fruition in the relatively near future. The Black Moon Lilith point is square Chiron=it’s the same old song: wounds come from what we refuse to face, have neglected to tend, or from buried anger. Don’t fall to Self-sabotage. A Grand Square of Venus, Uranus, Saturn, and the South Node says the past percolates up to now and reveals itself through ‘surprises’ (but are they really?) in relationships, finances, or restrictions or denials we must face. And one other thing: Zeus and Mercury in Libra give us the impression that we’re thinking of and doing things for others, but our own desires and ambitions are in the mix, and must be acknowledged honestly, if we don’t want to look like we’re just out for ourselves.

Have an excellent New Moon experience!