New Moon in Aquarius: New Moment New Choice

A New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are in the exact same degree. We won’t actually see the moon as it sits behind the sun; a small sliver will appear in a day or two.

This joining of ‘brother sun’ and ‘sister moon’ is a seed time… the conjunction or ‘conjunctio’  (‘sacred union’) unites the conscious self (Sun) with the unconscious self (Moon), the masculine with the feminine.   As the alchemy of the New moon ripples out into the following month (or months depending on its impact) we can align our thoughts and intentions with this energy and grab a ride on its forward moving energy.

Aquarius is an air sign and deals with authenticity, eccentricity and forward thinking. This brings out the maverick in us, the rogue trader, the entrepreneurial spirit. It is also called the water bearer...  and connects us to our innate humanity. This Aquarius New Moon brings detachment, clarity and liberation; a chance to act and think (and feel) differently.  New ideas and visions can emerge at this time.                

"Change your mind, change your life!" (Mystic Mamma)

The Aquarian based star card pictured here is about self esteem. 

Aquarius  symbolizes personal freedom and individuality, yet is also the sign of the collective.  The celebrated Aquarian age is about finding the balance between our individuality and our connection to the group.

 One is the reflection of the other. 

"As within, so without."

Being progressive and future oriented, Aquarius also relates to electronics and any kind of new media that connects us to each other (including astrology)

“When Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, traveled through Aquarius from 1996-2003, the technological revolution created the freedom to connect with the whole world, where we share ideas and find our groups. Time and space were altered and new ways of understanding the world grew more acceptable."

This is another opportunity to create a new vision that will liberate us from old paradigms (conditioned patterns of thinking). A positive link to its ruler, Uranus, in Aries, emphasizes the urge for individuality, and gives us permission to ‘march to the beat of our own drummer’.

As long as this is done with emotional integrity (Moon in Aquarius) while ‘holding a space’ for the greater good, we will be in harmony with the energy of this moon. 

An added bonus: Aquarian objectivity can help us detach from the dramas and traumas we have been encountering lately, particularly in the realm of relationships. With warrior planet Mars  at the beginning of a long journey through the  sign of relating (Libra),  (eight months instead of the usual two) this will be most useful.

“Allow your self and your relationships to adapt, ferment, simmer and blend through a process meant to improve your life and become more whole.”        BK, Planet Waves

We can use this forward thinking Aquarian energy to vision what we would like to manifest, especially  in regard to those lessons Mars will be stirring up, or we can focus on the area of our chart that it is occurring (see tab at top re meaning of houses). Just remember that with Mars in Libra, everything is going to involve our relationships with others.

If the New Moon is in your 2^nd house of security and personal value and money, you might learn new ways of earning money, stepping beyond the old worn pathway you have been treading till now. You might become self employed as you break free from the system that has bound you.  Or in the 11^th house  may find your ‘group’  and discover a new side of yourself. In the fifth house you could imagine a new love, or in the fourth, a new home etc (or a new home décor) etc etc

The possibilities are endless as the stars.

All of our processes now will involve some negotiating with others, as we learn the tricky balance of  building community and developing diplomacy while  standing up for our individuality.

PART TWO:

This is also a Super Moon (i.e. closest to earth) which makes it especially potent. It is also called a ‘black moon’ as it is the second New Moon in the same month. Before the Romans edited the calendar into 12 months, there used to be 13  in a year (month comes from the word moon)  due to thirteen moon cycles in a year. This relates to thirteen menstrual cycles in a year for women, and is why the number thirteen has been made into a superstitious and negative thing. It represents the feminine and was celebrated in Wicca (early goddess based pagan religion) so the  early Christians tried to denigrate it by making us fear it. 

At this time of the ‘return of the feminine’ this ‘Black Moon' also connects to black moon Lilith, who represents the wild feminine energy that has been suppressed for thousands of years.

While the visionary nature of New Moon in Aquarius helps move us up and out of stale or stagnant situations, and gets us to think 'outside the box', we will be challenged  on the very next day to hold onto those visions,  as Venus turns direct and bumps right into Pluto (the destroyer). Ouch!  

Venus, another key symbol of the feminine, and planet of love and relating, has been moving backward through the patriarchal sign of Capricorn,  bringing us face to face with elements from the past that influenced how we live and love.  Pluto here forces us to awaken and see though the illusions that bind us and limit our manifestation. 

This confrontation with Pluto (power issues, control, lord of change)  will show us one last time what we need to face or change so that we can move forward in the manner in keeping with our new vision. We could be tested now as the pull of past emotional patterns  threaten to sabotage our best laid plans. Capricorn is quite driven  and is about our need for material security. It also  represents the old authority systems (father based, patriarchal) that have defined what success means, while Jupiter sitting exactly opposite in Cancer (mother) pulls us toward emotional safety and the need to mother ourselves.  Parental influences maybe part of what we are working through. Money matters will also be highlighted if our base of security gets shaken up, as we come to see just what our emotional security is based on.

The Pluto Venus conjunction also links to the archetypes of Psyche (Psyche and Eros) and of Persephone (abducted into the underground by Pluto) As Persephone's mother, Demeter, grieved her loss, there was no spring until she was returned for half the year. Pysche had to undergo a series of tasks to earn back her true love. These myths allude to the need to reawaken our feminine power (in both men and women).

This New Moon also closely precedes the Chinese New Year of the Wood Horse (power) as well as the Celtic celebration of Imbolc on Feb 2^nd (the half way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox). At Imbolc we light a candle to invoke the light. 

This is a time to find out how much we are still acting out of past paterns. We may have to develop new  strategies to deal with sudden changes or developments (square to Uranus) as things we value (Venus) get removed (Pluto). It's time to work smarter not harder. 

"Most of us have been jolted (Uranus) by some hard (Saturn), painful (Pluto) truth (Jupiter) in regards to love or money (Venus). " (elsaelsa.com)

Feb 4, we move into the year of the 'Yang Wood Horse'. This is a majour shift of energy, from several years of watery introspection and emotional purging, into a powerful forward thrust of extroverted energy. It looks like this  year is going to be all about 'personal power'.  We have been  shedding the old patterns based on shame and fear and old authoritarian voices telling us we cant do it, shouldn't do it etc. Now it is time to step up to the plate step free of what has held us back!

So...  Make a wish, set an intention, see it happen.