A New Moon of Ongoing Metamorphosis

Monday morning's Aquarius New Moon is quite a potent one, with emphasis on important outer planet placements, thus ratcheting up the intensity of the revolutionary times in which we find ourselves, both culturally and individually. The placement of the New Moon degree connects to both Venus and Mars, as they still also aspect Pluto, along with Uranus, Chiron and Saturn. Pluto remains in close square, within one degree of Zodiacal longitude, with Uranus, the Awakener. Pluto is also currently found in exact parallel with Saturn, indicting radical restructuring. The energy of astrological Uranus is to alter our perceptions, at times quite suddenly, by means of an epiphany that dawns upon us when we least expect it, paving the way for significant change to follow in its wake. Then Pluto, the wrecking ball, carries through with the passion to alter pre-existing conditions in cases where they no longer entirely make sense. Pluto can be extreme in its effects, although less so with consciousness of the transformation that is demanded of us by cosmic process, and by the agency of our own higher selves. This square between Uranus and Pluto, now fading, still has the power to move events along in favor of a non-standard solution to the pressing problems that beset us as a society, on the one hand, and in our individual lives on the other. This would be applicable to wherever you most feel the pinch of outmoded behaviors, and reaction patterns that are no longer suited to where you now understand yourself to be heading.

Another major factor in this New Moon configuration is the powerful presence of expansive and optimistic Jupiter, conjunct the North Node these past four weeks, also inconjunct to the new planet, Eris, and now inconjunct the degree of this New Moon. Jupiter can articulate the case for seeing progress even when we are tempted to despair of progress, and for always seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. This makes for a nice contrasting balance to prominent Saturn, also strongly present for us as we navigate the tricky and treacherous mine field of this current and rather intense month.

Because aspected by this extra-potent New Moon, and by Pluto, both Venus and Mars are currently highlighted as well, and this brings up for us the issues of relationship in the context of a difficult world situation, reflecting back upon pretty nearly every individual, as described above. As a species we are in this together, of course, all in that same small and recently quite leaky boat that we call planet Earth. We might want to ask ourselves the question of how do our connections, both romantic / physical and also collegial / partnering, affect us in what we do, and how we can stand on our own as well as in groups? It is undeniably true of course that two heads are better than one. I myself always think of that as the credits roll on a one terrific production, or another, in the filmic universe, such as the recent banking-industry hit, that also fostered an increase in consciousness regarding what we as culture are up against, The Big Short. It is very well said that it takes a village to raise a child, and this is demonstrably true as well for a hit movie.

And yet, there is the way that we also have to make our own determination as we go, independent of other voices, even those of trusted colleagues and lovers. Mars is strongly positioned in its own sign of Scorpio, and slowing down over the next few weeks as he prepares to retrograde in mid-April, while Venus is headed from Saturn into Aquarius, both of these signs being about distance rather than closeness. So although we have in these February skies a prominent impulse for connection, we have a simultaneous and paradoxically competing urge for standing alone and solitary with what we, in our depths, most deeply believe. As we explore our romantic desire for closeness, this other theme of standing alone as we make our way forward might therefore be an important part of the emerging consciousness that we each feel to be growing within us. That is, the understanding that we must be able to make it on our own in order to be fully available for a relationship with others.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon degree is one of positivity. For the Sun and Moon in the 20th degree of Aquarius, we have, "A big white dove, a message bearer." This is an obvious symbolic chime with prominent Jupiter, emblematic of peaceful resolutions that could potentially come along to obviate the crisis of current societal ills. This spiritually based archetype represents the factually unfounded and yet constantly available notion that the universe is on our side; that there is always hope for somehow producing the positive result. Marc Edmund Jones comments on, "[our] recognition of a transcendental or superior wisdom from which [we] may always receive inspiration and assurance," and "an ever-constructive attitude of mind." He also makes reference to "secret signs of divine favor for a faithful heart [inclining to] a gift for knowing when to act and what to do." Indeed it may well be so, in the midst of these fractious times, that we do need to look to the skies above us, now and then, for inspiration. When we get it, we can find within ourselves the strength to suppress our doubts regarding what we know in our hearts to be the right way to move forward, acting upon our own expanding vision of inner conviction.