TGIF!
The New Moon in Aries officially began at 4:50 AM ET, offering us an opportunity to re-set intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Make a list, light a candle, say a prayer. Around April 12th, on the First Quarter Moon, we can expect a challenge to those goals, with appropriate adjustments made. At the time of the Full Moon on the 19th, we can expect illumination on the success or failure of our goals for the cycle. If we succeeded, we can consciously release our success into our reality; if we failed, we let go of whatever did not work. After the Third Quarter Moon on the 26, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon cycle on May 5th.
A New Moon in Aries suggests a need — or an opportunity — to be a courageous, inspiring pioneer and/or warrior, preferably on the side of the angels. At its best, Aries is a champion for the weak, the vulnerable, the underdog. It inspires people to take initiatives and defy the odds…yes, sometimes foolishly, but hey — if Plan A blows up, there’s always a Plan B, a Plan C and D. A true Aries never never never gives up. Astrologer Linda Goodman once wrote that Gone With the Wind heroine Scarlett O’Hara was a classic Aries, and never more so than at the end of the film when, after Rhett Butler dumps her and life is totally over, Scarlett declares, “I’ll think of some way to get back…tomorrow is another day.”
What I wrote on Monday about general patterns for today applies to the overall patterns for the New Moon. After the drunken fog of Mercury with Neptune — a.k.a. that surrealistic pillow that drove the action of the past several weeks — we see a potential path to sobriety as Mercury makes a cooperative connection (a sextile) to Saturn. Another argument for a reality check or a big April shower on someone’s parade, followed by a power play or catharsis: the Sun and Moon square Saturn and Pluto. Not only that, but in between those tough connections patriarchal heavyweights Saturn and Pluto, the Sun and Moon will square the nodal axis, a.k.a. the North and South Node, a.k.a. the Dragon’s Tail and the Dragon’s Head, a.k.a. the Bendings. Isn’t it just wonderful how astrology can have so many names for one particular pattern? And you wonder why people have trouble learning to speak this rich and sophisticated language.
Anyway, here’s the Wikipedia 411 on the lunar nodes. In a horoscope, the North Node is considered to be a point of potential growth; the South Node is a point of potential toxic release and destruction. Right now the South Node is between Saturn and Pluto, suggesting a toxic and/or destructive release in matters referring to authoritarian heavyweights in corporate power. With the fiery Aries New Moon in an increasingly tense relationship (square) with Saturn and Pluto, caution is advised this month — and may be required — when acting on the usual Aries need to charge ahead. With the Sun and Moon square the Bendings/lunar nodes, it’s as if all of the Aries proactive energy is between a rock and a hard place — maybe even Scylla and Charybdis. After the squeezes and power plays next week suggests, leaders may be in for a shock in the wake of the Full Moon, when rebel Uranus gets involved.
Is there a soft spot in the chart for the New Moon? Sure. Venus is in Pisces, offering an opportunity for compassion and forgiveness. Venus meets up with Neptune on a power-packed April 10th, adding sublime inspiration for artists and spiritual types (it’ll be interesting to see what financial news makes headlines that day). You are more personally affected by potentially divine inspiration if you have a planet around 17 degrees of Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius or Virgo.
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon in Aries is “brownies dancing in the setting sun.” Sabian Symbol Sage Blain Bovee points out that this is an image of benevolent entities celebrating at the end of the day. Human may be preparing to rest, but these nature spirits are just getting started. It is an image of repair and healing — and of letting the powers of nature do what needs to be done to clear out what is rotten, so that new growth can occur. It’s a signal that after the intense forward motion of January and February — and March, too (with the exception of Mercury retrograde), we are entering a stretch where we need to turn in. We have five more days with all planets direct in motion. That changes on April 10th, when Jupiter, planet of expansion, turns retrograde. Pluto turns retrograde on April 24th, followed by Saturn on April 29th. It will take until October — when these three planets will be direct again — for us to have a clear picture of how the seeds planted in early 2019 have taken root.
This New Moon happens at 15 degrees of Aries. Wherever that degree falls in your personal horoscope is where you may feel a push to start something new. If you have a planet or angle at 15 Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, issues that were triggered for you in January are likely to be triggered again. Consult your local astrologer for details.
Meanwhile, remember that the Aries Moon goes void at 10:15 PM ET tonight. Chill through the long rest and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Moon enters Taurus at 9:06 AM ET on SATURDAY. You are free to shop this weekend for all things practical and comforting. The Taurus Moon goes void on MONDAY at 4:28 AM ET for the next twelve hours. There’s your excuse for the flakes and twists that may disrupt your efforts to move forward in a straight line. It’s going to be a busy week.
And now, the news.
As noted here on March 19th, the Mueller Report was due for a Mercury Direct revision on April 2nd. Posted April 3rd: “Some on Mueller’s Team Say Report Was More Damaging Than Barr Revealed.” When Attorney General William Barr ignored Congress’s request for the full report by April 2nd, the House issued a subpoena — here’s Stephen Colbert with the latest. Meanwhile, Barr is saying that he’ll deliver some version of the Mueller Report in “mid-April,” about when Mercury will be back at the Aries Point, which makes perfect sense if you’re tracking the flow of events in sync with planetary cycles.
Stories reflecting the toxic release and clean-up of Mercury direct conjunct Neptune, with Pluto conjunct the South Node in Capricorn:
- “North Carolina GOP Chairman & Others Indicted on Bribery, Fraud Charges”
- “Duke Whistleblower Gets $33 Million in Research Fraud Settlement”
- “White House whistleblower Tricia Newbold reveals extent of our broken security clearance process”
- Chinese woman carrying thumbdrives with malware arrested at Mar-a-Lago
- “Supreme Court Affirms Capital Punishment Despite Risk of Pain”
- “Texas Seeks to Deny All Inmates Access to Clergy at Execution Rather Than Accommodate a Buddhist” (note that on the potentially benevolent Sun-Jupiter square on March 13th, California simply suspended the death penalty, true to the pioneering potential seen in California’s horoscope)
- “After hundreds of crashes, this Britax baby stroller faced recall. Then Trump appointees stepped in.”
Meanwhile, in Japan…
Choosing a day with Moon, Mercury and Neptune conjunct in Pisces — barely recovering from Mercury being retrograde — may not have been the best date for Japan to announce the official name of the era that will begin when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes Emperor on May 1.
From Reuters, “The first character, “rei,” is often used to mean “command” or “order,” imparting an authoritarian nuance that offends some. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government prefer “good” or “beautiful”, a less widely known sense.” Yeah, well, PM Abe may prefer the “less widely known sense,” but with Mercury conjunct Neptune and Saturn, Pluto and the South Node conjunct in Capricorn, there’s a strong case for “authoritarian nuance,” albeit presented in shades of cherry blossom pink and rose. Coincidence or conspiracy?
In other news…
Joe Biden has become the poster child for Things That Are Disrupted When Uranus is in Taurus. Rumors are that he has been mulling a presidential campaign and until this week, he was definitely the preferred candidate, as reported by people who make a living taking polls. I looked at his horoscope a couple of months ago and noted that March looked like an extremely heavy and disruptive month. The heaviness reflected a grievous pattern between the Sun and cold, cruel Saturn; the disruption was suggested by the last of three hits from shocking Uranus to….Mr. Biden’s Moon at 0 degrees of Taurus. Not only that, but transiting Mars in late Taurus opposed his Scorpio Sun, Venus (his social expression) and his Sagittarius Ascendant, meeting up with Uranus in early Gemini — all within the last ten days. We see the potential for a shocking attack, and that’s exactly what happened. Several women have come forward to assert that his mode of social expression made them feel uncomfortable. What kind of social expression? The kind you might expect from someone born with Moon in Taurus!
Moon in Taurus needs to establish and maintain material comfort and security. The keywords for Taurus are I HAVE. Moon in Taurus people are more likely than others to be tactile. Famous people with Moon in Taurus include: William Shatner, Adam Driver, Debra Messing, Mick Jagger, Meryl Streep. Of all the signs in the zodiac, I’d say Taurus is born to hug, followed by Cancer. Amma — the Hugging Saint — has Moon in Taurus — and I can personally attest to comforting power of her healing embrace. And there are plenty of people who vouch for Joe Biden’s touchy-feely approach, finding comfort in his warmth and compassion. But some people — perhaps with a heavy dose of Air Signs or other patterns suggesting a need for physical space (or who may have some Other Agenda) — are now coming forward to say his social expression made them feel uncomfortable. Unable to appreciate a warm and fuzzy Taurus Moon, perhaps what they experienced was another pattern in Biden’s horoscope (natal Uranus opposing a Sagittarius Ascendant), suggesting that Mr. Biden can also be a disruptive force in one-on-one connections. Not to mention that his Sag Ascendant needs to been seen as optimistic and enthusiastic, though it may also be seen as an outspoken, rough-around-the-edges, boundary-pushing force of nature.
Given what is going on in his horoscope right now, Joe Biden was due for a sobering shock. And on a collective level, this is one of the exercises we are being given, courtesy of Uranus (shock) in Taurus (material comfort and security; physical touch). Those hugs that were once a secure expression of comfort and non-sexual caring affection? Not so secure anymore. We will probably have to wait eight years — when Chiron enters Taurus — for us to put back together our sense of material comfort and security that is likely to be shattered as Uranus continues in Taurus.
Are you up for a shock to your status quo? How about a warm and fuzzy hug? It’s right there in your horoscope. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.
Thank you for reading this forecast.