The New Moon in Aquarius officially begins at 2:20AM ET, offering us an opportunity to re-set  intentions and goals for the next lunar cycle. Next week will be about planting seeds to turn your intentions into reality. Around the 17th, 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 25th, 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 March 4th, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon on March 11th.

A New Moon in Aquarius suggests a need — or an opportunity — to break free of limitations to your unique individual expression. Aquarius is an airy/mental, organizing and  humanitarian energy that seeks to be of social significance, often serving a social cause on one fringe or another. The Aquarian need for breakthroughs and/or breakouts can be shocking or at the very least, disruptive to the status quo.  How are you planning to shake things up, to break free, to express yourself without compromise during this lunar cycle?

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You see what I mean?

This New Moon occurs at 22 degrees of Aquarius, so it will be more active in your life if you were born around  the 10th of February, May, August or October…or if you have a planet at 22 degrees of Aquarius, Taurus, Leo or Scorpio. This New Moon energy suggests a spark of inspiration that aims to be helpful and liberating in a big, attention-getting way. I say this because in the chart for the New Moon, the Sun and Moon are not connected any other planets in the chart. They are isolated — which suggests to me that certainly in headlines, we are likely to see a number of declarations of independence or breakthroughs that are challenging to integrate. It would not surprise me if the most startling events involve women/the feminine/maternal. These will likely be countered by a few mind-boggling efforts to impose control.

In contrast to the isolated Sun-Moon conjunction, there are plenty of connections among the rest of the planets, suggesting a spirit of — if not cooperation — then certainly communication. A pile-up of planets in watery Pisces, challenged by expansive Jupiter in information-junkie Gemini suggests grand visions and/or delusions (take your pick) initiated with boundless energy. The major challenge to the vision is one of seemingly stubborn, fixed cost. If cuts need to be made, planetary patterns for this cycle do suggest practical solutions can be found to produce a functional Plan B, if the parties involved can be more sensitive and flexible.

For some reason, the Crosby, Stills & Nash song “Find the Cost of Freedom” has now popped into my head, demanding it be shared. So here is the original (on glorious crackling vinyl); here is a shorter, recent concert version (still glorious) and here is the backstory to the song, which was written in the aftermath of the shockingly disruptive Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the mid-60s. As regular readers know, we are just beginning a potentially more disruptive period of several years, marked by the current Uranus-Pluto square. Apply this song to themes we’ll be seeing at a national and global level during this lunar cycle.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon supports the concept of  dreams we create to embellish, cushion or cover a hard reality. For 22 Aquarius, we find “a rug placed on the floor for children to play”.  Think about it. With gratitude to Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee for pointing out that the nature of play (Latin ludere) is “to go beyond bounds of normal containment” — and that is what you are encouraged to do over the next four weeks. Test your limits — and if you can’t play for the fun of it, make it a science project (Aquarius is very tech-savvy). Perhaps your focus may be to simply embellish or cushion a space where you can comfortably play, which for me means creating a more ergonomically correct workspace so I can calculate charts and write forecasts. What about you?

You’ll have plenty of time to mull over your grand scheme for play on Sunday, as the Moon goes void-of-course at 2:20AM ET…not to enter Pisces (more dreams!) until 4:20PM ET. Do something physical while you are mulling,  especially if you were born around the 26th of February, May, August or November…or if you have a planet at 6 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces. Otherwise, a potentially bombastic connection between Mars and Jupiter may make you insufferable.

Finally, for those who are curious, here’s an explanation of the origin of the Sabian Symbols. If you are not conversant in the language of astrology, just accept the premise that in a New Moon chart, the Sabian Symbol provides a clue to the agenda for the whole cycle. I see this a lot in the headlines.  For example, last month’s symbol was “a general acknowledging defeat gracefully,” and Lance Armstrong finally admitting he doped was one of the biggest stories. Coincidence or conspiracy?

Now about those Valentine-inspired consultation specials…