Aloooooo-ha!

By the time you read this, the Moon will have completed a loonnng void-of-course drift through dreamy Pisces and blasted into RAMbunctious Aries at 9:54PM ET, putting an energetic spin on your Saturday night plans. Not that there’s any place in particular to go, however, given that the Moon is still “dead” until Sunday, when a new cycle begins.

The New Moon in Aries happens at 2:45PM 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 7th, 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 15th, 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 22nd, we can review our achievements, tie up loose ends and get ready to begin another New Moon cycle on  April 29th.

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 him back. After all, tomorrow is another day”. To Aries, there is always a tomorrow.

At its worst, well…let’s just say Aries can be utterly self-absorbed and go to disturbing extremes in order to get there FIRST. Astrologer Rick Levine likes to say the Aries operating principle is, “Ready…Fire…Aim!” Wherever, whatever…so long as something gets started. I like to say that Aries falls down stairs because it is faster than walking. You got a problem with that?

This New Moon kicks off several weeks of volatile planetary patterns, which does not mean you should run screaming down the halls. Yes, there will be disruptions of the status quo and reckless behavior. But there will also be breakthroughs sure to excite, awe and in some cases, emancipate and empower.  If you are personally affected by this lunation i.e., have a planet or angle around 8 to 14 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, a shake-up may be an opportunity for a much-needed fresh start.

This New Moon features the Sun and Moon together at 9 degrees of Aries, about to hook up with rebel Uranus. It is a fiercely independent and potentially eccentric alignment. This gathering of planets sits in a T-square formation — between expansive Jupiter and potent Pluto. Add a ton of optimism (Jupiter) and resources (Pluto) to the mix. The Uranus-Jupiter-Pluto T-square has dominated the sky all year; in the news we can expect more of the same in matters of energy, power, food, money: who has it; who doesn’t — again with the potential for breakthrough revelations.

Visionary thinking is also a big part of the next four weeks, as dreamy Neptune and mental Mercury are both running wild in empathic Pisces. Check out this item about a “Festival of Colors” making it to the homepage of the New York Times (link to the original story with pictures is here). Far out!

The big challenge for initiatives made during this cycle is suggested by Mars, ruler of Aries, currently retrograde. This suggests impatience and/or frustration,  and rash actions taken as a result. A retrograde Mars is excellent for planning strategy; not so great for instigating a conflict — including lawsuits and wars.

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is “a man teaching new forms for old symbols,” which is ever-so-hopeful in this time of anticipated volatility, don’t you think? Sabian Symbol guru Blaine Bovee suggests we apply it with a mind to “the ingenious ability to make the unworkable work again; to make the unmanageable manageable” or otherwise reinventing the wheel. If you’re stumped, start by going shopping in your closet. Create something fabulous and fresh with pieces you’ve owned for years. Then take your old computer hard drives, mix them with a dozen eggshells and this morning’s coffee grounds, and turn it all into a solar panel. I really believe we have the creative genius to figure this all out…

Note the potential for volatility between 5:08PM ET and 8:46PM ET, as the Moon makes its weekly contact with Jupiter, Uranus and then Pluto. Aries Moon: me-me-me first action!  Jupiter: ooh! go for it! Uranus: surprise! Pluto: power play or catharsis, for better or worse. Be mindful if you are on the roads…or walking on a road, as the potential for accidents is higher than usual. Same mindfulness is advised if you are working with knives or any other form of steel.

No sleeping in on Monday…there are very few breaks in the action this week…

April is going to be a power-packed month! A powerful New Moon sets the tone on March 30th. Then, the Sun and Mercury make contact with the Uranus-Pluto square. But wait, there’s more! Two eclipses, bracketing the fifth of the seven exact Uranus-Pluto squares in a rare Cardinal Grand Cross formation. How will your horoscope be affected? Book a personal astro-logical consultation and plan a strategy for now and the rest of the year.