the meaning of the astrology of the new moon in aries | April 1, 2022 - an important and imperfect beginning motivated by what hurts, time to start

On Friday, April 1, 2022, at 2:24AM EDT the Aries Moon meets the Aries Sun giving us this month's New Moon; our annual New Moon in Aries - kicking off the lunar year.

 

We think of Aries as the warrior/competitor, but Aries energy isn't really about winning or losing (maybe don't tell this to an Aries Sun sign, because Aries WANTS to win) - Aries is really about having the COURAGE to start that race/face the battle in the first place. Aries supports jumping in and taking action. He doesn't promise us that we will come out a winner or even come out alive (yes, he's ruled by Mars and he's totally bad-ass), but he does promise us we will have evolved from the experience. And that's what we're here for. We didn't come for the outcome, the outcome has already been decided. We all win in the end. We came for the experience. Aries knows this. 

A New Moon in Aries gives us energy, confidence, initiative, courage. It's a time to step up and be ourselves. A flame is lit (cardinal fire).     IT'S TIME TO START!

Let's unpack the chart.

The New Moon is just coming off her meeting with Mercury and sextile to Vesta. So, in the lead-up to Friday's New Moon some information comes in/a conversation happens/maybe a decision is made (this could show up as an argument, but it doesn't have to, words can also be painful with Chiron nearby). This is happening in fiery Aries, so it will likely be short and to the point/could happen quickly. 

 

This will be the START of a continuing conversation or idea and is creating an opportunity in our Aquarius house thru Vesta as we dedicate ourselves to words/choices/plans and follow-up with actions that reflect our true values/what is sacred to us. Vesta speaks of something that needs a steady focus/can keep us up at night (sometimes Vesta pulls in a home situation and actually with this Aries Moon being about physical self/maybe especially our head - Vesta/Mercury/Chiron/Mars we probably want to be a little extra careful around the house - for example watch out for - food poisoning, accidents, painful arguments, viruses, etc). The Vestal Virgins in ancient Rome were the priestesses of Goddess Vesta and charged with maintaining the sacred fire that was never allowed to go out. They were also 'virgins' meaning un-owned by men and since this sextile is Aries/Aquarius, both freedom-loving/individualistic signs, there might be something here that creates freedom through responsibility or speaks of our need to be 'un-owned' somehow. This might also speak of the opportunity coming through a group situation or, again, our responsibility to a group even as the Aries New Moon's primary focus is on ourselves.

 

With Vesta here, this New Moon feels like a chance to walk our talk with something. We say this something-or-other really, really matters to us and here is a chance to prove, via our New Moon actions/starts/situations, that it actually does. What we give our time and attention to IS what matters to us. So what are we giving our time and attention to?

The New Moon's first aspect after meeting the Sun is a conjunction to wounded healer Chiron. 

 

A health situation or a vulnerability/weakness, maybe an embarrassment, is triggered. This could be a very old fear around being able to take care of ourselves or be ourselves. With the Sun here, whatever this is will be VISIBLE. We might feel like we haven't succeeded or we blew it, that maybe we weren't brave enough or fast enough or new enough. We might be saying the words no one wants to hear or be the one hearing them. We might be dealing with a health problem.

The challenge here, and an Aries New Moon, believe me, IS UP FOR A CHALLENGE - and we all have access to this - is to allow the loss/setback/wound/fear to MOTIVATE us. 

 

Yes, we are starting from kind of an uncomfortable place/not at our strongest at this New Moon, BUT maybe that is our super-power here. The wound being, quite literally right now, the place where the light comes in (to paraphrase Rumi).

The ruler of this Aries New Moon is Mars. He is making his way though Aquarius, not his favorite sign, but high off his days in Capricorn, he is still pretty high functioning here - smart, logical, focused on the future. Mars is applying to his conjunction to Saturn/Juno. He will meet Saturn on April 5th and Juno on the 10th. 

 

(today is the day Juno makes her own square to the Nodes of Fate - a decision point/crossroad regarding a contract, relationship. Will we stay mired in the collective obsessive drama, the secrets, the death or turn a page toward something that is more solid and simple - something that is growing and that gives both parties, this is happening in Aquarius keep in mind, room to BREATHE)

In a few days, Mars will meet Saturn at 22 degrees Aquarius - this is where Jupiter stationed direct back on October 18th, and at the master number of 22. In terms of our New Moon story, this can bring a delay, road block, no, ending, reality check, report card. Seeing this coming NOW is something we can keep in mind. Here is where, most likely, our progress is blocked. 

 

Now, this is not a reason to avoid starting - we want to move through the process of whatever we are doing. But this IS a reason to take things seriously, to have patience, to think LONG-TERM. We want to be aware of this and NOT jump impulsively into something foolish, because the Aries New Moon can feel like we MUST DO IT NOW. And maybe we must do something now, but we don't have to do everything all at once or move too fast. There is alot of Pisces energy, we should be able to intuitively feel what we need to do, if we slow down a bit and breathe.

 

People ask me, with situations like these, "can't I just wait until after April 5th to start and avoid the Saturn conjunction altogether?". But, it doesn't work like this. Whatever we start in this New Moon 30 day cycle (and because this is the beginning of our new lunar year, this really applies to the next 12 months) will hit this early Saturnian wall. And this is really about our inner authority/sense of AGENCY - which we heal by stepping into - Chiron! - but often will be projected outside of ourselves and show up as real-world limits, etc. Meetings with Saturn are report card time/can also bring rewards we have EARNED.

 

This isn't something we need to fear, we just have to keep in mind we will be held accountable for what we are doing/starting.

 

At the same time they are meeting each other, Mars and Saturn are squaring the Nodes of Fate, which is a karmic cross-roads. Mars and Saturn together here is a VERY RARE THING. There are opportunities now, maybe with our back against the wall, maybe by taking baby steps, to dis-entangle ourselves from something that is no longer life-affirming. Keep in mind, Mars is the ancient ruler of Scorpio and that South Node, so whatever we are needing to turn away from will probably be quite active now. The North Node - our best path forward - in Taurus is ruled by Venus, and, as Mars is meeting Saturn and squaring the Nodes, Venus is FINALLY entering her exalted/beloved sign of Pisces just in time for our 'April miracles' - we are tilling the ground within us to receive GREAT things, even if we aren't sure what those things are yet! We will talk about our 'April miracles' in the next post!

 

We've talked about the Scorpio South Node/Taurus North Node many times, including HERE. This New Moon cycle is asking us to make a MOVE/CHOICE, because remember the next New Moon is an eclipse (also the Full Moon in two weeks), so what we do NOW and how we respond/react to what is happening, is pulled, with us, into the Eclipse spin cycle.

 

We don't want to pull in some big complicated mess that requires 37 things to go right in order to work. We want to be turning toward something NEW, stabilizing, practical.

After Mars gets past Saturn and his squares to the Nodes, he is going to meet up with Juno. Juno has already met Saturn - we sealed the deal, came to a liberating understanding - and, so, now here is where we are taking action with this. Then Mars will make some adjusting aspects, but no big aspects until he gets into Pisces. Mars is less effective in Pisces, so we want to be doing what we can do now.

 

The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon, which I rarely write, but often take into consideration, is about a "Triangle of Flying Geese". This is very Aries/Aquarius and speaks of having the courage to TRUST OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER. It also speaks of something 'taking off' and this 'taking off' moving all of us in a new direction. So, although this is an Aries New Moon which is very much about ME (meaning you/each of us!) - the moves we make, the starts we take, the energies we allow to go to waste - impact all of us in very real ways. 

 

Look to the house Mars rules in your natal chart (Aries on the cusp) for the place to START. If you want to know what area of life this is, shoot me an email with your birth-date, place and time and I will let you know.

 

In short, this Moon is about taking action/starting what YOU want AND realizing this isn't going to be perfect or totally comfortable and you are going to have to deal with some LIMITS or unusual situations, and that's OK, you need to start/move forward ANYWAY. Just keep going. This won't be perfect and never will be. That's life.

 

New Moon Affirmations 

 

This New Moon is an excellent time for energetic support to make changes with things ruled by Aries (and your natal/progressed Aries house themes) - the head (headaches, acne, eyes, brain), the overall physical self, exploration, initiative, courage, leadership, strength, stubbornness, impulsiveness, temper tantrums, anger, stress from inaction/worry - what do we need more of in our lives, what are we needing to release.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a calm, centered frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive space (meaning certain)  - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud. With a fire New Moon maybe write your affirmations on strips of paper and burn them - now release your attention from these things knowing that your intention is known.  

 

Know these things are already yours. 

 

 

xo all

today's astrology forecast | Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 - venus at the bendings

 

The Moon is finishing up in drifting/dreamy Pisces now. She meets Jupiter at 1:24PM EDT and Neptune at 5:54PM EDT. She will go void off a sextile to Pluto at 2:36AM EDT early tomorrow. Today's conjunctions will amplify/exaggerate Neptune's creative, illusive, escapist, healing qualities. 

This is also the day Venus in Aquarius reaches her square to the North and South Nodes of Fate. Something needs to change before we can move forward. This is her last BIG aspect before she FINALLY reaches her beloved/exalted Pisces on April 5th (yes, the same day Mars meets up with Saturn!).

The good news here is Venus (as us) is PAST Saturn when she reaches this square to the Nodes. So, she is no longer wedged between Mars and Saturn. Venus rules love, our relationships, money, peace, balance, beauty, our self-esteem. "At the bendings" we face a crossroad/decision point. 

 

Do we move backward/stay where we are - mired in what is complicated, focused on what is dying, third party situations, our debts, our obsessions, manipulations (trying to get someone else to do what we want them to do), our losses, what we are spending or do we find a way to make a NEW choice now. One that is focused on what is more simple, more stable, more grounded. Think about what Venus rules - and this includes your natal Taurus and Libra houses - there is a move you can make NOW to create more stable ground for something here. 

 

MORE PEACE. More balance.

Squares create friction/movement. We are uncomfortable/sometimes PUSHED to change. Venus is in Aquarius, which is smart/logical, hive-minded, so able to be unattached, but this 'un-attachment' can sometimes detach us from important things. Aquarius squares can also push us to the edge of the group, so we can figure out what WE really stand for. 

 

Taurus - our North Node - our smoothest route FORWARD - is the ultimate ATTACHMENT - fixed earth. What matters? What do we need to hold onto/cultivate? Taurus is a "me" sign (rules 2nd house of my money, my values, my self-esteem, my resources) and Aquarius is a "we" sign (rules 11th house, the goals that bring us into connection with other people) and we have a New Moon in the ultimate "me" sign of Aries on Friday. 

 

How can we take better care of ourselves/better care of our Venusian energies? 

 

This might involve saving our money vs spending our money. Putting time/energy/money into our existing resources/situations rather than seeking new/more complicated ones. Taking better care of what we already have. We are standing in Aquarius - fixed air/the group - and wanting to move into Taurus - fixed earth/my stuff - what does this mean to you and your situation? Do you need to change your thinking? Do you need to spend less time in group/online situations and more time invested in your own physical life? It's not a coincidence that Venus, after her long slog through sober Capricorn and meeting with Saturn brings us to this decision point. 

 

Taurus is a physical sign. What do we need to do?

 

Keep in mind the beautiful Pisces Moon connecting us to EVERYTHING. Portals to shift personal timelines are open. Tomorrow morning as the Moon moves from Pisces to Aries - we will surely be ready for a fresh start.

xo all

artwork by the amazing Perry Milou

Today's astrology forecast | Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 - going with the flow, signing on the dotted line, partnership agreements, commitments with some breathing room

 

 

The Moon moved into Pisces while we slept (EDT). Now we are nourished by 'going with the flow', by art and music, spirituality and prayer. Her only aspect is an opportunistic sextile to disruptive Uranus at 10:53PM EDT. Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Move with the flow of things today, expect a possible curve ball or two - not a bad thing. Uranus also pulls friends, groups and online activities into the mix.

 

This is also the day Saturn meets up with Juno (21 degrees Aquarius) EXACT. If you read the weekly you know that yesterday Venus met up with Saturn and Juno, but now here is where they conjunct each other most precisely - it's surely all part of the same thing. Deals are cemented. Commitments made. Contracts signed. Rules/boundaries decided. Rings slid onto fingers. This isn't the most romantically demonstrative arrangement, but it gets the job done/pulls us into the future. In Aquarius there needs to be some room for both people/parties to BREATH. Keep in mind though this is a still a Saturnian CONTRACT (whether made with our signature, nod or spit-sister handshake) - there will be RULES. The Moon in Pisces sextiling Aqua ruler Uranus speaks of 'spiritual contracts', very old story-lines/ancestral deeds.

We have exactly one more month with all planets full-steam ahead before the year starts kind of folding in on itself.

 

What do you need to move forward with?

xo all

artwork by the talented robrey

weekly astrology forecast | March 28th - April 3rd, 2022 - financial and relationship reality checks, changes needed before we can move forward, health news, a brave new lunar year

 

A BIG, busy week with all the inner planets active. Multiple Chiron aspects, so on a practical level, likely lots of health stuff/doctor's visits coming up for people. 

 

We start the week with a Balsamic Moon - time to tie up loose ends, rest when we can, conserve our energy (we will need it next week!). The New Moon on Friday will be pushing us to START, but with Saturn straight ahead of us next week, it will be best to proceed with a bit of caution. Yes, we want to be initiating/taking action/setting goals/making plans, but we also need to see that REALITY CHECK dead straight ahead.

 

And, speaking of reality checks we have one this week, too, in terms of what we can afford. 

 

Can we afford to buy this/pay this? Can we afford not to? Can we afford to stay in this relationship/group? Can we afford to leave? 

 

 With Venus meeting Saturn on Monday, these things are already in play.

 

MONDAY - Venus conjuncts Saturn and Juno, Neptune sextiles North Node

WEDNESDAY - Venus squares North Node

FRIDAY - New Moon in Aries, Sun conjunct Chiron

SATURDAY - Mercury conjunct Chiron, Sun conjunct Mercury

On MONDAY - Venus, at 21 degrees Aquarius meets Juno and Saturn while Neptune, at 23 degrees Pisces sextiles the North Node in Taurus and trines the South Node

 

The Venus/Juno/Saturn speaks of relationship commitments. Signing on the dotted line. Formalizing things. This isn't about losing ourselves here because in Aquarius, one plus one definitely makes two. This also speaks of the limits/rules we have to abide by to be part of a group situation. Is a bad deal better than no deal? Well, that's up to us (and this may not be a bad deal). This transit is good for a Venusian person to find a mentor, a Saturnian person to find a muse. For May/December relationships although this could be more about friendship or our goals than romance, although romances will be serious stuff.

(Juno was Ukraine in our Goddess Wars and Saturn was Russia in the invasion chart and here comes Venus - peace/balance/cooperation - prayers they can detach from their egos and iron something out with this)

 

Venus has been on the road to Saturn for months and, was answering to Saturn for months in Capricorn. We can't say we weren't warned! Financial road blocks/stop signs/reality checks. Saturn can show us where we don't have enough. Bring up old, ancestral survival fears. We might be feeling lonely within detached relationships or group situations or maybe like we have to earn love. This is a time for balancing what we need and what we have or what we need and what we want. Sometimes Venus/Saturn contacts can just makes us feel old or show us where we need to set firm boundaries/limits. Are we making too many compromises to stay safe, driven by fear of what we want to avoid, and not by what we actually want? What happens with this conjunction is going to depend on what we have changed/worked through with our financial situation and/or relationships since November when Venus first went into Capricorn and started answering to Saturn. If, we have made adjustments, necessary changes and/or figured out what we can live with, this conjunction now doesn't have to be a challenging thing. Venus and Saturn are old friends, can make this one work. If this does show up as a big thing (bill that can't be paid, sacrificial relationship, etc), that square to the Nodes tomorrow, tells us we have to make a CHANGE. 

 

At the same time Neptune sextiling/trining the Nodes speaks of an easy release/drifting away from what is no longer needed or a slippery slide into the past/our current stuck-ness. Watch for too much nostalgia, incapacitating compassion/sacrifice, old addictions, compulsions, obsessions that sneak back in because they are just too damn familiar. To use the North Node sextile we have to be more conscious - this is an opportunistic move toward something more healthy, stable, NEW. Keep in mind Venus RULES the North Node, so this is probably all part of the same thing as the Venus/Juno/Saturn. Lean into Taurus - the NEW small/slow growth, gratitude, patience, making things more beautiful/comfortable/simple. The earth signs are telling us to be practical AND Neptune in Pisces pulls in our dreams, our ancestral benefits/gifts.

On WEDNESDAY - Venus, at 23 degrees Aquarius, squares the Nodes of Fate

Tension/frustration - a need to change/adjust. A crossroad/decision point. Relationship, financial, self-esteem, values issues - we are confronted by what isn't working/where the numbers don't add up. This is all part of yesterday's Venus/Saturn reality check. With the South Node in Scorpio we want to be releasing power struggles, debt, complicated third party situations. Something needs to change before we can move forward into something more simple, sustaining. Where is the NEW growth? Maybe here is where a change is FORCED and we are reacting. Something needs to change before we can get past this. Often it is our mindset. Maybe it is a situation/relationship. Squares motivate action - what are we going to do about this? Keep in mind, Venus RULES the North Node, so the square's tension is lessened as we move toward that Taurus house/theme.

 

On FRIDAY - the Moon meets the Sun, giving us this month's New Moon; our annual New Moon in Aries kicking off a new lunar year. The Sun/Moon meet Chiron.

 

Here is a new start, time to be brave. There is alot of exhausting/illusive energy out there, and we really need this New Moon to FOCUS us in on one new thing. This new start may come on the heels of some painful news, but will also bring healing as we take action. Keep in mind, this is Aries, so we are probably needing to take initiative here/do it ourselves. Note - the ruler of this Moon, Mars, is on a collision course with Saturn next week, so we will need to be practical, whatever is starting will need patience/hard work and we can run things into a ditch or a brick wall if we rush into something too fast and too hard. That Saturn up ahead can also speak of following rules, limits, pulling in an older person/expert. We are starting a new journey and Aries pushes the gas pedal, but we can see that policeman in the distance with his flashing lights and ticket book. Forewarned is forearmed. The Aries New Moon launches the New Lunar Year, so we can see we have some hurting, some healing, some starts and stops ahead of us. AND I am sure there will be much more to see when we unpack this chart. This will have its own BIG post later in the week and there is a bit more about it in the monthly HERE. See April 1st.

 

On SATURDAY - Mercury, at 12 degrees Aries meets up with Chiron while the Sun, at 13 degrees Aries meets Mercury 

Words/conversation/information is sharp, pointed, maybe PAINFUL. We could be embarrassed/made to feel vulnerable. Health news comes in and we know what to do with it. This can be a good time to speak up about what hurts. The pain doesn't disappear when we give it a voice because Chironic wounds are old/ancestral and are not 'poof' gone, BUT dealing with them/sometimes learning to live with them and forgiving ourselves can help heal very old situations (we are doing nothing less than healing the wounded masculine here - there is a reason Chiron spends more time in Aries than any other sign). The good news with Aries is whatever this is, even with the spotlight on the situation, the world/life can move on quickly. Health situations can get fast answers. At the same time, and this is likely all part of the same thing, the Sun meets up with Mercury. So Mercury meets Chiron and then is illuminated by the Sun/blown out. This is information/a conversation coming to light, takes us back to late January, so something from then is culminating now. Pay attention, although with Chiron this isn't something we are likely to miss .... healing very old wounds is what this April is made for. Chin up, we've got this thing.

We can see this week looks somewhat challenging and most of the aspects are repeating the same themes. Luckily the Moons look pretty good until we get to a Pluto square on Saturday (power struggle, hard choice, difficult ending). We still have alot of Pisces - will need extra sleep, ways to relax, but this additional fire/Aries will keep us from dreaming our days away/feeling the collective pain too strongly and also fire us up to DO something with those dreams/pull our energy back to ourselves. There is alot of Aquarius energy, too, now, so a focus on the future, group situations, a need to take care of our nervous system and the multiple planets in Aries will help us initiate/be sharp/give us more energy, but also make everyone more easy to anger and more likely to act impulsively - so stay frosty. 

 

Channel the Aqua chill as needed.

xo all

artwork by the amazing Rick Beerhorst

the astrology of april 2022 | part I - the month that changes everything, plus Ukraine/Russia updates

 

 

I am going to quickly run through the month and then break things down below in the 'unpacking' section below. The rest of 2022 is, in many ways, spent responding to the events of January - April.

We begin April with a New Moon (11 Aries) on April 1st. Launching a new lunar year on the first day of the month sounds promising, although this is April Fool's Day, so not sure how we will factor that into our thinking. Hopefully this isn't like the whole hindsight is 2020 thing :) This Moon is about STARTING, being brave, having initiative and beginner's mind. The flame is lit. Keep in mind the ruler of this New Moon, Mars, is on a collision course with Saturn, so big impulsive moves are probably not a good idea just yet. I break this down below and will again in much more detail in its own post later this week!

This Moon is ruled by Mars, who is applying to his conjunction with sober Saturn on April 4th-6th, this is this month's DANGER WILL ROBINSON aspect, at powerful 22 degrees Aquarius. This is EXACTLY squaring the North and South Nodes of Fate in Taurus/Scorpio. Astrologers call this being 'in the bends'. Choice point/crossroads time. Tension/frustration. Evolutionary astrologers see squares to the Nodes as previous skipped steps that cannot be avoided now. Something is happening that MUST be considered to bring this time period into balance and before we can move forward. You might remember when I did the original Ukraine invasion chart this is when I was hoping this thing would be wrapped up because there is something here that sets our course/no turning back. Saturn 'at the bends' is also us/the structures of the world desperately trying to hold onto something that is gone. Mars and Saturn start a hyped up/cyber focused two year cycle now. In our own lives Mars/Saturn can bring a stop sign/road block. We might hear a "no" or have to say one. We might have to take on a new responsibility. This energy is accident prone/can be dangerous and Aquarius rules tech, groups, group think, plus your Aqua natal house, so you want to be cautious in these situations. Avoid impulsivity. This is like a limit placed on our action/passion/anger and, so, can be explosive. The good news on April 6th - Venus enters Pisces, the sign of her exaltation! I am still hopeful this time period can bring Mars (the war) to at least a ceasefire (stop/Saturn). Once we get past this point we are depending on prayers - the Jupiter/Neptune - (which are very, very powerful and we can't discount them).

By the middle of the month we are moving into the year's BIG aspect, the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in Pisces, April 12th-13th, but really in play all month. There are an unlimited number of ways this one can play out. Let's make some word salads - big compassion, endless possibilities, unbridled enthusiasm, protecting victims, an abundance of refugees, luck comes out of nowhere, God, spiritual connection, what our ancestors lost we now gain, off the charts intuition, addictions get bigger, dreams get bigger, mass delusion, big lies. This might expand (Jupiter) the virus (Neptune/Pisces) somewhere, but is just as likely to increase freedoms.

By the middle of the month, Mars is swimming in Pisces, too. It's like we are pushing against water, which has a tendency to run off in unintended directions and even come back at us. The Full Moon in Libra on the 16th has us seeking balance, partnership, peace. The Moon is making a gazillion aspects for us to unpack including a square to Pluto, while ruler Venus sextiles Uranus (change is good). The middle of the month looks dicey with the Sun squaring Pluto - power plays/'before and after' kinds of crisis/tension transformational situations and Mercury meeting Uranus for sudden/chaotic news/change of plans/financial changes. Then the end of the month Pluto stations retrograde (the death postponed, we are re-thinking the massive 2022 transformations) Venus meets Neptune and finally Jupiter, which is dreamy/all's well that end's well kind of energy, and on the LAST DAY OF THE MONTH - we move into the Eclipse spin cycle with a Solar Eclipse in Taurus - a super-charged new beginning and conjunct change-maker Uranus. Solar Eclipses can bring the 'the king is dead/long live the king', kind of energetic. Eclipses also work backward and might have brought big changes to us at the end of February or end of March, too. You know we will be talking about this!

 

If ever there was a year for April showers to bring May flowers - it is this one. We begin the month with a meeting of our two malevolent planets and end the month with a meeting of the two most benevolent. We know better days are coming ... BECAUSE THEY ARE! All the inner planets change signs this month, Eclipse season begins, we have massive conjunctions and squares - it seems that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

 

Let's unpack the beginning of the month:

 

APRIL 1ST - April begins with a New Moon in Aries on April 1st to launch the month and the new Lunar Year. Aries New Moons require initiative, beginner's mind, STARTING.

 

The Moon meets the Sun at 11 degrees Aries. They are sandwiched between Mercury and Chiron, so we might be dealing with some tough news or about to be (could be just new information coming in). Chiron is back where he was early last summer, so there could be a connection to what is starting now or what results we are seeing now to something that was hurtful/healing THEN.

 

The New Moon in Aries is answering to Mars who, at 18 degrees Aquarius is applying/approaching his meeting with Saturn who has been settled into 22 degrees Aqua (master number and inconjunct the HOT 22 Cappy, so hot itself) for a few weeks. 

 

Saturn is like the dad, waiting up for his son and pacing the living-room, with things for junior growing more precarious by the hour (not that father bites and is going to eat him, but Saturn being Saturn you never know, it's not outside of the realms of possibility here). All of us are junior with this impending sense of ... what's the word for something that's been building for a long time and we don't want to face it? Well, I won't write the "D" word because words are powerful and we haven't even finished March yet, but we might be feeling something like this. 

 

There could be a reality-check/limit. We might have to deal with a "no".

 

Jupiter's approach to foggy Neptune at the same time should provide us with just enough hope/optimism (or maybe this is anesthetic, depends on what we are dealing with, and maybe doesn't really matter right now) to get us through this one. Maybe the "new" is launched from the "no".

 

Venus is past Saturn by now, so we have somehow maneuvered the finance/relationship/values/self-esteem road-block or reality-check or the new start is connected to our DEALING with it. Mars in Aquarius, who rules the show and the lunar year ahead, and at first glance is making only pretty awful aspects (ugh), IS, when we add in the powerful asteroids, making a smooth sextile (opportunity) to his sister Pallas in Aries. So, Mars in Aqua gets back to his own power/sign/Aries through Pallas - the important thing here is, no matter the challenges ahead - WE HAVE A PLAN (and maybe a sister? Or someone like a sister?). At least, since Pallas is said to have sprung fully formed from her father's head - WE HAVE AN IDEA. 

(Since we've pulled in Pallas to help our Mars, let's see what the other Goddesses are up to and what this might say about Ukraine/Russia since all the Goddesses have chosen sides, through their amazingly tight conjunctions at the birth of all the central players. Except, of course, wise Pallas, which is probably why she can be so helpful now. And Eris, although she is leaning toward Zelenskyy here. 

 

Saturn is tightly conjunct Juno (Ukraine), the extreme pressure on them, the kind that makes diamonds as well as rubble, so maybe also their stepping into their own authority or the need to have/the earning of their own authority/agency. Remember Russia's first bombing in late February was also Ukraine's first fight for their FREEDOM to exist as a sovereign nation and came just as Pluto returned to the U.S. Declaration of Independence (liberation!) degree. The New Moon is creating an opportunistic sextile with Ceres (Russia). Although this is rapidly unwinding and we'll remember Ceres also rules complicated compromises. Vesta (Putin) is also sextiling the New Moon and this one is applying, so new plans/new moves in the works from him. Venus (Zelenskyy) is PAST Saturn, so has earned his stripes, so to speak, hopefully this says he is past the mortal damage to his physical body. Venus is sextiling Eris so maybe Zelenskyy is using some terrorist tactics of his own now or threatening to pull something out of the shadows and into the light. Venus (Zelenskyy) is sextiling Black Moon Lilith (Putin), so there is an open channel here. It is applying and stunningly exact on April 4th/5th. The portal opens, they connect, then Lilith pulls ahead, then Venus catches up and they meet again, this is all within hours and at the very end of Aquarius/Gemini (mental, smart, cyber, detached), then Venus PASSES the sextile with Lilith, moves into Pisces while BML hangs out at 29 degrees Gemini until mid-May when she moves into Leo. Remember in our original war chart for the first bombing, Saturn was Russia and the Moon/Jupiter was Ukraine. Both planets, Saturn and Jupiter, strong, in signs they once ruled. Traditional thinking would say Saturn beats Jupiter, but as we approach the first meeting of Jupiter with Neptune in Pisces since 1856 when Russia signed a peace treaty in a war they lost - called the Treaty of Paris, not coincidentally the same name as the peace treaty that officially ended the American Revolutionary War which Pluto and Neptune are currently re-visiting! - things are not so cut and dried. Whatever happens, early April looks quite dicey, and the whole month opportunistic for a change of direction.)

Whatever begins at this Aries New Moon is very important. We need to be brave. This is our last New Moon with all the planets direct.

April 2nd - the Sun meets Mercury at 13 degrees Aries. New information, conversations. Information is illuminated/brought to light. Communications can be sharp/pointed/fast. Words can be impulsive/unfiltered. This is all part of the New Moon story. This aspect takes us back to late January, maybe brings results from what was discussed/decided/what was happening then.

APRIL 4TH-5TH - DANGER ZONE - our actions (Mars) meet limits/new rules (Saturn). Our will is frustrated. We have two malevolent planets, Mars and Saturn, meeting at master number 22 (Aquarius) while squaring the Nodes of Fate. 

 

This is very constructive, powerful energy, but can be explosive/dangerous. Here is a stop sign/road block/no. Again this is part of the New Moon story. Sometimes Mars/Saturn can make us angry or resentful - it will be important to calm down and just focus on what we can do and not what we can't. Patience/discipline is required. New responsibilities can come in. Cut corners will found to be lacking and shortcuts will backfire. Mars/Saturn are linked to recklessness/violence and a tendency toward accidents. But like all Saturnian aspects the opportunity is offered to develop more significant values and greater understanding, and, in higher-mind Aquarius to group consciousness.

With the Nodes of Fate at 22 degrees Taurus/Scorpio, this is a gnarly T-Square pointed at Saturn. Squares to the Nodes are fated/skipped steps - require an adjustment as old as time itself. Are we moving backward - which is always more comfortable and not because it is better but because it is familiar or are we moving FORWARD toward something ELSE. We want to be directing our sails toward Taurus - something more grounded, stable, simple, our Taurus house theme. We want to be releasing the Scorpio compulsions, complicated drama, third party situations, any over-focus on our Scorpio house theme - see the Nodes post HERE. 

Saturn 'at the bends' from future-focused Aquarius and squaring the Pluto ruled Scorpio South Node also speaks of the crumbling patriarchy. Mars, the healing of the wounded masculine, and keep in mind Mars is the ancient ruler of Scorpio, and the square to our North Node in Taurus, the rising of the divine feminine.

(this is happening exact on Ukraine's natal Moon - the people - on Zelenskyy's mid-heaven and Putin's IC/North Node ie home/roots/fate - if his birthtime is accurate - and sandwiched between Biden's progressed Sun and Ascendant and exactly inconjunct the U.S. Neptune and on the IC for a chart cast for Washington DC, also exact on my own IC, oh my. 

 

To me this looks like Putin - with that IC/North Node in his 4th house, is doing something protective/defensive or retaliatory/maybe hidden, but also can be aggressive and Zelenskyy, probably along with allies doing something public and ambitious/aggressive. Both charts' finances/resources are very much activated here. This is an incredibly INTENSE time and taking a very heavy toll on the people of Ukraine - that 22 Aqua Moon in the Ukraine chart. In Russia's chart this is happening on the natal Uranus of both the 1917 Russian revolution and their 1999 chart, so chaos for the people there, too. :(

APRIL 7TH - Mercury, at 22 Aries, sextiles Saturn in Aquarius. New/passionate language, fresh ideas and information is stabilizing/creates structure. Good for commerce. Even a fast argument is helpful/grounding. Now we are working with the new rules. Able to see any new ideas in a more clear-headed, maybe less attached, way (the 'ideas' of many people are actually opinions rather than ideas). There are opportunities now to be blending the new and the traditional, the individual with the group. Both the smooth and challenging Saturn aspects this month, surrounded by all the Jupiter/Neptune, is a good thing - an insistence of life that we not lose ourselves in the ethereal realms/drift away, that we require ourselves to keep our feet on the ground/stay responsibly human/keep pinning the experience to the wall - as a teacher of mine used to say.

APRIL 8TH - Jupiter, at 23 Pisces, is sextiling the North Node (trining the South) while Mercury, at 25 degrees Aries is sextiling (opportunity) Mars in Aquarius.

 

Confident and lucky Jupiter creates a portal with the North Node of Fate - our best way forward. We are going to have to stretch a bit for this one/take a risk. At the same time our words and actions are working together. Good news can come in. Make/take the call. Take action with what you hear. Do you feel lucky?

APRIL 10TH - Mercury, at 28 degrees Aries (damn he is flying!) squares Pluto in Capricorn. Tension/frustration. Secrets come out. Conversations can be scary/feel like 'life and death'. Our focus narrows. This might also speak of power plays/manipulations. Later this same day, Mercury moves into Taurus, so our words/conversations may turn to our finances, resources, stability. We are thinking about and talking about what really matters/what we value/what we need. 

 

In Part II we will cover the rest of the month.

Hope something here is helpful. Back tomorrow with next week!

 

xo all 

artwork by the talented cecile pardigon

Today's astrology forecast | Friday, March 25th, 2022 - hitting a limit, coming up against the rules, how can we make this new thing better by applying some structure/tradition

 

 

The Moon is in sober and winter-ruled Capricorn now - we are nurtured by rules and boundaries and how many cans of peas we have lined up in our cupboard. Her only aspect today is her square to the Aries Sun at 1:37AM EDT. 

The square is this month's  Third Quarter Square - a chance to make an adjustment (usually via tension/frustration) before next week's New Moon in Aries. This is the old/traditional vs the new/untested. How would it pay off for us to bring more structure/boundaries/rules into a project or situation? Might we need the support of someone older or wiser now? Are we shirking responsibilities we need to step into in order for something to grow?

Cappy squares sometimes pull in blocks via rules, limits, authority. How we can't do it begins to define what we are doing. 

 

This isn't a bad thing, although it can show up as a problem, but an important/strengthening part of the process. 

 

Remember Mars, ruler of Aries, wakes up every morning wanting to be a Capricorn! Because here is where Mars, instead of doing something once, does it EVERY SINGLE TIME. Aries/Capricorn squares are not times to toss in the towel, BUT, the Third Quarter Square is asking us to take a breath - remember Mars is in smart/unattached Aquarius now - and consider what grown-up limits/structure is NEEDED.

Tomorrow, the Moon will finish up in Cappy, moving through lots of smooth aspects, and, for the first time in many months NOT close out her time in Cappy, where the Moon doesn't want to be anyway, with a conjunction with Pluto. With Mercury at the very end of Pisces, the Moon's final aspect in Cappy will be a sextile to him/her. Cappy/Pisces - making the dream real, sometimes a sacrifice needed, we need to give up this to have that, you've heard this from me before, yada-yada. The Moon will still meet Pluto tomorrow night, but at least she has a nice conversation/information coming in to finalize things. We can iron out any power struggles before bed via compassion/forgiveness/a softening. Maybe a late night movie that shifts the mood.

On Sunday, the Moon will be in Aquarius making nice with the Aries Sun (freedom/fresh starts) and squaring ruler Uranus - more getting comfortable with 'change' via not taking things too personally, seeing the big picture/maybe the group's point of view - make back-up plans.

xo all

back with a post, for at least early April, tonight or Saturday - April has our BIGGEST aspect of the year and kicks off Eclipse season!

artwork by the talented anoratheirin