Aries New Moon - 24 March 2020

Exact at 9.28am GMT

I apologise in advance for the length of this post, but there is so much going on right now, and it all feels very important!

This is the first New Moon of the astrological new year, as the Sun and Moon are now in Aries, the very first sign of the zodiac. This the ultimate New Moon, a time of new beginning, symbolising the start of a new chapter of development. It certainly feels as if this is the beginning of something big, as we are very much in uncharted territory, in a place we have never been before, facing challenges that we couldn’t have even imagined up a few months ago. There is a sense of this being the beginning of a new world, with all the uncertainty, curiosity and fear that comes along with facing something that we have never come across before.

Aries is the trailblazer, the pioneer that is brave enough to venture into places others may shy away from in terror. This is an impulsive sign that isn’t afraid to start things, although the follow through can sometimes leave something to be desired!  Aries is a sign that struggles with anger on one level or another and can be quite aggressive. Ares is the Greek God of War, representing the violent and untamed aspect of war. Pallas Athene, on the other hand, represents miltary strategy and generalship and, interestingly enough, she is currently in Capricorn, the sign representing, government, society, authority and power structures. Not only that, but she is in exactly the same degree of Capricorn as the Saturn Pluto conjunction of 11 January, which many awaited with curiosity and dread because Pluto represents power and transformation while Saturn represents control, karma and authority. A powerful blend of planetary energy! Both planets represent endings and a death of sorts, and in Capricorn it seems that we could indeed be about to experience the collapse of society as we know it. We, as a civilisation, are currently reaping what we have sown.

Pluto has slowly but surely been exposing the rot within our governing structures since moving into Capricorn in 2008 (which, interestingly enough coincided with the a global economic crash), and has been slowly but surely making us all too aware of just how dark the obsession with greed and power can and has become. Pluto is the planet of death and rebirth, so it has always had the potential, before it moves into Aquarius in January 2024, to bring some kind of a “death” or purification of government, society, the power structures and, indeed, the structures of our own lives, so that something better can take its place. It brings the potential for some kind of societal rebirth - a purification process. The question for a while now has been “But how will this actually happen?” Combine this with Uranus in Taurus, which holds the potential for some kind of a financial revolution and a massive shift in values, plus the need for a radical change in the way we approach the ecological crisis we are facing, and it is clear that something needed to happen. But what? What was not clear was what form this death and rebirth would take, and how the financial system and our values could actually change so radically.

What is perfectly clear is that the obsession with “success”, money and power has reached a peak in our society and has taken us away from what really matters in life. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and this is the way it has been for centuries. Consumerism is rife, as is the desire for success. The rat race is a hamster wheel that is very hard to get off of. The Nodes of the Moon have been in Capricorn and Cancer since November 2018, where they will remain until the beginning of June this year, and have been trying to push us, both personally and collectively, away from the darker side of Capricorn towards the energy of Cancer. Now we have Chiron the Wounded Healer in fast moving, pioneering, aggressive Aries forming a square to the Nodes, which is literally forcing us towards the Cancer North Node and making us take care of each other, stay at home, focus on community, leave the rat race behind, drop the striving for success, working so hard and nurture ourselves.

This virus, as symbolised by Chiron in Aries, the “violent and untamed aspect of war”, is an aggressive and virulent virus that is literally being labelled as a “war against humanity”. No matter where it came from (and there are so many theories being thrown around at the moment), this virus is forcing people to remember what really matters. People are coming together, despite any physical distance, and coming up with imaginative and  innovative ways to help one another get through this. People are offering their services from free. Governments are forced to admit that they are vulnerable and don’t have the answers. The rich and poor alike are experiencing the impact of this - no-one is exempt. It is an equaliser, a great leveller. Finally, just before the Nodes leave Capricorn and Cancer, humanity are really, truly learning that “getting ahead in life” and “keeping up with the Jones” and accumulating wealth, working crazy hours and not seeing family, and being “successful” in the outer world is not actually what it’s all about.

And it is scary. And it is ok to admit that. The Capricorn part of ourselves may try to suppress these feelings, or do something to distract ourselves, or pretend we have everything under control while even judging others for the way they are handling their fear.  The Cancer North Node encourages us to simply feel the fear, to own it, to admit it, and by so doing we are not pushing it away but allowing it to just be. This can help take its power away. It is human nature to feel fear in the face of the unknown, especially something of this magnitude. How we respond to the fear is something else altogether.

There are so many things happening that could make us feel fearful at the moment, and with Jupiter and Pluto coming together this week we could experience a magnification of fear as well as a feeling that the problem is spiralling way beyond our control. Jupiter is the largest planet - the planet of excess! All sorts of things could get blown out of all proportion. Not to mention that there are so many opinions and beliefs being thrown around that we have absolutely no idea what the truth is anymore. There are also so many  theories around regarding the origin of and reason for the virus that also have the potential to bring up fear and paranoia. Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn also bring the potential for people being extremely self-righteous and sanctimonious, not to mention incredibly judgemental. We really need to watch ourselves right now and be careful of what we say and  also who we listen to and believe. This conjunction will be exact on 5 April, but the energy has been building all week. Jupiter can make everything much more extreme, including the widespread panic that is rife at the moment.

Naming it and admitting our fear and letting go of control can allow tears to fall and grief to surface instead of being “rigid with fear”, or acting and reacting with anger, or putting up walls and shutting others out. Showing our vulnerability can also allow others to help so that we can all come up with solutions and comfort each other. We are all in this together! Fear is in the collective right now, there is no doubt about it. This situation has the potential to really show up people’s discomfort around illness and bring up anger that blocks compassion. This situation could definitely bring our shadows to the surface, as we see the best and the worst in ourselves and each other, not to mention making our not so pretty coping patterns and conditioning very obvious indeed! However, there is the potential for enormous growth if we allow it. It can be very powerful to look fear squarely in the face and peer into our own shadows. We are experiencing a powerful shift in consciousness right now. However, change and growth can be extremely uncomfortable and even painful.

This is where Neptune in Pisces comes in. Neptune is in its own sign, reminding us that we are all in this together in a very tangible way. Neptune knows nothing about boundaries between people or countries anyway, as essentially we are all the same - rich, poor, black, white, Muslim, Christian. This situation that we are facing has the potential to be profoundly unifying, as all the countries of the world and their citizens are facing exactly the same problem. It can bring a greater sense of empathy and compassion for others, providing that we don’t allow fear to cloud it. This situation certainly has an equalising quality to it. It also brings an opportunity for a giant pause for humanity. The imposed or self-imposed isolation brings the potential for turning inward and spending more time meditating and praying or doing mantras to help the earth and humanity. As we have less distraction we are forced to spend time in quiet and solitude, not to mention that crisis can literally bring us to our knees as we ask for help and guidance in this time of need. And this is not a time to be selfish or self-serving. All for one and one for all. We are being asked to act with consideration for everyone.

Of course, Neptune in Pisces is not without its pitfalls. It can also cause us to want to “numb out” and escape reality, which can take many forms, including losing ourselves in television, movies, drugs and alcohol, reading novels, sleeping too much or endless hours of computer games - there are many different ways we can “exit stage left” and go into La La Land! Which is all absolutely fine and completely understandable, but if taken to the extreme could also be a waste of an opportunity to step up our spiritual game and really work through whatever is coming up for us. Isolation can make one feel a bit unhinged, especially if we are not used to being alone and are used to having a lot of interaction and distractions in our life. Neptune can literally blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, making everything very unclear and confusing. Indeed, it is hard to know what is real and what is illusion at the moment, as Neptune is the king of smoke screens. However, we also have an opportunity to use our imaginations in very creative ways to help one another and to dream up a better future.It really is possible that a profound and global awakening could come from all of this.  

With Uranus, the Great Awakener in Taurus, the sign of Mother Earth, this could bring a huge wake up call regarding our values and our attitude towards this beautiful planet we live on.This could be seen as Nature’s rebellion; a revolt against humanity and our terrible treatment of this planet, enforcing the changes that are needed to slow the ecological crisis that we are facing. If we won’t do it voluntarily then Gaia will make it happen anyway! As human beings slow down and stop travelling, the Mother Earth heaves a huge sigh of relief!  This is showing itself everywhere, as skies clear and nature ventures back into the empty spaces left by humans. Not to mention the fact that nature herself can offer solace and the ultimate “chill pill” during this time, for those who are still able to take advantage of it. It is the best antidote for stress that there is.

In the meantime, Saturn has just moved into Aquarius. This represents an energetic shift. Saturn tends to shine the harsh light of reality onto the sign that he is in and also bring a sense of limitation and some profound lessons. Aquarius is the rebel, the revolutionary, the humanitarian, representing brother/sisterhood, liberty and equality. On the one hand, we could be called to take responsibility for our sisters and brothers and really understand what it means to be a citizen of the world. It is a time to truly be accountable in terms of making this world a better place to live in. On the other hand we could find our liberties and the right to rebel/revolt are somehow squashed or limited by those in authority. Lessons around equality could come up as those in control are forced to act in ways which take into account the rights of everyone rather than favouring the rich. However, this could go the other way as our freedom is somehow curtailed or squashed by those in authority. We are moving into the age of Aquarius, and Saturn could show us the reality of what this all means. Are we moving towards utopia or dystopia? All shall be revealed in due time. And possibly it is all a question of attitude.

One thing that is interesting to note is that some of the current astrology is very similar to 9/11, which was a time when the whole world changed completely. Pluto was opposite Saturn then, while they are conjunct now, so this could be a continuation of what started then - another phase. The Nodes were also in Capricorn and Cancer, which is interesting considering that the situation then also made people more nationalistic and travel more challenging. It also brought about extreme  paranioa and a closing of borders, not to mention heightened control. During this New Moon we have Pallas Athena (military strategy), Jupiter (beliefs, magnification), Pluto (Power/transformation) and Mars (anger, war, aggression) all joined together in Capricorn, the sign of society, control, fear, authority, government.This is quite a party! On a personal level it brings the potential for rage, fear and feelings of powerlessness to come up, as well as the death/rebirth of the way our lives are structured. Not to mention that it is hard to know what to believe! We do have a chance to powerfully transform ourselves at this time, there is no doubt about it. It also brings the potential for the power structures and those in authority coming up with strategies to gain a greater sense of control. They may also need to use force (Mars) to enforce this control.

The Sun, Moon and Chiron the Wounded Healer are all sitting together in Aries for this Moon, so Chiron is very much the focus. This is no surprise whatsoever, given that the very Chirotic corona virus is the biggest focus in the minds of the whole world right now! The New Moon is in 4° Aries, and the Sabian Symbol is very interesting and also quite comforting: “ A triangle with wings.”, which Dane Rudyar describes as “The capacity for self-transcending. This is the symbol for the desire to reach a higher level of existence, of pure aspiration or devotion, of bhakti. The principle of “levitation” is seen as one of the two essential factors in evolution. The emergent being glorifies and deifies it, but it is still only an ideal. At this stage, nevertheless, the whole being experiences a childlike longing for its eventual realisation. A NEW DIMENSION of being is envisioned mobilising creative endeavours.”

This is a beautiful, incredibly “uplifting” symbol, which brings the sense that we can utilise the situation we now find ourselves in to rise above it all to a place of greater spiritual connection, inner peace and joy. This symbol brings the sense that all that is happening is ultimately for our greater good, helping us to purify our karma and find greater meaning in our lives, beyond the mundane, materialism, greed and striving for power. The triangle is the strongest shape, reminding us how strong and resilient we are. It represents mind, body and spirit, mother, father and child, past present and future, and is a very spiritual symbol indeed. The ancient Greeks saw it as a doorway. It might be useful to visualise a triangle with wings whenever we feel the fear rising in us, as a reminder.We have a chance here to find a greater sense of connection, peace, compassion and Love than we have ever known before.It is up to us to make the most of this time, this giant collective pause, and remember what is most important. It is so important to be incredibly mindful of how we act and react. May love, not fear, prevail.  

Much Love

Amy

xoxo  

My website: www.amybirdartandastrology.com

Picture by Marino Peccinetti