Monthly Astro Forecast: New Moon in Aquarius
The New Moon in Aquarius is exact just after midnight on January 28th. This particular New Moon is lurking a degree behind my Ascendant, hidden away in the twelfth house, and right opposite my natal Moon. No surprise, then, that I've been hidden away for the last week too, stuck at home with a horrible cold which I can't shift and which has left me mostly zombified. This forecast may be published a little later than I'd like, for which apologies. I've been just about keeping up with the minimum of daily tasks (sixth house), and resting and releasing as much as possible (twelfth house).
The Aquarius energy feels strong this time - as the Sun moved into Aquarius last week, the USA gained a new President, and we saw both sides of Aquarius manifesting really strongly. A president who thinks its just fine to silence those who disagree with him, to impose his dogmatic thinking and refuse to listen to any dissent or disagreement, seeking to control thought, ideas and opinions. But the universe ever seeks a balance, and so we also see scientists going rogue for the sake of the truth, ignoring the commands of their president to serve the greater good. And millions out on the streets, demonstrating, awakening, shocked out of their complacency. The Moon and Sun are in the fourth house, where we find family, tribe and security. Once again we see both sides of this, with Trump imposing draconian immigration restrictions - "you can't come in, you're not one of us", and airports full of lawyers working against them - "everyone is one of us and we can back that up in law".
On January 28th Mars moves into his home sign of Aries, likely with a sigh of relief. We put the confusion and passive aggressive tendencies of Pisces aside, and can act clearly, freely, decisively. Wherever Aries is in your chart, you can assert yourself, take the initiative, use your power to act. On February 3rd Venus moves into Aries too, the bold warrior woman determined to get what she wants. Its time to value our selves as individuals, to stand up for our rights and those of others. Meanwhile Mercury has recovered from the retrograde period which started the year, and is whizzing speedily through the signs. He starts this lunation in practical thinking Capricorn, then moves on February 7th onto Aquarius, helping us to think outside the box, outside the establishment, to find and express our truth. On February 25th, just a few hours before the next new moon, he moves on again into Pisces, shifting us into intuitive and imaginative thinking, joining the Sun who moves into Pisces on February 18th. February 7th also sees Jupiter slowing down to stationary retrograde in Libra, highlighting the rule of law and our ability to keep the peace. The retrograde phase (in which the planet gives the illusion of moving backwards, from our viewpoint on earth) lasts until June. A time for looking inward, reviewing our sense of faith, the laws (literal and moral) that we live by, the teachings and ideals that we follow.
The Aquarius energy feels strong this time - as the Sun moved into Aquarius last week, the USA gained a new President, and we saw both sides of Aquarius manifesting really strongly. A president who thinks its just fine to silence those who disagree with him, to impose his dogmatic thinking and refuse to listen to any dissent or disagreement, seeking to control thought, ideas and opinions. But the universe ever seeks a balance, and so we also see scientists going rogue for the sake of the truth, ignoring the commands of their president to serve the greater good. And millions out on the streets, demonstrating, awakening, shocked out of their complacency. The Moon and Sun are in the fourth house, where we find family, tribe and security. Once again we see both sides of this, with Trump imposing draconian immigration restrictions - "you can't come in, you're not one of us", and airports full of lawyers working against them - "everyone is one of us and we can back that up in law".
On January 28th Mars moves into his home sign of Aries, likely with a sigh of relief. We put the confusion and passive aggressive tendencies of Pisces aside, and can act clearly, freely, decisively. Wherever Aries is in your chart, you can assert yourself, take the initiative, use your power to act. On February 3rd Venus moves into Aries too, the bold warrior woman determined to get what she wants. Its time to value our selves as individuals, to stand up for our rights and those of others. Meanwhile Mercury has recovered from the retrograde period which started the year, and is whizzing speedily through the signs. He starts this lunation in practical thinking Capricorn, then moves on February 7th onto Aquarius, helping us to think outside the box, outside the establishment, to find and express our truth. On February 25th, just a few hours before the next new moon, he moves on again into Pisces, shifting us into intuitive and imaginative thinking, joining the Sun who moves into Pisces on February 18th. February 7th also sees Jupiter slowing down to stationary retrograde in Libra, highlighting the rule of law and our ability to keep the peace. The retrograde phase (in which the planet gives the illusion of moving backwards, from our viewpoint on earth) lasts until June. A time for looking inward, reviewing our sense of faith, the laws (literal and moral) that we live by, the teachings and ideals that we follow.
Eclipse season
The full moon of this lunation is a lunar eclipse, beginning the first eclipse season of the year (the next new moon is a solar eclipse, and there will be two more eclipses in August). This lunar eclipse takes place across the Leo Aquarius axis, with the full Moon in Leo opposing the Sun in Aquarius. And given the challenges we are all facing at the moment, you may be relieved to hear that there is a lot of positive energy in the lunar eclipse chart!
There is an aspect pattern called a mystic rectangle in the chart, which combines helpful aspects with challenging aspects, giving us the resources to deal with inner conflicts and find harmonious resolutions for them. The Moon and Sun both form helpful aspects to Jupiter in Libra, helping us to expand our social circles, and have positive interactions with friends old and new, and also romantic or even business relationships. That said, Jupiter is hidden away in the twelfth house, so we might find ourselves expanding spiritually just as much as socially. Both Sun and Moon also form harmonious aspects with Uranus, bringing some stimulation and excitement to our daily routines. Saturn, along with Jupiter one of the teachers of the zodiac, also gets in on the action, helping us to manifest our ideals and passions, and bringing a possibility for discipline and mastery. Saturn forms part of another aspect pattern (you can see the blue triangle on the chart above) which is focused out through the Sun. A lunar eclipse can be a time to reset our emotions, to pull together the work of the last six months (since the last eclipse season), and to decide what we release and what we take forward. The aspect patterns formed at this lunar eclipse are especially helpful for this, with a balance of idealism and practicality, new ideas and solid hard work.
As with all astrology, an eclipse will affect us most strongly when it intersects closely with our natal chart. For me, this one is bang on my natal Jupiter, across the axis of self and other, so I'll be paying attention to my relationships with those close to me and also with spirit. The houses with Leo and Aquarius on the cusp will show you where in your own chart the eclipse falls, and thus the areas of life that might be affected. Working consciously with these energies, for example by aligning your full moon ritual work with the area of your chart highlighted by the eclipse, is a brilliant way to bring yourself into alignment - As above, so below!