Tomorrow morning brings a New Moon at the very opening of Aquarius: 0 degrees. What could be newer, brighter, shinier, than a New Moon at the very beginning of the sign of visions and grand plans?
Aquarius is fixed Air, the energy that looks far into the horizon, dreams large, and loves the shock of the new. This New Moon is ruled by Uranus the revolutionary, who continues to take up lots of space as he squares Pluto and aligns with the South Node of the Moon, pushing us to change by hook or by crook (sometimes both at once).
So, is this the time to chuck out everything old and start over? Well … not quite.
The ancient ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, the traditionalist. He’s flowing energy into this New Moon from a sextile in Sagittarius, as well as co-ruling the New Moon itself. And Uranus, modernist though he is, is not sitting with the forward-moving North Node, but rather with the where-we’ve-been South Node.
Both Nodes are squared by Pluto, insisting we find a transformational balance between past and future. Most intriguing, the New Moon is catching quintiles, that rare and very creative aspect, from both Uranus and the South Node.
The past is present, and not only as prologue. Somehow, at this New Moon, we’re meant to look back as well as forward. Before we step into the brave new world of Aquarius, we need to look carefully at where we’ve been and make sure we’ve understood and integrated as best we can.
We are closing in on the last of the exact Pluto-Uranus squares that began in June of 2012. We’ve been through a lot since then, personally and in our communities. The world doesn’t look the same. Perhaps this New Moon, with its clear signature of looking forward accompanied by unmistakeable reminders to look back, is telling us to pay attention to all that’s happened. Not to forget, lest we fall back.
There’s another reminder we’re not meant to throw out any babies with the bath: Mercury, who is in Aquarius, turns retrograde the day after the New Moon. When that happens, he’s conjunct the Moon, who only the day before was sitting with the Aquarian Sun. I think we’re supposed to notice this.
As always, check where the New Moon falls in your birth chart: Which house, and which planets involved. This will offer clues to where the new vision/ revision balance needs to be struck.
Seeds planted at this New Moon will have a flavor of new ideas, grand plans––tempered by what we’ve learned, informed by an understanding of who we are and where we come from.
At every New Moon, we’re in the dark and don’t expect to see the results of our wishing and seed planting right away. But this time, we may need to wait a bit longer, while Mercury loops back and forth in Aquarius, and we think, rethink, and think again about what we know, what we want, where we’re headed.
Once we’re sure, we can become the Fool of the Tarot, the ever-optimistic Coyote, and step off that cliff. But please, this time, let’s take the time to read the signposts carefully.