The New Moon occurs in Aries at 14.32 Universal Time on the 3rd April 2011.
There’s a rather volcanic feeling to this New Moon. Joining the Sun and Moon in Aries are Mars, Uranus, Black Moon Lilith, Jupiter and Mercury. Mars and Uranus are in a tight explosive conjunction with Lilith close by. These three together can be seriously disruptive. As I look at them, it feels like the cosmic version of throwing one’s toys out of the pram – the impressive howling tantrum of a three year old. They want what they want and they want it now. If they don’t get it then they will scream the house down until they do.
With the huge Aries emphasis in the chart, we could be forgiven for thinking that it’s all about me, me, me. Mars in Aries is ready for a battle to fight for his rights, Uranus is a revolutionary leading the way. Lilith here is in her element fighting fire with fire and conjunct Uranus and Mars sure as hell isn’t going to do what she’s told to do. Jupiter in Aries pushes us to broaden our idea of who we are.
“There must be a meaning in all of this!” he shouts.
Jupiter in Aries wants to feel like he’s going somewhere… , Mercury in Aries pushes us to think for ourselves and to be mentally courageous. He too wants to be on the move but retrograde, the energy must travel inwards before moving on out.
But this New Moon is tightly opposed to Saturn. The tantrum child is on reins so whilst he may stamp his foot and wail, he can’t run away and he can’t get his own way. Saturn is strongly reminding us that whilst we may need to put our needs first for a while, it doesn’t mean that we can abdicate all responsibility to others. Self discovery must walk hand in hand with self control. Whilst we may be seized by a wild urge to change, all out war will create even more chaos and ultimately even greater resistance.
The New Moon sits upon the Sabian symbol
A Serpent Coiling Near A Man And A Woman
This was the degree where we found Lilith as Uranus entered Aries a few weeks ago. This proved to be an incredibly powerful event with the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This New Moon feels like an echo. In my post about this event, I wrote:-
“It makes me think of how we have been tempted to pursue the knowledge of the Gods – the power to create, the power to destroy. Both now rise up, hissing to get my attention. Uranus wakes us up to what we have invented.”
This Sabian is complex. At first of course it has the immediate Christian
association of temptation and evil. But essentially, the Tree of Knowledge liberated the first couple from naivety. It gave them the power to choose for themselves (as Lilith did). It also gave them the power to create – to become God-like. The tree of KNOWLEDGE wasn’t called so for nothing. But like the symbol of the snake, knowledge is a powerful thing – it can either kill or cure. The New Moon in Aries feels as though it is asking ‘what do you really know and how will you use that knowledge’?
Temptation is the word we use to describe something which on the outside looks exactly like what we have been seeking. Yet there is an undertone which suggests that its guise is simply a mask for its true shape which in the end may not be quite so appealing. Temptation is a word which describes the act of being pulled away from our true path by something that looked too delicious to pass up. Temptation tends to appeal to our base instincts – food, sex, power. This Moon is asking what tempts us away from our path as well as defining what we know to be true for us.
Meanwhile Uranus, Mars and Lilith have squared up to the North Node which currently sits on the Galactic centre. Whilst our little Earth revolves around the Sun, our galaxy as a whole turns around a super-massive black hole at the centre. Black holes absorb everything, including light. All matter returns to the source. The Galactic Centre is often equated with the idea of the creator – the centre of all things, beginning and end. The square aspect here makes me think of the words ‘cosmic intervention’ – Acts of God. I have a sense that the Earth has not yet settled after the Earthquake.
How To Work With This New Moon
Where in your chart does the New Moon occur? The house it occupies can be used to trigger a new start. This is your house of initiation, your house of beginnings. Karmically it may be the area of life in which you have the least experience but the most potential. Is there some element of temptation in this area of your life? Are you tempted to look before you leap? What do you want? What do you know about yourself? What do you need to learn in order to branch out?
Look to the opposite house where Saturn is transiting. What is this area of life trying to teach you? What responsibilities do you hold here? What duties must you perform? How is this house holding you back from putting your best foot forward?
This New Moon in Aries is a time to embrace creative energy, to initiate, to take action. Conjunct Jupiter there is an opportunity to become your own guru and lead the way to a better place. It can be an intense time of self discovery. The strong Aries emphasis can be used to come back to yourself. If you feel held back (Saturn) or the universe seems to just keep getting in your way (Uranus-Mars square North Node), maybe you need to sit on your egg just a little while longer. Acting too quickly may be just as damaging as not taking action at all.
Cry Baby photo by Cubworld on Flickr
Temptation photo by Hannah Nicole on Flickr
