New Moon April 5^th April is the first New Moon of our Astrological year, the energy of which sets the theme for the next twelve months. The 5th and 6th April are powerful days to set new intentions and to start afresh, but, looking at the planetary alignments, it’s very evident that there’s much more here than initially meets the eye.

This is a slightly longer post than normal, because the planetary alignments right now are a  prelude to and usher in a full year of huge planetary shifts, bringing with them the potential for enormous transformation, growth and empowerment.

So… grab a cup of something warm and delicious and take 5 minutes to read this through to the end.

THE FIRST FLAMES OF INTENTION

We’ll start with the Sun and Moon in the cardinal (initiating) fire sign Aries. Energetically this is the first strike of the match that can ignite a single flame, bonfire or raging inferno.

This is the time of the year when we feel a strong desire to express ourselves, stand up and be counted and push forward with new initiatives. Although this fiery energy carries enormous potential to ignite real change, it isn’t always sustainable in the long term.  On its own, Aries does an excellent job of getting us moving. The Fire Warrior is dynamic, impulsive, impatient, can be quick tempered and kick-starts us on the journey towards our goals with a great deal of vim and vigour. The thing is, once the fire has been lit and the initial spark of excitement starts to die down, there can be the tendency to lose interest and move onto the next thing too soon. Or… we can move so fast and so hot, that we burn  out!

If you’ve ever made a fire, you’ll know that in the early stages, you need to feed and fan the small flames to make sure it “takes”.  Then, when it does, it needs to be tended, so it can build up a sustainable heat. Simultaneously, it  also needs to be contained, so that it doesn’t escape or go out of control  and burn everything in sight.  Its a balancing act!

THE FISH

Helping to temper the flames, we have Venus, Mercury and Neptune in watery, spiritual Pisces. The fish remind us to maintain our sacred connection – to pause, breathe and give our inner fires room to breathe.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS

And then there are the goats -standing by to help us to contain and sustain the fires of change. Pluto, the South Node and Saturn, are tightly conjoined in practical, enduring, earthy Capricorn and square to the New Moon.

This is a big deal astrologically and energetically because it sets the scene for the (hugely important) Pluto/ Saturn conjunction, which becomes exact in January 2020. This will have an impact on us all, but more so if we have major planets or points in the cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn. These two planets have been dancing together for a while already but the combination of all three around the  New Moon gives us a real taste of what’s in store over the next year.

PLUTO AND SATURN

A conjunction between Pluto and Saturn only happens every 33 years or so, so the last time was between 1982 and 1983. Many of you may have just been twinkles in the sky at that point, but for those of us who have been around for longer, this is a whole new evolutionary cycle that is connected to that time.

Saturn is all about structures and systems. Pluto is about death, rebirth, regeneration – profound transformation in other words. Together, they have been known historically to bring the collapse or crumbling of old outmoded structures and systems. Another way of looking at it is the restructuring or re-strategising of  the way in which we work with Power.

Either way, when this pair travel through the heavens together, things tend to get shaken up, as everything is tested for strength and resilience. Structures that have been built on strong foundations will often withstand the test, but those that haven’t, will likely not.

If we work with these energies consciously, embracing the changes that are being asked of us, this can be a supremely creative, empowering transit. If we resist, continue to do the same things we’ve always done and refuse to budge, we might experience it in a more chaotic way. The choice is ours.

The way I see it, is that we, as a collective, are being called upon to embrace a new way of thinking, a new way of being, a new way of working with power.  This is being literalised for South Africans right now, with the huge issues in our electrical power grid, due to years of mismanagement (the crumbling of outmoded structures). It can also be seen globally as old political, economic and religious structures crash and burn.

We are being invited to transform – to  dissolve old, limiting beliefs, patterns of behaviour and destructive illusions and move into a higher dimension of consciousness… it’s time!

THE KARMIC AXIS

The other part of this is that Pluto and Saturn straddle the South node of the Moon in Capricorn (the karmic axis, which symbolises where we’ve been) and oppose the north node in Cancer (where we’re headed)

This strongly suggests that we need to move away from the rigid, weighty, linear, limited, blinkered, power-hungry, patriarchal way of doing things and move towards a place of compassion and, nurturance of ourselves, others and Mother Earth. In other words, this is yet another call to more fully embrace and integrate the masculine and the feminine.

When big change beckons and as we witness the dissolution of old outmoded systems, it’s easy to get caught in a spiral of fear.  If however, we connect with our true source of power, which is always there inside of us, this is an opportunity to move towards a more integrated, collaborative, empowered way of living.

TEMPERING

When glass, wood, steel or chocolate are tempered, they’re put through specific processes, sometimes pressurised ones, in order to make them stronger and more resilient. Steel for example is tempered when its heated up and then quickly cooled. That’s what you see when blacksmiths stop hammering the sword on the anvil and plunge the glowing hot blade into a barrel of water).

If we go back even further to the older roots of the word, to “temper” something meant to prepare it specially,by carefully mixing in new ingredients to create balance.

I see this as a year of alchemy, as we temper and tend the fires of our inner fires, as opposed to spinning around on the periphery, being pulled hither and thither by the crazy busy world in which we reside. It’s a year where we are invited to make choices from our essence, rather than from our ego, to live from the centre of our beings which is the only place of true power.

TENDING THE FIRE WITHIN

This New Moon and this New Year:

• Imagine that you have one hundred units of power at your disposal every day – how are you using it?
• On a daily basis, to what and whom do you give your power? You could draw a pie graph if you like.
• How often during the day do you send your power into the black holes of political, economic and societal chaos? How much time do you spend wallowing in the past or projecting into the future?
• What structures or systems could you introduce to remind yourself to bring your energy into the present moment (which is the only real power point there is)
• What would help you to maintain and sustain your energy/power more optimally, so you have more of it to fire up your new intentions and endeavours.
• If  ALL of your energy, all  of your power (or a  high percentage of it) was available to you every day, what would you do with it?
• Where and how can you re-mix the ingredients of your life to bring you back to your true empowered potential?

CHART READING

If you are feeling the fires of change moving in your life, it might be an idea to have an update reading to see where and how this significant shift is playing out in your natal chart and how best you can dance with it. In an update reading, we also look at your Solar Return, which is a chart for one year, ,from birthday to birthday and provides a navigational guide for the year ahead.  If you haven’t had a birth chart reading, you can read more about it here 

Email me to set up an appointment. 

In Light, Life and Love

Michelle

astrology update, new moon aries, sun in Aries Michelle McClunan Astrology reading