This is a powerfully potent New Moon as not only is it in Pisces, the penultimate sign of the zodiac, but Neptune, Pisces ruler, is also in exactly the same degree as the Moon! This certainly brings a double dose of dreamy, empathetic and spiritual Pisces energy to this New Moon. Each month, at the New Moon, we experience a mini death and new beginning in whatever area of life the Moon is found in our chart. During this process, whatever is no longer serving us is left behind in the dark of the moon and the seeds are planted for something new to form in its place. While we are in this phase, leading up to the time of the New Moon, it is a good time to be quiet and reflective, and a perfect time to meditate and receive guidance. This is called the Balsamic phase of the Moon and balsamic means to yield to balsam, which means soothing and restorative. Pisces itself occurs in the balsamic phase of the entire zodiac, and so this particular moon really asks us to let go, slow down, turn within, rest and sleep more and pay attention to our dreams.
Pisces is that part of us that yearns to connect with spirit and seeks to dissolve and emotional, physical or spiritual barriers preventing a conscious connection with the Divine. Wherever Pisces and Neptune are found in our chart, as well as the signs and planets found in the 12th house, show the way we find it most natural to develop spiritually. Neptune and Pisces represent the mystic in us, but also the part of us that is prone to delusions and wearing the proverbial rose tinted spectacles! Pisces is that part of us that would prefer to bury our head in the sand and pretend that something isn’t happening rather than have to face the reality of whatever we are dealing with. One of the big lessons of this sign is to learn to see and accept things as they really are and also to stop projecting ultimate meaning outside of ourselves, but rather we need to find it within. With Pisces we are invited to recognise what is rather than creating illusions/delusions or fantasies that reflect what we think we want. Disillusionment can occur wherever Pisces and Neptune are found in the chart, but this is a necessary part of the spiritual process; seeing this as they really are and acceoting them anyway.
Questions we might ask ourselves during this Moon are: What do I use to escape or avoid reality? What methods can I use to form a more direct connection to Spirit? Do I need to develop my spiritual practice? What are my dearest and most heartfelt dreams and wishes? Where in my life do I tend to project my ideals and fantasies rather than seeing things as they really are? Where and how do I fall into victimhood or “poor me”, feeling that I am at the mercy of “fate” or forces larger than myself? Do I listen to my higher guidance or do I block it with mind chatter? What are my dreams trying to tell me, and am I paying attention? Am I open and alert to the signs for the universe? Do I need to work on my boundaries? Am I too empathetic and sensitive, or do I need to develop more compassion for my fellow man/woman? What are my blind spots; what unconscious beliefs and tendencies do I project outside of myself that trip me up over and over again? How can I be more consciously aware and present? How can I be more honest with myself? Do I need to get more rest? Do I spend enough time in nature? Am I open to seeing the magic in the everyday?
It is interesting that Neptune is right next to the Sun and Moon, heightening our sensitivity and compassion and blurring the boundaries between us and spirit, between fact and fiction and between “us” and “them”. This influence reminds us that we are all connected and that what happens in one part of the world has an impact on the whole organism. We are not separate beings, much as our ego might like us to think so. Saturn and Mars are also part of the story, forming helpful aspects to the Sun, Moon and Neptune and also to each other. This energy can help us to take responsibility for and act on whatever guidance we receive from our own intuitive hunches or the signs and omens that the universe provides us with during this time. Pisces and Neptune are great for inspiration, dreams and fantasies, enabling us to have the visions and helping us to connect to spirit, but they don’t exactly help us to ground it into reality! Mars and Saturn, however, are currently both in practical, grounded Earth signs, helping us to actually get up and do something about our intuitive hunches and guidance! There truly is a wonderful blend of intuition, guidance, spiritual connection, inspired action, discipline, responsibility and drive with this combination of planets!
Vesta is also part of the Pisces party, as she is also in the very same degree as the Sun, Moon and Neptune. Vesta has priestess energy and was worshipped as Goddess of the Hearth and keeper of the Sacred Flame. Vesta refused to marry and her energy in the chart is that of someone who is “untouched” by relationship. Often when Vesta is prominent it symbolises a need to cyclically withdraw from the enmeshment of relationship to come back to oneself and become whole again; to find out who we are and align with our own path. Vesta also represents the work we must do in order to fulfil our dharma, which is our true, higher purpose and that which will bring us happiness in the truest sense of the word. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in order to follow our own personal quest. Vesta represents dedication and commitment to one’s path, true devotion, spiritual and magical ritual and ceremony and the capacity to sacrifice relationships or family, if needed, to follow one’s chosen path.
Vesta’s prominent presence during this Moon could help us to transmute our karma into dharma. In other words, what repetitious and unhealthy patterns, habits and tendencies formed in the past are preventing us from stepping up to the plate and accepting our mission on earth for this lifetime? How can we align with our true path and the reason that we are here? How can we truly be of service to humanity? All of this Pisces and Neptune energy, combined with Vesta, suggests that using magic, ceremony and ritual, devoting ourselves to a spiritual practice, turning in and meditating more and truly opening ourselves up to spiritual guidance during this Moon could really help us to connect with our “raison d’etre” and align with our true destiny. How beautiful!
There is so much going on during this Moon that feels powerful and worth commenting on! Not least of which we have Uranus literally going into Taurus at the EXACT moment that the New Moon is exact! As Uranus finishes off his 7 year journey through brave and assertive Aries it has been interestimg to see the teenagers harnessing their righteous anger about climate change and developing their own form of revolution! Let’s see what happens as Uranus moves into stable and security conscious Taurus, as it could manifest in a variety of ways. Uranus and Taurus are not two energies that naturally gel with one another! Taurus is that part of ourselves that has a tendency to get stuck or stagnate because we fear change, finding it hard to see our way out of whatever situation we are in. Uranus seeks to shake up the status quo and force change upon us, which could upset our sense of security but could also bring a lot of excitement and new vision into our lives. So often we don’t make change unless it is forced upon us, but once we do it really clears the qi and can be incredibly liberating!
Taurus represents our talents that give us a sense of self-worth and the means by which we make a living, and Uranus could potentially release and reveal talents and abilities that we have supressed, buried, lost and long forgotten, specifically in the area of life where Taurus is found in our natal chart. We could experience fluctuation, breakdown or revolution with regard to our personal and collective monetary system and may be forced to find more inclusive, progressive and ingenious ways to deal with money and finances. For instance, bartering could become more prominent by the end of Uranus’s stay in Taurus. Taurus also represents Mother Earth and the natural world, and while Uranus could shake things up and make us all too aware of what needs to change, we could also experience a massive upsurge in eco-friendly enterprises and sustainable living. In fact, by the end of the next 7 years, this will probably be more of the “norm”.
It is interesting to watch the symphony of the outer planets at the moment, all with their part to play in what happens in the next year or so, both personally and collectively! Saturn, Pluto and the South Node are all coming together in Capricorn at the moment, calling into question any old, antiquated power structures and also bring the past to meet the present in ways that are quite uncomfortable and also very revealing. On a collective level we are seeing the past repeat itself and the dark side of power and the patriarchal system make itself painfully obvious. One can only assume that there is method to the madness and trust in the process. Certainly there is the potential for a thorough detoxing and restructuring with Pluto and Saturn involved. The financial uncertainty and change that Uranus in Taurus could bring makes perfect sense given the current climate! Pluto and Saturn combined are calling for us to step into our true power and truly take responsibility for ourselves and all that we are. Combined with the South Node in Capricorn we may become all too aware that we reap what we sow, as we are called to be completely honest with ourselves and clear any karma and conditioning that is preventing growth.
And then there is Neptune in Pisces, the lead player in this New Moon, reminding us that ultimately we are all in this together! On the one hand we may just prefer to bury our heads in the sand, avoiding and escaping reality through drink, drugs, television, movies, computer games, sleep and even meditation! However, there is also the potential for awakening and enlightenment through staying completely conscious and present, dispelling illusions and trying to remain as aware of ourselves and our sabotaging tendencies as we possibly can. Eckhart Tolle talks about the personal and collective pain body and how it can literally “take us over” at times of stress and duress, but if we can become more consciously aware of when it is happening, learning to step back and “watch” ourselves, then we will be much closer to finding true peace and enlightenment. We certainly have the opportunity to see the collective pain body right now, in spades! It couldn’t be more glaringly obvious and any Neptunian, sensitive and empathetic types would be feeling that most acutely.
We are going through a massive shift right now and many feel of us feel that we are in a process of transition. This New Moon certainly feels like it is a big part of this process, and Neptune and Pisces ask us to keep the faith and trust that, whatever is happening in our lives and how unclear everything may seem, we are being guided in the right direction. We are invited to open our hearts to signs and guidance and then simply surrender and allow the flow of the river to take us where it will. Of course that it easier said than done sometimes, as our minds seek to control the outcome and know for certain what is coming next!
The Sabian symbol for this New Moon, at 17° Pisces, is “An Easter Parade”, a symbol which evokes a feeling of hope, faith and renewal and which Dane Rudyar describes as “participation in collective peak experiences” and says that “the Image of the Resurrection spurs all men…to dynamise themselves in some kind of self-renewal in response to the Christ mythos, and to the call of nature’s springtime as well. Wherever found, this symbol emphasises the value of attuning one’s life activities and moods to the ritualistic patterns of society or Earth-nature, rather than acting in complete independence from the group”. This certainly brings a feeling that we are all in this together! How can we help heal the earth? What in us is being resurrected right now? How can we help ourselves surrender to the process? What needs to pass away so that we can be reborn?
“Sometimes a change in perspective is all it takes to see the light” Dan Brown
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Painting: Hosanna in Excelsis Deo – Worku Goshu