This is not your average, run of the mill New Moon, as it is also a Solar Eclipse, meaning that it has a more far-reaching impact and influence. Whereas New Moons generally start an energy ball rolling that builds up over the course of the month, Eclipses tend to influence the next six months, until the next set of Eclipses. This is a very potent and fateful time, energetically; the beginning of a new chapter, a reset, a time to release whatever isn’t serving us and find another way forward. These Eclipses are occurring in the Taurus/Scorpio axis, which brings finances and the economy into focus and calls for us to find ways of being more self-sufficient and empowered.
This Eclipse falls in the sign of Scorpio, which is where the South Node of the Moon is at the moment. Scorpio is an intensely emotional, deep and transforming sign that encourages us to dig deep beneath the surface of reality and confront the darker aspects of ourselves and life. This Moon could bring some hidden material out into the light, forcing out from the shadows anything that may have been hidden or occluded, both personally and collectively. Scorpio is very good at exposing lies and cover-ups and forces us to confront anything we may have swept under the carpet because it is too hard to face. It is uncomfortable to own the “not so pretty” parts of us and it takes great courage to do so, as well as a willingness to grow.
A Scorpio New Moon could bring up issues around trust, loss, power, loss of power, betrayal, intimacy and transformation. This is the sign of death and rebirth, calling for us to shed our skin and strip away any layers of self-deceit so that we can emerge, a healthier, shiner although somewhat exposed and vulnerable version of ourselves. Scorpio is the part of us that seeks to unveil and understand our psychological complexes and those of others. It is the part of us that can smell a rat and can uncover people’s hidden motivations or agendas. Sometimes we need to go through a dark night of the soul in order to grow and eveolve, taking a trip into the underworld to find the buried treasure that lies there. It is hard to take an honest look at ourselves and the world we live in and own up to our shadows and compulsions, but there is great reward when we do so, even if it does make us feel quite vulnerable and exposed.
Pluto, the planetary ruler of this Scorpio Moon, is now travelling through the very last degrees of Capricorn, where it has been since 2008. Pluto will enter Aquarius on March 24, and until then it will continue its task of detoxifying the power structures of society and transforming the structures of our lives. Capricorn represents, among other things, our societal structures, authority figures, governments and corporations, and Pluto has been exposing the rot within these structures and bringing to light any secrets, lies, corruption and nefarious activities or behaviour within them. With this Moon being in Scorpio, it is quite possible that more will come to light. It will be interesting to see what the next few months will bring, as Pluto marches through the last degrees of Capricorn.
Pluto is forming a nagging inconjunct aspect to Mars in Gemini during this Moon, which could bring out people’s more ruthless or domineering side. It could also force us to find the courage to face our own shadows and those of others. Pluto is the planet of power and Mars is the planet of war, anger, action and assertion, so there could be power struggles or arguments that come from a very deep, subconscious place within us. Whatever comes up during this Moon could be very revealing, both personally and collectively, and could bring up anger or rage, as we are more easily triggered and reactive.
With Mars currently sitting in Gemini, the sign of the mind and communication, as well as Pluto squaring Mercury, Gemini’s ruler, it is quite possible that some information could come out into the light that is very revealing. Things said in the heat of the moment can expose the shadows and bring out into the open anything that we might usually prefer remained hidden. Pluto square Mercury is a great recipe for Freudian slips and shadow projections! So often we project our own guilt and shadow self onto others rather than owning it ourselves. We could have some very deep and penetrating conversations during this Moon that could be very candid, honest and revealing indeed! It could be a very good time to bring things out into the open that we might usually shy away from. However, profound soul growth could be possible if we can have the courage to confront any thorny issues that have been festering beneath the surface.
Anyone with personal planets or angles around 26° of a sign will be feeling the transforming power of Pluto at the moment, especially those in the Cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Pluto can help to strip away self-deceit and give us a cosmic kick up the bum that helps us to transform and realign with our soul’s true purpose. Combined with Mars, it could bring up some powerful emotions, even rage, causing us to act and react from a deeply subconscious and compulsive place within us. However, it could also help us to find the strength, will and courage to face ourselves and make any changes that we have been putting off. There is the potential for some difficult conversations or decisions during this Moon, but they could ultimately bring profound growth.
Mars is also forming a dynamic, challenging square aspect to Neptune during this Moon, which could make us feel quite unfocused and confused, finding it hard to know how to act and what to do next. This combination can easily bring a rather severe case of procrastination! We could find that our energy levels are lower than usual and that we feel a greater sense of futility or apathy. Neptune challenging Mars can bring the potential for acting behind one another’s backs or being rather passive aggressive rather than confronting one another directly. However, Neptune also asks us to tune into our inner guidance and heed the subtle whispers that tell us when it is the right time to act or react. Neptune can provide the inspiration and imagination to help get things done. It can also make us want to bury our head in a novel, overdose on Netflix or consume copious amounts of alcohol as a means of avoidance or escape. However, we may simply need more rest than usual, so it is important to listen to our bodies.
Venus and the Sun have been travelling side by side through Libra during the past couple of weeks and are now literally sitting together, with the Moon, in the very same degree of Scorpio. This is a very good opportunity for us to relate to one another in a deeper, more real and intimate manner. Scorpio can help us to share our deepest fears and the parts of ourselves that bring us shame or discomfort. We may feel quite vulnerable in the process, feeling quite exposed as we allow ourselves to be truly seen by those closest to us. However, this can greatly deepen our relationships, strengthening our bonds, bringing us closer together and helping us to truly understand one another. True intimacy comes from having the courage to go to some difficult places and be really honest and willing to face ourselves, rather than avoiding and burying any issues in order to keep the peace. It also involves trust.
Jupiter in Aries is forming a nagging inconjunct aspect to the Sun, Moon and Venus during this Moon, which could magnify our emotions and make everything seem a bit “bigger” than it is. However, it can also propel us to make any changes that will help us to expand and grow. Jupiter helps us to see the bigger picture and in Aries it can give us the courage, confidence and motivation to carry through the Scorpionic task of confronting ourselves and purging any patterns, habits and behaviours that are no longer serving us. However, Jupiter in Aries can also bring out our more arrogant, reactionary, opinionated, impulsive side, so it is important to be aware that we might jump in too quickly to defend a belief or state an opinion.
The Sabian symbol for this New Moon, at 3° Scorpio, is rather a lovely one: “A house party in a small village enlists the neighbours’ cooperation” which Dane Rudyar describes as: “The feeling of community demonstrated in a basic joint effort. In rural neighbourhoods, especially as the American West was being developed, the building of at least the framework of a house was often a collective, friendly enterprise. Newcomers building their home-to-be found friendly helpers in the neighbours. The sense of togetherness and participation in a common enterprise was developed by such collective work. The home remains “our” home, yet the whole community is involved in its erection and the welcome marking its completion. With this symbol, feeling becomes activity. The past and its memories are repolarised in terms of the expanded social consciousness. From that activity a new sense of reality will derive. The Keyword is COOPERATION.”
One of the beautiful gifts of Scorpio is a sense that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and that joining together in collaboration can help us to achieve so much more than we can alone. This symbol makes perfect sense with Venus, the Moon and the Sun all sitting together in Scorpio, as relationships with others is very much brought into focus. This symbol is a poignant reminder that we are not alone and that joining forces with others can empower us and help us to navigate challenging times. Scorpio is the part of us that dearly wants to let go of our individual ego and merge with another, either physically, spiritually, emotionally or materially, or all of the above. It is the part of us that wants to put our trust in another person and allow them to see us for all that we are, warts and all. This Moon could be quite revealing and potentially exposing, both personally and collectively, but Scorpio wouldn’t have it any other way! An ugly truth is better than a pretty lie.
Much Love
Amy
xoxo
Painting: Divine Transformation by ravynnephelan on Deviant Art