Exact at 12.51pm UK time (BST).
 
This Moon packs a punch, that’s for sure! We have so many planets in Aries, giving us a very big dose of this independent, passionate, direct, forthright, enthusiastic and impulsive sign! This is the first New moon of the astrological year, in the first sign of the zodiac, and this certainly feels like a threshold moment, a new chapter, a fresh start, a point of no return. Aries is the part of us that is willing to be brave enough to start something new. It is the pioneering spirit in all of us that has the courage to venture into uncharted territory and start fresh. Aries calls for us to follow our instinct and impulses, and not overthink things. It encourages us to act first and think later! Aries is the fire starter and the point of ignition which can spark new energy that has the potential to take hold and become a raging fire!
 
We have the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Eris all in Aries for this New Moon. That’s a lot of Aries! While Aries is the god of war, it also brings the courage, motivation, drive, desire and energy to venture into new territory and can help us to be open, honest and direct, and to confront things that we may usually shy away from. Aries helps us to simply be ourselves. It is interesting that Mars has also just moved into Aries, on 9 April, as it is very at home in its own sign. Mars in Aries can bring passion, motivation, energy, courage and the capacity for quick, decisive action, helping us to be proactive and trail blazing. However, it can also bring impatience, aggression, anger and the tendency to be too impulsive or hasty. However, sometimes that is exactly what we need – to act without hesitation, on pure instinct, and think about the consequences later!
 
Mars is also sitting right next to Saturn during this Moon, having first activated Neptune on 13 April. The Saturn Neptune conjunction on 20 February, at 0° Aries, was a very important moment that seeded a new cycle, both collectively and personally. This combination can dissolve old karma and any rigid structures that are no longer viable, and can also help us to turn our dreams and visions into something concrete that has the potential to stand the test of time. We are stepping into a new world, and a new version of ourselves, where the old rules no longer apply.  
 
Both Saturn and Neptune are now being activated by Mercury and Mars going through the first few degrees of Aries. First they hit Neptune, the gatekeeper and dreamer that brings the inspiration and guidance from Spirit, then they hit Saturn, which can then create something solid and long lasting, helping us to follow through on the Neptunian dream and turn our ideals into reality. Aries calls for us to contemplate who we are and who we truly want to be. It is the sign of initiative and action. We are not just passively dreaming and fantasising now, it is time to do something about it.
 
During this Moon, Mars is joining forces with Saturn, exact 19 April, which could help us to have the courage to commit to a course of action, and can bring disciplined, focused action. However, Saturn can also call for restraint, holding us back from acting, potentially from fear, or possibly because an external force is blocking us. Saturn also represents authority and, combined with Mars, can bring about controlled, aggressive force with long term consequences. Saturn asks for us to be patient and slow down, assess the situation and to be realistic, waiting until the time is right to act. This combination calls for a proper plan and strategic action, and asks for us to respond intentionally rather than knee jerk reactions. Saturn and Mars can also help us to be brave and start something that we mean to continue and commit to in the long term.  
 
Chiron the Wounded Healer is a very prominent feature during this Moon, as it is sitting right next to the Sun and Moon in Aries. It is quite possible that some core wounds and insecurities could come to the surface to be looked at and healed, and we could be more easily triggered. Chiron in Aries could make us all too aware of where we don’t feel very confident or brave, and can highlight where we have felt wounded or rejected for simply being ourselves. While the Aries part of us wants to start something new, Chiron’s presence could show where we feel raw, scared, exposed, insecure and not ready at all! It is important to honour all the feelings that come up during this time, as they are ultimately a gift, showing us what still needs to be healed and integrated.
 
Mercury has finally moved out of Pisces and is now in direct, candid, open Aries, and is sitting right next to Neptune during this Moon. This is an interesting addition to the energy of this Moon, as it can bring intuitive insights and a sense of being guided, although it may be hard to make sense of it all. We may find ourselves acting on a feeling but not quite being able to explain it, as it may not be “logical” or “rational”. However, it is important to trust our intuition and inner guidance, and to follow our impulses and inner knowing, as we could be planting a seed that may solidify and become more “real”  when Mercury joins Saturn and Mars on 20 April. It may not make sense now, but the conversations we have during this Moon and whatever we imagine and dream up could be very important.  
 
Mercury catches up with Mars and Saturn on 20 April, which could be a more decisive time, with long term consequences. Mercury and Mars in Aries can bring honest, brave, direct, candid conversations that get everything out into the open. Of course, whenever Mars and Aries are involved there is also the potential for anger and heated discussions, as we could get a bit hot under the collar! Saturn calls for us to be realistic in our thinking, and to make a solid, strategic plan of action that we are prepared to follow through with. We could have some very serious conversations that force us to be honest with ourselves and see things as they really are, rather than how we would ideally like them to be.
 
Saturn asks the question “If you start something now, are you willing to commit to following through on it?”, and “it this dream actually possible in real world terms?” Saturn can help us to turn the Neptunian dream into something real, but it also asks for accountability, personal responsibility, commitment and total awareness of the reality of the situation. Mars in Aries helps us to be very brave and follow our impulses, jumping off the proverbial cliff, while Saturn asks us to do it with our eyes wide open, fully aware of what we are getting ourselves into. Mercury and Neptune sow the seeds during the New Moon, and things get more serious, real and intentional around 19/20 April, when we have the potential to bravely commit to a plan. We might have to be very honest with ourselves and others, however, and decide whether the vision is viable.
 
Pluto is very much supporting this Moon, forming harmonious aspects to Mercury, Mars, Saturn and Neptune. This can help bring long term transformation and make choices that can affect us on a deep soul level. Pluto in Aquarius is calling for us to find our tribe, gathering with like-minded souls, building community and making change from a grass roots level. The Saturn/Pluto conjunction of January 2020 seeded a new cycle, and this is the next phase. We are called to be the change that we want to see, because how we act and react makes a difference, rippling out into the world. We are asked to contemplate what we want to build in the long term, and who we want to do it with, and then fully commit to it. This is an important time, and an important Moon, as we have the potential to plant seeds that will sprout, grow and blossom, so it is important to be mindful of the choices and decisions we make during this time.
 
Pluto is also joining forces with Juno, the goddess of long term, committed relationships, also exact on 20 April. This could be an important time for relationships, as we could have honest, open, direct conversations that have a big impact on the trajectory of our relationships, reshaping our commitments at a very deep level. We could be called to be emotionally honest, making important choices and accepting the consequences of those choices. Relationships could deepen or break during this time, and some could be reborn on different terms, as Aquarius calls for freedom, authenticity and an alternative, non-traditional way of being in relationship. The old rules may not apply, so we are asked to find our own, unique way of being in relationship that comes from a very truthful, emotionally honest place.
 
We do have some balance to all this fiery, enthusiastic, energetic Aries energy, with Venus and Ceres both in grounded, earthy Taurus, reminding us to “take time out to smell the roses”. Ceres encourages us to practice self-care, tending to our emotional well-being with a healthy diet and time spent in nature. Venus reminds us that while there may be a lot of turbulence right now, it is important to connect to the beauty that surrounds us, grounding ourselves in the earth. What do we truly value? What helps us to feel safe and secure? How can we become more self-sufficient and self-reliant?
 
Uranus is also in the very last degree of Taurus, getting ready to move into Gemini on 26 April. Taurus rules money, Mother Earth and natural resources, and with Uranus in this powerful degree of Taurus, we could experience a shake-up in this area of life in the next couple of weeks. Uranus can bring breakdowns that lead to breakthroughs, and could bring about a shift in our financial system as it holds the potential to liberate us from old, antiquated ways of operating. This is the last time Uranus will be in Taurus for a long time to come, so it will be interesting to see what happens between now and 26 April, as both Mother Earth and the financial system could be a but more volatile. However, change is needed, and that is Uranus’s  superpower!
 
The Sabian Symbol for this Moon, at 28° Aries, is very interesting indeed: “A large audience confronts the performer who disappointed its expectations”, which Dane Rudyar describes as ”The necessity for mature preparation and self-criticism. Great hopes, excited expectations cannot be sustained. In this symbol the performer is made fully aware of having promised – to the many elements of his own personality as well as perhaps to other human beings – more than he was able to deliver. The issue is how to handle this situation. In one form or another, it is an often recurring situation in the life of an individual person. The manner in which it is met determines the individual’s future possibilities of development and achievement. The individual is not alone concerned, for in a sense mankind as a whole will be affected. What is required, therefore, is an objective inclusiveness of the whole environments; thus a sense of RESPONSIBILITY for what one’s actions will produce in people who have been made to expect significant results.”
 
A very interesting symbol, which seems to give a nod to both Chiron and Saturn, and feels important on both a personal and collective level. This New Moon does feel like it has the potential to seed something important, and the days between the 17 April and 20 April feel significant too. A lot could come up for us, with Chiron potentially triggering our core wounds and insecurities, but it could ultimately be very healing indeed. There is a forward momentum to Aries, especially with Mars currently in Aries, and we could feel like we are being guided down a new path and into a new chapter, although we may not fully understand it yet. We may simply be called to take a leap of faith and commit to the path that is calling us. It may feel scary, and we may not feel ready, and it may bring a lot up to be looked at, but Aries calls for us to feel the fear and do it anyway, reminding us that if we don’t try, we will never know. It’s time to step up and become who we were put on earth to be.
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Picture: The Trapeze, by Henri Achille Zo