Wendy Cicchetti

An Aquarius New Moon puts us more in touch with our human connection faculties, emphasizing the need to consider others as well as tending to our own needs. Taking care of collective considerations means that we get looked after, too. The group can have a special ability to support us through various trials and tribulations. This is especially accentuated with the New Moon conjunct Mercury, the planet of thought and communication. In myth, Mercury (or Hermes) acts as the winged messenger, able to travel in many different directions, as well as to alight on certain situations and then equally rise above them. This ability to attach and detach can be very useful to us when we work with situations that may take us out of our usual realms — perhaps beyond natural comfort zones. We’ll likely find that we can manage to carry out some tricky tasks for a short period of time, even though we are sure we could not tolerate them for a longer stretch.

This is also a good time to look at our own shadow and strong feelings or bias before leaping into judgment about others, however, it is worth considering the root of these feelings. Quite often, we react to something “out there” which we have forbidden ourselves any potential for experiencing “in here.” Of course, there are many undesirable situations that we would not wish to connect with at all. But it is good to be clear that we are not drawing conclusions or taking actions based on some hidden prejudice. This part of the month could be ideal, therefore, for seeing where our biases may be in operation and for better understanding their origin in our personal or ancestral history.

In spite of any grappling with the shadow self, this is nonetheless a period for optimism, hope, and joy, as indicated by the sextile of the Sun, Moon, and Mercury, to Jupiter. Since Jupiter is in his own sign of Sagittarius, he is what traditional astrologers term as “dignified” or well placed. Here, Jupiter is able to stretch his limbs fully and extend more of the bountiful good that he is famous for. Such a focus can only be helpful in these times that so many people are experiencing as trying or depressing. It might be bold to suggest this, but more positive, uplifting stories may come through the news and social media around this time! Jupiter is, after all, the classic broadcaster of good tidings. Whatever the case, there is a sense of blessings abounding when this planet offers support to the other celestial bodies. Even if a situation seems less than ideal, we still might be able to spot the silver lining that runs through it and lends us a special lifeline.

Uranus, co-ruler of Aquarius, is conjunct Mars, pinpointing a shock element. With both planets in Aries, we can expect some fast and furious developments. Maybe some of these will be needed and prayed for, whilst others may shock or dismay us. Either way, it is as well to remember that wake-up calls are exactly that and may jolt us into a new perspective. But they are also a call to action.

Saturn, the other Aquarius ruler, is conjunct Pluto and sextile Neptune. This outer-planet connectivity is stressing that events have a karmic nature, not just of an individual kind, but also in relation to the effects of decisions and actions of whole groups. We may be caught up in events over which we have little control — and, in some cases, be at the mercy of the results of larger decisions that some of us did not agree with. We may well have “done our part” to try to steer a happy course; however, we must remain patient and tow the Saturnian line while the bigger picture unfolds to reveal our future place within it. Though we may not like every detail of that picture, at least we’ll have the gift of greater clarity.

This article is from the Mountain Astrologer, written by Diana Collis.

PLAN YOUR OWN NEW MOON CEREMONY. Give yourself some quiet time in meditation to see where you need to seed new ways of becoming. List these areas within your life you want to change. What areas do you want to break free from the norm and become more productive and discerning? The NEW MOON is the time to manifest the personal attributes you want to cultivate as well as the tangible things you want to bring to you. Possible phrasing: I now manifest ____ into my life. I am now _______ . Remember, think, envision and feel with as much emotion as possible, as though you already have what you want. Thoughts are things and the brain manifests exactly what you show it in the form of thoughts, visuals and emotions. The Buddha said, and I am paraphrasing, “We are the sum total of our thoughts up to today. ” If we want to be different then we must change our thoughts. “If you always do what you’ve always done then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” CONSCIOUS CHANGE is the key.