New Moon in Aries 2012

The Sun and the Moon are due for their monthly rendezvous on 22nd March at 14.38 GMT.  This time, they meet in the sign of bold and dynamic Aries at 2 degrees 22 minutes.

Even though Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, its leadership quality and its tendency to blaze new trails are unlikely to be unleashed in the usual fashion.  This is due to the fact that its ruler, Mars, is still in its retrograde phase. In addition, Mercury is retrograding in the sign of Aries (not to mention Saturn is also in retrograde, but in Libra).  Therefore, the theme of introspection is interwoven into the message of this new moon.  All in all, we have 4 planetary bodies in an Aries stellium:  Sun, Moon, Mercury and Uranus.  You can still act, be courageous and take risks, but only after the careful consideration of all the available facts. Even so, this may be a bit tricky, especially with Mars, retrograding in Virgo, oppose Neptune (and Chiron), so information could be kept from you. With Saturn trine Neptune, ensure your plans are not too idealistic and make them as practical as possible (with Saturn trine Neptune).

This leads to another sub-theme of this new moon - practicality.  With Mercury and Uranus 'sandwiching' the New Moon, we are encouraged to think outside the box, but with the grand earth trine in Mars, Pluto and Jupiter, we are also urged to keep our plans 'real', down-to-earth and feasible.  Having said that, Mercury conjunct Uranus can help us extend our mind and breakdown the 'I can't do it' barrier.  With Jupiter conjunct Venus in Taurus, we are reminded of our own beliefs and values.  So do what you can within your own physical limits and personal beliefs.  The nodal axis square the Mars-Neptune opposition would like us to think and move beyond our comfort zone without stepping into muddy territory.  If in doubt, ask, check, double check, triple check.

Image: pixtawan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Full Moon in Virgo 2012

The moon is under full illumination on 8th March at 9.41am (GMT).  Full Moons are culmination points and great times to adjust your plans and review your New Moon wishes.  

With the Sun in Pisces and the Moon in Virgo (at 18 degrees 13 minutes), we face the need to balance the polarity between these two mutable signs.  How can we make practical use of our spiritual pursuits?  What spiritual teachings can be readily immersed into our everyday living?  James Redfield's 'Celestine Prophecy' comes to mind.  In particular, in his sequel, 'The Tenth Insight', he mentions the need to 'hold the vision' of our spiritual thoughts/teachings and apply them into our mundane lives.  

Easier said than done.  

Initially, I found it next to impossible to have compassion and be non-judgmental when come face-to-face with unsavory souls.  I personally have quite a number of natal oppositions between Pisces-Virgo so I know one of the my life missions is to balance out being spiritual without losing my groundedness.  As Teihard de Chardin said, 'We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.  We are spiritual beings having a human experience.'  The way I see it, we have incarnated onto the physical plane so we are required to satisfy our practical means first, e.g. food to eat, place of shelter.  However, spiritual teachings can support us mortals, making our 'human' journey easier to understand and tolerate.

Being practical and spiritual are just as important as one another.  This theme is further reinforced by Neptune (modern ruler of Pisces) in Pisces trine Saturn in Libra (out-of sign).  Injecting compassion into our social interactions may require some extra effort but it's worth taking that extra step to iron-out individual differences and to understand where the other person is coming from.

In addition, we have Pisces' traditional ruler, Jupiter, in Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn.  We are urge to be realistic with releasing past hurts and burdens.  Do what you can manage at this point in time.  With Mercury in Aries, we may get impatient and push ourselves too far, but Mercury is gradually slowing down its pace as it approaches its retrograde motion on 12th March.  Keep the motivational energy within you but consider tapping into the grand earth trine among Jupiter, Pluto and Mars (which is in retrograde and in mutual reception with Mercury).  Try your best but be realistic with your goals. 

This full moon conjunct my North Node and makes various aspects to my outer planets so this is likely to be a time to get pushed outside my comfort zone.  I can already feel it!

Image: Exsodus / FreeDigitalPhotos.net