New Moon in Gemini 2012

Another New Moon in Gemini on 19th June (16:02 BST), giving us a second chance to deal with the energy delivered by the cosmic twins.  

In the backdrop, we have the Uranus-Pluto square becoming exact on 24th June.  Some astrologers believe that its effect have already been felt as early as last year, but with it forming an exact square this month, it will be interesting to observe what the 'earthy reflection' of this potent aspect will be.  Could it be rioters elevating their demonstrations ('Occupy Wall Street' style) to a higher level, displaying their anger, hatred and distrust (Uranus in Aries) against those in authoritative roles in the government or financial institutes (Pluto in Capricorn).  We also have the Euro Crisis on the table, with a number of countries begging for a bailout from the EU.  Whatever the outcome, it will have a rippling effect on the rest of the world, so noone escapes this unscathed, though it is a matter of getting a slight bruise, or a stab in the stomach.

On that 'cheerful' note, how can we make the most of the Gemini New Moon this month?

Neptune in Pisces square the nodal axis is urging us to have trust in the Universe and practise the art of surrender.  There is only so much we can do before we admit to ourselves that there are times when the situation is simply beyond our control, so the last thing you can do is just give it all to the Universe and ask for its intervention.  Surrender and release.

On an individual level, with an array of planets in the air sign of Gemini (New Moon at 28 degrees 43 minutes, Venus retrograding in Gemini conjunct the South Node and Jupiter), we are called to give our belief system a big spring clean and ask ourselves what we really value in our lives.  Some of us may get fed up with the global difficulty we are all in and get tempted to look for short-cuts (tapping into the shadow sides of Gemini, e.g. trickery).  Unfortunately, with Mars in Virgo and Saturn in Libra, square and trine the new moon respectively, along with Pluto in retrograde quincunx Venus in retrograde, we are asked to keep our integrity intact and work through our issues by playing fairly.  Why not use the flexibility of Gemini to find alternative routes out of your situation instead?

NB:  I would like to say a special thanks to all of you for taking the time to read my blog and giving me feedback.  Unfortunately, I'm finding it difficult to reply to every single post so I apologise in advance if I don't get to answer your comment.  Feel free to hop in and respond to other posters' astrological questions if you feel inspired to do so.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

New Moon in Taurus 2012

New Moons give us fertile grounds to sow seeds; to throw our wishes out to the Universe.  What's the energy pattern like astrologically during the New Moon in Taurus (at 1 degree 35 minutes) on 21st April 2012?

With the New Moon falling in the earth sign of Taurus, practical concerns, financial matters and sensual pleasures are highlighted, so planting your wishes surrounding these issues aptly correspond to this Taurean New Moon energy.

Though not in aspect to the New Moon, Jupiter is also in Taurus, thus amplifying the Taurean energy somewhat, bringing a sense of joy and abundance to the picture.  The New Moon is oppose Saturn, retrograding in Libra (though it is an out-of-sign aspect).  Sign-wise, it is a quincunx.  The point worth noting here is that both the New Moon and Saturn are Venus-ruled so an understanding can be achieved by tapping into the Venusian energy.  With Taurus-Libra, we have two different ways of expressing our Venusian qualities.  Taurus is concerned with the physical world, the body and the senses, whereas Libra is concerned with relating and interactions.  This New Moon is also part of an earth grand trine with Mars in Virgo (now going direct) and Pluto in Capricorn (in retrograde).  'Tread carefully' seems to be the theme here with the Taurus New Moon wanting a new beginning on a practical matter, encouraged by the trine from Mars, thinking that enough planning has been achieved (Mars in Virgo), and just as long as steady progress is maintained, all will be well. However, Mars continues to oppose the Neptune/Chiron conjunction, so there could be unknown factors at play.  If it's concerning a personal development project, e.g. building your self-esteem or reshuffling your beliefs and values, then go easy and ask yourself if you are ready to confront your demons (Pluto in the grand trine in retrograde).  Do what you feel comfortable at this point.  Venus in Gemini balances the two opposing sides (New Moon in Taurus versus Saturn in Libra) by injecting a breath of air.  Be flexible with your thinking and express your desires verbally.  Lighten up, don't take negative comments to heart.

With Mercury (now direct) conjunct Uranus in Aries, both trine the North Node in Sagittarius, it is tempting to think big and wild, but both are Mars-ruled, and with it in Virgo, focus on the smaller steps in achieving your goals.  It is well enough to have a plan but to implement it requires astute research and planning.  In addition, the Mercury-Uranus conjunction is square Pluto so take it easy and be true to yourself - how much can you really take on?  Don't open a can of worms with no contingency plans.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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.

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New Moon in Pisces 2012

It's that time of the month again - wishing time!

On 21st February 22.35pm GMT, we have a New Moon at 2° Pisces 42'.  Neptune, in its ruling sign Pisces, conjunct this New Moon tightly, accentuating the theme of spiritualism.  In addition, we have Chiron conjunct this New Moon, thus the whole package becomes a new beginning on spiritual healing.  

With the Sun, Moon, Neptune, Chiron and Mercury all in compassionate Pisces, this gentle New Moon in Pisces provides the perfect nurturing ground to plant your seeds relating to issues of forgiveness, acceptance and tolerance.  Is there someone you have been harbouring bitterness, anger or grudges towards?  This is the perfect time to let go and allow the Universe to infuse and cleanse you with some unconditional love.  Forgiving the other person is about releasing yourself from the grip of the situation - you are forgiving the person involved, not the action committed (paraphrasing Doreen Virtue's spiritual teaching).  If you can take one step further and forgive their actions too, then even better.

However, with Mercury in Pisces oppose Mars retrograding in Mars and Mercury in a T-Square with the nodal axis, it might be easier to think rather than act.  Your mind is likely to be full of spiritual thoughts but not have the motivation to do anything about them, thus this is also a good time to do internal work, e.g. meditation, introspection, retreats.  On the other hand, the Piscean energy can either bring confusion or inspiration to the mind, clouding your thinking processes or imbuing you with plenty of imagination and creativity.

This New Moon trine Saturn and sextile Jupiter, bringing plenty of opportunities to manifest any realistic and practical goals set under this New Moon.  With Jupiter oppose Saturn though, as optimistic as you may feel, the process of letting go and releasing your problems to the Universe can open up cans of worms in your relationships with others, and you may find it a struggle to forgive and forget.

I have this New Moon tightly conjunct my Mars and sextile my MC - time to plan for my next step in my career....

Where is this New Moon in your chart?  How is it interacting with your own chart?

Image: Just2shutter / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Welcoming the Aquarius New Moon, T-Square and all, with open arms

This afternoon, I received the shocking news of the demise of a relative.  My heart goes out to her family at this time.  May you rest in peace.

Every time when I hear of such losses, particularly of people I had personally interacted with, however transient, it feels as if the Universe is giving me a hard slap on the face, saying 'Life is too short, ANYTHING can happen.  Do what you need to do before it's too late.'

Today, even before hearing this piece of sad news, I felt like I was being trapped in a pressure cooker.  Well, transiting Mercury is exactly square my Pluto and transiting Sun is now exactly oppose my Jupiter.  

My poor Jupiter in Cancer, hiding away in the 12th house.  It wants to stay there, but it's being pushed and shoved about by the current Jupiter-Saturn opposition and soon the Aquarius New Moon will march right across it, hands on hips.  This afternoon, I suddenly realised that one of the personal influences this opposition has on me is to balance the need to distribute my time.  With the Jupiter-Saturn opposition falling in my 3rd/4th house cusp and 9th/10th cusp, I want to retreat into the safety of my home but I need to be 'out there' as culturally expected of me during this festive season (imagine feeling the need to isolate oneself during Christmas!).  But to be fair, I do want to be out there too (it is an opposition after all, so one does tend to flit from one side to the other).   As they're both ruled by Venus, I should balance both sides as amicably as possible and not allow my fiery Mercury in Aries to run amok - it won't because it's trapped deep down in my 8th house, it'll just seethe with anger, keeping the irritation boiling at the bottom of my psyche.  Luckily, transiting Mars is slowing down, getting ready for its retrograde on Tuesday 24th.  That sounds great to me.  Switch down a gear, slowly does it...

How are you feeling as we approach the Aquarius New Moon?

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

New Moon in Aquarius 2012

Time to get down on your knees and pray - we have a New Moon in Aquarius on 23rd January, which coincides with the first day of the Chinese New Year in 2012 - Year of the Dragon.

This New Moon falls on 2 degrees 42 minutes Aquarius.  Pinpoint this in your chart to see which area of your life is being highlighted and make your wish accordingly.  Embellish it further by finding Uranus in your chart (as Uranus rules Aquarius), and the 11th house (Aquarius' natural home), which is associated with friends, community groups, charities, long term wishes and goals.

The Jupiter-Saturn opposition forms a T-Square with this New Moon in fixed signs.  The challenge here is to balance the need to make your plans practical and achievable yet still supporting your heart's desires and personal beliefs. Interestingly, Jupiter in Taurus and Saturn in Libra are both ruled by Venus.  Harmony is the ultimate aim of any opposition/T-Square, but here, the Love Goddess has made herself present in this tug of war, wanting the two giant planets to see each other's point of view and to focus on society as a whole (Aquarius New Moon being the apex planet).

Mars in Virgo goes retrograde the next day, which helps us to be even more thorough and methodical in our actions, and to go through any small print with a fine-toothed comb before commitment.

Mercury entering Aquarius on 27th January continues the humanitarian theme from the Aquarian New Moon, inspiring the mind to wander into unexplored terrains for a worthy cause.

So to sum up, whatever your wish might be, make it realistic, adopt an optimistic outlook, be open to new ideas and think outside the box.  Take the focus off 'me' and concentrate on reaching out to the masses by connecting with the 'group mind'.

From the perspective of Chinese astrology, the word 'expression' colours the first day of this Lunar New Year where people are generally more expressive with their hostile thoughts and feelings, e.g. public demonstrations, debates.  There is a slight melancholic tone where people review the previous year and arrive at the conclusion that they have underachieved, despite having exerted a lot of effort towards their goals. This is especially relevant for the younger generations and employees.  2012 is a wood year (but with Water Dragon) representing growth and learning.  However, this comes at a price - competition.  Wood and water are very strong in 2012 so wood- and water-related industries will prosper, e.g. education, fashion, transportation.  Fire industry may not do as well in comparison, e.g. IT, electronics.  I want to thank my friend Jason for his Chinese astrology input.

So where is this Aquarius New Moon in your chart?  What aspects does it make with your other planets?

Wish Upon a New Moon....

I always consider new moons to be our monthly chances to touch base with nature, as new moons are favourable times for making fresh starts, for pondering on your heart's desires and reporting them to the Universe for manifestations (if they are for the highest good).

Making wishes corresponding to the sign of the new moon can be particularly powerful, as discussed in  Jan Spiller's 'New Moon Astrology', where she listed, in detail, wish topics for each sign in order to maximise this lunar energy. She also identified transiting Sun travelling in the 11th house (using Placidus house system) as a potent period to send your annual wish list to the Universe.  For me, it is when transiting Sun is in Gemini.

Satori (http://www.elsaelsa.com/astrology/2012/01/01/the-new-years-sun-in-capricorn/#comments) also discussed having transiting Sun conjunct your natal Moon as another fortuitous time to set your intentions.  This puts mine towards the end of May, in the sign of Taurus.

When and where are your personal new moons?  What will you wish for?

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net