Just a few quick notes on the Aries New Moon that happened earlier today, and what it might tell us about the month ahead. It gives us a line-up of 5 planets in Aries, Pisces rising in Washington, DC, with Neptune in the 12th, and Mercury on the Ascendant, ruling the 3rd, 4th and 7th houses. Jupiter is in the third house. In the USA’s (Sibley) chart, all the Pisces/Aries action is in the 3rd and 4th houses, squaring natal Mercury, with the Sun and Moon conjunct the USA's natal Chiron. For the country, I very much hope this will manifest as a vigorous public discussion on environmental issues. In my post on the Spring Equinox chart, I noted the strong possibility of industrial accidents, particularly involving mining, fracking, or any extraction of resources. There have been three major oil spill accidents in the country in the past week, and it becomes clearer every day that such a discussion is long overdue.

The stellium in Aries in the New Moon chart suggests a time of pioneering attitudes, of accepting challenges and fighting for freedom. Tempers tend to flare, and no one seems to want to back down. The Obama administration will, I think, be having a hell of a time with foreign affairs, and we all will get an opportunity to think about where courage,  strength, and initiative bleed into foolhardiness, willfulness, and unwarranted aggression. When Mercury moves into Aries in a little over a week, we can expect to see an increase in bombastic rhetoric on the world stage. In our personal lives, we can use this time as an opportunity to communicate with honesty and courage.

Two of the closest aspects in the chart are a inconjunct between Saturn and Uranus, and a sesqui-square between Mercury and Saturn. These are very tense, high-anxiety aspects, both involving Saturn in Scorpio. There is a sense of cruelty here — cruelty fueled by rage. You’ll likely see this played out on the world stage, but watch carefully in your own life and notice where you tend to ignore others’ feelings in pursuit of efficiency or in response to fear.

These aspects also suggest scandal and the exposing of secrets, as well as denial, and an inability to accept limits. Many people are going to have a very hard time accepting the boundaries of reality in situations that arise during this time. It’s a “Damn the torpedos! Full speed ahead”  kind of month. While you can use this energy for accomplishments, don’t forget the importance of relationships -- including your relationship with your self. Or, your Self... Emotional needs are likely to be strong, but repressed. Don’t play brinksmanship in relationships — it will probably end up as a lose-lose proposition. Instead, try to find courage and honesty, then use it with insight and kindness to deepen understanding.

“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”
― Pema Chödrön

Yes. Exactly.

There is a Full Moon eclipse coming up later this month that will expand on some of these issues. I”ll post about that next.