New Moon in Aquarius – Ready to Pounce?

Shifting energy is a big theme at this Aquarius New Moon (February 1st at 06:46 CET) – there is quite a lot of potential for change in the air in a way that feels more positive than we’ve experienced for a while. Accompanying the New Moon is the hopeful energy of Imbolc signifying the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox – enjoy the bright Snowdrops and tiny Crocuses emerging from the dullness around this time!

This new moon (typically the second one of the Gregorian calendar year) is always significant because it starts the Lunar New Year in South East Asian traditions. The calendar date is purely coincidental yet highly symbolic.

Happy Year of the Tiger!

This is the Year of the Water Tiger, symbolising a spirit of adventure, joie de vivre, courage, strength, and determination. If your age during the year ahead is a multiple of 12, that’s your vibe too!

Since the East Asian astrological system is based on the 12-year Jupiter cycle, reflect on what kind of energy you experienced 12 (or 24, or 36…) years ago to get an idea of the overall tone for your year ahead.

It’s worth noting that the (astrological) Tiger also has a reputation for being impulsive and unpredictable, and commitments and plans may not pan out over the long term. In keeping with the rest of the current astrology as I see it, adaptability, non-attachment to form, and a high degree of responsiveness are the best tactics to navigate the coming year.

There is a strong and more uplifting new cycle of energy beginning now

Once Mercury moves forward (from February 4th, after its three-week retrograde) ALL planets will be moving forward until the end of April. This gives us a rare, three month window of accelerated progress towards something new and more hopeful, and things will come together more gracefully than they have over the past few months. Make the most of it while it lasts!

As Mercury is stationing direct in a close alignment with Pluto, hidden, disturbing, or secret information involving the media, politicians, and the super-rich and powerful can come to light this week. In our individual experience this might involve discovering or revealing unconscious aspects of ourselves, our fears, and our relationship to power that need to be exposed for us to face them.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

James Baldwin

Still, the rain on our parade right now can come from Saturn, which is very close to this New Moon. Collectively, Aquarius signifies our group experience, society in general, and innovation and technology. Saturn symbolises restriction, delay, constraints and issues with authorities. Because it rules Aquarius (as well as Capricorn) it also lords over this New Moon from a position of strength in its own sign. Saturn’s annual exact conjunction with the Sun (which is considered weak in Aquarius) on February 4th magnifies this impact.

On the plus side (there is always a plus side!), Saturn will help us get serious and structure the way forward in the areas we want to advance.

Mars, symbol of action and drive, is currently very strong in Capricorn, where it gives us the fortitude to make the necessary efforts to progress and take responsibility. Venus is moving direct since January 29th, bringing us forward in this same area, adding an element of cooperation and harmony to support our ambitions. This concentrated energy for progress towards a goal is most welcome after these last 6 weeks of scattered and unproductive action as Venus was retrograde in Capricorn and Mars in Sagittarius was dashing all over the place.

A lot of energy continues to be concentrated in the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius until the beginning of March. These are the areas of your life where you have been strongly pushed to make changes and bring your way of living up to date since last November. This has actually been a background pressure for years already, so you already know about it but might not have wanted to deal seriously with it until now.

Since this moon is also in a challenging (square) aspect to Uranus (considered the modern ruler of Aquarius), there is likely to be an element of unpredictable and/or innovative release to whatever is happening this week, and over the course of the month ahead. It can help to focus on learning through (and acting upon!) inspiration rather than by pushing and struggling your way to what you think you want.

Knowing when to hold on and when to let go is the key to the month ahead!

I’m counting on Uranus to shake things up in ways that create new collective and personal opportunities to get unstuck from the various quagmires we’re all in now. Despite its modern New Age associations, Aquarius is rational and objective and this new moon will be excellent for making changes, taking action on something that needs to move in a new direction. Revolutionary Uranus will be the stronger force in its already year-long tension with conservative Saturn, so pivoting and adapting will be favoured over staying with what has already been done.

Timing is everything – Indian tradition teaches that it’s better to strategise at the new moon and put things in motion once the sliver of the crescent moon appears in the sky 2-3 days later. I used to think this was pure superstition, but after a decade of timing things in my own experience I find this to be quite powerful – crouching before pouncing, if you will.

This New Moon is also known as Mauni Amavasya (the New Moon of Silence) and is occurring in Shravana Nakshatra (the Indian lunar mansion which is symbolised by an ear – Listen! Listen!) so you can practice listening quietly and keeping silence as a way to intuit your path forward.

With much love and light as always,
Susan

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