New Moon, New Beginnings, New Opportunities
Tonight, the new moon, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Chiron are all in Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac. Every new moon is a chance at a fresh start, but the new moon in the sign that rules beginnings provides you with exceptionally powerful opportunities. Factor in all those delightful other celestial bodies and the possibilities are practically limitless.
Can you see them?
I can.
It starts with your hopes and dreams, your vision and intentions.
Then you consult the stars, your ancestors and other guides, and go from there.
The Spirit of Aries
Welcome to the Aries new moon and the beginning of the second fiscal quarter. Of course, all new moons represent opportunities for fresh starts, the key is knowing which opportunity take. And making peace with it. The fiery, forceful, first new moon of spring is always a harbinger of active new beginnings. Exceptionally busy ones. But this new moon is much more so, probably more than ever before, as our world is significantly different than it was a year ago. Sometimes you have more options and opportunities than others; usually you have more than you realize. Let’s take a look at what this particularly bombastic new moon has to offer.
As Aries rules aspects of your identity, one overarching theme of this new moon is exploring and expanding your understanding of yourself as a soul. What gifts did you come here to share with the world? What are your life lessons and personal liabilities? How are they related, and how do you feel about them? Are they integrated within you? Where are you totally connected to yourself and where do you need support? Our current transits as well as current global and local events are your very own engraved, hand-delivered invitation from the Universe to put your material plane and spiritual plane support teams on notice and step off whatever cliff you've been clinging to or lingering on.
Each sign governs a broad realm of qualities and characteristics, experiences, people, places and things. A masculine, cardinal, fire sign—and ruled by Mars—the realm of Aries is strong and fierce, brave, and bold. Aries can be counted on to lead any charge. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries rules the developmental-age range of conception to two-years-old. On a bad day, Aries is self-oriented and self-absorbed—it is not known for being self-or situation-aware. Like its constellation, the ram, Aries is famous for throwing itself up against things it can break with its hard, hard head—or at least bend to its iron will.
But on a good day, Aries has all the intrepid zeal of trailblazers, immigrants and pioneers: those who are absolutely certain that what they are leaving for is infinitely better than what they are leaving behind. Aries rules the confidence of a toddler in a superhero costume: eyes wide open, heart full of wonder, fearing nothing, finding joy in every moment, fully cognizant that each one can yield yet another epic discovery.
Let’s make it a good day.
Not an Aries? No worries. Everyone has Aries somewhere in their natal chart. If you don't already know where yours is, now is a good time to find out. And here's why: where Aries lives in your natal chart is where you are brave, fearless, and absolutely hell bent on carrying your karma forward, healing your deepest wounds, and expressing your greatest gifts. Not in a megalomaniacal, narcissistic way; but in a way that demonstrates a healthy grasp of the delicate interplay between Self and other.
The 12-month cycle that begins at the Aries new moon is far more spiritual in nature than the cycle that began at midwinter. During this coming cycle, you are poised to take off, clear out, and clean up whatever your next layer of karma is. A hint: be prepared for something big.
The tricky thing about karma is that there are so many different kinds of it. There is karma with people, places and things; karma with concepts and ideas; with land; with money, wealth and power. Most importantly, now, is karma with souls: groups of souls and individual souls, and with your own soul. The single most important new beginning is with yourself as a soul, and as how you express your soul as an individual human this lifetime.
For this spring and the coming year, give yourself permission to focus on the latter. Take this massive opportunity to fully identify, understand, and release your soul's deepest wound—the things that keep you from integrating the masculine and feminine aspects of your psyche and your soul. For only in full harmony can you express your greatest gifts.
But express them judiciously. While Aries is a powerful agent of exploration, discovery and change, not everything is yours to change, discover, or explore. One of the biggest challenges of this time of year lives in the heart of the Serenity Prayer: changing the things you can, accepting the things you cannot, and knowing the difference. Remember, the answers lie in your faith, not in your intellect or your physical strength. So don’t skimp on your prayers, meditations, and spiritual best practices. Listen, lean in, and rise to the occasion—or at least find some way to start listing in that general direction. And if you get stuck, call me. We’ll figure it out.
Calendar
Below are some of the dates where your opportunities for wizardry, magic, and alchemy will be the greatest.
April 11: New Moon in Aries
April 13: Ramadan starts
April 14: Venus moves into Taurus
April 19: Mercury moves into Taurus; Sun moves into Taurus
April 22: Earth Day
April 23: Mars moves into Cancer
April 26: Lunar Beltane; Full Moon in Scorpio, also known as the Hare Moon, the Pink Moon, the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon, the Egg Moon, the Fish Moon and the Paschal Moon
April 27: Pluto retrogrades in Capricorn
May 1: Beltane
May 3: Mercury moves into Gemini
May 5: Cinco de Mayo; the 24-day Mercury retrograde prelude period begins
May 8: Venus moves into Gemini
May 9: Mother’s Day
May 11: New Moon in Taurus; Ramadan ends
May 13: Jupiter moves into Pisces
Everybody’s natal (birth) chart is different. These differences reflect our individual souls—their journeys and evolution, their triumphs and their tragic flaws. As such, the specific impact of each of the following dates will hit each person differently. But there are some general themes.
Holy days, holidays, and astrological transits are opportunities for us to experience grace. But remember how grace happens: sometimes it comes through discomfort. The gifts aren’t always immediately apparent. All of the days on this list ask you to be more compassionate with yourself and others, to try and be more awake, and to be more open to synchronicity and messages from Spirit. On days when more than one astrological event, holiday or holy day occurs, know that the power of that day will be even more profound. The more events in a day, the more powerful that day is, and the more intentional you should be.
Again, in general, full moons are a good time for ending things, wrapping things up, conclusions, and closure. New moons are opportune times for new beginnings: starting a new chapter of some aspect of your life, tackling a new project, or launching something new. Retrogrades are always about slowing down and paying more attention to aspects of your creative, spiritual, and social lives. The eclipses always reveal; sometimes it is something others have hidden from you, sometimes it is things you have hidden from yourself. Usually, it is a little bit of both. To go deeper, look to the planetary signs and the houses they fall in, and, of course, to your natal chart. Or give me a call. I can help you with that.
Retreats, Rituals, Services, Ceremonies and Journeys
Choosing the best day or days is a very personal thing. You have to feel your way into it. But there are some generic rules that can help you in your decision-making process. Full moons and new moons are considered the best. Holidays and holy days are powerful, as well. Full moons and new moons that occur during or over a period of holidays and holy days are extraordinarily powerful.
Factor in a retrograde or two and you pretty much cannot avoid leveling up and becoming a much more masterful magician. Especially around anything that has to do with your faith, your trust in it, your ability to serve your faith and serve with it. Seriously.
With that in mind, in the next month, the best days for deep, transformational experiences are: April 11, 13-14, 19, 22-23, and 26-27; May 1, 3, 6, 8-9, 11, and 13.
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
The Mystery School Guidebooks
For as long as humans have traveled the earth, we have turned to the cycles and movements of the natural world and celestial bodies to guide us. Over time and across cultures, the art and science of navigation has provided powerful tools to ensure safe passage through the mysterious currents of life's more difficult moments. Now, by combining ancient practices with modern modalities, you can chart smooth and successful routes through the most important journeys of all: the integration of your internal landscapes, your relationships, your spiritual and professional paths.
The Mystery School Guidebooks are the culmination of my 30 years of dedicated research and practice as a business consultant, astrologer, and intuitive. I am currently offering six guidebooks: Mars Retrograde, Level 1 and Level 2; Mercury Retrograde, Level 1 and Level 2; and Venus Retrograde, Level 1 and Level 2, with more in the works. Each one is a magical combination of information and experiential exercises, designed to provide you with the tools that mean the difference between falling prey to your innermost demons—fears, outdated behaviors and belief systems, and long-buried traumas—and discovering, perhaps for the first time, greater joy in relationships, success in career, and increased self-confidence, access, and flow in your personal and spiritual lives.
The next Mercury retrograde starts on May 29th, at 24 degrees Gemini. If you or anyone in your immediate sphere has significant emphasis the sign of Gemini, now is the time to act.