Welcome to the 2024 Lunar Imbolc and
the Aquarius New Moon
New Moons are always a time of new beginnings, a time to reset your head and reboot whatever operating systems you are running on. As always, at this time, we look to our ancestors and the natural world for guidance, insight, instruction, and inspiration. But there is a lot more going on this time, so let’s parse it out so we can make the most of the grace and the opportunities we have.
Let’s start with the sign of the season – Aquarius – and the astrological math of the moment. In astrology, each sign embodies the vibrational tone of a particular archetype. And the best time to feel into that is at the New Moon. Generally, the New Moon occurs about once a month, and is considered the herald of new beginnings. Normally, the New Moon falls in the sign in which the Sun is currently residing, and the Full Moon falls in the sign opposite the Sun. Because of this Sun-Moon conjunction, the energy of a sign is the most powerful at the New Moon.
At this time, the energy and the concepts are easier to see, access, understand and – most importantly – integrate. The New Moon will show you the specific tone you want to activate, achieve, and hold over a very short, very focused, and very powerful period of time. Everything comes back to that. In as much as you can, keep things simple. Just keep coming back to that one thing.
As the Moon also rules the heart and the heart chakra, these transits, as well as the beginnings and endings they represent, provide incredible opportunities to heal and open ours. No matter what our natal Sun sign is. No matter what sign the transiting Sun is in.
But there is a lot more going on. Today, the New Moon, the Sun, Mercury, and Pluto, are all in Aquarius: the sign that rules both change, and the humanistic future that change drives us towards. That is kind of a lot. In Aquarius, these planets serve to inspire and impel us to imagine and embrace all that lies just beyond the horizon, all that is or may be possible. Let’s drill down a little deeper on some of the highlights this Aquarius new Moon – and all the other Aquarian transits - have to offer, and how that compounded Aquarian energy creates much bigger opportunities for change than usual.
Humans have always looked to the sky for answers—or at least clues—as to how to better navigate life on earth. Over time, it became clear that there was a relationship between what happens up there and what happens down here. The saying for this, “as above, so below,” is a phrase so old scholars still have not determined its origins with any confidence. How very... Aquarian.
Ruler of astrologers and astrology, the heavens, and the vast reaches of space, Aquarius invites you to look up and out. Aquarius reminds you that whatever change you are trying to create, both within you and with your life, is influenced by your external surroundings and circumstances. It is not enough to imagine a bigger, better world. You have to understand the one you have, and how to change it, first. Aquarius rules logic and rationality, science, higher ideals, as well as the foresight and dedication required to create that brave new world. Extraordinary discipline and focus are required here.
Because of this, the constellation for Aquarius is called the water bearer, and for good reason. The mind, ruled by the air signs, is the bearer of the passions and emotions, ruled by the water signs. Given that, as an air sign, Aquarius rules the process of properly applying mental processes and techniques to appropriately harness the emotions and passions, so they drive us forward in a sustainable way and at a sustainable pace, without dominating the process or the other people in it.
This time of year, when there is so much energy in the sign of Aquarius, we are being called upon to apply the almost limitless powers of our minds to harness the wilder, more untamed aspects of our personalities in order to better integrate them. But this year, with all the other planets joining the Sun and Moon in Aquarius, and with all the other holidays and holy days we have during Aquarius season, there is extraordinary pressure to make the most of the Aquarian energies and archetypes. Let’s take a quick look at them, as well.
It is also Imbolc. The Gregorian Imbolc - also Candlemas - was February 2nd and is the celebration of Saint Brigit and her feast day. Today is the Lunar Imbolc, the celebration of the Celtic Goddess Brigit. The Lunar Imbolc is the first of the three planting festivals that constitute the annual manifestation cycle that is the wheel of the year,. At this time, we can begin to start the actions necessary to achieve the goals, dreams, aspirations, resolutions and intentions we have for 2024. Take some time now to review yours and plant their seeds wisely. Be fearless and thorough because anything is possible now.
The last factor in our astrological math is the Tibetan New Year, and the beginning of the roughly two-week period of the Chinese New Year Celebrations. This year is the Year of the Wood Dragon, which is characterized as being a highly creative year, one that is fueled by an intense intellectual curiosity. It is a time when it is safer and easier to follow our natural, innate inclinations to explore not only the more diverse paths in life, but virtually all of life. This new, more liberating open-mindedness provides you with an opportunity to begin again, especially if you can recommit to using that fixed, steadfast Aquarian energy to maintain a laser focus on creating and following your new path forward.
So that is the rough draft of the astrological math of today’s New Moon. Remember, the archetype of Aquarius is the activist, the reformer. Every sign has a higher octave (the gifts, skills, and talents you came here to share with the world) and a lower octave (the lessons you came here to learn, master, and overcome during the course of this lifetime). The annual touchstones provided by astrological archetypes can be so helpful in anchoring and grounding into whatever the reality of your current moment happens to be, and in determining the best response.
So often, the characteristics and attributes of a sign are the perfect antidote to the challenges of season. And now is one of those times. Your mandate now is to identify those small actions and commit to taking them. If you play your cards right, you can not only make the reality of your daily life look a lot more like your personal Utopian vision, but you can develop new habits, raise your vibration, and make your vision your new normal. Consider making that your intention, say your prayers and invocations, double down, and take your best shot.
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, and some generic wisdom about them:
February 2 – Candlemas; Imbolc
February 4 – Mercury moves into Aquarius
February 9 – Lunar Imbolc; New Moon in Aquarius; Tibetan New Year; Beginning of the Chinese New Year Celebrations: Year of the Wood Dragon
February 12 – Mars moves into Aquarius
February 13 – Mardi Gras
February 14 – Ash Wednesday; St. Valentine’s Day
February 16 – Venus moves into Aquarius
February 18 – Sun moves into Pisces
February 19 – President’s Day observation
February 22 – Mercury moves into Pisces
February 24 – Full Moon in Virgo, also known as the Snow Moon, the Ice Moon, the Hunger Moon, and the Budding Moon
February 25 – End of the Chinese New Year Celebration
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 9 – Mercury moves into Aries
March 10 – New Moon in Pisces; Daylight Savings Time begins
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 must 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 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 February 9, 12-14, 16, 18-19, 22, 24, and March 8-12.