The Second Aries New Moon of 2023: Big Moon, Big Deal, Big New Beginnings
About every 2 ½ years, we have a moment like this – where there are 2 new moons in either 1 zodiac sign or 1 28-day period. Now is one of those times, so stop moving and look up. I know, Aries rules rapid, direct, and decisive forward motion, and slowing down right now can be difficult must less stopping. But stop moving - just for a moment. Be present for this. There are few things it would behoove you to sort through. Especially because this one is happening at 29 degrees. Known as the anarectic degree, it is the most powerful degree of each sign because it is the last degree of each sign. So, off we go!
One of them is just knowing how to language this, especially given that some of your friends and colleagues may be using different terminology. Some call it a Blue Moon. Some call it a Black Moon. Some call it a Double Moon. Still others call it a Double New Moon. Maybe it’s just the Literature Major in me, but I find this fascinating. Don’t get hung up on this part, baby, this is geek territory. Find the one that works best for you and leave the rest for the academics and the astrological historians: all these names are currently the subject of much academic debate Precision is good but remember your Shakespeare: a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. The most important thing is that any new moon is a new opportunity. It is your very own personal cosmic do-over.
Here is where some of the more sophisticated astrological math comes in. The transit that rules new beginnings is the new moon. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is the sign that is the absolute, undeniable ruler of fresh starts and new beginnings. When you have a transit about new beginnings in the sign of new beginnings, there are always exceptionally powerful opportunities here. Stop and be present with them. And if you cannot stop moving, at least slow down. Because if that weren’t enough, we have two new moons this year in Aries, and we are now in the middle of the second one.
This gives a second shot at your soul’s priorities. Take a deep breath and ground yourself. Ask your guides, guardians, angels, and ancestors to give you the eyes to see the grace, the ears to hear it, and the strength to open to all that is possible. Then look around and see what opportunities your world is presenting to you, in whatever you have manifested. And then parse it out. Sometimes you have more options and opportunities than others, Usually, you have more than you realize. The good news is that Aries makes your ability to see them – and to put a singular focus on only the best ones – sharp and acute. Very sharp and acute.
And if things are not as clear as you would like them to be, I have good news for you. Very good news. Today is also the first of two eclipses we will experience this spring.
An interplay of shadows and light, the eclipses always bring new data. They show us what has been hidden from us. There are a couple of categories here to explore in your prayer and meditations, rituals, and ceremonies. The first is that sometimes things are deliberately hidden from us by others: sometimes out of some less than savory intention, sometimes because they think they are helping or protecting us, and sometimes simply because of fear.
The most important thing to remember about any set of revelations is that it all begins and ends with us. Others cannot deceive us unless we allow them to, so there is a certain degree of insight and growth around personal responsibility and ways of being. Aries – ruler of the sovereign self – will help with that. And along the way, remind yourself that the primary purpose of the eclipses is to reveal data, dynamics, and information that is for your betterment and benefit. The eclipses mean we can see more clearly than ever how we got where we are, and what we must shift in order to get more of what we want. What happens now is, in some way, an answered prayer.
Because if that wasn’t enough, we have a Mercury retrograde - exclusively in Taurus – starting in just a mere matter of days. The eclipses reveal; the retrogrades enlighten. The two of them together invite us to step back and use a much, much wider-angle lens. This combination empowers us to see more, to connect the dots better, to learn faster and to show up differently. When eclipses happen with a retrograde, your lens gets real wide real fast, sometimes faster than you are ready for. So again, pace yourself, and ask for help when you need it. Seriously.
Because when these things happen at a double new moon, and eclipse and a retrograde - we get the big picture, in exquisite detail, ready or not. Regardless of our personal specificities, the generic point of this little astrological and astronomical exercise is the same: making more out of our daily opportunities as they present themselves. And that happens by recommitting to the arts of magic and alchemy: turning the baser, more boring, and more banal elements of our lives into something more beautiful and valuable.
Again, although Aries is the sign most associated with putting the proverbial brick on the gas pedal, don’t. I know it’s tempting. But the Mercury retrograde asks you to do the opposite. Especially as it is in Taurus, the sign of slow-and-steady-wins-the-race, where Uranus and the North Node are currently transiting, and where the Sun is about to be. In as much as you can, keep things simple, basic, and focused. Don’t overthink things, the world is complicated enough. Ask your guides, guardians, angels, and ancestors for help, and then look for the synchronicities. And if you get stuck, and if you get stuck, call me.
We’ll figure it out.
Calendar
In the interim, here are some dates to be mindful of (especially around synchronicities):
April 19 – New Moon in Aries; Hybrid Solar Eclipse
April 20 – Sun moves into Taurus
April 21 –Eid ul Fitr (Ramadan ends)
April 22 – Earth Day; Mercury retrogrades at 15° Taurus
May 1 – Beltane
May 2 – Pluto retrogrades at 0° Aquarius
May 5 – Lunar Beltane, Full Moon in Scorpio: also known as the Flower, the Milk Moon, the Dyad Moon, and the Corn Planting Moon; Appulse Lunar Eclipse; the 14-day Eclipse shadow period begins
May 7 – Venus moves into Cancer
May 14 – Mother’s Day
May 15 – Mercury goes direct at 5° Taurus; the Mercury retrograde 24-day shadow period begins
May 16 – Jupiter moves into Taurus
May 19 – New Moon in Taurus
May 20 – Mars moves into Leo; the 14-day Eclipse shadow period ends
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 for your event 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 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, your best days in the next month for deep, transformational experiences are the following: April 19-23, 27; May 1, 5, 7, 12, 14, 16, and 19-21.