A Metamorphic New Moon

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This is a New MOON of transformation, of metamorphosis, it's a moon that initiates a cycle of closure. It begins at the end (PISCES) and immediately changes into a beginning (ARIES).

The MOON is new at 5:10am Pacific time on March 17 at 26 degrees PISCES and just 6 hours later it enters ARIES, right after MARS (our will and battery pack) finishes up its 7 week stint in SAGITTARIUS and enters CAPRICORN.

Romanian, Wallachian (Aries) photo by Ulrich Iffland

This is a MOON that is waking us from slumber and immediately tosses us into the ring, gloves on. ARIES sparks us into action, yet at this New MOON we enter the MERCURY station as it prepares to turn retrograde, joining JUPITER who is also newly retrograde in SCORPIO.

The M retrogrades this year are all in fire and this one is in ARIES. It will be retrograde from March 22 until April 15 (our next New MOON) and won’t be out of the station (meaning it slows way down) until April 25 which is when the caution signs come down for major purchases and major decisions.

Mercury (Hg) from pintrest.com

MARS is our planet of getting things done, and the sign it's in tells how we go about it. MARS is very happy in CAPRICORN, in traditional astrology it is considered to be exalted. Every placing has its strengths and weaknesses, but indeed MARS in CAP is built to succeed. One foot in front of the other, steadily, with ambition and focus, will bear fruit. But there is more to the story as any planet traveling through CAPRICORN these days joins SATURN and PLUTO, two of “the heavies”. SATURN rules CAP and is always pressing us to work hard and do the right thing, and PLUTO is the lord of the underworld who is ceaselessly pushing us to our edges, into our weaknesses to promote powerful emotional growth. With MARS there things get heated up. MARS, who rules ARIES increases our ire, our reactivity, our aggressiveness and our passion. MARS in CAP will bring this to SATURN and PLUTO over the next 2 months, and indeed, this trifecta will be bulldozing our path as we prepare for a giant shift of energy that will happen the day MARS enters AQUARIUS, on the same day that URANUS entering TAURUS on May 15 (also a New MOON).

Image from Tenebrae on fb

With both MOON and MARS at the zero degree point of cardinal signs, a natural and very powerful square is formed. All aspects are contacts between two energies that need to find a way to work together. This is more harmonious for some combinations that others. Both ARIES and CAPRICORN have horns, and are not afraid to use them. Both signs are leaders but while ARIES is notoriously hot headed, CAP is known for keeping its patient and strategic cool, long after others have lost theirs. But both signs love dynamic challenges and forward motion, are independent and self-reliant.

Working together, CAPRICORN can teach ARIES to not jump impatiently into something, rather to evaluate the situation and make a timely move. MARS in CAPRICORN has self-discipline in spades and can help stabilize the ARIES MOON (and soon SUN) in this way, while ARIES can infuse the colder, doubtful, inert CAPRICORN with self-assurance and optimism to blast through any obstacles that appear.

Vintage United travel poster

Both signs can be pushy and self-centered, which up to a point can “get shit done”, but after that point can be pretty tiresome qualities. Let’s learn from both of these archetypes and strive to take the best from each while keeping a eye on the lesser savory tendencies they can inspire in us.

Bottom line is this: It's time to bust a move, but in a way that we are utilizing all this fire and earth in a practical way to accomplish tasks. Use the upcoming MERCURY retrograde wisely to go over all the details of a new plan and get all your ducks in a row for a proper launch in late April.

Art by Yoann Lossel

As MERCURY has been traveling with VENUS since late February and initiates this retrograde still in close quarters together, this is a time to reevaluate your relationships, including the one with yourself. Are you getting enough alone time? Are you cultivating your own unique interests and taking the time to let there be enough breathing room between you are your partner? And most importantly, are you communicating clearly about what your needs are?

Don't expect anyone to read your mind. Speak it. This is a ‘self’ centered time, and not necessarily in a bad way. It's the strong me that feeds a strong we. This is the best way to use this cycle, keeping in mind the above… that the CAP ARIES squares can make us pushy and self-centered if used in excess and not effectively tempered or grounded.

3porchfarm on ig

This New MOON is conjunct to CHIRON at the end of it's 7 year stay in PISCES and trine to JUPITER retrograde in SCORPIO. This MOON is very much highlighting those lessons of wounding around over giving, of not being able to defend or protect self from parasites, of seeing suffering as noble, and of escapist tendencies in the face of suffering. The JUPITER in SCORPIO contribution is to see our wounds, to see where we are weak and are suffering and in response to grow and to heal and become strong in order to be able to help heal others suffering from similar wounds, which ties into CHIRON's destiny as master of his unhealable wound.

Rhine Maidens by Arthur Rackham

This is also a ST. PATRICK’s DAY New MOON, which nowadays is touted as the successful removal of the snakes from Ireland. Well, any myth that has a snake, or a dragon in it is referring to the ancient Goddess cultures and when the story has a hero slaying a dragon or besting a bunch of snakes, it is referring to when Christianity displaced (often forcibly) the old religion of the Pagans who revered the Goddess in her myriad of forms.

I like to call this day “Reclaiming the Snakes Day”! As I’ve said before, there is plenty of love for all the gods and goddesses, old and new.

Tumblr, snakeswithhats

After the annual melting down of the year in PISCES, we begin to ignite our fires for the VERNAL EQUINOX on MARCH 20 at 9:16am Pacific time.

It's time to ignite our own inner fire and enter into the peak cardinal seasons of SPRING in the north and AUTUMN in the south. When the seasons change it's a good time to take immuno-tonics such as reishi and astragalus.

Both are great in soups. Both equinoxes are traditionally celebrated with fire ceremonies, so bring some fire into your day/evening.

I love to light a bunch of tea-light candles on my altar and to burn some copal incense to clear out any stagnant energy floating around and invite in the new, the clean, and the fresh.

It's a New MOON, new MARS, and new holy day (equinox), all in a 3 day period. The number 3 has long been sacred to the Goddess as the tri phase MOON clearly shows, so enjoy this portal of change and transformation and embrace the cardinal energies to spark the renewal of the zodiacal year.