The New Moon in Aquarius on January 21st is the first New Moon of the year. It marks the beginning of a new series of blog posts for me, as I’ve decided to expand my monthly lunation reports to include the New Moon. The first New Moon of the year takes its name from its Full Moon counterpart, so this New Moon is the ‘New Snow Moon’. It’s also the second new Moon of the winter season, as the previous New Moon occurred after the winter solstice. I don’t know about you, but I get some lunar comfort from astrology following the old pattern of the seasons.
In this post, I’m going to follow the method I’ve used in my Full Moon posts, so I’ll be looking at the New Moon chart to identify what the New Moon will be seeding over the next few weeks. Although we are in the depths of winter, astrological seasons allow new life to be planted at any time – and the time to plant for a successful harvest is at the time of the New Moon. So, as we are at the beginning of a New Year, this may be the time to start thinking about the things you wish to sow – and reap – in the course of the next few months.
New Moon in Aquarius: The Essentials
New Moons often represent a new beginning. I mentioned above about the New Moon representing a seeding time – and that may be true in both and active and a passive sense. Active seeding is concerned with identifying those ideas that you feel are worth pursuing in the longer term as they may have an impact on your life in a beneficial way. So, you may start something that grows into something worth having in your life.
That may include getting rid of bad habits or behaviours that are not allowing you to progress or become your best self. If we look at the active impact of the New Moon, events may force you to start afresh, re-examine your responses to life’s inevitable challenges or assess whether or not your current situation is the most comfortable place to be. The darkness of the New Moon forces us to look within; there is no light to distract us from the process of contemplation – or brain storming at a deep level.
This is especially relevant with the New Moon in Aquarius. It’s the first New Moon following the New Year. Resolutions, aims and goals are always fresh in the mind at this time of year. This is entirely in keeping with the message of the Uranus-ruled sign, so we can tune into this energy with the greatest of ease. However, whether we use it to our best advantage is another matter. For those with the Moon in the sign of the New Moon – or with planets and points in aspect to it – you may sense a need to address some issues with clarity and honesty.
The Moon is passive and works at a subconscious level. Often, when the Moon is in this sign, the first thing we notice is a feeling of unease, as if we should be doing something – but we’re not quite sure what that ‘something’ is. To work with the energy of a lunation – and that’s any lunation (both the New Moon and the Full Moon) we need to become conscious of how it affects us – and how the dynamics of each individual lunation are going to work. And to do that, we need to look at the lunation chart…
New Moon in Aquarius: The Chart
So, what does the lunation chart tell us about this particular New Moon in Aquarius? The New Moon trines Mars (now stationed direct in Gemini) and makes a sextile aspect to Jupiter in Aries. So, there’s an active and volatile quality to this New Moon – especially with Mars and Aries both emphasised. The trine/sextile aspects also show ease of movement. There is also speed, directness, flexibility and adaptability. Whatever the universe has planned for this lunation, there is nothing going to get in the way.
However, there’s another aspect that’s really intense – and that’s the conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn. Pluto is nearing the end of its long stay in Capricorn and will make its first ingress in to Aquarius on March 24th. That’s going to be a big moment, as Pluto will be crossing over the place where the Great Conjunction occurred in 2020. To have this New Moon take place only a degree apart from the Great Conjunction transforms it into a seriously potent force. Seeds that germinate around this time are going to grow into something huge.
New Moon in Aquarius: The Aspects
So, the overall message that appears to be coming from this New Moon is of new things and new conditions, but in the most deep and transformational sense. If I can frame it in astrological shorthand, There will be no going back (Pluto) from the huge (Jupiter) changes that will be triggered (Mars) around the time of the New Moon. That will be true at a personal level for those of you most affected – because the New Moon makes a meaningful contact with your natal chart or solar return chart – and it will be noticeable in a wider, societal sense too because of the nature of this lunation sign.
New Moon Trine Mars
A trine from the New Moon to Mars is a classic trigger aspect – and it’s made even more so as Mars is stationed direct in Gemini after a lengthy retrograde period in that sign. Mars in Gemini has been with us since August 2022. It’s been marked by arguments, disagreements, mental anguish and rash decisions. I’m sure we can all think of a few examples of those in either our private lives or in public life.
However, as Mars is now stationed direct, its power is extremely concentrated – and its focus is on moving things forwards. So, if there has been a sense of frustration or blockage, Mars is going to enable you to get your head around exactly what it is you need to do to break through those mental barriers. Debates and discussions can move onto another level; concepts and plans become energised, and our mindset – whether it’s personal or collective – becomes focused on the future.
This is an air trine, and with the New Moon being in Aquarius, it’s progressive. This truly emphasises the move into a new spaces, new places and new experiences; things that are obsolete need to be left behind. Of course, the presence of Mars shows that it’s not necessarily going to be an easy process – but there is a sense of inevitability; the time for arguing over which direction to take is over. What may become evident in some cases, is that one side has won the debate. Someone may be a sore loser – but that’s unlikely to change the direction of travel.
New Moon Sextile Jupiter
Sextiles open the door – and when Jupiter is involved, there may be significant opportunities if you choose to walk through. Jupiter is now in Mars-ruled Aries, so – once more – this emhasises the forward motion that appears to be associated with this New Moon. Both Mars and Jupiter are impulsive; there’s a real sense of needing to tackle something that may be overdue, challenging or on a grand scale. Fortunately, expansive Jupiter expands the amount of energy available to tackle a task of that nature.
However, that energy needs to be well-directed. Moon, Jupiter and Mars mixtures can be volatile; while there is ample energy to direct towards even the most demanding of projects, that energy may be difficult to harness – and this is why. It’s a hugely ambitious energy – and massively optimistic – but it’s also given to recklessness and risk-taking. With a sextile, things can often go either way. However, this is a time to take the initiative, so if you’re looking for the courage to do something new and pursue a new challenge (particularly a mental or intellectual one) this energy will support that choice.
There is, as ever, one more thing to think about with this aspect; it really is focused on the future. Aquarius is a future oriented sign and with this New Moon, there is the sense that energy needs to be directed at something major, rather than simply ‘tinkering at the edges’. And that’s because of the presence of the other major player in this lunation’s dynamic mixture. That player is (of course) Pluto – a planet that is not for the faint-hearted. If you see Pluto on the other side of that open door you may want to slam it shut. My advice is simply this. Don’t do that…
New Moon Conjunct Pluto
When the Moon is conjunct Pluto, a drama usually manages to turn into a crisis. However, what is suggested here is not so much a drama – but it is definitely a crisis – and a crisis that needs to be worked at in order to transform a situation that may, ultimately, be destructive – though constructively so. At this point, some of you may be faced with a crisis in your lives – but don’t be alarmed. ‘Crisis’ simply means that a point has been reached where a difficult or far-reaching decision needs to be made – and it’s the kind of decision that may precipitate a turning point.
With Pluto still in Capricorn, this speaks of a decision that is important or long overdue. There is a sense of inexorable change, but it’s change that you need to initiate – or the universe will do that job for you and you may not like the result if it does. So, this New Moon is concerned with being a pro-active agent for change – and being in control of that change – because that’s essential if you’re going to move things forward in the direction that’s best for you.
In the grand scheme of things (and with Jupiter in the mix there is always a grand scheme of things) this is a moment for someone to take charge, take hold of the reins and push ahead – but if that sounds like you – you’ll need to use your sixth sense to map the route. The pressure to get somewhere – anywhere – will be intense, but take heart. This dynamic isn’t just affecting you; right now it’s as if the whole world needs some leadership and a sense of direction. If you can apply that to your own life – then it may enable you to deal more easily with the things that are beyond your control – numerous as they are.
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Sara Shipman 2023
Picture Credit: Image by PayPal.me/FelixMittermeier from Pixabay
