The Aries New Moon Square Pluto – No Pressure!

Lately, the planetary energies haven’t been giving us just little doses of energy -- they’ve been giving us a veritable feast of one energy at a time. First, we had most of the planetary energy coming through Aquarius, then a lot of that energy moved into Pisces, and now, with the New Moon on March 26, we’re getting a charge of Aries energy. Mercury, Sun, Moon and Venus will all be clustered close together in early degrees of Aries, encouraging all of us to get out of our Piscean dreams and take some action to make those dreams manifest. The problem is, Pluto is out there squaring all of those early Aries planets, forcing us to push hard against forces that want us to change our course. If you aren’t flexible and willing to compromise, and at the same time focused and determined, this springtime Aries energy of rebirth and new beginnings will just wither into stubbornness when the Sun moves into Taurus.

For Aries, this new moon is about focusing on yourself, which you should be pretty good at already. Pay attention to what your physical body is telling you, and find ways to relieve the pressure you may feel from authority figures or from being in the public eye. Spend time with your friends and take some deep breaths before you react when someone tries to push your buttons.

Taurus, enjoy the solitude this month. You’ve been busy and now’s the time to withdraw and be alone with yourself whenever you can manage it. This isn’t a great month for traveling, but you could have some “ah ha” moments if you take the time to think about the more profound side of life. You may feel some of your friends aren’t being completely truthful with you, but don’t be too hard on them.

This is a busy social month for Gemini, with a lot of energy being expended for group endeavors. Sexual intrigue could cause problems with friends, and be careful about anyone putting pressure on you to finance something you don’t believe in. In about a week, work pressures may cause some stress at home, but you need to persevere and finish the job you started.

Cancer, you will be feeling pressure from both career and partner this month. Relieve some of that stressful energy by entertaining at home for Easter or Passover, or just for the heck of it. That will give you and your partner some quality time to spend together, which is important to making you feel secure and comfortable in your life. Traveling may bring delays or just be too much work. If you’re going away in the next week or two, organize yourself and don’t leave things to chance.

This is an excellent time for Leo to take a spur of the moment trip, although don’t overwhelm yourself with controlling every detail of what you do or where you go. Be careful about investments and buying and selling on the stock market this month. You may be too impulsive and there may be issues that you won’t be aware of until it’s too late.

Virgo will find this month very intense, with power struggles seemingly coming out of nowhere. You may find yourself in sexual situations that are unplanned. Be cautious about too much partying because you could find yourself in a situation where you are being coerced sexually. Partnerships continue to be unpredictable, and you may feel that your partner is being untruthful. I believe it’s less about them being untruthful than them being confused about what they want.

The focus is primarily on your relationships this month, Libra. If you’ve felt lonely lately, you can rest assured you and your partner will be busy this month. Attempt to be unemotional about the pressure from your extended family as there may be expectations put on you that cause resentment. Take care of what you need to do, but don’t buy into the guilt. Work will be busy, but you may feel as if you’re just going around in circles and not getting anything done.

Scorpio will be focused on new projects at work or on health issues related to infections. Attempt to keep your obsessions about what’s going on in those areas down to a minimum because you may mentally dwell on matters until you lose the ability to have any perspective. Go out and have some fun and get your mind off things. A night at a casino or with friends having a few drinks will do a lot to take some of the pressure off.

This is a great month for allowing creativity in your life, Sagittarius. It’s also a good month to go out and have a good time, go to the theater or find a new love. Your value system is going through a major transformation, and you may find that the things that you used to value don’t feel authentic anymore. However, you won’t find out what you will value in the future unless you go out there and try some new things. It may be that what you truly value doesn’t change, but only your perspective.

Capricorn needs to spend some time with family this month, or work on projects around the home. If the money isn’t there for a major project, all those small ones will at least make you feel as if you’re accomplishing something. You may resist the changes your family wants to make and assert yourself as the boss, but all that will do is cause yourself too much stress. You have just started a long period of learning about how to handle power, so pay attention to what happens when you wield it selfishly. It’s better to start learning the lessons of Pluto with the little things.

Aquarius has a busy month ahead of him. Much coming and going, a lot of driving, a lot of communication, and a lot of time spent with siblings and neighbors. Unresolved issues with siblings could cause pressure, and you should be aware of how you are projecting your disapproval if a sibling is doing something that you feel is stupid. Siblings could bring up unresolved issues which you’ve buried in your subconscious, which could cause a volcano to erupt out of what appears to be nowhere. Be cautious about spending money this month as you could spend a lot more than you anticipated without realizing it.

Pisces is feeling acquisitive this month. Spend some money on yourself -- just try to put the brakes on it because you could make too many impulsive purchases. There could be tension involving groups you belong to, with pressure being put on you to conform. You could also be coerced into helping out a group or organization because they know how to take advantage of your giving nature. You have the energy this month to stand up for yourself, but try to be forthright about it. The tendency will be to disappear and avoid confronting the situation.

The next new moon is April 24 in Taurus, with a nice trine to Pluto. While anger and loss of patience will color this month, next month will be much more placid. Enjoy the Aries energy. It’s the new energy of spring, and we are all feeling the relief at the end of winter.

Natasha Richardson

Natasha Richardson, born May 11, 1963 in London, died today from a ski accident in Canada after a head injury she suffered on a beginner’s slope. Natasha was a Taurus with a Sagittarius Moon and Libra rising. Her Sun in Taurus was part of what is called a Fixed Grand Cross, which is a configuration where four planets are all 90º apart, and they included her Sun in Taurus, Mars in Leo, Neptune in Scorpio and Saturn in Aquarius. The Grand Cross gave her a very strong will, but it also made it difficult for her to change unless it was her own idea.

Yesterday, I saw a special about volcanoes on The History Channel, and what happened to Natasha can be likened to a volcano erupting. Transiting Mars, one of the planets making up this fixed energy in her chart, transited to an opposition to Uranus, and that combination of energies is an explosive, unpredictable energy. At the same time, transiting Pluto in Capricorn, the planet that rules Scorpio and death, made a hard aspect to her progressed Mars in Libra. In addition to these aspects, there were also other stressful aspects involved in her death, one of which was the ongoing Saturn/Uranus opposition which has been forming a t-square to her Moon for months. Uranus had recently moved to an exact square to her Moon, adding to the accumulation of tension going on in her life.

From looking at her chart, it was clear that she was at a point in her life where she needed to make some kind of a major change and her resistance to that need to change caused a great deal of energy to build up inside of her. In her case, because she didn’t find a release and an outlet for that energy, when it erupted, it caused an accident that subsequently killed her. I think the image of a volcanic eruption is a fitting description for the violent energies that entered Natasha’s life yesterday.

As an aside, Venus in Aries, which is now retrograde, ruled Natasha’s first house of her physical body and her eighth house of death, and it was transiting in exact opposition to her first house cusp (her ascendant) at the time of the accident. Aries rules the head.

She was a gifted actress, well loved by her husband Liam Neeson, family, friends and fans, and she will be greatly missed.

Moon Magick Part II

Aleister Crowley defined Magick as “the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will,” or, as modified by The Llewellyn Encyclopedia and Glossary, “Magick is the science and art of causing change (in consciousness) to occur in conformity with will, using means not currently understood by traditional Western science.” Before your Will can be effective, it must have something to focus on, some desire or need. All desire and conscious need begins with thought, and from thought, the idea must move to visualization. Without visualization to motivate the Will, there is no manifestation, and this visualization takes place on the Astral Plane (Yesod on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life) which is ruled by the Moon.

Each month, the New Moon is in a different sign of the zodiac, but the Moon’s monthly cycle in relation to the Sun repeats the same eight phases. Based on the work of Dane Rudhyar, Robert “Buz” Myers and Demetra George, I want to talk about those phases and how to use the energy of each phase to your own personal advantage.

We all have needs and desires that change as time goes by. If you look back over your life, you will find that many of the things you wanted the most you managed to materialize. Understanding and working with the Moon’s cycle every month can add power to your ability to manifest what you want by tapping into complementary energies.

Get to know these phases, which are easy enough to follow if you have a calendar that indicates the New and Full Moons:

1. New Moon Phase (New Moon to 3½ days following New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 0 to 45 degrees; related to 0 Aries to 15 Taurus) (Direction: East) (Elements: Fire and Earth) This phase is very emotional and subjective. Now is the time to take new action and set a goal in line with your innermost needs and desires. Visualize a seed germinating underground. Keywords: beginning, birth, emergence, projection, clarity.

2. Crescent Phase (3½ to 7 days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 45 to 90 degrees; related to 15 Taurus to 30 Gemini) (Direction: Southeast) (Elements: Earth and Air) Here you must use determined self-assertiveness to overcome obstacles to your goal, and keep your faith in following the path you have set. Visualize the shoot of a plant breaking through the soil. Keywords: expansion, growth, struggle, illumination, and opportunity leading to action.

3. First Quarter Phase (7 to 10½ days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 90 to 135 degrees; related to 0 Cancer to 15 Leo) (Direction: South) (Elements: Water and Fire) After overcoming obstacles at the Crescent phase, your strong will and organizing ability can be used to express your individual needs and desires. Here there is instinctive rebellion against social restraints and the ability to make your own decisions. The key to this phase is staying in a positive frame of mind. Visualize a plant in a growth spurt, developing roots, stems and leaves. Keywords: action, expression, and growth leading to self-trust.

4. Gibbous Phase (10½ to 15 days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 135 to 180 degrees; related to 15 Leo to 30 Virgo) (Direction: Southwest) (Elements: Fire and Earth) This point represents the movement from activity to receptivity and the need to trust that what you desire is moving toward manifestation. You may experience a yearning for more light to be shed on the path to your goal. Visualize the budding of a plant with all the promise of those buds. Keywords: analyze, prepare, trust, and love leading to new experience.

5. Full Moon Phase (15 to 18½ days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 180 to 225 degrees; related to 0 Libra to 15 Scorpio) (Direction: West) (Elements: Air and Water) At the Full phase, you will have the greatest mental objectivity. The illumination you were seeking at the Gibbous Phase is possible now, and you will have clear vision about all that has taken place since the beginning of the cycle and understand what adjustments need to be made. Visualize flowers opening and turning toward the light. Keywords: fulfillment, illumination, realization, and experience leading to introspection.

6. Disseminating Phase (18½ to 22 days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 225 to 270 degrees; related to 15 Scorpio to 30 Sagittarius) (Direction: Northwest) (Elements: Water and Fire) The needed adjustments you glimpsed at the Full Moon can be made now to keep the accomplishment of your goal on track. Communication is key here -- you will have the opportunity to share with others what you have learned through your awareness of the cycle, and you may fight for what you desire and for what you deem is right. Visualize the plant giving forth its fruit to feed others. Keywords: demonstration, distribution, sharing, and introspection leading to strength.

7. Third Quarter Phase (22 to 25½ days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 270 to 315 degrees; related to 0 Capricorn to 15 Aquarius) (Direction: North) (Elements: Earth and Air) Here you will become aware of what is not working and realign your goals, sometimes forcing issues and creating a crisis. Now is the time to reorient yourself toward new creative potentials. Whatever is no longer functional will be torn down. Visualize the plant after the harvest, the remaining fruit decomposing and drawing its energy inward for the next cycle. Keywords: realignment, revision, cleansing, and renewal leading to purity.

8. Balsamic Phase (25½ to 30 days after a New Moon) (Soli-Lunar Arc 315 to 360 degrees; related to 15 Aquarius to 30 Pisces) (Direction: Northeast) (Elements: Air and Water) At this Phase, if we haven’t achieved our goal, we let go of what hasn’t worked and transform our vision into a new seed that can be planted again at the New Moon. Resolution of past issues is possible now. Visualize the seeds from the decomposed fruit falling to the ground, waiting for re-germination in the next cycle. Keywords: release, transformation, transition, and purity leading to new clarity.

Each month, you have an opportunity to take advantage of each of these phases, and for extraordinary oomph to your workings, you can wait until the moon phase you wish to use is also in a sign compatible with your desire – Taurus for money, Sag for travel, Leo for creativity, etc., etc. Have fun with it, and not only will you start manifesting your heart’s desires, but you’ll also learn a little Astrology!

Moon Magick (Part 1)

XXXII. To Selene
(ll. 1-13) “And next, sweet voiced Muses, daughters of Zeus, well-skilled in song, tell of the long-winged Moon. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.” Homeric Hymn to Selene, translated by Evelyn-White

Mother Moon. From the beginning of human life, we have lived by her rhythms. Each month, she ebbs and flows like the waters of the ocean and, like our emotions, her influence surges and subsides. Astrologers watch the cycles of the moon and predict events based on when she triggers sensitive points in the horoscope. Revered for her influence on magick, shamans and magicians have for eons watched her cycles and used her phases and placements in the signs to work their enchantments. As she travels through the 12 signs of the zodiac each month and completes her cycle around the earth in about 30 days, life changes flavors.

In this two-part article, I will take a look at our Moon and her influence on us, both by the sign she’s transiting and by looking at her eight phases. Today, I’ll be discussing her monthly circuit through the signs of the zodiac. If you don’t have an astrological calendar or other way to know which sign the Moon is in each day, I suggest going to the Cafe Astrology site at http://www.cafeastrology.com/monthlycalendar.html. Click on the link below the calendar for the Moon’s sign and planetary aspects for each day of that month.

When the Moon enters Aries, life speeds up. It increases our energy, and it is a good time to begin new projects and seek new avenues of expression. Take some time for yourself and attempt to be aware of your effect on those around you. This is also a fine time to exercise because you can feel energetic under Aries. Infections may flare up under this influence.

The Taurus Moon is a time of practicality. Aries begins new projects, but Taurus brings stability to them. Anything you don’t find practical will be discarded, and the rhythm of life slows down. Values are important during this 2-½ day period, and the need to be productive is the overriding drive. Taurus is also stubborn, so people will tend to stand their ground during this moon.

Gemini brings a lot of conversation and communication. If you’ve been putting off running a lot of errands, this is the time of month to get it over with. It’s also the time of month to respond to that list of e-mails staring at you that you keep putting off. Check in with the neighbors or contact your extended family. People are in the mood to communicate. Find a good book to read.

Home and those we consider family become the focus under the Cancer Moon. This is a productive time to do some housework or make a special dish that’s usually too much work. You may feel like sticking close to home and spending time with those you’re close with rather than seeking the company of strangers. Cancer retreats to the familiar for comfort.

Under the Leo Moon, find something creative to do. Leo needs to be appreciated, and one way to be appreciated is to put energy into a project that others can enjoy. This is also an excellent time to have some fun, and you may feel like doing a little gambling now. Tell someone how much you care and make a little love during this time.

Virgo is the hangover after the Leo party. All that work you put off the last couple of days is staring you in the face and you need to get it done. This is an excellent period for deciding what needs to be done around the house and clearing that pile of papers off your desk. Efficiency, analysis and discrimination are keywords for this lunar period. Health issues should be paid attention to now.

Relationships need some attention during the Libra transit, and not just your marriage or love partner. Libra is about compromise and creating harmony and balance. Find the middle ground, create a win-win situation and make any ongoing disagreement go away. This is also a nice time to get to know new people because you’ll be feeling sociable and will find others interesting.

Deep emotions are stirred during the Scorpio moon. Secrets come out and sexual urges may be strong. You won’t want any superficial relating now – you want to feel something and will seek out intense people or situations. Shared resources can also become a focus of attention now, so be careful of disagreements regarding money.

Restlessness is the key word under the Sagittarius moon, physical as well as mental. Seek out new ideas or someone to discuss your ideas with. Religion and philosophy may occupy your thoughts today. This is also a good time to start a trip, or plan one. Find something different to do. The downside to this energy is that you may get lost in what you’re doing and forget where you’re supposed to be or what you’re supposed to be doing.

Capricorn is about taking care of business. This is an excellent timeframe in which to start creating structure in your life and to work on the discipline you think you’re lacking. Virgo analyzes, but Capricorn actually gets down to the business of physically organizing things and people. Delegate responsibility by deciding what you must personally handle and what someone else can take care of, which is especially important for those of us who think if we don’t do it, it won’t get done.

Get out and interact with groups and organizations during the Aquarius moon. You will feel sociable in a detached way, and will find the company of others enjoyable. The need for a change is the keyword for this moon, which can easily slip into rebelliousness. Tackling computer issues will come easily now, and science fiction and fantasy can pass the time and ease the restlessness of your mind. You may find yourself exposed to those kinds of things now, even if they normally don’t interest you.

On Wednesday, February 25, the flavor of this month began with the New Moon in Pisces. When the Moon is in Pisces, life gets softer around the edges. This can also be a time when people tend to use their own personal means of escape to shut out the ills of the world, whether that is through an artistic pursuit, meditation, helping others or shutting out the world through the use of alcohol or drugs. This is a good time to visualize your dreams.

Next time, I will write about the eight phases of the Moon (rather than just the four you are probably used to) and discuss how you can consciously use each to your best advantage. Combining the meanings of the Moon in the signs and the Moon in her phases can be employed to manifest what you desire in your life, magickally!