“We are holding hands across the world as digital warriors to create New Earth.” Pam Gregory on YouTube
Happy New Year! In Astrology world, the March Equinox heralds a new zodiacal year and we begin a fresh adventure. On Monday March 20th, the Sun moves into Aries. The full cast of heavenly bodies is on stage welcoming new beginnings. Within 18 hours of the Equinox, the Moon joins the Sun in the first degree of Aries, kicking off a lunar month that ends with a solar eclipse on April 19th at 29+ degrees of Aries.
When we get two new moons in a month, energy shifts dramatically. For the coming year, the Full Moons will no longer be in the opposite sign of the New Moon. This is an interesting change in the relationship between the Sun and Moon. The Full Moons will occur in the next sign and in an element that is incompatible with the Sun sign of the current cycle.
For instance, Libra is the Air sign across from Aries’ Fire, and we will have a Full Moon in Libra on April 5th. Air and Fire support each other. But the Full Moon following the 29 degrees of Aries New Moon will be in Scorpio, adding Water and great depth to the Fire and Air. It’s as if the sign shift is like a grain of sand to an oyster, an irritant around which to form a pearl. It acts on us alchemically fostering a shift in perception and the integration of a catalytic energy that can accelerate our evolution.
The last ten days of March are packed with events, all of which point to intensified growth and transformation. We have the Equinox on the 20th, the New Moon on the 21st, Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius on the 23rd, and on the 25th, Mars finally escapes Gemini and enters Cancer. Pluto will shift back and forth between Aquarius and Capricorn, clarifying the difference between the old world and the new, until November 19th, 2024. Obviously 2023 & 2024 are transition years – two realities running parallel toward two different futures. How we think, feel and express ourselves will have a profound impact in determining the future we choose.
In addition, Pluto will be squaring the Nodal Axis, riding a teeter totter between the past and the future, asking us over and over “Is this what you want?” To secure the future we want, we must begin to live it now.
The Equinox
Before we explore the New Moon chart, I just want to speak a bit about the Equinox. We know that this is the point at which the Sun crosses the equator moving north. From the Sun’s point of view, it is the moment the Earth tips its northern hemisphere toward the Sun. At the Equinox the light is in perfect equilibrium – equal day and night, light and dark. We can attune to that equilibrium within ourselves.
Zero degrees of the four Cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn – create what’s called the World Axis. Events occurring on or around the first degree of any of these signs impact the entire world. So we pay special attention to them and watch the news for clues.
Since the New Moon is only hours away, the charts are practically identical, but there are two significant differences I want to point out because they suggest the spiritual import of the moment. The Spring Equinox chart reveals the themes for the coming year. First of all, the Moon is still in Pisces, indicating that we are not done with the past and there is more work to do, more to let go of. It asks us to remember our spiritual roots and our connection to all that is sacred.
The Moon at 18+ degrees is sandwiched between Nessus at 16 Pisces and Neptune at 25+. Neptune is the flow of Spirit in its Oneness. It is boundless consciousness existing in the quantum field and beyond in the Void. It is our Source as well as our Home. Every cell in our bodies spends half its time in the quantum field, blinking in and out of physical manifestation. Over the next two years we will become more aware of this field and it will transform our paradigm.
I have written about Nessus before. He’s a centaur who behaved very badly and paid the price. Nessus died from the poison of the Hydra. Defeating this creature was one of Hercules’ 12 Labors, but it was almost impossible to kill. Hercules would slice off one of its heads only to see several more heads grow back.
This to me is symbolic of our own personal conflict with the ego. We’re constantly working on ourselves. We defeat Jealousy and Pride pops up, along with arrogance, judgment, and a host of negative thoughts. Our work is not to slay the ego, but to recognize it and not allow it to run our lives, or should I say “ruin.” Everything that is wrong with our world has its origin in human weakness. With Saturn beginning its three-year run through Pisces, it’s time for spiritual responsibility. And we do that by taming our egos, healing the wounds that fuel them, and choosing not to let them make those crucial decisions that determine the course of our lives.
Nessus is warning us to purge the poisons, not just of our personal past, but for the generations before us. We are the transition team from an ego-dominated to a heart-based society. This in essence is the shift that is occurring and it happens as we awaken to the wisdom of our hearts.
That brings me to the second difference between the Equinox chart and the New Moon. Venus on the Equinox is conjunct the North Node at 4+ degrees of Taurus. The way to a better future is through the Feminine – through love. And one degree away at 5+ Taurus is Juno, the asteroid of commitment. For the USA it occurs in the 8th House of mystery and mysticism. Venus beckons us to move further into the unknown, into relationship with the unseen reality behind our manifested world. Juno asks us to commit to the path.
New Moon in Aries
The Moon on the 21st is in Aries. Although we can’t see it, this New Moon is a Super Moon, meaning that it is closest to Earth and therefore influences not only our tides, but our bodies and psyches. We are 70% water and the Moon’s energy draws our feeling bodies through ebb and flow. Both Sun and Moon are within 5 degrees of Mercury who will probably be brimming with exciting ideas. Aries is about the Self, the joy of being. “I AM,” it broadcasts. The energy is impulsive, expressive, fiery. Aries is the home of Mars – the one who can get things done – and carries an innate courage to be ourselves and make our mark. Now is the time to launch that new project, to speak up, to take our place on a bigger stage. The world needs us all to defend our values and challenge the corruption that holds our world in darkness.
Mars has been in its retrograde shadow since January, meaning that it still occupies degrees of Gemini that were part of its retrograde path. At last it is free to break into new territory. Furthermore, Mars is “Out of Bounds” until May, so we need to be clear about our choices. Out of Bounds means that it is beyond 23 degrees of the ecliptic and has escaped the band of conformity. We will all feel the urge to move forward, to challenge the status quo, to explore unknown territory. Pisces slows things down in its boundless water, but fiery Aries almost catapults us into the future.
Mars squaring the New Moon is a big player this month. We will see more outrage from the resistors to change. Tempers may be short. World leaders may make rash decisions. But with Pallas conjunct our natal Sun, we will also see the beginnings of justice. It appears that the first indictment of Donald Trump will happen this week. Furthermore, the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin. This means he will no longer be able to travel outside of Russia without being taken into custody. This is a great sign of growing global Oneness. We can’t let the bad boys terrorize us any longer. They are mavericks wreaking wanton harm and it taints all of us.
Aries provides the energy of self-exploration. Who am I? What can I do? The next two years provide ample opportunity to view parts of ourselves we didn’t know before. There is a quickening, an awakening that is gaining momentum. There are 7 major heavenly bodies in Aries at the New Moon. Besides Sun and Moon, we have Mercury, Chiron, Jupiter, Vesta and Eris. That’s a lot of warrior energy, occupying the entire 4th House which addresses our social conditioning, but the emphasis is on the Spiritual Warrior who fights for truth and justice.
The New Moon is sextile Pluto on the cusp of Aquarius, and sextile Sedna soon to enter Gemini. Pluto is the guardian of the Kuiper Belt. We must pass through his Underworld, face the truth about ourselves, purge our past and be purified in its flames before we can successfully navigate the Kuiper Belt and reach our enlightened destiny. One Dwarf, however, is close by and bathes us in her nurturing energy.
Ceres
The New Moon forms an exact opposition to the dwarf planet Ceres at 0+ degrees of Libra. Probably the most important shift that must occur is our attitude toward our Earth. It is not lifeless matter to be mined. It is not a garbage dump for our waste. It is not a battlefield for power grabs. The Earth is not a thing. It is a living consciousness inseparable from our own. We and our planet are absolutely symbiotic. We cannot exist without it and the more we are attuned to the natural world and its rhythms, the more we thrive.
In mythology, Ceres is the loving mother who provides for her children. When her daughter was abducted into the Underworld, the Earth went fallow and Ceres grieved. Think how much she must be grieving now, with her children suffering by the billions.
In the USA chart, Ceres is in the 9th House, on the cusp of the Midheaven, demanding attention. It’s time to DO something about our climate crisis. We must plan for the millions of refugees. We must clean up our air, water and soil. We must grow healthy food. We must find a way to live together in peace. This cannot remain on our list of things to do sometime in the future. The time is NOW!
The lovely thing about the opposition between the New Moon and Ceres is that both are square to the USA natal conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in Cancer. The answer, as always, is to grow our love – for ourselves, for each other and for our precious Earth. Venus and Jupiter are in the 7th House of relationships. Didn’t Jesus say, “Love one another?” The answer has been with us for 2000 years. Now is the time to live it.
Interestingly the asteroid Hygeia, goddess of health and hygiene, is exactly conjunct our natal South Node in Aquarius in our second house. Our personal health, as well as the health of our nation, depends upon renewing our values. We can’t ignore the messages from Mother Nature. We can’t simply legislate truth out of existence. That keeps us stuck in permanent discord and peril. It’s imperative that we acknowledge and make reparations for our “sins of the past.” Our South Node is conjunct the Centaur Pholus urging us to “wise up.”
Pluto in Aquarius
This is a huge shift and a big topic, which I will address throughout the year, but basically the great transformer Pluto is facilitating the passing of one era and the beginning of another. This is not simply a change of sign, but a signal that we will be getting serious about our future and creating a new way to live together. In Capricorn Pluto was addressing the corruption and inadequacy of our institutions. In Aquarius, the power shifts from institutionalized authority to the people, to humanity. We have abdicated our power for too long. We must take responsibility for the creation of our lives and our society. We can no longer place our faith and responsibility on others to do it for us. For humanity to thrive globally, every one of us must take personal responsibility. And this means developing integrity.
Pluto remains in Aquarius for the next 20 years – a whole generation will mature during this time. The Z’s will be raising a new breed of conscious children who will continue their work. I made a video about the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction at 0 degrees of Aquarius back on the December Solstice of 2020. If you haven’t seen it, there is a lot of information about the Age of Aquarius and the potential of that Era. It’s available on my website under “Classes.”
As I mentioned earlier, Pluto will be squaring the Nodes for the rest of this year. Our nodal axis shifts to Aries and Libra from the current Taurus/Scorpio placement. The South Node has been traveling through Scorpio helping us release the wounds and baggage of the past. It has not been an easy passage but every one of us has faced some challenge that required us to dig for inner strength. Pluto is about empowerment. At first he may accelerate the “letting go” process. The good news is that the South Node is headed for a conjunction with Haumea, goddess of regeneration and rebirth. And Pluto is square Haumea now and will be for the next two years.
In Capricorn Pluto revealed the cracks in our patriarchal paradigm, the inefficiency of our institutions and the corruption at their core. We are getting a glimpse of a different future. I say a glimpse because Pluto returns to Capricorn on June 12th, and will remain there for the rest of the year. Same will happen next year until September 19th, 2024 when it will take up full residence for the next 20 years.
The Aquarian Age will not be conflict free, at least not at first. As I mentioned last time, there will be a choice to make between unrestricted AI and the natural evolution of our spiritual powers. We will have to be alert to the choices we make on a daily basis. Do we want to eat manufactured food? Are our bodies designed to handle it? Do we want computer chips inserted into our brains or hands? All of these dehumanize the human race and I don’t believe that is our preferred destiny. We are meant to discover the wonder of our true selves, our Higher Selves, not take a shortcut, give up our sovereignty and diminish our potential, limiting it to Ones and Zeroes, condemning us to a binary world and missing out on the amazing multidimensional reality that lies just beyond our senses. AI can take care of much of our left-brain work, freeing us up to explore the mysterious unified field to which our right brain is attuned.
Whistle While You Work
There are several dwarfs at work in our collective unconscious. For instance, transiting Quaoar and Pholus are exactly conjunct our natal Eris in the First House. So let’s parse this out.
We know that Eris is considered the goddess of discord. She’s the sister of Mars and acts aggressively to accomplish her purpose. She is the revealer of ego and its entitlements. She is the defender of justice for all. She wants to level the playing field and bring us all back into authentic relationship. She has been squaring Pluto through our entire ordeal, creating chaos through discord. It’s one way to wake us up to our Oneness. She reveals the extent of our separation.
Quaoar is an indigenous goddess whose mission is to help us embody our spirituality through spiritual practice. Pholus is the Centaur which prods us to examine our heritage, to see and heal ancestral karma which will liberate not only ourselves, but the generations behind us and all our future progeny. These two together are activating our collective Eris – the great equalizer. Ixion is only 4 degrees away urging us to find our passion and follow our own path.
All these Dwarfs are in the USA first house asking us to reflect on our national identity. We are airing our grievances on the world stage, revealing our weakness and lack of unity. If we want to maintain our world leader status, we have to live up to the role.
Zero degrees of Aries falls at the IC or base of our chart. This is our foundation. It’s pretty shaky at the moment and needs shoring up. We do this by remembering that we are connected to everything. That all of manifested life expresses the diversity of the Divine. That in reality we are condensations of Spirit emerging from a Quantum Field and falling back into it, not just at birth and death, but moment by moment throughout the day. The slow pace of time creates the illusion of permanence.
Vesta is two degrees from a conjunction with our natal Chiron. We may see more wounds surface in our near future, but we can change our relationship to them. We can bless them for making us more conscious and kiss them goodbye, releasing them to the ethers.
It’s time to go for it, whatever the dream that beckons us forth. The abundance of Aries energy supports a rebirth. Over the next few weeks we will observe the budding of trees and flowers and the promise of life that green brings. The world is reflecting our own cyclical process. Share your abundant gifts.
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