Astro-Notes on March 24, 2020 – Aries New Moon

I haven’t written my short dailies lately, because my grand children are here for March break and I wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible with them, which means I’ve been at my daughter’s place and haven’t taken my laptop with me or sat down writing. Besides, there are a ton of great astrological articles available on the internet.

However, a lot has happened since the ominous Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn transpired that transformed our reality or the world as we knew it. Although spring has sprung here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is accompanied by a very different vibe and experience as the world is in the grip of a deadly virus we failed to contain. As Chiron in Aries moved into a square with the nodal axis across Cancer/Capricorn, the struggle for survival became real and most of us started staying at home to prevent further spreading of the contagion and protect ourselves as well as those most vulnerable to the disease.

Meanwhile, a significant shift has happened with Saturn’s ingress to Aquarius on Saturday that correlates with the ‘social distancing’ phase we’re currently undergoing. Saturn’s transit through Aquarius that will last until July 1 when he will re-enter Capricorn for 5+ months during his retrograde journey and then from mid December until March 2023 will be defined by changing and reforming structures, rules, regulations and systems, while altering our reality together with our sense of time and order.

The New Moon in Aries happened this morning at 2:28 am PDT on the Sabian Symbol (4:12 Aries) “A triangle with wings. Keynote: The capacity of self-transcending – A NEW DIMENSION of being.”
(Dane Rudhyar, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolical Phases”, Page 53)

Mars, the ruler of the New Moon, just left a conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn, while the New Moon is conjunct Chiron, who is semi-square Ceres in Aquarius and Venus in Taurus is turning this aspect pattern into a stressful octile configuration as Jupiter is heading for a conjunction with Pluto. The world is under lockdown and we’ve surrendered to these circumstances beyond our control that are terrifying and render us powerless. But we have to endure and comply in order to stop the spread of the virus – whether we like it or not. We have to fight this – we don’t have a choice – we will have to cope somehow and be there for each other, even in self-isolation. It is possible and doable. A vaccine will be on its way soon.

Tarot card of the day is the “6 of Swords”, which indicates a slight reduction in stress and strain. Things will be better than they were in the recent past, all of which is helpful to get our head above water. The bottom has been reached and the process of healing has begun. There is finality in this journey. The future is not yet visible, but the past is definitely over. We’re moving away from turbulence toward calmer times and will need to make a transition that is better for us in the long-term.

Astro-Notes on March 19, 2020 – Spring Equinox

Mars is conjunct Jupiter in Capricorn, starting a new synodic cycle that combines activities, intentions, initiatives and motivation with expansion, growth, perspective and options in the restrictive, structuring, limiting sign of Capricorn. As this conjunction was approaching measures have been taken nationally and internationally to contain (Capricorn) COVID-19 from spreading. Borders, businesses and non-essential services have been shut down and ‘social distancing’ has become the order of the day. All of these rules and regulations are corresponding to the coming together of these energies.

As the Pisces Sun is casting sextiles to the Vesta-Saturn trine with all of these planetary bodies in the last degree of their respective signs, we have a last chance to make personal sacrifices and show our solidarity to this cause as well as respect for everyone’s wellbeing and safety by complying with the imposed restrictions. It is a temporary solution for a situation that has gotten out of control. However, the economy is hurting, people are getting laid off, smaller businesses are suffering and jobs will be cut as a consequence. The fallout from this will be extensive. This experience has shown us that we as a society are neither equipped nor prepared for anything like this.

Tonight will see the earliest Spring Equinox in over a century. The Sun’s ingress to Aries at 8:49 pm PDT and crossing over the Aries Point marks the Spring Equinox and the start of the astrological year, when we not only celebrate the arrival of spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, but also International Astrology Day. We’re standing at the alpha point of the zodiac again, where the ‘personal becomes political’. Day and night are of equal length today, poised and balanced, but about to tip over on the side of the light. This is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, where now autumn begins.

All solar festivals are quarter days in the wheel of the year that start a new season and are therefore relevant for the duration of it. However, the spring equinox can have influence over the entire year as it falls on the Aries point. The festival itself is sacred to dawn, the east, the morning star and to youth. Eostre (from whose name the direction East and the holiday Easter is derived) is a dawn goddess of the Saxons, like Aurora and Eos. Just as the dawn is the time of new light, so is the vernal equinox the time of new life. Holidays in March are dedicated to all the great fertility goddesses, who show themselves in the blossoms, the leaves on the trees, the sprouting of the crops, the mating of birds and the birth of young animals. In the agricultural cycle, it is time for planting. We are assured that life will continue.

Consequently, the Sun’s transit through Aries corresponds to a time of emergence, “birth”, new beginnings and self-assertiveness, when we feel the urge to initiate action, to pioneer things and to conquer unchartered territories; when self-determination, impatience and willfulness are on the rise and when we are courageous, fierce and impulsive, even daring, as we’re pushing forward. We will be strongly inclined to express our animus or the yang principle during this period and thus show a tendency to act from an instinctual and primal level.

Tarot card of the day is the “6 of Cups”, implying that we’re influenced by something that happened in the past. This card is all about emotional security, being cared for, charity, protection and staying at home. We could be yearning for the old days and cherish memories of the past, of how things used to be. A sense of nostalgia and even sadness might prevail. Therefore, it is important to focus on the blessings in our life and grateful for the thing we can’t take for granted.

Astro-Notes on March 9, 2020 – Virgo Full Moon

The Virgo Full Moon highlights the axis of service and sacrifice and work and wholeness as it brings the Pisces lunation cycle to a head. Seeds that were planted at the time of the Virgo New Moon at the end of August of last year could also come to fruition now.

With Neptune, ruler over this lunation cycle, closely conjoined to the Pisces Sun and opposite the Virgo Full Moon, there is a heightened awareness of and sensitivity toward these matters and how they affect our life.

Nothing has created more hype lately than the Corona-virus. Viral infections, contagion, cruise ships and quarantines fall under Pisces’ and Neptune’s domain, whereas the sign Virgo strives for damage control and problem resolution. Thus, the Full Moon in Virgo has brought us to a point, where our efforts at containment and cure of this epidemic have to be more effective. In our personal life, we’ve also come to the point, where we can’t avoid or delay matters we need to attend to any longer, but have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

In fact, there could be a breakthrough, because Full Moons are times of culmination and revelation. Moreover, Mercury, ruler over the Virgo Full Moon, is stationing direct in Aquarius and together with the energy things could turn around. There is also a good chance that inspiration and genius might strike. We can soon begin to move forward with plans, documents and communications we’ve been reviewing these last 3 weeks. In anticipation of these developments we should start upgrading, updating, altering or changing data, information and paperwork we need to deal with.

A sextile from Venus in Taurus to the North Node in Cancer opens up an opportunity for us to take care of our future prospects by building on our values and needs. Whereas the square between Pallas in Capricorn and retrograde Juno in Libra challenges us to navigate within the restrictions imposed on our exchanges and employ practical strategies in our interactions with others.

The Sabian Symbol for the Full Moon at 19:37 Virgo states:
“A caravan of cars headed to the West Coast. Keynote: The need of cooperative effort in reaching any ‘new world’ of experience – A TOTALIZATION OF PURPOSE AND EFFORT.” 

The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 19:37 Pisces states:
“A table set for an evening meal. Keynote: An indication that in the end and at the appointed time the individual’s needs will be met among those to whom he is linked by a spiritual (or biological) web of energies – NOURISHMENT.”

(Dane Rudhyar, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolical Phases”, Pages 163 and 281, respectively)

Suggested by these symbolical pictures is that we should immerse ourselves wholly into the task at hand if we want to see results at the end of the day.

Tarot card of the day is the “7 of Pentacles”, suggesting slow growth. The seeds have been sown, but there is no sign yet that they have germinated. Some things are moving along well and we feel hopeful about the future, while others seem to be pointless. Consequently, we are applying a long-term view and focus on sustainability of results. It’s time now to assess which of our energy investments are worth it and where we might have to change direction. Thus, we are taking stock, reflecting on our progress, questioning our choices and find out where we stand.