New Moon in Aries

by Barbara Hand Clow

It is the New Moon in Aries: the time to start new things that have promise and to end things that are just going nowhere. The Spring Equinox occurred just a few days ago, and so we are really feeling like getting moving. The central issue with using Aries power is: to do our utmost to be clear about what we want, and to think about how our lives would change if we did get what we want. If you're not careful, with strong Aries aspects, you can become a rampaging car that is out of control because nobody's at the steering wheel. Think about that.

This New Moon in Aries is especially fine for getting going with Mercury and Venus close to the New Moon. Of course, during the New Moon we integrate our feelings (Moon) with our central purpose (Sun). Adding Mercury, which rules our mental functioning, and Venus, which rules what attracts us and is attracted to us, this is a very functional and alluring lunation. It will be easier than usual to be clear about exactly what we want. Then, Pluto in early Capricorn squares this intimate group in Aries, which intensifies the meaning, integrity, and seriousness of our intentions. Pluto will retrograde on April 4, so this is the last chance to use Pluto as a tool in ordinary reality until he goes direct in mid-September. On April 4, you will move the deep issues you have been working on into your private zone to consider whether you can actually handle what has been coming up. With some thought, you can better comprehend the things that seemed so urgent. The great revolution going on in the outer world will slow down for just a little while, and then personal and collective agendas will charge forward like "a bull with laser vision" in the fall.

This Aries New Moon is a great time to take some fundamental actions on big issues you have been hammering away at because, in a few weeks, a pause will come. The stellium in Aries trines the lunar South Node in Leo, which is also very favorable for completing some things; you can cap off the job, so to speak. The stellium sextiles the lunar North Node in Aquarius-making it easy to assess the value of things in our lives, and to just let them settle in if they are right on. Meanwhile, the subtle player in the group is Venus retrograde in Aries from March 3 until April 17. Venus retrograde in Aries encourages us to assess relationships, values, resources, and material needs. What, and whom, do we really love so much that we will even change ourselves to keep the bond going? This Venus retrograde is tense because Venus is dissatisfied in Aries; she scans for variety and something different. With Venus retrograde in Aries, the most exquisite and cherished person in your life may seem to be a bloody bore-or worse. But, watch it, because you may be seeing yourself in the other person!

Venus retrograde came on strong March 3, and it is going to hit like a bomb during this New Moon. If you dump someone on the day after the New Moon, you may feel like you had a case of temporary insanity when Venus conjuncts the Sun. This New Moon, so close to Venus, asks us to get real about strong attachments because Venus in Aries makes us feel like getting real and being honest. This can propel a deep relationship into a new and more honest phase, or push it right out of existence. Either way, it would be wise to assume that difficult emotions coming up in relationships right now are happening because you're not getting something that you desire, something you are afraid to ask for. You are being challenged to choose love over discord, or to see that the love is not strong enough to handle conflict. Hold with this energy and be as patient as you can because Venus retrograde offers you great clarity within complex relationships when she turns direct April 17. Also, you will have a better perspective on your situation on May 21 when Venus passes its March 3 retrograde point (15 Aries); so if your theatre of conflict is marriage or a committed relationship, it would be wise to wait before you do anything drastic. On May 21, you will see the situation clearly, and it will not be as difficult to change things. .

Mars-in-Pisces transforms take-charge impulses into a desire to go sit on a park bench, stare at a wall, or just turn the phone off. Mars-in-Pisces generates lethargy and ennui. When Mars is in Pisces, many people wonder why it is worth doing anything at all, and even if it seems to be worth it, they still just can't get motivated. The constant energy loss and drag with Mars in Pisces is a very difficult thing in general, and a great challenge for those who have it in their natal charts. So, even though you will a big charge from the stellium in Aries-"I should, I must, I will"-like Inspector Clouseau, you might just peek around the corner, tap your umbrella, and go off in the other direction. Saturn in Virgo exactly opposes the midpoint between Mars and Uranus in Pisces, which hints at snafus and odd turns of events in the larger world and in your life. This is because Mars (action) and Uranus (transformation) are deactivated, and then challenged by Saturn in opposition. This amusing and owl-like configuration feels like a leaky energy that will confuse people about what and who is on top. Meanwhile, it is an excellent aspect for the big boys to play shell games, especially regarding "where did all the bailout money go?".

I am suggesting that things may not actually be as they appear to be, with many people charging around looking like they are doing many things, but much of what is going on is hot air. Like the moment when a pillow breaks open and the chicken feathers fly all over the place, you may wonder what's making you sneeze. This is really an oddball New Moon, and I noticed that the other astrologers didn't know how to read it, so they talked about everything but this chart! Well, the key to how the energy can be used if you are wily and smart lies in the close quincunx from Jupiter in Aquarius to Saturn in Virgo. This is a major case of "The buck stops here!" aspect that will force cheaters and thieves out in the open, if anybody is watching.

Jupiter in Aquarius inspires us to revolt: first, in the privacy of our minds, and then, by joining together to change reality. It wants assets to be fairly delegated, and you can see that a revolt against the "Bailout" abuses is building. Jupiter in Aquarius wants money to be used wisely to create valuable things. Saturn in Virgo loves order, efficiency, and the creation of good systems. Saturn in Virgo is constant, dedicated, and determined-and yes, it is often obsessive. Watch out for Saturn in Virgo when it gets thwarted because it will come out fighting. Jupiter in Aquarius agrees with that, and with this tight quincunx, they'd better put Bernie Madoff in isolation, while Fed Chairman Bernanke does some new thinking.

Saturn in Virgo is the master key that reveals how this great Aries stellium can be used at its highest potential. Uranus/Mars opposing Saturn in Virgo pressures for persistent change, and the quincunx from Jupiter in Aquarius is like the lever, the crowbar. It will continue to expand the issues and dilemmas-until new winds of change blow in and topple the blocks. In that sense, this should be a nuanced and subtle month, a time when many things are happening that are invisible.

Venus/New Moon/Mercury in Aries squaring Pluto proudly announce that it is time to be clear about what we want and go for it, but Uranus/Mars in Pisces opposing Saturn in Virgo will create odd and circuitous methods. Meanwhile, Chiron is in close conjunction to Neptune in Aquarius, and we hear a new siren: a siren that wails for us to heal our spiritual crisis and become whole again. Neptune/Chiron in Aquarius for the next few years is going to push us hard to process our inner wounding, to face our shortcomings coming from past pain. Chiron/Neptune in Aquarius is the signature aspect for the end of the Mayan Calendar; they form a conjunction that guarantees we are going to stop limiting ourselves. The point of this New Moon in Aries is to direct the great pressure we feel for change right into healing ourselves, healing all the complexes and limitations that got us where we are now. So, when you see things collapse this month that you were sure are very important for you, consider that old and useless things are collapsing so that you won't collapse.

Consider the following: assume that what actually happens is just what it is supposed to be, regardless of what you thought should be going. Aries does not do well when Mars is in Pisces, yet we are in a collapsing environment that is recycling old paths; we are finally letting go. The surest advice for this month is to be prepared to just move on if something doesn't work, just kiss it goodbye. After all, Mars in Pisces is always happy to sit on the park bench or stare out the window-a perfectly good choice while old worlds are quickly passing away.