Spring Equinox New Moon in Aries: Initiation by Fire!
Welcome to Aries Season, and the astrological new year! And we really start this new round of the zodiacal wheel with a spark of fire, as the Aries New Moon lands within 24 hours of the Aries ingress at the Spring Equinox which occurred yesterday evening; a brief, but potent moment in the year and when light and dark are equalised across the world, and mythologically the forces of light are seen to overcome the forces of darkness, bringing renewal to the natural world.
I launched my book, Your Zodiac Soul, exactly five years ago today, on 21st March 2018 to coincide with the start of the zodiacal year, and it felt like a very auspicious moment to do so. Within the round of the seasonal year, I always consider this to be the most authentic moment to set intention, and to initiate action.
New Moon in Aries: Initiation by Fire!
Today's new moon occurs at 0˚ Aries, known as the Aries point. It is the most significant degree of the zodiac, as it represents the degree of creation, the beginning of all things. So, we effectvely have a threefold creative energy today. The new moon carries the seed energy initiative of the month, Aries the beginning of the astrological year, and this first degree of Aries, carries the archetypal energy of the beginning of time. If ever there was a moment for renewal then, for starting again, then this is it!
There are five planets lined up in the sign of the Ram, including a Sun-Moon-Mercury conjunction. It’s a high energy, intention setting moment; impulsive, immediate, bold and life affirming. The symbolism of today’s chart has an irresistible driving force about it that insists upon things coming to the surface; a catablic intensity that would destroy falsity and expose weakness. Not very sophisticated but brutal in its honesty and determination for the truth to be told.
Aries is the sign where we turn over a new leaf, engage with what is in front of us, and appreciate it with new eyes, as if for the first time. It marks, in essence, a spiritual re-birth, the resurrection of the spirit, and the opportunity to look afresh at who we are and what our lives mean.
It enrols our courage and our will to break out of old patterns, and break through with new perspectives and a new vision. It is a time to commit to personal goals and seize the impulse to embark upon new enterprises and endeavours. With the Sun and Moon in conjunction to Mercury over this new moon, the ideas that are seeded at this time, will tend to get turned swiftly into action.
The Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox is one of the four major turning points of the solar year, and marked the new year in Babylonian, Greek, Roman and Persian calendars. Aries has huge importance as its stars are assumed to have been rising when the world was being reconstructed after the Great Flood. The temple of the ram-headed Amun-Ra at Karnak in Egypt was oriented to the first degree of Aries at the vernal equinox in 1300 BCE. The Spring Equinox carries a theme of liberation, of new life following a period of hibernation, suffering, retreat, fasting or loss. Its religious rites focus on a mythical death and resurrection, as witnessed in Christianity and the cults of solar vegetation gods such as the Mesopotamian Tammuz and later Marduk. In the Jewish tradition this is the time of the Passover, celebrated as the full moon rose over the eastern horizon fourteen days into the first month of the year and traditionally marked by the new moon in Aries. In later Christianity, the key historical events of the Exodus of the Israelites and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ are directly associated as a mytho-seasonal re-birth.
The ram-headed representation of Ammun-Ra at Karnak (Luxor, Egypt)
The charged up energy of this Aries new moon carries the seed impetus, not just of the coming month, but of the coming year, and it feels as if things are poised for dramatic change. With Pluto set to move into Aquarius, and Saturn now in Pisces, this new astrological year sets up some very different expectations to the last one. Pluto sits in the very last minutes of Capricorn, before making its first venture into Aquarius on Thursday this week, initiating a 20-year period where we must confront the shadow aspects of a sign that is too easily idealised and anticipated as a harbinger of what is good. It seems we are destined to experience the dark side of Aquarius before we can truly know its radiant, light-filled potential. You can read more about this in my blog post about Pluto in Aquarius.
How to work with this New Moon
With the intensity of this new moon, it is important that we tend to the fire within us, recognise what is arising and see how it can be grounded in action, so that we don’t react too quickly to the rush of energy moving through us, blow everything in one go, or leap into some new project, half-cocked. We may be called upon to seize the moment in some very real way, in order to make the best of an opportunity, and need to stay connected to the energy of the moment (and not project too hastily onto a future outcome) in order to do that effectively, and purposefully. As we feel the new energy coming through us, we need to respond, rather than react to it.
So over this new moon, ask yourself:
What is what is the fire that burning in me, and how do I tend to it
What impulse am I seized by right now, and how do I respond, rather than react to it?
Is there a new opportunity that is calling me to action, and if so how do I stay present to all that I am in the face of that?
What am I willing to risk right now in order to sow the seed of my soul's intention?
New moon blessings to all.
NEW FOUNDATION COURSE STARTS IN APRIL
This comprehensive astrology programme, available now exclusively as an online course, will give you all the foundational skills you need to understand the language of astrology, to interpret a birth chart, and to understand the nature and significance of planetary cycles, transits and progressions.
A new foundation course will begin on 18th April 2023. There are three levels of access. You can choose the self-study route, and just go at your own pace in your own way. Or you can choose to join the live online tutorials and engage with our community forum. And, you can also add 1-2-1 support and assessment from our course tutors, and work toward accreditation with our premium access option.
Foundation Course Enrolment Details…
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The Moon's Nodes: A Karmic Journey
Fri 21st April (6 - 9pm UK time) & Sat 22nd April (10am - 5pm UK time)
This special event on the Moon’s Nodes, is timed for the April eclipse season, where the energy of the Moon’s nodal axis is at its most potent. The Moon’s north and south nodes, which mark the points in the zodiac where the Moon crosses above and below the Sun’s path (respectively) act as eclipse predictors, and a crucial significator in astrological work, known to the ancients as the Rahu & Ketu, or the Dragons' Head and Dragon’s Tail. The nodes point to our soul’s deep karmic patterning, and where there is an imbalance that needs addressing in this lifetime.
On the Friday evening, I will be presenting a talk about the eclipse season, and how to work with eclipses. And from there, looking at what the Nodes represent in astrology, how we interpret them karmically, and how to work with them in the context of the birth chart. This talk will be delivered in person in Glastonbury, and will also be live-streamed online. There will also be a Q&A, and an opportunity for participants both in person and online to ask questions relating to the topic.
On the Saturday, I will be facilitating a one-day workshop, where you will have the opportunity to work experientially with your own north and south node dynamics. And for those who choose, you can experience having your own nodal axis dynamically enacted for you by other members of the group in short astrodrama pieces.
Click here for enrolment details...
Planets Alive: An Experiential Astrology Adventure
Thurs 15 June (7pm - 9pm): Introductory Talk: “The Zodiac Signs and their Planetary Rulers. A Model of Cosmic Harmony”
Fri 16 - Sun 18 June: “Planets Alive” Workshop
Venue: The Isis Centre, Jersey, The Channel Islands
Meet the planetary archetypes and experience how they come alive and animate your life, and the particular ways in which they express themselves through the signatures of your own astrological birth chart.
In this three day workshop, you will experience your astrological chart come to life. You will learn how each of the planetary archetypes animate the human psyche, and how they inspire your own life in particular ways that are unique to you. Over the three days your will meet each of the planets in turn, as John presents them through a range of improvised theatrical performances, and combination of creative exercises and explorations of participants’ birth charts.
The workshop is open to beginners and more experienced students and practitioners. Whether you are new to astrology, or familiar with it, this workshop will provide you with many new insights and opportunities to understand yourself better and experience your birth chart in fresh and exciting ways.