New Moon in Pisces: Surrender to the Deeper Mystery
On Sunday 10th March (9.00am, UK time) we have a new moon in Pisces, as the Sun and Moon align in the sign of the fishes. This water sign connects us to the deepest aspects of our soul life, where we embrace the deeper mystery of how we are connected to one another, and to other realms of being. We have to surrender control in this sign, and recognise that there are things in life that we simply cannot understand through logic and reason. This is the sign in which we process our losses, move through grief, forgive those who have caused us pain, and find our way way back to compassion, both for ourselves and others. A new moon is a time to set our intention for the month ahead, and at this time, we are best served by setting intentions that serve our inner, spiritual life, rather than our material ambitions.
The Sun-Moon conjunction occurs at 20˚ Pisces, in a wide separating conjunction with Saturn (9˚ orb) and an applying conjunction to Pisces’ modern ruler, Neptune, which is also quite wide (7˚ orb). This further indicates that the way ahead might not look so clear, and that we may not be able to work out an obvious solution to a situation that we are facing. If something is meant to be, then grace will move to allow it to happen, and if it’s not, then we may have to let it go, no matter how much we may want it.
There is an interesting aspect pattern (held within tight orbs of less than 1˚) in the new moon chart involving Mars in Aquarius and Uranus in Taurus, who themselves are making a tense, and potentially volatile square aspect with each other. This square aspect tends to bring restlessness and agitation, a radical urge to free onself from a difficult situation, which can lead to reckless, even shocking, behaviour. The way the new moon connects with these two planets though, in an aspect pattern known as a small learning triangle, may give us cause for hope. The Sun-Moon conjunction in Pisces makes a semi-sextile aspect to Mars which demonstrates a willingness to try and understand the frustration and take steps to move the energy in a more creative direction. And the Sun and Moon make a sextile aspect to Uranus, which suggests that the way through an apparent impasse may come from an unexpected source, and if we keep our minds open, think outside of the box, and engage with what’s happening in a more creative way, then an opportunity may arise that we couldn’t have foreseen.
We can take the opportunity that this new moon offers us to move away from ideological structures and mechanisms of control, and let ourselves be guided more by our feelings, recognise all the ways in which we are related - far more deeply so than we can easily imagine - and let this open our hearts to a more compassionate way of being; through the admission of suffering, the sharing of grief and through surrendering to the sublime aspects of existence. We can grow spiritually at this time through letting go of what we don’t need, relinquishing control of situations, and setting some time aside to retreat from worldy matters. This is a time when the heart can be broken open through the recognition of another’s pain, where love can deepen and grow in the recognition that our souls are joined in deep and mysterious union.
Here is an extract from my book Your Zodiac Soul to help us connect us with this medicine.
'Like all the water signs, Pisces stirs deep emotions, connecting us to the yearning or sorrowful aspect of the human condition. Yet when we allow ourselves to actively grieve our losses, expressing them as art, poetry, music and ritual, our grief moves and transforms. It becomes a sacred act of compassion, for ourselves and for those we love, those we lose, those who hurt us and those we hurt. It begins with forgiveness, of ourselves and others, and it is entirely different from pity; it cuts much deeper into the soul. Pisces medicine reminds us that our joys and sorrows are connected. If two souls have been drawn together in a tryst of love or conflict, deep friendship or through a family bond, they are carried on the same current: finding each other, losing each other, finding each other again, like the two fishes forever tied by that silver thread of longing.
Compassion is the active encounter with suffering, and it can only arise through a deep acknowledgement of what is shared between us. The word implies that we suffer together, and that we come together to passionately praise life. We have reached the last zodiac sign and so must love the end as we loved the beginning, be as willing to let go of the stuff of life as we were to seize hold of its arrival. It is said that the fertile, life-giving waters of the Nile were first filled with the tears of Isis as she wept for her murdered husband, Osiris. When we hold space for our sorrows and walk together in our shared grief, what is revealed is our shared joy. When we surrender ourselves to the compassion that is present, there we will find grief and the praise of life dancing side by side in the deepest of our hearts, carried by the music of the wheel that turns within us, around us and beyond us.'
New moon blessings to all.
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NEW DIPLOMA COURSE STARTS 5th OCT 2024
I am delighted to be offering another diploma programme, which takes us on from foundation level and really works with how to apply astrological understanding in practice, with friends, family and clients. The course is delivered in seven modules. Each module will focus on the questions that clients typically come with to a consultation. Each module carries a different theme. These are vocation, relationships, family dynamics, money, health, and karma. The final module of the course is dedicated to the art of astrological practice, which deals with the ethics of practice, and counselling skills.
Taking the diploma course will significantly increase your ability to interpret a chart in depth and give you the confidence to apply your interpretive understanding in real life situations with friends and clients. The course will really help you to ground your existing knowledge of astrological technique, develop your language, use of metaphor, and intuitive skills in the way your connect to the astrological signatures of a birth chart. The course is rooted in its ethical approach to offering astrological guidance and giving consultations.
Diploma Course Enrolment Details…
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‘PLANETS ALIVE’ ASTRODRAMA RETREAT: 24-29 SEPT 2024
Meet the planetary archetypes and experience how they come alive and animate your life! Experience the healing theatre of your own astrological chart in a beautiful retreat centre in the heart of the Glastonbury Zodiac landscape. Five days of embodied, experiential astrology play, dance, song and ceremony.
Astrodrama takes us beyond words, concepts and psychological analysis to evoke the archetypal dimension of astrology. The experience enables us to contact planetary energies through direct experience with the vital rhythms of soul and psyche.
More details about the astrodrama retreat here…
GLASTONBURY ZODIAC MILKY WAY PILGRIMAGE: 6-8 SEPT 2024
This is a unique two-day pilgrimage following the Milky Way path across the Glastonbury Zodiac. This pilgrimage route, which runs from Lamyatt Beacon (near Bruton) to High Ham (near Langport). It follows the Milky Way path as it maps from the night sky onto the landscape of the Glastonbury Zodiac, and was originally discovered by Anthony Thorley & Celia Gunn. John has been leading the pilgrimage since 2014.
The pilgrimage involves two days of walking, and we will have a 2-night camp set up at Avalon Permaculture Gardens in Butleigh, gathering there on Fri 1st Sept where we will prepare ourselves for the walk and share delicious food together before taking transport to the start of the walk on Saturday morning. Our camp is at the halfway point of the route, so we will arrive early evening on Saturday to be met with dinner and will share stories around the campfire!