The Aquarian New Year: New Moon in Aquarius 2016

Lightning within the cloud illuminates the entire cloud blanket
 over the Mojave Desert during an electrical rain storm; photo by
Jessie Eastland.

New Moon @ 19 Aquarius 16'

February 8, 2016

9:39 AM Eastern

6:39 AM Pacific

When the Moon reaches its conjunction with the Sun each month, there’s a sense of something falling away and yet something unknown stirring in the darkness. Your energy may feel lower than usual, or you may find yourself feeling introspective and reflective. A New Moon is often perceived to be the monthly moment of new beginnings, and that’s pretty much true, but it’s also a time to recharge and reset yourself for the new cycle to develop. From the remnants of what has fallen away, emerges a new potential—a potential that is unseen, invisible and imbued with mystery.

Every beginning feels this way. The energy has yet to fully manifest; there may be hesitation and caution as well as an uncertainty regarding what lies ahead. A New Moon is filled with anticipation, however subtly you experience this. This month’s New Moon in tropical Aquarius may feel like the official start of the New Year, considering Mercury’s retrograde cycle occurring at the beginning of January. To the Chinese, each year, the Aquarian New Moon is actually the official start of the Chinese New Year (this year, the year of the Monkey).

Perhaps this year, we should join them in celebrating this New Moon and focusing our intention upon it as the start of something new. With Mercury direct and several “harmonious” aspects occurring between planets this month, February appears to be a good time for new beginnings in myriad shapes and forms, a time of opportunity and creative potential. Aquarius is an interesting sign because, in western astrology, we associate it with two planets of a very different archetypal nature: classically, Saturn and the modern outer planet Uranus.

What’s interesting is that these two planets are completely antithetical archetypes. Saturn encourages conformity while Uranus is inclined towards rebellion. Thus, Aquarius is a sign wrought with inner tension with intentions that are seemingly at cross purposes. We also associate Aquarius with the scientific paradigm on one end, which encourages peer collaboration. There’s a need within Aquarius to “get along” and follow the accepted procedure to maintain social harmony and cohesion. On the other end, Aquarius can also express itself as a revolutionary requiring the full, authentic expression of its eccentricity and innate genius.

The Saturnian side of Aquarius requires an acceptance of social rules and collective agreements. The Uranian side of Aquarius requires one to break those rules to forge new pathways. But when we reflect on this process, we come to an understanding that Aquarius isn’t necessarily a contradiction, but an essential process representing two ends of a spectrum needed to sustain human evolution. So, maybe you feel that way with this New Moon, that there’s a need for freedom and a need to embrace your individuality, alongside a need to conform to something to get along in the context of a community or group of individuals.

On the Uranian side, Aquarius may impulse you towards the start of a new pathway. Change is in the air with this lunation, and if you're conscious of this, you can begin taking steps in the direction of increased freedom and autonomy, but know that whatever steps you do take, will require some immense challenges. The planet Mars falls in a 90 degrees (square) aspect to this lunation from the sign of Scorpio. Whenever Mars enters the picture, you may be impulsed to face your fears, muster up some courage, and prepare for a battle. But a square is also symbolic of a much-needed push to generate the momentum.

In Scorpio, that battle is a challenge to integrate yourself communally and socially while maintaining a need to be truly authentic, as well as the need to cultivate honesty. The problem with certain social agreements is that they often overshadow the authentic dimensions of human experience and subjugate the expression of primal human needs. And then, sometimes, when we’re too focused on being completely authentic and real we’re unable to peacefully function in many social environments. So, this lunation presents the need for compromise and asks whether you can find space for both of these areas of life experience without one dominating the other.

Consider this New Moon as a time to step up to a subtle challenge to successfully integrate yourself within a community in a way that's not overtly threatening or too intense, but also in a way that doesn’t completely abolish your right to be human, your right to be yourself.  Consider also, that this New Moon falls on the midpoint of Venus and Chiron which speaks about shifting attitudes in our relationships. Aquarian relationships are often surface level and require a cordial demeanor or approach. Scorpionic relationships are far more intimate and “dirty”. How do we meet both needs within the context of our relationships? That appears to be the challenge this month, a challenge that will require a change of perception, as well as a change of heart.