Aquarius New Moon

(this article copied from the AstroBabble and Ritual Guidance my Patron friends get every month)

Ah, Aquarius. Water-bearer. But Air sign. But Saturnian and rigidl. But Uranian and liberatory. Stubborn. But forward thinking. In love with humanity. But hates people.

But how can it be all those things? Please. Choose one! Sheesh. (I never will)

image by amanda

I do love any excuse to wax philosophical about my lovely Aquarius, especially since the last year or two have been really heavy on the Saturnian side of the Archetype. I'd hate for us to forget the groundbreaking, revolutionary, truly visionary qualities of the sign.

Aquarius sees and understands the crystalized structures of our society; and ideally, it also understands what is working and what isn't, and therefore what has to change. It sees all the possibilities: not from a fiery visionary state or a watery intuitive-psychic state, but from a place of the refined mind. Aquarius is intellectually clear about the details and potential outcomes.

Of course, we are talking about pure, archetypal potential here. How humans express the energy is more complicated

Aquarius is also frickin' eclectic, weird and... well, quite comfy with that weirdness. Aquarius gets its groove on when just allowed to exist as it is. Its relationship to its opposite sign, Leo, shows us how tapping into our individual spark of genius is what allows us to become Who We're Meant to Be. Aquarius is also what keeps that spark humbly connected to the bigger picture.

Aquarius is an energy that describes the power of the mind to synthesize the truth of this moment we're in right now with all of its possibilities... and then synthesize THAT with any of many possible outcomes. It is the third air sign, and therefore (in its purest form, at that symbolic level) represents the honing of the mind and intellect. It has learned through the mapping and categorization skills of Gemini, applied that knowledge in compare and contrast situations and social interactions in Libra, and now just... knows some things.

The card I chose for the cover page, "Island of Jewels" (from The Secret Dakini Oracle) is one of my favorite depictions of The Star card in the tarot, which corresponds with Aquarius. This card speaks to the potential we all have to see possible outcomes. To see the future as full of potential, and to take action towards the future based in an understanding of where we are now and where we want to go. To plot the course, if you will. Realistically. Breaking free from the past (Uranus) while understanding its lessons and then committing to practical steps (Saturn) that will lead us to the future .

So what is going on with this lunation? Well, per usual, a lot!

This New Moon will be the last one ruled by Saturn in a Saturn-ruled sign for 24-ish years. It is the last New Moon that takes place with Saturn co-present (also in Aquarius) for around 28 years. What does that mean? Well, to me it just means change and I'm here for it. Aside from that, it means this lunation is a great opportunity for setting realistic goals that improve not just your life but the life of society - cuz that's what the lunation's helper, Saturn, is invested in right now as well.

What's going on with the other ruler of Aquarius? Uranus is about to station direct on January 23 after being retrograde for several months. This means that Uranus gets a bit of an exclamation point right now, inviting you to contemplate what you are on the verge of breaking free from so that you can better prepare for letting it go (especially if you have planets or points between 14-19 degrees of the fixed signs).

Now we get to the transformative qualities of this New Moon, of which there are a few. Fresh off a conjunction with Mr. Underworld-y himself (Pluto), the Sun is coming to communicate a few things to our emotional bodies about power struggles and sobering truths of the ways those struggles are mirrored in the institutions that govern our lives. I think this lunation is particularly important to pay attention to in light of the fact that it is very likely giving us a little glimpse of foreshadowing of what to expect personally and collectively as Pluto makes its way into Aquarius in March after 15 years in Capricorn (but will then dip back into Cap again...so don't get too comfy).

The most exact aspect this lunation makes is an opposition with Black Moon Lilith. In your personal reflections, you would do well to think about your relationship with bodily autonomy and experiences you have had related to that topic. My gal Lil (hm. I don't know if she likes being called that? TBD!) has a lot to say about the upcoming Venus Retrograde in Leo, so once again - we have the potential for foreshadowing. And perhaps, when combined with that Sun-Pluto energy AND a conjunction between Venus and Saturn, the potential for some real big "BUT YOU DON'T EVEN SEE ME" energy being infused into any emerging power struggles. With others, the world, or even with parts of ourselves.

So... what is your relationship to recognition, validation and being seen? Keep an eye out to feisty hurts that might arise as you contemplate the topic or experience triggers that bring that schtuff up.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly (question mark??): this lunation takes place as the Sun and Moon move into a lovely sextile with Jupiter who is about to get a speeding ticket in his very brief tour through Aries (although he might be moving too quickly to get caught). So this really IS a great "make a wish" lunation.

But, like, make a wish and roll it in the mud and press it to your heart and breathe it in with everything you are and then frickin' work, work, work to make it a reality. Magic is on your side, but it requires your active participation.

Amanda is a queer astrologer healer person based out of Seattle. To support her work — and get rad incentives like monthly Full Moon ritual guidance, astrology classes and one on one sessions, check out her Patreon.