Aries New Moon
The writing and horoscopes below only make brief mention of the eclipse that accompanied the Aries New Moon. I have, however, shared many words about the eclipse on episode 44 of the podcast as well as through Patreon.
Daffodils are my favorite harbingers of spring. Although sometimes they emerge before the Sun’s ingress into Aries, I always associate them with the sign of the Ram. They look so proud and loud, popping up out of the ground and announcing (at least to those of us going through the long gray in the Pacific Northwest): you’re made it! The color is returning! The light! All hail the Sun!
In recent years I have been so excited to see the resurgence of animist perspectives in the social media stratosphere of astrolandia that I am part of. Animism – the belief that all things, be they animate or inanimate, possess a spirit – is a fundamental part of the philosophy at the heart of the astrological tradition. It is also a necessary balance for a modernized astrology that can tend to be so interior, psychological and tending towards anthropomorphize-ing.
Learning a seasonal zodiac requires noticing the land as much as the skies. What are the stories the land tells? What are the rhythms and cycles of the birds and beasts and plants and bugs that share space and time with us? How can we lean into the sensory experiences of a given season to help inform our understanding not just of astrology, but of the interconnectedness of the wide world?
Within that, I’ve been reconnecting with my roots in animism and in experiential astrology. A big part of that is remembering that the tropical zodiac is describing the seasons and variations in the light. Which means that tuning into the actual land that we inhabit helps us better understand the zodiacal archetypes and energies as they exist in the world around – and within – us. And so those daffodils that are everywhere now really are teaching me something about Aries. I turn a corner on my morning walk, and they greet me, bright and loud. I see them bob in the breeze, and imagine them dancing and singing: “Look! We’re alive! What a great day! Let’s go on an adventure!”
Or… I slow down, tune in, and listen for their own individual voices. Or I learn about their growth cycles and notice what is happening when they appear… and then go away again. (and, side note, I’m doing my best to launch a year long exploration into the zodiac based in animist + experiential principles… stay tuned)
When I think of Aries I think of spark. The spark of identity and raw, vital life force.
If we think of the zodiac as an infinite cycle that describes not only seasons but within that phases of life, Aries is emerging from Pisces. Emerging from the void. The abyss. Undifferentiated swells of water all flowing together. Pisces is endings and dissolution. And Aries is the liminality of new beginnings.
Within that, Aries is the spark of courage it takes to come back and try again. Whether we’re thinking of rebirth in a reincarnation sense, or just in terms of life cycles. But if we go with that reincarnational metaphor (or reality), Aries quite literally has the energy of running the fuck away from the void. Running full speed ahead out of the water, acutely aware of not wanting to go back into the abyss. The only thing that will ensure separation is speed and instinct. A propulsion principle that steers us in the direction of raw, unadulterated LIFE!
And perhaps a little bit of feistiness and crankiness. An image of a newborn child comes to mind, emerging from the contractions of the birth canal, wailing and stretching; no thought, all instinct.
When I think of Aries I think of freedom and autonomy and exuberant joy (there’s that daffodil image again!). I think of the first feeling of warmth soaking into my skin after a long winter and how my whole body comes alive with… well, spring fever, y’all. I think of seeds nestling into soil, getting warmer, and then shoots bursting forth, reaching down into the ground and up towards the surface.
I think about spark in terms of wildfires. Fire is, in fact, contagious, and Aries is the most uncontained and therefore contagious of the fire signs. Fear is contagious. Courage is contagious. A “fight” response is instinctive and overrides any conscious reasoning or logic.
We are in the midst of an eclipse cycle that began in the Spring of 2023 and runs through March 2025. This cycle is an evolutionary check-in point regarding our relationship to all things Aries and Libra (as well as the houses in our personal charts that contain them). This is the axis of seeming polarities: freedom and autonomy vs relationship and compromise. Independence vs codependence, both of which resolve through interdependence. How do we get along? How do we relate in ways that honor our individual spark of being – and needing and wanting?
Aries energy vibrates with a very specific kind of anxiety. Aries as an energy in and of itself, or folks with strong Aries in their charts, are often acutely aware that there is something they are Here To Do. They have a strong sense of special purpose or destiny, but it’s not always clear what that destiny is. Or how to get there. Aries is cardinal fire, and in that, tends to be more driven by instinct and magnetic attraction than thought processes and logic.
Aries is constantly striving to find its place. Trying to find a sense of belonging – they know they belong somewhere! Remember, they came flying out of the abyss, running at full speed just following instinct and impulse. Within that there is a kind of innocence. But there is also awareness that when they come crashing into a situation, they might disrupt the peace. They might disrupt the established order of things or existing relationships – be that between humans or things. Aries is tied into the Libra side of the equation, and in such carries a feeling of not belonging, or of upsetting the balance. Anxiety arises from trying to boldly find their place, purpose and meaning, but feeling their inherent separation within that.
Aries is about initiation back into form, which we run back into in Taurus. The impulsivity is tempered and the boundaries and limits of flesh are encountered.
Of course, we see many examples of Aries fight reactions run amok these days, incinerating anything in its path, sometimes under the guise of righteousness, being chosen, or in the name of justice or defense. Whether these notions are at play in the wider world or your personal life, a significant part of the Aries-Libra eclipses is commanding that we do significant soul searching around ways the earth and its systems model justice and defense for us, and how we relate to these concepts at the level of personal behavior.
Horoscopes for the coming lunar cycle are gifted to you in the name of guidance and inspiration. Take what works and leave the rest. They are meant to be read for your rising sign, although your Sun sign might work, too. If you don’t know your rising sign (ascendant), you can visit www.astro-seek.com or www.astro.com to find out. If you are one of my Patrons and you know I have your chart, feel free to email me and ask.
All horoscopes are offered in devotion to the healing of the earth and all of its beings. If the words below are meaningful to you and in any way impact your own magical, spiritual or psychological workings, I encourage you to meaningfully dedicate your own process to the healing of the world or other collectively oriented goal.
Please feel free to share widely with attribution.
Aries
To wear your heart on your sleeve is a gift to the world around you. You thrive in circumstances where you feel free to be exactly who you are, and something within you is reminding you that you are worth nothing less than the freedom to BE. If you find yourself trying to pick fights, do your best to acknowledge any pain or grief you are feeling about the world situation or more personal hurts, letting your heart soften a little bit to cool some of that heat. The ideal and the real are coming closer together now. Look for new insights and revelations related to your values and ways you resource yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Throw it in the fire: the idea that less is more
Plants seeds in your heart for: unconditional self-acceptance
Taurus
There’s some power cracklin’ in your field these days, Taurus. I can close my eyes and hear white light flames dancing around you, almost as if they’re instantaneously burning away a whole new layer of ancestral schtuff at the same time as they’re prepping your heart for next level spiritual warrior-ship(hood?ness?). Don’t get carried away, though. The high velocity nature of what it seems like you’re going through could be a little sneaky or inflated, and so it’s extra important to ground. Lean into pleasure during the coming cycle, and try to make it slow and sensuous. You are a light in the darkness, and the world is very much in need of your kind of medicine.
Throw it in the fire: patterns of servitude and self-sacrifice
Plant seeds in your heart for: audacious encounters with transcendence
Gemini
It seems like some of the roles you play and masks you wear have become particularly itchy and grating. You might be realizing that a time has come for fresh starts in terms of the communities you’re a part of as well as your hopes and dreams for the future. At the same time, you are being asked to take a deeper look into the legacies you have been a part of, and the legacy you’d like to leave this earth. Look to your dreams, be they waking or sleeping, for flashes of insight into all of the above.
Throw it in the fire: pretending like you don’t want to feel worshiped sometimes
Plant seeds in your heart for: revolutionary community
Cancer
In the culture I was raised in, I was taught that legacy had to do with financial inheritance and generational wealth. In cultures I’m familiar with now, legacy has to do with leaving the earth in a better state than I found it for the sake of future generations. What does legacy mean to you? What is it that you have inherited from the past? Is that what you want to give to the future? New ideas are percolating related to your role “out there” in the world, and I’m sensing bold new forms of leadership, even if just in terms of the ways you want to relate to your future self. It might be worth paying your future self a visit to find out what wisdom they have for you.
Throw it in the fire: the idea that your strength comes from your thoughtfulness alone
Plant seeds in your heart for: understanding what kind of leader you are
Leo
Everything is changing, Leo Love. And, I mean… duh. But you’ve been in a process of renovation for a while now, and it’s time to let yourself re-vision what it is that you believe. In the biggest ways. What do you believe about the cosmological hows and whys of the world? What is your vision for our planet ten years from now? 20? 30? I mean, what do you WANT it to be like? Spend some time in the coming month allowing that vision to be received by your heart first and then your mind. Use your intimate relationships and career as playgrounds for testing things out.
Throw it in the fire: narratives that present justice and peace as pretty things
Plant seeds in your heart for: connecting with your new, perhaps a bit elder, spark of genius
Virgo
The ways that you relate – your literal relationship skills – are a genuine resource for you. You’re just so good at it, and at being attuned to the space between things. And, of course, organization. It does appear, however, that some risks might need to be taken, dear Virgo. I don’t know that they’re huge ones, although they might feel that way. What I do kinda think I know is that they seem to involve you being more radically yourself in ways that might feel challenging. There are some fears that might need to be faced in the coming month, but they feel more exhilarating than terrifying. Call on the support of your most compassionate helpers and get ready to experience intimacy in ways that help you understand even more about yourself and the world around you.
Throw it in the fire: Beliefs that tell you you’re only worth what other people think of you
Plant seeds in your heart for: initiations that are exciting and yet full of ease
Libra
Hi, Libra. Paradox is your best friend right now, and I encourage you to hold the tension of seeming opposites as much as possible. It appears that at least a bit of unmasking is in order, and I dare say you’ve been putting in the time to surround yourself with people who are supportive of that, if not modeling ways of doing it themselves. Hold space for parts of you that are afraid of showing themselves for fear of being cast out. Reach for folks who feel grounded and brave.
Throw it in the fire: The idea that you’re nobody til somebody loves you
Plant seeds in your heart for: radically interdependent relating
Scorpio
Hey, pal. So it looks like you might have a lot of spark and excitement going on right now when it comes to your day to day routines – and potentially even your job. There’s a lot of energy saying “do do do! Go go go!” And that’s not a bad thing… unless your system isn’t supporting the level of activity your mind (or employer) wants. Or unless you’re encountering obstacles – be they external or internal. Trust that something new and exciting is being born. I recommend working things out through some kind of creative process – after you’ve taken time to attend to your bod.
Throw it in the fire: Costly persistence
Plant seeds in your heart for: a new way of understanding service
Sagittarius
Oh hey there. You’re lookin’ pretty good. Wanna… oh wait. Right. Astrologer. Horoscope writer. Of course. Ahem. Sadge! There’s some charisma-city vibes rolling off your chart right now! I’ve been doing this long enough to know that could be coming through in a lot of ways (fun? Chemistry? Romance? Frustration? Options!), but I had to call it out. Things might be getting heated for you, and that can be a good or a bad thing. Here’s my tip: try not to use all that fire to avoid things. Or, if you do/are, make sure you’re doing it consciously. You have some things to feel related to family of origin stuff, and there are changes that probs need to be made when it comes to your daily routines and health stuff. Use those as foundations for enjoying the fun stuff even more.
Throw it in the fire: Maybe avoid the fire and run your hands under water, feeling into that kind of flow for a minute or 15
Plant seeds in your heart for: embracing fun AND tears as needed
Capricorn
Something new is being initiated in terms of your home life – of potentially your relationship with your roots. What does it mean to fiercely love something or someone? What happens when you hide parts of yourself in one situation only to find it flooding forward in others? It seems like there have been times when you’ve felt a need to fight for safety, and I’m sorry that has happened. My advice to you for this eclipse aftermath (hangover?) is to find ways to protect your heart that don’t cause your adrenals to be perma-pumping.
Throw it in the fire: that peace has to be compartmentalized
Plant seeds in your heart for: fierce compassion
Aquarius
Well, friend, the second I glanced at your chart I got a big ol’ shouting voice in my brain saying, “write the book already!” Was that possibly a message for one singular reader? Yes. Can we make it relevant for everyone else? Probably! It seems like your daily life might be profoundly full of mega-rushing right now. My concern is that your bod might read that as war time behavior. And indeed it seems likely that your notions of war and peace are up for review right now – whether at the big picture level or the deeply personal level. I recommend a walk around your neighborhood. Where do you see war? What about peace? Can you write a story about it? Or maybe talk to the people in your neighborhood about related themes?
Throw it in the fire: recklessness to obtain peace
Plant seeds in your heart for: new narratives about stability
Pisces
Dear Pisces; of all the charts I’ve looked at yours speaks the most loudly to the interplays of wanting to “go go go! Get it done! So much to do!” while at the same time probably facing inconsistencies in your energy level that need attention. Your bod needs tending, and I’m hearing that you might not feel like there’s time for that. So. The good news is that I don’t think this energetic wonkiness has to be with you for a long time, but you would do well to tend to yourself and your body’s needs at every opportunity. As the month moves forward, you’ll have lots of opportunities to practice resourcing yourself. Asking for help. Setting reminders in your phone to drink water. Relying on plant and animal allies for support. Just do it. Or try.
Throw it in the fire: the idea that caring for yourself has to take much time or can happen “later”
Plant seeds in your heart for: having full command of your resources
Amanda is a queer astrologer who is very into relational, evolutionary and psychological astrologies. Sometimes she also writes about the world and her place in it. You can support her ability to continue doing this work — and get rad incentives like monthly AstroCircles, community hangouts with QA and free sessions through Patreon.
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