On March 24th at 5:29 am (EDT), we have our first New Moon following the somewhat-agonizing Mercury Stationary period and tensely-aspect Full Moon in Virgo—both of which occurred on March 9th.
The recent Mercury Retrograde in Pisces, from 2/16 - 3/4 marked a period of escapism, allowing us to push the cosmic “Pause” button and get in touch with our emotions. During this time we may’ve felt less like making progress and more like escaping or evading the pressures of the daily grind.
But on 3/4 when Mercury backtracked into Aquarius, it was like an unpleasant electric shock, waking us out of our slumber and pushing us to take care of our overloaded To-Do Lists. As a result, the days from the 4th up until the Virgo Full Moon and Mercury Direct on 3/9 were quite intense, as information poured in from all angles, both personal and collective—Coronavirus anyone?
So whatever greener pastures you’ve been dreaming of, now that the demands of our Bosses, Careers and Social Agendas have been forcibly put on hold, this Aries New Moon conjunct asteroid Chiron, the Wounded Healer, forces us to face our fears of being alone.
Virgo Full Moon & the End of Escapism
The fact is, as the days leading up to and immediately following the Virgo Full Moon and Mercury’s Direct Station on 3/9 unfolded, we were left emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted.
So although those greener pastures you’ve been dreaming of may seem further away than ever, the Virgo Full Moon was a rather frazzling wake-up call, catapulting us from seemingly quiet reverie into full-blown crisis.
However, as the weeks between 3/9 and 3/23 have unfolded, though we may not have gained much hope or clarity, this Aries New Moon on 3/24 is like hitting “Refresh.” It’s a “take-charge” energy, prompting us to make contingency plans, stock the bomb shelter and tap into our inner creativity now that the demands of our Bosses, Careers and Social Goals have been forcibly put on hold.
New Moon in Aries: Out With the Old and In With the…?
On the eve of the March 24th New Moon in Aries, our professional lives are put on the backburner, as the Coronavirus and social isolation forces us to take a good hard look at what we have (and what we’re missing) when it comes to our personal lives.
A New Moon in Aries, especially in Decan 1, is the freshest of fresh starts, as it usually comes in tandem with the Spring Equinox, ushering in a New Season. Out with the old, in with the new. But what to do when the old is out and nothing new seems to be coming in?
Well, though the Aries New Moon typically denotes an Action-packed affair, this particular one is more of a mental brainstorm, pushing us out the “I can’t do this” mantra of Post-Shadow Mercury in Pisces, and asking us to embrace the “I think I can” energy of Aries.
This New Moon is an extremely personal one, occurring in energetic and enterprising Aries, inspiring us to come up with creative solutions and get in touch with our inner Guru, Power Animal—our inner Survival Instinct.
Most importantly, though, with the Aries Moon conjunct asteroid Chiron, the Wounded Healer, the real opportunity here is to take a good hard look at our personal lives.
What makes us happy? If we haven’t been happy, why? Have working long hours in relative isolation for relatively little in return? Have we been under the delusion that we don’t need anybody—that we can do everything ourselves?
This Aries New Moon is about rethinking what it means for us to not only survive but thrive in these uncertain times. With this New Moon in Aries, an honest self-examination is in order—one that may bring up uncomfortable questions and realizations about our relationship to ourselves and the sensitive subject of feeling Lost or fears of being Home Alone.
Moon-Chiron in Aries: Care-Giving vs. Care-Taking
With the idea of facing our fears in mind, the Moon in combination with Chiron typically takes two forms: either we become the Compulsive Caretaker of those we love, which in turn allows us control over them while keeping us busy enough to avoid confronting our own fear of being alone.
Or, conversely, we become the Compulsive Careseeker, looking for Mothering or Nurturing wherever we can find it, even if it means settling for the nearest Port in the Storm.
No matter what the scenario, those of us who may have relished the feeling of total control may find ourselves suddenly embattled in power struggles, whether it be those who live with others becoming overwhelmed by what seemed before to be a tenable situation, or those who live alone grappling with the realization that what once felt like a Room of One’s Own may feel more like solitary confinement.
So, the Aries New Moon on 3/24 is about cultivating awareness and getting in tune with the fact that, alas, we might’ve gotten so caught up in fantasy that we failed to calculate our ability to function without the respite of a designated Office Space, the occasional co-worker chat or that work trip you look forward to every week, month or year.
Whether this means realizing a need for more work space at home, the need for more family support, or even the desire to have a significant other around, we’re coming to terms with adjusting to circumstances we might not have planned for, but ultimately shed light on the reality of our personal needs.
Aries: Independence Vs. Alone Time
Yet, considering the limitations of our circumstances, the question of meeting our basic needs--our ability to take care of our own personal needs as well as those of others—may be easier in theory than in reality.
Aries is the “infant” of the Zodiac, demanding that its needs be met and met immediately at that. Thus the New Moon is something of a wake-up call, a cosmic jolt out of the confusion of recent weeks. But it’s at once demanding and impulsive as Aries can be, it’s a creative, outgoing and original sign—bold, courageous and fearless in its drive to survive.
Where the rub comes in is that while Aries is quite independent in terms of its ability to achieve and accomplish, it can be needy when it comes to support from others. This is the main paradox of the otherwise-straightforward Aries: as independent as they are, they don’t enjoy being alone as much as one might think.
Thus the reason why Aries always has its hands in one project or twelve—by keeping busy, even if it’s only when giving instructions or barking orders at “Alexa,” they don’t ever have to acknowledge the fact of being alone. (Not that Aries consciously realizes they’re doing this, as let’s just say they’re noted more for impulsive action than their capacity for self-awareness).
Aries Sun Conjunct Chiron: The Superhero Complex
The Sun is exalted in Aries, meaning that it’s at its strongest and has the most physical energy in this sign. As a result, Aries often feels invincible—the Superhero of the Zodiac, the Wonder Woman whose energy knows no bounds.
As the singular Cardinal Fire sign of the Zodiac, Aries is known as the Ram, ready to fight for what they believe in, not known for readiness to compromise but for head-butting any obstacle in its path until it gets out of their way.
Thus Aries’ tendency to be headstrong, fearlessly plunging into new endeavors. Aries is the Entrepreneur of the Zodiac, who must be the Boss, the Top Dog, the Champion at whatever it is they do.
But with every Superhero there’s a Clark Kent counterpart. This paradox is indicated in the most obvious and potent aspect of the Aries New Moon—its conjunction to asteroid Chiron, the Wounded Healer, at 5° Aries.
The central challenge of this New Moon in Aries is to use this burst of inspiration to face our fears of being alone while acknowledging our need for connectedness and love at the end of the day.
Similarly, because Mercury has not yet passed it’s Post-Retrograde Shadow period, this New Moon comes at just the right time when it comes to retracing our (mis)steps and righting wrongs still in the ether as we begin anew at this New Moon.
Jupiter-Pluto-Mars in Capricorn: Goals, Goals, Goals
Easier said than done, of course, as the cluster of planets in equally-headstrong Capricorn (Jupiter, Pluto and Mars) pulls us yet again toward keeping the status quo, perhaps even amplifying our fears of the Outside World (Jupiter-Pluto). But isolating ourselves entirely will ironically only get us further from our long-term goals.
Because though Jupiter-Pluto-Mars at the top of the chart in the 11th house shows just how undoubtedly goal-oriented, if not ruthless, we are in pursuing whatever it is we want, Mars in tight conjunction to both Jupiter and Pluto indicates an intense impulsivity, or the eruption of a seething anger or selfish desire that’s been nagging at us for some time.
So the expression of this energy must be watched carefully, as if it’s not properly channeled, it’s likely to cause quite a fight. Mars is the planetary ruler of Aries and thus of the New Moon, and with Jupiter in its fall in Capricorn, we’re compelled to actions that feel out of our control.
If not given a constructive outlet, this might manifest as such an overwhelming drive to “do something” that we’re less than cautious and end up shooting ourselves in the foot.
Given the current climate, this might mean impulse buying in bulk, lashing out at those we’ve gone stir crazy with, trying to date someone when there’s literally nowhere to go, or impulsively booking a trip you know you shouldn’t be taking right now.
Mercury Sextile Uranus: Using Intuition
Just keep in mind that though these things aren’t such great ideas right now, use it as inspiration for later. Because with Mercury in Pisces in the 1st house of the chart sextile Uranus in Taurus, there’s a powerful opportunity at hand when it comes to reinventing in the way we present ourselves, both in our physical appearance and in the way we communicate our ideas.
We’re offered a rare opportunity, if we’re aware of it, to gain insight into the way we communicate, and how we can be more thoughtful and compassionate, even as we go about our day-to-day routines.
Venus in Taurus in the 3rd house of the chart echoes this theme, and its trine to Jupiter in signals material gains coming from Communicating and Connecting with our Neighbors. You’ll have no problem turning on the charm now, so make sure to engage in conversation. For what starts as idle chatter may bring an unexpected opportunity.
Aries is notorious for its focus on the Present. So any time spent worrying about the past is ultimately time wasted. And time is something Aries does not like to waste.
Have we been wasting time trying to please others at the expense of ourselves, or becoming overly focused on trying to control our immediate environment? And the biggest question: have we been living for ourselves, or for others?
If the answer to any of these is “yeah/sorta/kinda,” then it’s time to confront whatever futile efforts, insecurities or fears we’ve allowed to hold us back, and relinquish negative thoughts or vague worries that’ve been undermining our ability to focus on our personal happiness.