New Moon in Aquarius
The New Moon in Aquarius is exact at 3:59 MST on February 9, 2024
This New Moon is giving restless, frenetic vibes. It’s provoking seemingly unfounded irritability, but if we take the time to ground in and open our awareness to our inner-landscape, it’s crystal clear why we are feeling so agitated, uncomfortable, maybe even sick to our stomachs. We are witnessing an unbridled momentum of reckless abuse of power, and to say the state of the world feels overwhelming is an understatement. On a personal level, many of us are also facing nightmarish upheaval and instability, under crushing pressure within a crucible of our own inevitable transformation. This New Moon wants you to remember that you don’t have to go it alone, and that you aren’t meant to go it alone.
We are all experiencing a crisis, or many, internal and/or external, whether we like it or not… A crisis is simply a pivotal moment, and we don’t need to label it “good” or “bad”... it is an opportunity for growth, no matter the outcome - however, what you get out of the journey is up to you. Uranus rules this lunation, and is also in a square to the New Moon - Uranus offers a lightning bolt of change, it rattles the earth beneath us, to catalyze the alchemical reaction necessary for us to cross the threshold of our crisis, for the sake of initiating our next spiralic cycle, onward and upward. The resolution won’t necessarily be an easy one, but trust that there is a release around the corner. Because Uranus has been in the fixed earth sign, Taurus, there has been a bit of resistance to change, a digging in of our heels - there is an energy of not wanting to change until we are absolutely sure it’s the right change. Venus just made a trine to Uranus on February 7th, the energy of which is still imprinted in the New Moon chart, which primed us for the impending radical change that awaits us… she is effectuating a willingness and desire within us to receive this transformation with grace. Stay open, alert, and excited for the adventure ahead…
Pluto in Aquarius Activation
Aquarius season began with a bang, as Pluto made its ingress into Aquarius, immediately following its conjunction to the Sun at the last degree and minute of Capricorn. We are continuing to be activated by this transit as each of the personal planets make their way into Aquarius and rendezvous with Pluto over the next week or so. Mercury, planet of communication and our thought processes, was the first one to make their pass this past Monday, which may have stirred up thoughts and conversations with the people present in your day to day life around where you’d like to see the world moving. You may have been fixated on, or found yourself in conversations concerning technology, our evolving thoughts about the role of government, the state of your current community, and the qualities you would like to see your networks fostering (i.e. friends, colleagues, neighbors, politicians, economic systems…). Our words are our magic, so it is important to speak what we wish to manifest into existence. Continue to have conversations rooted in innovation and a more equitable future. Mars and Venus will make conjunctions to Pluto on February 13th and 17th, respectively, which will activate our desires and values in a way they never have been before, as this is the first time in our lifetime that any of these planets have made a conjunction to Pluto in Aquarius. It seems quite kismet that all the personal planets are moving together making their conjunctions to Pluto, preparing us to release the old Capricornian structures and reckon with the fact that those structures will not be able to hold our new visions as we usher in the Age of Aquarius*.
Although this energy is exciting, it can also leave you feeling over-stimulated, dizzy, scattered, confused… Aquarius is ethereal and inventive, it draws down Genius and spawns radical ideas - we may be getting over-loaded with information from cosmos, collective consciousness, ego, etc… there is so much focus right now within the collective consciousness on information and technology, and the energies are pulling us up and out… the medicine in these times, however, is to go down and in. Uranus and Jupiter in Taurus approaching their conjunction will continue to bring our gaze back to the Earth that nourishes us. She is our source of our food, our water, our energy, our shelter… take the time to tune in, ground down, give thanks, and allow yourself to be nourished by her many gifts.
Chiron Conjunct the North Node
Chiron is getting closer every day to the North Node in Aries, precipitating all of our core wounds around our sense of self. We cannot ignore the inner child within, crying to express themself. Maybe you’ve been wanting to make shifts in your life to be more in alignment with the person you are realizing and remembering you are, maybe you’ve been visualizing this for many years now, and have been wondering WHY you can’t seem to step into your vision… This aspect is sextiling the New Moon in Aquarius, and Aquarius energy is all about embracing differences, embracing individuality, and recognizing that we all deserve to be happy, healthy, safe, free… This lunation is offering healing around shame we are carrying around about who we think we should be… when we let go of our own shame, and shine the light of our authentic selves, healing ripples to those around us.
Mercury in Aquarius square Jupiter in Taurus
Mercury is squaring Jupiter, which could orchestrate situations where people are getting on their soapboxes and preaching about their values, for better or worse. You may just end up in conversations where people are getting really excited about their ideas for the future. Be mindful where you insert yourself, how you amplify your voice, and the way you receive others. Keep an open mind and stay out of defensiveness. Be true to yourself while remaining tactful. Mars is also in a sextile to Neptune, which will hopefully soften any potential arguments. Offer a little grace to yourself and others - we are all running around with overactive nervous systems in a drastically changing world we are contending to keep up with. Use this aspect as an opportunity for expanding your mind, seeing the world through different eyes, and thinking outside of the box.
The time is now…
It’s time to think in a new way. To act in a new way. To visualize a type of reality you want to live in, without worrying about the how of getting there. Consider for a moment that the solution is beyond your wildest imagination. We may be presented with opportunities within this lunation cycle that will propel us forward, perhaps in a completely unexpected way. The path forward won’t necessarily be clear, so don’t get discouraged if you fail… dust yourself off and try again.
It is time to break away from old patterning and old fears that bind us into oppression, into powerlessness. It is time to recognize who the real enemy is, to realize and remember the power of the collective, and to stand up against injustice as a united people. We have to speak up about the solutions we wish to manifest, and collaborate with people who think differently than us to creatively come up with ways we can work together to make it happen.
Plant Ally to Engage with: Mullein
Mullein is considered a weed by many (the best medicines usually are). It grows abundantly where I live in Colorado, sprouting through cracks in rocks in dry, exposed Earth. It grows in a perfect spiral, and is soft to the touch, a bit contradictory to its resilient nature. In its second year of growth, it shoots up a tall stalk, with many beautiful yellow blooms.
Mullein is used in herbalism as a remedy for the lungs - it is moistening and relaxing to the respiratory system, helping to clear mucus out of the entire respiratory system, and also has an affinity to the nervous system. Mullein helps us to soften, and teaches us that being tough doesn’t equate to strength. It encourages the calming of our nervous system and quieting of an overly-critical mind. Engage with the plant when you have become hardened by overwhelm and the mind is congested from over-thinking and over-analysing. Breathe in deep and know that your needs are taken care of before you even ask for help.
Stay weird, stay curious, stay kind, my friends. Take excellent care of yourselves, and if you have the capacity for it, to the people in you community. Sending so much love.
Take care of your nervous systems! Head to the apothecary to shop all things that are nourishing to your delicate, over-stimulated nervous systems. My Joy State Elixir features our lunation’s plant ally, Mullein - click here for more information on this grief and anxiety support formula.
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* We are not in the Age of Aquarius, YET, the very wise Rick Merlin Levine explains - you can explore his work where he tells of how we are still very much in the Age of Pisces and will not enter into the Age of Aquarius until the axis of Earth points towards Aquarius (which is a long, slow process). That being said, since it is a slow process (slower than any of our planetary cycles) we certainly are feeling the energy of that transition ramping up, and this transit of Pluto through Aquarius is certainly paving the way for a more equitable future and preparing us for the next “Age.”
Important Dates:
Mercury square Jupiter - February 10th
Mars conjunct Pluto - February 13th
Venus conjunct Pluto - February 17th
Mars conjunct Venus - February 22nd
Sun moves into Pisces - February 19th
Acknowledgement to my Teachers:
*Starhawk is an incredible author, witch, activist whose writings and works have inspired my path. Her book The Fifth Sacred Thing is a must read for these incredible times we are in. I encourage you to explore all of her work.
*Sajah Popham’s book Evolutionary Herbalism is an incredible resource for astro herbalism. I drew some inspiration from his book when electing Mullein as the herbal ally for this lunation. I highly recommend reading his book and engaging with his work on the interwebs.
