Aries New Moon 2023 Act 2

Thursday 20 April – New Moon in Aries 5:12 BST

Thursday 20 April – Sun into Taurus 9:13 BST

Thursday 20 April – Sun square Pluto 17:27 BST

Friday 21 April – Mercury Retrograde 9:35 BST

Monday 24 April – Mercury sextile Mars 4:19 BST

Tuesday 25 April – Sun sextile Saturn 11:48 BST

Wednesday 26 April – Venus sextile Chiron 12:50 BST

Thursday 27 April – Mars square Chiron 14:34 BST

Saturday 29 April – Mars sextile Uranus 21:04 BST

Monday 1 May – Pluto Retrograde 18:09 BST

Tuesday 2 May – Sun conjunct Mercury 00:27 BST

Thursday 4 May – Venus square Neptune 18:40 BST

Friday 5 May – Venus sextile Jupiter 5:03 BST

Friday 5 May – Full Moon in Scorpio 18:34 BST

We have a New Moon in Aries on 20th April at 5.12 BST. Officially it’s an eclipse, but the nodes are still straddling Taurus-Scorpio.

As the second New Moon in Aries this month, due to the last one being at the very start of Aries, and this final one being right at the end, we could say that April is a new moon bookended month.

With two new moons either side of April, both in fire starter Aries, a lot should now we shifting. The territory – of whatever current set of challenges you face – might now be clearer and we might now, depending on the transits and progressions to our personal planets, see a way forward.

Aries helps us forge forward, perhaps despite resistance – our own or others. With two new moons in Aries, this is a massive push and a force to be reckoned with, for many it will be blessing and be the final kick they need to get moving.

For others, it might come more as a grounding or inner clarity, that then supports progress over the next few months. The Sun is still close enough to Aries to make this a new moon in conjunction with Jupiter, with brings us the exuberance and confidence to make things happen.

Things are beginning to land. The fog of the past year is beginning to lift and while we are still very much in a transition phase, until the year end or even longer, it’s a transition that allows for a lot of movement and action, whether internally or externally, helping us feel that we can make a difference, that all is not lost.

Decisions have been made or will be finalised after this Mercury retrograde ends (mid May), whether they are conscious or unconscious, spoken aloud, or just noted internally. It is then only a matter of time until life orientates around our current set of intentions. Spend time bringing your intention more into play, and be clear what you are bringing into reality.

Chiron also plays an important part at this new moon, along with Jupiter. In the Sun’s sojourn of Aries, he has met with Chiron, and the Sun is at its strongest in Aries. Apollo, the Sun God, incidentally adopted Chiron in the Greek myths. Chiron’s role at this time is very crucial.

This is highlighting, in an interesting sense, feelings of exile, ostracisation and marginalisation. I say ‘interesting’ as it’s not all bad or challenging. There’s a growing awareness of this role of Chiron in the collective, crucial since it is the centaurs, of which Chiron is one (Pholus and Nessus are the others), which straddle the dimensions of reality.

This ‘straddling’ is what a lot of us on the margins of reality, mainstream, groups, community, family have been doing for many years, of which this intensified over the last 3-4 years, since Chiron ingressed into Aries.

There’s a sort of coming home experience at this time, and that might not be just a physical reconnecting with or to roots, of the ancestral or family past, or the right tribe / community for you, it can be a something coming together internally also. A sense of not being an outsider in the same way now.

Perhaps this is about us finally realising what we need to get more consumed with for our healing. Perhaps seeing clearly what gaps need to be plugged and then taking the determined decision and action to make that happen. Our energy has been consumed by so many distractions over the past 3 years…

Roles have a tendency to reverse. Sometimes it can take many, many years for us to experience this. But it’s inevitable in life, that we learn from all angles and perspectives. Some are adept at this, having been born into, or forced into being on the back foot, the outsider or black sheep, never belonging, on a crash course to learn to see more broadly or deeper than everyone else.

But others are just about to get a foothold into how it feels also, this outsider’s place. But it won’t be in the same way and to the same degree, as that’s not necessary. A taste is all that’s required. If we perceive deeply enough, we will notice some making their tentative baby steps into the world many have had to endure for what seems like forever.

It’s easy to judge another’s experience. It’s easy to think you know who someone is, what they need to learn, because you think you have pieced together the dots. We are all guilty of this of laying blame or attaching to what we think we know, or what we believe to be best.

Now it’s time to start really seeing, looking in deeper, into the illusion. Life is a mirror, and you can busy yourself with the projections or you can go within. As we step into Mercury retrograde, on 21st, we have an opportunity to reflect and take back what is really ours.

It’s been imperative, and still is, that we immerse ourselves in alternative approaches or perspectives, to expand life’s repertoire we need to go into places (situations) that are more unknown, allowing for a constant refining.

We are learning new ways to connect to ourselves and others, and moving away and out of fixed patterns of communicating and coming together. We all have our crutches and regardless of who you are, what side you are on, or how much work you think you have done.

Everything that no longer sustains the deeper self is being exposed, disabled, dismantled in our psyche. This can be a painful process, but it doesn’t always need to be.

As the myth goes, Chiron himself was abandoned by his own parents and fostered by Apollo, Sun God. Abandonment – by family, partners, the system, the NHS, friends, groups, community, children – forces a process of becoming, because whatever ‘parent’ we have chosen, wherever or whomever we have given our authority over to, once taken away, leaves us feeling like a babe in the woods.

Here we are separate, alone and have to work things out for ourselves and mostly within.

This in itself is not a bad process, although there is usually a lot of judgment towards being forced into it, and even from others while in it. When you don’t conform to the masses, when you smell of vulnerability, it triggers others in lots of different ways, like falling dominos.

Often others interpret this new vulnerability, this raw self (your ‘becoming’) as a bad thing. You are not the same person anymore. And you appear lesser, weaker, full of lack and diminished. Of course this is not the case, but it sure feels unpleasant and unfamiliar (unless you are a natural Chiron type – born and bred into diminishment).

So either way, whether it’s a gradual and natural individuation process, or catapulted into it through an initiation (trauma, illness, death) or a bit of both (!), we are all, while Chiron is in Aries, undergoing a deep letting go and surrender of all external authority so we can connect more deeply into our own sovereignty.

For some this will now only happen through life review.

When Chiron is in Aries, he is at furthest away from the Sun. This translates to us being currently furthest away from our own internal centre (Sun), our own illuminosity you could say, and disconnected from our own source.

It is not an easy process for the collective with Chiron in Aries, even though it’s a powerful one. It brings up feelings of emptiness, longing and we feel it in our hearts. This is then projected out onto all manner of things, where we don’t have the right responses from people that make us feel loved, or the right job, enough money etc.

Are we allowing ourselves to feel it deeply within so to diminish the projection?

I believe when we do feel this – and we need to create a space for this, with hectic busy lives it’s not possible – we are doing something for ourselves and others, as this is a collective process, in which we are all deeply entertwined. This longing to connect with a deeper source within, is the process of today.

And it mirrors out with a longing to connect with someone outside, yet never getting that special someone, always lessons on what we need to heal within first.

The resistance to that internal love is huge, some perhaps many, would prefer to die or at least struggle and destroy themselves in the process, than bathe in the light of internal love.

Yet, like I said, we are turning a corner, there is light at the end of the tunnel, roles are reversing, others previously immune will experience some of this for themselves, even if just a tip toe, that begins to open up the chasm within. And so while we might not or ever feel exonerated or that life is fair (and who said life was ever fair anyway), it is good to know that the karmic table does tip, and there is indeed always a balancing out.

We can trust in balance coming our way, especially when we are prepared to do the difficult thing. Yet we can’t trust in getting it when we want it. This is what we are needing to surrender to – divine will and timing.

So, some have been learning one set of lessons, and others another set. There has been what has appeared a strong divide, and perhaps that’s the case at one level or perspective, but it is a bit of an illusion as it’s a spectrum always that appears very one or two-sided.

Yet we have all been undergoing this powerful urge to grow, evolve, transform and individuate, all in our own ways, none of which we can ultimately judge, even though the process to get to non-judgment or neutrality requires a masters degree in judgment and discernment (this is what the separation process is about, is it not).

And one of the biggest lessons, that has now been somewhat integrated by many, is knowing which battles to fight and which battles should we surrender up, at least for a time.

Where do we put this Mars energy (Aries is ruled by Mars), where do we invest ourselves to make the most of this individuation process, how can we be most effective? How can we fully go forward with all our passion, and show ourselves to the world, in our own authentic, personal way.

How can we avoid the shadow of Aries/Mars, the triggers, the reactions and impulsiveness, and turn it into inspired, spontaneous action. How can we use the Aries energy to move forward purposely and let things bounce off us, being more of the warrior in life?

What am I doing with my energy is the theme of this time, call it the new normal since it will continue for some time, until we have moved fully through this transition, and rebirthed. My sense is that the most important thing is to work on surrendering to the source within, which begins with dealing with the resistance.

I know I am speaking to the converted here. There are many out there in denial, or not even aware of what they are missing, and you’d be surprised who gets on and off the wagon, it’s never who you suspect. Nothing is what it seems. Developing an openness, leaving the door open for others regardless of our suspicions and hopelessness, is going to help us over the forthcoming months.

We really do not know what is being asked of a soul. See what transpires moment to moment more, and what culminates, but always know things can change in less than an instant.

When we are fully resourced within and it takes some reorientation and restructuring (and sacrifice) to get to a place where that’s available, it makes making headway far easier.

All these inner resistances to that inner resource need addressing. Take some time to reflect on where resistance appears in your life, what form it comes in and have some compassion for yourself in that process. What we are doing is massive. Let your heart soften and open to yourself and others. This is how we will begin shaping our new world.

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