Aries NEW MOON 2018   

By Tracy Cook

Where should my focus be during this next 29-day cycle? 

When we draft a chart for the new moon we can get a sense of the energy that will be up for processing for the next 29 days.  

Okay what is this cycle about?   What are your instincts telling you?  How can you use this information for this new lunar year?  What is the fire in your belly?  

Sabian symbol:  

Through Imagination A Lost Opportunity Is Regained

https://cafeastrology.com/sabiansymbols_degreemeanings.html

Aries  New Moon

April 15 2018

9:57pm EDT 

26 Aries 02

Welcome to your new year!   Happy Aries New Moon!! 

First order of business –The Aries New Moon starts April 15^th at 9:57pm EDT.  After that date you may launch your Treasure Map.   Please make your after New but before Full Moon.  Ideally the first week is great.   You pull all the images together that represent what you want to experience or what you want to build upon or what you want to obtain during the next twelve months.    You construct a Treasure map, which is basically a vision board of images, words and affirmations.  To understand how to make a Treasure Map and its importance go to this link.    This is a wonderful, hopeful time of year.  If you are reading this report before April 15^th, please take the time before New Moon to declutter your house, your car, your purse, your brain.  Clear out as much debris so you will be ready for the New Moon. 

For more information on Treasure Maps go here..https://tracyastrosalon.blogspot.com/2018/04/treasure-mapping-all-info.html

ARIES NEW MOON 

When we look at this Aries New Moon chart and the 29-day lunar cycle we see there are a remarkable set of astrological aspects for the lunar cycle.   This is not a quiet New Moon or 29 day cycle.  A lot will come up for many of us and influence the year. 

Here’s what is going on:

1.      Mercury turns direct about 12 hours before the New Moon at 4/5 degrees of Aries. 

2.      Sun & Moon conjunct Uranus in its final degrees of Aries.  

3.      Sun & Moon square Pluto  

4.      Mars the ruler of Aries is sandwiched between Saturn & Pluto in Capricorn.   

5.      Chiron moves into Aries on April 17  

6.      Saturn stations retrograde on April 17 (9:46pm edt) at 9 cap 08  9:45pm  until September 6  (2 cap 33) 

7.      Pluto stations retrograde on April 22 (11:25 pm edt) at 21 Cap 21 until September 30 at 18 Cap 52. 

8.      Special note: Uranus moves into Taurus about 3 hours after the Taurus New Moon.  The last time Uranus was in Taurus was 1934-1942

If you have even the basic understanding of astrology then you know that is a pretty robust set of aspects and astrological circumstances.  If you know nothing about astrology then let me make it easy for you---WE ARE IN A WORLD OF CHANGE.  

Let’s go through the list. 

Mercury Station Direct

By the time the Aries New Moon launches, Mercury will have stationed direct at 5:20am EDT just a handful of hours prior to New Moon.   In the twenty two years that I have been making Treasure Maps I do not recall any time where Mercury changed direction just before the Aries new moon launched.   It is a message to all of us that if anything came up during the retrograde that was one hundred percent a pain in the ass, it might be a sign of what we want for the incoming year.  If for example, money was tight during the retrograde, I am not saying we should put, “I will not bounce a check” on a Treasure map …first of all it is too negative.   But maybe we need to dig deep about abundance with something like, “I am happy and grateful that all my needs are not only met but exceeded.”   Or if there were skirmishes with family during retrograde you may find yourself drawn to affirmations like, “I am happy and grateful all my relationships are easy and joyful.”     Think about anything that came up and rubbed you raw during the retrograde.  Go deep on it and ask if there is a meaningful message you can take from it for this 29- day cycle and or Treasure Map?    The unwinding of Mercury may bring many insights.    

Sun Moon Conjunction Uranus

Uranus is the planet of change.   Wait let me get your attention, Uranus is THE planet of change.   When he blows into someone’s chart expect something weird and goofy and possibly disruptive to follow.   Uranus has been in Aries since 2010 and we have been all learning the power of leadership, determination, confidence, honesty and just the importance of being fired up.   During the last eight years, perhaps there have been skirmishes around moodiness and lack of patience and impulsiveness, which is the not so evolved trait of Aries.    Now, Uranus is about to wrap up its long journey in Aries next month but just because the Universe has a keen sense of humor we get the New Moon right next to Uranus.    If the Aries New Moon had happened at the end of March it would have been at zero to ten degrees of Aries.   Nowhere near Uranus, which is at 29 degrees of Aries.   Instead the new moon is coming in at 28 degrees of Aries right smack next to Uranus.   Think the Universe is getting our attention?    We should expect change is in the air for this 29-day cycle.  Prepare for the unexpected.   Be quick on your feet (Have you learned that since 2010?).   Watch for some kind of disrupter to mess with things.   At the same time perhaps it is someone fired up that inspires change within us personally.    And we should watch the world.   There could be earthquakes or some sad sack who likes to start grassfires both metaphoric and literal quakes and grassfires.  Watch if something from out of the blue comes up and note your reaction.  Are you hot headed or are you fired up and inspired?   Is someone else’s bad mood getting in the way of something good?  Who is going to lead others out of the mess?  How are you leading yourself?    And an important question Uranus in Aries at the final degree can ask is:  “How long can you be inactive?  Is that working for you?”   Uranus can be a rebel without a cause or provocative for no other reason than being provocative.   But when we go deep on Uranus we can indeed find the area that needs to be shaken up for a good change.    No doubt, the 29 day cycle will have information for you. 

Sun & Moon Square Pluto 

And continuing the theme of the Universe’s sense of humor, on the New Moon chart, the Sun and Moon are in a square with Pluto in Capricorn.   Pluto asks for transformation.   But transforming can upset people.   What does it mean to stretch and go for something with all your passion?   It feels good, it feels invigorating but others can respond with caution or negativity.   Perhaps they think they are helping?   Perhaps they are scared by change in general and by your change even more so?  Or maybe they fear you are leaving them?    Who knows?  But during this 29- day lunar cycle we should not be surprised if our intentions for new beginnings upset some type of status quo and it bugs others.   Do not be undermined by ‘Know-It-Alls” and that includes your own inner “know it all.”  Pluto loves to transform so he is good for evolution but you just need to go deep.   Superficial changes are not anything worth getting fired up.   If you hit a brick wall somewhere go inward access your power.  Are you giving away your power?   Do you think the Sun/Moon in Aries will let that happen?  Ha.   Watch the 29 days and see what it means to go deep for transformation and access personal power. 

Saturn Mars Pluto 

Aries natural ruling planet is Mars and in the New Moon chart Mars is between Saturn and Pluto.   Saturn of course is the dad planet with his short leash and austere approach. Pluto is the therapist who says, in order to deal with dad we need to go deep and find our power.  Bosses could be a pain.  Restrictions could come up.     Watch these 29 days for evidence of feeling trapped and at the same time liberating by going in deep and finding solutions buried in the psyche. Then tell Mars what to do.   He’ll go get what ever it is that needs to be done. 

Chiron in Aries

Chiron is classified a comet and/or a small planet (planetoid).  It was discovered in 1977 in Pasadena, although astronomers and astrologers knew something was out there a hundred years earlier.  Chiron has one weird elliptical orbit between Saturn and Uranus and takes 50 years to go through all 12 signs.  Although he does not do it evenly, meaning he is in Libra for only a couple of years but in Pisces way longer.     In astrology Chiron is a Centaur, half man half horse and he has a long complicated history.   His mortal mother freaked when the hunky man she was having sex with turned into a horse.  After she gave birth and saw her son Chiron had an upper section like a human but the lower half was a horse, she ran off.   What she didn’t know was that baby Chiron had god Saturn (Greek Chronos) for a dad.   The half human part of Chiron would not have made it after being abandoned by his mother but his immortal horse half allowed him to survive by his own efforts.   Of  course, being alone and abandoned left Chiron great self doubts.  He had to learn things the hard way.   But one of the gifts of Chiron is his philosophical and wise inner compass, which comes from the lessons he learned by screwing things up.  Remember he had no dad or mom so who was going to show him the way?   He had to figure things out on his own.   The results are Chiron is a natural bridge builder.   What he learned he shares with others.  Since 2011 Chiron has been in humanitarian Pisces where we have been dealing with the pain and victim struggles in the world.  For seven years many of us have had a profound connection with other people through pain.   “OMG I have to help” has been said by many of us for the last seven years.   

Now on April 17^th Chiron moves into Aries and we will still connect with humans and still help but it will look quite different than it did in gentle Pisces.    The last time Chiron was in Aries was April 1 1968 and it stayed there until March 28 1977 (minus a few months when it went into Pisces and Taurus).    It is worth nothing that a few days after Chiron went into Aries, MLK was killed and Robert Kennedy was killed just a couple months later.    A lot happened between 1968 and 1977, which put people on notice that they have to step up and be a leader even without role models.    Chiron will retrograde back to Pisces in fall for a couple of months and then return to Aries in Feb 2019 where it will stay until 2026.  This is going to be a long haul.    Whatever gets churned up in the next couple months will be fiery and when it returns to Pisces we will process our new found angst in our humanitarian lens for oe more time.  Although our passion is great we may need to take a moment and consider if  we are throwing a baby out with the bath water.   We go back and find our human.  Then when it returns to Aries in Feb our warrior will be back on with a force.    Chiron in Aries connects to military and we should expect build up either in recognized armies or in grassroot groups.    Aries speaks to identity and a right to be here.  “I am alive” says Aires.    Those with self doubt will have to process any of their inner demons.  Are you here or are you not?  For people born between 68-77 the return of Chiron to its natal position will bring up old wounds around your value.  When did you realize you had a right to be in the family?  And in the world?  How have any doubts held you back?   For the rest of us Chiron will be traveling through the house where we have Aries so go to your chart and check the house for more insight.   The world has a long eight year slog going forward.   Defiance and determination could be helpful and sloppy.  Grandiose actions are fun but if they do not generate concrete results then they are a waste of time and will cause more anger.   We will all watch for misplaced rage in personal endeavors and in the news.   It is worth noting that Chiron was in Aries between 1771 – 1780, which puts the American Revolution smack in the middle of the Chiron Aries journey.   And as we have been discussing since 2008, Pluto will be exactly where it was on July 4, 1776 in 2022.   And curiously, Uranus was in Taurus from 1767-1775, stirring up the masses with financial ups and downs.   Can you feel the change in the air?  Chiron in Aries is a slow moving planetoid and a lot of what it brings will unfold with time.  However, Aries is not a quiet sign so it will probably do something to get our attention.  Young males, military, fires, Might-Is-Right, even head wounds would be the first place I would be looking.   Keep your radar up.   We’ll talk more about Chiron as it makes its long journey. 

Saturn Retrograde 

April 17 9:46 pm EDT 

About 18 hours after Chiron goes into warrior Aries for its eight-year journey, Saturn stations retrograde at 9/10 degrees of Capricorn.   To put it mildly, that is what we call an interesting day.  Saturn moved into its home sign Capricorn late December.  Saturn likes being in Capricorn, this is the place where Saturn can manage the world.  Do this, do that, put that there,  move this over here….and in truth Saturn is pretty right about things that need to be done in order to manage things tidier.   Where it gets misguided is when it keeps pushing forward and the ground is not solid.  If it stays on a schedule and does not stop and make sure everything is okay that there are no fissures or cracks.   The gift of Saturn retrograde is for all of us to take a moment and make sure everything we are building is ‘sound’.   Is it rooted in something that can stand the test of time?   Or is it rooted in something false?  Or rooted in insecurity?   Between now and when Saturn stations direct on September 6 at 2-3 degrees of Capricorn we will have good opportunity to see what is not working because it is not rooted in the higher or whole ideal.    Insecurity is a good motivator but it is not good to be built upon.    Watch what comes up. 

Pluto retrograde

April 22 11:25am EDT 

21 Cap 17 

And here is where we laugh and say, “Okay, Spirit I got it, you are throwing in the kitchen sink this month.”   Pluto stations retrograde every year and here we are in the middle of the Aries lunar month because we don’t have enough going on!  Pluto is a slow planet and even in his bit by bit movement there is still opportunity for something to be lost.  Retrograde Pluto can glean any missing item or nuance or movement that will help us in our evolution.   Pluto’s evolution in Capricorn speaks to our fears around corporations and government and infrastructure.  Our fears may be based in reality but if we are not solving the issue from the ground up then we will be left with a big mess when Pluto leaves Capricorn in 2024.  Case in point when Pluto was in Sagittarius we could have had an opportunity to help higher education in its evolution.  Instead For-Profit universities, many of them not even accredited emerged in the market place.  And at the same time, Pluto which is one of the debt planets burdened many students with predatory lenders both in private and public universities.   These students with thousands of dollars in debt is going to take some time to unwind.  Maybe by the time Pluto gets into Aquarius in 2024.   But Now as Pluto travels through Capricorn, which speaks to the basic fabric of society from pipes that take out sewage to fresh water that is brought into homes to rules and laws, Pluto is transforming where it can.   Enviromental concerns are certainly in the mix since Pluto is about the removal of waste.  What is going in the air?  What is going in the water?   What are we doing about it?  Watch what comes up during the next five months and see how business, government, authortites and regular joes respond.   Are they doing all they can?  And if not, why?  

For those people with planets between 18 and 22 in Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, button up your seat belt…here we go!  Wait a minute you don’t need me to point that out to you, you are already feeling it.   Hang in there! 

Uranus in Taurus 

May 15---11:16am EDT

Uranus makes its big move into Taurus about three hours after the Taurus New Moon launches.  We will talk about Uranus in the next month in more detail but when you consider Uranus is in square with Sun & Moon on this Aries New Moon and you consider that Chiron is making a move into Aries during this Aries 29 day lunar cycle and when you consider Saturn and Pluto turn retrograde during this lunar phase we should put Uranus’ move into a bigger picture.  Things are shifting in front of us.  We can see it and we can feel it.  Uranus has not been in Taurus since 1934 – 1941.  A lot happened then.   Knowing what you know now and you could go back in time to 1933 what would you tell all those souls who were living in the final days of Uranus in Aries?  There were people in the early 1930s who were not feeling ‘right’ about something.  Their guts were telling them something and many of them made a move based on something deep in them.   Aries is an instinctual sign.  It jumps high when something inside says ‘do it’.   So, there were people in the early 30’s who packed up their belongings and jumped to a new location.   Now ask yourself if we are in the final days (except for the retrograde later in the year) of Uranus in Aries and it coincides with an Aries New Moon—don’t you think we should be listening to our guts.  What is our gut telling us to do?  What is it telling us to put on our Treasure Maps?   Instincts are important.     Then on the Taurus New Moon, Uranus will move into Taurus and start the long slog of messing with money, investments, properties, boundaries--- and a whole slew of things.   Use this Aries cycle to find your instincts so you can be ready to make the most of Uranus in Taurus.   

In conclusion:  This is not regular old new moon. It is not even a regular old Aries New Moon.   The landscape is shape shifting in front of us.   What is our future?  What do we need?  Where should we be heading?    Trust your instinct.    Make the most of this 29 day cycle and your Treasure Map.   Love your map!   

See you in Taurus! 

Have you friended TracyAstroSalon on FB?  Why not?  

https://www.facebook.com/tracy.astrosalon

alleviate 

The 8 phases

Aries New Moon

April 15, 2018

9:57pm EST 

26 Aries 02

New moon: Plant seeds, make calls, activate, start projects.   Activate something that will ideally lead you to more.  This is the phase where INTENT is critical.  Even if the results are not immediate, the intent is there.  You may not have all the answers or road map but you should put out your Intent.

This focus:  What are your instincts tell you?  How are feeling fired up?  What is your goals for the new year?  What do you know you ‘must do, must have, must experience’?   Watch any flippancy.  Don’t be shallow.  Go deep and get fired up!  

Special focus 

4/16: Venus oppose Jupiter.  Money & love feel big.  Perhaps too big.  Find moderation if you can.  

4/17: Venus trine Pluto.  Transformation of love starts new beginnings.   Gentleness and creativity drive transformation.  Love is the answer no matter what is the question. 

4/17: Saturn retrograde 9 cap 08 9:45pm  until September 6  (2 cap 33)  (see above)

4/18 Sun conjunct Uranus.  Creativity and change create dynamic new energy.    Where are the last vestiges of independence needed?    

Crescent Moon Phase

April 19, 2018

8:13am EDT  

Crescent:  We will receive information, we will research a bit more, perhaps get feedback on stuff that we planted on new.  Perhaps get some information that will help down the road on a seed we planted a while ago.  We can collect some data now.  Even if you think you are not getting information, stop, and re-look at everything.  Who called you?  Even the silliest things, when they come up during Crescent are note worthy.  A parking ticket?  An argument with a spouse?  A refund check from the phone company?  All of it needs to be considered a message from the universe.  How can this information help you?

Focus on: What information are you receiving that speaks to your siblings?  What info are you learning that connects with your neighbors?  What are you learning about the value of cross-pollinating?  What are you learning about the value of  being light? 

Special focus:

4/19 Sun enters Taurus

4/22 Pluto retrograde 21 Capricorn 17 until September 30 (18 Cap 52)   (see above)

First Quarter Moon 

April 22, 2018 

5:45pm  EST

First quarter: We do more actions based on the information that we just received.  Or we feel our instincts guide us on something.  We pursue again.  We make another call or we see someone. We mail something.  We stir the pot again.  This can be a time when we realize that the goals we planted on New need more action from us, perhaps actions that involve breaking away.   Are there people who say they have our best interest in heart but fear us growing away from them?  Maybe we need to get help from others not the usual suspects.  Some independence may need to be exerted. 

Focus on:  What actions are you taking that express your love and creativity?   What actions are you taking that speak to your dramatic nature?  What actions support your pride?  What actions need courage?  Where are you brave? 

Special focus

4/24: Venus enters Gemini 

4/25: Mercury square Saturn.   Thinking is rigid.   Restricted information.   Fine tune thinking and communication.   Hesitate before saying something incorrect. 

Gibbous Moon

April 26, 2018

5:30pm  EDT  

Gibbous:

We refine our information.  We pick and choose, we discriminate, and we organize to be ‘Virgo’ like.  We sort through details.  Have we missed something?  How are we sifting through the information?  Go back and make sure something hasn’t been neglected.  Refine our actions.  

Focus on: 

How are you refining your daily schedule?  How are you refining your diet?  How are you fine-tuning your daily actions? How are you fine tuning your health?   How are you showcasing your skills to serve?  

Special focus: 

4/26: Mars conjunct Pluto –Anger and transformation around status quo.  Are we working too hard to keep status quo when instead we should be energized to transform what is outdated?  

Full Moon Phase

Full Moon 

April 29, 2018

8:58pm EDT

9 Scorpio 38 

Full Moon:  We make the needed adjustments on the things we planted. Usually emotions are up and running and for those people who perhaps did not utilize the new moon and the rest of the waxing moon, this is when emotions can get the better of us.  There can often be a big emotional break, for no other reason than to get back on track.   Some partnership will offer up some balance.  The moon is bright and full and there is no room for shadows, what is reflecting on you?  

Go to blog for full moon report. 

http://tracyastrosalon.blogspot.com/

Focus on:   Full Moon in Scorpio. What needs to be transformed?  What needs to go from one extreme to another extreme?  How are you harnessing your power?   Where does sex, death, taxes, power play in your life?  

Disseminating

May 3, 2018  

6:59pm EDT

Disseminating: Share information; find a teacher or someone who has more knowledge. Perhaps there was a big ol’ blow out on the full and one feels in need of support and help, this is the phase to reach out to one who knows more. This is when we find a rabbi or a minister or therapist who gives us more insight.   And of course, you too may be ready to teach and share your own information.  

Focus on:  How are you sharing your philosophical nature?  How are you sharing your ability to bridge people and worlds?  How are you sharing your education?  How are you sharing your wisdom?  How are you sharing your humor?  

Special focus:

5/7: Mercury square Pluto.  Words that transform are fighting words.  Transformation that needs to be communicated sounds ugly.   Under the surface something needs to die in order to be born anew.  

5/7: Venus square Neptune.   Love and money seem very fuzzy.  Values seem askew or unworldly.  Things feel ‘off’.  

Last Quarter Moon Phase

May 7, 2018 

10:08pm EDT

Last Quarter moon:  Now we do the final adjustments to the seeds we planted on new. The final call, the final letters to send, we follow all the trails that came up that still make sense.  And we let the other parts lay fallow. It is a time of action but wise action.  It is a time for living  “The serenity prayer” 

God, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change Courage to change the
things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.

Focus on:

What actions are you taking that support your friendships?  What actions are you taking that speak to the circle of likeminded people that hang around you?  What actions are you taking that connect you with circles of people?  What actions are you taking that build community?  

Special focus:

5/8 Sun oppose Jupiter.  The need to be practical feels big.  The need to acquire feels big.  

5/11: Sun trine Pluto.  Practical transformations that speak to our higher goals and expectations.  When we let go and transform in a really practical manner we can raise the bar.  

Balsamic Moon Phase

May 11, 2018 

8:07pm  EDT 

Balsamic:   We let go.  By releasing we can prepare for the new.  

Focus on  How are you releasing your independence?  How are you releasing your need to be alone?  How are you releasing your selfishness?  How are you releasing your short fuses? 

5/12: Mercury square Mars.   Fighting words help whom?   Think before you speak.  Think before you react to someone else’s speak. 

5/13: Mercury conjunct Uranus.    Genius thoughts arrive with a flash.  Fun creative thinking and communication.  And just plain old weird things come into play. 

5/13. Mercury enters Taurus 

Special Focus:

May 15, 7:47am EDT Taurus New Moon & Uranus enters Taurus