NEW MOON – 16 DEGREES AQUARIUS
February’s New Moon has a jubilant, celebratory feel to it. Not only does it coincide with Chinese New Year, but it also keys into a very upbeat sextile between Mercury and Jupiter. In many ways, it will feel more like New Year than January 1st 2019. It is also the first New Moon since the Capricorn Solar Eclipse. After all the angst and challenges of January, this is the perfect opportunity to press the reset button emotionally. Use this more optimistic energy to set your sights ahead, get more serious about pursuing your passions and goals and then, using the agile energy of Mercury, get going! With Uranus about to leave Aries for the last time, not to return for the next 77-84 years, there’s an uneasy sense of urgency in the air this February. So if you feel a strong need to make some important life changes, then you had better get going!
SIGN
February 2019’s New Moon takes place in cool and detached Aquarius. Unlike January’s rather emotional Solar Eclipse in Capricorn, which forced many people to face up to certain stark realities, this New Moon offers us a chance to experience a cooler, more centred energy.
Although it’s zodiac sign is the water bearer, Aquarius is actually an air sign. It used to be co-ruled by Saturn, which is why it has a natural affinity to scientific systems and mechanics; but of course, once Uranus was discovered, it also took on the mantle of the sign most associated with technology and innovation.
Aquarius is also one of the few zodiac signs to feature a human figure – many of the other signs are based on animals – which also helps to illustrate two of it central qualities:
a) its concern with humanitarian issues, and love of humanistic philosophies, ideological/political movements and social causes
b) its highly individual nature, despite being drawn to group memberships and collective efforts.
In astrological terms, this sign is fixed air. Unlike the fiery charisma of its opposite sign of Leo, Aquarians often have a cool, unfazed air about them, sort of like James Dean. It is one of the many ironies about Aquarians that they often attract attention and admiration precisely because they aren’t as ego-driven or fame- and attention-hungry as their zodiacal counterparts.
However, although very principled, right-on and socially-aware, the fixed quality of their air element (intellect) means that they can become very stubborn about compromising their ideals, which can tip over into perversity and self-righteousness if not tempered by Venusian charm, some much-needed EQ or a healthy dose of pragmatism.
On the positive side, the Renaissance magus, Marsilio Ficino believed that the Moon in Aquarius aided the digestion and also enabled one to cultivate a connection to the benefic planets, Jupiter and Venus for the purposes of artistic inspiration – something worth bearing in mind when we get to the section on New Moon Aspects further down.
In general then, the New Moon in Aquarius is likely to activate themes such as:
- A drive for change and innovation
- A desire for greater social connection and group membership
- An interest in social change, environmental causes and identity politics
- Open-mindedness, tolerance of difference, love of diversity
- Importance on friendships
- Technology, science, mechanical subjects
- Humanistic philosophies, team efforts and collective movements
SABIAN SYMBOL
February’s New Moon takes place just past the halfway mark through the zodiac sign of Aquarius. The Sabian symbol for the 16th degree of Aquarius is:
A big businessman at his desk.
Now, we’ve seen this Sabian symbol before – in fact, the August 2017 Lunar Eclipse took place in this very same degree. So you may want to think back to that time to see if there are any parallels now to themes that were highlighted back then. For one thing, it’s possible that, over the next two weeks, you may be asked to either take back control of a certain situation or wisely exercise your right to say no, especially if others attempt to manipulate you into doing things their way – just like the businessman making executive decisions at his desk.
James Burgess sees this degree as part of a half-decan that focuses on the notions of conviction and true value, without which we cannot navigate the ups and downs of life, or indeed, take steps towards achieving what we have come to define as success for ourselves. In his book, Full Circle, he writes:
In order to accomplish a realized statement of what we have dreamt, we need to reach a condition of certainty. This does not mean that we know what is good for another person, or ‘true’ – it means impeccable confidence that the alignment, between what we believe in and what we are doing about it, will produce results.
Thus, his maxim for this particular degree is:
“Accomplishment fails unless it confers a depth of character that is not disturbed by gain or loss”
The Sabian Oracle offers us a few more suggestions on how to contemplate the meaning of this degree:
Keywords: Issues of being happy in one’s career. Making decisions. Management. Being in charge and in control. Calling the shots. The head rules the heart. Delegating duties or jobs. Economic rationalism. Sorting paperwork. Corporations. Keeping a diary. Striking a balance between having a life and doing all that needs to be done. Desks, telephones, computers, faxes, etc. Details and more details.
The Caution: Taking advantage. Bossing others. Shoving people around. Getting depressed about work. Always being “on the job”. Talking about money and business constantly. Greediness. Exploiting people and events for personal gain. Having difficulty retiring. The removal of the “little people”. Not doing the paperwork. Brushes with the law..
KEY ASPECTS
Although the Sun and Moon will be making some fairly positive aspects to planet of good fortune, Jupiter, during this particular lunar phase – a most welcome development after so many challenging eclipses and moon phases. However, it is also worth being consciously aware of what you don’t want to take forward with you into the next lunar cycle. More on that towards the end of this section.
Firstly, the good news.
Sun-Moon-Mercury sextile Jupiter
February’s New Moon occurs very soon after Sunday’s expansive and optimistic Mercury-Jupiter sextile. At the time of the New Moon, Mercury will be travelling very close to the Sun, so its energy and aspects will key into the energy of the February lunar cycle.
Expect Mercury and Jupiter to infuse this New Moon with a restless but hopeful and expansive feeling. It’s time to get down to business when it comes to making goals a reality. So consider this new lunar cycle the ideal month in which to draw up plans, talk to potential contributors, travel and investigate – basically research and discover what may be needed to make your 2019 dreams and resolutions become a reality.
You may also experience in increase in desire to give voice to – or take in – new personal ideas and original viewpoints – so expect to be more inspired ala Ficino now. After all, the airy Moon is making a stimulating sextile to Jupiter in Sagittarius, encouraging open-mindedness and enthusiasm. And we all know what the Greeks thought about ‘enthousiasmos‘!
Aquarius is very solutions-driven, so intellectual breakthroughs and political/ideological/technological advances are also possible, especially around the time of the Virgo Full Moon, which is both pragmatic and details-oriented.
Mercury is also the cosmic messenger, so it’s also possible that the next two weeks are likely to coincide with an influx of important signs, omens, information or life lessons. Keep your mind open and be on the lookout for anything that appears in 3’s (3 is a number associated with Jupiter) or 5’s (5 is the number of Mercury in numerology) – these may prove to be significant.
And now for the not-so-sunny news…
Pluto – Time to Step into Your Power
As I mentioned in the Sabian Symbol section above, this New Moon shares certainly planetary connections with the August 2017 Lunar Eclipse: both carry the signature of Jupiter and Pluto. We’ve covered sunny Jupiter in the section above. So now for the less light side of proceedings.
Just like the August lunar eclipse, which came within three days of a Jupiter-Pluto square (4 August 2017), this New Moon will take place in the shadow of a rather nasty and difficult Mars-Pluto square, which could coincide with a rise in compulsive and controlling behaviour, as well as ego conflicts and power struggles.
Pluto is all about transformation and power – its use and abuse. It is also the planet most associated with secrets, taboos, underground/invisible or hidden machinations. When negatively-aspected, this can include gossip, slander, back-stabbing, blackmail and attempts at one-upmanship.
Mars is the planet of military strategy, energy, focus and motivation. However, when adversely aspected, it can take on a rather aggressive, forceful tone. This is the bully who thinks that ‘might is right’ (see the bossy, exploitative aspects mentioned in the Sabian symbol keywords above).
As a result, over the next two weeks, we could see a shadow energy at work – one that has, as its central aim, a desire to squash or counter any change, progress or hope generated by the Mercury-Jupiter sextile. This energy is likely to reach a peak around mid-month, when Mars conjuncts volatile Uranus in Aries before ingressing into Taurus on Valentine’s Day.
Between now and then, you may want to remain mindful of any sub-conscious tendencies in yourself or others to thwart positive efforts or self-sabotage. examples may include: naysaying, attempts to manipulate (even bully) you into giving up certain projects or goals, or an inability to focus due to obsessive or compulsive behaviour.
The good news is that Mercury, Uranus and Mars will reach a certain level of co-operation on the 8th and 9th of February, so if you need to wait a week before pushing ahead, so be it.
Overall, though, this is the most upbeat and expansive New Moon we have had in a while, so take advantage of it to wipe your emotional slate clean of all the drama in January and get on with 2019 in a less emotionally encumbered, more constructive fashion. Go get ’em, people!
