I have existed from the morning of the world and I shall exist until the last star falls from the night. Although I have taken the form of Gaius Caligula, I am all men as I am no man, and therefore I am a god.
Caligula
Coming up on the 19th-20th April, depending on what part of the world you are in, is the next New Moon, again in Aries, and this time, also a Solar Eclipse of the hybrid variety. It will only be visible in totality across remote areas of Australia and in parts of Indonesia, triggering a series of no less than 5 Total Solar Eclipse’ visible in Australia over the next 15 years. If you want to more about the astronomy, there is a good site HERE
I love using the Sabian Symbols as a focus for the lunar cycle, where the huge variety of images seems to marry extrordinarily well with the shifting cycles of the Moon as it weaves itself through the signs of the zodiac fulfilling its phases of fertilisation, growth, blossoming, death and decay. The next New Moon falls in the final, or anaretic degree of Aries, focussing on individual action with the symbol :
A DUCK POND AND ITS BROOD-The realization of natural boundaries.
After the preceding symbol this may seem anticlimactic. What is shown here is that every form of activity has its limits, and that even the consciousness that has been able to get a glimpse of universal order has to bring down to its own “karmic” field of operation the message of harmony it has heard inwardly. Peace and inner contentment with one’s essential destiny (dharma) is required to meet the everyday world. The mystic may experience flights of imagination and transcendent vision, but he must return to concrete earth and to his task in his social environment. Extensive as the latter may seem it is still very small compared to the galactic field; it is indeed a duck pond compared to the ocean. But it is there that the substance for concrete action has to be found, and every effective activity has to be focused; thus the boundaries imposed by the very nature of this activity have to be consciously accepted.
Dane Rudhyar
The last New Moon was also in Aries, falling within a few days of Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius. This New Moon in Aries underlines the current theme of a major new cycle by squaring Pluto; a tense aspect that also involves Jupiter which has the potential to further inflame the various instances of rebellion against top down control that are happening around the world.
For much of our history, most of our social boundaries have ultimately consisted of geographical features such as rivers, mountains, deserts and oceans, separating us into regions or countries. Formed by natural forces and existing in the landscape without human intervention, they have served as placeholders, separating us, and deterring us from crossing over. In some cases, these boundaries have been reinforced by artificial structures such as in the case of the Great Wall of China. These natural boundaries have had a significant impact on the political, economic, and social dynamics of the regions or countries they separate, shaping cultural and linguistic differences between the groups of people living on either side, and influencing the development of economic activities. The expense of long distance travel has long acted as a natural deterrent, but in more recent times, our ever-widening sphere of awareness, due to the connectivity of the web has seen a rapidly increasing number of individuals wandering the planet, in search of peace and contentment.
As our digitally connected minds have leapt the natural divisions which kept us physically separated for millenia, has our sense of peace and the inner contentment with our essential destiny deteriorated beneath the onslaught of infinite potentials available to us if only we could escape from where we were? In fact, to gain this elusive peace and and contentment,
it seems to be increasingly important to be hugely successful doing nothing at all but wander around in scenic places looking as if you are on holiday…
my apologies, I merely poke fun at the strangely amateur advertisements that tell me I am working far too hard and that I need to sign up for a webinar on how to succeed at life!
As I see it, our ability to accept our fate or purpose in life involves embracing the idea that each of us has a unique path or destiny, determined by various random factors such as our abilities, experiences, and perhaps most importantly, the environment into which we were born. Coming into balance with this essential destiny is arguably a life long process of self-discovery and reflection, where we learn to distil our core values and to align our actions with our beliefs. Perhaps, more importantly, it involves accepting the limitations or obstacles that block us from our destination so that we can learn to either navigate the challenges or even to have the grace and resilience to recognise that laying certain goals aside is not a defeat, but rather an acceptance of our place in a greater scheme, of which we are only a tiny part. We are, as Rudhyar explaines, merely ducks on a pond, a pond that is a tiny part of the vast ocean of existence.
I often talk about my garden, something I started from scratch, a few years ago. It is a labour of love and I draw my inspiration for it from my mother, who was, in her time, a great gardener, as her father was before her. She is dying, and her time is not long, but in the garden, I am close to her; every part of my garden is woven with memories of her, even though she has never walked amongst the plants. I am a bit random with my approach, I fully subscribe to the chaos theory and try not to get too perfectionist about it, as if I do, I will more than likely be disappointed. When the woes of the world get to me, I go into my garden and I remind myself that this is all I can really try to change, and even at that, only if the slugs allow me! My garden is a bit like the Duck pond… boundaried by nature, and the focus of my undivided attention; it is only here, in my small sphere of influence that I can hope to change the world, one day at a time, as I watch birth, life and death, in all their glory.
The key to this particular New Moon, I believe, is the recognition that life is made up of brief moments of peak intesnity which exist amongst the chaos of events required to birth them. The first kiss of a yearned for lover, the applause on the last night, the final conversation with a dying loved one, the first smile of a baby; all these contain the intensity of what it means to be human, to walk that road between birth and death, conscious of your place in the world. Life does not seek to move beyond these moments to a point of harmony, for to do that would be to cease living, to cease being. We must take these moments and be grateful for our ability to feel, and to be grateful for our continued gift of life, for as long as it lasts.
This particular lunar cycle completes in the third face of Aries, associated in the tarot with the Four of Wands and the action of Venus in Aries. This is a card of stability in the realm of the spirit, suggesting that a framework has been established from which further goals, creative projects or journeys of the mind and heart can be planned. It is not a card of arrival, and suggests that further work must indeed be done, but that the basics are down although having a spiritual or creative understanding of yourself is vital for the flowering of further work.
I have laid two cards from the Thoth Journey Tarot to give us focus for thE NEW CYCLE:
What is in the dark? and What will come to light?
What is Dark?
It seems very topical to draw Death at an Eclipse! As the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon, we get a sense of life being extinguished; historically, ancient astrologers saw eclipses as a bad omen, and prophesied the death of Kings or the coming of war, although we must remember that the ancient records that we have most access to, those of the ancient Persion and Mesopotamian cultures, would only have recorded events concerning the eclipses they could visibly see. This particular eclipse for example, can only be seen in totality through Indonesia and parts of Australia, so we might expect the effects to be more powerful in those locations. The card of Death in the tarot is not necessarily associated with the death of a person, although it can indicate this in rare cases. It does however point towards the ending of something that has been in place for sometime, and that it is time to consider a new way. It is time to face the endings that come with the death of hope, with the death of love and with the death of self. Eventually, you will come to find that even in the darkest places, there is potential contained within the silence, and when the noise has stopped, when you can accept the loss and are ready to see what can happen next, out of the grave soil of what has died, a new life will be born.
What must come to light?
What comes to light, after the darkness of death, is the creation of a kingdom that you would inhabit, rather than the need for you to inhabit that which you have inherited. At the start of any new phase, it is important to be mindful that your energy will attract, according to its vibration; this card alerts you to the need to be the ruler of your own domain. Sorrow and sadness will attract beings which resonate to a similar vibration, so be careful to nurture the energy of that which you would wish to see, with all your heart and soul, knowing that others, who respond to a similar vision, will find their way into your life. This card is connected astrologically to the Sun in Aries, where the Sun is still, at this eclipse, the one above is connected to Scorpio, the position of the South Node and integral in the eclipse process; it all seems to fit just perfectly!
I am in the last few days of the Kickstarter, so if there is anyone who would still like to sponser me and be a part of getting my book & deck published, there is still time. We have reached the initial goal of €20,000 and are trying to reach the stretch goal of €25,000 so that we can include both Magus cards and print the book in a luxury thread sewn edition. Rewards are available in all tiers, from €20.00 upwards, or you can just make a random donation in gratitude!
A blessed New Moon to you all ❤
My name is Joanna Grant, I am an astrologer of some 30 years and gained my Diploma at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in 2012. Weaving my knowledge of the stars together with intuitive tarot techniques, I craft highly personalised guidance for clients who are often navigating difficult life transitions. Lately, I am very excited to breathe new life into my astrological practice through my study of Horary, which I now consider an essential practice. The traditional techniques of the ancients have helped me to interpret my knowledge in a whole new way and having recently completed the STA Advanced Level Horary Diploma, I feel that in an uncertain world, the integrity of this tradition is an essential tool in giving my clients the guidance they seek.
Contact me at: jograntastrologer@gmail.com
Joanna-Kate Grant 